A blue lamp burned before the Ancient Buddha, while smoke curled upward.
An Old Monk in a kasaya listened to the Young Novice Monk's report with drooping eyelids, then sighed.
"The smaller sects have gathered. They have a few accomplished masters, but they lack deep foundations. Among the major sects, only Mount Zhongnan's Louguan Dao is willing to come, and that is because they intend to use our Buddhist Tradition. The others each have their own plans and do not wish to let the Buddhist School take all the glory. As for Great Hua Mountain, it has Soaring True Person, an Earthly Immortal, presiding over it. Nanmingzi is unwilling to be drawn into the conflict, so it is only natural that he has shut his doors to visitors."
Seeing this, the Young Novice Monk murmured, "If you expected this all along, Grandmaster, why did you send out invitations?"
The old monk glanced at him and smiled helplessly. "With a formidable enemy before us and nowhere to retreat, we must grasp even a single straw. Having two major sects respond is already an unexpected delight. Go make preparations. With so few coming, we naturally won't need all the vegetarian food. And bring out those Magical Artifacts as well."
The Young Novice Monk looked rather reluctant.
The old monk smiled. "Go on. Those Magical Artifacts were prepared for precisely this. We did not invite the sects here to decide who stands above whom. Our true aim is that man. Only by bringing him under restraint can All Under Heaven know peace. Otherwise, whether All Under Heaven prospers or falls into chaos rests on a single thought of his. Who could remain safely apart from it?"
"Chang'an City seems little changed from forty years ago."
Walking down Vermilion Bird Avenue, Chen Cuo looked