In October, the Prajna Temple was already covered with dye and the autumn wind was rustling.
It was Shenshi when Li Ye returned from Xuantian Temple. When he returned to the small courtyard, he fetched water to wash his body, put on a clean monk's robe, and eagerly took out the newly cast iron arrows.
Looking at the coldly shining iron arrows in front of him, he returned to before February.
...
After procrastinating for nearly three years, it was difficult for him to make any progress in the eighth level of "Phaseless Dharmakaya" in the later stages. He finally remembered that his husband had ordered his Kong to go to Xuantian Temple to visit Taoist Master Kong Kong.
One autumn morning, carrying mushrooms collected from the mountains and dried meat from hunting and sun-drying, I met Taoist Master Qingxu in Xuantian.
Taoist Priest Qingxu looks about sixty years old. His hair has gradually grown gray, but he is full of energy and has an immortal air, like an otherworldly immortal.
"Junior Li Ye of Prajna Temple has met Taoist Priest." Li Ye saluted, presented gifts, and sat down opposite Taoist Priest Qingxu.
Qingxu stroked his beard and smiled, sighing: "I have been waiting for you for several years. Even your husband has been away for nearly three years, right?"
Hearing this, Li Ye stood up and bowed again, saying, "I am stupid and have forgotten my time in the mountains because I have not practiced properly. I have delayed coming to see the Taoist Master until today. I also want to invite Haihan."
Upon hearing this, Qingxu smiled and comforted: "It is really rare that you can calm down and practice without being disturbed by external things. How can I, an old man, blame you?"
"I just heard that your husband said that although you have not become a monk, you have been practicing Buddhism in the temple since you were a child. You are actually the junior disciple of Minghui in Prajna Temple, so I have always wanted to meet you."
Qingxu looked at Li Ye and said lightly.
Li Ye respectfully replied: "It was only by chance that I got to know Senior Brother Minghui... In this way, I became Senior Brother Minghui's un-monastic brother."
Li Ye briefly explained the inheritance of Poxu Monk on Tianshan Mountain.
"It's destiny." Qingxu said with a smile.
Li Ye looked at him with a smile and said, "Maybe I'm lucky, otherwise with such profound knowledge of Senior Brother Minghui, how could it be beyond the reach of juniors?"
"That's a bad statement." Kong Kong sighed softly, spread his hands and said, "There is a sooner or later time to hear the Tao, and there is no fixed time to attain the Tao. Who dares to say that it is truly unprecedented and unprecedented on the path of cultivation?"
Li Ye cupped his hands and replied: "Whether I am learning the Tao or entering the Tao, in the eyes of the younger generation, Senior Brother Minghui can be regarded as a bright light on my path of cultivation."
Whether it was a chance encounter on the road in the Central Region or a practice behind the Prajna Temple, Minghui's guidance to Li Ye was more than just a bright light, for which Li Ye was always deeply grateful.
"Being grateful is a virtue, you are good." Qingxu smiled lightly and said, "What are your views on Taoism and Buddhism?"
"What do you think?" Li Ye asked puzzledly.
"It's what's on your mind."
"No? Maybe my husband gave me a broken book on Buddhist practice at first, and then I met an old monk from the Great Buddha Temple. I felt that Buddhism was profound and compassionate, so I started learning it."
Li Ye looked at him curiously. He had never thought about this issue since he came to Xuantian Temple.
Qingxu sighed again, poured a cup of tea for Li Ye, and took a sip himself.
Cai said: "If my husband had given you the method of cultivating Taoism, and if you had met me first then, you might not be able to practice Taoism."
After Li Ye lowered his head and thought for a moment, he smiled and replied, "There should be no problem."
Qingxu nodded with satisfaction, pointed to the sky outside the door and said, "In your opinion, what is the difference between Prajna Temple and Xuantian Temple?"
"Is there a difference?" Li Ye thought for a while, shook his head and said, "In the eyes of this junior, since they are all cultivation, there is no difference."
Qingxu was greatly relieved to hear Li Ye's answer.
He smiled and said, "As Mr. Mo said, you are a child with wisdom. No wonder that guy Minghui is willing to teach you how to practice."
"Let me put it another way. When you and your husband came to Fangcun Mountain, you climbed up from the north slope, climbed all the way up to Xuantian Temple, and then stayed in the small bluestone courtyard for a while."
"Have you ever thought about it, if you had climbed up the mountain from the south slope and climbed all the way up to Prajna Temple, would you have been able to reach Xuantian Temple?"
"Why not?" Li Ye blurted out after hearing this: "Wouldn't walking on the south slope or the north slope be mountain climbing? What's the difference?"
"This is a great thing to say! I really like it." Qingxu laughed loudly when he heard the words and nodded repeatedly.
"When did the Taoist master like Buddhist meditation as much as others?" Li Ye was a little confused.
Qingxu shook his head and said: "This is not a meditation opportunity, but a discussion with you. Since you think that whether you are climbing from the south slope or this slope, you can climb to the top of the mountain, then there is a difference between cultivating Taoism and cultivating Buddhism. What’s the essential difference?”
When Li Ye heard this, he was a little confused and asked, "Is there no difference?"
