Chapter Seven, Returning to the Underground Palace of the Tianfa Temple
After the young monk led them to the tea room, he subsequently created an invisible barrier, enclosing Fat Wei and Ghost Blade within it, and directly proceeded to the underground palace of Tianfa Temple
Chen Zhi shook the candlestick at the side of the plump Wei
He then pushed open the old wooden door, and the three of them walked in together
Chen Zhi no longer adheres to the trivialities of human etiquette, nor does he wish to sit here wasting time waiting for others
Chen Zhi stated very clearly over the phone
Chen Zhi did not conceal the content of the divination, and conveyed every word spoken by Xuan Lin accurately to Pang Wei and Gui Dao
A few days later, he hurried back from out of town
Then the three individuals made some simple preparations and set off together once again towards Xi'an
The sound of rustling or flowing
The old wooden staircase creaked ~ ~ creaked ~ ~ as they descended, with various animal skins and felt displayed along the walls on both sides of the path
They took a few more steps forward and found a small wooden secret door on the dark wall behind them, still adorned with a heavy iron chain and lock.
Quickly focus your thoughts in the right direction! Think about what to do three years from now
What time is it now, and you are really so bold!
The head of the mummified corpse is tilted to the side on the table, and the facial features are no longer discernible.
The wooden door is indeed very old, and as soon as it is pushed open, dust flies everywhere
In ancient times, the people of India did not possess the art of papermaking; instead, they inscribed their scriptures on long leaves, which were then bound into booklets. The processing of these palm leaves was quite cumbersome and of immense value, and very few of them have survived to this day. The authentic scriptures that Xuanzang brought back from India were, in fact, all written on these leaves
There is a low table on the mat, on which sits a brass lamp that has long been out of oil.
Dan Xuan informed Chen Zhi and others that they need not be constrained within Tianfa Temple and are free to go anywhere, including areas that are typically restricted to the abbot alone
Chen Zhi then hung up the phone
Chen Zhi walked over, grasped the padlock, murmured a few words, and with a click, the lock mechanism opened, causing the chain to fall down
It is a very narrow space, with a faint candlelight, a small dark room of less than 20 square meters
However, Dan Xuan is currently not in the temple, as he has urgent matters to attend to outside and will return after a while
Even if the world were to end tomorrow, we must repay the kindness we owe to others
Furthermore, matters pertaining to three years from now need not be spoken of any longer
Chen Zhi immediately understood the meaning of this sentence; what Dan Xuan was referring to was that dark room
Gui Dao and Pang Wei followed Chen Zhi as they descended along the spiral staircase
These pieces of wood have long been in a state of disrepair, with some having a single hole from a previous incident. This process is extremely dangerous, but for the three of them, it is no longer a concern.
Go take a look
The Buddha crown is the coronet of a monastic. In the esoteric tradition of Buddhism, masters, abbots, and senior monks wear a precious crown during rituals, which symbolizes the five wisdoms of the Tathagata. At the center of the crown are five transformation Buddhas, representing the perfection of the five wisdoms. Only highly esteemed monks of the highest rank are qualified to wear it
The structure dates back quite a long time, and both sides are built with black mountain stones. A rough estimate of its structure suggests that it is at least seven stories high
It is unclear what the reason is, but ever since the last divination yielded results, the emotions of the three individuals have instead become more relaxed
When they appeared again at the entrance of Tianfa Temple, the feeling of tension that once surrounded the grand gate of the temple was no longer present
In the very center of the dark room, there is a circular grass mat, which has long since lost its original shape, deteriorating into a solidified substance
This is already their second time coming here
If everything is predetermined by fate, then it becomes simpler
During the previous period, everyone felt a sense of oppression, perhaps due to the tight constraints of those three years, which created an invisible pressure that weighed heavily on their hearts
On the table, there are brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone, along with a blackened corpse lying there
Fat Wei is just such a person, who will mumble for a long time afterwards, but in the end, he can never win against Chen Zhi
The underground palace of Tianfa Temple is a typical structure of an ancient underground Buddhist pagoda, resembling an iron rod driven into the ground
This mummified corpse is of ancient origin, having shriveled to an unrecognizable state. The muscles and skin have turned a deep, dark brownish-black, completely fused with the wooden table, appearing from a distance like a massive piece of black plasticine.
Inside the underground palace, wooden stairs are arranged in a spiral formation, made of ancient timber, descending layer by layer, winding and turning, leading directly to the depths of the underground palace
However, this time the divination unexpectedly released the constraints that bound their hearts
The body was draped in a red silk cassock, the bright crimson hue of which remained vivid, with the edges inlaid with threads of pure gold. Such an item was certainly not something an ordinary monk could possess at that time
Let me tell you, that broken corpse, where did it come from, anyway it's not my grandfather, I don't care
These ancient scriptures are arranged in rows, emanating a unique radiance, subtle yet profound, making one feel that there is nothing more sacred in this world than this
At this moment, the crown worn by this corpse is exceptionally exquisite and luxurious, indicating that this monk must have held a very high status during his lifetime
Regardless of whether the matter succeeds or fails, as long as one follows the course of fate's wheel, one should then do their utmost and leave the rest to destiny
Now let's see your skills, that's your expertise, give that corpse an autopsy, and find out where it came from...
You should set aside your current tasks for now; this time in Xi'an, you need to engage in your area of expertise.
Because there had been contact prior to their arrival, the gatekeeping young monk was aware of their coming and courteously welcomed them inside
On the head of the corpse rests a Five Buddha Crown
Are you not ill?
When Chen Zhi called Pang Wei again to say he was going to Xi'an, Pang Wei felt as if he were dreaming
Such monks of this identity should be recorded within the temple and then properly arranged for their passing; they should not be left abandoned here
Chen Zhi remembered the entire route that Dan Xuan took them on last time in his mind
Orange
The young monk invited them to enter the tea room to rest and conveyed Dan Xuan's message
And behind the wooden door, that familiar scene reappeared
Chen Zhi had noticed these things last time; they are not what one should see in a sacred place of Buddhism, but rather resemble the customs of the ancient people from the Western Regions.
Upon returning here once again, the strong odor wafted through the air once more. Observing everything around, Chen Zhi experienced that feeling again; this place did not resemble a Buddhist temple's underground chamber, but rather felt more like a refuge.
In another three years, the entire world may very well be in ruins, and our own lives may be lost. Why would you still care about where the broken corpses in the Tianfa Temple came from
They eventually arrived at the dark room, where there were piles of scripture scrolls, some of which were even precious palm-leaf manuscripts
Let us prepare to set off