Episode 15

  Jin Chan'er was already resting in a guesthouse thousands of miles away. She took out the mysterious book and looked at it from left to right, but couldn't understand it, so she sighed and put it back in her bag. The "Yin Yang Transformation" talked about using the power of heaven and earth's yin and yang to transform and supplement one's spiritual energy, but that required a cultivator with a physical body, which was of no use to Jiao Jiao. The last book was the secret manual for rebuilding one's physical body. This small booklet only briefly mentioned using the nine-petaled lotus flower, which may or may not still exist in the mortal world, to borrow the power of the Return to Origin Great Formation Array to rebuild one's physical body. However, it didn't go into any specific details. Jin Chan'er closed her eyes and thought for a long time, then sighed and said to herself:

  "It is said that the royal temple in Kyoto has a nine-petaled lotus flower, but I don't know if this rumor is true. Sigh! I'll just have to go there and try my luck."

  The capital of Kyoto is indeed the imperial city! The city walls are nearly a hundred feet high, and the layout inside is solemn. With the emperor's palace as the center, the grand hall for imperial administration is on the central axis, with the imperial city, official city, and mansions of noble families arranged in rows outside, followed by shops and market stalls, and then the homes of ordinary people, extending to the four walls surrounding the city. The royal temple is located outside the imperial city but inside the official city. The grand hall is magnificent, with beautiful and solemn Buddhist statues. However, its highest pagoda and the great treasure hall are not as high or spacious as that great temple. This is because in the imperial city, secular imperial power is revered above all else, so all buildings are lower than the heavenly palace and the altar for worshiping heaven and earth within the palace.

  Buddhist affairs flourished, but Taoism was not banned, and even the various schools of thought were not severely restricted. As long as they did not threaten imperial power, there would not be too much interference. Therefore, in the capital city, academies and Taoist temples were also ubiquitous. In the academies, Confucian scholars wore high hats and long robes, with large sleeves waving, forming a dignified style of their own. In the Taoist temples, Taoists cultivated themselves quietly and leisurely, enjoying themselves. The Buddhist temples, on the other hand, were shrouded in mist, with the sound of chanting never ceasing.

  The official roads and streets of Kyoto are different from those in other places, with a crisscross pattern that is square and proper, in accordance with etiquette. The distinction between the noble and the humble is fully displayed, showing the merits of promoting national education; the people's joy in their work depends entirely on the diligence of officials in governing below. Jin Chan'er quietly descended from a cloud head far outside the city. With no one around, she revealed her ability to change, transforming into a Confucian scholar and stopping by the side of the road for a short rest. On her back was a book rack, and in her hand was a water bag, as she gazed at passing merchants and travelers. There were groups of people riding large horses with swords at their waists, hurrying along to the capital city. Some rode leisurely on horseback, while others drove horse-drawn carriages at a moderate pace. As for pedestrians, there were even more, either in groups of three or two, or walking alone on the road. Merchants and travelers, rich and poor, officials, scholars, and performers - all kinds of people could be seen. However, there were also those begging by the side of the road, a desolate sight that was made even more sorrowful by the patrolling soldiers who occasionally chased them away, causing them to flee in alarm and inspiring sympathy in onlookers. Jin Chan'er let out a light sigh and continued on her way. Seeing an old man driving a slow-moving ox cart, she walked up front and greeted him with a question:

  "Could you do me a favor, sir, and give this young man a ride? I'm really unable to move."

  The old man driving the carriage looked at Jin Chan'er for a while before saying:

  "Judging from young master's appearance, he must be a son of a wealthy family. Why doesn't he have any attendants accompanying him?"

  "Old master, you indeed have a good eye! But as a scholar, if I don't travel far and wide, how can I gain true understanding of Confucianism?! And with only a young servant or lowly attendant accompanying me, how can I cultivate myself, nurture my nature, bring order to the state, and bring peace to the world?!"

  "Great! Great! I observe that Young Master is no ordinary person, please come aboard and travel with us!"

  "Thank you, sir!"

