Crossing Yique Pass, Entering the Mortal World, Calamity Arrives Unbidden

The Yi River rippled gently, like a length of blue silk wrinkled by the wind before slowly smoothing itself out again.

Sheer cliffs rose along both banks, facing one another from east to west. This was the Yique Pass of ancient renown.

On the western cliff face, countless grottoes lay scattered like stars. Buddha statues large and small sat facing the river, silently watching the Yi River flow eastward.

Boats crisscrossed the river's surface. There were small covered skiffs and towering vessels, some drifting downstream, others rowing against the current. Sails dotted the waters, oars creaked and splashed, and each vessel headed toward its own destination.

Zhu Yingxiong, too, rode a small boat across the Yi River, slowly making his way toward the opposite bank.

A river of emerald waters, green mountains on either shore. Standing in the boat, he watched a thousand sails pass as clouds and water drifted on.

This journey was meant to take him across the Yi River to Luoyang.

After descending Mount Song that day, he had made a special trip to the tenant farmers' little courtyard.

When he pushed open the door, the house was already empty. Only a plain sheet of paper lay quietly atop the old wooden table, bearing a single line:

"Luoyang. The sect leader summons you."

The ink was still fresh, as though the writer had known he would come and had set down the brush only moments before his arrival.

Seeing the message, Zhu Yingxiong fell into thought. He had been sent to Shaolin ten years ago, and his memories of matters concerning the demonic sect had long since grown hazy.

Now, he could finally see with his own eyes what the demonic sect had become.

So after descending Mount Song, he had headed straight for Luoyang.

However, since he was to meet the leader of the Yingui Sect, he naturally needed to begin cultivating the Purple Blood Art that had been bestowed upon him.

That delayed him by two days on the road.

The reason he dared cultivate both Buddhist and demonic martial arts without fearing conflict was naturally that his cheat had already analyzed the Purple Blood Art. This technique chiefly cultivated the middle dantian, the Tanzhong point.

The Tanzhong was the repository of qi, the sea of ancestral qi, and the hub through which qi and blood circulated. It differed from the dantian qi sea cultivated by the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Scripture. Each occupied its own place, and for now, they did not interfere with one another.

Demonic sect techniques truly lived up to their name. Progress in the early stages of cultivation was indeed astonishingly swift. In only two days, his skin had become even fairer and smoother, like snow. This was merely the most superficial change brought by entering the Purple Blood Art.

At this moment, he stood at the prow in moon-white monk's robes, plain socks and cloth shoes, his sleeves fluttering lightly in the wind.

His brows and features were like a painting, gentle as jade. His eyes shone like bright stars, his lips were red and his teeth white. From head to toe, he seemed utterly untouched by dust, as though he had descended from the clouds of the Ninth Heaven.

He simply stood there in silence, neither speaking nor moving, yet people aboard passing boats could not help stealing a few extra glances at him.

A painted pleasure boat slowly passed by. Its cabin window stood half-open, revealing several women in splendid attire within. One young woman spotted him through the window, and her eyes immediately lit up. Boldly leaning half her body out, she called aloud, "Hey—little master, the wind is strong on the river. Would you like to come aboard for a cup of hot tea to warm yourself?"

Her companions immediately burst into laughter, shoving her playfully as another joined in the teasing.

"Exactly, exactly! We have hot tea aboard, and hot wine too!"

"Little master, you're so handsome. Isn't it boring standing there alone? Come up and sit awhile!"

Zhu Yingxiong did not so much as glance aside, pretending not to hear. The pleasure boat gradually drifted away, and its laughter scattered into the river wind.

The Yi River was not especially wide. In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, the little boat had reached the stone ferry landing on the opposite shore.

The moment he stepped ashore, the world before him changed completely.

Porters and laborers hurried back and forth across the stone landing with goods on their backs. Smoke curled up from tea stalls and taverns, while the banners of incense and candle shops fluttered gently in the wind.

Cries of hawkers, chatter and laughter, the creak of oars, and the clatter of hoofbeats mingled together. The lively bustle of everyday life rushed straight at him. This was the truest face of the mortal world and the martial realm.

And above this worldly prosperity, the cliff on the western bank rose sharply. Halfway up the mountain, a great Buddha sat in solemn majesty, gazing down upon all living beings.

It was the Vairocana Buddha of Fengxian Temple.

The Buddha was colossal, more than a dozen zhang tall. Its robes fell like streaming clouds, its eyes and brows lowered. The setting sun shone upon its body, casting a faint golden radiance that echoed the rippling light upon the river.

All the bustle and warmth of the human world lay beneath the Buddha's lowered gaze.

