The Emiya Residence in the Tang Dynasty / Shirou and the Monk Xuanzang...

To take the treasure back, Shirou also summoned the local mountain people and divided the jewels into two boxes for them. Of course, he casually chopped their hoes and sickles into seventeen pieces, and even used the extra bow and arrows from the hunters to demonstrate his archery skills of shooting two birds with one stone.

In short, every household in the mountains received gold, and they were extremely grateful to Shirou, insisting on carrying him back to Luoyang City.

When Emiya left the city, he gave his meager fortune—enough to barely make him one of the wealthiest men in Luoyang—to the Daoist priest who gave him the information. Unexpectedly, overnight, upon returning to the city, he transformed into the wealthiest man in Luoyang.

At this time, it was still the first few years after Emperor Gaozong established Luoyang as the Eastern Capital. Apart from the officials in the capital who went to court, many powerful families and wealthy merchants who were richer than the country still stayed in Chang'an and did not completely relocate. However, Shirou really made a name for himself.

Even the ladies-in-waiting in the palace had heard of him, and the fact that he was a handsome and exceptionally brave young man aroused the curiosity of many.

Having squandered his fortune the day before yesterday and become rich again just three days later, Emiya returned to Luoyang City and immediately bought a luxurious house, beginning a life of extravagance no less than that of the emperor.

He bought fine wine from Lanling, longan from Guizhou, planted peonies that changed color every day in his courtyard, raised several white peacocks, collected precious jade, cut brocade, made carriages from fragrant wood, and commissioned ivory chairs. If one were to describe his extravagance in detail, the story would never end.

Those friends who would normally be strangers to him on the street, after hearing the news of Shirou Emiya's wealth, would come to visit Shirou Emiya day and night, and he never refused.

However, they gradually realized that they could only sit on mats in other rooms, because many important figures who they had never even met were here, and even more high-ranking people were sitting in the banquet hall.

Because Shirou never refuses anyone and treats all visitors as guests, people who admire Shirou's good fortune and have heard of his bravery all come to see him.

Warriors from the grasslands, merchants from Arabia, monks from India, students sent to Tang China from Korea, Japan, and other overseas countries, or even Kunlun slaves with extraordinary skills.

No matter who the visitors were, Shirou warmly welcomed them, finding things and music from their hometowns and serving them a dish with hometown flavors, making them feel right at home.

Furthermore, the Emiya Residence never repeated its guests with the same dishes. Golden cups were filled with wine from the Western Regions, and sometimes guests would watch India Magecraft perform their special skills of swallowing knives and breathing fire.

Although the arts and entertainment of the Western Regions were constantly flowing into the wealthy circles of the Tang Dynasty along the Silk Road, the performances and activities that Shirou saw were always the newest, attracting more and more people who wanted to attend the banquets.

At this moment, an old friend who had disappeared after Shirou spent all his money secretly came to persuade Shirou.

"The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind. Emiya, living such an extravagant life in Kyoto will only attract unnecessary trouble. It would be better to stick to your old ways, spending your days enjoying life with seven or eight old friends from similar backgrounds, quietly making a fortune."

Shirou smiled nonchalantly and waved his hand.

In other eras, Shirou might have been worried.

However, this was the prosperous Tang Dynasty, with countless capable officials in the court. The rules established by Emperor Taizong still existed, and the capital was known for its strict discipline. Empress Wu, who was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty, preferred to appoint ruthless officials from humble backgrounds. They were eager to exploit all the noble families and high-ranking officials to gain promotions and wealth.

The Tang Dynasty was the only dynasty that allowed women to become emperors. Its inherent openness and inclusiveness made it willing to accept other countries, and its profound cultural heritage enabled it to maintain exchanges.

At that time, there were three thousand foreigners serving as officials in Kyoto, including Persians, Japanese, Turkic, Cairoans, Arabs, Indians, India, Koreans, Korea people, and so on.

The Tang Dynasty of this era was the center of world culture and a superpower most willing to accept foreign cultures.

As the birthplace of the Silk Road, the Tang Dynasty's control over the routes through the Western Regions reached its peak, continuously bringing enormous benefits to the Tang Dynasty. Naturally, this also led to a pursuit of art and pleasure, and the lifestyle of the sons of noble families gradually turned extravagant.

They may not look down on Shirou's background, but they envy Shirou life. Shirou is surrounded by twenty women, each from a different country. Ten of them wear jade lotus flowers in their hair, and ten wear agate peonies. They play light and cheerful flute and guzheng tunes, while others play novel folk music from the Western Regions, India and other places.

Here, these women from different countries can also give full play to their talents and put their skills to use. Some help Shirou manage the household, while others start their own businesses. Here, they even gain greater freedom than in their hometowns.

