Chapter 42: Temple

In Li Huowang's memory, most temples were built on mountains, making those within city walls quite uncommon.

However, these details weren't his primary concern. What truly caught his attention was the temple name the pilgrim had just mentioned: "Zhengde Temple?"

Li Huowang immediately remembered Zheng Kun's dying words to Danyangzi; it seemed they had once been pursued by monks from Zhengde Temple.

His heart began to pound. He had found the right place; after all the hardships on his journey, he had finally arrived.

Just then, as he rounded a corner, the view suddenly opened before him.

Clean, neat flagstones led directly to the base of a wide staircase. At the top of these hundreds of steps, a majestic temple with reddish-brown walls, shrouded in wafting incense smoke, came into view.

Above the tall temple gate, a black plaque bore three large characters in vermilion: "Zhengde Temple."

The couplet read: "Cultivate virtue, sow seeds, the Dharma body perfect and sublime; Clear waters reflect the moon, its jade canopy divine."

Amidst the flourishing incense, the entire temple was enveloped in white smoke, giving it an ethereal and spiritual appearance.

"Young Daoist master, I won't go in with you. Please, go ahead. Oh, and a reminder: Xijing City is different from Jianye; there's a curfew at night. Make sure to be back before dark."

Li Huowang took a deep breath and began walking towards the steps, which were teeming with people.

Following the pilgrims, he entered the temple, where several grand halls stood before him.

At that moment, Li Huowang stood rooted, like a reef in the human tide, observing everything around him.

He had found the temple, but the next question stumped him: how should he approach the monks?

Should he directly announce he was Danyangzi's disciple? He feared they might instantly kill him.

Before Li Huowang could devise a strategy, a monk from Zhengde Temple approached him. After all, even amidst the dense crowds, Li Huowang's Daoist robe was remarkably conspicuous.

As soon as the monk spoke, his pure Buddhist manner was clearly incomparable to that of the previous old monk. "Amitabha, this humble monk, Jian Dun, extends his greetings."

Seeing the plump monk press his palms together in greeting, Li Huowang promptly returned the gesture. "Master, a pleasure to meet you. I am Xuanyang."

"Patron, as a disciple of the Xuanmen sect, you surely haven't come to this temple merely to burn incense and worship Buddha, have you? Please, come this way."

Li Huowang glanced at the bustling crowd, nodded, and followed the monk towards a side door.

Observing the monastic scars on the monk's head as he walked ahead, Li Huowang began to ponder his next words.

The two wove their way through the majestic temple, the clamor of the crowd at the entrance gradually receding. They eventually stopped under a vibrant golden ginkgo tree, before a stone table and stools.

"Please, Patron." Jian Dun sat down, his hands slowly and unhurriedly turning a string of prayer beads.

He asked nothing further about Li Huowang's sect or purpose, perfectly embodying the detached tranquility characteristic of a Buddhist disciple.

After a moment of thought, Li Huowang looked at the monk. "Danyangzi is dead."

With a soft "clatter," the yellowish-brown prayer beads scattered across the ground.

Seeing the plump monk stand up before him, Li Huowang nodded subtly.

There was no doubt; these monks had indeed had contact with Danyangzi.

"Is that old Daoist really dead? This matter is of grave importance; please, Patron, tell me everything in detail."

Since he sought answers, it was only natural to provide the monk with sufficient information.

Aside from withholding the fact that he had taken the so-called "Heavenly Scroll," Li Huowang recounted everything that had occurred at Qingfeng Temple to the monk.

"Master, under those circumstances, could Danyangzi truly have ascended to immortality?"

At this point, Li Huowang leaned slightly forward, his expression grave, and continued, "Or perhaps, did he transform into something entirely different?"

A gentle breeze swept through, rustling the golden leaves of the nearby ginkgo tree.

"Patron, did you truly hear Danyangzi speaking in your ear?" Jian Dun, his expression equally solemn, asked for confirmation.

"Yes, absolutely true. It wasn't merely a hallucination; there was also the anomaly concerning the God of Joy."

Recalling the scene, a hint of annoyance flickered in Li Huowang's eyes.

"The God of Joy, who couldn't be directly looked at, was about to crawl out of the darkness to consume me. Yet, its body, concealed within the shadows, seemed to be tugged by something."

"Though I have no concrete reason, I suspect that what pulled the God of Joy in the darkness was Danyangzi himself — Danyangzi after his ascension."

After a moment of grave contemplation, Jian Dun stood up. "Patron, please wait a moment; this matter is of grave importance."

Having said this, Jian Dun pressed his palms together in a respectful gesture towards Li Huowang, then turned and departed in haste.

Although the monk hadn't explicitly stated anything, his demeanor conveyed a significant message.

Li Huowang looked up at the clouds. "As expected, the matter concerning Danyangzi won't be resolved so easily."

Jian Dun returned more quickly than Li Huowang anticipated, no more than half an incense stick's time. He hurried back, now holding a fresh string of prayer beads.

"Patron Xuanyang, please come this way. The abbot wishes to see you personally."

Zhengde Temple was vast. After navigating through its various halls for some time, Li Huowang eventually arrived before a magnificent grand hall.

Through the eight-panelled doors, Li Huowang saw five colossal, majestic golden Buddhas within. Each was several dozen feet tall, seated cross-legged in various poses.

On a prayer mat in front of the five golden Buddhas, a robed figure sat with their back to him. On their head was a five-Buddha hat, similar to the one worn by Xuanzang.

As Li Huowang stepped inside, he heard the monk chanting. The vast emptiness of the hall caused the chanting to resonate with an ethereal echo.

Under the watchful gaze of the five colossal golden Buddhas, Li Huowang involuntarily slowed his steps.

The chanting ceased, and the monk seated on the prayer mat slowly turned around.

Li Huowang was instantly surprised when he saw the monk's appearance.

It was an old abbot with entirely white eyebrows and beard. His exceptionally benevolent appearance wasn't what surprised Li Huowang; it was his eyes.

They were pink eyes. Having spent so much time with her, Li Huowang immediately recognized that the abbot, like Bai Lingmiao, had albinism.

"Amitabha," Abbot Xinhui said, pressing his palms together, his tone calm. "This old monk, Xinhui, extends his greetings."

"I am Xuanyang. It is an honor to meet the abbot." After bowing, Li Huowang sat down facing him.

"Abbot, concerning Danyangzi—"

Li Huowang's words were cut off midway by the abbot's raised hand.

"Patron Xuanyang, are you familiar with the five Buddhas in this hall?"

Seeing Li Huowang shake his head, Xinhui gently stroked his long white beard as he explained: "At the center is Vairocana from the Vajra World; to the East, Akshobhya Buddha from the Abhirati World; to the South, Ratnasambhava Buddha from the Glorious World; to the West, Amitābha Buddha from the Sukhavati World; and to the North, Amoghasiddhi Buddha from the Padma World. Collectively, they are known as the Five Dhyani Buddhas."

Li Huowang couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety. What was the monk's purpose in speaking of such seemingly irrelevant matters?

"Abbot, perhaps we can discuss these matters at another time. For now, may I ask, what exactly has Danyangzi become?"

Xinhui pressed his palms together, his gaze calmly fixed on Li Huowang once more. "He became a Buddha."