Zhu Yingxiong had weathered countless storms in his previous life. Yet even he felt his mind tremble at the sight.

As a disciple of Buddhism, he naturally had to go up the mountain to pay his respects.

But he did not immediately set off.

He merely stood quietly at the ferry landing, looking at the great Buddha, then at the ordinary people passing around him. The corners of his lips unconsciously lifted slightly.

The Buddha must be worshipped, but this mortal world was also worth seeing properly. For now, he would first experience the warmth of human life.

Zhu Yingxiong stepped into that bustling world.

Strangely enough, ever since arriving in this world, he had seemed to be separated from it by an invisible veil.

But now, as he truly walked among the crowd, brushed shoulders with porters, listened to the cries of vendors, and watched the joys and sorrows of common folk unfold before his eyes, he suddenly felt that the veil had quietly fallen away at some unknown moment.

Something faintly stirred in his heart, as though something was quietly taking root amid the noisy sounds of the marketplace.

It was an understanding he had never experienced before.

The temperament that had seemed so out of place amid the dust and commonplace world gradually blended into its warmth, becoming harmonious with it.

It was already afternoon, the sun slanting westward. It was time for a meal.

Zhu Yingxiong found a restaurant by the street and stepped inside.

The waiter had sharp eyes. The moment he saw the visitor's moon-white monk's robes and extraordinary bearing, he hurried over with a broad smile and bowed eagerly. "Blessings upon you, Master! Please, sit inside. Our humble establishment has vegetarian dishes and meals, all very clean!"

The proprietor behind the counter also hurried out, clasping his hands with a smile. "Master, your presence honors this humble shop! Please take a seat of honor, a seat of honor!" As he spoke, he personally led the way.

The waiter swiftly wiped down a square table by the window, spread a clean cloth over it, and said attentively, "Please sit, Master. We have vegetarian noodles, vegetarian buns, and mushroom tofu soup. Everything is made with vegetable oil and vegetarian ingredients, without the slightest trace of meat or fish. We run a shop here in Longmen, so we understand the rules. Please rest assured, Master."

Zhu Yingxiong returned the gesture with palms pressed together, his voice clear. "Amitabha. Thank you, benefactor. One bowl of vegetarian noodles and one bowl of tofu soup will do."

The waiter called loudly toward the kitchen, "One bowl of vegetarian noodles, one bowl of tofu soup! Vegetable oil, vegetarian wok—be careful!"

Before long, steaming vegetarian noodles and clear soup were brought over. In the white porcelain bowl, the noodles were thin and pale, the broth clear and bright, with several slices of mushroom and green vegetables floating atop it. The fragrance was enticing.

Zhu Yingxiong lowered his head, picked up his chopsticks, and took a bite. The noodles were springy, the broth fresh and flavorful. Though it was vegetarian fare, it possessed a unique taste.

As he ate with his head lowered, focused on his meal, a fragrant breeze suddenly swept into his nose.

Zhu Yingxiong raised his eyes and saw a figure in black slowly entering through the doorway.

She was a woman dressed entirely in black, her face veiled in black gauze so that her features could not be seen. Yet her figure was slim and graceful, her bearing elegant and alluring. An otherworldly air clung to her, mixed with a faintly unfathomable mystery.

As she entered from outside, the restaurant's formerly noisy chatter unconsciously quieted for a moment. Whether diners or waiters, everyone's gaze was drawn to her without realizing it.

And this mysterious woman walked directly toward Zhu Yingxiong.

Stopping gracefully before his table, her eyes exposed above the black veil shimmered like autumn waters, carrying a hint of timidity and panic. Her soft voice rang out, "Little master, please save me."

Her voice was tender and melodious. Anyone who heard it would soften by several degrees.

The bamboo chopsticks in Zhu Yingxiong's hand paused slightly.

He looked at the woman who had suddenly appeared before him, finding the situation strange. This woman possessed an extraordinary aura and was clearly no ordinary village girl, so why had she come begging an unfamiliar monk for help?

But his response was swift, even somewhat cold. He set down his chopsticks, pressed his palms together, and lowered his eyes. His tone was calm. "Female benefactor, we do not know one another. I fear this poor monk is unable to help."

He refused outright without even asking what had happened.

The woman clearly had not expected this young monk to be so decisive. Her beautiful exposed eyes widened at once.

"Hehehe! Little beauty, we've chased you all this way and finally caught you."

A shrill, grating voice suddenly came from the doorway.

Everyone in the restaurant turned toward the sound and saw four men of different builds swaggering inside, each carrying a different weapon.

One glance was enough to tell that these four were not to be trifled with.