Chapter 46
While Liaowu was paying his respects to the Undying Sect Leader, Heng Yu had chosen her room. After thanking the disciple who led her there, she opened the door and entered.
The room was simply but elegantly decorated. The bamboo structure gave it a fresh and refined feel. A painting of a bamboo forest hung on the wall, and two well-tended orchids sat on a table by the window.
Heng Yu opened the window and saw a bamboo grove outside.
A gentle breeze rustled through the bamboo, creating a sound like a faint flute melody.
She sat down and brewed herself some tea.
After finishing her tea, Heng Yu spread out her calligraphy set and began summarizing her insights on formations. Creating a new formation was difficult, but the process had been rewarding, beneficial for her future studies.
After writing for a while, a knock came from outside.
Heng Yu opened the door, and Liaowu stood there, dressed in a new moon-white robe, the bamboo grove behind him enhancing his elegant demeanor.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Liaowu said apologetically. “This poor monk suddenly had an urgent matter to attend to and won’t be able to show you around the sect.”
Heng Yu chuckled. “Is that all? You could have just sent a message.”
“I promised to come find you after paying my respects to Master. I couldn’t break my promise,” Liaowu said. “Besides, I have something for you.”
He extended his hand, offering her a token.
“This token will grant you access to the first three floors of the Scripture Pavilion. You can browse the cultivation techniques and secret manuals there. If you have time, you can look for books on formations.”
Books on formations!
That was exactly what Heng Yu wanted most right now.
She took the token and played with it. “Thank you.”
Heng Yu changed into a light yellow dress, tied up her hair with a wooden hairpin, and went out with the token.
She didn’t know her way around, but she had already inquired. She just needed to ride a crane and tell it her destination.
The crane flew swiftly through the clouds.
Heng Yu looked down, faintly discerning the outline of the Undying Sect.
Soon, the crane reached its destination. Heng Yu took out a third-grade Qi Replenishing Pill and offered it to the crane. The crane cried out, took the pill, and nuzzled her cheek affectionately.
Heng Yu, tickled, gave it another pill.
Putting away the remaining pills, she waved goodbye to the crane.
The crane cried out again and flew away.
Heng Yu turned and saw the Scripture Pavilion standing atop a thousand steps.
The pavilion was bustling with Undying Sect disciples in monk robes climbing the stairs.
No one flew up directly on their swords, and Heng Yu naturally wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake. She adjusted her hair and began ascending the stairs.
Among the monks in gray robes, Heng Yu’s light yellow dress stood out.
As she climbed, Undying Sect disciples passed by her.
They looked at her curiously, and if they accidentally made eye contact, they would smile apologetically and quickly look away.
Just as Heng Yu reached the top of the stairs, she saw a monk.
It wasn’t unusual to encounter monks in the Undying Sect, but this one was different.
Liaowu always wore his robes neatly, his compassionate and peaceful demeanor exuding an air of abstinence.
But this monk’s robes were loose, a smile played on his lips, and his aura was unrestrained and slightly mischievous.
Heng Yu’s scrutiny lasted a bit too long, and the monk naturally noticed her.
“Lord Luo,” the young monk greeted her with his hands joined together, as if they were acquainted, a gentle smile on his face. “This poor monk’s Dharma name is Liaoyuan.”
Hearing his Dharma name, Heng Yu immediately knew who he was.
The Undying Sect only had four Buddha-sons every thousand years. Besides Liaowu, there was another Buddha-son, Liaoyuan, who cultivated the path of Joyful Buddha.
Heng Yu said, “So it’s Senior Brother Liaoyuan.”
Although they all cultivated Buddhism, there were many different branches. Liaowu’s path was the most balanced and peaceful, the path of great compassion.
Besides that, there were also branches like the path of killing and the path of joy.
Heng Yu remembered Liaoyuan because his path wasn’t conventional. He cultivated the Joyful Buddha, a path that used the mortal world as its training ground.
Greed, anger, and ignorance were its nourishment.
But using the mortal world as a training ground could easily lead to indulgence and neglecting Buddhist practice. Therefore, very few cultivated this path. There were even rumors that the founder of this branch had once married and had children, immersed in the mortal world, only achieving enlightenment after his wife and daughter died.
While Heng Yu was thinking about Liaoyuan’s identity, he glanced at the token in her hand and invited her, “Lord Luo, are you going to the Scripture Pavilion? Why don’t we go together?”
