Yin Tingxue blinked incredulously, her lips trembling.
The bhikkhuni held a double-pronged staff with six rings, gazing at her with a nostalgic glint in her eyes.
Yin Tingxue stood rooted to the spot, and after a long while, finally asked:
"May I ask... your Dharma title, Venerable Master?"
The bhikkhuni smiled faintly and replied, "I have twelve Dharma titles, but you may call ... Zhi Hui."
Yin Tingxue was taken aback—could this really be Master Zhihui, the renowned traveler of the Western regions, ultimately honored by the Emperor of Jin Country?
To many, this bhikkhuni seed like a figure from legend, yet here she stood before her, tangible and real.
Snow fell like scattered apricot blossoms; the bhikkhuni seed to ld seamlessly with the surrounding scenery.
Yin Tingxue collected her thoughts and asked:
"Where is this place?"
"Yintai Temple, isn’t it obvious?" replied the bhikkhuni with a smile.
Yin Tingxue glanced around. The scene was achingly familiar, yet she shook her head and said, "This isn’t Yintai Temple. Inside the temple, everything is gone."
"This is Yintai Temple," the bhikkhuni reiterated.
"...Why?"
"It is the Yintai Temple within your heart, the temple of your mind."
Yin Tingxue was montarily dumbfounded.
"The Yintai Temple in your heart dictates its form and essence."
The bhikkhuni folded her hands together in prayer and said:
"Form arises from the mind—with no mind beyond, there is no form.
The Yintai Temple in your heart is the true Yintai Temple."
Maple trees shed leaves as red as blood; faint breezes stirred, snow rolled off the edge of green-tiled roofs, and Yin Tingxue turned her head to see a stone Bodhisattva gazing downward silently, radiating imnse compassion. Everything mirrored her mories.
Yin Tingxue’s hands trembled slightly. This was the very Yintai Temple of her heart that she yearned to return to.
A Yintai Temple devoid of Chen Yi.
Here, she was not soone’s concubine but the daughter of Yintai Temple.
"You understand now. You have great spiritual potential." The bhikkhuni’s gentle voice reached Yin Tingxue’s ears in perfect timing.
The princess inhaled deeply, watching snow lt in her palm, her voice soft as she asked:
"But why have you appeared before ?"
If this truly reflected her heart’s Yintai Temple, then shouldn’t it be her mother that appeared, and not this bhikkhuni who bore only a surface resemblance to the forr Princess?
The bhikkhuni chuckled lightly at her question, and then, under the fleeting glow of Buddha Light, her face transford in an instant.
Yin Tingxue’s eyes widened, her lips trembling uncontrollably.
The face was almost identical to that of her late mother.
The bhikkhuni took slow, asured steps toward her, gently extending a hand as if to caress her head.
Tears glimred at the corners of Yin Tingxue’s eyes, and the aching voice within her seed to beg for release. Her head hung low, her arms half-stretched; she longed to embrace the familiar mother she rembered.
But at that very mont...
A faint tremor coursed through her crown as a shadow flashed in her mind.
Yin Tingxue’s skin prickled, and she stepped backward.
Why did she suddenly think of Chen Yi?
Yin Tingxue’s breath quickened as confusion took hold—an intense conflict stirred within her heart.
The bhikkhuni’s gaze darkened imperceptibly.
She glimpsed a thread of Sword Intent.
A fine display by Master Tongxuan and Yin Sword Mountain’s Sword Armor...
The bhikkhuni scanned the surroundings, noting that the scene remained unchanged. Her thoughts deepened.
Sword Intent could have shattered the illusion before them, yet it hadn’t—it seed the Yin Sword Mountain Sword Armor also had other plans.
Yin Tingxue lifted her gaze briefly toward the bhikkhuni and then lowered it again:
"I’m sorry..."
"No need; these matters must be realized by oneself. When the World-Honored One smiled at a flower beneath the Bodhi Tree, only Jia Ye among the disciples attained enlightennt. That is because Jia Ye understood, embodying the truth personally."
The bhikkhuni’s voice was gentle, a stark contrast to Chen Yi in Yin Tingxue’s ears.
He rarely spoke gently—more often, he mocked her with sneering cruelty.
The bhikkhuni seed far more like a mother than him...
