The Nine-Story Pagoda

Are you kidding me, brother?

What kind of divine being are you, anyway!

Why are you pulling out your ultimate move right off the bat!

I was actually planning to use that intel to sneak out of the city!

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at the monk Fahui in front of him, completely bewildered.

Seeming to sense Zhu Yuanzhang's confusion, Fahui halted his steps.

With a single glance, the surrounding acolytes scattered in every direction.

On the Jade City Ancient Road beside the Qinhuai River, only Fahui and Zhu Yuanzhang remained.

A warm breeze, carrying the scent of rouge, blew from the opposite bank, making Zhu Yuanzhang's scalp tingle.

"Do you know why I insisted on pushing Xiao Zhengde to be the general?"

The night was deep; even with Hou Jing's rebellion, both banks of the Qinhuai River remained brightly lit, a scene of bustling prosperity.

Borrowing the light from the pleasure boats of performers on the Qinhuai River, Monk Fahui gazed at the city of Jiankang on the opposite bank, his eyes dark and inscrutable.

"Why?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked, puzzled.

"The Prince of Linhe possesses royal aura that none of the Emperor's other heirs can match. Furthermore, our Tongtai Temple is tied too closely to the Liang Dynasty—we share the same glory and the same ruin. If the Xiao Liang falls, the Tongtai Temple will almost certainly be extinguished along with it."

As Monk Fahui spoke, his eyes were clear, devoid of the overbearing arrogance he had displayed when suppressing the officials in the imperial court to nominate Xiao Zhengde.

Zhu Yuanzhang fell silent.

What he was thinking about now was something else entirely.

Fahui did not seem to know that Xiao Zhengde and Hou Jing had long been colluding in secret.

If that was the case, how did he discern that the fate of Emperor Wu of Liang had run its course?

Could it be that there really is a technique in this world to predict the future?

"I tell you this today so that you may assist Xiao Zhengde on my behalf. Whether he defeats Hou Jing or suffers defeat, as long as Xiao Zhengde can be kept alive, once the Xiao Liang returns to Jinling in the future, the thousand-year legacy of our Tongtai Temple will still have a glimmer of hope."

When Monk Fahui reached this point and saw that Zhu Yuanzhang showed no signs of panic or fear, he nodded in satisfaction and shifted the topic.

"That you can use the convenience of the Great Wisdom Zen Technique to simultaneously cultivate both the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Technique and the Mountain-Shrinking Fist is truly a stroke of heavenly fortune. Very good, very good..."

Facing Monk Fahui, who had seen through his secrets at a single glance, Zhu Yuanzhang felt a jolt in his heart.

"This disciple is dull-witted and unworthy of the Master's praise."

"Your virtue matches your position; you are worthy of it."

Monk Fahui stared into Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes for a moment, then sighed softly.

"In the past, like everyone else in the temple, I thought the Great Wisdom Zen Technique was a heterodox path, unworthy of a glance. But now... I never expected it to become the final straw to save the thousand-year legacy of our Tongtai Temple."

He seemed to have made a decision.

"Since you have such talent... then come with me."

After speaking, Fahui boarded a small skiff already prepared by the Qinhuai River. Once Zhu Yuanzhang stepped aboard, he spoke to the martial monks rowing the boat.

"Do not land at the main gate; go directly to the Pagoda Gate."

"As you command, Master."

The two martial monks, wearing blue headscarves, replied immediately.

The boat turned, passing through a cluster of ornate pleasure boats from which the sounds of men and women frolicking drifted.

Zhu Yuanzhang finally saw the nine-story pagoda standing in the darkness on the opposite bank.

The tower was so tall it seemed to pierce the sky.

It made the seven-story pagodas built by the Tongtai Temple after the Jin Dynasty moved south look insignificant by comparison.

It was not just that the structure was taller and grander than the pagodas of the preceding Jin, Song, and Qi dynasties.

Each level seemed to have been built with extra spaciousness and grandeur, as if to deliberately distance itself from the past. Even the colorful carvings on the pagoda body appeared increasingly vivid and dazzling under the illumination of the temple lights.

"Is it beautiful..."

