Talent: Myriad Forms Return to Origin

Seven or eight monks of varying ages followed him. Some were injured, their faces haggard.

"We were originally monks of Jingye Temple in Youzhou. Our temple was unfortunately destroyed in the ravages of war, and the monks were scattered. These fellow disciples and I were fortunate enough to escape, but we suffered wounds from blades and lost our shelter. We had no choice but to wander until we reached this place. How would we dare falsely claim to be connected to you without cause?"

The sturdy monk at their head wore a pleading expression. He hurriedly pressed his palms together and bowed deeply:

"We heard long ago that Daoist Qingmiao of the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Temple was compassionate, generously distributing rice and porridge to aid the displaced. We have nowhere else to turn and have come shamelessly to ask if you might lend us a corner for the time being, so that we may have a place to stay and recover from our injuries."

When he finished, the monks behind him also pressed their palms together and bowed, their faces showing hope and exhaustion.

Amid the chaos of war, even the tranquil grounds of a Buddhist temple could scarcely protect themselves. These monks had clearly been through a great deal.

"Good, then."

Qing He Miao had actually known it was most likely not the case. He had only been half joking just now.

He happened to have the day off in the main world, and as soon as he crossed over, someone reported that a group of monks had been outside the temple for several days, hoping to see him.

So he received these unexpected visitors inside the temple.

He could hardly help letting his thoughts run wild.

Could this be a case of "an abandoned field has no one to till it, but once someone tills it, everyone wants a share"? He had worked so hard to renovate the ruined Buddhist temple into a Daoist temple.

Had word gotten out, and these monks heard it used to be a Buddhist temple and come to extort him?

On closer thought, he knew it was unlikely.

But what could he do? Influenced by all the films, television dramas, and historical material circulating in later generations, Buddhism did not have a particularly good reputation.

With that thought past, Qing He Miao's expression grew calm again. He hurriedly instructed the Courtyard Guards standing nearby:

"Quickly, bring seats for the masters, and serve some tea and snacks."

Although most of the supplies in the temple came from managing the displaced people in the surrounding area,

Qing He Miao had used them to cover the costs of maintaining the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Temple and paying for the displaced people's work afterward.

What remained was still quite sufficient to support him alone.

He always kept some simple tea, dried fruit, and cakes on hand for guests.

Once the monks had seated themselves somewhat stiffly and had a few bites of food and some hot tea, their expressions eased a little. Only then did Qing He Miao ask curiously:

"Masters, you have all renounced worldly life. How did you come to be in such circumstances? And... would taking refuge in my little Daoist temple not conflict with the rules of Buddhism?"

The sturdy monk in the lead, whose Dharma name was Weihong, put down his tea bowl, let out a long sigh, and pressed his palms together.

"Amitabha. Temple master, there is something you do not know. We too were driven to this by these troubled times."

Having had some proper food and drink to ease their distress, and seeing the young temple master's gentle manner, the monk Huiming began to explain in detail.

Qing He Miao pieced things together using what he knew from later generations and gained a general understanding of what had happened.

It turned out that since Emperor Wuzong of Tang's Huichang Persecution of Buddhism,

although more than sixty years had passed and Buddhism had recovered to some extent,

successive regimes had remained highly wary of large temples and itinerant monks beyond their control, keeping them under strict supervision.

Especially in troubled times like these, temples found it even harder to remain aloof from worldly affairs.

Everyone knew those monks had money.

When armies passed through, they often regarded temples as "granaries" and "manpower reserves." Forcibly requisitioning provisions and dragging monks away for labor were commonplace.

Worse still, after occupying a region, they showed no mercy in plundering the temples under their control. Melting down bronze statues to fund their armies and seizing the temples' grain stores to provision their troops were common occurrences.

It could only be said that the same principles had held true since ancient times.

Warlords everywhere: Who came up with temples, anyway? Hit one and gold coins pop out, hit one and gold coins pop out.

So, to escape the ravages and blades of war, monks often had no choice but to abandon their temples and flee.

And the Taihang Mountains had served as a natural escape route since ancient times.

The mountains were high and the forests dense, making it easy to hide.

Moreover, ever since the Northern Dynasties, many grottoes had been carved and temples built in the Taihang Mountains. Although most had fallen into disuse,

the foundations were still there, after all!

Along the route south through the Taihang Mountains alone stood Buddhist sites such as the Xiangtangshan Grottoes, famous in later generations, a testament to how flourishing Buddhist activity there had been in the past.

If they encountered fellow Buddhists from other temples or devout believers, their chances of being taken in would always be a little better.

Who would have thought that, fleeing from north to south, the first place they encountered capable of sheltering them would be a Daoist temple?

And one with a good reputation, too!

Besides, the journey had been truly grueling, and they really did not want to keep going.

So they had simply swallowed their pride and come to ask for help.

"I see."

After listening, Qing He Miao understood.

In troubled times, monastic rules and the distinction between Buddhism and Daoism all had to give way before survival.

"Since you masters wish to stay, how do you intend to conduct yourselves?"

He tapped a finger lightly on the armrest of his chair and said thoughtfully:

"If you merely want a way to survive, like the displaced people at the foot of the mountain, that is simple enough. You can go and work. The Dao follows nature; I make no distinction based on faith. So long as you obey the laws and rules, I will not make things difficult for you."

The monk Weihong visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

He took a book from inside his robes, carefully wrapped in oilcloth, and respectfully offered it with both hands.

