As they got closer and closer to the peak of Tile Mountain, the Buddha statue became taller and taller in their eyes. It was as if the top of its head had touched the real sky. The cultivators were shocked to see this.
The South Jin Kingdom chess master did not care about the Buddha statue at all. He followed the black horse carriage like an obedient student, his eyes full of admiration and yearning.
The Crown Prince of South Jin Kingdom was naturally in a bad mood when he saw his subordinate behaving like this. When the mountain wind occasionally lifted the curtains of the carriage and revealed Mo Shanshan's beautiful face, his expression grew uglier.
The monk in the Buddhist chariot was undoubtedly the most respected person there. Therefore, although he kept quiet, no one dared to approach except the sadhus of Yuelun Kingdom. For someone from the Unknown Lands to suddenly appear in the mortal world, it must be because of something important, but no one could guess the purpose of his visit.
The terrain of Tile Mountain was extremely open and gentle, as if the whole mountain had been cut off from the middle. It naturally formed a huge stone platform. However, because the Buddha statue in the middle of the platform was too tall, it seemed a little small, like a tile stepped by the Buddha.
The Buddha statue behind the Lanke Temple was said to be one of the tallest Buddha statues in the world. However, one could only truly feel the indescribable shock when standing in front of the Buddha statue.
Ning Que looked up and saw a few wisps of autumn clouds floating past the chest of the Buddha statue. He remembered a few years ago when he brought Sangsang back to Chang 'an and looked at the city wall of Chang' an towering in the clouds. Only then did he realize that the Buddha statue seemed to be taller than the city wall of Chang 'an. He could not help but subconsciously feel small.
The cave where Master Qishan lived was not on the peak. The black horse carriage bypassed the Buddha statue and followed the mountain path for a while. Then, they saw a shabby door under the huge left heel of the Buddha statue.
The autumn sun had already set. The shadow of the Buddha statue on Tile Mountain almost covered the entire foothills of the back of the mountain. The cave was right under the Buddha statue and was even more secluded. The vines between the stone walls seemed to have turned into thick black lines.
There was a natural cave on the cliff between the vines. There was a square stone platform in front of the cave. Next to the mountain path was a door made of firewood and grass. It was the shabby door that people saw. The lock on the door was rusty, and it was obvious that it was rarely opened.
But today, the door to the hut had already been opened.
The black horse carriage stopped in front of the hut. Ning Que helped Sangsang out of the carriage. It was the hottest time of the day. Although there were shadows over the mountains, it was not cold, so he did not put a coat on her.
This was the first time many cultivators saw Sangsang's appearance clearly.
Everyone looked at this ordinary-looking, yellow-haired, and listless little girl, and couldn't help but feel astonished. Could this unremarkable little girl be the legendary Lady of Light?
Monk Guan Hai led them into the hut.
An old monk stood outside the cave. It was unknown how long he had been waiting.
Those who lived in seclusion in the Wa Mountain were all senior monks of the Lanke Temple, so they were naturally very old.
However, this old monk was a little different.
It was still autumn, but the old monk had already put on a thick cotton robe. He seemed to be extremely afraid of the cold, but he didn't look fat in such a thick robe. One could imagine how thin the body under the robe was. Looking at his yellow-haired, long eyebrows, and listless appearance, it seemed that he was sick, or had been sick for a long time.
Sangsang opened her eyes wide and looked at the old monk curiously. She felt that he was very close and familiar. After a while, she understood what was going on and couldn't help but smile.
The old monk also smiled and said, "Could it be that people who have been sick for a long time in the world look similar? I feel close to you, little girl, and I think you feel the same way. It's a pity that I can't even cure my own illness. Maybe you will feel disappointed later, but don't be distant from me. "
The old monk was naturally Master Qishan.
In order to save the world during the flood, Master Qishan had spent a lot of effort and cultivation. After he was seriously ill, he had to fight against the torrential turbid waves for a whole night. His cultivation was almost destroyed, and this illness had been with him for decades.
Ning Que looked at Master Qishan and said respectfully, "Master, you have been sick for a long time, so you can naturally cure people."
Master Qishan looked at Ning Que and said with a smile, "Mr. Thirteen is indeed an interesting person. I heard that you were extremely tough at the foot of the mountain today, but I didn't expect you to be so gentle in front of the hut."
Ning Que was extremely thick-skinned and said confidently, "When I was at the foot of the mountain, I was anxious to see you. Because I was anxious, because I was anxious, because I was anxious, because I was anxious, because I was anxious, because I was anxious, and because I was anxious, I lost my composure. Now that I have finally seen you, I deeply regret that I lost my composure. How can I go back to my old ways?"
"Seventy years ago, I once asked the Headmaster of the Academy how can you call yourself a junior in front of me?"
Master Qishan waved his hand and said, "You and I can call each other Senior and Junior Brother."
When he said this, Ning Que and the other cultivators didn't feel anything strange. However, Monk Guan Hai, who had been asked by Ning Que to call him Senior and Junior Brother, became even darker. He thought that the seniority was really messed up.
Master Qishan looked at Sangsang and asked with a smile, "Will you still play the third game?"
