Chapter 176: One hundred eighty-three, The One Who Fulfills the Alliance

One hundred eighty-three, The One Who Fulfills the Alliance

The wind howled outside the hall.

The interior of the hall was solemn and majestic.

"Is the female benefactor unable to speak?"

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao stepped aside and asked curiously.

Sister Xiuniang walked silently to the table used for interpreting marriage lots, picked up the brush prepared there, and wrote on a piece of red paper: "Is the Great Master the abbot of Donglin Temple?"

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao was startled for a moment, realizing something, and couldn't help but take a few more looks at this mute female benefactor before pressing his palms together: "Indeed, this old monk is. If the female benefactor cannot speak, you may write it down in detail..."

Before Abbot Venerable Shan Dao could finish his repetitive words, Sister Xiuniang had already lowered her eyes and written: "Does the Great Master remember the Lotus Pagoda?"

"What Lotus Pagoda?" Abbot Venerable Shan Dao's first reaction was to ask back in confusion. Sister Xiuniang's gaze remained fixed, silently observing the look of bewilderment on the old monk's face.

The latter frowned, looked at Sister Xiuniang, and then looked at the pitch-black night sky outside the main hall.

"Lotus Pagoda? Among the Buddhist pagodas and stupas currently well-preserved in the temple, I have never heard of one by that name..." Abbot Venerable Shan Dao's words suddenly paused, and he turned his head back, looking dazed:

"The Lotus Pagoda the female benefactor speaks of, could it be the one from the previous Sui Dynasty? At that time, there was indeed a Buddhist pagoda named Lotus Pagoda, because the pagoda was nine stories high and shaped like a lotus flower..."

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao mused in reminiscence:

"But that was all during the Sui Dynasty. I remember that pagoda was built with the support of the Southern Kingdom's royal family before the Sui unified the north and south. It was said that the construction of this pagoda consumed a great deal, and it was magnificent, even hailed as the number one stupa in Jiang Nan.

"It's just a pity that during the Sui Dynasty, it accidentally caught fire and collapsed. Is the female benefactor referring to this pagoda? I didn't expect the female benefactor to remember this pagoda at such a young age. Did you see it in some rare Buddhist scripture? It's a pity it's no longer here."

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao frowned and sighed:

"Alas, the female benefactor asks if I remember it; I wasn't even born when that pagoda existed, so naturally, I didn't see it and don't remember it. I only learned of this matter after hearing my master speak of it.

"Moreover, later on, my master built a Merit Pagoda on the ruins of the Lotus Pagoda, but it also accidentally caught fire. However, these are all things of the past, not worth mentioning.

"Does the female benefactor want to find the Lotus Pagoda? Have you heard of it somewhere and wish to pay your respects? It's a pity only ruins remain. They are over by the Beitian Jiyang Yuan behind the mountain. The female benefactor can only go and observe the remaining underground palace now."

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao suggested thoughtfully.

Except for writing, Sister Xiuniang's gaze had never left the face of this black-robed old monk.

The face, covered in age spots, was full of sincerity and kindness, and the words spoken were without hesitation, the expression not appearing fake. Sister Xiuniang lowered her eyes and her slender hand gripped the brush:

"Beitian Jiyang Yuan? Underground palace?"

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao shook his head in regret: "Is the female benefactor truly here to pay respects to the ancient pagoda? If you have traveled from afar, it is truly a pity."

Donglin Temple's incense and Buddhist pagodas were famous throughout the Jiang Nan Circuit, and even spread to the north. Every day, all kinds of distant pilgrims came up the mountain to enter the temple, and their wishes or reasons were strange and varied.

Therefore, Abbot Venerable Shan Dao was not too surprised by a young female pilgrim who liked to observe Buddhist pagodas. The old monk smiled:

"That's right, there is still an underground palace left. This was built together with the number one Buddhist pagoda in Jiang Nan back then. It has a long history and was funded and built by the royal family of the Southern Kingdom's royal temple. It is of royal standard. The female benefactor only needs to donate some incense money, and you can..."

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao arranged everything in a one-stop fashion, talking endlessly.

However, at this moment, his words paused. He saw that the expression of this rather strange mute female pilgrim was still unusually calm, but her eyes were slightly dazed, as if she were distracted.

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao couldn't help but take a few more looks, reorganized his words, and probed from the side:

"Does the female benefactor have any concerns or dissatisfaction? Alas, I am not exaggerating, the underground palace of our temple is truly extraordinary. It was built with the number one Buddhist pagoda in Jiang Nan back then, with a long history, and was funded and built by the royal family of the Southern Kingdom's royal temple. It is of royal standard. The female benefactor only needs to donate some incense money, and you can..."

