The Heart-Element

“Clop, clop, clop.” The black donkey’s hooves struck the hard road, each impact a crisp, clear sound.

The others, their faces anxious, jogged along beside the donkey cart, constantly glancing back over their shoulders, as if afraid something was chasing them.

“Brother Li, why the rush to get out of the pass?” Gouwa asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

Li Huowang’s face was grim, a terrible darkness to it. “Zhengde Temple has been able to operate in the middle of a bustling city for so long, and with such a throng of worshippers, you tell me why we need to get out of the pass.”

Hearing Li Huowang’s rhetorical question, Chun Xiaoman, covered in black body hair, spoke up. “If Zhengde Temple can share a city with the Imperial Palace and coexist peacefully for so long, that alone tells you everything. Whether the rulers of Xijing are in collusion with them or have been infiltrated, the local government can’t be trusted.”

Li Huowang nodded.

It was believable if ordinary people like him were fooled. But to claim that the entire ruling stratum of such a large nation was completely deceived? He wouldn’t buy it even if you paid him. There had to be some shady deal going on.

“Anyway, we’ve had enough of this place. We already sent our final messages to Zhao Wu, and our next step was to leave the pass anyway.”

“Rustle.” Li Huowang spread a map out on the donkey cart.

A map that was impossible to find anywhere else, he’d finally gotten it in Xijing. Even if it was still incredibly crude.

Li Huowang’s fingertip slowly slid across the map, tracing out their next route.

It would cross through four countries—Siqi, Later Shu, Qingqiu—with the final destination being Bai Lingmiao’s hometown, Liang Kingdom.

“Mm, come to our place. We don’t have terrifying monks like that. The monks where I’m from are very kind.”

At Bai Lingmiao’s words, Li Huowang looked up at her for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the map.

To be honest, he didn’t trust anyone anymore. He couldn’t tell if the monks Bai Lingmiao described were truly kind, or if it was just another smokescreen.

A group of ordinary mortals like them—they were far too vulnerable against those unfathomable monks.

They kept walking, walking until the sky started to darken, until they couldn’t take another step. Only then did they stop to rest.

Li Huowang stared into the campfire, a knot of anxiety tightening in his chest. They were far too slow.

To be honest, he wasn’t short on silver now. In a pinch, he could pawn that jade pendant and get them each a horse.

But the problem was, none of them knew how to ride.

“We can’t keep going like this. Can’t stick to the main roads. It’s too easy to be followed. We’ll cut into the woods after we eat.”

“Brother Li, here’s your noodles. We’ve got a long way to go, so I added plenty of lard. It’ll keep you going.”

A steaming bowl of noodles was placed in front of Li Huowang, bits of minced meat bobbing up and down in the broth.

Sitting quietly beside him, watching him wolf down the noodles, Bai Lingmiao rested her chin on her knees. “Since the monks of Zhengde Temple are bad people, what about your problem, Brother Li? Do you have to find a monk? How about a nun?”

Li Huowang swallowed a mouthful of noodles, then gently blew on the bowl before taking a long, slurping gulp of the soup.

“It’s nothing. A small problem. Compared to those murderous monks chasing us, this isn’t even worth worrying about.”

If the monk had lied to him, then everything he’d said before had to have a question mark stamped on it.

Maybe they couldn’t solve the Danyangzi problem at all. Or maybe Danyangzi wasn’t even what they said he was.

That Danyangzi, who might exist or might not—he could be dealt with later.

“Is it not enough noodles? Want me to get you some more? There’s still plenty in the pot.”

Li Huowang shook his head, handed the bowl to Bai Lingmiao, and stood up. He walked over to the Fool, stood on his tiptoes, and smacked him on his big, bald head. “Come on. Stop eating. Come with me to the woods to drain the tank.”

“Oh…”

In the small grove, Li Huowang and the big simpleton stood side-by-side, watering a small sapling.

Li Huowang first glanced back at the glow of the campfire, then lowered his voice and gave the Fool his instructions.

As night fell, Zhengde Temple began to close for the day.

The monks started filing in for evening prayers, and soon the entire temple was filled with the rhythmic, chanting cadence of sutras.

Jian Dun walked slowly through the temple, turning his prayer beads in his right hand, his left hand clenched into a fist behind his back.

Soon, he arrived at the Five-Buddha Hall. Inside, he saw the abbot, deeply focused on threading prayer beads.

“Abbot, I just went to check. Layman Xuanyang has left.”

Abbot Xin Hui, seated cross-legged on a meditation cushion, held up the prayer beads he had just strung, examining them in the air.

After a long moment, he placed the wet beads on the ground. Then, from a nearby cradle, he picked up an infant.

“Ah, pitiful creature. If we hadn’t found you in time, your father would have drowned you,” he said, gently cooing at the baby girl.

“Abbot, Layman Xuanyang has left.”

“This old monk isn’t deaf yet. No need to shout. You’ll wake the child. Begin the tapping.”

“Tock, tock, tock, tock—” The sound of wooden fish filled the hall, and the entire Five-Buddha Hall took on a solemn air.

Xin Hui carefully placed the child on the ground. With deliberate care, he wound the freshly made prayer beads around her body.

Then, accompanied by the rhythm of the wooden fish, Xin Hui began to chant softly. It wasn’t a Buddhist sutra he was reciting, but something else.

“The moon hides the jade rabbit, the sun hides the crow~ The tortoise and snake entwine themselves together~”

As the incantation began to rise, the prayer beads on the baby’s body seemed to come alive, starting to constrict.

“Entwine together, firm is your life, yet within the fire can the golden lotus be sown~”

Xin Hui formed a lotus mudra with his hands and jabbed a finger forcefully at the child, now a mess of blood and flesh.

The cries gradually turned into laughter. The laughter grew louder and louder, until even the five enormous Buddha statues within the hall seemed to curl their lips into a smile.

“Gather the five elements, reverse their use~ When the work is done, a Buddha or an immortal you shall be~”

The sound of the wooden fish began to fade. The sharp-eyed Jian Dun hurried forward, lifting a vase that had been prepared and brought to Xin Hui’s side.

After a brief manipulation by Xin Hui, a vase-girl, identical to the one in Danyangzi’s lair, was created.

Having finished, the seated Xin Hui picked up another thread and began stringing new prayer beads.

“Since he has left, go and bring him back.”

“Yes, disciple obeys.”

“Be careful. That lad may know nothing, but his potential must not be underestimated.”

“That scoundrel Danyangzi, say what you will, but he does have remarkable luck. I wonder where he found such a rare Heart-Element.”