**Chapter 116: Heart of a Child**
Qin Mu carefully memorized the qi circulation diagram for the Supreme Body Three-Dan Art's Sixfold Realm on the pillars. He had obtained the incomplete Five Stars Realm diagram in the Suppressing Calamity Palace, and now with the Sixfold Realm diagram, the incomprehensible parts of the incomplete diagram gradually became clear, though completing the diagram remained impossible.
Since the Ancestor Juvenil had seen the Supreme Body Three-Dan Art's circulation diagrams, perhaps he had the incomplete Five Stars Realm diagram. Even if incomplete, perhaps together with the diagram Qin Mu knew, they could complete the Five Stars Realm.
It concerned his cultivation; he had to pay attention.
Suddenly, a monk walked out from behind the hall and said solemnly: "Which are the scholars of Jiangling? Jiangling scholars, step forward! You don't need to take this test—go wait at the next one."
Wei Yong was stunned, then walked out with two other scholars, heading toward the back of the hall. He turned back and called: "Brother Qin..."
"Silence!" the monk commanded.
The monk continued: "The Jiangling scholars suffered heavy casualties. They need not be tested further. Everyone else remains here and waits for examination."
Qin Mu was astonished—there were actually monks in the Imperial Academy!
Seeing so many Daoists, he had assumed this was a Daoist establishment despite its name as the Imperial Academy. He hadn't expected to encounter monks here.
"The Imperial Academy integrates both monks and Daoists. What does the Great Thunderclap Monastery think of this?"
Just as he thought this, another monk in yellow robes emerged from behind the hall. He had prominent brow ridges, long flowing eyebrows, and held a register. His sweeping gaze froze the scholars in the hall as he spoke: "This test examines your heart-mind."
His voice resounded like a great bell, vibrating the eardrums of everyone in the hall until their minds went blank.
He sat cross-legged, eyes lowered, and said: "The sutra I recite contains true words. If you cannot endure it, leave the hall. Those who can withstand this sutra may proceed to the next test."
He pressed his palms together, turning prayer beads, and recited at a measured pace: "The Buddha said to Subhuti: All bodhisattva-mahasattvas should thus subdue their minds. All categories of sentient beings—whether born from eggs, wombs, moisture, transformation; whether possessing form or formless; whether with perception or without; neither with nor without perception—I will cause to enter nirvana without remainder and bring to cessation. Thus bringing countless beings to cessation, yet truly no beings are brought to cessation. Why is this so..."①
The Buddhist voice resonated, each true word descending like a Tathagata, crashing into the minds of all scholars in the hall, into their bodies, into their qi, Spirit Embryo Divine Treasury, and Five Stars Divine Treasury!
Even within their thoughts, Tathagata Buddhas appeared, their light shining brilliantly.
The resonance grew stronger, becoming unbearable. It made their blood and qi surge, their qi scatter, their divine treasuries hard to maintain!
Resisting the sutra recitation was extremely difficult. Their mental defenses crumbled, as if every thought was illuminated completely, with no secrets remaining.
Finally, one scholar couldn't endure it and bolted from the hall!
Continuing to listen to this yellow-robed monk's recitation, he feared his qi would collapse entirely, his divine treasury would be occupied by the Buddhist voice, and perhaps his muscles, bones, and meridians would be shaken apart!
This scholar had barely exited the hall when several others also couldn't endure. They stood and ran outward, but before reaching the exit, they began vomiting violently, wishing they could expel their own hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, and kidneys.
The yellow-robed monk remained unmoved, continuing to recite the true sutra. The Buddhist true words resonated ever louder, forcing more scholars from the hall in miserable states.
Unknowingly, only twenty-odd people remained. Qin Mu sat in the hall as the Buddhist voice washed over him, shaking his entire being. The youth remained still, silently reciting demonic words, stalemating with the Buddhist voice—attack and defend, defend and attack, engaged in a fierce battle.
The Buddhist voice had minimal effect on him, unable to disturb his consciousness in the slightest.
After a moment, Qin Mu switched to the divine language he had learned, competing with the Buddhist voice in an intense struggle.
After a long while, the yellow-robed monk frowned. He opened his eyes and looked toward Qin Mu, who sat there looking perfectly composed, gazing up at the murals on the pillars as if the sutra recitation had no effect on him whatsoever. By now, only ten-odd people remained in the hall.
"Strange. His assessment clearly states 'peculiar nature, observe closely.' If his heart were truly evil, how could he endure my Buddhist voice for so long?"
The yellow-robed monk was deeply puzzled. His recitation unconsciously slowed as he thought: "He shows no trace of peculiarity now. If I deliberately make him withdraw, I'm afraid all the remaining scholars will be forced out, and no one will pass."
