Chapter 254: Visiting the Temple

The new rain had just ceased, and mist still lingered.

Behind Zhiqu Temple, the damp stone steps reflected the sky's light, winding endlessly into a deep, verdant concealment.

Ancient pines beside the steps dripped dew; occasionally, droplets rolled down pine needles and struck the moss-stained stone slabs with crisp, tinkling sounds. The water leapt and slid, pooling in hollows of blue stone, forming shimmering puddles—as if—

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu stepped into one of those puddles and cursed under his breath.

These past few days, Wang Yi had tormented Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu mercilessly—searching alleyways for someone's former residence, climbing mountains to find ancient ruins. They had to rise in the dead of night to scale the city walls at Yin hour to watch the sunrise, leaving when the sky was still black! After watching the sunrise, he insisted on drinking authentic Jingzhou tea. Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu was utterly worn out—he'd lived in Jingzhou this long and had no idea what "authentic Jingzhou tea" even was!

He had no choice but to take him to Pinmingju, where the shopkeeper had to be roused from sleep since they hadn't opened yet. Only then did they finally drink tea and eat something. But before they'd even sat long, Wang Yi declared that Guo Zhongchan had written in the *Jingzhou Records* that the Wu general Zhu Ran had buried a jar of wine south of Jiangling City—and he insisted on digging it up! With no alternative, the whole party, armed with shovels, dug up over a dozen trees amid the bewildered stares of passersby—and finally unearthed a broken pottery jar filled entirely with centipedes!

Then, under the blazing sun, they climbed the mountain to search for some cliffside inscriptions. Along the way, they hacked through thorns and brambles, got covered in moss, and nearly slipped off the cliff face! Wang Yi stood before the rock face, gazing at a few faint scratches and waxed poetic: "These are the lingering traces of swords and spears—this must be the ancient battlefield of Jiangling!" Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu leaned closer and saw plainly that they were marks left by rolling stones. Later, Wang Yi himself realized his mistake and added, "Heaven and earth are the furnace, time the artisan—this is no human work, but the hand of nature!" Then he actually looked smugly satisfied!

Evenings brought no rest either. Wang Yi had somehow heard that Tao Yuanming, while serving in Jiangling, once rowed a boat at midnight and sank his poems into the river, after which the aquatic creatures stirred and white fish leapt upon the riverbanks. This literatus from Langya caught fire with enthusiasm, declaring he would "follow in the footsteps of past sages," and at midnight under the moon, he insisted on rowing out on the river! Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu forced himself awake to watch Wang Yi compose poetry and toss it into the water, while standing beside him, forced to clap and praise: "'Deep night, fish and dragons lie still; the river empties, Wu and Chu stretch far'—Master Sanqi's line truly captures the spirit of Bao Mingyuan..." Ugh, damn it all!

They didn't stop until the late hours of the river journey, but rest was brief—they were to meet at the North Ferry at dawn to board a boat for Xisha Island. Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu, dragging his heavy, sleep-deprived body, arrived early to prepare, only to find not a soul there! He waited nearly an hour before Wang Yi's servant finally appeared, saying Wang Yi hadn't risen yet and that "Master Kong should rest first." Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu trudged home to catch a nap—his eyes hadn't even closed when someone came again, saying everyone was waiting for him alone! Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu was so furious he nearly spat blood; he wanted to chop Wang Yi to pieces right there in Jingzhou.

But he had no choice—he'd proposed the surveillance himself, and the Prince had ordered it. He gritted his teeth and kept going. To deceive Wang Yi fully, he had to pretend to be tireless, devoted, and eager to please—and he'd endured this charade for half a day, utterly drained. Then Wang Yi suddenly had another whim: he wanted to admire Jingchu beauties. Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu was delighted—this would trap Wang Yi in a boudoir, giving him a chance to rest, and making surveillance easier!

He quickly arranged everything, even selecting a group of formidable women to form a "tiger-and-wolf force," hoping Wang Yi would finally feel exhaustion himself. But when Wang Yi arrived, he declared: "These beauties are all for Master Kong—to thank you for accompanying me these past days!" He asked, "Aren't you surprised?"

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu desperately refused, but Wang Yi ignored him, tossing down a fortune as reward! The women surged forward like a flood—overwhelming, unstoppable!

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu cried—actually cried. On the first day, Wang Yang had controlled the schedule—good food, good drink, good fun—he'd been truly relaxed. But since the second day, when Wang Yang stopped coming, everything spiraled out of control. He was now immensely grateful that Wang Yi was only staying in Jingzhou for a few days—if he stayed any longer, Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu would die. Absolutely.

The only thing keeping Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu's old bones from crumbling was the hope of watching Wang Yi hacked to death—alas, he hadn't even designed a specific death method—

At that moment, Wang Yi's voice came: "Death is a method; death brings suffering. All sentient beings, too, have death as a method. Death brings suffering—whether in hell, as beasts, as hungry ghosts, as humans, as gods, or any being caught in the cycle of birth and death—all who are called sentient beings have death as their method..."

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu had been thinking of Wang Yi's death when Wang Yi suddenly launched into this whole lecture on death—he startled, fearing Wang Yi had read his mind! He quickly looked over—and saw Wang Yi had stopped walking, his expression thoughtful.

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu, eyes swollen with dark circles, ventured: "My lord, what were you just saying...?"