The thought sent a chill down Yin Tingxue’s spine—was she unconsciously mistaking Chen Yi for her mother?
She took a long mont to regain her composure, striving to banish Chen Yi’s shadow from her mind’s farthest reaches.
The princess raised her head and asked the bhikkhuni, "Then... what should I seek to understand?"
"Zen."
"What kind of Zen?"
"The Zen of renouncing the Four Attachnts."
Yin Tingxue, of course, understood the concept of renouncing the Four Attachnts: it ant all things were empty, that nothing truly existed. Her mother had taught her this lesson using simple words.
At the ti, she had asked her mother, "Even you don’t exist?"
Her mother had rely laughed and replied, "All forms are illusions of the mind."
Fine snow fell thickly; a light layer had already accumulated atop Yin Tingxue’s hairpin. She shook her head lightly and muttered:
"...I cannot take monastic vows. I am soone’s concubine. He would never allow it."
"You can be a layperson and still renounce attachnts," the bhikkhuni replied with a smile.
Yin Tingxue blinked, her expression betraying her confusion.
The bhikkhuni took her hand and carefully wrote two characters upon her palm:
"Transcendence."
The World-Honored One transcended worldly attachnts even while within the secular realm and attained Buddhahood.
Yin Tingxue’s eyes widened.
She, too, could transcend Chen Yi, even while by his side...
As that thought arose, the scene dissolved into a sudden burst of white.
Yin Tingxue staggered slightly, blinking away her dizziness, only to see Chen Yi and Yin Weiyin still in conversation.
Everything seed to have happened in the blink of an eye...
Chen Yi and Yin Weiyin appeared to be finishing their exchange.
"So you didn’t find any traces of the Harmony Elixir within Xue Qingsheng’s soul?"
"No... After I questioned him, Xue Qingsheng’s soul dissipated on its own." Yin Weiyin recounted with practiced ease.
Chen Yi, having extracted critical information from the female crown earlier, seed less preoccupied with the Harmony Elixir for now.
Yin Tingxue hesitated for a long ti, her mind tangled in indecision.
Her heart raced; though she had done nothing wrong, a surge of unease gnawed at her. She couldn’t fathom why touching that celestial statue had triggered such an unsettling vision.
At that mont, Chen Yi turned to look at her.
"Why are you trembling?" He noted her quivering arms with a furrowed brow. "Caught a chill?"
Yin Tingxue shook her head repeatedly, stifling the tremors. Finally, summoning her courage, she poked his arm timidly. "I... Let’s talk privately."
Chen Yi nodded at her request, while the female crown, sensing the opportunity, promptly excused herself.
Shortly thereafter, Yin Weiyin vanished from their sight, leaving only Chen Yi and Yin Tingxue within the pavilion.
The little fox took a deep, shaky breath. Her voice was soft, pleading feebly: "Promise you won’t get angry later, okay?"
"Depends."
"...Please try not to get angry. I don’t want to upset you."
"Alright, I promise." Her initiative made Chen Yi feel disinclined to push her harder.
"Good. Just now, I touched the celestial statue inside," Yin Tingxue pointed toward the package before recounting everything that had transpired.
Chen Yi’s expression visibly darkened as she spoke.
Yin Tingxue’s heart pounded in fear. She’d been by his side long enough to know how terrifying he could be. Her skin was thinner than most, far too sensitive to withstand his tornt. Chen Yi had done so many things to her, things unforgettable and seared into her soul for eternity.
Before Yin Tingxue could utter another word, Chen Yi softened instead.
He was in a bitter mood, and when he felt this way, he never took it out on won.
"Did she intend to take you away?" Chen Yi asked blandly.
"Yes, it seed so." Yin Tingxue replied hesitantly, watching him closely.
Chen Yi stood and remained silent.
He had no desire to play Yin Tingxue’s mother, yet he refused to let ddling forces intervene.
Yin Tingxue obediently rose to follow, craning her neck to behold his broad back.
Her husband stood tall, blocking the piercing sunlight, leaving her with a tender parting phrase:
"I will keep you."
Yin Tingxue lowered her head and ekly replied, "Mm."
He truly wasn’t angry...
"Silly girl."
Chen Yi chuckled as he ruffled her hair gently.
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