Sangsang slightly leaned forward to salute and answered, "Yes."
If Master Dongming in the autumn pavilion had made her feel close, then this old monk in front of her not only made her feel close, but also very trustworthy. It was as if she had seen her teacher, so she behaved very politely.
Sangsang was a very transparent person. Whether others were kind or malicious to her, it was like light or darkness. It could directly show the true side of her heart, so she had never misjudged anyone.
Seeing the trust in her subtle movements, Ning Que gradually calmed down.
Master Qishan asked again, "Do you represent the West-Hill Divine Palace or …"
Sangsang was the next Great Divine Priest of Light and had a very close relationship with the Academy. That was why Master Qishan asked this question.
Sangsang was startled and answered, "I … I represent my young master?"
In the past few years, she had gotten used to calling Ning Que young master.
Others didn't know this habit of hers. Today, on Tile Mountain, those cultivators heard it for the first time. They couldn't help but be shocked and speechless. They thought that the Lady of Light actually called someone else young master?
Many people looked at Ning Que with complicated expressions. They couldn't tell if they were envious or jealous. And those cultivators who had been loyal to the West-Hill Divine Palace for thousands of years even vaguely showed anger.
Master Qishan listened to this answer and nodded slightly. He said, "Then you represent the Academy."
Sangsang thought for a while and said, "It seems so."
Master Qishan looked at Ning Que and asked with a smile, "You are treated as a young master by the Lady of Light of the West-Hill Divine Palace. Didn't Mr. Second say that it was against etiquette and didn't punish you with the Academy rules?"
Ning Que said with a smile, "My wife is used to calling me that. As for Second Brother … the Headmaster and Eldest Brother are both back, so I'm not afraid of him."
Master Qishan laughed, but it affected his old illness and he coughed repeatedly.
Monk Guan Hai hurriedly took out a pill and helped him swallow it.
Master Qishan walked to the rattan next to the stone platform and sat beside a chessboard. He said, "Although I am here to cure my illness, we still need to play chess since we set such a boring rule."
After a few conversations, Ning Que confirmed that the relationship between the Master and the Academy was very close. He felt more relaxed and emboldened. He asked tentatively, "If I lose, can I still see her?"
The Master said, "Buddha is merciful … The three games of chess on Wa Mountain pick the fated ones. Since this little girl is sick, and I have some superficial medical skills, this is fate. How can I not see her?"
Ning Que was very happy and said casually, "This is the Master's mercy, not the Buddha's mercy. Nowadays, there are two Sects of Buddhism and Taoism, thousands of Taoist temples, and hundreds of Buddhist temples. Who still remembers these two words?"
Master Qishan sighed and said, "If you are too close to the light, you can't see anything else. If you are too far away from the Buddha, you can't see the Buddha himself. Just like the Buddha statue on top of Wa Mountain. It is so huge, and I don't know how many people have spent on it. However, when you walk in front of the Buddha statue, you can only see a little finger at most."
There was a deep meaning in his words. Monk Guan Hai and the monks of Lanke Temple looked solemn and listened quietly. The monks from Yuelun Kingdom's White Tower Temple also listened carefully. Only Quni Madi showed a slightly mocking expression, thinking that the old monk was deliberately mystifying.
Master Qishan was such a person that he naturally wouldn't care about this old woman.
He looked up at the huge Buddha statue above the hut that seemed to be able to break the sky. He said with emotion, "Before the Buddha's Nirvana, he had left a Dharma decree that Taoism should not erect statues and worship. However, thousands of years have passed. How many Buddhist disciples still remember these words? Which Buddhist temple doesn't have a golden statue of the Buddha in the main hall? Back then, the juniors in Lanke Temple insisted on erecting one, and they wanted to erect such a tall one. I couldn't stop them, so I had to move the hut under the Buddha's feet. I thought that if the Buddha was unhappy one day, he could step on my feet to vent his anger. "
Monk Guan Hai seemed to have understood something. The monks of Lanke Temple suddenly became serious, and the abbot looked even more terrified.
At this moment, in the Buddhist chariot that had been quiet for a whole day, the deep voice sounded again. The president of Commandment Yard from Xuankong Temple praised, "It has been fifty years since we last met. Uncle's Dharma has become more and more exquisite. Congratulations."
Master Qishan shook his head and said, "I left the temple when I was young and returned to the world of mortals. I have never signed my name in the secretary's office or the lecture hall. How can I deserve to be called uncle by the president?"
The monk in the Buddhist chariot didn't say anything, but insisted on bowing.
Master Qishan acted as if he didn't see it. He looked at Sangsang and asked, "Little girl, are you hungry?"
At noon in the temple, Sangsang only ate some vegetables. After playing chess in the autumn pavilion, not only was she not tired, but she became more energetic. She began to feel a little hungry, so she nodded.
Master Qishan took out a green pear from somewhere and wiped it with his cotton sleeve. Then he handed it to Sangsang and said lovingly, "Eat a pear first to fill your stomach."
…
…
(Thank you very much for your monthly votes for The Vermilion Bird Novel during the Qing Yu Year. There are three chapters today. This is the first chapter. I will try to finish the next chapter before midnight.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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