Wang Yi's eyes brightened, intrigued:

"This is the Buddhist 'Dharma of Clear Distinction in the Thought of Death.' Monks sit beneath trees or in open air, contemplating thus. We are now in an 'open air' place. Master Kong, do you consider death to be the loss of one's vital root—or the loss of wisdom due to endless suffering?"

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu forced a thin smile: "Why are we speaking of death, my lord, when all is well?"

Wang Yi pointed to the puddle ahead:

"Observe form as foam, sensation as water bubbles, perception as springtime mirages—"

He fell silent, lifted his eyelids, and looked at Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu, as if waiting for him to continue.

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu felt embarrassed: "Er... this... I must confess, I don't read Buddhist sutras much..."

"Oh."

Wang Yi withdrew his finger, his interest fading: "Let's go."

Without waiting for Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu, he walked straight ahead.

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu suppressed his rage, smiling as he followed: "My lord, go slowly—the path is slippery."

May you not break your neck!

The group climbed the steps until they reached a faded black gate. Wang Yi ordered his attendants to knock. The door opened, and a gray-robed monk stepped out, palms together, bowing slightly:

"May you be at peace. This is our temple's place of quiet cultivation—we do not receive outside guests. If you wish to pay respects or make offerings, please proceed to the front temple."

Wang Yi also clasped his palms in return and said:

"I am Wang Yi of Langya. I seek Master Hui. I sent a formal visitation note the day before yesterday. I humbly ask the monk to announce me."

Upon hearing "Langya Wang," the monk glanced at Wang Yi, gave no further reaction, and simply said: "Wait a moment." Then he turned and walked inside.

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu was displeased that the monk didn't even invite them to wait inside—but seeing Wang Yi rebuffed, he felt a quiet satisfaction.

After a while, the monk returned and said: "Master Hui is in meditation and cannot receive visitors. If you wish to come, please return during the Dharma lecture in ten days."

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu said coldly:

"This is Wang, of the Langya Wang clan, the imperial envoy, the Attendant-in-Ordinary Wang. How dare you monks treat him with such disrespect?"

The monk's expression didn't change; his gaze lowered as he bowed calmly: "Please, Master Wang, come to the front temple for tea."

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu feigned anger: "You—"

Wang Yi raised his hand to stop Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu, then spoke to the monk:

"Master Hui's meditation should not be disturbed. But I am on imperial mission and depart in three days—my return uncertain. I have long heard of Master Hui's renown and traveled a thousand li to meet him, only to ask for one glimpse. My heart is sincere. I beg you, again, to announce me—even if I hear only a single phrase of Dharma, I shall be deeply grateful."

The monk bowed again and walked away.

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu pretended to be indignant: "Since the Jin, monks have refused to bow to kings—these monks have grown ever more arrogant!"

Wang Yi remained serene:

"True reverence needs no outward submission. Where the Dao lies, honor exists—regardless of rank or status. Monks follow their own rules; this is not disrespect. Master Kong, calm yourself. When entering a temple, follow its customs."

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu, seeing his provocation failed, smiled and bowed: "My lord speaks wisely. I was shallow."

After a while, the gray-robed monk returned, accompanied by a guest-master monk, who invited Wang Yi inside. Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu and the others tried to follow but were stopped: "Master Hui invites only Master Wang."

Wang Yi instructed: "Wait here. If I haven't returned in half an hour, go to the front temple."

Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu wanted to refuse—but he had no grounds to object, couldn't force his way in, and after observing Wang Yi's behavior these past days, he was certain the man had no intention of investigating anything. Even if he did, meeting an old monk posed no danger. More importantly, he truly, deeply, didn't want to follow Wang Yi anymore. He was exhausted, knew nothing of Buddhism, and if he had to sit and listen, he'd fall asleep instantly. So he let it go—went with the flow.

After Wang Yi left, Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Kong Zhangyu asked the gray-robed monk: "Is there anywhere nearby to sleep?"

Wang Yi followed the guest-master monk through the meditation courtyard, winding through narrow alleys. Emerging from the alley, they found a spiral of stone steps leading upward. At the summit, a narrow courtyard appeared—verandas and pavilions, like a small temple.

Before a mossy stone chessboard sat an extraordinarily handsome white-robed young lord, alone in play. Seeing Wang Yi enter, he rose, holding a folding fan, and bowed low, voice hushed: "My dear uncle Wang, you've traveled far."

Wang Yi was stunned.

——————

Note: ① Greeting with "Amitabha" is one practice of Pure Land Buddhism, arising from the fusion of Pure Land and Amitabha devotion. Its simplicity led to widespread adoption, just as Wang Bi's commentary on the *I Ching*, abandoning imagery to focus on metaphysics, became dominant in the Wei-Jin era. By the Southern Qi, Pure Land belief and Amitabha devotion already existed, and sutras like the *Prajna Samadhi Sutra* and *Amitabha Sutra* had been translated—but systematic sectarian organization had not yet begun, nor was "Amitabha" used as a greeting.

② *Biographies of Eminent Monks, Volume on Miraculous Powers*: "The monk Hui (whom Wang Yi calls 'Master Hui') surnamed Liu, origin unknown. He resided in Jingzhou for decades. Liu Qiu of Nanyang founded Zhiqu Temple and invited him to reside there... In the Yongming era of Qi, Prince Wenhu invited him to the capital."

Wenhu is the current Crown Prince; "yao" means "invite"; "xia jing" means "go to the capital," since Jingzhou lies upstream of Jiankang, southern dynasties commonly used "down" to describe travel from Jingzhou to the capital.