Where Does a True Immortal Dwell?

"So Jiankang City has arrangements like that!"

Chen Cuo was surprised. Looking at the two men opposite him, he could not help admiring them.

Chen Fangqing had grown up in Jiankang, yet he knew less about it than these two.

Wang Jin added, "Some say the reason Jiankang City has so many Buddhist temples is to keep the Five Elements formation stable."

Chen Cuo asked for details.

Both men shook their heads. They knew no more.

Wang Jin drew the conversation back. "I was so pleased to meet you, my lord, that I wandered off topic. Let's get back to Guishan Temple."

"Of course."

Tao Bo nodded and continued. "Guishan Temple was built against a Hill. The halls in its front courtyard stand on level ground, while the monks' quarters encircle the Hill in tiers. The outermost ring houses ordinary monks and guests. Its rooms are much like any others, and that's where we're staying. Farther in, though, things are different..."

His face lit up as he went on. "From midway up the hill are the senior monks' quarters. They say the Buddha Lord protects that place, and Buddha Light from the summit bathes it. Stay there three days, and common ailments improve. Stay seven, and it can even grant Longevity. I've heard..." He lowered his voice. "A female guest once disguised herself as a man and stayed seven days. She conceived a son afterward!"

At that, Chen Cuo felt Tao Bo had veered into dirty jokes. The more he thought about it, the worse it sounded. Amitabha. Buddha, have mercy. It isn't that I'm being disrespectful—our guide's mind is just filthy.

Having finished with the Mid-Slope, Tao Bo turned to the summit.

"The Temple Master and the Presiding Monk live atop the hill and rarely receive visitors. I once heard that someone saw a dead bird come back to life there. They also say a giant Buddha once appeared, seated in midair."

A giant Buddha seated in midair?

Chen Cuo's heart stirred. Hadn't he seen just that before entering the temple?

"That's getting a little far-fetched." Chen Hai had been listening too, and he sounded unconvinced.

Wang Jin said to Chen Cuo, "With your rank, my lord, you'll surely stay on the Mid-Slope. Once you spend a night there, you can see for yourself whether anything wondrous happens." Envy and longing showed on his face.

Chen Cuo thought he was probably right, but he had his reservations.

That Evil Ghost has latched on to me. If the Buddha Light suppresses it, and the place really does have some power, I might suffer even more. I'd be better off in an ordinary guest room, where I can have some peace.

Ma Wu, on the other hand, was eager to try it.

Chen Hai immediately dashed his hopes. "We attendants shouldn't get any ideas. How could we stay in the same fine quarters as our master?"

Ma Wu's enthusiasm faded. "I wouldn't dare presume."

Wang Jin and Tao Bo spoke with Chen Cuo a little longer before a monk came to fetch them. They took their leave, saying they would meet again tomorrow.

Once they were gone, Chen Hai said, "Congratulations, my lord. Those two come from distinguished backgrounds, yet even they couldn't stop praising The Painted Skin. It won't be long before the Literati recognize it."

"You're getting ahead of yourself." Chen Cuo smiled and shook his head. "You haven't seen much of how these things work. The Painted Skin is good enough to stand the test of time, but Jiankang has its own Public Opinion to contend with. Strange Tales aren't considered respectable. However widely they spread, they'll struggle to gain a place in Great Chen's high society. People praise the story now because everyone's reading it, and casual conversation calls for no special standards. As for those two, how much of their praise was sincere is hard to say. What mattered was that it gave them a way to talk to me and draw closer."

"I see, my lord." Chen Hai nodded, marveling inwardly. His master really had come into his own. He was nothing like before.

Chen Cuo wiped cold sweat from his brow, then glanced in the direction the welcoming monk had gone. The pressure weighing on him only grew heavier.

At last, unable to bear the wait and unsure when the monk would return, he decided that since he would be staying here anyway, he might as well rest. He found a monk to show him to a guest room, called Chen Hai over to stand guard outside, and told him not to let anyone disturb him while he napped.

While the master and his attendants were talking, the welcoming monk was speaking with the Guest Quarters Steward, his face full of concern.

"The Marquis of Linru County is a member of the Imperial Clan and Prince of Nankang's younger brother. He's no ordinary person. He gave generously during his visit to worship the Buddha and seems open to Seeking Conversion. This is a welcome connection. How can we deny him a room on the Mid-Slope?"

