Рай — это берег праха смертных

Глава 63

“This is Beijing,” the little boy replied, somewhat surprised.

Finally, we arrived... Youliang's body went limp, and he almost collapsed in the carriage.

Fengtai Station was first built in 1885 and is the oldest railway station in the Beijing area. In 1900, when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, the French built a railway line from this station directly to Qianmen West Station in Beijing, with a total length of 14.8 kilometers.

With great difficulty, Youliang moved his weak body and climbed off the truck. He couldn't stand steadily after landing and almost fell over.

"Are you going to Beijing? It's still twenty li away," the little boy picking up coal cinders said sympathetically.

Youliang nodded, then asked, "Do you know about the Baiyun Temple in the capital?"

Both children shook their heads, indicating they had never heard of it.

It seemed that he would have to ask around as he went... After finding out the way to the city, Youliang trudged towards the capital.

Along the way, a kind old woman saw that he was dirty and pitiful, so she gave him two steamed buns. Watching him wolf them down, she kept sighing and shaking her head.

"Grandma, do you know where Baiyun Temple is?" Youliang swallowed the last bite of his steamed bun and then asked.

"Baiyun Temple? That's near Xibianmen in Beijing. Are you going to become a Taoist priest?" the old woman asked in surprise.

"I'm going to find someone." Youliang had filled his stomach and had more energy to speak.

The old woman pointed out the way to Baiyun Temple and then handed Youliang two steamed buns to take with him on the way.

After saying goodbye to the old lady, Youliang headed straight for the Baiyun Temple in Beijing with great confidence.

As dusk fell and the city lights began to twinkle, the streets and alleys were filled with a torrent of bicycles, much like the Yellow River overflowing its banks in his hometown. Horns and bells rang incessantly, creating a chaotic scene that left Youliang, who was visiting a big city for the first time, dumbfounded and unable to move.

No, my hometown, Aoli Village, is the best. Green mountains and clear waters, peach blossoms covering the fields, children chasing dragonflies and grasshoppers with great enthusiasm, or catching frogs and loaches with fish baskets—what a happy childhood those were...

Youliang arrived at Baiyun Temple and stood in front of the grand and imposing mountain gate. He thought to himself, "This Baiyun Temple is really big. There are smooth and flat stone slabs under my feet, and red walls and green tiles are all around. Ancient cypress trees stand tall and dense. I can faintly hear the sound of bells and chimes from inside the temple. Compared with this, my Fengling Temple is really too shabby."

The young Taoist priest at the door sighed deeply, holding a broom, and muttered, "Ah, finally it's time for dinner."

Youliang quickly stepped forward, put his palms together, and asked the young Taoist priest in a low voice, "Brother Taoist, is there a Taoist priest named Jia Shiming at Baiyun Temple?" He had stayed at Fengling Temple for five or six years and knew a little about the etiquette of monks.

“Jia Shiming?” The young Taoist priest looked at Youliang, who was covered in dirt and looked like a beggar, and shook his head, saying, “No, we don’t have a Taoist priest named Jia Shiming in our temple.”

Youliang was shocked to hear this. He had gone through so much trouble to get to the capital, but there was no one named Jia Shiming... In his haste, he quickly added, "He is the abbot of your Baiyun Temple."

“No, our current abbot’s surname is not Jia. The original abbot’s surname was Jin. You’ve come to the wrong place, haven’t you?” the young Taoist priest replied, looking at him.

"Are there any other Baiyun Temples in the capital?" Youliang asked, still unwilling to give up.

"In Beijing, this is the only place called Baiyun Temple..." the young Taoist explained sympathetically. "However, I heard that there's a Baiyun Temple in Gansu, so you must have come to the wrong place."

The young Taoist priest said he couldn't help, so he picked up a broom and went inside.

Youliang stood there dumbfounded. Uncle Weidu had indeed said "Baiyun Temple in the capital," and he was absolutely sure he hadn't misheard. But why did this little Taoist say there wasn't one?

Youliang stubbornly squatted under the archway next to the mountain gate, his eyes fixed on the people coming in and out. He thought to himself, now that he had found this place, he would keep an eye on it for ten days or half a month. As long as Master Jia and Nizi were in this temple, they would eventually show up.

As night fell, a cool breeze blew, and Youliang couldn't help but shiver.

At this moment, the young Taoist priest from before led an old Taoist priest with a white beard out of the mountain gate, pointed to Youliang under the corner of the wall, and said, "Abbot, it is he who is looking for a Taoist priest named Jia Shiming."

The old Taoist priest approached Youliang and said in a kind tone, "Child, are you looking for Taoist Master 'Jia Shiming'?"

Youliang hurriedly stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and then respectfully replied, "Yes, may I ask if there is such a person in your Baiyun Temple?"

The old Taoist priest stroked his beard and smiled slightly, saying, "Yes."

