8mi Chapter 418: Something Similar
Chapter 418: Something Similar
In fact, Yin Zhong didn’t particularly enjoy reading, but with an exceptionally outstanding father and older brother, and being reasonably intelligent himself, he had always done fairly well in his studies.But Yin Zhong always felt pressured. He studied hard mainly to meet his family’s expectations and to prevent outsiders from looking down on the Yin family.
But now, upon seeing this book with its yellow cover, Yin Zhong immediately took a liking to it, probably because the two characters on the cover were simply too beautiful.
He grabbed the book on the table and flipped through a few pages at random. He found that it was full of text, but upon closer inspection, it wasn’t all words. Many of the characters formed something that looked like an array, with various hidden lines and patterns within them.
This book naturally possessed its own profound mysteries. Yin Chong’s current enjoyment wasn’t just coincidence; it was because he himself possessed extraordinary abilities, and Ji Yuan had deliberately made this book for Yin Chong.
If an ordinary person were to get their hands on this book, they would feel dizzy and lightheaded after reading it for too long. If they tried to keep going, they might even faint.
Yin Chong flipped through a couple pages with great interest, feeling that some of the characters resembled battle formations, with patterns that could be combined in all directions, and even conjuring up images of formidable military formations in his mind. It was both fun and magical.
“Mr. Ji, countless people have sought my father’s calligraphy, but I never imagined that yours would be even more beautiful, surpassing them all by a wide margin. Oh right, I’ve seen your old letter from back then. I was so confused; I knew all along that your calligraphy was better than theirs!”
Ji Yuan looked at him.
“You silly child, you didn’t say that just to curry favor with me, did you?”
“No, no! I meant it all!”
Yin Zhong raised his head and gave a sincere smile, while not forgetting his original purpose.
“Mr. Ji, you haven’t finished telling that scary ghost story you told last time. Please tell it to me again!”
“Oh? Aren’t you afraid?”
“I’m not afraid! I’m a real man, and I’m going to be a general someday!”
Seeing his earnestness, Ji Yuan nodded knowingly, then asked a question in confusion, as if he had suddenly thought of something.
“I heard that someone was too scared to sleep alone last night and went to his brother’s room.”
“Well…”
Yin Zhong’s expression froze, and he awkwardly scratched his head and drank his tea, but Ji Yuan was just teasing. Ji Yuan still said what needed to be said.
“Tiger, you must remember that whether it is a corpse, a ghost, or even a demon or monster, you can be afraid, but you must never lose your courage.”
“Can mortals fight against demons and monsters?”
Although Yin Zhong was young, his education and perspective were far beyond what ordinary people could match. He was much better than Yin Qing had been at his age. Sometimes, he spoke like a little adult.
Upon hearing this question, Ji Yuan replied with a serious expression.
“Not all mortals can fight against demons and monsters, but mortals still have the potential to fight against evil spirits. The demons you think of are among the more powerful ones. There are countless spirits and ghosts in the world, some of which are weak and you might be able to kill them with a single pinch. Even Hu Yun, that fox monster, was almost bitten to death by a big yellow dog before.”
“Huh? Him? He almost got bitten to death by a dog?”
As Yin Zhong listened, his train of thought went astray.
“Haha, that’s right. It was in Ning’an County, so he’s still very wary of dogs. By the way, you’d better pretend you don’t know anything about this in front of him.”
Ji Yuan said quietly, and Yin Zhong also subconsciously lowered his voice.
“Understood!”
“Hmm, also, don’t underestimate the thousands of humans. Being born as a human is something that many spirits and monsters envy. Not to mention that some humans are highly skilled in martial arts and can deal with some ghosts and demons themselves. Some unique individuals are not even afraid of the more powerful evil spirits. On the contrary, they would make all kinds of evil spirits and demons avoid them.”
Yin Zhong was taken aback again.
“Sir, are you talking about immortals? I was just asking about mortals…”
“Now that you mention it, such people are indeed no ordinary mortals. After all, they have already achieved extraordinary things, and even ghosts and gods have to give them face.”
Yin Zhong was extremely curious.
“Mr. Ji, have you ever met people like that? Who are they?”
