The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

“What?” Polite Xuan Bei was totally shocked and surprised. He could not say a word.

“Clunk!”

He planned to put the Buddhist Commandment Blade back on the weapon rack and comfort Meng Qi. But his hands trembled, and the Buddhist Commandment Blade hit the weapon rack and bounced as it landed. It was totally abnormal for this expert of the Exterior.

Meng Qi tried his best to practice the heart sutras, the fourth level of Golden Bell Shield. His skin became dark gold. He repeated, “Master, I completed the practice of the fourth level of Golden Bell Shield.”

“What on earth did you come across?” Xuan Bei became serious again but still looked shocked and confused.

His own apprentice just moved to the third level. He had completed the fourth level! This speed was unbelievable! It was like hearing a myth!

Meng Qi had prepared an excuse. He looked down and said, “I felt a sense of cutting off the connection between myself and the world when I saw Master practice yesterday.”

“When I was practicing the fourth level today, I withstood the mixed feeling of hot and cold, along with the noisy bird that interrupted me. These three difficulties really annoyed me and drove me mad. Suddenly, I had this same feeling as you. The whole world was a furnace, and those difficulties were a strong fire which hardened me.

“Later, I completed the fourth level by accident.”

What Meng Qi said and felt was totally true, except for the source of his sword insight. Everything seemed so convincing and made people totally believe him.

As his Master was an expert of the Exterior, he knew that he could easily recognize the changes in his body and expressions. He controlled his heart from beating quickly and looked down to escape his Master’s eyesight.

Meng Qi’s explanation subsided Xuan Bei’s doubts. If he had not felt that, then he could not explain completely.

He hesitated a moment, the offered a comforting smile. “You have a special connection with bladesmanship. It is really amazing for you to understand and master bladesmanship from the first time.”

It was not so hard for the practitioner to master the sword. If a wise practitioner tried and thought about the sword for some time, they would feel something more or less. What was hard was to understand the Gist of Trueness and truly master bladesmanship.

“Master, the bladesmanship you performed helped me a lot.” Meng Qi quickly changed the topic of conversation to Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship, which was his Master’s practice.

Xuan Bei frowned and said, “You need to keep this secret. According to the commandments, while still in the enlightenment period, you are not allowed to watch me performing the other skill, even with my permission.”

“Though you just grasp it, you don’t understand the Gist of Trueness and the changing style of bladesmanship, yet you gained special insight. Commandment Yard would hardly believe that you just watched the performance by accident only one time.”

Normally, the practitioner would only gain insight foundation if he watched the performance deliberately many times.

“Yes, I know.” Meng Qi would keep this secret with great care until he found the chance to escape. He was unwilling to talk with those humorless Commandment Monk. “Uncle Master Xuan Ku and Senior Brother Zhen Chang saw when I completed the fourth level.”

Xuan Bei nodded kindly. “It doesn’t matter. You are not the only one to complete all four levels of Golden Bell Shield within three months. They all had a solid foundation for training. As long as Xuan Ku and Zhen Chang don’t know that you have just completed the third level yesterday, you will be safe. They may just praise you for your good practice of Golden Bell Shield.”

“I am more relieved now.” Meng Qi sighed in relief. It was the true reflection of his true emotion.

“Well, you can continue to harmonize Qi-circulation,” Xuan Bei said amiably.

Meng Qi entered the meditation room just as Zhen Hui had a break. He asked curiously, “Senior Brother, why do you come back so early?”

“Hehe, I completed the fourth level of Golden Bell Shield.” Meng Qi did not lie to his Junior Brother, but said it quite happily. It was shocking, thrilling, and unbelievable!

“Oh!” Zhen Hui thought it was normal and said with a smile, “Senior Brother, you wanted to practice Flower-pinching Finger, Form Denial Finger, and other skills. Now it seems that Golden Bell Shield is your best choice.”

“You are an idiot with no common sense! Are you saying that ‘my mouth said nothing, but my body wanted it’? ” Meng Qi scolded him secretly.

“If I practice other skills, will I complete them in a shorter time?”

“I don’t know,” Zhen Hui answered honestly, not to flatter him.

Meng Qi coughed slightly. “Of course, I am the only one to complete the fourth level of Golden Bell Shield within a day. You will hardly find another one in the past or the future.”

“Senior Brother, you are brilliant!” Zhen Hui was excited when he heard such Jianghu stories.

Meng Qi sighed and looked down. “This guy has difficulty in understanding difficult words.”

…

Half a year passed. It was autumn, leaves fell, the sky was clear, and the air was fresh.

The round moon caressed the night. Meng Qi and Zhen Hui wandered in the temple with lanterns as it was their turn to patrol. The patrolling line was remote and quiet.

“How lively this kind of life is!” Meng Qi took a deep and clean breath and said contentedly.

In the past 10 months, I didn’t receive any Samsara missions. It is really amazing!

