Chapter Fifteen: Senior Brother Xiao

Chapter Fifteen: Senior Brother Xiao

Chapter Three: A Lonely Figure on Jade Mountain Feels the Vastness, the Cold Moon Alone Shows Mercy, Stirring Sorrow (VII)

Master Zhiku furrowed his brow slightly and said, “I’ve heard some things recently, and it seems they are true. I wonder what Senior Brother Zhikong plans to do. Has he reported this to Grand Fu Lingjiu Temple?” The young man in white bowed again and replied, “As soon as my master received word, he reported it to Grand Fu Lingjiu Temple. The elders had no objections to his decision.”

Master Zhiku nodded, “That is good. If disciples of our Mount Wutai Sect go to Han Du to temper themselves, there will surely be casualties. Matters that concern the rise and fall of our sect’s future cannot be handled lightly. Go back and tell your master we must deliberate carefully.” “Yes, Uncle Master, I will surely relay your words,” the young man said.

After speaking, the young man turned to Baishi Song and the others standing beside Master Zhikong, smiling, “Brother Bai, Brothers Qingkai and Qingzhi, since our last meeting at Qingliang Temple, I have missed you all dearly. How have you been lately?” Baishi Song stepped forward with a slight smile. “Senior Brother Xiao, our last visit to Qingliang Temple was so rushed, I didn’t get a chance to catch up with you properly. That was disrespectful of me. Please forgive me.”

Ye Hua’s heart stirred, “That’s right, this young man in white was at Qingliang Temple. He stood behind Master Zhikong then, and seemed to be the Senior Brother of the Central Platform. So his surname is Xiao!”

Then the young man surnamed Xiao laughed, “Brother Bai, you’re too kind. I should have visited you myself. Now that I’ve come, I hope to spend a few days with you all and renew our friendship. Uncle Master, may I?” He bowed to Master Zhiku as he spoke.

“Since you wish to stay a few days, there’s no reason not to. Song, you and the others should learn from Senior Brother Xiao these days, and strive to improve,” Master Zhiku smiled. “Yes, Master.” “Thank you, Uncle Master,” Baishi Song and the young man surnamed Xiao replied in unison.

“Alright, you may all leave. I wish to contemplate here for a while. Ye Hua, stay behind; I have something to say to you.” Master Zhiku looked at Ye Hua, who was standing by the doorway. The others, hearing this, bowed and left.

Ling Yun’er quietly whispered in Ye Hua’s ear, laughing, “Little brother, Master must be giving you some treasure. You must let your sister see it first when you leave, haha.” With that, she slipped out behind the others.

In the blink of an eye, only Master Zhiku and Ye Hua remained in the hall. “Master, what do you wish to say to your disciple?” Though Ye Hua was uneasy, he answered respectfully. “Come here. How far have you progressed in the Four Noble Truths technique?” Master Zhikong asked.

“Master, I… I’m still at the initial stage, unable to break through to the first level!” Ye Hua replied, sweat glistening on his brow.

Master Zhikong looked surprised, “Initial stage? A year and a half, and you haven’t broken through the first level?” He reached out, pressing his palm toward Ye Hua from a distance. Ye Hua felt waves of warmth radiate from his master’s hand, as if his whole body were being baked under the sun. Before he could speak, the warmth quickly withdrew back into Master Zhiku’s palm, leaving only faint traces that soon vanished inside him.

“Hmm!” Master Zhiku was startled. He pondered for a moment but found nothing amiss. He said to Ye Hua, “Ah, your Buddhist spiritual energy is indeed extremely shallow, not even at the first level. You must have practiced the technique incorrectly. I blame myself for not guiding you closely.”

Master Zhiku sighed again. He had just used his own spiritual energy to probe Ye Hua’s, and found it to be extremely thin. As he withdrew his energy, he faintly sensed a pull from within Ye Hua, though it was very weak, barely noticeable. When he retrieved his energy, he felt as though a tiny thread was missing, which made him pause in confusion. After careful thought, he found nothing wrong and so did not pursue it further. Neither he nor Ye Hua realized that his spiritual energy had been subtly drawn away by Ye Hua’s Sixfold Celestial Wish technique. Fortunately, Master Zhiku’s energy far exceeded Ye Hua’s, and the moment was brief, so both remained unaware.

“Master, I…” Ye Hua felt deeply ashamed and could not speak. “From now on, don’t practice alone in the cultivation cave. Let me guide you constantly. If your spiritual energy had reached the second level, I intended to grant you a magic treasure, but now it must wait. You may leave,” Master Zhiku said.

“Yes, Master.” Ye Hua’s face was crimson with shame as he slowly retreated from the Grand Hall.

Outside, the sunlight was bright, yet Ye Hua felt no vigor. “Little brother, haha, why are you out so soon? Did Master give you a treasure?” Ling Yun’er ran up to him and asked.

“Sister, Master didn’t give me any treasure,” Ye Hua said, embarrassed.

“How can that be? When we all first emerged from seclusion, Master gave each of us a treasure without exception. Little brother, don’t fool me, haha. Tell me what it is!” Ling Yun’er still smiled, not believing him.

“Sister, truly, it’s all my fault. I practiced the Four Noble Truths technique so poorly, I haven’t broken through the first level. Master didn’t give me a treasure because of this.” Ye Hua only wished he could disappear into the ground.

“What? Not even the first level, after a year and a half? Little brother, you… haha, little brother…” Ling Yun’er was astonished, then burst out laughing. Seeing Ye Hua’s utter shame, she gradually stifled her laughter.

“Little brother, cultivation cannot be forced. Surely you were too eager and rushed, causing your progress to stall. Don’t worry; the Chanlin Assembly is still more than a year away, more than enough time to improve,” Ling Yun’er said gently, smiling. “Alright, Senior Brother Xiao is still waiting for me. I’ll go over now. Don’t be troubled, little brother.” With that, she turned and left.

Ye Hua, hearing Ling Yun’er’s words, felt as if stabbed in the heart. Though she meant to comfort him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that she now looked down on him a little. He knew she was truly kind to him, and would never harbor contempt, but still he felt a deep melancholy.

He watched his senior brothers and Senior Brother Xiao chatting lively in the distance, but had no desire to speak. Quietly, he slipped away from the group and walked toward the temple’s outer grounds. Beyond the gate, a few hundred meters ahead, was a small grove where he often sat during his time in the cultivation cave. He found a stone and sat down.

In the distant sky, azure clouds rolled high and vast, the white clouds floating like islands at sea. “No, they’re like floating islands in the sky,” Ye Hua murmured.

A sharp cry echoed overhead. Ye Hua searched the sky and spotted a small black dot to his left. “What sort of strange bird is that?” he wondered, gazing at the dot. It was at least ten thousand feet high, yet its call was clear.

As he pondered, the bird gradually descended, growing larger, and soon he could see its wings stretched wide—seven or eight yards across. It swept through the sky, not stopping, as if searching for prey, then flew off into the distance.

Ye Hua thought, “This great bird is extraordinary. I wonder what it’s called. Watching it soar freely through the azure sky, above the clouds, it must have ambitions that reach a thousand miles, unlike mere sparrows. Why am I so narrow-minded? If I haven’t mastered the Four Noble Truths technique, I should simply keep practicing. There’s no need to wallow in self-pity here. How can I hope to contain mountains within my heart if I let myself languish?” With that thought, Ye Hua’s spirit surged anew.