The monk opposite him shook his head. "There's a reason for this arrangement. His lordship has come at an awkward time."

"We can make an exception. There's more than one courtyard on the Mid-Slope. Let the marquis stay a few nights and experience the wonders of Buddhist teachings. Even if he doesn't join our faith, he could become a powerful ally—and might bring Prince of Nankang here one day."

The other monk said nothing. Instead, an aged voice came from nearby—

"An exception is possible, but circumstances have changed." The old monk they had seen earlier in the Hall of Heavenly Kings approached at a measured pace.

Both monks bowed and greeted him as "Presiding Monk."

The old Presiding Monk nodded. "You came looking for me earlier but could not get in, so you must know I was receiving a guest. His standing is even higher than Prince of Nankang's. He should return in the next day or two. What would we do then?"

The two monks lowered their heads and pressed their palms together.

"Besides," the old monk continued, "the people from the Kunlun Sect have returned."

The two monks started, then looked as though they understood.

The old monk sighed. "The Kunlun Sect is a pillar of the Cultivation World. It held sway over its own domain even in Pre-Qin times and survived upheavals and several Great Calamities. Now, as the leading school of the Guangcheng Dao Lineage, it commands the branches of the Immortal Sects. Even the Buddhist Tradition in the north must show it some respect, let alone Guishan Temple."

The welcoming monk could not help asking, "Have they come again for that gentleman of the Lu Household?"

"Yes." The old monk nodded. "Lu You of the Lu Household has been confirmed as a Reincarnated True Immortal. Why else would the Celestial Masters Dao be so eager to take him in? But the Celestial Masters Dao arose after the Qin and mixed its practices with incense worship and Merit. The Immortal Sects regard it as one of the Three Zhang Heresies, not the orthodox Path of True Cultivation. The Kunlun Sect has had its share of trouble trying to bring Lu You into its fold. The two sides even fought once. Afterward, they agreed to use this Buddhist sanctuary to cleanse Lu You of his Incense Traces. That should happen within the next few days."

He looked at the welcoming monk. "At a time like this, how can we lodge anyone else in the Mid-Slope courtyards? Unless that marquis is also a Reincarnated Immortal, it's out of the question!"

The welcoming monk could only sigh. He pressed his palms together and nodded to show he understood.

He naturally did not believe the Marquis of Linru County could be a reincarnated immortal.

How could there be so many?

The monk beside him asked, "Why are immortals from the Upper Realm reincarnating at all?"

The old monk pondered for a moment. "Ever since Hou Jing brought about the Calamity of the Supreme Clarity, the Immortal Dao has been gravely weakened. The schemes at work now are no more than an even wager. That is why, since the start of the year, more people from the various Immortal Sects have appeared among mortals. You need not look into it further."

The two monks accepted his instruction.

The old monk then told the welcoming monk, "Go to the front hall and explain matters to the Marquis of Linru County. If he refuses the arrangement, so be it. Apologize and see him off. I'll write to invite him back another time."

Both monks were surprised.

The old monk's expression did not change. "On my way here, I took a look at the marquis. He may not compare with Lu You, but among ordinary men he is exceptional. We should not make an enemy of him. Still, fate has brought us to this point. If he cannot let it go, there is no need to force him."

The welcoming monk nodded and withdrew. Though his face showed his guilt, he found Chen Hai and explained the situation in broad terms.

Chen Hai's expression changed at once. "What is this supposed to mean? Do you know who my lord is? You expect him to lodge among common guests? Absurd!"

The welcoming monk looked even more ashamed. Pressing his palms together, he said, "This is due to circumstances within the temple. Please forgive us, honored guests..." He went on apologizing and offering explanations, but could not reveal the real reason.

In the end, Chen Hai was still angry and Ma Wu plainly disappointed. Both knew, however, that only their lord could decide what to do.

The welcoming monk understood that too. He moved to enter the room, intending to apologize to Chen Cuo in person.

Chen Hai said coldly, "My lord is taking a nap. He is not to be disturbed!"

Little did he know that his lord was sitting cross-legged on the bed, taking a deep breath.

For no apparent reason, the Young Daoist's words flashed through Chen Cuo's mind.

"Raise yourself as you would a god. Visualize it in your mind..."

The blue-purple Ghost-Faced Mask appeared in his thoughts.