Buddhism and Daoism as One Family

Shenjing East Gate.

The monk flashed the Duke Wei's Residence plaque, and the guard soldiers didn't dare to inspect it, hastily opening the city gate to let them pass.

The martial monks possessed formidable stamina, running wildly for over a dozen miles without stopping.

Inside the sedan.

Miaojue, who should have been on his last breath, sat calmly. If not for the large patches of blood on his robe, he would have seemed like a different person.

"Fortunately, this poor monk was prepared, or I would have caused a great disaster..."

Miaojue recalled that wisp of sword light and couldn't help but shudder. He lifted the curtain, poked his head out, and anxiously urged the martial monks.

"Faster, once we're back at the temple, seal the mountain gate and see no one!"

Upon hearing this, the martial monks knew the matter was serious. They stretched their muscles and bones, increasing their speed by several notches.

Miaojue retracted his head, just about to lie down and rest, when he quickly noticed someone else beside him.

Black clothes, black pants, a dark cloak!

"Ah... Amitabha!"

Miaojue cried out in fright, quickly changing his tune to chant the Buddha's name.

The monks following outside heard the sound and asked the abbot what had happened and if he needed to rest for a moment.

"Cough cough cough! This master is feeling a bit unwell, no need to stop, hurry back to the temple."

After Miaojue finished speaking, he turned back, repeatedly cupping his fist towards the man in black, and said in a low voice, "Master, what are your orders? This humble monk will not hesitate to comply."

"You know who I am?" Zhou Yi transmitted his voice secretly, his voice old and deep.

Miaojue shook his head repeatedly, wondering in his heart how Duke Wei had provoked such a figure.

Zhou Yi ordered, "Bring out that bronze mirror of yours for me to see."

Miaojue hesitated for a moment, then obediently presented the bronze mirror with both hands.

Zhou Yi observed it closely at close range, discovering a few small characters on the side of the bronze mirror: Daoist Xuanqing bestows upon his disciple Yulingzi.

Miaojue was very perceptive and explained, "Daoist Xuanqing's origins are unknown. Yulingzi was the founder of Yuling Monastery in Shenjing two hundred years ago. Due to involvement in a major treason case, the lineage has been cut off."

Zhou Yi channeled his True Essence into the bronze mirror, causing it to bloom with dazzling light, ten times stronger than Miaojue's display.

"How did the bronze mirror fall into your hands, and what is its effect?"

"King Kong Temple was built near the ruins of Yuling Monastery. We accidentally discovered an underground palace, where the precious mirror was enshrined. To prevent the relics of the sages from being lost, we brought it back to the temple for worship."

Miaojue said, "The precious mirror can manifest the souls of the dead and fix the forms of ghosts, but it has no effect on the living."

"There's more than just the precious mirror in the underground palace, isn't there?"

Zhou Yi casually stuffed the bronze mirror into his bosom. "This poor Daoist is also a member of the Daoist sect, and shares the Three Purities with Yuling Monastery. Not only did you monks steal the treasure, but you also want to embezzle the Daoist lineage?"

"..."

Miaojue's fat face turned red. He was usually the one swindling others, but today he had encountered an even more shameless fellow. "Senior is correct, there is indeed a Daoist scripture."

"Have the people outside stop, go to the temple to retrieve the Daoist scripture, and you recite it personally."

Zhou Yi reminded him, "If the two match and there is a single wrong word, this seat will slaughter the entire King Kong Temple!"

Now he was pretending to be an unmatched old monster from the pugilistic world, so his words and actions should be domineering and brutal. This was not only faster but also less likely to arouse suspicion.

People are sometimes strange. If you treat them brutally, they will obediently listen, but if you treat them kindly, they will play tricks on you.

"Stop!"

Miaojue lifted the curtain and ordered, "Fazheng, go to the temple's scripture pavilion and retrieve the Yuling's Commentary on the Earth Treasury Sutra."

Fazheng bowed in agreement and sped away using his lightness skill.

Zhou Yi laughed, "King Kong Temple is famous throughout the Fengyang Kingdom, who would have thought that they are cultivating Daoist scriptures!"

"Buddhism and Daoism have always been intertwined."

Miaojue said, "Moreover, that scripture is quite mysterious. It has been placed in the temple for over a hundred years, and only three people have been able to cultivate it. The other disciples are still my Buddhist followers!"

