"Ji Brother, what exactly is this exchange conference?" Qin Yu asked Ji Quan, curious about the nature of the conference that could attract He Ping.
"Don't call me 'Brother' anymore. We're both members of the metaphysical society now, so let's address each other as brothers. You can just call me Ji Brother, considering I'm older, and I'll call you Qin Junior Brother. As for the exchange conference, it's a tradition of our metaphysical society. Each year, a branch is selected to host the conference. This year, it happens to be held in Guangzhou, organized by our branch. Essentially, the conference provides an opportunity for members of our metaphysical society to engage in professional exchanges. Feng shui is a profound and complex field, and often we encounter challenges and doubts. Through the conference, we can discuss and analyze with our peers, which is far more effective than trying to figure it out alone."
"Ji Brother is right," Qin Yu agreed wholeheartedly. Feng shui and divination are vast and intricate disciplines, encompassing numerous fields of study. It's difficult to make progress solely through self-study.
"However, in order to attract more fellow practitioners to participate in the conference, the organizing branch prepares a special artifact. The member who shines the brightest and achieves outstanding results during the conference will be awarded that artifact. This time, our society president spared no expense to make the conference more impactful. They brought out the treasured artifacts collected over the years."
Ji Quan's words piqued Qin Yu's interest. Could it be that He Ping was drawn to the conference because of those artifacts? He continued to inquire, "Ji Brother, can members from other branches also participate in the conference?"
"That's correct. As long as they are members of our metaphysical society, regardless of their origin, they can participate. In fact, over the many years of our society's existence, an unwritten rule has emerged: the branch that produced the member receiving the artifact reward in a given conference will have the opportunity to host the next conference. So, this conference will have many fellow practitioners from other places attending."
Ji Quan omitted one detail when talking to Qin Yu—that each conference also includes a debate segment. Only the winner of the debate can obtain the artifact. It is also the best opportunity to gain fame and recognition within the profession. Many geomancers carefully prepare for this debate in the hope of impressing everyone present.
Of course, if the artifact falls into the hands of another branch, it would be a resounding slap to the face of the branch hosting the conference. Since there will be a debate, it's inevitable that there will be winners and losers. If the entire branch's efforts are in vain and they watch someone else walk away with the artifact, it would be a great humiliation. It's like planning the engagement ceremony, preparing the bridal sedan, and just as you are about to go and pick up the bride, you find out that someone else has beaten you to it, using the gifts and the bridal sedan you prepared.
Ji Quan didn't tell Qin Yu about the hidden agenda here because Qin Yu had just joined, and there were some tacit things that he had to figure out on his own. Regardless, the core of the communication meeting is still good; it's just that the competition among the branches has become fierce in recent years.
With the form filled out, Qin Yu's membership was settled. There were a few people waiting downstairs, and Qin Yu didn't want to delay for too long. After bidding farewell to Ji Quan, he took the elevator down to the ground floor.
"Is it done?"
Mo Yongxing was bored chatting with the receptionist. When he saw the elevator doors open, he walked up and patted Qin Yu's shoulder, asking.
"Yes, the paperwork is done, but there's still a process to go through. It needs to be approved by the headquarters of the Metaphysical Society, which will take three to five days."
"Who asked you about that? I meant the information about the communication meeting. Did you find out anything?" Mo Yongxing rolled his eyes. He didn't care about Qin Yu's membership; he cared about the communication meeting. That's how he could find out the purpose of He Ping's visit to GZ and report back to his older sister.
"I'm not sure about the specifics, but there's a magical tool at the communication meeting. If one can outshine everyone else during the meeting, they can obtain that magical tool. I suspect that He Ping might be coming for that tool." Qin Yu whispered his thoughts.
"You can investigate the purpose of that magical tool. Since it's a communication meeting, the information about it shouldn't be too confidential. Maybe you can deduce He Ping's intentions by investigating the function of the tool."
"Okay, I'll have someone look into it later." Mo Yongxing replied seriously, but he couldn't maintain that serious demeanor for long. He quickly switched back to his carefree self, patting Qin Yu's shoulder and saying:
"Qin Yu, your cousin and that girl are getting close. Looks like there's something going on. I didn't expect you to be interested in playing matchmaker and mediating relationships."