For this reason, all the courtesans, singers, and dancers in the Red Chamber were eager to squeeze into this place, even if it meant not paying, just to perform a song for Emiya.

Moreover, the number of people gradually increased, and after half a year, almost every famous talented man and woman in Luoyang was a guest of Shirou Emiya. Shirou Emiya entertained these guests with grand banquets every day, and the banquets were incomparably lavish.

Years later, the Emiya Residence had become a must-visit gathering place for anyone coming to the capital. Whether foreign guests or talented individuals and wealthy people, they all took pride in visiting it.

To give just one example;

Luo Binwang once practiced swordsmanship in this banquet hall, and Song Zhiwen once discussed the wonders of poetry's rhythm and meter with literary figures here.

At this point, the old friends who could have sat in the next room couldn't even find a spot in the corner of the outer courtyard. They could only drink alone in a nearby restaurant.

"Damn it! Emiya is a terrible person; he forgets his old friends as soon as he gets money."

"Snort!"

"Don't be too smug. In a few years, he'll squander the family fortune again."

Generally speaking, no matter how wealthy a person is, money is always finite. Even Princess and princesses would be amazed by the extravagance of someone like Emiya. But after a year or two, instead of running out of money, he became richer and richer, and his business grew bigger and bigger.

Unfortunately, Shirou's reach was limited, and even the Tang Dynasty could not influence the Silk Road beyond the Middle East. Otherwise, people would never have been able to imagine the value that a stack of silk could generate when it was sent as a luxury item to the ends of Eurasia.

Even in the 21st century, selling handbags can make you the world's richest person.

However, thanks to his foresight and understanding of history, Shirou also made a fortune.

Three years later, everyone in Luoyang knew that a wealthy merchant lived there, spending thousands of gold coins every day and receiving tens of thousands more.

Chapter 1194 Shirou and the Master Xuanzang

Taking advantage of his newfound fame, Shirou continued to throw lavish banquets every day, inviting people from all walks of life to participate, and gradually he also came into contact with some sons of high-ranking officials.

He was humble, knowledgeable, generous, and loyal. Most importantly, he was a master of martial arts. After sparring with the sons of several founding fathers and famous generals, he integrated into a new circle.

Once their relationship had improved somewhat, Shirou raised his wine cup and asked them if he could meet some highly accomplished people.

After drinking, the sons of noble families patted their chests and assured him that they would introduce him to the successors of Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang, the masters of the Tui Bei Tu (a prophetic text).

The following day, the noble sons who had made the decision came to Shirou's residence.

"Emiya, I used my connections to find those Daoist priests, but their so-called patriarchs have given you nothing more to say."

"I see." The image of the old man he had met on the mountain flashed through Shirou's mind.

However, since it was a troublesome favor to ask them to pull some strings, Shirou was still grateful. He beckoned his butler to the storeroom to bring back a box of rare overseas treasures and a box of jewelry from the Western Regions, to present to the sons of noble families.

"Thank you for your trouble, Wu Silang."

"Hey! I'm helping a friend out, would I be such an unreliable person?" The nobleman slid the two gift boxes in front of him and said with a smile, "I didn't find the Master Xuanzang on Mount Wutai!"

The image of the woman who could strike the Buddha's Buddha's Palm and didn't need to change clothes during swimsuit activities immediately flashed into Shirou's mind.

Then, in his mind, he waved his hand repeatedly to dispel these illusions. The Master Xuanzang in this world was not a Japanese anthropomorphic character, nor was he some kind of elder brother, but a highly accomplished monk who was already sixty years old.

"But I heard that the master is busy translating scriptures and rarely receives visitors."

"Those are ordinary people, but my family is not. Three days later is the day my family goes to Yuhua Temple to worship Buddha. Although I am not the eldest son, my mother loves me the most. When my mother goes to worship Buddha, I will ask her to give me the opportunity to see the master." The noble son said proudly.

At this time, with the deposition of the king and the establishment of Wu, the Wu family's status had risen accordingly. Of course, at this point, no one believed that this family would still be qualified to become the crown prince in the future.

But that's a story for another time. Shirou has no interest in power struggles or status; right now, he just wants to see that holy monk from the Tang Dynasty.

Three days later, accompanied by Silang, Shirou arrived at the entrance of the temple where Xuanzang translated scriptures.

"Master, you traveled 50,000 miles to obtain the true scriptures and returned to the Tang Dynasty. Could you tell me if this Buddha can bring about worldly fulfillment?"

Xuanzang was already over sixty years old at this time, which was considered a long life. He had left the Tang Dynasty in his youth, crossed mountains and deserts, and traveled through dozens of countries in the Western Regions to study in India. This was simply an incredible thing in that era.

