In the Five Buddha Hall, Li Huowang once again encountered Abbot Xinhui. This time, he was not alone. Behind him, four elderly monks were seated in a row.
"Since you've come, then, Xuan Yang, let us get straight to the point. We need to conduct a great ceremony to liberate his soul," the abbot began.
"Alright, Abbot, let's begin," Li Huowang replied immediately.
"Wait a moment, Xuan Yang. The karmic ties of Dan Yangzi lie with you. Before we begin this ceremony, you must first calm your mind," the abbot added.
"Calm my mind?" Li Huowang asked, confused.
"Amitabha, practitioner, your heart is not at peace; your heart is ill," the abbot said, continuing.
Before the abbot could finish, Li Huowang interrupted sharply, "I'm not sick!"
The forcefulness of his response startled even himself.
Looking at the five elderly monks who regarded him with knowing eyes, Li Huowang took a deep breath and clenched his trembling fists. "May I ask, Abbot, what must I do to calm my mind?"
A yellow-bound scripture was placed before Li Huowang. "Take this Five Aggregates Are Empty Sutra and recite it three times a day, morning, noon, and night."
Li Huowang took the book and opened it. The pages were filled with unfamiliar Buddhist texts, and he could not make sense of the meaning.
"Is simply reciting it enough? There's no special practice? No special food to eat?" Li Huowang was surprised that the instructions were so simple compared to what he had imagined.
Seeing the Abbot shake his head, Li Huowang was about to leave, the scripture in hand. However, just before he reached the door, he turned back and asked the monks seated in the hall.
"Abbot Xinhui, does Zhengde Temple have any specific practices?"
"Naturally, we do. If you wish, you may shave your head and enter our temple as a monk. Our sutra library is open to you."
Upon hearing this, Li Huowang immediately turned around and left. He could never become a monk.
"Xuan Yang, please stay here for the time being. It's troublesome for both you and us if you keep running back and forth," the abbot called after him.
This time, Li Huowang did not refuse. Since he had already put his trust in the monks, being overly cautious would only make him seem petty.
A room in the temple was arranged for him. Li Huowang quietly stayed there, looking at the scripture they had given him.
In the first few days, Li Huowang was still nervous. However, he noticed that no one in the entire temple seemed to pay him any attention. Even when he wandered into the busy main hall to observe the monks performing divinations, no one cared. Gradually, he began to relax.
Late one night, accompanied by the dim light of an oil lamp, Li Huowang held the scripture in both hands and recited aloud.
"My life has ended. My vows have been established... What I have done is done, and I will not take future rebirths. When this teaching was given, the five bhikkhus..."
At first, Li Huowang felt nothing while reading the Five Aggregates Are Empty Sutra. But as the days passed, he noticed that his sleep quality had improved. Only then did he realize that there was some effectiveness to the ritual.
After completing the reading, he slowly closed the book, blew out the lamp, and prepared for bed, his mind starting to calculate his next steps.
"Once Dan Yangzi is dealt with, I'll go after Hei Taishui. If I can stabilize my condition, I'll be able to live peacefully in this world."
"But Hei Taishui seems quite fierce. If I capture it, how will I restrain it and still manage to cut off flesh every month?"
"Right, and I need strength—enough strength to protect myself. But that will also be difficult to achieve."
Just as Li Huowang thought this, he suddenly saw a shadow pass by the door outside. His body tensed immediately.
"Is someone watching me in the temple?" Li Huowang slowed his pace and quietly approached the door, sliding the bolt open.
With a swift motion, he opened the door just enough to peer outside. The moonlight illuminated the small courtyard, but it was empty. Cautiously, he stuck his head out and noticed a corner of a yellow monk's robe quickly disappearing into a dark corridor.
"What's going on in this temple?" After thinking for a moment, Li Huowang relaxed his pace and followed.
