Nightfall

There were many elders in the Lanke Temple. There were elders who were in charge of laws, and elders who were in charge of the meditation courtyards. Long Qing had once gained the admiration of an elder when he excelled in his debate here. However, the only true elder of this ancient temple required no other description for anyone to know his status.

Master Qishan ranked the highest in the Xuankong Temple, and even in the entire cultivation world. He ranked higher than Quni Madi, and it was rumored that he ranked even higher than the Hierarch of West-Hill. Other than the Academy, which was a special place, most others in the world had to bow when they came before him.

Nobody knew how old this Bhadanta of the Buddhism Sect was. Someone had predicted that he was over a hundred through his conversation with the West-Hill Divine Palace’s Hierarch. What was interesting was that the conversation between Master Qishan and the Hierarch Lord was about the Headmaster’s age.

It was rumored in the cultivation world that Master Qishan was the illegitimate son of the previous chief monk at the Xuankong Temple a century ago. Of course, no one dared to ask him for confirmation and no one dared to mention it. So the rumors remained as rumors.

However, Master Qishan did not earn the respect of the cultivation world with merely his rank or his parentage. It was because of his virtue.

Decades ago, a terrible flood hit the southern part of the mainland, the rivers roared and turbid waves inundated numerous fertile fields. River banks in various countries collapsed one after another. The flooding of the Great Lake was extremely dangerous.

At the time, Master Qishan was still the abbot of the Lanke Temple. He led the monks in the temple and brought with them food and medicine that they had accumulated over the years. He brought over ten carriages full of these supplies out of the Wa Mountain and dispensed food and medicine along the way, saving countless of victims. Master Qishan fell ill from exhaustion and was infected when he dealt with the remains of the victims. He was so sick he almost could not get up.

The Great River, burdened by the waters flowing from countless tributary rivers was about to collapse. The embankment in the Kang County, especially, was failing and showed signs of breaking.

Master Qishan was in Kang County then. When he saw what was happening, he shed his monk robes and entered the lake even though he was ill. Through an unimaginable cultivation state and willpower, he stood before the embankment that was about to collapse for the entire night.

On the morning of the second day, the Sword Garret of South Jin Kingdom, and the Divine Talisman Masters of the West-Hill Divine Palace arrived in Kang County. The situation had grown less urgent and Master Qishan emerged from the turbid waves. He collapsed on the banks and fell unconscious.

That night was the most important night in the flood that year. Master Qishan had replaced the embankment with his own body. The most important fields of Kang County and South Jin Kingdom behind it were saved. That meant that the entire South Jin Kingdom, as well as half of the mainland, had been saved.

After that night, Master Qishan was known through the land. His willpower and the powerful cultivation state that he had displayed were all looked upon in awe by all.

However, he had also paid a heavy price for it. He had only gained such power through decades of penance in the Lanke Temple and had used it all. He had been severely injured and even if he continued cultivating anew, he would never be able to return to his peak state.

In the legends of the cultivation world, before Liu Bai’s appearance, it was said that Master Qishan was whom every one had thought would go beyond the five states. It was thought that he could even cross the human realm and become a Grand Cultivator. It was a pity that he would forever stay outside that particular threshold of Haotian Taoism and could no longer touch the world beyond that of the human realm.

The cultivation world, and even the millions of people in the world, respected him for his deeds. Their respect did not diminish over the years, but grew even more sincere even decades later.

Master Lotus of the Kingdom of Song had lost his wife and wrote an essay of bereavement that night in the rain. He began to travel the world and came to stay at the Lanke Temple. After meditating in the temple, he heard an old monk talking about stories of the Buddhism Sect and began to learn about Buddhism.

That old monk was Master Qishan.

Several years later, Lotus returned from the Western Wilderness and was immersed in the Spirit of the Xuankong Temple. He declined the invitation from the West-Hill Divine Palace and shaved his hair before an old monk, thereby formally joining the Buddhism Sect.

That old monk was also Master Qishan.

After that, Lotus began living in seclusion at the Lanke Temple’s back of the mountain for two years. His cultivation state then had long surpassed Master Qishan, but he remained extremely respectful to him. Lotus viewed him as both teacher and friend.

Another year, at the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival, the Devil’s Doctrine washed the Lanke Temple with blood. They killed every cultivator present at the festival who were of the light. However, they did not inflict much harm on the monks in the temple. Now that people thought of it, they could conclude that this was naturally because of Master Qishan.

Ning Que had brought Sangsang to the Lanke Temple not to participate in the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival or to represent the Tang Empire in their discussion with other countries about the Desolate Men moving south. It also had nothing to do with the rumors about the Underworld Invasion. He was here to cure an illness. He was here to find a person, and that person was Master Qishan.

...

...

The black horse carriage stopped before the mountain path. Ning Que looked at the temple that could be vaguely seen through the forest. He looked at the Buddha statue on the stone platform, behind the peaks of the Wa Mountain and thought of Master Qishan. He felt a little unsettled.

Having inherited Lotus’ fragments of consciousness, he could clearly sense that the elders residing in seclusion in the Lanke Temple were all awe-inspiring characters.

The truly remarkable figure naturally has its own unique aspect. Ning Que did not know what special likes and dislikes Master Qishan had. A highly virtuous elder of the Buddhism Sect should be benevolent and mild, but he still reminded himself to show enough respect and be prepared.

How could he keep a low profile? What preparations did he have to make?

The black horse carriage’s appearance had been altered. It did not look as black, but was dirtier. There was a sheen of oil on the horse carriage and it felt like the big black umbrella.

The Big Black Horse was also covered in dirt. Ning Que had even smeared mud on him. He did not look as carefree as he did on the Wilderness, but looked extremely pathetic.

This was what Ning Que had prepared. He wanted to arrive looking really pathetic. He had even prepared a handkerchief coated in ginger sap as well as a little leather pouch filled with blood. He intended to dab powder from Chenjinji Cosmetics Store on Sangsang’s face to make her look even paler before meeting Master Qishan. After meeting the master, he would wipe his eyes with the handkerchief to redden his eyes and break the pouch open and pretend to cough up blood. He did not believe that the Bhadanta would be able to turn a blind eye.

Who would dare to be as pathetic as me?

If there was someone who dared to be more pathetic than him and Sangsang, he would perhaps rough up the person so badly that it would make him even more pathetic.

It was then, when a young monk walked down the mountain path slowly.

The monk had a slightly tanned face. His expression was calm and compossed.

However, when he saw the rundown black horse carriage and the Big Black Horse that looked completely different from what the rumors had said, his composure shattered into that of surprise.

He walked to the horse carriage and looked at Ning Que through the window. He said helplessly, "Do you think you can trick my teacher like this? Would someone like my master need Mr. Thirteen to put in such efforts?"