Chapter 696: The Battle of the Buddhist Hall

Translator: Foxs' Wuxia

Jing Nian Chan Yuan was unreasonably quiet, this should be the time for evening class, just now the bell for the evening class was ringing, why was it that not only there was not any ‘Knock! Knock!’ sound of wooden fish, but there was no monk chanting the sutras and reciting the Zen? It seemed like the monks in the entire temple had disappeared all of a sudden.

The bright moon replaced the setting sun, it rose to the gray-blue night sky, the snow-covered plaza, the layer upon layer of temple buildings wrapped in silver adornment, the pagodas and the bell towers, everything gently reflected the golden yellow moonlight.

In this touching heaven and earth of white snow and golden moonlight melting into one, Ning Daoqi’s voice came from the direction of the distant Copper Hall. He did not blow any qi or raised his voice, but every word rang clearly in Kou Zhong’s eardrums, as if the hailed-as-the-number-one-figure-in-the-Central-Plains, one-of-the-three-grandmasters, the-top-martial-art-master-of-this-generation Ning Daoqi was whispering in his ear, “How I hope that Song Xiong came to me tonight to have a drink and heart-to-heart talk, sharing the experience of life. I only hate that the heaven and earth is not benevolent, using all that exists as fodder for dogs, so that we sink into reverse, the intention of our hearts exists only deep in our breast. Today, the disaster of the Central Plains is pressing on our eyebrows and eyelashes, troubling me that I, a big fool who has forgotten the months and years, and is happy not to know how to return - have no choice but to ask Song Xiong to give pointers on a couple of Heavenly Saber moves. But I had not bothered whether I could bear it, so I ask Song Xiong to start off leniently.”

Uncontrollable sublime admiration welled up in Kou Zhong’s heart, Ning Daoqi’s remarks fully demonstrated the spirit commensurate to his identity of the grandmaster of the Taoist School, he did not deny that he had a secret intention to destroy Song Que’s plan to send out his troops out of Lingnan, and he did not talk nonsense, he declared war on Song Que openly in the most modest way.

As long as Song Que made any mistakes and delivered a wrong answer, it could also be a factor of defeat tonight.

When martial art masters fought against each other, there was no room for failure, even if the difference was only a fraction of a hairsbreadth.

With both hands behind his back, Song Que strolled leisurely towards the Copper Hall. Laughing involuntarily, he said, “Dao Xiong’s [brother Taoist] words are really interesting, you make me feel that I, Song Que, have made this trip not in vain. Dao Xiong’s modest, self-defending xinfa has reached the completely selfless realm, deeply achieving the Taoist School’s purpose in emptiness keeping watch of the quietness. Song Que received instructions!”

Kou Zhong’s heart and spirit were severely shaken, Song Que’s words were as intimidating as his saber, a few indifferent words showed that he had a thorough understanding of Ning Daoqi, proving that he was at his peak, and that Fan Qinghui had no influence on him anymore. How did Song Que do it?

Obtaining the saber and then forgetting the saber.

After thinking hard and then forgetting it.

Coming from Liangdu to here, for Song Que, it was the highest level, the-sky-and-earth-turning-upside-down’s saber way cultivation. After obtaining the saber and then forgetting the saber. Looking at Song Que’s majestic back, he clearly felt the confidence he carried on his back, so powerful that no one could change and alter. No victory, no defeat, neither of them existed inside the ocean of his brain.

This was the genuine goods at fair prices Heavenly Saber.

Ning Daoqi said cheerfully, “Song Xiong praised me too much! I never liked Laozi’s [Lao-tze or Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism] seriousness, I only like Zhuang Zhou’s [Zhuangzi (369-286 BC), Daoist author] magnificence, I loved his entering the world [to engage with secular society] and coming out of the world [to withdraw from worldly affairs] even more, in accordance with the way of nature. Otherwise, I don’t need to make an exhibition of myself here tonight.”

The conversation between the two was quick-witted and sharp, deeply containing profound principles within it. Kou Zhong knew even more that from the time Song Que stepped into the mountain gate, the two have already clashed against each other.

Song Que spoke in astonishment, “Turns out Dao Xiong is seeking ‘Zhi Ren’ [fully realized human being], vanishing look at life or death, longevity or premature death, success or failure, right and wrong, slander or acclaim, standing aloof over everything, desiring the good, regarding the world and all things as an integral whole with oneself, not knowing whether there is self or non-self, free and at leisure. Then my, Song Que’s chatter must be unbearable as it enters Dao Xiong’s dharma ears.”

