"Two months from now, Guangxiao Temple will welcome a descendant from Nanyang. This person has a deep connection with our temple and is someone with great affinity for Buddhism."
Zhi Ren repeated Master Mingjue's words, his gaze fixed on Qin Yu, as if trying to discern his inner thoughts. However, Qin Yu had long regained his composure and showed no hint of emotion on his face.
"Since Master Mingjue said so, have the two of you encountered this so-called descendant from Nanyang?"
"No, Master Mingjue only mentioned that the person would be a descendant from Nanyang. There are no clues regarding their surname, given name, or age. Guangxiao Temple receives thousands of visitors every day, so it's extremely difficult to find the descendant from Nanyang in the vast sea of people."
Zhi Ren furrowed his brow, clearly troubled by the vague information provided by Master Mingjue. With no other options, Zhi Ren had sought the help of his close friend, Master Jiankong from Nanhua Temple. Their discussions under the Bodhi tree were aimed at attracting the descendant from Nanyang since Master Mingjue had stated that this person possessed a great affinity for Buddhism, suggesting they would understand the hidden meaning behind their conversations about Zen.
"So, you believe I am that descendant from Nanyang?" Qin Yu asked.
"After all these days of discussing Zen, you are the first person, Qin Yu, to understand the hidden meaning behind our conversations. I dare ask: are you the descendant from Nanyang?" Zhi Ren's expression turned serious. Master Mingjue had repeatedly instructed them to find the descendant from Nanyang as it was crucial for the future of Guangxiao Temple.
"I am not a descendant from Nanyang. I come from a city in Jiangxi Province," Qin Yu shook his head. His ancestors were not from Nanyang either. The genealogy recorded the migration of their branch from a different location, far away from Nanyang.
"That's strange then. According to Master Mingjue's words, the descendant from Nanyang should arrive at Guangxiao Temple in these coming days," Zhi Ren furrowed his brow tightly, seemingly surprised by the unexpected turn of events.
"Qin Yu, think carefully whether you have any connection to Nanyang. It doesn't necessarily mean that your ancestors are from there," Master Jiankong interjected.
"What connection could I have with Nanyang? I don't have any relatives there. What connection could there be? Wait a minute..." Qin Yu was about to shake his head and dismiss Master Jiankong's words when he suddenly paused, and his pupils contracted.
Descendant from Nanyang, descendant from Nanyang... Isn't Zhuge's lineage from Nanyang? Qin Yu had inherited the legacy of Zhuge, becoming his disciple. In the saying that a benefactor is like a father, couldn't he be considered a descendant from Nanyang? Qin Yu quickly sorted through these thoughts in his mind. If that was the case, then the descendant from Nanyang mentioned by Master Mingjue was very likely referring to him.
"What did you recall, Master Qin?"
"I dare not conceal it from the two masters. My master is indeed from Nanyang, and if we consider the saying that a benefactor is like a father, then I can also be regarded as a descendant from Nanyang."
"Hahaha, that's it! Master Qin is undoubtedly the descendant from Nanyang."
Master Zhi Ren burst into laughter, standing up from his meditation cushion and said, "Being able to understand the Zen principles and having a master from Nanyang, there's no doubt that you are the descendant from Nanyang, Master Qin. Please follow me."
"Where does the master want me to go?" Qin Yu asked, rising to his feet with curiosity.
"We're going to retrieve something that is closely related to you." Zhi Ren teased, not directly revealing the details to Qin Yu. He led Qin Yu towards a side corridor, passing through several grand halls, until they reached a small courtyard.
"The Zen room is surrounded by flowers and trees, with winding paths leading to secluded spots." Qin Yu softly recited the famous poem upon entering the courtyard. It was surprising to find such a tranquil and secluded courtyard within the bustling Guangxiao Temple.
"Please enter on your own, Master Qin. I will wait for you outside," Zhi Ren pushed open the courtyard gate for Qin Yu and stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter.
"Am I supposed to go in alone?" Qin Yu pointed to himself, and Zhi Ren nodded in response. Although Qin Yu was unsure of Zhi Ren's intentions, he adjusted his clothes and stepped into the courtyard.
"Squeak! Squeak!" As soon as Qin Yu set foot inside, the courtyard gate closed behind him. He could only hear Zhi Ren's voice from outside saying, "Master Qin, I will be your guardian outside. You can confidently retrieve the item inside."
"What's going on? Why all this secrecy and the need for a guardian?" Qin Yu muttered to himself. He then turned around to survey the courtyard. In front of him was a path paved with green stones, adorned with flowers and plants on both sides. The well-maintained appearance indicated that someone regularly tended to them.
As his gaze swept across the flowers and plants, Qin Yu looked ahead and saw a gate leading to a hall. The main doors were already closed, and his eyes followed the wooden plaque above the gate. What he saw there left him astounded.
