Chapter 6, Shizhong Mountain

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The giant stone swallows the sound of the river, a long cry of the ancient and modern heroes' grievances. The grand shrine highlights the achievements of war, eternally establishing the souls of the sons of Hunan. The sound of poetry faintly drifts in the wind

The villagers gradually quieted down, recognizing that this was the county magistrate of Hekou, the parental official of the common people

The ancient cypress trees stand tall, the river breeze gently blows, and the moonlight dances in a mesmerizing haze

I want to ask Brother Ling and Sister Ling something" Shen Caihua said calmly as he approached the stone table and faced Daoist Jia.

"What are you asking about?" Elder Peng said with a smile

Talent, talent... gliding down silently like a whisper, it landed on the shoulders of talent. "I, we should hurry and leave"

"She is my friend, and she is a woman," Shen Caihua told him

Elder Peng smiled faintly and looked up at Daoist Jia, saying: "Could you please help this child?"

The poor monk has only heard of three types of benzene in the Black Sect: Dufen, Qiaoben, and Jueben, but has never heard of 'Moben.'" Daoist Jia said with a puzzled expression

"Well then, go ahead and ask?" Daoist Jia lifted his black robe, revealing his dark, plump belly, and gently patted it.

Elder Peng did not respond, but turned his head and kindly said to Shen Caihua: "Child, what brings you and this divine bird to Shizhong Mountain tonight"

"Hehe, Zhu Xiaoxiao, are you asking about the missing Mo Mo?" The voice that resembled that of a little girl emerged from within the belly of Daoist Jia.

"Will they really give birth to children?" Shen Caihua asked curiously

Elder Peng pondered for a moment, then quietly said: "This is what my master has instructed this monk to do"

Elder Peng's complexion was slightly flushed, and he said with considerable displeasure: "I truly do not know."

"In the back ... ... behind." Dudu whispered softly

Dudu glanced at the old monk and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, so you are an elder of the Ben religion"

Daoist Jia displayed a look of difficulty: "Ling Ge has not yet entered the womb, so I cannot provide an answer."

The cool moonlight spilled into the courtyard, where a stone table stood with a bottle of wine on it, accompanied by two small cups. Sitting on a stone bench were two individuals. The elderly man in a black robe was the blind fortune teller who had taken Ling Ge, and beside him was a bald monk, dressed in a gray robe, who appeared to be in his fifties.

The police are blocking the entrance, pushing and shoving to prevent the public from approaching

Elder Peng was taken aback and hurriedly said, "Child, what is wrong with you?"

The villagers were startled awake, hurriedly putting on their clothes and rushing out of their houses, armed with carrying poles, hoes, and other tools, racing towards the riverbank

There is a gap in the wall over there. Dudu led Caihua around to the east wall of the ancient shrine, climbed over a collapsed section, and arrived at the front porch of the Zhao Zhong Shrine. The ancient trees were deep and shadowy, and a faint fragrance of flowers wafted through the night sky

Shen Caihua, hearing this, asked in confusion: "Didn’t the blind old man head south into the woods?"

"Where is she?" Shen Caihua asked nervously

Within a radius of several hundred miles, there is no child named Mo Mo; it seems that this is beyond my capabilities, " Sister Ling said apologetically.

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Elder Peng, upon seeing such a beautiful bird, couldn't help but exclaim, "What a fine bird."

The blue-purple macaw Dudu had spent over twenty years at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, where it encountered a peculiar human bone vase in the collection. The vase was engraved with a "卍" symbol, which rotated in the opposite direction to the Buddhist symbol "卐" created by Shakyamuni. Experts in the museum had informed it that this was a ritual vessel of the ancient indigenous religion of Tibet—Bon, thus it recognized it at a glance

"Hehe, the Qing Dynasty has been gone for over seventy years. Elder Peng, are you still thinking about a restoration?" Daoist Jia said with a slight smile.

This shrine was built in the eighth year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, under the supervision of Peng Yulin, the commander of the Xiang Army Navy, as per the imperial edict. The shrine consists of a front and a rear hall, facing the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake. The ancient camphor trees on both sides of the shrine were personally planted by Peng Yulin. On nights with moonlight, standing in front of the shrine and gazing at the river and lake, one can see the scenery of "the lake reflecting the jade wall, the vast sky with a solitary moon."

Daoist Priest Jia jested, "Since parting in Hengyang, I have sent countless thoughts of longing with the fragrance of snow. The Qiang flute plays year after year at the frontier, and the traveler cannot return to Xiaoxiang. In those days, my ancestor Xuecen was a Han person, possessing both chivalrous spirit and tender heart. He wrote wildly about plum blossoms, producing a hundred thousand verses, resigned from office six times, and lived a life of integrity. The poor monk resides in the Stone Bell Mountain, not for anything other than to restore the 'Baoci Zen Forest,' spending my days in the company of the ancient Buddha and the green lamp, merely indulging in a moment of nostalgia and melancholy." Elder Peng replied.

