Chapter 1: The Gentle Song of Lianhu Lake

A drop of crimson blood immediately emerged, falling into the water, just as it was swallowed by the powerless opening and closing fish mouth

Namo Amitabha Buddha! Good morning to the three benefactors!

Sister! Your actions are so natural, does your father know that you are flirting with men like this

Master Bai put down the oar, stood up at the stern of the boat, and respectfully clasped his hands together in front of the monk who was walking towards the shore while singing a song.

A hearty laughter came from behind, the terrifying lung capacity causing the small boat to sway slightly. The muscular black man seemed unconcerned about his daughter having some sort of interaction with the young master of the prominent Li family from Xiyan Town

The carp is originally a species of fish known for its leaping ability, and it is common for them to be startled by boats

If I could earn the reward from the Li family, then Ying'er would have her dowry secured, and in the future, she could marry into a good family, no longer needing to toil alongside me fishing on Lake Jumo.

During the prosperous era of the Da Wu Dynasty, the national fortune flourished, and the social customs were open-minded. There were no rigid and harsh constraints of ancient etiquette. Even young girls of such tender age could casually hum folk tunes that spoke of their "lovers," easily evoking the thought of which young girl does not harbor romantic feelings

Originally disinterested in getting involved, Boss Bai inadvertently discovered that the small boat belonging to his neighbor, Wang Laoliu, had vanished without a trace. He speculated that it might have been secretly taken out by the young lad from the Li family. Immediately, he took his daughter and set out in their own small boat to search along the lakeside.

A shallow pool of water had accumulated at the bottom of the small boat, with tiny duckweeds floating on the surface. However, he did not expect that beneath the duckweeds lay a wooden splinter, which inadvertently pricked his fingertip.

Alright, brother! This flower is for you, brother!

Rather than calling it begging, it is more appropriate to describe it as a form of devout ritual

It is unclear when this monk, known by the Dharma name Zhidu, began to set up a thatched hut outside Xiyan Town, a structure that barely provides shelter from the wind and rain, and thus he made his home there

Hiss

With compassion and good deeds, I vow to save all beings. In my hand, the golden scepter opens the gates of hell. The pearl in my palm illuminates the vast world. In the sound of wisdom, amidst the auspicious clouds. For the suffering beings of Jambudvipa, I serve as the great witness and benefactor of merit. Great compassion and great vows, great saint and great mercy

The young man even maliciously speculates that the great Zhou, who wrote the timeless masterpiece "On Lotus", perhaps had to transition from the profession of a flower thief, which lacks any technical content, to becoming a verbal debater expressing the sour grapes of not being able to enjoy the grapes. After establishing a lineage of Neo-Confucianism, the renowned Zhu Xi, this old rascal, greatly promoted it, until a certain big shot named Wang Yangming no longer concealed his intentions and openly proposed that action is better than intention, and that knowledge and action should be unified. Only then did Confucianism officially unlock the long-desired skill tree for flirting. Works such as "Jin Ping Mei", "The Oil Seller and the Flower Queen", "Cao Diao Qing Jia Mu Li Nu", and "Dream of the Red Chamber" emerged, along with various professional terms like "fairy fights".

What on earth is Xiaobai

Cough, um! Little, little Bai?

Li Xiaobai does not believe in Buddhism, so naturally he will not pay homage in that manner; he simply offers a straightforward gesture of respect with cupped hands

A well-bred young man with a good family background, which girl would not fall in love with him

The monk slowly came to a stop, set down the clay bowl, and smiled as he returned the greeting of the three people on the small boat.

The humble thatched hut often receives devoted believers who come to pay their respects, chant scriptures, yet never collect a single grain of rice or a penny in offerings, embodying such simplicity and sincerity, both self-liberating and liberating others

The girl's singing abruptly ceased, as her obsidian-like eyes gazed over, her clear voice and delicate form easily inviting one to succumb.

