Tanlin sat in meditation in the Hall of Returning to Impermanence, silently considering whether his scheme would proceed smoothly.
He had added some soothing, sleep-inducing benzoin to the incense burner beside him. Ordinarily, he used it to ease himself into meditation, but those unaccustomed to its scent would readily let down their guard, drawn by the incense into a haze as though lost in clouds and mist. Preaching scripture at such a moment made it easy to plant his own ideas in another person's mind.
He had piqued Wei Xun's curiosity and kept him in the hall to recount Chen Shigu's past partly because he was old and failing, and truly wished to pass those secrets on to posterity. More importantly, however, Tanlin hoped to persuade Wei Xun to embrace the faith, accomplishing the great feat that the eminent monk Kashyapa had failed to achieve.
The terror that Asura had left behind was etched too deeply into him. After forty long years, Tanlin had risen above many worldly concerns, yet he still returned to that bloody night in his nightmares from time to time. If he could take Chen Shigu's disciple under his wing, perhaps he could exorcise that old inner demon.
Could that boy in blue understand his painstaking intentions?
As Tanlin pondered this, a tremendous crash suddenly shook heaven and earth. The entire Hall of Returning to Impermanence trembled, and dust showered down from the rafters overhead.
What happened? An earthquake? Tanlin opened his eyes and abruptly realized it was Guanchuan's furious roar-the profound technique he had renamed from Thunderclap Roar to Fearlessness Roar.
The Buddha preached with a voice of fearlessness, subduing all heretical doctrines and false paths. Buddhist scriptures often likened the Buddha to a lion, whose majestic roar was also called the voice of fearlessness.