Heng Yu didn’t refuse and walked to the top of the stairs, entering the pavilion with Liaoyuan.
After learning her purpose, Liaoyuan led her to a bookshelf on the second floor. “Most of the books on this shelf are about formations.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Liaoyuan.”
Heng Yu thanked him, picked up a book, and was about to start reading.
But as she turned around, she noticed Liaoyuan was still standing there. She raised an eyebrow. “Senior Brother Liaoyuan, is there anything else?”
“As a reward for guiding you, could Lord Luo answer a question for this poor monk?”
“Tell me your question first,” Heng Yu didn’t immediately agree, wanting to hear his question first.
However, she already had a guess.
—It was probably related to Liaowu.
Liaowu was highly regarded in the Buddhist sect. Liaoyuan, equally talented, was completely overshadowed by him.
Liaoyuan smiled, his peach blossom eyes looking alluring.
It was strange for a Buddhist cultivator to have such eyes.
He leaned closer to Heng Yu, as if about to speak, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his action intimate, his voice gentle. “I was just joking. Did you really think I wanted to ask about Senior Brother Liaowu?”
Heng Yu took out the wooden hairpin holding her hair.
Her long hair cascaded down, a few strands brushing against Liaoyuan’s hand, making him feel a slight itch.
Heng Yu didn’t step back but moved closer.
Under his gaze, she lifted his chin with the tip of the hairpin and looked him up and down, a casual smile on her face. “I heard that the Buddha-son cultivates the Joyful Buddha path. It’s a pity Senior Brother Liaoyuan doesn’t need to undergo a tribulation of love. I’m curious, which is stronger, the Hehuan Sect’s dual cultivation or Senior Brother Liaoyuan’s Joyful Buddha?”
She felt that a Buddha-son like Liaoyuan, encountering a demonic woman like Mu Huan or Wu Mei, would be quite interesting.
As for her?
She wasn’t interested in Liaoyuan.
And she wasn’t cultivating the path of dual cultivation either.
The tip of the hairpin was sharp, but Liaoyuan’s body was like that of a golden Buddha, so the wooden hairpin couldn’t harm him.
Hearing Heng Yu’s words, Liaoyuan also showed a hint of regret. “Lord Luo, you’ve spoken my mind. I also find it a pity. Senior Brother Liaowu is unromantic. You’ll have a hard time pursuing him. Even if you manage to sway him, he’s just a block of wood, unable to appreciate your charm.”
Heng Yu raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
—Although they both cultivated Buddhism, Liaoyuan and Liaowu were on completely different paths.
Liaowu would never say such things.
She was displeased with his words.
They weren’t close, so Heng Yu didn’t bother saying more.
She simply let the hairpin slide down his throat, linger on his collar, then tugged it downwards, revealing a large part of his chest. “Senior Brother Liaoyuan, you’re disturbing my reading.”
She was dismissing him directly.
Liaoyuan chuckled softly.
The hairpin rested on his chest, and Heng Yu could feel the vibrations from his laughter.
His voice softened. “Then this poor monk won’t disturb Lord Luo any longer.”
After Liaoyuan left, Heng Yu looked down and opened the formation book.
But then she realized something was amiss. Why had Liaoyuan acted and spoken that way? Was he putting on a show for Liaowu?
Heng Yu looked around. This corner was secluded. If someone approached, she would definitely notice.
So that wasn’t it.
After thinking for a while, she couldn’t figure it out.
Heng Yu suppressed her doubts and focused on the book.
Liaowu, meditating within a formation, suddenly opened his eyes.
He closed them again and frowned slightly.
“Senior Brother, what’s wrong?” Liaohe, who was guarding the formation from outside, asked quickly.
Liaowu shook his head, unconsciously turning his prayer beads and silently chanting scriptures.
But even after finishing the entire sutra, he couldn’t clear his mind. Whenever he closed his eyes, the words “It’s a pity Senior Brother Liaoyuan doesn’t need to undergo a tribulation of love” echoed in his mind.
“Senior Brother…”
Liaowu’s brow furrowed. “Wait a moment before reactivating the formation.”
Liaohe, standing outside the formation, nodded hesitantly.
He felt as if his senior brother’s face held a hint of sadness, his breathing slightly faster than usual. It was as if he was trying his best to maintain his composure, but his expression betrayed his sadness.
Leave a Reply