Sister Xiuniang seemed to come back to her senses. She moved her gaze from the golden Buddha statue behind Abbot Venerable Shan Dao to the face of the white-bearded old monk, took a look, lowered her eyes gently, and wrote on the red paper:

"The Lotus Pagoda collapsed. Besides the underground palace, what else was left behind?" Abbot Venerable Shan Dao's words were interrupted, and he frowned slightly:

"What else was left behind? Everything was burned clean. Only the underground palace remained, and the flesh-body Buddha of my master's uncle." Sister Xiuniang wrote: "Master's uncle, flesh-body Buddha?"

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao nodded, mentioning this, his flow was as smooth as a tour guide's:

"I forgot to mention, this underground palace is also the place where my master's uncle, Master Zhong Ma, ascended. That year, under the auspices of my master, the underground palace beneath the ruins of the Lotus Pagoda was reopened. My master's uncle, who had been missing for many years, was sitting in meditation in the center of the underground palace, his flesh body still vivid and lifelike, having quietly ascended to the Pure Land..."

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao talked eloquently, just like when he told Ouyang Rong this secret in the Sanhui Courtyard two months ago; he didn't even change his script, it seemed he didn't say it often to pilgrims.

And when he spoke of the flesh-body Buddha of that master's uncle, he lowered his voice, using a rather mysterious tone. Sister Xiuniang was silent for a while, her hand gripping the brush tightening, "Where is the flesh body of the Great Master's uncle?" Abbot Venerable Shan Dao sighed:

"It has already been cremated by my master. This is also a Buddhist tradition. In the end, there were several sarira beads, all placed in a golden lotus lamp and kept in the Pure Land underground palace... Does the female benefactor want to go and pay your respects?"

Sister Xiuniang gently put down the brush and turned to look at the solemn golden Buddha statue in the main hall, saying nothing.

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao's eyes were curious, his palms pressed together, and his gaze followed Sister Xiuniang's line of sight to look at the golden Buddha statue behind him, while his mouth said:

"Amitabha, does the female benefactor have any other..."

Turning his head, the old monk's words were only half spoken when the hem of his black monk's robe suddenly fluttered. It was a slight breeze that had risen in the hall.

Hua Xuanji after, with a "clatter," a heavy object fell from above.

The old monk was startled and jumped to one side, disregarding his image.

He looked with a racing heart at the deformed copper treasure clapper that had fallen to the ground, and then looked up blankly at the top of his head.

This main hall, as the main hall of Donglin Temple, was luxuriously decorated. High up in the hall, it was full of ceiling hangings, treasure clappers, and beaded banners, decorated with colorful ornaments.

Among them was a copper product called a treasure clapper, the size of a human head, shaped like a bell, and heavy in weight, originally hanging in the middle of the ceiling hangings and beaded banners in the hall.

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao found that the position where he had just been standing was directly below one of the treasure clappers. He didn't know if it had been moved by the wind, causing it to hang unsteadily.

The treasure clapper fell down. It almost hit someone.

This heavy object, if it had hit him, a bloody disaster would have been inevitable. "How dangerous, how dangerous, strange how it fell, it scared this old monk to death!"

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao patted his chest, his face still pale with fright.

"Female benefactor, are you alright... eh, where is the person?"

Abbot Venerable Shan Dao looked suspicious, looking around the empty main hall.

However, soon, his expression turned from shock to joy. He walked quickly to the table, called out "Amitabha," bent down, and swept the three taels of silver that were quietly placed on the table into his sleeve, his movements agile and practiced.

As for the copper treasure clapper that was lying quietly on the ground, why it fell vertically but didn't hit the old monk's bald head, it seemed to be just good luck.

The wind was strong tonight, and the dark clouds in the sky moved slowly, occasionally obscuring the bright moon. At the third watch, the bright moon hid behind the dark clouds again.

Behind Donglin Temple, in the Beitian Jiyang Yuan, beside a dry well. The light dimmed as the bright moon was obscured.

A rustling sound came from the nearby bamboo forest.

The main building of the Jiyang Yuan not far away was extremely quiet. A gust of wind passed.

The bright moon emerged from behind the clouds.

Beneath the dry well, beside the lotus pedestal in the center of the underground palace, at some unknown time, a slender figure appeared. The clear and mute girl sighed slightly.

Except for the place of Abbot Venerable Shan Dao, the host of this temple, she had roughly toured the entire temple, and even ran to the windy mountain top, using a secret technique of gazing at Qi.

But in the end, she did not see any Qi refiner. Not a single one.

That rather talkative host of Donglin Temple was not one either; Sister Xiuniang had already tested him.

