The autumn wind swept up, scattering yellowed leaves and blowing them to an unattended corner.
The path to immortality was long, and time itself seemed to stretch on.
There was ample time to do things that took a long time.
Inside the Zen room.
Yuan Xing spoke up, "Brother Yuan Kong has already left Chanlin Temple. I do not know where he has gone, so it seems he cannot come to see you, benefactor."
Chu Xichen stood for a moment as if in thought, then his gaze turned beyond the Zen room.
It turned out… he had underestimated Yuan Jing.
He had thought Yuan Jing was trying to sell his last shred of dignity, asking Chu Xichen to look after Yuan Kong, to lend him a hand.
He had thought the letter's lack of requests was, in fact, a request for everything.
Yuan Jing, after all, was still human, and had made a choice for himself—he had left his final moments to himself, and his final shred of dignity as well.
But no one could fault him—he had already done more than enough.
Perhaps it was Yuan Jing who had suggested it, but Yuan Kong had ultimately refused.
But right now, Chu Xichen only wanted to think the best of Yuan Jing.
Besides, Chu Xichen understood in his heart—this was Yuan Jing's choice.
The choice of a monk who seemed slightly worldly but was, in truth, extremely proud.
He had never truly bowed his head; he was only doing what he wanted to do.
At least, ever since Chu Xichen had known him, this old monk had probably never done anything against his conscience.
Yuan Kong likely understood this as well, which was why he set off for a distant land.
Though he was young, his mind was already quite delicate.
Yuan Kong, with his own choice, had fulfilled Yuan Jing's choice.
Chu Xichen asked, "Then Yuan Jing's golden body is still in Chanlin Temple?"
Yuan Xing answered, "There is no golden body, only sarira."
Chu Xichen spoke with a calm tone:
"Lead the way, I wish to see it."
Leaving the Zen room, there was a small path exclusively for the temple's monks to walk to the highest pagoda in Chanlin Temple.
The pagoda was tall, but it clearly bore the marks of time, appearing old and slightly darkened. Its structure was simple, with no decorations on the outside. It was shaped to have windows, but none were actually left open.
At a glance, it was an ancient, rustic, and aged high pagoda.
After a high monk passed away, whether they left behind sarira or a golden body, all were placed in this most ancient pagoda.
That pagoda was usually unvisited; even the monks rarely went there. It was only when a golden body or sarira was to be enshrined within that anyone would walk towards this high pagoda.
Passing by the monks' living quarters, they stepped onto the small staircase leading to the high pagoda.
The name "Chanlin Temple" was simple to understand—a temple composed of Chan (Zen) and Lin (forest).
Here, there were many trees, sprouting up everywhere.
However, the staircase leading to the pagoda was never swept, allowing fallen leaves to drift down undisturbed.
The monks would sweep the ground below the stairs, but not the first step of this staircase.
The steps were covered with fallen leaves, and stepping on them made a soft sound.
Yuan Xing walked at the front, his steps not fast—at least, not in Chu Xichen's eyes, they were extremely slow.
At this moment, only Yuan Xing and Chu Xichen were on this staircase.
His gaze was not on the ground but was fixed on the high pagoda.
The stairs were not uniform; they varied in height.
Yuan Xing's cultivation was not high, not even having reached the Foundation Establishment realm.
He climbed the stairs slowly but in an orderly fashion, a path he was very familiar with.
He had started as a little novice, seeing off high monks, his master, his senior brothers, and one day, seeing off himself.
As Yuan Xing stepped on the leaves, he suddenly spoke, "Please do not take offense. Chanlin Temple never sweeps the leaves here. They weren't swept on the day my senior brother entered the pagoda either."
"Other temples may not have such a rule, but the monks of Chanlin Temple are a bit peculiar. Although I don't know which monk it was who insisted on it."
"He said that for a monk, the final words are 'parinirvana.' The 'pari' is about oneself, but the 'nirvana' is about both oneself and others."
"The deceased monk is at peace, so those outside should also be at peace."
"The reasoning is naturally a bit absurd, but unfortunately, the monk who insisted on this was the abbot, so the rule of Chanlin Temple was changed."
"One does not ascend the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda without reason; one does not sweep the stairs below the pagoda without reason."
As Yuan Xing spoke, he suddenly smiled, as if teasing himself:
"When I was young, I thought that once one had attained parinirvana, what sounds could there be to hear? If one cultivates Buddhism, why be concerned with the outside world? This was simply a case of the monk's cultivation being insufficient. It would have been better to just remain a little novice."
"For this, I was pleased with myself for a few days, thinking I had figured out a truth that even the great masters couldn't understand."
"Later, as I became a monk for longer, for some reason, I also felt that this reasoning had a certain karmic connection to it. It was indescribable, yet I just felt it was profound."