Song Que’s words seem to be a compliment, but actually he pointed out that Ning Daoqi’s involvement in the big maelstrom of contending for hegemony over the world this time, the heart’s intention existed in his breast, was running counter to Zhuang Zhou’s standing aloof over everything’s decree. As long as Ning Daoqi’s Taoist heart was not firm enough, thereby doubting himself, this flaw in his mind and spirit could cause him to be defeated for sure.

Song Que, who since the beginning was adept in attack, was already advancing move by move, while Ning Daoqi was using retreat to advance, using the soft to restrain the hard.

Kou Zhong followed behind Song Que, passed the bell tower, and finally arrived at the platform plaza, surrounded by the white stone carved fences where the Copper Hall was located at the core of the Chanyuan.

In front of the statue of Manjushri riding a golden lion at the center of the white stone plaza, Ning Daoqi, fiddling with his beard, laughed and said, “Born after the heaven and the earth, yet knowing the beginning of the heaven and the earth; died before the heaven and the earth, yet knowing the end of the heaven and the earth. Therefore, since there is life then there must be death, there is a beginning, there must be an end. Death and life intersect, life is the test of death, this is the way of the nature. The travel of the sky has permanence, not for Yao [Tang Yao (c. 2000 BC), one of Five Legendary Emperors] to survive, not for Jie [emperor of Xia dynasty) to die. The Way [Dao/Tao] has a body and has a function, the body is the motionless yuanqi [vital energy], the function is to transport this yuanqi between the heaven and the earth. Therefore, when things reach an extreme, they can only move in the opposite direction, blessings and misfortunes are sent, misfortunes and blessings are relied on. Laozi put emphasis on inaction [Daoist doctrine], Zhuangzi put emphasis on nature, not to teach people not to create matters and seek success, otherwise, why did Laozi have five thousand fine and delicate works of art, and Zhuangzi has fables? It is merely creating without possessing, succeeding without self-confidence; wouldn’t Song Xiong agree?”

Ning Daoqi was as elegant as ever, his five strands of long beard lightly fluttered blown by the wind, wearing high hat and wide belt, and brocade robe draped over his body, the innocent expression showing in his eyes with standing-aloof-from-worldly-affairs hidden within, staring at Song Que without blinking, as if he was completely oblivious of Kou Zhong’s existence. All around the courtyard, not the least bit of lantern light was seen, not a single person’s trace was perceived.

Kou Zhong tactfully stopped outside the white carved stone fence, unwilling to have his presence to affect the results of the two men’s battle. As long as Ning Daoqi’s mind was slightly divided, Song Que would surely take advantage of the emptiness and enter in, until Ning Daoqi was defeated and die.

To the left and right behind Ning Daoqi were the statues of Yao Shi [pharmacists, lit. medicine master] and Sakyamuni, the Manjusri Bodhisattva’s attendants, and the five hundred copper Luohan [arhats] evenly distributed everywhere on the white stone platform. These statues were like gods and Buddhas descending to the mundane world, to be the silent witnesses to the most influential and far reaching, earth-shattering battle of the Central Earth Wulin in the last hundred years or so.

The large incense burner in front of the Manjusri Bodhisattva’s niche was lit with sandalwood, the fragrance permeated all around, increasing the mysterious and transcending-the-dust-the-absolute-vulgarity atmosphere to the imminent decisive battle severalfold.

Unhurried and calm, Song Que climbed up the white stone steps, set foot on the platform, straight to about two ­zhang away from Ning Daoqi, and spoke indifferently, “From your own life and death, Dao Xiong understands the beginning and the end of heaven and earth, the way of the nature, thereby you transcend life and death, the beginning and the end, making Song Que remember an article in Zhuang Zhou’s Xiao Yao You [lit. wandering free and unfettered], about the giant roc, divine bird, whose back was like Mount Tai, whose wings like the cloud hanging down from the sky, rolling up [as in rolling into a ball in one’s hands] and supporting the swaying goat’s horn 90,000 li up into the vanishing mist, bearing upon the clear sky. Although Song Que lacks this ability to come and go to the heaven and reach the polar region of the earth, but vertically leaping among the branches, I also feel free and easy, allowing me the delight of moving the length and breadth of the earth, wouldn’t Dao Xiong think so?”

This fable of Zhuang Zhou, the conception was grand, wonderful, and magnificent, but its purpose was not to eulogize Kun and Peng’s [both are mythological beasts] greatness, but to point out the difference between big and small, there was no other meaning. When the little bird in the swamp saw the Great Peng flying over in the sky, it was not ashamed of its own diminutive size, instead, it felt its own leisure, propriety, and freedom, everything followed the natural way.

