Chapter 3: Marriage Alliance

The Acala (Fudo Myoo) emphasizes defense

The wind and snow surrounding him suddenly came to a halt, suspended in the air half a zhang around him

Xia Ji was talking to himself, and took a step forward. In the blink of an eye, the snow-covered canopy shattered, and the accumulated snow caused the ground to sink. Meanwhile, the young prince had already circled back to the attic

The world is also impermanent

Seeing the color of the skill orb, Xia Ji knew that this time his sister's efforts were not in vain; this was his fourth golden skill orb.

At midnight, the candle has burned down to about half its length

Turning the pages one by one

The wind and snow enveloped him, plunging him into absolute stillness

Xia Ji closed the book

She quickly understood and also raised the bottle.

And this now, like the Zen of the Tathāgata, is a powerful spiritual force, an unwavering intention

Xia Ji's expression was very calm, much like a Buddha seated in a shrine, devoid of sorrow or joy. However, he was not a Buddha; deep within him lay a chaos and restlessness akin to the beginning of heaven and earth. Nevertheless, he had grown accustomed to facing his only family member with the gentlest demeanor, thus he asked, "What is wrong?"

If there are two individuals in this world, wielding the same weapons, possessing the same strength, and practicing the same skills, yet only one can survive while the other must perish, then the determining factor of victory lies in whose will is slightly stronger, who can defeat the other on a spiritual level, that person will be the one who lives

Xia Xiaosu cried while boldly saying: "Do it."

Since it is golden, he used it directly

Recite word by word

three months

She let out a long sigh, is her brother truly so obsessed with the Buddhist scriptures that he neglects even his own sister?

The skill pearl shattered, transforming into a golden stream that surged from the center of the brow, flowing towards the blood, bones, internal organs, skin, and flesh throughout the body, enveloping them

But... I don't want to go, I am unwilling. I have heard that the people over there in Turkestan are all savages, and if I go, I will never see my brother again, sob sob sob

A profound mystery suddenly arose from the depths of the heart, and a golden skill orb slowly emerged from the center of the brow, named "Now, the Zen of Tathagata"

The summer solstice ignited the candlelight, the flickering flames were faint yet soared high, illuminating the surrounding bookshelves. The bookshelves formed a circular embrace, and he, like a person fallen into a deep well, opened the "Sutra of the Present Tathāgata" at the bottom of this well.

The strength of the eighteen towns is indeed power

Xia Xiaosu took a big bite of the beef, devouring it all in one go, while crying and chewing on the meat heartily

Oh... the Ninth Princess obediently took a small sip, then put down the wine bottle, crying as she said: "Why don't you comfort me? Although we can do nothing and change nothing, as my imperial brother, shouldn't you at least offer me some comfort?"

He turned his gaze and saw two bottles of fine wine, smiling as he said, "So you still remember to help me refill my drink today?"

Xia Xiaosu

He murmured: "Cutting flesh to feed the eagle, sacrificing oneself to nourish the tiger, all beings are equal. If all beings are indeed equal, why must you sacrifice your physical body? Why must there be distinctions among Bodhisattvas, Bhikshus, and protectors of the Dharma in various ranks?"

The liquor is too strong; she is a girl who usually does not drink much, and suddenly consuming so much caused her to choke, tears streaming down her face. However, by the time she set down the bottle, several pieces of specially prepared beef had appeared in front of her, brought to her mouth by her elder brother.

Xia Ji took another bottle of wine

As night falls, the snow falls wildly; this is how winter is in the northern regions, with unpredictable weather

A gentle smile as I pick a flower, for I see the bloom; the universe resonates within my heart, and my heart resonates with the universe. If I do not smile, the flower will not bloom; if my heart remains still, then the wind does not move, the snow does not stir, the grass remains unmoved, and the flower too remains still

The pages of the book are closed

The two people bumped into each other

Moreover, within this great clock, even the air seems to have come to a standstill, and everything is motionless

The gentle voice, as always, came through: "Drinking without eating vegetables will harm your health"

But the snow in front has stopped, while the snow behind continues to fall

The Nine Yang Heart Sutra emphasizes internal strength

The solitary shadow falls upon the bookshelf

His voice is neither loud nor soft, yet it can still be drowned out by the sound of the wind and snow

On the evening two days later, the attic door was pushed open, and Xia Xiaosu poked her lovely head out. Xia Jigan had just finished reciting the scriptures, and the two siblings exchanged a glance, instantly creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere

Soon, the heavy snow transformed into a large white bell

Xia Xiaosu

Xia gently exhaled a breath of stale air, removed the bottle cap, and lifted the wine bottle

As soon as the words were spoken, the Ninth Princess's tears began to flow down her cheeks, and then she sobbed as she held a bottle of wine, "Today I will drink with my brother"

Xia Xiaosu directly pulled out the cork, without clinking glasses, and simply tilted her head back, drinking several large gulps with a "glug glug glug" sound

Thus, three thousand elite troops can charge against one hundred thousand disorganized masses, and a master of fear is not even as formidable as a mere dog killer

The snowflakes dance with excitement, yet summer seems to have already detached itself from this world

Xia Ji thought for a moment and suddenly said, "I heard that the Thunder Sound Temple has an ancient copy of the Burning Lamp Sutra. When you go to return the book tomorrow, please help me borrow it as well. I only need to read it for one day before I can return it."

Is this the ninth level of the Tathāgata Zen now

She cried for most of the day, and Xia Ji accompanied her for most of the day. It was only when she was about to leave that Xia Ji held her in his arms, patted her back, and said in the gentlest voice: "It will be alright."

The summer's voice remains calm: "When are they letting you depart?"

Xia Xiaosu cried out: "They are forcing me to marry into the Turks, claiming that the land and water there are good. If I marry over, it will further enable an alliance between the Turks and the Great Shang, encircling the Ghost Tribe, the Dog Rong, and resisting the Rakshasa Kingdom. They say that this will benefit the entire Great Shang and contribute to the stability of the nation.

Xia Ji walked step by step along the stone steps towards the center of the courtyard. Upon reaching a place where the wind and snow were particularly intense, he did not clasp his hands together. Instead, he looked up at the sky, and a mysterious aura suddenly spread out in all directions

Xia Xiaosu: "Three months later, when the snow has stopped and spring has arrived, the Turks will send envoys to fetch me"

In just half an hour, Xia Ji had completely mastered the "Now Tathāgata Zen" of the ninth level, which perfectly complemented his shortcomings

In short, it embodies your vitality and spirit, the essence of Zen, and the spirit of a warrior

Xia Jidao: "If you don't do it, just a small sip."

What is meaning

The Ninth Princess entered holding a lunchbox, and then focused solely on placing the dishes on the table, which were still steaming hot. Finally, she also brought out two jade-white porcelain bottles, which contained the celestial brew offered by the outer court.

Xia Ji sat down opposite her and handed over the wrapped cloth bundle, "I have already finished reading the 'Now the Tathāgata Sutra'. You will return it to the Thunder Sound Temple tomorrow, so it won't delay the three-day book borrowing agreement.

In the stillness of the night, Xia Ji rose to his feet and pushed the door open. Outside the Sutra Pavilion was a small courtyard, which served as a place for the prince under house arrest to take a stroll and get some fresh air. Three hundred meters away, the pavilion where Eunuch Mei was monitoring was naturally unoccupied at this time. The entire palace was enveloped in the deep night of heavy snowfall, and all the halls and palaces had already extinguished their lights, while some laughter could still be heard from the Emperor's palace.