"Life is unpredictable, why should you be so attached to appearances?" The old man, dressed in a kasaya, said calmly as he sat down on the mat.

"May I ask, Master, what is meant by attachment to appearances?"

"To be attached to appearances is to take them as reality. Whoever takes them as reality suffers. All appearances arise from causes and conditions and are unreal, like the moon's reflection in water that cannot be grasped. The Buddha pitied sentient beings for doing futile and foolish things, and in order to liberate sentient beings from suffering, the Buddha told them not to be attached to appearances."

"Didn't the master also go to India to seek the true scriptures in order to understand the suffering and confusion of all beings?"

"Your Excellency has a great vow, like that of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who vowed not to become a Buddha until hell is emptied."

"When will hell be empty?" Shirou asked again.

"Despite the Bodhisattvas' salvation, the nature of sentient beings in Jambudvipa is hard to change. They create endless karma and endless afflictions in their every action and thought."

Most people are sowing the seeds of hell. Even those who escape hell and become celestial beings may be tempted to return. How difficult it is to liberate all sentient beings from ignorance! This humble monk is merely bringing the true scriptures back to the Tang Dynasty, doing my small part for the Buddha.

"Master, you are too modest. Even a thousand years from now, you will be a rare talent, hailed as the backbone of China. In that case, I won't bother you any longer." As soon as Shirou finished speaking, he walked out of the temple.

During the Tang Dynasty, due to its location in the Far East, Buddhist scriptures were difficult to transmit to this region. Driven by his ideals and thirst for knowledge, the Tang Monk, at the age of twenty-seven, disregarded the government's prohibition and secretly left the pass by riding for 50,000 li (approximately 25,000 kilometers) to obtain the true scriptures and return to China.

The documents recorded therein not only benefited the present and future generations, but also the scholars of the Western Regions and India. Otherwise, the countries of India would not even be able to find the original sites of the temples that were the birthplace of Buddhism.

In a way, he was like a wise man with foresight who went to the West to introduce cutting-edge scientific textbooks when the country was closed off from the world and gradually declining in the late Qing Dynasty, while other scholars were not making progress and were sticking to the words of Confucius and Mencius and moralistic laws.

However, Buddhism was integrated early, and Confucianism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism complemented each other, enriching the spiritual world of the Chinese people. Western learning, on the other hand, came too late, and it took more than a hundred years for China to finally regain its confidence as a great nation.

Even such a unique figure as Master Xuanzang could not tell Shirou the way to bring happiness to the whole world.

"Alas, life is unpredictable, why insist on such things, benefactor?" Xuanzang sighed, then turned his gaze back to his work table and continued translating the scriptures. His time was drawing near, and his only wish was to finish translating the important scriptures he had brought back from India.

The Buddhist concept of impermanence has an ultimate goal: non-attachment and the absence of discrimination. All good and bad things will pass, so don't dwell on them or create attachment or confusion in your heart.

Of course, all this non-attachment and lack of discrimination was for the purpose of realizing one's ultimate ideal. Otherwise, Xuanzang would not have risked his life to seek the true scriptures, and after gaining recognition in India, he would risk his life again to bring the scriptures back to his homeland, translating scriptures until his death.

Shirou also had his own convictions, which was the purpose of his coming into this world. The old Daoist priest didn't know, nor did the most famous monk of the Tang Dynasty.

Just then, a person claiming to know the location of the immortal destiny arrived here.

"Wang Jiayazi, you're not really going to the Emiya Residence, are you?"

"I can't stand it. Last time, even a dog-skin plaster seller got a whole box of cloth. I'm going to give it a try."

"You need to tell him which powerful figure you know?"

"It's Blind Liu Banxian Teller from Rascal Alley!" Wang Jiayazi waved and ran off.

"I know that person too." The old man paused, then spat and cursed.

So in the spring of the third year, when Shirou Emiya was once again a penniless nobody, Wang Yazi was busy taking over the property she had acquired and gathering relatives and friends to help, so she didn't keep Shirou around.

So Shirou picked up a bamboo tube containing a few steamed buns and some water and walked into the alley.

Chapter 1195 Shirou and the Fairy Descending to Earth

Perhaps it's the coldness and ingratitude of people, or perhaps it's a matter of different paths leading to different goals. Those who came every day until yesterday are now too lazy to even come in and say hello as they pass by. These people are simply lamenting the loss of a good place, but they're avoiding Shirou himself like the plague.

In the vast city of Luoyang, he couldn't find a single family willing to let him stay the night. He couldn't even find a family to offer him a cup of water, let alone lodging.

Fortunately, Lai Pi Alley was located inside Luoyang City, not too far from here. Shirou walked for about a quarter of an hour and arrived at this alley, which resembled a slum. He asked someone at random and found the blind fortune teller, Liu Banxian.

