Chapter 7: Prayer Beads

The so-called Nine Yang refers to the principle of the five elements, wherein true energy is stored in nine major acupoints: the heart, the dantian, the foot yangming stomach, the foot taiyang bladder, the hand taiyang small intestine, the hand shaoyang triple warmer, the spine, the zhi yang, and the bai hui. Successfully refining each acupoint results in the generation of one yang, and when all nine acupoints are interconnected, it constitutes the independent Nine Yang.

He lightly tapped the wooden bead with his fingertips. Clearly, there was no powerful force; he did not even carve it. Yet, the wooden bead began to change on its own, until a layer of faint golden liquid enveloped its surface. Within the golden liquid, it seemed as if a celestial dragon was swimming, causing the wood to sink and the gold to flow, until it formed a "卍".

The graceful concubine cast him a cold glance and said in a soft tone, "Indeed, there is a hint of enchantment; it seems that abstaining from meat has not diminished this allure."

The prince ate calmly and, upon finishing, expressed his gratitude to the palace maid

Untreated, this is merely a wooden bead

So I helped it open the trap, applied medicine to its wounds, and performed a simple bandaging. The little fox was quite perceptive; it rubbed against my leg three times before reluctantly leaving. Seeing that it could be saved and return to the mountains and forests, I felt inexplicably happy.

Xia laughed heartily and patted her head, "Although the imperial city is vast, who else can I talk to?"

The powerful is a matter of numbers

"Then can you still walk to Mount Xumi on foot?" Consort Wan sneered dismissively, "Since you have a connection to the Buddha, I can assist you in becoming a Buddha, but the Buddha also has a mother and must follow the path of filial piety, and I am your mother"

This is the "Nine Yang Heart Sutra" extracted by him from the "Diamond Sutra"

He merely placed his finger on the wooden bead, and in that moment, the vast Buddhist essence of the Zen mind had already coalesced at his fingertip

At present, the time has not yet come, and all the sutras that can be seen have already extracted the skill orbs, leaving no other significance apart from recitation

The corner of Wan Fei's lips curled up: "Are you not going to kneel before Mother Empress?"

Xia Ji slept through the night in the dark little pavilion, and early the next morning, he heard the guards outside respectfully calling out, "Greetings to Her Highness, Consort Wan." The voice grew closer until the door of the Sutra Pavilion was pushed open directly.

Subsequently, he picked up the first wooden bead, closed his palm around that blazing sun, and even discarded the carving knife in his hand

... ...

The eunuchs and the guards hurriedly took their leave, exiting the courtyard and standing watch from a distance

There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no cessation of suffering, and no path; there is no wisdom and no attainment. Because there is nothing to attain, the Bodhi is thus achieved. Relying on the perfection of wisdom, the mind is free from attachments; because there are no attachments, there is no fear...

Heaven and earth resonate with my heart, and my heart also resonates with heaven and earth

His hands are somewhat slender, yet very steady

Lady Wan entered the room and waved her hand directly, saying, "You may leave for now."

Xia Ji was not impatient

Between the hand and the knife appeared a blazing sun radiating bright light, yet under the deliberate restraint of the summer solstice, the light and heat of this sun were confined solely to the tip of the knife

In the darkness, the tip of the knife glimmered with a dazzling and blinding heat, passing through the agarwood as if it were paper, neither hastening nor slowing down a bit

He is waiting for the right moment, which is to wait for his own fate. If this fate truly turns out to be ordinary and the world remains devoid of any significant events, then he will leave here directly with Xiao Su in a month and a half.

Consort Wan let out a cold laugh, her face displaying an expression of immense disgust, and her pace quickened even further.

Xia Xiaosu then approached and said softly: "It is like this, today I went to Leiyin Temple to pray and offer incense, and in the mountains, I encountered a little fox caught in a trap, its leg was clamped, blood was flowing profusely, and it looked very painful

Xia Xiaosu blinked and then leaned closer, saying: "Brother, please don't tell anyone else."