"You see things clearly, temple master. We wanderers have nothing to our names but this scripture to keep us company. We heard from people nearby that you are not only compassionate, but also capable of subduing demons and vanquishing fiends, with extraordinary skills. You must be quite fond of martial arts."

He unwrapped the oilcloth and gently ran his hand over the cover, explaining:

"This is a cultivation art passed down through generations at our temple. According to the elders there, it has some connection to the Dharma that Patriarch Bodhidharma transmitted from mind to mind after crossing east. The book contains not only a distinctive interpretation of portions of the Lankavatara Sutra, but the cultivation art recorded within also has some profound and mysterious aspects.

"I would like to invite you to study and discuss it with us, temple master. We ask little in return, only that you allow us to find a temple or cave nearby where we can take shelter."

This was a gift.

It was apparent that these monks might not have been on the run for particularly long.

Although their expressions showed fear and exhaustion, their manners were still orderly, and they carried a small number of scriptures and ritual implements with them.

"I can agree to your request to find somewhere to settle. Most of the land around here belongs to no one; it was made by heaven and nurtured by earth, and it is not really mine to govern. But there are some things I need to say first."

Qing He Miao's gaze lingered on the ancient-looking book for a moment, but he did not immediately reach for it.

"Most of those gathered around here are displaced people struggling to survive. I am already handling such matters as collecting contributions, lending seeds, and leasing land.

"So, if you masters settle here, do not entertain thoughts of doing any of those things. You must provide for your own food, clothing, and expenses. Monks must work too. In short, you must support yourselves. Can you do that?"

Ever since drawing this instance, he had indeed been looking for suitable martial arts manuals to improve his strength.

Unfortunately, since ancient times, every school and sect had guarded any cultivation art that was even halfway decent like its own lifeblood, keeping it under lock and key.

All the more so in this era.

Most of what he had previously asked people to find were run-of-the-mill techniques, like the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber found in various works.

They were not worth spending time and effort grinding proficiency on.

Chapter 65: Talent: Myriad Forms Return to Origin

Faced with a fortuitous encounter that had come knocking at his door,

this martial arts manual, which was said to have quite a history, might indeed be valuable.

But Qing He Miao would never, for the sake of an obscure cultivation art that had not appeared in the original work,

allow a new exploitative class that might emerge to take shape among the displaced people.

He really ought to drag all those people at the top down here and make them take a good look.

These people had suffered enough already.

In short, he could accept the "gift," but only if the other party accepted his rules.

"Amitabha. What you say is absolutely right, temple master. It is only proper."

The monk who had called himself Huiming showed no sign of difficulty. Instead, he pressed his palms together again and bowed deeply, saying sincerely:

"We who have left home should not sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor, much less add to the burdens of living beings. It is already an immense kindness for you to allow us shelter. We will naturally work alongside everyone else and support ourselves. We would never dare harbor improper ambitions, much less engage in exploitation. I accept these terms on behalf of my fellow disciples."

With that, the matter of taking in the monks was provisionally settled.

As for whether they would develop other ideas once they had recovered,

that would depend on the measures each side took afterward.

In any case, Qing He Miao had already given them a warning. They could not say they had not been warned.

If cold bald heads turned into warm experience points when the time came, they would have no one else to blame.

The monk Huiming was exceedingly respectful.

"This book is a secret teaching of our temple. Though it is not the only copy, it carries the lifeblood of generations of patriarchs."

Seeing that Qing He Miao had made his promise, he held the book out with both hands and said:

"Your martial arts are formidable, temple master, and your knowledge is extensive. Please review this book and correct its shortcomings. If you encounter anything you do not understand while studying it later, or wish to discuss the principles of scripture and martial arts, I will certainly do all I can to help, though my learning and abilities are meager."

"Correct its shortcomings" was naturally a humble turn of phrase. In truth, he was offering up the martial arts manual.

It counted as their first payment for lodging and a pledge of allegiance.

With that, Huiming placed the book on the tea table beside Qing He Miao.

Then he bowed again and tactfully led the other monks out of the temple, following the Courtyard Guards to settle into their temporary lodgings.

Qing He Miao was once again alone in the room.

He did not immediately touch the book. Instead, he picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip, his gaze thoughtful as he looked toward the door through which the monks had departed.

A moment later, he set down his cup and picked up the old book. Its corners were somewhat worn, and it had a substantial feel to the touch.

The paper was tough bast-fiber paper, slightly yellowed, and the ink bore an antique look.

He carefully opened the first page. What met his eyes was not a diagram of cultivation techniques and moves, but an introduction to a Buddhist scripture copied in neat regular script. The characters were upright and vigorous, imbued with an air of tranquility.

Almost the instant his gaze fell on the writing, the system's notification sounded clearly in his consciousness:

[You are reading the martial arts manual "Lankavatara Vajra Treatise." Would you like to learn it?]

[Lankavatara Vajra Treatise]

[Its origins date to the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang, when Xuanzang returned from his journey west to obtain scriptures. The patriarch of Jingye Temple went with a great many Buddhist temples holding vested interests at the time to make things difficult for him and dispute his interpretations of the scriptures. Taking turns to step forward, they were defeated and sent back after only three punches; afterward, they became sincerely convinced.

Thus, drawing on the Mahayana Buddhism that Xuanzang further promoted, his in-depth interpretation and new translation of the Lankavatara Sutra, and combining the essentials of existing Buddhist martial arts from the Central Plains with certain training methods from the Western Regions, this cultivation art was created. It has been passed down for more than 230 years and revised and perfected by several generations of eminent monks.