  Jin Chan'er got on the carriage and traveled with the old man. Before they had gone far, they chatted happily and soon became familiar with each other. Jin Chan'er said:

  "Old fellow, I see people on the road are all in a hurry, what's the reason for this?"

  "The young master does not know. In this world, gold and jade are on the outside, but the people's lives are very difficult. Although in the capital, kings, princes, generals, and ministers sing and dance in peace; small and large prefectures frequently transmit good news; Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries chant scriptures of peace and safety, great scholars and young students sing in harmony and with ease. However, every commoner is struggling to make a living, even if they have enough food and clothing, their hearts are exhausted. This is indeed an era where people are being slowly burned by the fire."

  "I see that old man is being extremely cautious, it's hard to achieve this in the suburbs of the capital city, and there are also dangers hidden beneath the imperial city walls?"

  "You may laugh at me, a humble scholar! But let's be realistic, even bad people don't dare to say too much. However, the world has changed, and money is now the only thing that matters; morality has declined. People who were once ordinary are now struggling to make ends meet, and it's not surprising to see them being taken advantage of by others! As for those who deceive and cheat others, borrow money without returning it, and destroy families without being punished, these are just common occurrences in today's world! We simple country folk can't be too careful, or we won't be able to live in peace!"

  Jin Chan'er silently replied:

  "All worldly people desire is peace and tranquility, enjoying their days! Who would have thought it's actually full of hardships and sufferings? This world is truly a realm of great suffering!"

  Young Master's words are well said! However, among ordinary people in the mortal world, there are also great loves that are truly devoted, and even immortals and Buddhas cannot exchange them! Ha... Ha... Ha.

  "Your old man is indeed a sage! I have won what I would have gained from ten years of study."

  "The young master has been flattered."

  Two people chatted happily, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the great gate of Kyoto. Jin Chan'er raised her head to look at the hundred-meter-high city gate tower and the tens of meters high city gate below, thinking to herself:

  "I once thought that ordinary people's power was like ants, but they actually created such a great achievement, it really makes me admire!"

  "The young master must get off and walk when entering Kyoto."

  "Oh! Got it, thank you, sir!"

  Jin Chan'er then entered the capital of Zhexing Country with the old man amidst laughter and conversation.

  At the crossroads near the left side of the academy, Jin Chan'er bid farewell to the old wise man and walked into the side door of the academy. Seeing a Confucian scholar coming over, he hastily paid his respects and said:

  "Excuse me, sir."

  The Confucian scholar saw Jin Chan'er's elegant and noble demeanor, and returned a courtesy saying:

  "Sir, have you come to listen to the great Confucian scholar's explanation of the classics?"

  "That's right, but I don't know..."

  "You've just arrived, and probably don't know yet, Old Master Gao has gone to the palace to teach the prince, and won't reopen the Five Classics and Four Books for half a month. However, you can go stay in the guest house inside to wait for the master's return."

  "Thank you, sir!"

  Jin Chan'er entered the academy and temporarily rented a guest house at the registration office.

  In the guest house, there was also a Confucian scholar who had gone to visit friends elsewhere and would return in a few days. So Jin Chan'er rested at the guest house in the evening, but during the day, she went sightseeing around Kyoto. The royal temple was famous far and wide, no need to ask for directions, just follow the male and female laymen or believers and you'll arrive. When Jin Chan'er saw the hall, she paid homage, and when she met the Buddha, she lit incense. It took five or six days to finish visiting all the halls, gods, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas, but she didn't find any monks with extraordinary spiritual powers. As for the matter of the nine-petaled lotus flower, she had already inquired about it, but ordinary believers wouldn't know! She could only search another day, disguising herself as a female layman, entering the scripture repository to read scriptures. The scripture repository of this royal temple was different from others, and all scripture volumes were available for ordinary believers to read. However, they had to wash their hands, burn incense, and recite scriptures, but were not allowed to take them out of the scripture building or carry them on their person.

