Chapter 65: Chapter 56: An Old Acquaintance Is No More, the Dao Seed Is Finally Transmitted
Another month passed in the blink of an eye.
Shang Yin returned in triumph.
The first thing he did was go to Anchan Temple to pay his respects to Xu Lei.
"Greetings, Divine Monk!"
Shang Yin said respectfully, "Thanks to you, Divine Monk, I have not failed my mission. I have now pacified the realm!"
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "Congratulations, benefactor!"
"As for your instructions, Divine Monk, some of the men of the Qin Family died in battle, and some chose death over surrender."
Shang Yin reported, "But in the end, some did surrender.
Just as I promised the Divine Monk,
I gave these surrendered men of the Qin Family a chance to live."
This was quite normal.
Although the Qin Family was loyal and fierce,
not all of them were willing to die for their country.
Why insist on fighting to the death when you knew you were outmatched and the fate of the realm was already sealed?
That would be too foolish.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "My Buddha is merciful. You have done a good deed, benefactor."
"As for the members of the Da Yu Royal Family, I have killed nearly all of them. I didn’t want to leave them alive and give the remnants of the former dynasty any lingering hope."
Shang Yin continued, "Of course, before executing them, I remembered your request, Divine Monk.
I first had my men search for Consort Li and her children.
I have treated Consort Li’s line with kindness.
As long as they do not rebel, they can live in peace and prosperity in the future.
However, I was unable to bring back Consort Li.
Because she... is already gone.
According to her son, she died more than six years ago while fleeing during the chaotic times.
At that time, a captain from the Ximen Family took a liking to Consort Li and wished to defile the Former Saint’s consort.
Unwilling to be dishonored, Consort Li took poison and killed herself."
Back then, the remnants of the Da Yu Royal Family had mostly been taken in by the Qin Family’s army.
Consort Li and her children were also in the territory controlled by the Qin army.
When he had heard that Shang Yin was going to reconquer that area,
Xu Lei had naturally given him a few instructions.
He wanted Shang Yin to bring Consort Li back.
He wanted to see this old acquaintance one more time.
But he never expected that his old acquaintance was already gone.
"What?"
Hearing this, Xu Lei couldn’t help but tremble, his eyes growing moist. "Dead? She killed herself, unwilling to be dishonored?"
A few minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
Shang Yin took his leave and departed.
Xu Lei stood alone in Anchan Temple, gazing at the edge of the clouds.
He recalled the scene from back at Longyuan Temple, when Consort Li had come to visit.
Though that was at Longyuan Temple and this was Anchan Temple,
they were both temples, and the atmosphere was much the same.
Back then, Yu Fengying had accompanied Consort Li.
Both women were in the prime of their lives, their beauty capable of toppling cities.
Now, Yu Fengying was gone, and unbelievably, Consort Li was gone as well.
Xu Lei couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.
In truth, Xu Lei hadn’t spent much time with Consort Li.
First, there was that period of less than a month at Longyuan Temple all those years ago.
Consort Li had discovered that Yu Fengying’s room connected to the Almsgiving Room and that Xu Lei had been providing Yu Fengying with Charitable Giving.
She then took the initiative to ask Xu Lei for a child.
The two of them were together for less than a month.
Then, more than a decade later, Consort Li came once again to ask for a child.
During that time, Consort Li stayed at the temple. By day, she and Xu Lei played chess, painted, and read Buddhist Scriptures; by night, they met secretly in the Almsgiving Room.
That period lasted only about a month.
She had been very happy.
Then she left.
Xu Lei had originally thought they would see each other again.
He never imagined that she would now be gone.
Back then, she had gone behind the Former Saint’s back to ask Xu Lei for a child to ensure her line would not end. Morally speaking, this was questionable.
Yet now, this same woman who had secretly sought a child had chosen to end her own life to protect her honor from being sullied.
In truth, there was no contradiction.
Asking Xu Lei for a child was something she herself wanted.
But being violated by a strange soldier was not.
The former was her, and the latter was also her.
"You said back then that we shouldn’t meet again.
You were afraid that if I saw you again,
you would already be old, your youth faded."
Xu Lei sighed. "I never thought your words would become a prophecy.
Now, I truly can’t see you again. I can only remember how beautiful you were back then.
You succeeded."
After a moment of thought, Xu Lei rose and began to paint again.
Just as he had once painted Yu Fengying,
he painted a portrait of Consort Li.
He signed it with the same name: Wu Tan.
Three more days passed in the blink of an eye.
Xu Lei received a message from a man sent by Shang Yin.