Ji Yuan’s expression was both playful and amused.
“Not only have I met people like that, but you have too.”
“I’ve met them before too?”
Yin Zhong was stunned again.
“Indeed, the most representative example is your father, Lord Yin Zhaoxian, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Secretariat of the Dazhen Dynasty. Your father possesses a righteous spirit, and his upright aura sweeps across the land in all directions. Evil spirits dare not approach, and even petty villains can be identified at a glance. As long as the Emperor of Dazhen does not make a foolish mistake, your father will be the pillar of stability for Dazhen!”
Yin Chong stared blankly at Ji Yuan, seeing his serious expression and the deep, clear light in his eyes. He murmured to himself, believing him immediately.
“My father is so powerful… By the way, Mr. Ji, what is the ‘Golden Cudgel’?1 It sounds even more powerful!”
If a cultivator or a deity had asked Ji Yuan this question, he might have laughed it off or evaded the question. But since it was Yin Chong who asked, Ji Yuan didn’t care and just treated it as a story.
“The so-called ‘Sea-Stabilizing Needle’ is an extraordinary celestial treasure, capable of stopping tsunamis and waves when placed in the sea. It also boasts an exaggerated weight…”
Clearly, the story of the magic needle that stabilized the sea was more appealing to Yin Zhong than the previous ghost stories, and he became engrossed in listening to it without realizing it.
That night, Yin Zhong, who had shamelessly planned to squeeze into his brother’s room again the day before, changed his mind and returned to his own room, where he stayed up all night reading the book “Character Array” he had just acquired.
He found the book remarkable because it was even more interesting than those supernatural tales. The combination of various formations made it possible to feel the subtle dynamics between opposing forces. Some were aggressive as fire, others immovable as mountain earth; some were wise and insightful as the heavens, and some were unpredictable and elusive as the arrays themselves. The direction and meaning of the characters combined with their subtle distances and shapes to create this feeling.
…
Tens of thousands of Li to the north, in the Tongqiu Prefecture of the country of Tingliang, Daliang Monastery was even busier than usual during the New Year.
Because of the existence of Daliang Monastery, the people of Tongqiu Prefecture gradually formed a local custom: they would go to Daliang Monastery to burn incense and pray for blessings during the New Year and some important festivals. When there were religious ceremonies or similar events in their hometown, they also preferred to invite the eminent monks of Daliang Monastery.
The area inside and outside Daliang Monastery was bustling with people. As always, the monks of Daliang Monastery were assigned to maintain order and guide lost pilgrims. They even allowed some vendors who were familiar with the monastery to set up stalls in more open areas of the monastery so that pilgrims could buy food whenever they wanted.
On this day, Tie Feng, who had already returned to the capital of Tingliang, returned to Daliang Monastery once more. His mother wanted to come to Daliang Monastery to offer incense during the New Year, so he accompanied her.
As a family of officials with some power, they naturally arrived with carriages and servants leading the way. Although Tie Feng did not like riding in carriages, he could not let his elderly mother walk, so they took the rare opportunity to ride together to Daliang Monastery.
“Whoa–“
“Madam, Second Master, we’ve arrived at Daliang Monastery.”
Even without the coachman’s reminder, the bustling atmosphere outside and the crowds outside the carriage window already indicated that they had arrived. Tie Feng quickly got out of the carriage and helped his mother down.
“Mom, be careful, go slowly! Quickly put the footstool in place!”
The old woman on the carriage, supported by her maid, slowly walked down and looked at Tie Feng with feigned anger.
“I’m not so old that I can’t walk. Huanhuan can help me, why would I need you?”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Tie Feng smiled helplessly, but still extended his hand. His mother naturally reached out her hand as well. With her son’s help, she got off the carriage. Many of the pilgrims nearby looked on curiously, wondering which wealthy family this was.
“I don’t know what’s been going on in the capital lately. Some nobles and officials who weren’t particularly interested in Daliang Monastery before are now flocking there to join the fun. Even you have come, Mother.”
“What, I can’t come? I’m a devout Buddhist!”
Tie Feng quickly apologized.