I see, Elder Peng, could you please inform me what your master intends to do with the spiritual embryos of these two ghosts? Is it possible that he wishes to learn from me, to divine fortunes and predict auspiciousness and misfortune for others?

"Where is Ling? He cannot take away our auspicious deity," the villagers said in unison.

Ah, so he is an orphan. Elder Peng, filled with compassion, understood why this child was so determined to find the missing little friend; perhaps that Mo Mo was his only remaining family member

Why are words not taken seriously? Why is 'Ling Ge' being apprehended? The villagers, filled with emotion, began to clamor together in front of that household's courtyard

"What is Mo Mo?" Elder Peng asked in confusion

The noise from the courtyard reached the riverside behind the house. Daoist Fei said fiercely to the sobbing Shen Caihua: "Wait here and think carefully. If I return and you still refuse to speak, you will have something to worry about." After saying this, Daoist Fei released his grip and passed through the kitchen to the front courtyard

Shen Caihua blinked and asked, "Sister Ling, did you say you can't feel it?"

Shen Caihua fell silent upon hearing this, thinking to himself: since he and Dudu had escaped privately, if they returned to Nanshan Village, Lan'er’s mother would surely keep a strict watch over them, making it difficult to escape again. It would be better to simply stay here and wait until the spiritual fetus was born, then directly seek out Mo Mo after finding out her whereabouts. However, he needed to come up with a suitable reason. With this thought in mind, he had made up his mind, and with a blink of his eyes, a few tears unexpectedly fell.

Then I will ask Sister Ling first said Shen Caihua hurriedly

Daoist Jia could not deny it, he looked up at the night sky, then bent down to pick up the small grass basket from under the table, placed it on the stone table, and said: "It is almost the hour of Zi, we should not delay, I must perform the spell now"

"Alright, children, you have all heard it. Sister Ling cannot find your little friend, so you may leave now." Daoist Jia dropped his black robe and, with a stern expression, issued the order to leave.

The county chief cleared his throat, but his voice was still painfully hoarse. He spoke in a raspy tone: "Villagers, I am the county chief. To clarify, the forensic doctor from the Public Security Bureau conducted a medical autopsy on the child, but this was done only with the consent of the deceased's parents..."

The couplet inscribed by Master Wen Zheng at the Shizhong Mountain by the Hukou is truly evocative, stirring deep emotions in the observer. The pale moon evokes thoughts of the ancient and the serene, filled with melancholy for the late Qing dynasty... the monk said softly

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Upon hearing this, Daoist Jia fell silent, poured two more cups of wine, and then spoke: "Elder Peng, since you have spent your life in quiet contemplation, free from worldly disputes, why are you so intent on obtaining the spiritual embryos of the two ghosts, Maple and Willow?"

Shen Caihua and Dudu made a concerted effort to reach the summit and arrived at the front of the Zhao Zhong Shrine

"This is terrible! Those people are secretly dissecting the children! Everyone, get up quickly..." Dudu rushed past the houses of the villagers, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Daoist Jia raised the wine cup from the stone table, drank it in one gulp, and then turned to the bushes in the corner, saying: "Hey, children and that big bird, you can come out now"

"Dudu, where did that blind fortune-telling old man take Ling Ge?" Shen Caihua asked, panting.

"Come and see! Everyone inside the house is naked!" exclaimed a sharp-eyed villager in astonishment

It’s ruined, this old fool is truly cunning, and he has discovered us... Shen Caihua and Dudu had no choice but to emerge from behind the concealed bushes.

Then let us go find him. Shen Caihua turned around and headed straight for the entrance of the Zhao Zong Temple

Where is Ling Ge? Shen Caihua still felt unwilling.

I want to ask Ling Ge and Ling Jie a question" Shen Caihua repeated

"You, are you going to swallow Ling Ge?" Shen Caihua asked him in surprise

"Yes, right here... in this ancestral hall," Dudu replied

Dudu saw the old monk's embarrassed expression and couldn't help but chuckle, saying: "You... you have a small bottle around your neck."

The river water crashed against the shore, producing a resounding "bang bang" that drowned out the sounds made by Shen Caihua as he climbed.

Shen Caihua's cries alerted the macaw, which quickly realized that its young master was in danger, being tormented by the youthful-looking, white-haired sorcerer. After a moment of thought, Dudu had an idea and turned to fly towards the nearby village.

