East of Zhengding Prefectural City, Longxing Temple.
"Layman Feng, Madam Hua, your presence truly brings splendor to our humble temple. I hope you will stay a few more days and allow this old monk to fulfill his duties as host."
Inside a quiet, elegant meditation courtyard, an elderly monk sat in a stone pavilion, speaking warmly. He held a bowl of tea, smiling through its rising steam as he gestured to the two people opposite him.
The old monk had a square face and appeared to be fifty or sixty years old. His large frame gave him a weighty, composed presence, like a mountain. He was Zen Master Yunjian, abbot of Longxing Temple.
Opposite Zen Master Yunjian sat a man and a woman. The man wore a scholar's long robe. He was of medium build, with a lean, refined face and a long beard drifting beneath his chin.
The woman was exceedingly dignified. Though she was getting on in years, with a few wrinkles between her brows, she was still quite beautiful. Every smile and frown carried a gracious, gentle charm.
The couple were Feng Changping, sect leader of the Mount Hua Sect, and his wife, Hua Ruyi.
Zen Master Yunjian glanced at Hua Ruyi and sighed inwardly.
For all her present refinement and gentle grace, she had been ruthless in her youth, showing no mercy when she struck. With her deadly Nineteen Forms of the Jade Maiden Shuttle and Ruyi Orchid Hand, she had slaughtered so many members of the Demonic Path that the mere mention of her name made them tremble. Her beauty had also earned her the title Fairy Ruyi.
In her youth, Hua Ruyi's fearsome reputation had surpassed even Feng Changping's. Only after turning thirty had she begun cultivating her temperament and softening her conduct.
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