Chapter 50
The copper drums sounded, signaling the time for evening prayers.
It was getting dark. Liaowu couldn’t stay any longer and bid farewell.
After he left, Heng Yu sat cross-legged on the bed and cultivated. Although she had been focused on formations, she hadn’t neglected her cultivation, which was steadily improving, though still some distance from Nascent Soul.
She wasn’t worried about this, letting it progress naturally. She was more concerned about another matter — admiration points!
Without enough admiration points, even if she had enough spiritual energy to reach Nascent Soul, she wouldn’t be able to break through.
Thinking this, Heng Yu took out her identity jade pendant.
Stroking the carved Hehuan flower on the back, she casually infused it with spiritual energy, glancing at it to see if the people of Huai City had offered any admiration. —Although the amount would be small, she, with less than a thousand points, couldn’t be picky : )
3652.
Heng Yu: “?”
She was stunned. After the pendant dimmed, she infused it with spiritual energy again.
3652.
The number hadn’t changed, so the pendant wasn’t malfunctioning.
Over three thousand admiration points in such a short time.
The monks of Hanshan Temple, despite their gratitude, had only given her 150 points, so this amount couldn’t possibly have come entirely from the people of Huai City.
Then…
It could only be Liaowu.
Had he been affected by her?
As she delved deeper into formations, Heng Yu had a rough understanding of how the jade pendant calculated admiration points.
When someone was flustered because of her, when their emotions fluctuated greatly, the formation within the pendant could sense it and convert it into admiration points.
“So, earning admiration points from Liaowu is much faster than painstakingly researching formations.”
Heng Yu stroked the pendant as it dimmed again.
She lowered her gaze, her tone complex, not entirely happy, but more like a soft sigh.
When her heart was disturbed, Heng Yu had a habit of practicing calligraphy.
She went to the table, spread out a sheet of xuan paper, dipped her brush in ink, and quickly wrote two lines of messy characters.
Because of love, there is sorrow, because of love, there is fear.
If one is free from love, there is no sorrow, no fear.
Heng Yu put down her brush and, after the ink dried, picked up the paper. Judging from her handwriting, her emotions were in turmoil. She stared at the messy characters, cast a fire spell, and watched the paper burn.
The flames quickly consumed the paper, turning it to ash.
Heng Yu casually waved her left hand, and the closed window opened with a gust of wind.
The wind blew into the room, carrying away the ashes, leaving no trace.
After a while, Heng Yu returned to the bed, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating.
The morning bell rang throughout the Undying Sect.
The morning sun streamed through the open window, falling on Heng Yu’s face.
Heng Yu, who had been cultivating all night, slowly opened her eyes.
After getting her bearings, she went to the window to close it, intending to change her clothes.
As her fingers touched the windowsill, she noticed a familiar figure standing outside.
Liaowu wore a green robe, white socks, and green cloth bandages around his feet. The cinnabar mole between his eyebrows was prominent. His left hand was held upright in front of him, and his right hand turned his black prayer beads.
Standing by the bamboo grove, he looked as serene as a pine tree or a bamboo stalk, his expression calm and detached, exuding an aura of Buddhism.
His attire was exactly the same as when Heng Yu first met him.
But she hadn’t felt much then.
Now, his Buddhist aura irritated her.
Heng Yu pushed the window open wide, rested her elbows on the windowsill, and cupped her face in her hands. The movement made the bell bracelet on her wrist jingle, adding a touch of liveliness to the quiet morning.
“Why didn’t you knock?”
A smile touched Liaowu’s eyes before he even spoke.
The smile dispelled his usual aloofness, making him seem more approachable.
“This poor monk wasn’t in a hurry, so I waited outside for Lord Luo to wake up.”
Heng Yu didn’t speak but extended her hand out the window.
Liaowu, puzzled, walked closer, stopping about a meter away.
“Closer,” Heng Yu said.
Liaowu took two more steps.
This distance was enough.
Heng Yu grabbed his sleeve and winked at him. “Wait outside while I change.”
Liaowu’s body stiffened.
Before he could react, Heng Yu released his sleeve and slammed the window shut.
The Undying Sect was lively in the morning.
Being cultivators, the disciples were only required to perform morning and evening prayers, but the location wasn’t specified. So, many disciples didn’t like chanting in the main hall and found various unusual places to pray.
Along the way, Heng Yu saw Undying Sect disciples in monk robes in bushes, in the grass, and even in trees.
Heng Yu: “…”
Praying in trees was certainly… unconventional.
Liaowu followed her gaze and explained softly, “They are mostly new to the Buddhist path, their minds still unsettled, hence their playful nature.”
Heng Yu chuckled softly. “Senior Brother Liaowu, you haven’t been on the Buddhist path for much longer than them, have you?”
She had read the relevant scriptures and knew that in the Undying Sect, a Buddha-son’s status was higher than even an Enforcement Elder, second only to the Sect Leader, the Grand Elder, and the two Soul Formation ancestors.