He quickly caught up and, aided by the moonlight, saw a monk ahead of him. From behind, it was hard to see his face, but the absence of a vow scar indicated that this monk likely held a low rank in Zhengde Temple.
The two moved silently through the temple, one ahead, the other following at a distance.
After a while, the monk swiftly ducked into a partially open door.
Li Huowang was about to follow but hesitated, instead turning to the other side of the temple. He dipped his finger in saliva and poked a hole in the paper window.
Unlike the Five Buddha Hall where the Abbot stayed, this hall was small, even cramped. The statue of a Bodhisattva in the center, with one hand in a gesture of mudra and the other holding a bottle, was much smaller than a person. Even the candles on the offering table were so few, with only two lit, making the entire hall dimly lit.
A woman was kneeling before the Buddha, but it was not the monk he had followed. This woman was kneeling and praying in the dim light.
"A woman? Praying in the temple at this hour?" Li Huowang wondered to himself.
Before he could figure it out, the woman began speaking softly.
"Great compassionate Bodhisattva, please bless me with a son. If I can't have one, my husband will sell me."
As she spoke, a monk with his upper body bare appeared from behind the Bodhisattva's statue.
He held a red cloth, which he tied around the woman's eyes.
The woman trembled but did not resist. Her breathing grew heavier as she inhaled and exhaled slowly. As she did so, several bald-headed monks emerged from the surrounding darkness, their hands pressed together as they slowly approached her.
"Is this what the 'blessing for a son' really looks like?" Li Huowang watched in stunned disbelief, his entire perception of Zhengde Temple shattering.
Suddenly, he sensed something. He quickly turned around and saw a figure standing still like a statue in the courtyard. It was Jian Dun, who had been watching him.
"Discovered!" Li Huowang thought.
Jian Dun did not say a word, only waved his hand gently, then turned and walked away.
Glancing back at the chaotic scene in the hall, Li Huowang quietly followed.
Jian Dun did not lead him elsewhere but took him back to his quarters, where he lit an oil lamp and sat down on a stool.
"I know what you're thinking. You probably believe that the monks of Zhengde Temple are impure, right? But do you really think the pilgrims are fools? Why do they come here to pray at night?" Jian Dun said calmly.
Li Huowang remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"When people want children, we grant them children. As monks, we act with compassion—that is good work," Jian Dun continued.
Li Huowang frowned. "Seems like your 'good deeds' are quite big and frequent."
"Zhengde Temple has never claimed that our Bodhisattva can grant children. It's the pilgrims themselves who spread the word. We neither claim nor inquire."
Cultural Annotations and Explanations:
"Amitabha": In Buddhist culture, "Amitabha" (阿弥陀佛) is a common phrase used in both daily life and ritual prayers. It means "Amitabha Buddha," one of the central figures in Pure Land Buddhism. It is often used as a greeting, prayer, or expression of reverence.
Karmic Ties ("因果"): In traditional Chinese Buddhism, the concept of karma is deeply embedded in the understanding of causality, where past actions (good or bad) influence future outcomes. The idea that Li Huowang's actions are linked to Dan Yangzi's fate is a reflection of this karmic belief.
Monk's "Vow Scar" ("戒疤"): In Chinese Buddhist culture, a monk's vow scar is a mark on the forehead or arm that signifies they have taken the monastic vows. The absence of such a scar suggests that the monk is either a novice or a low-ranking member of the monastery.
The Use of "Blessing for a Son" Ritual: The ritual of asking the Bodhisattva for a child reflects the practice in some Buddhist temples, especially in China, where childless couples pray for blessings in hopes of having a son. In this scene, the woman is praying for a son to avoid being sold by her husband, which highlights the societal pressures on women in traditional Chinese society to bear male heirs.
Monastic Compassion: The explanation provided by Jian Dun emphasizes the Buddhist principle of compassion, which is central to many Buddhist teachings. However, the temple's activities, as revealed later, may deviate from what is typically understood as "compassionate work."