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    Edict of Peace 132

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    Chapter 132: The Supreme Martial Art in the World, the Traces of the Twenty-Four Generals

    Living Buddha?!

    Li Guanyi heard the name mentioned by Qiebi Li and the old Master Siming. Among the forces from the Western Regions who had come to the Central Plains, the Living Buddha was the one most eager to receive rewards from the Chen Emperor. Li Guanyi knew more about the history of this Buddhist lineage.

    Five hundred years ago, General Xue, on horseback, trampled the Buddhist holy mountain of the Western Regions.

    With his ferocious Tiger’s Howl Heaven-Piercing Halberd, he easily defeated the Living Buddha in a head-on clash.

    The prestige of the Western Regions’ Buddhist kingdom began to wane.

    Three hundred years ago, Tuyuhun (a powerful nomadic tribe) swept across the land, completely shattering this theocratic state of the Western Regions. The current Living Buddha is merely a figure in the martial arts world. The young Taoist, Zhuyue, worriedly led Li Guanyi inside, whispering, “Lately, more and more monks have been coming, and they’ve started fighting with us.”

    “The lay practitioner beat them up before, and they were quiet for a while.”

    “Unexpectedly, this time, it’s the Living Buddha from the Western Regions.”

    Li Guanyi said, “Why add ‘Western Regions’? Just saying ‘Living Buddha’ is sufficient.”

    The young Taoist sighed, “What are you saying?”

    “We also have Living Buddhas in our Central Plains, one of the six grand masters of the Imperial Academy! It’s just that our Living Buddhas are called that by others. The old man is annoyed by it, I heard that several of his disciples have been beaten up because many of his disciples are high-ranking monks in the temple, who revere him as their ancestor. He’s very angry.”

    “He says he’s a follower of Buddhism, but not a Buddhist monk. You’ve become temple abbots, don’t involve him. He’s a scholar, like Confucian scholars or Taoist priests who chant scriptures; he’s a person who chants Buddhist sutras, not a Living Buddha.”

    “He likes to write poetry, and he loves muddled affairs.”

    “I remember he likes to eat meat and drink alcohol.”

    “He even composed Buddhist verses.”

    “He said, one piece, two pieces, Buddha doesn’t blame.”

    “One drink, two drinks, Buddha doesn’t resent.”

    “One bowl, two bowls, Buddha doesn’t care.”

    “Yet he’s still called a Living Buddha. This one, however, is the Living Buddha of the Western Regions, a title and Law Physique passed down through generations…”

    He hesitated, leading Li Guanyi around to the back, pushing open a crack in a window. Many people were around, their breathing creating a noisy hubbub. A slender monk and Zu Wenyuan were sitting opposite each other.

    Li Guanyi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

    The young Taoist Zhuyue softly said, “This is the Living Buddha of the Western Regions.”

    “One of the top ten masters in the martial arts world, ranked third.”

    “The number one master, Sword Madman, is unparalleled in sword energy, while this one, it is said, has a heart like glass and a body like Vajra. He once single-handedly subdued a rout of bandits, shattered a collapsing landslide, and saved many people.”

    One of the top ten masters in the martial arts world?

    Li Guanyi’s eyes constricted. This title carried significant weight. He watched the monk and the old Taoist. The Living Buddha smiled; he was a Westerner, yet he spoke fluent Mandarin, saying, “Daoist friend Zu, the world is complex, full of suffering. The common people here are all caught in a vortex.”

    “My disciples once served as monks here. When King Puyang came, they were all killed, not retreating a single step. I’ve come here hoping to collect their remains and guide their souls to peace.”

    Zu Wenyuan smiled faintly, “Their remains have been buried, their souls…”

    “There’s no such thing in this world, Living Buddha.”

    The Living Buddha gently twirled his prayer beads, softly saying, “I know.”

    “The so-called guiding to peace is merely a comfort for the living, allowing them to feel that the deceased have been well taken care of, and to lessen their fear of death. Therefore, please be compassionate, Daoist friend, and allow us peace of mind.”

    His face was thick-skinned, yet his gaze was sincere.

    “The world is in turmoil, Zu Wenyuan.”

    “My cultivation surpasses yours. If I replace you here, wouldn’t that be better?”