Monk Fahui shifted his gaze from the pagoda and focused it on Zhu Yuanzhang.

"It is magnificent and grand."

Zhu Yuanzhang pressed his palms together and replied.

This was not just empty flattery to appease Fahui.

Zhu Yuanzhang genuinely felt that even compared to the iconic CBD landmarks in the city centers of later generations, the shock brought by the nine-story pagoda was no less intense.

"Do you think this is a good thing?"

However, upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's sincere praise, Fahui let out a cold laugh.

"Is it not?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

"Since ancient times, this is the first time anyone has built a nine-story pagoda."

Monk Fahui sighed.

The river breeze blew from the banks of the Qinhuai River, slightly cold, carrying an unsettling aura.

Fahui's monk robes snapped in the wind as he stared intently at the brightly lit pagoda before him.

A look of unwillingness surfaced on his face.

"In Buddhism, seven is the ultimate number, which is why the common folk say, 'Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda.'"

Zhu Yuanzhang understood instantly. He glanced once more at the nine-story pagoda, which stood out like a crane among chickens compared to the seven-story ones, and asked.

"Then why build a nine-story pagoda within the temple?"

Zhu Yuanzhang clearly heard Monk Fahui let out a soft chuckle.

"Minghe, remember this."

"Whether it be Buddhism or Taoism, once it becomes entangled with politics, it is no longer a matter between gods, buddhas, or even more detestable, terrifying entities."

"It becomes a game between people, a matter of power and desire!"

The boat was infinitely close to the shore, and Zhu Yuanzhang could already see the milky-white walls of the pagoda.

The two warrior monks continued to focus on maneuvering the oars, as if they had heard nothing, slowly steering toward the opposite bank.

Before them lay a stretch of soft, sandy ground, exuding a scent of sandalwood from within.

Zhu Yuanzhang guessed this was likely because the sand was mixed with a large amount of burnt incense ash.

"Although our Tongtai Temple belongs to the Pure Land Sect, we rose to prominence as scholar-monks."

Standing before the pagoda, Monk Minghui gazed at the incredibly luxurious tower, a complex expression appearing on his face.

In front of the pagoda, two young novices saw Fahui arrive and hurriedly lifted their lanterns, found the keys, opened the gate, and led the way inside.

"No need, you may withdraw."

Minghui shook his head and said.

"Yes!"

The novices pressed their palms together, left the lanterns behind, quickly exited, and closed the pagoda gate.

"Minghe, do you know what a scholar-monk is?"

Once the people inside the tower had moved away, Fahui picked up a lantern and walked in front to lead the way for Zhu Yuanzhang, suddenly speaking up.

"I do not."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head, speaking the truth.

"To exhaust one's life, to study scriptures until one's hair turns white, to elucidate Buddhist principles, and to delve into the texts—that is a scholar-monk... Unlike true cultivation, this is a human endeavor, not a matter of destiny... Our Tongtai Temple rose because of this, and it seems we shall also perish because of it."

Having said this, Fahui sighed again.

At this moment, they reached the fifth floor of the pagoda, and Fahui walked straight toward the bookshelf in the center.

He took down a precious scroll and placed it into Zhu Yuanzhang's hands.

It was the Fixed Light Demon-Subduing Secret Mantra.

"Stay within the pagoda for these next few days and study the scriptures. Once Xiao Zhengde leads his troops out of Caishiji, I will send someone to escort you out of the city."

After speaking, Fahui ignored Zhu Yuanzhang and walked straight toward the exit of the tower.

"I wonder why the Abbot values me so highly."

Zhu Yuanzhang held the Fixed Light Demon-Subduing Secret Mantra but did not open it immediately.

Instead, he looked at Fahui's retreating back and asked.

"In the entire temple, you are the only one who has mastered the Great Wisdom Zen Technique, and you are the only one who might preserve more of the legacy of our Tongtai Temple for future generations."

"That is all."

With those words, as the flame in the lantern extinguished, Fahui's figure vanished completely into the pagoda.

Accompanied by the heavy sound of a lock sliding into place, the lights inside the tower went out, leaving only the dim, flickering glow of the half-spent lamp in Zhu Yuanzhang's hand.