劍問蒼天 - 第176章 俗世佛堂 - 清風書屋

Facheng nodded. "That is right," he said. "Although our temple's opening to the secular world is an act of boundless merit, those who have left home still need tranquility. My master and several of my uncles are all lovers of quiet, and have always lived in the small temple at the summit, which we generally call the 'Little Fanyin Temple.'" With that, he smiled slightly, showing two rows of white teeth.

Ming Li nodded silently and said no more, following Facheng up toward the summit of Mount Sumeru.

Though Mount Sumeru could not compare with the heaven-piercing heights of the Canglan Sect's Skytouching Peak, it was by no means low. The Fanyin Temple they had just left was already halfway up the mountain, yet they climbed for a full half hour before they saw the plaque of the Little Fanyin Temple.

Seen from outside, the Little Fanyin Temple truly deserved the word "little"—a compound of no more than three courtyards, a far cry from the magnificent Fanyin Temple halfway down the mountain. But this place was remote from the secular world; all around were ancient pines and tall bamboo, dense in groves, and when the mountain wind blew, the pines swayed and the bamboo rustled with an indescribable serenity and elegance—a flavor altogether different from the bustle below.

Ming Li, only just recovered from his grave wounds, had walked so much that a faint sweat had appeared on his brow. He stopped to rest a moment and looked back. Far off, halfway down the mountain, the Fanyin Temple's incense was thick and prospering, drifting upward in threads and wisps—even from this distance it could be seen clearly, and amid it all came the faint murmur of voices, bearing an indescribable air of devotion and solemnity.

Ming Li gazed into the distance for a long while, lost in a daze, and no one could tell what he was thinking. At last he turned back; Facheng nodded and led him into the Little Fanyin Temple.

It was much simpler here than below the mountain. The two passed through the central Buddha hall, turned right twice, and entered the rear hall, where there were three quiet meditation rooms. Facheng stepped forward to the door of the middle room and said clearly, "Master, Benefactor Zhang Qingyue has arrived."

From within the meditation room came an aged yet kindly voice: "Please come in."

Facheng turned and gestured for Ming Li to enter. Ming Li hesitated a moment, then walked into the room—though he noticed that Facheng had stopped outside and seemed to have no intention of coming in with him.

Entering the meditation room, Ming Li looked around. The room was plain and unadorned; indeed, its furnishings were almost identical to the meditation room at the foot of the mountain where he had been recovering. And there, sitting cross-legged on the meditation bed, was the Venerable Pucheng, abbot of the Fanyin Temple and a towering pillar of the righteous path in the world today, holding a string of prayer beads and gazing at him with a smile.

"You have come," the Venerable Pucheng said in a calm voice, smiling faintly.

Somehow, in the presence of this holy monk, the turmoil in Ming Li's heart quickly subsided. Drawing a deep breath, he nodded and said, "Yes."

The Venerable Pucheng studied him carefully, from head to toe, a strange compassion and light flickering in his eyes. The prayer beads turned gently in his hand. After a long moment he said, "You must have questions you wish to ask me, no?"

Ming Li nodded at once. "Indeed," he said. "I am puzzled—why would the Fanyin Temple risk falling out with the Canglan Sect to save me? And also, why did you..."

He asked in urgent haste, the words tumbling out quickly, but halfway through a question he stopped involuntarily: the Venerable Pucheng had raised his right hand and held it in midair, halting him from going on.