Dudu directed Shen Caihua to climb along the jagged stone wall by the river, passing through thickets and caves until they reached the foot of Shizhong Mountain, then circled to the riverside and continued climbing towards the summit.

"Where is Mo Mo?" Shen Caihua replied

Daoist Jia chuckled and said, "I was just about to swallow it."

Elder Peng remained silent for a long time, then sighed softly and said: "Mo Ben has long been forgotten in the rivers and lakes, and I, as an old monk, have no face to mention it."

Fellow villagers, please remain calm and listen to what I have to say. At this moment, the county magistrate, while fastening his belt, stepped out of the room with great vigor.

It is rather embarrassing to admit that I, a humble Taoist, was unaware that Elder Peng is actually a member of the Bon religion; I had always thought he was a high monk of Zen Buddhism said Daoist Jia with a blank expression

Elder Peng was utterly astonished upon hearing this; not only did this large bird understand human speech, but it also saw through his true identity at a glance, leaving him greatly perplexed

"Alright, stop crying. I will comply with your wishes," Elder Peng said, directing his gaze towards Daoist Jia, his tone firm and unyielding. "This child has a pitiable background; let us take him along to Xieshan."

Following the white wall, I circled around the main hall and passed through a small moon gate, arriving at the rear hall

"Yes, it went into the woods, but it made a detour and turned back..." Dudu explained.

How disgraceful, how morally corrupt, how shameless. Two middle-aged women closed their eyes in shame and anger

Shizhong Mountain extends into the river, with its rocky formations full of crevices. The water collides with the stones, producing sounds akin to the ringing of bells, hence the name Shizhong Mountain. Although this mountain is only over 40 meters high and covers an area of 0.2 square kilometers, it is adorned with lush forests and bamboo, as well as numerous buildings and inscriptions from various dynasties. Historically, it has attracted countless literati and scholars, including Li Bo from the Tang Dynasty, Su Shi and Lu You from the Song Dynasty, Wen Tianxiang from the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang from the Ming Dynasty, and Zeng Guofan from the Qing Dynasty.

Elder Peng wore an inconspicuous yellow-brown bone vial around his neck, the origins of which had always been unknown. Today, however, it was unexpectedly revealed by this large bird with blue feathers, how could one not be astonished

The Bao Ci Zen Forest is located to the west of the Zhao Zhong Shrine. It includes monk quarters, the Mahavira Hall, and front and back courtyards. The temple was established in the eighth year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, built by Peng Yulin, the commander of the Xiang Army's naval forces, in gratitude to his mother for inviting monks to chant scriptures and pay respect to the Buddha. It underwent renovations in the twenty-ninth year of the Guangxu era, but was later destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Under the leadership of Elder Peng from Xieshan in Poyang Lake, it was only recently restored last year.

As soon as Shen Caihua approached the two mottled and colorful doors, he felt a chill in the air, causing him to shiver involuntarily. He remarked, "This shrine seems a bit strange"

Sister Ling, I am... Zhu Xiaoxiao

Then I will wait, wait until it can speak, and I will still ask Ling Ge.

"Hmm, the spiritual fetus descends, knowing all things. If there is a connection, you will surely find your little friend," Elder Peng comforted Shen Caihua.

Of course, if it is not swallowed, how can it meet Sister Ling?" Daoist Jia said with a strange smile

In the night sky, the moonlight is bright and clear, and a black dot spirals down; this is Dudu returning

Elder Peng gently patted the child's head and affectionately said: "Little one, Ling Ge and Ling Jie are both ghost immortals. Once the maple and willow meet, they will unite and will no longer answer any questions. We must wait until Ling Jie gives birth and brings forth the spirit fetus, which will take several days. Therefore, you should hurry back home."

Shen Caihua sobbed and refused to speak. After repeated inquiries from the old monk, he finally choked out, "My father and mother are both dead..." What was originally an unintentional evasive remark suddenly unearthed the buried sorrow within him. His biological parents were actually Zhu Biao and the deceased Shen Caihua. Although he was still young when they died, he vaguely remembered their indistinct images. However, under the tender care of Hansheng and Lan'er, those memories had long been suppressed deep in his subconscious.

Elder Peng nodded, reaching out to pull Shen Caihua into his embrace

Jia Daozhang was even more astonished; he knew that since the 5th century AD, when Indian Buddhism was introduced to the Tibetan region, the indigenous primitive Bon religion, also known as the Black Religion, had gradually declined. It was progressively replaced by the Gelug school's Yellow Religion, the Nyingma school's Red Religion, the Karma Kagyu school's White Religion, and the Sakya school's Flower Religion. The Bon religion, which once held significant influence in the snowy plateau, had since vanished without a trace

After a long silence, Sister Ling shyly replied in a soft voice: "I cannot feel it..."