Chapter Ninety-Two of the Main Text

Youliang followed the old Taoist priest into the Baiyun Temple gate, passing by the calligraphy of Zhao Mengfu, the great calligrapher of the Yuan Dynasty. He then proceeded to the temple, where a winding path led to the entrance. The path was clear and unobstructed.

The Old Law Hall, originally named the Seven Immortals Hall, enshrines the Seven Immortals of Quanzhen, namely the seven great disciples of Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen School: Qiu Chuji, Liu Chuxuan, Tan Chuduan, Ma Yu, Wang Chuyi, Hao Datong, and Sun Bu'er. This hall served as a place for transmitting precepts and for holding ritual ceremonies.

The old Taoist priest led You Liangmai into the main hall, pointed to the statues of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, and said solemnly, "Child, this is where the spirit tablets of the patriarchs of past generations are enshrined. It is the most sacred place in Baiyun Temple. I am bringing you here to see the patriarchs of Quanzhen Sect first because the 'Jia Shiming' you are looking for is no ordinary Taoist priest. He was the previous abbot of our sect."

You Liang nodded with a sense of trepidation, gazing at the majestic hall and the solemn statues of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen, feeling genuinely uneasy.

“I am Xuwu, child, tell me your name and where you come from?” the old Taoist asked, staring intently at him.

"My name is Youliang, and I come from Tongguan, Shaanxi," Youliang replied cautiously.

"When and where did you meet Daoist Jia Shiming?" Daoist Xuwu continued to press.

“This…” Youliang didn’t know how to answer, but suddenly his stubbornness came over him and he said, “You have to tell me first whether he is at Baiyun Temple or not.”

Xu Wu paused for a moment, then pondered and said, "Master Jia is the former abbot, and it's usually inconvenient to reveal his whereabouts to unrelated people."

"I'm not an irrelevant person!" Youliang shouted.

"No?" Master Xuwu asked in return.

"He stole my sister," Youliang said indignantly.

"Steal your sister?" Xu Wu was stunned and quite puzzled.

“A few nights ago, he kidnapped my sister Nizi in Tongguan…” Youliang said bitterly.

Master Xuwu scrutinized Youliang repeatedly, and finally confirmed that he was not mentally unstable. He then asked, "Master Jia is quite old. Why would you abduct a young girl? Please explain in more detail."

Youliang recounted how he and Nizi were kidnapped by villains at Foya Temple in Tongguan and imprisoned in a civilian house, and how Master Jia forced Nizi to become his disciple before forcibly taking her away.

“Child, how can you be so sure that this person is Daoist Jia Shiming?” Xu Wu expressed his doubts, and after a moment’s thought, said, “Then tell me about his appearance.”

Youliang then recalled in detail the physical characteristics of Master Jia.

“So that’s how it is. That’s right, this person is indeed Master Jia…” Xu Wu stroked his beard and muttered to himself.

"Now can you tell me if Jia Shiming is in Baiyun Temple or not?" Youliang said.

Master Xuwu smiled slightly and said, "Master Jia disappeared six years ago, and his whereabouts and fate are still unknown. Only now do we know that he has appeared in Tongguan, Shaanxi."

"Ah...so, Taoist priest, you didn't know where Master Jia was either?" Youliang was greatly disappointed, feeling that he had been deceived by the old Taoist priest.

“Although I do not know Master Jia’s whereabouts, I can help you find him,” Xu Wu said with a smile.

"How do I find it?" A glimmer of hope ignited in Youliang's heart.

“There is a Taoist priest in Baiyun Temple who is skilled in tracking techniques and knows Master Jia. With him accompanying you, you will surely find something,” Master Xuwu replied confidently.

Following Abbot Xuyun's instructions, the young Taoist Qingyang took Youliang to the dining hall for dinner, then they took a hot bath and changed into a blue "Deluo" (Taoist robe) and cloth shoes. Since he was not a Taoist, he did not wear a headdress. After dressing up, Youliang looked like a different person and seemed much more energetic. That night, the two slept on the same large kang (heated brick bed).

"Do you really know the old abbot, Master Jin?" Qingyang asked enviously, peeking out from under the covers.

Youliang nodded and said, "I heard him call himself 'Jia Shiming,' and just now Abbot Xuwu said that Master Jia was the former Abbot Jin."

"I heard that the former abbot's Quanzhen Sect's 'Primordial Qi Gong' was incredibly powerful, but unfortunately he suddenly disappeared six years ago. Everyone says he's dead, and since then, no one in Baiyun Temple has been proficient in this qi gong," Qingyang said regretfully, shaking his head.

"'Innate Qi Gong'?" Youliang remembered that Master Jia wanted to force Nizi to learn this skill.

“Yes, that’s the most prized possession of our Quanzhen Sect. It was passed down from our patriarch, Wang Chongyang,” Qingyang explained in a low voice.

“Abbot Xuwu said he would send a Taoist priest who knows tracking techniques to accompany me to find Master Jia. Do you know who that person is?” Youliang asked.

