Chapter 1038: Ye Zijin
Within the ancient domain, all manner of events had unfolded.
Some swallowed raw ancient Foundation Establishment Grass and broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, commanding the wind and rain within the ancient domain, recruiting followers and forming temporary factions to seize resources.
A previously unknown Great Perfection Qi Training cultivator defied the odds to defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator, rising to fame overnight.
A female cultivator was drugged by a holy land disciple, but a righteous male cultivator bravely stepped in and defeated the holy land disciple, then shared a night of passion with her. After the deed, guilt gnawed at him, while the female cultivator dismissed it as an accident, though she had secretly developed feelings for him.
Holy land disciples engaged in covert struggles, vying for the position of successor.
And so on.
But none of these concerned Xinding and Yu Youlan.
To avoid drawing attention by leaving the ancient domain early, the two stayed in the inner hall for three days.
In truth, it was mainly Xinding who feared attracting attention. As a holy maiden, Yu Youlan wasn’t a stranger to covetous gazes. She had stayed in the inner hall to keep Xinding company.
The Crimson Heaven Ancient Domain closed, and everyone was automatically expelled.
“How were your hauls?” Zhikong asked curiously when the group emerged.
“I only found one ancient Foundation Establishment Grass.” Xincheng produced a single stalk. He had found it near the end of the third day.
“Finding even one is already good enough. Keep it safe.” Zhikong offered a few words of comfort.
“I didn’t find any Foundation Establishment Grass, but while purifying the specters, I obtained a piece of specter essence.”
“This specter essence is of decent quality. It can buy two Foundation Establishment Pills.”
“I found one stalk.”
“I found two.”
“I found six,” the Great Perfection Qi Training martial monk said, then shot Xinding a provocative glance. He was the one who had previously declared that it was tradition for veteran monks to discipline newcomers.
“He found six?!”
“Impressive!”
Waves of exclamations rose from the Martial Vihara’s side.
“Junior Brother Xinding, what about you?” the martial monk pretended to ask casually. Having never seen Xinding in the ancient domain, he assumed Xinding had hidden out of fear and never searched for the Foundation Establishment Grass.
Xinding hesitated. I can’t tell whether this senior brother is provoking me.
He produced a handful of ancient Foundation Establishment Grass from his robe and slowly said, “I found ten.”
“Ten?!”
“How is that possible?”
Everyone was astonished. Even Zhikong was surprised. Finding Foundation Establishment Grass is not merely a matter of luck. It surely involves fierce competition. Xinding is only at the Level Seven Qi Training Stage. How could he have outcompeted those at the Level Nine and Great Perfection Qi Training stages?
Just as the crowd was buzzing with astonishment and envy, a commotion arose not far away.
Yu Youlan was running toward them.
“Little Monk Xinding, I’m leaving now! We’ll meet again!” Yu Youlan winked at Xinding, a playful smile on her lips.
This time, not only the Martial Vihara monks but all the cultivators who had come to the Crimson Heaven Ancient Domain were stunned. Yu Youlan had never shown such an intimate attitude toward anyone before.
What happened between these two in the ancient domain?!
Xinding recited “Amitabha,” not understanding why everyone was reacting so strongly. Aren’t we all monks? Shouldn’t we all regard female beauty as nothing but rouge skeletons?
~~~
Xitian Temple, Abbot Courtyard.
Black and white chess pieces were clearly arranged on the chessboard. A tall elder, half-draped in a splendid kasaya, held black pieces, his expression blank. The other elder was clad in coarse hemp robes, a smile on his face.
The elder in the splendid kasaya seemed frozen, unable to place his black piece. Finally, he sighed softly and stopped persisting. “Junior Brother, you win.”
The elder in coarse hemp robes showed no surprise at the outcome. “Senior Brother Mingyu, you play too hastily.”
The elder in the splendid kasaya was none other than Master Mingyu, the abbot of Xitian Temple. The other person was Master Minghuai, a hidden expert of the temple and the one who kept the scripture library tidy.
“You’re right. Lately, I’ve felt unsettled, as if something major is about to happen.” Master Mingyu sighed. I can only say this to Junior Brother Minghuai.
“Something major?” Master Minghuai was baffled.
“I can’t put my finger on it. It’s just a feeling.” Master Mingyu shook his head. Having devoted his life to Chan Buddhism, he had a certain intuition for the unknown workings of destiny, especially when it came to matters concerning Xitian Temple.
“But it could also be that I’ve been too impatient in my cultivation lately, and my mental state is unstable.” Mingyu smiled self-deprecatingly.
“Speaking of mental state, I’m not the only one. Do you know of someone called Ye Zijin?” Master Mingyu recalled another matter.
“I’ve heard of him. It’s said that he’s been causing trouble throughout the Buddhist Kingdom, establishing temples, faking Buddha statues, and propagating false Buddhist teachings.”
“More or less something like that. But most importantly, the way he speaks is infuriating. The elders all have complaints about him and have been wanting to catch him.”
Master Minghuai smiled indifferently. This is such a trivial matter. “What could be so infuriating about the way someone speaks? It seems the younger generation’s cultivation is still lacking.”
Master Mingyu nodded. “I’m of the same opinion, which is why I’ve never intervened in matters related to Ye Zijin. I hope the elders will become aware of their own shortcomings through this and cultivate their mental states.”
Master Minghuai picked up his broom and rose to take his leave. “Enough chatting. A thief has entered the scripture library. I have to go back.”
~~~
On the first floor of the scripture library, a furtive figure was searching for something.
“Heh heh, junior, you have some nerve to steal from the scripture library!”
That figure was startled, not expecting to be discovered.
Turning around, he saw an old sweeper at the end of the corridor, unsure how long he had been standing there.
“Farewell!” That figure turned on his heels and fled.
“Young man, don’t be in such a hurry. How about a round of chess with this old man?”
That figure’s vision blurred, and a chessboard appeared before him. The old sweeper sat across from him.
“So you are Ye Zijin?” Though the old sweeper’s eyes were cloudy, he saw through the figure’s identity at a glance.
“Yes.” Ye Zijin knew he couldn’t escape, so he obediently sat down to play a game of chess.
The two chatted as they played.
“So young, yet you’re already at the Intermediate Fusion Stage. So many people have tried to catch you but failed. Truly a promising youth.
“Do you know that playing chess is like a person’s life? Be it black or white, every move requires careful thought, so that you place your stone on the board with no regrets.
“I’m old, so I’m willing to ramble more.”
“Senior, what are you saying? It’s my blessing to receive your guidance.”
“Young people like you who are willing to listen to an old man are few. In weiqi, the opening determines the whole game. In life, planning determines the future. You’ve strayed from the right path and joined the Dao-Seeking Sect. The sea of suffering is endless; turning back leads to the shore. Turn back while there’s still time...”
Observing that Ye Zijin was courteous, not as irksome as described in the rumors, the old sweeper wished to offer a few more words of advice.
Ye Zijin placed his last white stone, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Uh, Senior, I’ve won.”
The old sweeper paused. He loved playing weiqi and had never lost. I didn’t expect to lose to a junior today.
But it’s just a game. He didn’t dwell on it. Stroking his beard, he laughed. “I’m old now, old and useless.”
Ye Zijin quickly gave a conciliatory smile. “You’re still fresh.”