At that moment, a red carp leaped out of the lake and, by coincidence, fell into the small boat, landing right in front of Li Xiaobai

In the past two days, the household servants and farmers of the most prominent family in town, the Li family, have been running around like headless flies. Even the usually lazy constables have joined the county magistrate, wielding an iron ruler in one hand and iron chains in the other, their eyes bloodshot as they search everywhere. This scene makes it seem as if anyone they encounter cannot be a good person

The little girl sitting at the bow of the boat casually picked a pink lotus flower, dipping her delicate hands, as tender as lotus roots, into the cool lake water outside the boat, playfully stirring it. Her cheeks were like pink petals, reflecting the lotus flower still adorned with glistening dewdrops in her hand. She gazed at the lotus leaves that seemed to connect the sky and the earth, softly humming in a sweet, childlike voice, like the first call of a young phoenix, exceptionally melodious

Hmm?

Li Xiaobai, feeling a sudden shiver throughout his body, quickly sensed that the palm of his right hand was burning hot. Instinctively, he raised his hand, only to see a simple line drawing of a lotus flower appear in the center of his palm

Old Bai seized the opportunity to divert attention from his daughter's budding feelings, proving himself to be a clever father

The monk's robe, washed to a pale white, seemed to be patched like a finely woven garment. The monk, with a rugged appearance, held a chipped ceramic bowl. His beard and hair were gradually turning white, his figure was thin and frail, yet his eyes were remarkably spirited, as if they could see through the hearts of people

Li Xiaobai nonchalantly inhaled through the injured fingertip, deliberately avoiding the puddles, and once again lifted the red carp, throwing it into the lake water outside the boat

The young man shamefully plagiarized and altered the work

In the early morning, a faint mist, like a delicate veil, slowly gathers and disperses over the tranquil surface of Lake Jumo. The gentle sounds of oars echo from afar, as a small boat glides through the emerald waters, leaving behind a series of undulating ripples that weave through the swaying lotus leaves.

As a young man who is both a passenger and a listener, a faint smile graces his lips, and the little figure before him resembles the lines from "Ode to the Lotus" which state, "Emerging from the mud yet untainted, washed by the clear water yet not alluring"

Lotus leaves are green, lotus stems are long, lotus seeds are bitter, lotus flowers are fragrant, willow leaf boats, gently swaying in the lake's heart, gathering white lotus roots with my beloved

The rescued red carp circled the small boat several times underwater, then quickly swished its tail and dove deep into the water, disappearing from sight

However, the exceptionally bright moonlight, the vast mountains, the cave, the stone bowl, and within the bowl, a lotus flower as small as a palm, exquisite and as translucent as glass, an inexplicable pressure that captivates the heart, obscure and difficult to comprehend words and roars... These fragmented memories, which can no longer be connected, continuously flicker in the mind of the young man, as if it were an absurd and unruly nightmare

Little White Brother

In order to find his missing son, who had been lost for three days, Li Dahu, the wealthy man of the Li family, nearly turned the entire Xiyan Town and over a dozen nearby villages into chaos. Especially with the reward offered by the Li family for the search of their son, many people were involuntarily stirred to action.

... ...

Even when he occasionally encounters mischievous children playfully throwing sand, dirt, and stones into the pottery, he does not get angry, but instead recites a short passage of scripture and responds with a smile

With the intention of collecting the remains for the young master of the Li family, Big Brother Bai held a torch and followed some traces left on the shore. Not far along, he saw a young man lost in thought, gazing up at the starry sky. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the young master that Master Li had been desperately searching for.

The young man inexplicably felt a sudden change in the atmosphere

This area features a vast expanse of azure waters stretching for dozens of miles, renowned in the northern frontier of the Great Wu Dynasty as the "Green Gem of the North." It serves as a natural barrier between the Empire and the Demon Realm, adjacent to the Kunlun Demon Realm, where great demons roam, and the Gobi Desert, notorious for rampant banditry.

The rhythmic chanting of the monk echoed across the lake, interrupting Li Xiaobai's tale of the white text, as the small boat carrying the three of them gradually approached the lakeshore of Xiyan Town.