Song Que used Zhuang Zhou’s lance to attack Ning Daoqi’s Zhuang Zhou’s shield, to explain clearly his determination to help Kou Zhong unify the world. Therefore, regardless of how great Ning Daoqi’s argument was, because everyone has different standpoint, he could only let nature took its course.

Listening to that, Kou Zhong admired it in his heart, without their insight, he could forget about such tit-for-tat talk and exchange.

Ning Daoqi laughed aloud and said, “I thought Lao Zhuang [it could mean ‘Old Zhuang’, but could also refer to Laozi and Zhuangzi, both are considered the founders of Taoism] did not agree with Song Xiong‘s spleen and stomach [taste (in literature)], hence you disdained it as beneath contempt. Who would have thought that you are more proficient than me, Ning Daoqi? Understood! May I venture to ask Song Xiong’s confidence in how many saber strikes you can put me in order?”

Song Que smiled and said, “How about nine saber strikes?”

Ning Daoqi spoke in astonishment, “If Song Xiong thinks that Daoqi’s San Shou Ba Pu only has eight moves, I am afraid there is a bit of a misunderstanding.”

Kou Zhong also agreed with what he said. Based on his own experience of fighting hand to hand with him, Ning Daoqi’s moves followed his heart’s desire, completely without any fixed method, like a heavenly steed, soaring across the skies, not subjected to any restrictions, not limited by any rule.

Throwing his head back in laughter, Song Que said, “The great way is simple and easy, the counting starts from one and ends at nine. Although San Shou Ba Pu can change endlessly, in the final analysis, there are no more than eight essences, otherwise it will not be named by Dao Xiong as eight pounces [Ba Pu]. If I, Song Que, cannot make Dao Xiong dare not repeat it, no need to talk about victory or defeat. However, if Dao Xiong has no choice but launching eight secrets all together, by the ninth saber strike, naturally victory or defeat will be clear. Does Dao Xiong still think that this is a misunderstanding?”

Ning Daoqi laughed involuntarily and said, “Actually, I already used a little bit of heart’s intention, hoping that Song Xiong would say this. Then if Daoqi can block Song Xiong’s nine saber strikes, would Song Xiong from now on be free and at leisure, you and I both will no longer care about the younger generations’ affairs anymore?”

Hope grew in Kou Zhong’s heart, if Ning Dodge could firmly withstand Song Que’s nine saber strikes, everyone shook hands and talked about peace, Song Que surely must withdraw from the fray and live in seclusion according to the agreement, but he, Kou Zhong would succeed his great cause and accomplish his cherished desire for him; in any case, it surpassed one side defeated and dispersed, which was one thing that he did not want to see the most.

Song Que was silent for half a day, he spoke heavily, “Has Dao Xiong ever killed anyone?”

Ning Daoqi was slightly surprised, he replied frankly, “I have never opened the monastic discipline against killing. Why did Song Xiong ask?”

Song Que sighed and said, “Ol’ Song’s saber technique is a killer saber technique, tempered and arose from big and small bloody battles, either you die or I perish. Although there is no life and death, victory or defeat in the process, the consequences must be like this. If Dao Xiong does not fight back with all your strength with the determination to put Ol’ Song to death, there is no doubt that in this battle you will die, there is not the slightest bit of leeway for turning around. I, Song Que, will make an exception for Qinghui tonight and let Dao Xiong choose whether you still want to receive my, Song Que’s nine saber strikes.”

Ning Daoqi put his palms together, his expression auspicious and peaceful, he spoke slyly, “May I ask, if Daoqi can really withstand the nine saber strikes and still not die, would Song Xiong be willing to adhere to my previous proposal?”

Song Que threw his head back in laughter and said, “Of course I will follow Dao Xiong’s words. En garde!”

Finished shouting, he reached out to draw the saber from his back.

Kou Zhong immediately stared blankly, he nearly did not dare to believe his pair of eyes.

Yin Xianhe walked hurriedly out of Shang Lin Yuan. Just by looking at his expression, it was obvious that he could not find Ji Qian.

Ji Qian was the chief courtesan of Shang Lin Yuan, booking ahead may not necessarily received her favor to be able to see her, much less pretending to be her fan and asking to see her.

Xu Ziling subconsciously pulled down a little the snow cap that had already covered his pair of eyebrows. Coming out of the dark, he walked side by side with Yin Xianhe, who was wearing a hat - along the Beiyuan [lit. north park/garden] main street, lost in the boundless mists of the wind and the snow.

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Yin Xianhe spoke heavily, “I spent one tael of silver, only then did I ask around and found out that she has not returned to Shang Lin Yuan for a few days. Her air is really big.”