He paused, then stood and said: "You have passed. Exit through the back hall to the next test."
Everyone felt immense relief as they stood, drenched in sweat that had soaked through their clothes. Only Qin Mu seemed unaffected, without even a bead of sweat.
The yellow-robed monk studied him a few more moments, then took out the register and marked each person's name. When he reached Qin Mu, he hesitated, then wrote: "Heart of a child, unmoved by external influences."
The monk exited through the back hall, tossed the register into the air, and a crane flew down to catch it. The yellow-robed monk returned to the hall.
The crane flew to mid-mountain and landed before a great hall. Holding the register in its beak, it passed it to an approaching boy. The boy hurried into the hall and presented the book to a middle-aged Daoist: "Master Lingyun, the register has arrived."
Daoist Lingyun opened the register and smiled: "Every year the Imperial Academy awards ten名额, selecting outstanding scholars from the Spirit Embryo and Five Stars realms. I wonder what talent we have this year?"
He examined them one by one, nodding gently: "Fourteen remain, all with high assessments. Though this year has been turbulent and talent isn't as abundant as previous years, there are still some noteworthy young prodigies... eh?"
He fixed on Qin Mu's name, his expression strange. He read the line several times, somewhat confused: "What's the deal with this Qin Mu? Why does it say he's peculiar and needs close observation, yet also that he has the heart of a child, unmoved by external influences? These people are writing nonsense assessments!"
The boy explained: "Teacher, the three Jiangling scholars have been pre-selected. Teacher must eliminate seven in this round. Also, General Tiance said his daughter will take the exam—please give her special attention. The Grand Commandant's office sent a letter saying a grandson wants to study at the Imperial Academy. And the Cavalry Grand General, the Qin family of the capital, and Prince Zhen'an all wrote letters saying their young masters also want to..."
Daoist Lingyun's head throbbed: "They all want to enter the Academy, all with impressive backgrounds—anyway, more impressive than mine. The three Jiangling scholars already占了 three名额—that's for the State Preceptor's face. With only seven名额 left from ten, how can we accommodate so many? What's this Qin Mu's background? Is he from the capital Qin family?"
The boy shook his head: "The Qin family says their young master is named Qin Yu. This Qin Mu likely has no connection to the Qin family. His household registration is from Lizhou Prefecture."
Daoist Lingyun sighed in relief: "We'll have to wrong him then. When his turn comes, I'll fail him. Who else has no connections?"
"There are the brothers Ding Shan and Ding He, and this woman named Si Yunxiang. Also, those with minor connections—this one is a relative of the Yanshan Prefect, and she's a cousin of the Yudu Prefect..."
Daoist Lingyun sighed: "Third and second-rank officials aren't easily offended, but for now we have no choice."
Qin Mu exited the back hall to find a mountain path stretching upward. The dozen-odd scholars climbed together. Before long, the path leveled out. Waterfalls cascaded down jade walls, their spray catching the sunlight in dazzling rainbows. Qin Mu and the others couldn't help but marvel—this was truly a divine sanctuary.
"Sister, your surname is also Si?"
Qin Mu looked at the girl beside him and asked curiously: "The Si surname is quite rare. I have a relative named Si."
The girl beside him was named Si Yunxiang—a quiet young woman with large eyes. The Si family was small in number. Aside from Grandma Si, this was the first time Qin Mu had met someone with the Si surname. He couldn't help studying her more closely and approached to make conversation.
The Si-surnamed girl seemed to sense his gaze, blushing shyly. She lowered her head and walked forward without responding.
"She gets shy—she's not Grandma Si in disguise."
Qin Mu relaxed, thinking: "Grandma Si never gets shy. She's in the Village of Broken Elders, unable to leave the Great Ruins, and certainly couldn't come here. If it were Grandma Si, she wouldn't use the Si surname, because I'd suspect it. Ha ha, am I being too paranoid?"
He was getting somewhat paranoid. Hearing this girl named Si Yunxiang had made him suspicious, so he'd approached to test her.
Before long, they arrived before a great hall. A boy stood holding a register, looking at them. He announced: "Scholars, this test is strict. There may be injuries or deaths. Does anyone wish to withdraw?"
① The sutra is from the Buddhist Diamond Prajna Paramita Sutra. Zhai Zhu carefully read this sutra and discovered that the Sanskrit demonic language written earlier in the text was incorrect—the character "sa" should be inverted. The Diamond Sutra contains "mahasattva," literally meaning "great creation." Samaya should be "Mayasattva," and the later text has been corrected accordingly.