Great Mudra

When an eminent monk from a temple's Discipline Hall traveled, he invariably did so with a large, meticulously organized and fully equipped entourage.

This was also Lu Feng's first time traveling like this. He did not even have to do anything; the yellow-robed attendant monks took care of everything. All Lu Feng did was eat and drink his fill before departure.

Then the gates of the Endless White Pagoda Temple opened.

Nineteen packhorses laden with supplies followed seven riders out of the temple.

The monks stood aside, bowing with their palms pressed together so as not to obstruct the horses. Only after the procession had left did they straighten up.

By then, it was already afternoon.

The sun slanted westward.

Many monks had already begun hurrying back to the temple, yet Elder Mingli chose this hour to leave, unconcerned about the darkness that would come that night.

"There are no powerful malevolent ghosts around a great temple like the Endless White Pagoda Temple. Even outer gods would have been subdued long ago.

"If a monster truly appeared that even I could not subdue, being inside or outside the temple would make no difference. It would merely be a matter of dying sooner or later."

Before they departed, Elder Mingli had spoken to Lu Feng very casually.

At that moment, Lu Feng's attention was divided between two things.

Since he had never ridden before, Elder Mingli had specially selected a gentle mare for him.

A horse-tending monk walked ahead of his horse, holding the reins. From the monk's skin, expression, and many other details, it was clear that he had been a horse-tending monk in the temple from the very beginning.

He was a monk who could never possibly qualify for the Sixth Stage of the Gradual Path degree.

He was no different from a slave.

He led horses and held whips for the great monks. Moreover, neither the Endless White Pagoda Temple nor, indeed, the entire Secret Dharma Region had mounting blocks. To mount a horse, one needed a slave to kneel on the ground and serve as one.

The slave also had to kneel perfectly steadily. If a careless mistake caused the master to fall, the slave would soon become an offering to appease the gods' wrath. This horse-tending monk was no exception, so he remained silent, too timid to speak, merely doing his assigned work.

Quietly awaiting death's arrival.

Lu Feng had also stepped on him to mount-he could not have gotten up otherwise. Having no mounting block was disastrous for someone who could not ride. However, Lu Feng was reciting a mantra for him. As the Prayer Wheel spun without pause, Great Compassion Resonance washed over his body. Lu Feng knew very well that he could change nothing for the time being. He could not even be certain of his own survival, much less anything else.

The Great Compassion Resonance was merely something he offered in passing.

Elder Mingli saw all of this and did not stop his disciple. He simply urged his mount over and suddenly asked, "Do you know what sort of place we're going to?"

Only then did Lu Feng stop reciting. Pressing his palms together, he replied respectfully, "In answer to you, Lama, I do not."

Elder Mingli rode alongside him-Elder Mingli's mount was a malevolent ghost, with ghost resonance still upon it. However, Elder Mingli had subdued it, and it could not stir up any tricks at all.

Elder Mingli said, "We're going to an estate. The lineage living there is called the Ganing Lineage.

"In every generation of their lineage, one man serves as King Mingzhu's spirit shaman.

"Their ancestors still linger within the King Mingzhu Mandala.

"They are headless spirits that walk beneath the moonlit sky.

"These were spirit shamans who cut off their own heads and died after losing a doctrinal debate against the Venerable who founded the temple.

"Later, the spirit shamans' descendants came to the northwest of the temple and acquired vast numbers of estates, fields, pastures, and slaves.

"They also controlled four temples as their subordinate temples.

"For certain reasons, the Endless White Pagoda Temple has lost some of its history. So, to learn the true reason, we must still ask King Mingzhu.

"Those spirit shamans will give us prophecies and guidance.

→

"This time, your problem will be resolved there."

Lu Feng pressed his palms together again and thanked his Yidam Lama. Elder Mingli shook his head and said, "There is no need to thank me. If, one day, you treat my descendants with the same care I now show you, I will be more than satisfied."

Lu Feng said, "Please rest assured, Lama. I certainly will."

Elder Mingli continued, "These things remain unknown. You need not say it now.

"Ordinarily, when something like this happens to someone, the Discipline Hall imprisons them and investigates. If you died at the hands of that unknown malevolent ghost, a senior Dharma Protector monk assigned to the task would subdue you, and everyone would be happy.

"If you were not killed, but could not free yourself of this malevolent ghost either, other methods would await you. As my disciple, however, you need not undergo any of that.

"I will escort you safely through these perils.

"However, this means you cannot practice your King Mingzhu Dharma Protector Mantra for the time being. But I have another method I can teach you tonight, called the Immaculate Body Yoga Great Mudra.

"It is not as sublime as our temple's Vajra Bodhi Mahā Mahāmudrā, but it can also be cultivated through the gradual stages to attain a vajra body. Our temple's Creation Venerable obtained it after debating doctrine with other temples. It has remained in the temple ever since, and quite a few people have chosen to practice it.

"This method emphasizes the physical body. It is a great gateway to comprehending 'purity.' I will pass it on to you today. Once you learn it, you too can attain something.

"Once you achieve an immaculate body, you will at least have some ability to protect yourself."

Lu Feng said, "I bow to you, Lama!"

Elder Mingli nodded and surveyed their surroundings. On this journey, everything from their departure time to the hour when they could rest that night was strictly prescribed.

Along the way, they would pass two villages, five Wula Stations, and two subordinate temples of the Endless White Pagoda Temple.

When cold winds began howling at their backs, Lu Feng noticed the people around him looking distinctly nervous. Their surroundings were gradually darkening, too. Lu Feng knew very well that, at this time in the Secret Dharma Region, once dusk began to fall, it would take only a little over a hundred and fifty breaths for darkness to fall completely.

They needed to find somewhere to rest.

Everyone began to grow nervous. Some attendant monks started taking out Dharma Implements to guard themselves.

Seeing this, Elder Mingli summoned the Guide Monk and asked, "Where are we?"

"We should be near Abian Village, which belongs to Sunrise Temple. Once we see a tree so wide that even three people cannot encircle it with their arms, we'll be able to see Sunrise Temple."

The Guide Monk spoke, and Elder Mingli nodded. Lu Feng glanced behind him. In the distant darkness, a black goat stood far away, its rectangular pupils fixed intently on him.

Elder Mingli noticed Lu Feng's gaze and followed it.

This time, he too saw the goat. But this time, Elder Mingli was not angry. He said, "Now, Yongzhen, eyes forward. Watch the road ahead."

Hearing this, Lu Feng immediately looked ahead. Yet even after seventy heartbeats of travel, the great tree still had not appeared before them.

The Guide Monk began to panic.

Elder Mingli said unhurriedly, "Why panic? It isn't dark yet, is it? But since you cannot see it, I will make you see it!"

With that, he formed the Vajra Fist with both hands and gave a fierce shout!

"Om! Ram!"

A brilliant golden Great Sun appeared above Elder Mingli's head, revealing every fine detail in all directions. All the darkness was pushed aside, exposing the great tree before them!

Elder Mingli said, "There, haven't we arrived? Enter Sunrise Temple. Everyone is to rest."

Having said that, he stayed beside Lu Feng and watched the packhorses from the rear enter the village first!