"Wait." Lin Xuanfeng also stood up.
"how?"
"Yu Huang, you came here just to ask this?"
"Of course. What else did you expect it to be?"
Lin Xuanfeng frowned slightly, but quickly put on the smile befitting the head of the Lin family: "That's true. Then I'll see you out."
"Um."
Xuezhi looked at Lin Xuanfeng and said, "Huang'er."
“My dear daughter, I’m here.”
"You stay here and chat with Uncle Lin. Tou and I will go."
"No, I won't stay."
"Huang'er," Xuezhi frowned, "You, stay here. Do you hear me?"
Lin Yuhuang looked back at Lin Xuanfeng, then at Xuezhi, pouted, and said aggrievedly, "Fine."
Lin Xuanfeng sighed softly and said with a wry smile, "After all these years, you really haven't changed at all."
By the time they arrived at Shaoshi Mountain, it was nearly dusk. Despite riding a horse, Xuezhi was already panting heavily.
Shaolin Temple, the most famous temple in the world.
Just standing at the foot of the mountain, looking at this ancient and prestigious sect, one can feel the pure and authentic aura of martial arts.
Xuezhi has never felt close to places that are too upright. She firmly believes that she and Shangguan Tou have made a mistake somewhere. How absurd it would be for Shiyan to practice the "Nine Forms of the Lotus God"? The possibility is almost zero. But Shangguan Tou said that since things have come to this point, they should go and see for themselves, just to put their minds at ease.
As always, he informed his disciples that he requested an audience with the abbot.
The disciple left for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then returned and said, "The abbot has been unwell recently. Please ask Palace Master Xue and Valley Master Shangguan to end their visit as soon as possible."
Xuezhi said, "Since that's the case, then we won't..."
Shangguan Tou said, "Then I'll trouble you, Master."
Led by a monk, they passed through the Dharma Hall and arrived at the abbot's room. Xuezhi glanced awkwardly at Shangguan Tou. Shangguan Tou ignored her presence and simply knocked lightly on the door: "Excuse me, is Abbot Shiyan here?"
A voice came from inside: "Please come in."
The two pushed open the door and went inside.
"Please close the door, benefactor."
Shangguan Tou closed the door.
The first thing that catches the eye is the painting of the Eight Great Buddhist Monks on the wall, the painting of Bodhidharma crossing the river on a reed, and the huge bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha on the east side. In front of the statue, hundreds of red candles are neatly arranged. Shi Yan, wearing a kasaya, faces the incense and has his back to them.
There was a wooden fish on the ground. His hands were placed in front of him, but he wasn't striking the wooden fish.
There was another person with him.
A woman.
Xuezhi asked in astonishment, "Liu Hua? You... what are you doing here?"
Liu Hua smiled and said, "Can't a daughter go with her mother?"
"Mother?" Xuezhi asked, puzzled. "Your mother is here? At Shaolin Temple?"
"Her mother is me."
—This voice is all too familiar.
It's very melodious and androgynous, just like the black-clad man who is neither male nor female.
However, neither Xuezhi nor Shangguan Tou would have expected that the one who made that sound was Shi Yan, who had his back to them.
And he was slowly turning around.
157
The moment Xuezhi saw Shi Yan's face, she covered her nose and mouth, almost vomiting—no, she simply didn't want to, and couldn't believe, that this person was Abbot Shi Yan of Shaolin.
She preferred to believe that a demon had eaten Shi Yan, put on his robe, taken his tin staff, and was impersonating him in the abbot's room.
The person before me, though still old, had no gray beard and a calm, kind face.
His eyes crinkled into a smile, and his cheeks were covered in a thick layer of powder, so thick that it would flake off with the slightest movement. On this wrinkled, powdered face, there were even two patches of bright red rouge. Behind him was an ornate bronze mirror. He had been facing away from them, his hands in front of him, apparently grooming himself. At this moment, he held a piece of rouge in his hand.
"Long time no see, Palace Mistress Xue... Young Master Shangguan." Shi Yan stared at them without blinking, while picking up a rouge with his delicate fingers and licking it.
Bright red lips and exquisitely arched eyebrows appeared awkwardly and abruptly on the face of an old monk who was well past fifty.
Compared to Xuezhi, Shangguan Tou appeared much calmer. He cupped his hands in greeting to Shiyan: "Greetings, Abbot."
"Greetings, Young Master Shangguan." Shi Yan, still with his orchid-like fingers raised, gestured to Liu Hua, "Daughter, serve them tea."
Liu Hua served them tea with floating flower petals, handing it to them and saying, "Drink with confidence, it's safe and harmless."
Xuezhi took the teacup but didn't drink it; Shangguan Tou did.
Shi Yan looked at Xue Zhi and suddenly blurted out, "You bitch, are you still so hostile towards me?"
Xuezhi was completely surprised and didn't know how to answer.
"Women are such a hassle. All they do is be jealous and scheme against each other." Shi Yan said disdainfully to the mirror, wiping his mouth with his little finger. "But it's alright, I've accomplished my mission. Anyone I don't want to see can die."
Shangguan Tou asked, "May I ask, Abbot... what kind of martial art is it?"