But high status wasn’t equivalent to time spent on the Buddhist path.
“Carrying heavy responsibilities tempers one’s mind early on.”
Heng Yu, having learned from Mi Yi what innate Buddha bones meant, understood the “heavy responsibilities” he spoke of.
She stopped smiling and pointed to a nearby pine forest. “Let’s take a look inside.”
The pine forest was vast.
Since it wasn’t regularly cleaned, pine cones littered the path, making it slightly uncomfortable to walk on.
Walking further in, Heng Yu looked up and saw squirrels jumping between the trees.
“Did you pick those pine nuts here yesterday?” Heng Yu asked.
Liaowu nodded. “Do you want more?”
Heng Yu waved her hand. “No, I just find it adorable that the Buddha-son steals food from squirrels.”
That was why she had suggested coming here.
Just as she finished speaking, a squirrel jumped onto the tree in front of them, paused for a moment, and then jumped into Liaowu’s arms.
Holding the squirrel, Liaowu’s movements became gentler.
He patted the squirrel’s head and took out a pill from his storage ring. The squirrel quickly took the pill and ate it.
The squirrels living in the Undying Sect were naturally not ordinary.
This one was already at the third rank, equivalent to Foundation Establishment, its demonic energy quite strong.
Heng Yu reached out to touch the squirrel, her little finger brushing against Liaowu’s palm.
The touch was light, like a dragonfly skimming across the water.
Liaowu’s palm itched.
He couldn’t tell if it was intentional or not.
“Lord Luo…”
“Hmm?”
“Nothing.”
“Hmm.”
They fell silent.
The squirrel, after finishing the pill, pushed off Liaowu’s hand and jumped back onto the tree, quickly disappearing from sight.
“The Undying Sect is truly extravagant, feeding squirrels with pills,” Heng Yu said.
Liaowu chuckled. “A few squirrels have gained sentience through Buddhist teachings and are considered members of the Undying Sect. Feeding them pills is helping them cultivate, not a waste.”
Leaving the pine forest, they walked along a long corridor and turned a corner, seeing a large complex of Buddhist halls, each one solemn and majestic, surrounded by a Buddhist aura.
Knowing she wasn’t a believer, Liaowu didn’t stop but simply showed her around the outside.
Passing the halls, Heng Yu felt a surge of strong spiritual energy.
“What’s that?”
“A spiritual sea,” Liaowu replied.
“A spiritual sea?”
Walking further, Heng Yu understood without needing an explanation.
Vast spiritual energy, condensed into liquid form, cascaded down a cliff, forming a magnificent waterfall and a large lake of spiritual liquid. Lotus platforms lined the lake, each occupied by a meditating Buddhist cultivator, absorbing the spiritual energy.
This was truly a spectacular sight.
Condensing spiritual energy into liquid form was extremely difficult, and now, the Undying Sect had created a waterfall and a lake of it!
Heng Yu was amazed.
The Undying Sect advocated ascetic practices to temper the mind and body.
But it turned out —
The Undying Sect was incredibly wealthy! They just didn’t spend their money on luxury!
Even the Hehuan Sect couldn’t achieve this.
“This is magnificent,” Heng Yu looked at Liaowu, her eyes bright, her voice slightly excited.
Liaowu chuckled. He rarely saw Lord Luo like this.
He was about to speak when a lazy voice called out from afar, “Lord Luo, what are you doing here?”
Heng Yu looked towards the voice.
At the deepest part of the lake were two lotus platforms.
Liaoyuan sat cross-legged on one of them. The powerful waterfall splashed spiritual liquid onto his face and robes. He had been cultivating there for a long time, his gray robes soaked, clinging to his body. Droplets of spiritual liquid trickled down his face and neck, disappearing into his collar.
Even without saying or doing anything, with his peach blossom eyes, Liaoyuan exuded an irresistible charm.
If Liaowu was the type who, even when moved by emotions, remained restrained, silent, and untainted, then Liaoyuan was passionate and unrestrained, walking the line of taboo, dangerous yet alluring.
Although she didn’t particularly like Liaoyuan, Heng Yu appreciated beauty.
…And Liaoyuan, at this moment, was a sight to behold : )
“Lord Luo enjoys looking at me like this?”
Liaoyuan chuckled softly and slowly stood up from the lotus platform.
His robes, already thin, slipped down slightly with his movement.
He let her look freely.
Heng Yu: “…”
A Buddha-son being so open about letting her admire his physique… it would be a waste not to look.
Since Liaoyuan dared to let her look, he must have the goods.
But if she looked, she would have to appease Liaowu later.
Before Heng Yu could decide, Liaowu stepped forward and stood behind her, so close that she could almost feel his body against her back. She smelled the faint sandalwood scent from his robes, the scent of incense from the Buddhist hall.
Then, a hand gently covered her eyes, blocking her view.
Liaowu bent down and whispered in her ear, “Be good, Lord Luo, close your eyes.”
Heng Yu’s ears itched, and she instinctively closed her eyes.
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