At the critical moment when the copper clapper fell just now, if there were spiritual cultivation, no matter how much one tried to hide it, the Qi mechanism would be hard to remain without waves, and it would be hard to escape her spiritual sense, which was different from ordinary Qi refiners.

So this could only mean... this Donglin Temple, which is close to Yunmeng Marsh and famous throughout the Jiang Nan Circuit, is indeed just an ordinary ancient temple.

Or rather, the current one is an ordinary ancient temple.

Bathing in the moonlight falling from the well opening above her head, Sister Xiuniang tilted her head, her small face looking a bit dazed. This was completely different from the situation of Donglin Temple recorded in her sect.

This ancient Lotus Sect temple, which has been passed down since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, is not ordinary and once had a very special inheritance. It is related to the legendary Ding Jian.

It may even involve a certain mythical absolute vein. That's right, an absolute vein. Compared with the nine mythical Daoist veins, a path that cannot be walked is naturally an absolute vein.

Therefore, a hundred years ago, when the north and south were unified, under the auspices of the Southern Kingdom's royal family living on the west bank of Butterfly Creek, the sect where Sister Xiuniang was located, Donglin Temple, and the group of craftsmen of the Jiangzuo Daoist vein who lived for generations on the west bank of Butterfly Creek, once had a sincere cooperation.

Sister Xiuniang also learned this from the Great Yuan Shijie's letter.

It turned out that back then, the three major forces had concluded an alliance in the Lotus Pagoda funded by the Southern Kingdom's royal family, which was rarely known in the Jiang Nan martial arts world.

It is called the Lotus Pagoda Alliance.

And they made a great Dao blood oath that the successor disciples within the three major forces should remember to fulfill the agreement for generations and must not violate it, otherwise the sect would be broken and the Dao would perish.

Sister Xiuniang didn't know exactly what the alliance agreement was, perhaps the Great Yuan Shijie who was acting as the head of the sect knew, but she didn't detail it to her in the letter.

However, Sister Xiuniang vaguely knew some possible truths. This was something she vaguely guessed by combining a certain sect secret she knew.

And Sister Xiuniang had no doubt that if this secret were to spread out of the sect, it would inevitably cause an earthquake in the Jiang Nan martial arts world and shake the status of her sect.

Because a certain tripod, which was regarded as a treasure by the Jiang Nan martial arts world and kept in the sect where Sister Xiuniang was located, had long been lost. It seemed that she thought of the recent repeated rising water in Yunmeng Marsh.

The mute girl who was bathing in the moonlight took a deep breath.

The Lotus Pagoda matter she was investigating right now might be related to this tripod lost by her sect.

And back then, the price paid by her sect for the Lotus Pagoda Alliance was likely this tripod.

However, Sister Xiuniang was not too worried. According to the Great Yuan Shijie's temperament, since she handed this matter over to her to investigate without rushing over herself, it seemed... the Great Yuan Shijie didn't seem to hold much hope for her being able to investigate anything.

That was also true.

All the places that could be found had already been found. Letting Sister Xiuniang revisit this place now was more like a routine visit.

And for some reason, the Qi refining inheritance of Donglin Temple had been cut off, and the craftsmen had long since died. Who else remembers the Lotus Pagoda Alliance?

Just when Sister Xiuniang was in a daze, a voice came.

"Amitabha, female benefactor, this is the Pure Land, above is the Avici Hell, come over quickly."

Perhaps seeing Sister Xiuniang's silent arrival, Xiuzhen, who was called "Great Master" by Ouyang Rong, climbed up from the ground, one finger pointing to the sky and one finger pointing to the earth.

The mute girl didn't turn her head, smiled slightly, nodded gently, and gave a light "ah" to greet him.

The old swordsmith says calmly: "It is very clear, she has left, she didn't even drink the tea."

Liu Zi'an still has a look of shock and suspicion, looking around.

"Heh, don't be afraid."

The old swordsmith chuckles, a laugh that seems to contain a bit of mockery.

The old man smiles but does not smile:

"That little girl from Yunmeng Jian Ze has already gone far, rushing back to send a letter to the Head Lady of the Nudi Pavilion."

Liu Zi'an relaxes slightly, but his facial muscles remain tense, looking somewhat solemn and nervous.

He turns and walks away, closing the door with a heavy "bang."

"Why didn't the old gentleman discuss it with me? Why did you call her here?"

Liu Zi'an turns his head back, his tone dissatisfied.

"I told you yesterday, and you agreed."

The old swordsmith's expression does not change, and he replies in a relaxed tone.