“Yes, yes, Mother, you are the most devout Buddhist. I have already spoken with the monks of Daliang Monastery. After making sure to pay our respects at the Mingwang Buddha of Inscriptions Hall, we will then go to a monks’ hall in the inner courtyard.”
Tie Feng waved away the servants around him and personally led his mother and her personal maid toward the main gate of Daliang Monastery. A novice monk was already waiting there. They were going to offer incense, as everyone here was here to pray. In a place like Daliang Monastery, it would be impossible to have their servants clear a path.
At that moment, a deep, resonant voice suddenly rang out.
“Judging from your words, the nobles and royalty in the capital of Tingliang didn’t come to Daliang Monastery much during the New Years of the past, did they?”
Tie Feng frowned and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw an elderly man wearing a round-necked long robe as an inner garment and a straight-cut outer garment. When he saw Tie Feng looking over, the man bowed slightly in his direction.
Seeing that the man was meticulous in every detail of his appearance, and didn’t seem that old, with a calm yet spirited gaze, Tie Feng almost immediately judged that the other party was a person of importance, and returned the greeting with cupped hands.
“Indeed, the news of the boundless Buddhist teachings of the eminent monks of Daliang Monastery is quite prevalent both in the capital and Tongqiu Prefecture. Even His Majesty intends to make a pilgrimage to Daliang Monastery to worship Buddha. May I ask who you are?”
The old man smiled.
“My surname is Ying. I heard some interesting stories from a friend and came to see Daliang Monastery.”
As he spoke, the Old Dragon took the lead and strode up the steps of Daliang Monastery.
This man’s demeanor and appearance were so extraordinary that Tie Feng merely watched his back for a while before leading his mother into the monastery.
There were already enough pilgrims on ordinary days, but today there were several times more. Even with the help of the monks from Daliang Monastery, it took the old lady of the Tie family quite a while to enter the square outside the Mingwang Buddha of Inscriptions Hall.
The crowd was actually thinner here. With many more monks maintaining order, it wasn’t too crowded.
Tie Feng was fine coming alone, but he was sweating profusely with his mother in tow, especially in a place like Daliang Monastery where power and influence were relatively weak. He was worried that his mother wouldn’t be able to stand the dense crowds. Fortunately, things would be much better in the inner courtyard in a little while.
“Mother, we must worship the Mingwang Buddha of Inscriptions. That was what the Princess said!”
“I’m not here to play around, of course I’ll pay my respects! Huanhuan, let’s go inside!”
“Yes!”
The maidservant helped the old lady up the steps of the Mingwang Buddha of Inscriptions Hall. Several monks also came to check on her. They said that the powerful and noble could offer incense just like ordinary people, but the powerful and noble were still the powerful and noble after all.
Tie Feng breathed a sigh of relief, took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, and was about to go in when he suddenly saw the old man from before standing in front of the steps outside the Mingwang Buddha of Inscription hall. There were pilgrims around him, but no one could get a glimpse of him, and the man didn’t move at all, calmly looking at the golden Buddha statue inside.
Tie Feng was curious about the man with this unusual demeanor, so he subconsciously took a few steps closer and spoke to the old man.
“Sir, you’ve come to the Mingwang Buddha of Inscription Hall too? It’s not crowded inside, shall we go in and offer our prayers together?”
The old man turned to look at Tie Feng, a smile appearing on his face.
“Worship him? Hah, forget it!”
With that, the old man turned around, walked down the steps of the main hall, and strode away to the west.
Tie Feng frowned and stood there, watching the old man leave, his mind replaying something in his thoughts. It seemed that someone else had said something similar to him in a similar place.
T/n: hello lovely friends! I will be out of town for the next 2 weeks, so sadly there will be no updates for a bit. I will see you all on Monday May 18th for the next chapter. Cheers!
定海神针 (dìnghǎishénzhēn): the golden cudgel wielded by Sun Wukong in Journey to the West. You may also see this translated as “Sea-Stabilizing Needle,” as in the story it was originally the main enormous golden pillar that was stopping the seas from draining. Sun Wukong decided it would be a cool weapon, yoinked it, shrank it to a needle, and got the heck out of there in the ensuing chaos.