    “The number one in the world’s calculations, the leader of the twenty-four masters of Daoism, shouldn’t die here, shouldn’t die this way, this calamity…I’m more suitable…”

    Li Guanyi’s heart stirred slightly, but Zu Wenyuan merely said, “The Living Buddha wishes to use his death to pave a path for the Western Regions’ Buddhism to enter the Central Plains. This shows compassion and a Buddhist heart, but it’s still for his own clan.”

    The Living Buddha from the Western Regions patted his bald head, laughing, “I practice Hinayana Buddhism, a small sect, a family affair.”

    “Hahaha, a small family affair.”

    Zu Wenyuan couldn’t help but laugh at this honest straightforwardness, but finally sighed, “You should leave.”

    “You have a good nature, yet the entry of Western Regions’ Buddhism into the Central Plains will inevitably lead to bloodshed.”

    “Good intentions don’t always lead to good results.”

    “You want to create chaos in the world, to find stable soil for the Western Regions’ Buddhism to grow amidst the great calamity, but your coming to the Central Plains will bring with it swords and fire. You have attained enlightenment, but your disciples and followers don’t have your Buddhist heart.”

    “White Bone View, Flesh View are profound methods, representing red powder skulls, stripping away external appearances, not distinguishing between people based on beauty, ugliness, poverty, or wealth, seeing all beings equally with great compassion. But it’s too dangerous.”

    “One wrong step is the demonic path, how many can be like you?”

    The Living Buddha fell silent for a moment, finally saying, “Then, old monk will break a precept for you, just let me stay.” He took out a small bottle containing rice wine and sweet fermented rice, looking at the Daoist with a flattering expression. Zu Wenyuan burst into laughter:

    “Even the children of the Central Plains can drink that! Are you here to jest with this old Daoist?!”

    The old monk ‘furiously’ said, with wrinkles on his face: “Impossible, absolutely impossible.”

    “Such wine, how can a child drink?!”

    Zu Wenyuan laughed and scolded, kicking the Living Buddha, saying:

    “You, don’t come here to play around.”

    “You claim to have a clear Buddhist heart, don’t act like this.”

    “Sixty years have passed, don’t be like you were when you came to the Central Plains to travel and were almost scammed out of your golden alms bowl and even had to count the money for them.”

    “If it weren’t for Miss Gongsun’s kindness back then, you would have been sold.”

    The aged Living Buddha paused, his hands clasped together, his eyes calm, softly saying:

    “What Miss Gongsun? This old monk doesn’t know.”

    “At my age, I’ve long forgotten…”

    “Zu Wenyuan, you scrawny Daoist who can’t even beat bandits, have you got it wrong?”

    Zu Wenyuan lowered his gaze without speaking.

    The Living Buddha scratched his head, a cheerful smile returning to his face, “There’s nothing I can do, I haven’t drunk any wine. Since you’re the foremost in the world’s calculations, then help this old monk untie this knot, this worldly entanglement.”

    He clapped his hands. The monks and Daoists outside the hall stopped. Something was suddenly drawn towards them, falling to the ground: a rope knot woven from grass, dozens of meters long, intricately woven into a chain, interlocking.

    The Living Buddha smiled calmly, saying:

    “Anyone who can untie this worldly knot, the old monk will leave immediately.”

    Everyone noticed the knot.

    Dense and intricate, making one’s scalp tingle.

    “Otherwise, this old monk will be sleeping on the floor.”

    Zu Wenyuan chuckled. The Living Buddha pointed at the complex knot. Everyone was silent. The knot resembled a coiled serpent, its strands intertwined. Untying one part would tighten another, making it even more difficult.

    The Living Buddha softly said, “This knot was created by defying the Imperial Extreme Experience Scripture, even you can’t untie it.”

    Zu Wenyuan turned to look outside, “The young friend has arrived, why don’t you come in?”

    Li Guanyi thought for a moment, patted the young Taoist Zhuyue’s shoulder, lightly jumped in, and bowed. Zu Wenyuan said, “What do you think? Can you untie it?”

    Li Guanyi said, “I can.”

    Zu Wenyuan looked at the Living Buddha, who looked at the young man. Li Guanyi said, “Master, forgive me.” He strode forward, holding his sword, the sword given by Yan Daiqing—an extremely expensive and sharp weapon. With one strike, the light chilled the surroundings, severing the intricately woven knot.

    The Living Buddha’s body stiffened slightly as he watched the young man raise his sword.