"Is there any difference?" Qingxu smiled.
"Is there really no difference?" Li Ye became increasingly confused.
Qingxu looked at Li Ye and was also stunned, then smiled and said: "The differences you see are just superficial. There are naturally some differences between the Buddhist and Taoist practices, but the ultimate goal is the same. Since the goal is the same, What’s the difference?”
"I see, senior told me not to be discriminatory in my practice, right?" Li Ye suddenly understood and smiled.
"A child can be taught, a child can be taught."
...
"Why are you here today? You're not just here to see me, an old man, right?" After the two drank tea quietly for a while, Qingxu asked Li Ye.
Li Ye watched Qingxu scratching the back of his head and laughing. After a while, he took out the iron arrow he had cast before and handed it to Qingxu.
"My disciple was trying to make arrows a few years ago and found several materials to match, but he was not very satisfied... Later, I heard from Brother Minghui that the seniors might have the materials that the juniors need... ..I’m so scared, please forgive me, senior.”
Qingxu took the iron arrow, held it in his hand and looked at it carefully for a moment, and said: "The workmanship is good, but it is indeed too heavy. I don't know why it is difficult, but it is because of the materials for casting the arrow. It is not difficult, I am sure. There is."
Li Ye was stunned and blurted out: "Is what the senior said true?"
Qingxu smiled, handed an inconspicuous gray stone on the table to Li Ye, and said, "How about this?"
Li Ye took it and took a look, and immediately exclaimed: "How can this stone be so light?"
"Try cutting it with a knife?" Qingxu stroked his beard and smiled.
Hearing this, Li Ye took out his knife and cut the stone. The gray stone was instantly cut with a knife mark, and the white metal inside was exposed. "This is amazing!"
Qingxu smiled and said: "We call this ore cinnabar. I can't remember which year it was discovered... It is very light when used as a sword, but it has no hardness. It will become dull after one cut. "
"In addition, no one in the house was interested in playing with this thing, so as time went by, I didn't care about it. But I have a large piece of it in the yard, and I use it to play with when I have nothing to do."
"If you add this metal when casting iron arrows, you can at least reduce a lot of weight." Li Ye pinched the piece of cinnabar ore. said excitedly.
"It's rare that you are so interested in casting technology. Take the big piece in your courtyard with you when you leave. It won't be enough in the future. There are still many in the temple. If you want, come and get it." Qingxu He replied with a smile.
"This is really great, so I won't be polite. If you, senior, need to forge any weapons in the future, I will be willing to help you."
Li Ye returned the cinnabar in his hand to Qingxu, put away the knife, reached out and picked up the tea cup in front of him and took a sip.
Qingxu looked at Li Ye who was full of excitement, waved his hand and said: "That thing is of no use to me at the moment, but if you have time in the future, you can come and stay in the temple for a few days."
"I am willing to teach you all my medicine refining skills and some formation skills. When you come down from the mountain after learning, I will have a legacy."
Li Ye was stunned and asked: "Senior, aren't there any disciples in the temple who can continue your mantle?"
Qingxu shook his head, then nodded, and said calmly: "Practice these two techniques, in addition to talent, do not have a lot of perseverance. I have many disciples, but no one can master both techniques. , which is also my regret.”
"My disciple has only read books about medicinal herbs and understands some of their medicinal properties. But when it comes to refining medicine, my husband and I don't know much about it. If I have time, I would like to learn from my senior."
Li Ye was always disappointed because he couldn't make medicine. He had picked up the elixir, but could only boil it into a concoction and take it, which was a waste of great medicinal herbs.
"Well, I believe you." Qingxu was extremely happy when he saw Li Ye agreeing.
...
After returning to the cave, Li Ye tried many combinations of materials, and finally selected the material for casting the iron sword as five unknown materials left behind by Po Xu Monk before and melted by him.
Three parts of cinnabar, two parts of silver, after melting and casting the iron arrow, the entire arrow branch was reduced by nearly half, but the hardness and sturdiness were not reduced much.
In the next two months, he continued to forge his heavy sword while casting iron arrows intermittently. By the end of February, he had cast fifty iron arrows, which made him very satisfied.
On the morning before returning to Prajna Temple, Li Ye once again stood in front of the cliff in front of the wooden house and took out the iron bow gift from Ouyang Dongli.
After three years of hard training, he was finally able to draw the iron bow nearly two-thirds of the way.
He put a newly cast iron arrow on his right hand, looked at the cedars behind the mountain stream opposite, concentrated his energy, and slightly raised the iron bow in his left hand.
The fingers of his right hand relaxed slightly, and there was a "buzzing" sound, and the iron arrow in his hand flew away.
My eyes were chasing the trajectory of the iron arrow, and my heart was looking forward to the final result.
In an instant, there was a "boom", and a cedar about 200 feet behind the mountain stream on the opposite side was broken at waist level, and the upper half of the pine branch fell softly.
Three years later, I was finally able to shoot an arrow two hundred feet away, not far from the point where the arrow reaches.
At this time, Li Ye just wanted to tell his husband loudly: "After three years of training, I did it."
The sound of falling pine branches echoed in the quiet valley.
As if comforting the young man on the edge of the cliff.