  Jin Chan'er went through the motions of washing her hands, burning incense, and reciting scriptures. There were many types of scriptures, but none that Jin Chan'er wanted to read. After a few days, she transformed into a small novice monk and went back to the rear hall to search again. The inner walls of the temple were painted with vivid murals depicting the stories of Buddha saving sentient beings from suffering, each one unfolding like a scroll. Many people came to pay their respects, all solemn and devout. There were also monks and laypeople bowing and worshipping Buddha, surrounded by Bodhisattvas, Arhats, and flying apsaras soaring through the air. The high-ranking monks radiated golden light from their bodies, with kind eyebrows and eyes, all depicting scenes of saving people from suffering. Jin Chan'er furrowed her brow slightly, sighing with emotion...

  "The Buddha himself cultivated to attain longevity, although he also helped others, but how can such merits be achieved! The vast world is real yet empty, and those who are saved are extremely rare. As for revealing oneself through deeds, one only fears being stuck in the mundane, and most people do not know this. And so it is with the proclamation of Buddhist teachings and principles. It's not just Buddhism, but also Taoism, and almost all the various schools of thought."

  Jin Chan'er walked to the back garden and stopped suddenly when she reached the tower forest. Although this mural was covered with an extraordinary great method array, which concealed its mysterious spiritual energy from overflowing, it might have deceived other cultivators, but how could it deceive Jin Chan'er's law eyes? As soon as she opened her mind and spirit, she saw that the painting had a high gate and a large pavilion as its entrance, which blocked her ability to perceive. What was inside was not very clear. This place was a land of wonder created by an ancient great cultivator using the power of the supreme great method. It was similar to the secret space in the Heart Buddha Hall of a large Buddhist temple. The name of this method was "Tai Xu Dao Jue". Now that the Tao has disappeared and the law is weak, even someone as powerful as Jin Chan'er would not be able to create such a wonderful realm.

  Jin Chan'er then hid her form and entered, and after passing the large archway, she saw a completely different world. The vast and open space was actually a mysterious place. Fragrant mist surrounded it, with several monk's quarters, small temples, and pavilions, all of which were elegant and refined. Inside, there was a small lake, with several small hills connected to each other. Green trees surrounded the lake, covering the entire mountain with trees, flowers, and grass. There were birds singing and flying in and out of the green forest. On the lake, there were several small boats, all drifting freely on the water, moving with the waves. Fish swam happily in the water, unafraid of people. There were also monks walking, standing, reciting scriptures, meditating, or playing chess, each enjoying themselves. When they saw someone entering, they would only glance up briefly, as if unaware. Jin Chan'er was deeply puzzled - this "Tai Xu Bian" was actually a Daoist mystical skill. It used the shadows of objects to place them in paintings or mirrors and other strange objects, but in reality, it used great magical power to merge the mysterious space into the paintings, mirrors, and other strange objects, making the space seem both real and unreal. Ordinary people from the secular world would only see it as a painting or a mirror image, but for cultivators of the Dao, it was an extraordinary place. It was just that this place was much larger than ordinary mysterious places. But what was even stranger was that the Daoist skills were being used by Buddhists.

  Jin Chan'er walked calmly past the crowd of monks, not saying a word, and went straight to the place where the Buddha's light was most magnificent. As she approached, she saw a young monk sitting on a lotus platform, which was actually the nine-grade lotus flower that had transformed into a nine-grade lotus platform. The flower's vitality had already been extinguished, and it had long been refined into a Buddhist treasure and a Dharma vessel, so it could no longer be used to recreate its physical body! The monk's hands were clasped in a seal, and he was reciting scriptures in a low voice. Jin Chan'er observed him with her Dharma eye and knew that the nine-grade lotus platform was filled with magnificent spiritual light, and the divine power contained within the Buddha's light was truly astonishing. The monk on the lotus platform also possessed profound Buddhist teachings. She let out a soft sigh, turned around, and went to the scripture pavilion in the mysterious realm to read through the temple's secretly stored, wonderful Dharma scriptures.

  At this time, the monk on the nine-grade lotus platform also opened his wise eyes to observe Jin Chan'er. After a long sigh, he closed his eyes again, as if no one had come to peek at him.