    Thus, the worldly knot—a representation of the three thousand sufferings and the turmoil of the world—was broken under his sword.

    The Living Buddha was silent for a long time, then said, “Yes, weaving this knot took me too long; I’d overlooked other solutions. It seems I can’t stop you, Zu Wenyuan.”

    Zu Wenyuan didn’t answer. The Living Buddha looked at the young man, his eyes brightening. He had been sitting cross-legged, but suddenly appeared beside Li Guanyi, grabbing the young man’s wrist. “Tsk tsk tsk, such a physique, such a temperament, a pure yang body.”

    “Young brother, I see a glassy radiance in your physique, a hint of wisdom in your eyes. You seem to have a karmic connection with Buddhism! Would you like to join Buddhism? I can give you the highest position, excluding that of the Living Buddha!”

    “As for the Living Buddha position, forget it.”

    “That position is rather ominous. This old monk was tricked into taking it, now I can’t get rid of it.”

    The Living Buddha was very honest.

    Li Guanyi thought for a moment, raising his sword, with a noble air, like those noble youths. “This official is a member of the Jinwu Guards.”

    The Living Buddha was surprised, letting go of his hand. “A member of the imperial army.”

    “However, do you know a Jinwu Guard called Li Guanyi?”

    Li Guanyi grinned, smiling sincerely, “Does the Master have something to say to him? I can relay it.” The young Taoist Zhuyue, who had climbed in through the window, froze, watching the young man speak, his smile warm and serene.

    Lying was as natural as breathing.

    The old monk said, “Tell him, his sharpness is not a good thing in this world, but a young man without sharpness is not a young man. However, if he truly encounters danger, becoming a monk or Taoist priest can avert some evil.”

    The old monk with copper-colored skin spoke sincerely.

    Li Guanyi thanked him.

    Then the old monk revealed his true nature, his smile cheerful:

    “If he’s willing, he can come to our Western Regions Buddhism, I will personally ordain him!”

    Zu Wenyuan scolded him good-naturedly and sent the old monk away. The monks and Daoists dispersed. Zu Wenyuan dismissed everyone. “This old bald head, sigh, come, Guanyi, today, we’ll cultivate the Imperial Extreme Experience Scripture.”

    Li Guanyi curiously asked, “Who was that…?”

    Zu Wenyuan replied, “A monk from the Western Regions, a Living Buddha. He’s also a person, from my generation. Sixty years ago, we were your age. Back then, he came to the Central Plains’ Chan Buddhism ancestral temple to pay respects; because he was too honest, he was almost sold.”

    “They used serrated knives to saw his arms and needles to pierce his eyes, yet they couldn’t leave a single wound. The monk laughed, not angry. They were out of breath and had the monk settle their accounts. One day, the monk saw them raping a woman; he was enraged.”

    “He lifted those men and smashed them against rocks, killing them. But he didn’t have enough strength or martial arts skills. He was tied up, and almost died when he encountered people from the Gongsun family.”

    “Back then, there was the old soldier who created the ‘Breaking Formation Song’ for you to practice, Miss Gongsun, and Chen Chengbi from the Protectorate Mountain Villa. We also roamed the martial arts world together…”

    The clear-voiced elder smiled slightly.

    “A swordsman who couldn’t use a sword, a simple-minded monk, a Daoist who didn’t understand martial arts, a prince who only understood martial arts and a silent military strategist. They are all things of the past, yet it was the most enjoyable three years of my life.”

    As the old man spoke, he lit candles. Li Guanyi suddenly noticed the candles were arranged in an unusual way, different from before. He thought of the Living Buddha’s words and calmly said, “Old Master Zu, how is your health?”

    The elder extended his hand for Li Guanyi to feel his pulse.

    Li Guanyi had long experience in medicine. He could feel that the elder’s pulse was strong, his spirit vigorous, even stronger than Master Wang Tong, whose excessive mental strain had weakened his Qi and blood, making him unhealthy. Zu Wenyuan’s spirit, however, was as bright as flames.

    Li Guanyi found something unsettling about both of them.

    The old man didn’t say much, but taught Li Guanyi to cultivate the Imperial Extreme Experience Scripture, occasionally mentioning the Living Buddha. “His cultivation method focuses on physique, but it’s different from your ‘Golden Muscles Jade Bones, Dragon Sinews Tiger Marrow.’ His is ‘Inner Clarity Outer Radiance, Vajra Glass.’”