"Even now, I don't understand what is so profound about it."
Yuan Xing led Chu Xichen past the last step and onto the platform.
The platform was like the stairs, covered in fallen leaves.
Yuan Xing turned his head, as if looking at Chu Xichen, or perhaps at the stairs behind him, and said with a smile:
"Before, I was curious. Had no high monk in Chanlin Temple for so long been able to comprehend this principle? Or was the abbot's own cultivation also insufficient?"
"Now that it is my turn to be in charge, I understand why this rule has been kept."
Hearing this, Chu Xichen gave a light chuckle. His gaze fell upon the high pagoda as he replied:
"Are you saying that the principles you cannot comprehend are to be left for future generations to figure out?"
Yuan Xing's eyes lit up, as if he had found a kindred spirit:
"Exactly, exactly! I have not achieved the karmic connection; it is my incompetence. If I do not leave this karmic connection, it is my lack of virtue."
Chu Xichen sighed lightly, his gaze turning to Yuan Xing:
"Now I understand the true meaning. I just don't know if you want to hear it."
Hearing this, Yuan Xing was taken aback. He looked at Chu Xichen with some surprise, pondered for a moment, then clasped his hands together solemnly and said:
"Please, benefactor, enlighten me."
Chu Xichen pointed a finger at the staircase full of leaves:
"The meaning of the karmic connection left by that monk is what you think it is—it is to be left for posterity."
"If these stairs were empty, it would mean Chanlin Temple has no more karmic connections, because they would have been hidden."
"Stairs without leaves—this is the leaf in the heart."
Hearing this, Yuan Xing was stunned, his gaze fixed on the staircase full of leaves.
After a long while, he suddenly laughed as if enlightened.
"A great monk is truly a great monk. This little monk is convinced."
Yuan Xing's laugh was unrestrained. After a moment, it subsided, and he bowed to Chu Xichen again:
"Thank you, senior, for the enlightenment. Though our paths are different, the principle is the same. I was foolish."
Chu Xichen waved his hand slightly, indicating it was nothing.
Yuan Xing asked, "Should I take out my senior brother's sarira?"
"No need. I have no interest in such things," Chu Xichen said with a calm expression. "I am only here to tell him that I received his letter and have seen it."
Hearing this, Yuan Xing silently took two steps back to make way.
Chu Xichen looked at the high pagoda for a moment but found it a bit uninteresting.
From his spatial ring, he took out two items.
These were the items he had received when he and Yuan Kong were in the secret realm; the Buddha-heart had been given to Yuan Kong, while the sarira had been negotiated for with Yuan Jing later.
Two items remained—a pristine white kasaya and a willow jade slip.
He hadn't been able to sell these things later.
Chu Xichen thought for a moment, then took out two talismans: one was a message talisman, and the other was a contact talisman.
A moment later, Chu Xichen sealed the two treasures and the two talismans with a spell.
Only the power of a treasure of the same origin could unseal them. Yuan Kong's Buddha-heart and the sarira came from the same source, so retrieving them would be no problem.
Chu Xichen handed these things to Yuan Xing and instructed him:
"Since Yuan Jing is here, Yuan Kong will return as well. When he comes back, give these things to him."
"Remember to put up a sign here. I doubt Yuan Kong will bother to greet you all."
Yuan Xing solemnly accepted the items: "The monk understands."
In the next moment, Chu Xichen transformed into a rainbow of light and vanished at extreme speed.
The matter at Chanlin Temple was concluded. As for what would happen next, that was a story for the future.
[
I'm going to skip the fancy pitch this time and just be straight with you.
Things are tough right now. The recent mass cancellations hit harder than I expected, and I'm genuinely struggling to keep my head above water financially. Translation is my main income — not a side hobby — and when a big wave of cancellations lands at once, it hurts in a very real way.
I know I can't compete with aggregator sites. They pump out chapters faster than I ever could, and I've made peace with that. What I can offer instead is consistency and care — a chapter that's actually readable, where the same technique doesn't get three different names in the same chapter and characters don't randomly switch personalities. Quality daily updates, not a firehose of machine-translated slop.
If this story has made you laugh, or kept you up past midnight just to read one more chapter — I'd really appreciate your support on Patreon.
Here's what you get: 30 advanced chapters right away, for the price that used to get you 20. That's not a marketing trick, it's me genuinely trying to make it worth your while because I need the help and I'd rather be honest about that than pretend otherwise.
There's also ongoing monthly chapters, bonus content, and — this one I actually love — you can suggest novels you want me to pick up next. If there's something you've been dying to read in English, drop it in the comments. I'm listening.
patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
Even one new member makes a difference right now. I mean that literally. Thank you for reading, and thank you for even considering it.
]