"But..." Liu Zi'an hesitates, pacing in the room, "But I didn't expect the old gentleman to move so fast, calling her here tonight... I originally wanted to discuss some details with you tomorrow."

"Discuss my foot."

The old swordsmith sneers:

"People from the Wei clan are almost here. If we drag this out, one wrong move in chess, and the sword you spent so much effort to get will be lost forever."

Liu Zi'an cannot help but look at the expression on the old swordsmith's face, arguing in his mouth:

"What do you mean spent so much effort, I am also helping you, old gentleman. Don't forget, we are in the same camp...

"Aren't you also dissatisfied with Big Brother? If it weren't for my help, the sword would really fall into the hands of your enemy. Can you, who spent half your life forging swords, stand the taste of making wedding clothes for others?"

"Making wedding clothes for others..." The old swordsmith chews on the words, smiles, and says nothing more.

Liu Zi'an stops pacing, turns his face, and cannot help but ask:

"Why did the female cultivators of Yunmeng Yunmeng Jian Ze arrive so quickly? And what did you use to contact them, old gentleman?"

The old swordsmith calmly extends a withered finger and points to his bulging chest.

He does not hide it.

Liu Zi'an looks over, his face showing a dazed expression. It turns out to be the square, hard object wrapped in gray cloth from just now, which is likely some item left by the cultivators behind the old swordsmith's sect.

Although the craftsmen of the Jiangzuo Daoist lineage have no lethality, don't forget, they still belong to one of the nine divine Daoist lineages and are cultivators.

Having figured out the current situation, Liu Zi'an's brow remains unfurrowed, frequently glancing at the old swordsmith's expression.

"Do you suspect me?"

The old swordsmith suddenly asks with a smile, then nods, as if asking and answering himself:

"I only want to forge swords and take revenge by the way. If the latter were fake, why would I help you kill Liu Ziwen? Wouldn't it be better to cooperate directly with Liu Ziwen and the Wei clan? Wouldn't it be more stable?

"Otherwise, tell me, why would I help you? Because you are beautiful? Heh, you wish."

"Anyway, I have already told you the secrets of what happened back then. Why I want Liu Ziwen to die, and why I cannot let the Wei clan get the sword—on this point, our goals are the same.

"Liu Zi'an, you are also straightforward, actually killing Liu Ziwen for me. I am quite satisfied with this method of killing and punishing the heart."

The old swordsmith smiles and lifts the pot, drinking a large gulp of yellow wine.

What is more satisfying to an enemy than brothers killing each other?

Especially for someone like Liu Ziwen who values the clan so much.

Hearing his big brother's name, Liu Zi'an looks away silently, not answering. He changes the subject, staring at the old swordsmith who has a great appetite:

"Then why didn't you notify me earlier when you summoned the Yunmeng female cultivators? Is it because you are hiding something from me, intending to send a message to that Head Lady of Yunmeng Yunmeng Jian Ze?"

Liu Zi'an's tone is dissatisfied. The old swordsmith's casual actions make him feel vaguely that things are slipping out of his control, which is very bad.

"I sent someone to call you as soon as I discovered that girl came, it's just that you arrived too late..."

The old swordsmith pouts, but his words pause, and he also shakes his head:

"But I didn't expect the female cultivators of Yunmeng Yunmeng Jian Ze to arrive so quickly. It only took two pillars of incense for the sword energy to arrive... I was originally afraid of attracting the attention of other cultivators, so I prepared to use this thing a few times over several nights.

"But I don't know why, this Yue Chu Zi happened to be near Longcheng County."

Liu Zi'an looks sideways, frowning: "Was it just passing by, or... was it already aware?"

The old swordsmith shakes his head:

"If it were already aware, that Yue Chu Zi just now wouldn't have left so easily. Rest assured, that letter will be delivered to the Head Lady named Xue Zhongzhu on time, and she will... come on time."

The old man sips his wine, squinting and muttering.

Liu Zi'an's expression changes, finally settling into a look of helplessness.

If it weren't for the immense pressure from the Wei clan, he wouldn't have resorted to such a dangerous move. Now, the day for taking the sword from the sword box is getting closer, but Liu Ziwen died too late, leaving him no time to arrange things and fool the Wei clan. Now he can only lead the wolf to drive away the tiger...

"However, that little girl just now is quite interesting. She is a little mute. This Yunmeng Yunmeng Jian Ze really has all kinds of strange women."

The old swordsmith chuckles and shakes his head.

"What do you mean? A little mute?"

"Nothing, I didn't talk much just now, and I don't know what status this little girl has in Yunmeng Yunmeng Jian Ze. She doesn't look like an ordinary Yue Chu Zi..."

The old swordsmith shakes his head lightly.