Compared to the last time, when I went to the mountains to find the immortals, and the last time, when I had to ask a nobleman's son for help to meet the eminent Tang Dynasty monk, this was practically effortless.

Shirou arrived at the door of the blind fortune teller's house. It was called a house, but it was actually a makeshift room pieced together from wood. It was placed in Shirou's previous residence and was too damp and drafty even if it was used to store firewood.

Even among its surroundings, this makeshift wooden hut appeared the most dilapidated and darkest. Inside, an old man sat serenely, his clothes tattered, his face etched with the marks of time, yet he sat with his eyes closed, exuding composure. It was as if all the misfortunes of life had no effect on him whatsoever.

Perhaps it is this attitude that gives him a temperament completely different from ordinary people. (Monthly fee group 694936135)

"My name Shirou Emiya. I have come to pay my respects to you, sir, thanks to the introduction of the royal brothers." Shirou stepped forward and greeted them.

"Oh, so you're the one Wang Jiayazi was talking about. But I already told Wang Jiayazi that I'm not an immortal. But since you're here, please sit down." The old man was blind, but he simply cupped his hands in Shirou's direction, gesturing for him to sit down.

The elder was very sincere and didn't seem to be lying, but the Wang brothers weren't lying either, otherwise Shirou wouldn't have given them all his property.

The residents of the slums have changed batch after batch, so I don't know about others, but Wang Jiayazi, who was born and raised here, knows that this old man does have some extraordinary abilities.

He said the old man already looked like this when he was a child. And now he is thirty-two, and the old man still looks the same.

Although this was the golden age of the Tang Dynasty, even in later generations, people still died from famine, war, freezing, and starvation.

It's incredible that an elderly person living alone with no family and no eyesight could survive this long.

Because the old man was unable to work, but had studied in his youth and remembered some scriptures, he made a living by writing names for people in exchange for food. In addition, he was a learned man who liked to quote scriptures and lecture others, and sometimes his words were accurate. Therefore, the people in the neighborhood jokingly called the old man Liu Banxian.

Could it be that this fortune teller still couldn't answer his question? But since he was already there, Shirou sat down anyway.

"Your surname is Wei? Is it the Wei of Grand Commandant General and Wei Qing of the Han Dynasty?"

"Reporting to the elder, my surname is Emiya."

"Oh, I've never heard of that surname before." The old man nodded. However, at that time, the Tang Dynasty was inclusive and did not distinguish between Han and non-Han people. Turkic Chanyu and Persian princes could all be Tang people and could be ennobled and appointed as prime ministers, so there was nothing strange about it.

Of course, Shirou didn't offer much explanation, since at that time in Japan, over 99% of the population didn't have surnames. There was no written language yet, and they used knotted ropes for counting; Chinese characters had only just been introduced and were being taught to the Imperial Palace and nobility by scholars Kentōshi. Bai Juyi, who was an early pioneer in poetry and literature, hadn't even been born yet.

Liu Banxian had once passed the imperial examinations during the Sui Dynasty and even accompanied Emperor Yang of Sui to Yangzhou. However, he chose the wrong side, which led to his tragic end: his wife and children were separated, and his family was destroyed. Having received a salary from the previous dynasty, he was unwilling to serve the Li Tang Dynasty again, so he settled here alone.

According to this calculation, this Liu Banxian Teller must be at least 90 years old.

"This old man doesn't possess any magical arts to protect the world, but having lived so long, he has accumulated some inner strengths. Silang, if you're willing to listen, I'll tell you about the way of the gentleman."

"Silang, have you ever heard of the saying 'the Kong Yan Le Chu'?"

"Are you referring to being content with poverty and finding joy in simple living? Confucius and Yan Hui were both very content with their circumstances."

"Hmm, 'A single bamboo bowl of rice and a gourd of water, living in a humble alley, others would find it unbearable, but Yan Hui did not change his joy.'" Liu Banxian was very satisfied with Shirou's answer and recited it with a swaying head.

Glug glug.

It turned out that it was Liu Banxian's stomach that was growling.

So Shirou took out the steamed buns from his bundle and shared them with the old man, and poured the water from the bamboo tube into Liu Banxian's toothless bowl.

Liu Banxian didn't stand on ceremony and took the steamed bun. It was soft, round, and especially sweet.

After he finished eating, Liu Banxian continued:

"Since I went blind, all I can see is darkness, which I sometimes mistake for the universe. Perhaps it is because I can no longer see the complexities of the world that I have begun to think about things that others would not. In my arrogance, I have also pondered the lives of saints."

I think the reason why sages can be content with poverty and find joy in the Way is because, on the one hand, they believe that their moral character is perfect, and on the other hand, they believe that they have grasped the truth of the universe.