As Xu Lei had requested, Shang Yin had found the man from the Ximen Family who had intended to dishonor Consort Li, and had them all slaughtered.
"Amitabha Buddha, vengeance has been served."
Xu Lei looked up at the sky and said, "Lady Consort Li, you may rest in peace."
Just then, a young monk came to report that someone was seeking an audience with Xu Lei, saying they had come on their deceased mother’s final wish.
A few minutes later,
Xu Lei met the son and daughter Consort Li had given birth to all those years ago.
Xu Lei was now fifty-one years old!
He was forty-eight when he descended the mountain to present the Steel Refining Technique; Shang Yin’s conquest of the realm had taken about three years in total.
The daughter was thirty-two, and her hair was tied up, indicating she was married.
Her features held much of Consort Li’s former elegance, and one could also see a faint shadow of Xu Lei in them.
The son was eighteen and quite handsome and distinguished.
Like Yu Fengying, Consort Li had not left any message.
She had only instructed her two children to come here to see Divine Monk Wu Tan, pay respects to the Buddha, and fulfill a vow.
Xu Lei didn’t say anything particularly special either.
He just made small talk with them.
Then he had them stay for a vegetarian meal at the temple.
That afternoon,
the eighteen-year-old youth was still earnestly praying to the Buddha.
But the woman, in her thirties, came before Xu Lei.
"Divine Monk, what is your opinion of my mother?"
She raised a delicate eyebrow and asked, "Or rather, I want to ask, did you ever love her?"
Xu Lei glanced at the woman before him.
For a fleeting moment, it was as if he had returned to the time when Consort Li first came to the temple. Back then, Consort Li also had a habit of slightly raising an eyebrow when she spoke.
Her question took Xu Lei slightly by surprise, but he didn’t let it show on his face.
With just a moment’s thought, he understood. She was clearly an intelligent woman and had already figured it out.
It was simple. Divine Monk Wu Tan’s fame had spread throughout the world, and he was deeply revered by the current ruler, Shang Yin. Countless people sought an audience with such a figure. Yet, Divine Monk Wu Tan, who refused to see so many, had received her and her brother. Moreover, Consort Li had left no message. On top of that, looking at her brother, she must have felt his features bore some resemblance to the Divine Monk Wu Tan before them. Naturally, she had figured a lot out.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "Benefactress, why do you ask such a question? This humble monk is a man of the cloth."
As Zen Master Bu Zhong, Xu Lei had his own principles.
Even if his children figured it out, he would never admit it.
Not even now, with the Former Saint and Consort Li both gone.
She could guess.
But he could not admit it.
"My mother, the consort... she must have loved you."
The woman said, "When we were in the palace, I was still young.
I once saw her sketching your portrait.
She didn’t dare keep it for long. As soon as she finished, she destroyed it."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei only said, "An old friend is gone. Such is the sorrow of life."
"Regardless, thank you."
The woman continued, "I understand. It must be because of you that we were allowed to live.
Otherwise, it would be impossible. The rest of the Royal Family was slaughtered, yet we survived.
We were even given our freedom.
And we were provided with a home and a livelihood."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei placed his palms together and said, "All of you benefactors have a connection with the Buddha, and so you naturally receive the protection of the Buddha’s light."
The woman just smiled and said no more.
An hour later,
the woman led her younger brother down the mountain.
Her brother was comparatively slow-witted and hadn’t noticed anything. He wasn’t as perceptive as she was.
But even though she had guessed much more, she didn’t pursue it further.
Having lived through the chaotic times, she no longer had the heart for extravagant hopes.
To be able to live peacefully with her family now was something she was deeply content with and grateful for.
She had no intention of clinging to this revered Divine Monk in order to regain wealth and status.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Shang Yin donned the Yellow Robe and ascended to the throne, establishing the dynasty of Great Shang.
The entire realm celebrated, and the world offered its congratulations.
Da Yu officially became a thing of the past.
It truly became history.
And on this day,
Hui Ming and Wu Gui once again appeared before Xu Lei.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Hui Ming said, "I never thought you would actually pull it off, Martial Uncle.
With a simple Steel Refining Technique, you helped Shang Yin conquer the realm.
Your Skill of Worldly Affairs is truly extraordinary, Martial Uncle.
A pity that your ambition for eternal life was discovered by your benevolent master.
He is no longer willing to seek you out.
Which means we have no chance to meet him either."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Wu Gui also spoke, "Junior Brother, since you have truly ended the chaotic era,
the time has come to fulfill the promise we made to you.
Junior Brother Wu Tan, come with us.
Today, we will make good on our word.
We will bestow upon you the Dao Seed!"