Fortunately, at sunset, the father and daughter found a small boat that was lying across the shore of Jimo Lake. It was the fishing boat that Wang Laoliu had lost. However, it was unclear what kind of terrifying experience it had encountered, as the hull was nearly shattered and no longer capable of carrying anyone. It was a blessing that it was able to support itself to the shore.

The laughter fell into the young man's ears, filled with malice akin to that of a big bad wolf fixating on a little white rabbit. He secretly rejoiced, thankful that he was not an ordinary person; otherwise, he would be competing with the fish and shrimp in the lake for the Olympic swimming gold medal. Given his skills, the likelihood of reaching the shore was probably lower than that of purchasing a blue-chip stock.

Good morning! To Master Du.

Call me brother, or Li family brother

In her view, the title of brother is naturally closer than that of Little White Brother

The young man was taken aback, his expression becoming strange; he was unexpectedly given flowers by a girl, which was truly an indescribably awkward situation

He chuckled twice and said, "This lotus flower is still the most suitable for Ying'er, the human face and the lotus flower complement each other beautifully"

The monk who witnessed this scene chanted a Buddhist mantra once more and deeply bowed to the small boat

The young man certainly would not explain that "Xiao Bai" is a specific term for a little broken dog owned by a mischievous child who enjoys exposing his bottom

The compliments from the young man and the laughter of her father made the little girl Sakura seem to realize something, and her cheeks immediately flushed red as she shyly lowered her delicate head

Li Xiaobai glanced at the monk, then looked at the struggling and jumping red carp at the bottom of the boat. Moved by a moment of compassion, he reached out his hand to cradle the unfortunate little fish

Behind him, the father of the little girl, a towering black man resembling an iron tower, would use his fist, as large as a mortar, to teach those unruly suitors what it means to be "viewed from afar but not to be profaned"

Moreover, on this misty lake surface, there are naturally no gossipy old women who enjoy discussing trivial matters; the girl's singing is like a little bird, joyfully flitting back and forth among the lotus flowers and leaves

A sudden, clear and melodious sound seemed to ring in my ears, a sword's chant that pierced straight to the heart, causing every hair on my body to stand on end.

The little girl tilted her small head, adorned with a hanging braid and a bun, appearing somewhat puzzled

The little girl not only did not get angry, but instead was filled with joy, extending the lotus flower in her hand, transforming the lotus root on site into a lotus flower

The earthen bowl, when filled, can be used for breakfast and lunch. The monk stops filling it once it is full; however, after noon, regardless of whether it is full or not, he will return to his thatched hut, continuously reciting the Buddhist scriptures until he rests at midnight, and the next day he will continue to beg for food without interruption, rain or shine

Good morning, Master

Well! This story is quite lengthy, set on a dark and windy night when one cannot see their hand in front of their face...

Over time, the local people near Xiyan Town became familiar with this ascetic-like monk, and they referred to him as Master Zhi Du, gaining considerable fame in a short period

Young man! How did you end up at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, where monsters roam? Even the boldest hunters would not dare to go there

Each flower represents a world, each tree signifies a fleeting life, each blade of grass embodies a paradise, each leaf reflects the Buddha, each grain of sand symbolizes ultimate bliss, each space denotes pure land, each smile carries worldly ties, and each thought represents tranquility

Every morning, he would carry a clay bowl, reciting Buddhist scriptures while begging for food in the town or nearby villages. Whether it be rice, vegetables, meat, or fish, regardless of the presence of oil or salt, and without distinction between meat and vegetarian, he only sought food and did not ask for money. No matter how much he received, he would recite a long passage of scripture to bless the donor.

Homage to Amitabha Buddha

Bai Ying'er also stood up and sincerely bowed to the monk on the shore

Seeing the small boat in such a state, Bai Laoda felt a tightness in his heart, fearing that the young master of the Li family had already met with misfortune. It is well known that across the Jumo Lake lies the foot of the Kunlun Mountains, where it is not surprising for man-eating monsters to roam.

Chanting verses from the "Sutra of the Past Vows of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva," the monk strides forward confidently, carrying a chipped ceramic bowl.

The little girl Sakura gradually opened her eyes wide as the young master of the Li family began to speak nonsense without restraint