Zhou Yi's eyes gleamed. "Don't talk nonsense, quickly recite the scripture!"

"The heavens and earth are dark and boundless, without end, when combined, they are primordial energy, when mixed, they return to one..."

The Daoist scripture was called Origin Returning Art, totaling over five thousand words. The first part was the method of cultivation, and the last five hundred words recorded a lightness technique that allowed one to be as light as a feather after performing it.

Miaojue was obsessed with cultivating the Origin Returning Art. He only trained his skin and membranes in martial arts, but after performing the lightness technique, he could leap several zhang into the air.

Jumping over is different from flying over. The former goes from low to high and then falls, while the latter moves horizontally in the air.

Two or three hours passed.

The sky was getting light, and the monk Fazheng finally returned with the scripture.

Zhou Yi flipped through it, confirming there were no mistakes, and stuffed it into his bosom. "This seat asks you, yesterday you could have clearly cast a spell directly, why waste several hours of jumping around like a shaman?"

"Those high-ranking families just like this. If you don't hold a grand altar and perform a great ritual, they'll think three or five thousand taels of silver is too expensive."

Miaojue said with a bitter face, "This humble monk is also helpless. The temple usually distributes porridge and rice widely, and the temple's land only collects 40% rent from the tenant farmers. We must collect more money from the nobles to support the martial monks in the temple."

"Don't whine in front of me!"

Zhou Yi glanced at the fat monk. He had indeed heard of King Kong Temple's reputation, otherwise he wouldn't be so amiable in his actions.

"This humble monk was being presumptuous."

Miaojue was as shrewd as they come, and could easily discern the softening in Zhou Yi's tone. He immediately felt a sense of relief, at least he had saved his life.

Zhou Yi then asked, "Do you know of any places nearby that are perpetually gloomy and cold?"

Miaojue was slightly taken aback, and after a moment of thought, said, "This humble monk only knows of one place. Three hundred miles southeast of Shenjing, there is a scenic cold pool, where many dignitaries go to escape the summer heat."

Zhou Yi shook his head slightly. Places with many people were not suitable for Yin spirits to reside.

"Please wait a moment, Senior, this humble monk will ask someone to inquire."

Miaojue stuck his head out and asked more than a dozen monks. He turned back and said, "There are three other shady places: the Ten Mile Slope Burial Grounds, the Great Liang Mountain Battlefield, and... Longevity Mountain!"

Zhou Yi patted Miaojue's shoulder: "If I hear any bad rumors, I will go to King Kong Temple to discuss scriptures and doctrines with you!"

After saying that, he swaggered and lifted the sedan curtain, disappearing from sight amidst the horrified gazes of the monks.

"Amitabha! Acting so meticulously and ruthlessly, which old monster is he?"

Miaojue felt fear and resentment in his heart, and stuck his head out to scold the monks.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry back to the temple!"

Longevity Mountain.

Located one hundred and fifty miles from Shenjing, it is the location of the Fengyang Kingdom imperial tombs, where the emperors of the Zhao Dynasty are buried.

The imperial tombs are guarded by the imperial army, strictly forbidding anyone from approaching, lest they damage the dragon vein.

Zhou Yi believed that the imperial tomb's underground palace was the perfect place to place Huang Yuniang. The huge underground palace would allow her to roam freely, and she would never come into contact with living people.

Act like a gentleman, anticipate the heart of a petty person!

Huang Yuniang vowed that she would not harm anyone. Perhaps she could resist the temptation for ten or twenty years, but after a hundred or a thousand years, when she became a ghost king, could she still keep her promise?

After all, Yin spirits need to consume human essence to strengthen themselves quickly!

Zhou Yi walked slowly, but his speed was not slow. Each step covered several feet, as if shrinking the ground into inches. At the same time, he was flipping through the Origin Returning Art.

"It has similarities with the nameless incantation, it should be a immortal cultivation technique."

"The former gathers spiritual energy to refine the body, while this scripture refines spiritual energy into the dantian, transforming it into mana. I wonder what the difference is between this mana and Innate True Essence?"

Zhou Yi did not rashly cultivate it. He had to thoroughly understand the scripture before converting from martial arts to immortal cultivation.

Immortal cultivation, there's no need to rush!

"Adding Huang Yuniang's scripture for increasing the spirit, am I the legendary essence, qi, and spirit co-cultivator?"