They searched everywhere in Ming Tang Wo and the Six-Happiness Casino, but her fragrant trace remained elusive; without any better option they went to Shang Lin Yuan to try their luck.

On the street, the wind was strong, the snow heavy, pedestrians, vehicles and horses were sparse, the scenery across street was already blurry, which was very beneficial for them to hide their identities.

Xu Ziling said, “There is still one place, which is her fragrant boudoir.”

Without even thinking, Yin Xianhe said, “Ziling, show the way!”

Song Que’s hand reaching to his back was slow and steady, every fen [unit of length, approx. 1/3 of cm], every cun [about 1 inch] of his movement maintained the same speed, and this speed was equal and constant. This was simply impossible.

A human able to more or less maintain a certain speed in his movement, it was already very rare. It should be noted that any single movement constitutes of countless movements in series, from movement to movement, there will be tiny differences in terms of speed and severity. However, the series of movements making up Song Que reaching out to draw the saber from his back, each movement was exactly like the previous action, as if it was made of the same mold. In itself it was already a marvel that was hard to believe. It was not that Kou Zhong’s eyesight failed him that he was unable to see the mystery within, so when he saw it, how could he not be dumbstruck and unable to believe his own eyes?

Ning Daoqi still had his palms together, the unusual light in his pair of eyes flared greatly, his eyes were fixed on Song Que.

Song Que’s movement in drawing the saber was as if his back, which was forever hidden one layer deeper from his torso, was integrated with the heaven and earth to become one entity, in itself was brimming with the taste of one thousand changes ten thousand methods within the unchanging constant. There was not the slightest amount of gap and flaw to be found, it made people feel that the first saber strike that followed this style must be startling the heaven and earth, making the ghosts and gods sobbing, there was no beginning, there was no end.

So far, the Way of the Saber has reached the ghosts-and-gods-cannot-fathom level.

The instant the movement of taking the saber was within no more than one hairsbreadth, no less than half a fen, Song Que accelerated suddenly, with an astonishing technique that was difficult to detect with the naked eye, he suddenly grasped the handle of the saber.

At the same instant Song Que accelerated, Ning Daoqi’s clasped palms separated, as if he already predicted the changes in Song Que’s movements.

‘Clang!’

The Heavenly Saber was out of its sheath.

The heaven and the earth intersected, the white stone plaza was no longer the previous white stone plaza, but was full of harsh murderous air, the Heavenly Saber slashed the empty air, the saber blade was flashing, the life force and deathly air of the heaven and the earth were completely concentrated at the blade, the moon and the stars in the sky immediately lost their splendor. This feeling was strange and weird to the extreme, hard to explain, impossible to describe.

Kou Zhong could not see Song Que anymore, what he saw was that the Heavenly Saber broke through the air, traversing the two-zhang space, and struck Ning Daoqi directly.

The Heavenly Saber did not carry any gust of the wind, he did not feel the least bit of saber qi, however, Kou Zhong, who was outside the white carved stone fence, clearly grasped Song Que’s saber enveloping the sky, covering the earth. Other than staking it all and meet the strike head-on, Ning Daoqi had no other choice.

Now, this was Song Que’s real skill.

The same instant before the Heavenly Saber attacked, Ning Daoqi rushed forward, as if he was pouncing but not exactly pouncing; it looked slow but also appearing fast. Merely the profound mystery, hard to fathom speed, was enough to make those who watch it have a splitting headache, yet it was also clearly elegant and pleasant to the eyes. Suddenly Ning Daoqi leaped into the air and pounced down.

‘Bang!’

The sleeve of Ning Daoqi’s robe swelled and arched, it blocked Song Que’s seizing-the-heaven-and-earth-and-Nature saber strike.

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Ning Daoqi borrowed the reaction force to fly up, his movement of shifting across half a zhang space was completed in an instant, suddenly he was standing back-to-back at about a zhang away behind Song Que.

Song Que’s magnificent body reappeared in front of Kou Zhong’s eyes, the Heavenly Saber, as if it had come alive, quickly sought for the opponent. It circled around in a big arc, brimming with beautiful lines conforming to the principles of heaven and earth - to stab Ning Daoqi’s back, and his body was completely driven by the saber. It was both flowing naturally, like a bird flying, fish swimming, completely without any flaw - and exquisite and brilliant beyond compare.

Watching this, Kou Zhong understood tacitly, he nearly applauded and cheered.

Apart from the saber, there is nothing else.

Even more beyond his expectation was that Ning Daoqi did not look back. His right hand feigned a press on his chest, his left hand flicked backward, the hand stretched out from the sleeve, the palm changed into a claw, the claw changed into fingers, finally, using his thumb, he pressed exactly on the tip of the Heavenly Saber coming to attack. The changes were exquisite, he purely relied on his senses to judge the position of the saber momentum, making people gasping in amazement.