Shi Yan burst into laughter at the mirror. Her voice was incredibly seductive; such a smile, if placed on the face of a middle-aged woman, would probably be incredibly alluring.
However, this person was Shi Yan. Xue Zhi was quite frightened by him and had already grabbed Shangguan Tou's hand.
"Is Young Master Shangguan truly ignorant, or is he pretending?" Shi Yan chuckled, toying with rouge. "I now possess all the characteristics that the former Palace Mistress of the Lotus Palace had. Tell me, what kind of martial art do I practice?"
The double lotus is indeed hermaphroditic.
Xuezhi still remembers the day Chonglian was drunk by Lin Yuhuang. He lay in the hot spring behind the mountain, his clothes half-undone, his starry eyes half-open, pouring hot wine down his throat. His hair, like thick black silk, floated in large clumps on the water. Then he threw the empty wine jug on the ground and laughed loudly in the hot spring, calling out to Lin Yuhuang. As soon as Lin Yuhuang went over, he was pulled into the water.
She had never seen Chonglian so alluring, even wanton.
Although Chonglian deeply regretted it the next day and tried her best to appear indifferent, Xuezhi could never forget that scene. From that moment on, she accepted Chonglian's gender from the bottom of her heart. Just as the outside world said, men and women were indistinguishable.
From that moment on, she believed that androgyny was the highest form of beauty. She possessed both the allure and gentleness of a woman, and the strength and toughness of a man.
However, when she saw Shi Yan, she realized that her idea was completely wrong.
"You...you're insulting my father!"
"What?" Shi Yan narrowed his eyes, his fingers crushing the rouge. "Say it again?"
Shangguan Tou quickly tugged at Xuezhi and gave her a wink.
Before Xue Zhi's anger had subsided, Shi Yan softened his tone: "Palace Master Xue, I completely understand your feelings. The passing of Palace Master Lian has brought you unspeakable grief, but you cannot always live in the past. You must see clearly who the current king of the martial world is and who will unify the world."
"A king? Then may I ask the current king, is it possible for you to face the world with your true face?"
“Practicing this evil art will naturally bring harm to the body. Just like my beard…” Shi Yan stroked his bald, pale chin, “If you hadn’t locked Man Feiyue up, I wouldn’t be like this.” His voice suddenly lowered, not much different from before: “Of course, if I wanted, I could also use this voice to talk to others.” After saying that, he raised his voice again: “I just really like my current voice, and besides, I have a very grand dream. Do you want to know what it is?”
Hearing his voice rise and fall, sometimes male and sometimes female, Xuezhi couldn't accept it for a moment and just shook her head vigorously.
"This old monk wants a son of his own." Shi Yan smiled slightly, pursed his bright red lips, and pointed at Liu Hua, "Not like before, having a daughter born to a prostitute, like this girl. I want one that I give birth to myself."
Liu looked embarrassed.
Not only her, but Xuezhi and Shangguan Tou were also embarrassed when they heard him say those words.
Xuezhi felt disgusted, but she couldn't argue back.
She couldn't utter a single word.
Finally, Shangguan Tou said, "Abbot, please don't forget that you are a monk."
"It doesn't matter. The world is so wonderful." Shi Yan laughed loudly, "This old monk will soon leave this boring mountain and return to the mortal world to enjoy my life."
158
Xuezhi said, "You have killed so many innocent people, even the secular world cannot accept you."
"Who said they were innocent? They deserved to die. Like Yan Zihua. I killed her because she spread rumors that 'Lotus Wings' was an evil technique. This can also be considered as indirectly protecting you, Palace Master Xue."
"The authentic martial arts of Chonghuo Palace have absolutely no connection with the 'Nine Forms of the Lotus God.' Moreover, the 'Lotus Wings' is indeed an evil technique, and my father died young because of it. Therefore, I also advise the abbot to abandon it to avoid future..."
"Shut up," Shi Yan interrupted her. "You say that because none of you can achieve it, while I have."
Xuezhi was about to retort when Shangguan Tou stepped forward and said, "Since that's the case, we won't bother you any longer. Farewell."
"Take care and don't bother seeing me off."
Xuezhi never expected that they would be released by Shiyan like this.
The two remained silent for most of their journey away from Shaoshi Mountain. It was difficult to describe the shock that Shi Yan had instilled in them. Just talking about it made it seem ridiculous and absurd, but when Xue Zhi saw him speaking of unifying the world with that awkward attitude, she still felt a clear sense of fear.
After a long while, Xuezhi said, "We already know so much, why would Shiyan let us leave?"
"Because if we told anyone, probably no one would believe us. Besides, since he's willing to meet us like this, something's bound to happen next."
"Something happened? What happened?" Xuezhi suddenly stopped. "Shi'er, Xian'er, Second Father... they are all still in Moon Valley!"
Shangguan Tou was also taken aback.
"Mother," Liu Hua said softly, taking out an eyebrow pencil for Shi Yan.
"My dear daughter, what is it?"
"The person the young master ordered his mother to kill was Shangguan Tou, wasn't it?"
Shi Yan took the eyebrow pencil and began to draw the arch of his eyebrows stroke by stroke: "Why ask so many questions?"