The Lady Wan was momentarily taken aback, then burst into laughter, and with a hint of淡淡 sarcasm remarked: "You do possess a certain degree of wisdom, able to discern the clues. It seems that cultivating this Zen mind and breaking through the depths of suffering is not merely a matter of chance.

He has been waiting for more than two years, and naturally, he wants to wait for the right moment to step out of the small building

In the past, plain oil was used, but now everything is boiled in water, and no seasonings or spices are added, making it utterly tasteless.

It is merely a reiteration of the saying "Those who do not share the same path do not seek to collaborate"

The sound of devoutly reciting Buddhist scriptures came from behind

But since you possess the wisdom to see, do you not have the wisdom to remain silent?

The saddest thing in this world is that there are only a few people with a little bit of cleverness

He opened a Buddhist scripture, his eyes no longer on the consort opposite him

In the days that followed, the vegetarian meals became increasingly bland, devoid of oil and salt. In order to ensure that the Seventh Prince's Buddhist practice was not disturbed, even the Ninth Princess was unable to bring wine and meat into the Sutra Repository.

The conversation has reached its conclusion

The palace maid hurriedly returned the courtesy in fear, yet deep down she felt that this prince was truly exceptionally gentle, unlike other members of the royal family, and then she hurriedly left.

Xia Ji lightly patted his moon-white robe and saluted, saying: "I have met with Lady Wan."

Not long after the palace maid had left, the Ninth Princess returned. She appeared to be in a good mood, and indeed, she was.

Time is destiny

It is all written in the eyes

Xia Xiaosu smiled, immersed in memories as she spoke

Xia Ji also smiled; her younger sister was still a sixteen-year-old girl. Although she had spent a long time in the deep palace, her heart remained kind. Perhaps she felt like a bird in a cage, and being able to bring freedom to the little fox also gave her a sense of joy that she could relate to.

Now, he possesses the Nine Layers of Tathāgata Zen and the Nine Layers of Lamp-Illuminating Zen. Why not attempt to integrate spiritual power into the tip of the blade and into the wooden prayer beads?

The two individuals gazed at each other in silence

Therefore, he requested a piece of agarwood and a carving knife

Silence is wisdom, while speaking reveals mere cleverness

A stunning concubine entered, her brows and eyes gentle, devoid of arrogance. Her attire was unpretentious and conventional. A teardrop mole beneath her left eye added to her compassionate demeanor. This is the current favored concubine of the emperor, Consort Wan, the mother of the Third Prince

Xia Ji's wrist flipped over, and soon eighteen round wooden beads had been carved out

The beautiful woman cast a glance at the young man, noticing that his features bore some resemblance to those of the woman. A hint of disdain flickered in her eyes, but this expression was fleeting. She then spoke directly: "The Son of Heaven has adopted you and the Ninth Princess as my own; from now on, you shall address me as Mother Empress."

The Luanka Chessboard on the Ninth Peak of Xumi left a deep impression on him; the chessboard, infused with spiritual power, is so mysterious that it can create illusions that are indistinguishable from reality

Having said that, she waved her long sleeves and exited the gate

As the summer solstice recitation reached the evening, the offered vegetarian meal had become considerably more bland.

He possesses the ninth level of Tathāgata Zen, yet he can still be drawn into it; one can only imagine the fate of others

Xia Xiaosu asked, "Brother, how did you know?"

From this point on, one will naturally be free from all ailments, with vital energy flowing continuously like a great river

Eighteen represents the six roots, six dusts, and six consciousnesses

Thus, before dawn had arrived, he had already risen, sitting in the darkness, eyes closed, holding a carving knife, slowly sculpting the agarwood

The body is spread out like the earth, the organs resemble mountains and forests, and the Nine Suns hang in the sky illuminating all

Xia Ji felt a long-lost happiness, so she asked: "Xiao Su, have you encountered some good news?"

Xia Ji: "I have been sitting quietly in the small pavilion for many years, my knees are not well, and I cannot kneel down"

Xia Ji retorted, "May I ask, Your Highness, the Lady Wan, who proposed the marriage alliance between the Ninth Princess and the Turks?"

Xia Ji was not angry; his expression remained as calm as ever