"Oh, the person you're talking about must be Master Xufeng. He's a very senior disciple, the junior brother of Abbot Xuwu. He's over fifty years old, as thin as a stick, and his head is tiny. We all secretly call him 'Master Daolang'." Qingyang secretly covered his mouth and giggled.

"Is he good at 'tracking'?" Since Youliang couldn't sleep anyway, he decided to find out.

"Well, I heard he knows some kind of 'Five Elements Tracking Technique,' and he's one of the top experts at our Baiyun Temple. He's rarely seen, and I've heard that the Ministry of Public Security often asks him to help solve cases," Qingyang said mysteriously.

"Oh, if that's the case, he'll definitely help me find Nizi." Youliang seemed full of confidence.

"Is Nizi your girlfriend?" Qingyang asked seriously.

“Girlfriend…” Youliang thought of Nizi’s figure and said softly with endless longing, “She is my best friend, and I will never leave her in this lifetime.”

"Sigh, I wish I had a girlfriend too," Qingyang sighed.

Youliang and the young Taoist Qingyang were about the same age and chatted happily until they fell asleep late at night.

In the early hours of the morning, inside the old temple, Abbot Xuwu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, focusing his gaze on his nose and regulating his breathing. Since Master Jia's mysterious disappearance six years ago, government sources had revealed that he was dead and that Baiyun Temple needed to elect a new abbot. Based on his seniority and reputation, he had been elected by the Taoist priests as the new abbot. Jia Shiming's disappearance and death remained a mystery, and the government remained tight-lipped, unable to glean any further information. Most importantly, the Quanzhen Sect's most prized possession—the "Innate Qi Gong" manual of Patriarch Wang Chongyang—had also vanished with Master Jia's disappearance…

A gentle breeze blows...

Xu Wu slowly opened his eyes and said softly, "Junior brother, you've come."

In front of the main hall, a gaunt old man with a small head, dressed in a dark suit, a red tie with gold polka dots, and black leather shoes, suddenly appeared in front of Master Xuwu. He exuded a faint fragrance of cologne.

This person is none other than the mysterious and unpredictable Master Xufeng of the Baiyun Temple in the capital.

"Senior brother, you must have something important to tell me in such a hurry?" Xu Feng asked, bowing respectfully.

Master Xuwu sniffed the air and said, "Junior brother, it's late spring, and there are no mosquitoes. Why are you applying so much floral water?"

“Senior brother, this isn’t cologne, it’s genuine 4711 Cologne perfume, ‘Eau de Cologne’,” Xu Feng chuckled, adding a French phrase at the end.

"Why are you wearing perfume? You look like a flirtatious woman," Master Xuwu frowned and scolded.

Xu Feng replied, "Senior brother, you misunderstand. I was commissioned by the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security to go to Hong Kong to investigate a case with the Pinkerton Detective Agency. I disguised myself as a Hong Kong businessman for the job, which is why I have this smell."

"Alright, let's get down to business. Jia Shiming has appeared," said Master Xuwu.

"Master Jin... he's still alive?" Xu Feng asked in surprise.

"Someone met him in Tongguan, Shaanxi..." Master Xuwu recounted Youliang's story from beginning to end.

After listening, Xu Feng pondered for a long time before asking, "What does Senior Brother mean...?"

"Find him and retrieve the 'Essentials of Innate Qi Cultivation,' a treasure left to the Quanzhen Sect by our patriarch. Jia Shiming must return it," Master Xuwu said solemnly.

“Okay, I’ll take care of it right away,” Xu Feng replied.

“Junior brother, Jia Shiming’s ‘Innate Qi Gong’ has reached a state of perfection. You must remember not to fight him. Just find a way to make him hand over the secret manual. Then we will have nothing more to do with him,” Master Xuwu said with concern.

"Senior brother, don't worry. I also have a title from the Ministry of Public Security. If necessary, I can use the police's resources," Xu Feng said.

"Very good. Youliang is in Qingyang's room now. We should not delay. You should set off as soon as it is light." Master Xuwu closed his eyes again.

"Senior brother, I'm off." Xu Feng said, bowed, and then walked out of the Old Law Hall.

The moon was setting in the west, the stars were few and far between, and the White Cloud Temple was dark and silent.

Xu Feng arrived outside the door of the young Taoist Qingyang's room and heard the breathing of two people fast asleep. The gentle and calm breathing was naturally Qingyang's, while the other person's breathing was clearly tired, rapid, and uneasy. His element was fire, and his heart was frightened. This must be the child named Youliang. Judging from his breathing, he was about twelve or thirteen years old and his body was somewhat weak.

He pushed open the door and went inside, walked to the kang (a heated brick bed), and gently nudged the unfamiliar boy.

Yu Liang was startled, his body twitched, and then he opened his eyes.

"Are you of good character?" Xu Feng asked quietly.

“Yes, that’s me,” Youliang replied.