"Get lost!" Qin Yu angrily swatted away Mo Yongxing's hand on his shoulder and looked towards his cousin as he had described. Indeed, his cousin and Tong Min were engaged in a conversation, and Tong Min occasionally giggled. They hadn't even noticed Qin Yu coming down.
"My cousin has finally made a breakthrough! Aunt's wish to hold her grandchild may come true sooner." Qin Yu's face lit up with joy. Before coming here, he had gone through three rounds of discussions with his grandmother, aunt, and his own mother. He had promised them all that he would help resolve his cousin's single status. Now that he saw his cousin making progress, he felt relieved. The mission was likely accomplished without any surprises.
"What were you talking about?"
"Oh, Qin Yu, you're here. We were just discussing Guangxiaosi Temple nearby. Tong Min mentioned that she hasn't visited the temple since she came to Guangzhou a year or two ago."
"Guangxiaosi Temple isn't far away. Let's go and visit it. By the way, I've heard of Guangxiaosi Temple's reputation."
His cousin directly referred to Tong Min as "Xiao Min." It seemed that their relationship was progressing quickly. Once a single man finds a woman he's interested in, he doesn't waste any time.
Guangxiaosi Temple, located in the Yuexiu District, is the oldest temple in Guangzhou and the headquarters of the Buddhist Association of Guangdong Province. It is also the birthplace of the Southern Chan School established by the Sixth Patriarch Huineng.
People who are unfamiliar with Buddhism might not have heard of Guangxiaosi Temple, but if they are familiar with the famous debate known as the "Flag and Wind" dialogue by the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, they would have some impression.
Legend has it that a monk from Guangxiaosi Temple was giving a lecture on the Nirvana Sutra. At that time, the wind was blowing and the flag was moving. Two monks started arguing—one claimed that it was the flag moving, while the other said it was the wind. After hearing this, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng said, "It is neither the wind nor the flag moving; it is the mind of a compassionate person that moves."
The two monks were astonished and reported this incident to the monk who was lecturing, knowing that the person who uttered those words had a profound understanding of Buddhism. The monk quickly welcomed Huineng and invited him to deliver a sermon.
Huineng ascended the platform and spoke. The attending monks were amazed, and the lecturer, the monk in charge, immediately tonsured Huineng, making him his disciple. From then on, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng began delivering sermons and spreading Buddhism at that location, establishing the lineage of the Southern Chan School.
The group bought tickets and entered Guangxiaosi Temple. The first place they naturally wanted to visit was the famous Jingfa Tower, also known as the Sixth Patriarch's Hair Pagoda. The pagoda was built by Zen masters to commemorate the event when the Sixth Patriarch Huineng was ordained. Constructed with grey sand, the octagonal tower featured Buddha niches on each floor. Qin Yu took a preliminary look; the tower was about seven to eight meters tall. Due to the passage of time, the tower's paint had faded, and some of the Buddha statues were blurry. However, it was precisely this state that gave a sense of age and the passage of time.
After spending some time admiring the Hair Pagoda, the group proceeded to the Mahavira Hall for worship. Inside the hall, statues of the Three Saints, Yanhua, Anan, and Kasyapa, were enshrined. Qin Yu wasn't very familiar with the figures in Buddhism, so he could only recognize a few. On the other hand, Mo Yongxing seemed to know more than Qin Yu and introduced each figure to the group.
"In fact, I've been traveling around with my sister in recent years, visiting many famous Buddhist temples. Seeing them frequently, I've come to recognize them," explained Mo Yongxing, noticing Qin Yu's confusion.
As Mo Yongxing mentioned his sister, images of the scene inside the Copper Basin Mountain cave flashed through Qin Yu's mind. Thinking of Mo Yongxin's seductive demeanor, a heat rose in his lower abdomen, and he felt a subtle rise.
"Ami... Amida Buddha!" Qin Yu silently recited the Buddhist mantra, quickly pulling his thoughts back. He looked up at the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in front of him, realizing that such thoughts in front of the Buddha would surely be criticized if known by Buddhist believers.