    “To put it differently, your path is military, his is Buddhist. One focuses on strength and resilience, emphasizing killing; the other focuses on a strong, iron-like body, emphasizing defense.”

    “The difference between a dragon and tiger, and a Vajra.”

    Li Guanyi pondered, “One is strong, the other is powerful?”

    The old man laughed heartily, “Hahaha, not bad, you can say that.”

    Li Guanyi couldn’t help but say, “If it were possible to master both physiques, it would be ideal.”

    Zu Wenyuan said, “Indeed, it’s like a dragon and tiger body wearing Vajra glass armor, powerful and with unmatched defense. But cultivating the physique is difficult. You have the opportunity to cultivate dragon sinews and tiger marrow, but Buddhist cultivation still requires mastery of Buddhist principles.”

    “The old saying goes, those who possess sharp weapons have murderous intent; orthodox Buddhist martial arts also have killing techniques. Without sufficient Buddhist principles, one can’t curb the martial arts’ killing impulse and will fall into the path of evil like the Blood Buddha Sect or White Bone Chan.”

    Li Guanyi pondered this.

    He introspected.

    In just a short moment, the Bronze Tripod was already half full!

    Zu Wenyuan said unhurriedly, “He has two cultivation methods: one is the Vajra physique, the other is called the ‘Buddha’s Scripture of the Forceful Moving of Mountains.’ It is a Hinayana Buddhist practice, but he’s cultivated it to its limit. If you want to learn it, he probably won’t refuse to teach you.”

    Li Guanyi said, “Moving Mountains Scripture? Does it mean the power is so great it can move mountains?”

    The old man looked at him gently.

    Li Guanyi’s smile faded slightly.

    The old man merely said, “He has moved them.”

    Li Guanyi’s pupils contracted.

    General Xue shot an arrow over three hundred li, piercing the Dangxiang people’s sacred mountain and killing the Turkic king; in this era, there were also those as strong as legendary gods. This was only one of the top ten masters; above him was the Sword Madman who controlled a city, and the six grand masters of the Imperial Academy.

    And—

    The Four Legends.

    Li Guanyi thought of the creator of the Imperial Extreme Experience Scripture, the man in a green robe who drove the Hou Zhongyu lineage mad. He calmed down, his heart more determined in martial arts cultivation. To achieve his goals, he needed not only ambition and courage but also powerful personal martial strength.

    Aim high, but tread carefully.

    Yes, despise the enemy strategically, and maximize all capabilities tactically.

    After cultivating the Imperial Extreme Experience Scripture, Li Guanyi went to work for the Jinwu Guards. Palace Zhenyong was overjoyed to see that he hadn’t gone to play with the Second Young Master of the Ying Country State Duke’s Mansion, but had come to work. He patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder, praising him.

    Then he kicked him to the archives to sit on a cold bench.

    “You always cause trouble whenever you go out.”

    General Palace, known for his eloquent arguments, put his hands on Li Guanyi’s shoulders, saying word by word, “The Grand Sacrifice isn’t far off, lad. I’m begging you, be good. If you cause more trouble, I, your general, will have to take off my uniform.”

    “Just read books here, alright?”

    Li Guanyi obediently agreed, and only then did Palace Zhenyong breathe a sigh of relief.

    Li Guanyi was alone in the archives. He turned around, looking at the archives, his eyes flickering.

    Li Guanyi felt a rat falling into a rice bin kind of joy.

    The archives of the imperial army!

    What’s this? A geomantic map, take it down!

    What’s this? A map of local products, take it down!

    Maps of troop deployments at various stations, take it down!

    There were also historical books and military books mixed in.

    The young man’s eyes shone. With his eidetic memory, he memorized everything. He finally found the records of famous generals throughout history. Part of it was sealed, but he found what he wanted—

    The records of the twenty-four generals who followed Tai Ping Gong. This was the imperial army, a place only imperial relatives and high-ranking officials could access; the archives were inaccessible to ordinary people. No one would expect a problem here.

    Li Guanyi sighed in relief, his eyes slightly narrowed as he placed these items on the table.

    Twenty-four generals…He held the scroll, not yet beginning to read.

    Knock knock knock—

    Someone was knocking on the window.

    (End of Chapter)

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