Chapter 6: Vengeance Begets Vengeance
The lost and regained Long Xiangsi completely extinguished Jiang Wang's intention to resort to force. No matter how unreliable this old monk Kujue might be, his unfathomable strength was there for all to see. The gap between them was so vast that he couldn't even perceive its magnitude, let alone bridge it. He couldn't escape either—his earlier futile attempts had proven that. Fortunately, this yellow-faced old monk seemed to harbor no ill will. Jiang Wang sighed: "Master, if you truly lack disciples, there's someone in my town who has achieved the state of 'all things are void,' sees through life and death, and cares for nothing... I believe he has great spiritual roots." He thought to himself: Xiang Qian, oh Xiang Qian, with this powerful master, being his disciple wouldn't be a humiliation. That title of 'Three Pinnacles of Flying Swords' belongs to a bygone era—you should just forget it. "He won't do," the old monk Kujue rejected immediately. "He might disappear any day. I need my disciples to observe mourning rites—I absolutely cannot accept this jinx." From the old monk's words, it seemed he knew something about Xiang Qian's background. But why call him a "jinx"... that was harsh. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Jiang Wang asked bitterly: "May I ask, Master, how did I catch your eye?" "Fate!" Kujue insisted. Jiang Wang: ... This reason was impossible to counter. Kujue seemed to realize this wasn't convincing, so he added: "I've seen how you protect the common people here and bring peace to this area. You have a compassionate heart, a Bodhi mind, which aligns perfectly with my Buddhist teachings!" Jiang Wang hurried to say: "If we speak of compassion, in Yang State there's someone who has saved countless lives and is revered by all. That is the Hengyang County Marshal, Huang Yi..." Unexpectedly, the yellow-faced old monk flew into a rage: "Wretched disciple! Why all these evasions? Do you look down upon my Buddha?" This accusation was so severe that Jiang Wang barely registered the very immersive 'wretched disciple' title, and quickly explained: "The path of cultivation is vast. Before reaching the end, who knows who is right or wrong? The Buddhist sect is also a prominent school of the present age—how could I dare look down upon it?" The old monk Kujue asked in a gloomy voice: "Then you look down on my Xuan Kong Temple?" Good heavens! So he was a monk from the Eastern Holy Land of Buddhism, Xuan Kong Temple! Jiang Wang had heard of this famous sect in the Eastern Region but had never had dealings with them. But why would Xuan Kong Temple take an interest in him? He promptly said: "Xuan Kong Temple is a world-renowned sect—I have always greatly admired it!" The yellow-faced old monk's face became even more withered and yellow: "Then you look down on me, Kujue?" With your strength, even if I truly looked down on you, I wouldn't dare say it... Jiang Wang could only reply helplessly: "Master, everyone has their own aspirations!" He now had the Grand Void Illusion to deduce cultivation techniques, and had obtained the title of Qi State nobility. All cultivation methods and secret arts could be obtained through proper channels from Qi State. He had no desire, nor need, to find a master to control him. Besides, he had never had any intention of shaving his head and becoming a monk. In truth, he had never studied Buddhism before. Now his cultivation was progressing well, not falling behind others. Why suddenly choose a new path? Unfortunately, circumstances were stronger than will. The yellow-faced old monk stared at him and said: "Isn't that so? You want to be my disciple, I want to be your master. Truly, everyone has their own aspirations." What nonsense was this? How could "everyone has their own aspirations" be interpreted this way? Setting aside everything else, his ability to twist logic was truly unmatched. He couldn't beat him, couldn't escape, and couldn't reason with him. Jiang Wang had to become serious: "Master, is there such a thing as forcibly taking a disciple in this world?" "You are only unwilling now, but you will be willing in the future. Since you'll be willing later, how can this be called 'forcibly taking a disciple'?" "Then let's talk about it later, Master!" Kujue monk had a look that said 'I knew this all along' and smiled: "You see, you're already less determined about the 'later.' What does that show? Your current determination is just bluster, completely meaningless! Our master-disciple fate was ordained by the Buddha himself—there's no avoiding it. Why not just accept it early?" Jiang Wang frowned and asked: "Buddhist cultivation requires the six sense organs to be pure, doesn't it?" "That's correct." "What if I have hatred in my heart?" "All things are void!" the yellow-faced old monk said. "Cannot be voided!" Jiang Wang said this very firmly. Kujue couldn't help but sigh: "When will vengeance beget vengeance end?" Jiang Wang replied calmly: "It ends when one side is annihilated. Or when I die, it ends." This monk was quite unreasonable, but he truly didn't want to just become someone's disciple for no reason. One must know that the master-disciple bond is weighty—it's not just words, but carries responsibilities for both parties. In Buddhist terms, it entangles karma! Even if the other party came from a world-renowned sect like Xuan Kong Temple, even if he had the strength to teach and protect him. He had only known this yellow-faced old monk for a day—he didn't know the person or his heart. How could he willingly become a disciple? Jiang Wang's mention of hatred was just stating facts. He didn't really expect Kujue to give up, and was still thinking of a way to escape. But to his surprise, after hearing his answer, Kujue remained silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed: "Foolish child!" With one step, he vanished from the spot. In the blink of an eye, the place was empty. This monk had come inexplicably and left just as inexplicably—it was truly baffling. Jiang Wang pondered for a long time, trying to guess the yellow-faced old monk's purpose. After much thought, he could only come up with one reason—if Xuan Kong Temple wanted a share of the Yang Region after the great battle, the Rizhao County Marshal position could be a good entry point. However, his position as Marshal was still being contested. Gao Shaoling had the backing of the Jinghai Gao Clan, not to mention Huang Yixing, a man from a fallen state, who probably wouldn't refuse such a powerful backer as Xuan Kong Temple. Why specifically seek him out? ... ... The old monk Kujue left without a sound. Jiang Wang walked out of the dining hall, and only then did Dugu Xiao notice the movement and come over. He peeked inside: "Master, where is the monk?" "Gone," Jiang Wang said casually. "Don't spread this around." A monk from Xuan Kong Temple appearing in Qingyang Town at this time, with unknown intentions—he didn't want anyone to draw unfavorable conclusions. Dugu Xiao agreed without hesitation. Leaving there, Jiang Wang went to find Xiang Qian. As his strongest fighter currently, after the assassination of Song Guang, he hadn't had a proper talk with Xiang Qian. He had become a Qingyang Town man, subject to Qi State's system of rewards and punishments, and he himself needed to be fair in both. Outside, the weather was fine. Xiang Qian was still lounging in bed. Though with that sword array technique and his Inner Palace realm level combat strength, he could live comfortably enough. But as a grand master of the Three Pinnacles of Flying Swords from the flying sword era—aside from the period fighting the plague—spending every day either drunk or sleeping was truly too unambitious... Jiang Wang knocked twice lightly, considering that enough for knocking, and pushed the door open directly. With Xiang Qian's strength, even in deep sleep, he wouldn't miss such a disturbance. He simply turned over on the bed, facing away from the door, and complained: "Disturbing people's dreams in broad daylight!" Jiang Wang ignored his complaint, found a place to sit, and said casually: "An old monk from Xuan Kong Temple came to town today, making a scene, insisting on taking me as his disciple. He seems to know you, calls you a jinx or something." Xiang Qian's complaints stopped. "Xuan Kong Temple?" He didn't turn around, but his voice drifted over eerily.