After completing the fourth level of the Golden Bell Shield, Meng Qi studied in the Sutras Yard and had lessons at night and again in the morning. He still went to the stupa every afternoon to do Qi Storage in Meditation despite the bad environment. Doing Qi Storage in Meditation and concentrating on Aperture acupoints needed painstaking practice. His progress temporarily slowed down.

He advanced his success of Qi-cultivation within seven months and concentrated six Eye Apertures with Xuan Bei’s elixir and a good arrangement of the Ganoderma Elixir of Restoration. He wanted to receive Samsara task in two months so he could concentrate on the nine Aperture acupoints. Now he waited for the Heavenly Acumen Pill or difficulties to enlighten himself.

Of course, Meng Qi would not have felt afraid or upset if he needed to start a Samsara task now. He had advanced a lot compared to 10 months ago.

Zhen Hui was used to his Senior Brother’s strange actions, so he was not surprised by Meng Qi’s praise. He said, “Indeed, this kind of life is good! You can eat, sleep, and practice Martial Arts.”

A true-hearted smile emerged on his childish face.

In the past 10 months, his Flower-pinching Finger had not broken through to the advanced success of Qi-cultivation, but it had greatly progressed. Xuan Bei was surprised and happy and believed that he would have a breakthrough within half a year.

Actually, he was at the best growing period. He ate full, slept well, and had good practices. He was taller than before and had a good face.

“All you can think of is just eating and sleeping? You are such a pig!”  Meng Qi scanned Zhen Hui.

After 10 months, he was taller and looked like a young man, no longer like a child. Soft fluff hung on his lips and his face was neat. When he sat quietly, he looked gentle and kind. What Meng Qi was displeased with was his narrow eyes, which made him look handsome and less manly.

While walking, Zhen Hui said, “Senior Brother, I think there is something wrong with Senior Brother Zhen Yong.”

“Why do you think so?” Meng Qi asked with confusion.

The surrounding trees stood in the night just like monsters.

Zhen Hui complained, “Senior Brother Zhen Yong would often find me and tell me stories, but his stories were not interesting. He asked me about the Flower-pinching Finger every time, and said he was very interested in this difficult skill.”

When he heard the first part, Meng Qi thought that Zhen Hui cared too much. After Zhen Hui stopped, he became serious. “He asked you about the Flower-pinching Finger? Did he ask a lot?”

“Yes, he asked in detail about such things as my difficulties in Qi-conducting, my conducting routes, and my fast speed… ” Zhen Hui said casually without taking it seriously. He just complained to his Senior Brother that he trusted.

Master ordered me not to tell anyone. Senior Brother Zhen Yong asked a lot. It was annoying! He would often find me out and it really affected my training!

Meng Qi thought that Zhen Yong wanted to steal Flower-pinching Finger. It was normal for young warrior monks in the Warrior-monk Yard. Why did he want to learn the most difficult Flower-pinching Finger?

Meng Qi thought about the last day he spent with Zhen Yong and felt that it was unusual.

“Did you tell him the Dharma Access of Flower-pinching Finger?” Meng Qi needed to confirm it.

Zhen Hui shook his head. “Master ordered me not to tell anyone.”

“Ok. Let’s tell Master tomorrow morning.” Meng Qi did not want to investigate this matter. It would be troublesome if he found super enemies during researching. At that time, other people could abuse him. It was the right choice to tell the Master and let him investigate.

Zhen Hui totally agreed with Senior Brother’s suggestion and nodded happily. At that time, he turned to him and pointed at the tall trees, “Senior Brother Zhen Yong once hid behind those trees.”

“What? How do you know?” Meng Qi asked in surprise.

Zhen Hui said honestly, “Last time, I thought that I had forgotten something when I told that story. I turned back to catch Senior Brother Zhen Yong. I saw him hiding behind the trees.”

“Then?” Meng Qi’s lips twitched.

Zhen Hui answered consciously, “I thought he was defecating so I waited for him for a while. After a few moments had passed, it was time to practice. Then I went back.”

Meng Qi nodded slightly. He just stood beside the trees and his curiosity led him to the blockage. He raised the lantern and looked inside.

There were a lot of layers of tall trees that were blocking his view.

Meng Qi listened for a while and found no movement. He walked into the blockage and moved forward, leaving no traces behind.

Zhen Hui followed his Senior Brother enthusiastically.

Meng Qi walked a dozen paces and it was suddenly clear with no trees.

It was a protruding and bottomless cliff with heavy wind and fog below. Shaolin Temple was built along the mountain where there were more cliffs than walls.

“Cliff… ” Meng Qi looked around with confusion and did not understand what Zhen Yong did here.

Meng Qi looked, was suddenly startled and immediately stopped. He listened and pulled on Zhen Hui and, putting out their lanterns, they hid behind a big tree.

A man with gray a frock was creeping in stealthily.