"Nangong Purple Mansion, Void Abyss, Silent Profound Ancestor, Supreme Hall." Qin Yu softly recited the characters inscribed on the wooden plaque. The wording might be challenging for an ordinary person to understand which Buddha or Bodhisattva was enshrined in this hall. However, Qin Yu knew very well, and he was well aware of who was worshipped inside this hall.
Nangong Purple Mansion, Void Abyss, Silent Profound Ancestor, Supreme Hall was the sacred title of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady. The Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady was widely recognized as the progenitor of metaphysics, and Qin Yu was well acquainted with her title.
"A grand Buddhist temple hiding a hall dedicated to a Daoist immortal... This..." Qin Yu's expression became even more perplexed. However, it was clear that Master Zhi Ren outside the door wouldn't provide him with the answers. Therefore, he concluded that all the answers must lie within the hall.
Without hesitation, Qin Yu strode across the green stone path and pushed open the doors of the hall, stepping inside.
"As expected, it's an image of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady."
At first glance, Qin Yu saw a golden statue placed on a high platform. He recognized it as the Daoist representation of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady. In front of the statue, there was a long wooden box adorned with carved auspicious clouds, catching the eye.
As Qin Yu's gaze fell upon the elongated wooden box, his mental power became active once again, surpassing the level of activation he experienced when he saw the Tianzheng Stone. In addition to the heightened mental power, the Zhu Ge Nei Jing, which had remained silent in his mind, also radiated a brilliant light. Qin Yu could feel an emotional response coming from the Zhu Ge Nei Jing—a joy of reunion with an old friend.
"Is the item that Master Zhi Ren wants me to retrieve inside this long box?"
Qin Yu's eyes flickered with an inexplicable radiance. The heightened mental power, the unusual reaction from the Zhu Ge Nei Jing—everything indicated that the contents of this elongated wooden box were related to him. Moreover, as he moved closer, the Zhu Ge Nei Jing's reactions intensified. When Qin Yu finally held the box in his hands, an indescribable sense of sadness permeated his mind through the box.
This emotion was like that of a child sensing the presence of a loved one, filled with joy, only to discover suddenly that the familiar aura actually emanated from a stranger. The profound joy and sorrow were distinctly felt by Qin Yu.
Qin Yu had already vaguely guessed what was inside the box. Now, he slowly untied the rope on the wooden box and opened the lid. What he saw inside was a long sword. The sword's body emitted a deep blue hue, exuding a chilling aura. Its design possessed a touch of antiquity and elegance. The sword seamlessly integrated the blade and the hilt, while seven gemstones embedded in the spine near the hilt formed the pattern of the Big Dipper. Just one glance at this pattern, and Qin Yu felt as if his mind and soul were being drawn into it.
"It is indeed the Seven Star Sword," Qin Yu murmured to himself. Even before opening the elongated wooden box, he had already had some speculation. The item that caused the Zhu Ge Nei Jing to react must be related to Mr. Zhu Ge, and considering the shape of the box, the most likely item inside was Zhu Ge's artifact—the Seven Star Sword.
Qin Yu carefully took out the Seven Star Sword from the wooden box. As soon as his hand gripped the hilt, the sword trembled lightly, emitting a clear and pleasant sword hum. A message was transmitted to Qin Yu's mind from the Seven Star Sword—a scene.
It was night, with the stars shining brightly and a silent and windless military camp. A large Shu character flag fluttered without the slightest movement. Outside the camp's main tent, forty-nine soldiers dressed in white, each holding a white flag, formed the Seven Star Formation.
Inside the tent, a man in white attire burned incense to pay homage to the stars. By his side, a main lamp shone brightly, surrounded by seven large lamps. Beyond those seven large lamps were a total of forty-nine small lamps.
"Born in troubled times... Unexpectedly, the stars are about to fall, and my life is coming to an end. I humbly inscribe this letter to the heavens: I hope for heavenly mercy, to descend and listen, to accommodate my calculations..." The voice of the man in white slowly emanated from his mouth. After completing the ritual, the man in white brandished his sword. Faintly visible on the sword's blade were the Big Dipper pattern formed by seven gemstones. He wielded the sword in mid-air, stepping forward with each move. The positions of the stars shifted, and the wind and clouds followed suit. The main lamp became increasingly radiant.
A look of joy appeared on the man's face, but just as he was about to sheathe his sword, a commotion suddenly came from outside the tent. A figure rushed in, shouting, "The Wei army is here!"
The figure arrived swiftly, bringing a gust of wind that unexpectedly extinguished the main lamp beside the man in white. Seeing the main lamp extinguished, the man in white dropped his sword, his face filled with sorrow. He sighed, "Life and death are predetermined. Liang had hoped to borrow life from the heavens, but it is truly absurd!" With those words, he spewed a mouthful of blood, and his entire being aged in an instant, no longer possessing the former gracefulness.
"However, I have not fulfilled His Majesty's trust. I feel unwilling in my heart!"