The finger and the saber clashed, producing a ‘Pow!’ the sound of qi power colliding against each other, the violent storm resulting from the clash rolled wildly, it started from the point of contact and propagated in all directions, the momentum was astonishing.

Song Que’s saber momentum changed, it wound tightly around his body, just like a golden light circling around, so that people were unable to grasp the position of the Heavenly Saber in the next moment.

Song Que was not bragging at all, since the battle started, he was launching his third saber strike. Previously, each saber strike made Ning Daoqi not daring to repeat the old trick, he could only deal with it using another style that was kept at the bottom of his trunk.

While Song Que appeared to be advancing but not exactly advancing, when he seemed to be retreating but not exactly retreating, Ning Daoqi, his head down and feet up, came on top of Song Que, he dropped straight down like a nail, and crash into Song Que’s saber light, unexpectedly he used his own skull to crash against Song Que’s skull; it was a move to perish together with the enemy.

Such a strange trick, Kou Zhong has never even thought about, but he felt that it was precisely the only move to save his life in dealing with Song Que’s impossible-to-fault saber technique.

Song Que’s saber light dispersed, his left hand swiftly patted the Tianling acupoint on top of Ning Daoqi’s head, Ning Daoqi’s both hands swiftly stabbed back from the side, both hands’ middle fingers pointed at the hollow of Song Que’s palm at the same time.

‘Pow!’

Song Que spun around like a windmill, to neutralize Ning Daoqi’s no-stronghold-one-cannot-overcome finger qi. Ning Daoqi somersaulted and returned to his original spot. Both hands across his chest, the fingertips came together, the shape was like a bird pecking at the ground, slyly facing the tip of Song Que’s saber pointing towards him from a distant, so that they were standing opposite each other again.

Song Que threw his head back in laughter and said, “Out of eight pounces, I am able to see three, Dao Xiong’s name is indeed not in vain, you made Ol’ Song very happy.”

Ning Daoqi smiled and said, “Song Xiong’s saber technique reminds me of what Zhuang Zhou said about the difference between talent and incompetence. Talent and incompetence, apparently right but actually wrong [idiom: paradoxical], hence unavoidably it is rather implicating. If a man is taking advantage of virtue and impetuously roaming inappropriately, no acclaim no slander, one a dragon the other a snake, able to adapt with the times, unwilling to exclusively be one over the other, one up the other down, in harmony with his own strength, impetuously roaming among all that exists, every object and non-object are actually an object, how can it not be implicating?” [Translator’s note: apologies, all these mumbo-jumbo philosophical talks are beyond me.]

Listening to that, Kou Zhong was shocked inwardly. The so-called talent and incompetence, it all referred to usefulness or uselessness. It was precisely the Heavenly Saber’s essence in having the method yet without any method, and within no-method, there was actually a method. However, this was still not enough to describe the marvelous essence of the Heavenly Saber, hence it was apparently right but actually wrong, so it was unavoidably implicating. Only by seeking unchanging-constant within the countless changes, sometimes the dragon flew to the Ninth Heaven, sometimes the snake hid deep into the earth, without praise without slander, not hanged-up on the object, after obtaining the saber forgetting the saber - one had the capacity to live as long as the heaven and earth. Matter and self, both must be forgotten, free and at leisure.

Ning Daoqi was talking about Song Que, but actually it was also a portrayal of himself.

It was precisely because both of them have reached such a realm that they were able to stake all in two armies have equivalent banners and drums, and fought evenly.

Song Que was the main attacker, Ning Daoqi was the main defender, no one could occupy any slight upper hand over the opponent.

The key to victory or defeat lay in whether Ning Daoqi could block Song Que’s ninth saber strike.

Song Que spoke cheerfully, “It’s hard to conceal it from Dao Xiong’s discerning eyes, Song Que also finally realized that Dao Xiong’s San Shou Ba Pu, which name intimidates the world, which essence revolves around one word ‘empty’, emptiness can generate qi, hence emptiness is infinite, clear and clean lead to emptiness, using empty in the place of real, between real and empty, although there are many different states, not one does not follow the way of nature; it is a mystery within a mystery, no big, no small!”

Inwardly, Kou Zhong was full of admiration that he prostrated himself in submission, both men looked at the other side in such a sparkling and translucent, penetrating manner, there was no difference between who was superior and who was inferior, the outcome of the battle was really difficult to foresee.

Ning Daoqi laughed aloud and said, “There are still six saber strikes, Song Xiong, please!”

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