CHAPTER 290: DUANMU XUAN, UNIFORM?

Once he had tidied his robes, he left the meditation room, intending to take a good look around Jinguang Temple before departing.

The temple had some seventy or eighty halls, and ordinarily housed several hundred monks. But at present, only some lower-ranking monks could be seen moving about outside.

Many of the senior monks had already been dispatched down the mountain to deal with the chaos stirred up by heretical sects, rushing about to put out fires everywhere.

As a result, Jinguang Temple’s renown and incense offerings would certainly grow, but within its gates, there was an unmistakable emptiness.

The Guanyin Hall and the Quasi-Bodhi Hall were both solemn, awe-inspiring structures. The Buddha statue was made of solid cast bronze, genuine beyond doubt. It was a clear display of Donglin Prefecture’s top-tier prestige.

For the guests who had escorted the relics, Jinguang Temple showed great courtesy, opening nearly all of its halls for them to visit, except for two places.

One was the scripture depository. Inside were preserved Buddhism’s most precious scriptures, hand-copied notes of high monks, Buddhist cultivation methods, Daoist arts, divine powers, and more.

The other was the rear mountain’s Merit Grove, the forest of the pagoda where the relics of high monks were enshrined.

At its center stood a grand, majestic pagoda. The young abbot of Jinguang Temple was currently in seclusion within that tower, and its entire structure was shrouded by his supreme divine power.

Outside, high monks and second- and third-generation disciples of the temple were stationed, chanting sutras in support. They lent their strength to Master Wuse, bolstering his Dharma and helping him resist his inner demons.

When Li Yanchu came near these two places, he was stopped. It was the forbidden ground of the Buddhist sect, and none may trespass!

“Yanchu!”

Just as he was about to turn away, a familiar voice suddenly reached his ears.

Li Yanchu turned, and saw a beautiful Daoist priestess walking toward him with a faint smile. Her features were delicate and bright, and her face was as fair as jade with a natural charm. She wore a primrose-yellow Daoist robe with a horsetail whisk in hand, her bearing ethereal and aloof.

It was none other than Ding Rou.

“Well now, I wasn’t expecting you, Ding Rou.” Li Yanchu raised his brows and greeted her with a laugh.

“Didn’t expect to see you here too. You’re also here to escort the relics?”

“That’s right.”

“Excellent! I haven’t had the chance to thank you for saving my life. Once matters here are settled, you should come with me to see my master. She’s been wanting to meet you as well.”

A faint blush colored Ding Rou’s otherwise cool features.

Li Yanchu gave her a strange look. “Ding Rou, long time no see, but why do I get the feeling you still seem a little... hungry for my body?”

With that one line, Ding Rou’s face flushed scarlet. She couldn’t help but spit at him lightly in protest.

Where was that aloof, ethereal Daoist priestess now? She looked for all the world like a young maiden newly awakened to love.

“Who’s... hungry for your body... You... why do you always spout such nonsense!”

Just then, a handsome Daoist priest in his thirties, with a calm and steady demeanor, spotted Ding Rou from afar. His eyes lit up, and he hurried over.

“Excellent, Junior Sister Ding, I’ve finally found you.” The handsome Daoist gave Li Yanchu a discreet glance, his eyes faintly wary.

“What’s the matter, Senior Brother He?” Ding Rou quickly regained her usual aloof, otherworldly composure.

But He Yu felt a knot in his chest. The lively manner in which Ding Rou had just been chatting and laughing with Li Yanchu... he had never seen her like that before. Especially when he himself walked up, only for her expression to immediately change back to cold reserve. For someone who prided himself on always knowing how to handle women, this stirred a faint irritation.

“Miss Duanmu of the Duanmu family has set up a banquet in the temple, and she has invited the honored guests to attend. I came especially to fetch you so we could go together,” He Yu said.

“A banquet...” Ding Rou frowned slightly, instinctively casting a glance at Li Yanchu.

“Since you have something to attend to, I’ll take my leave first.” Li Yanchu could see at a glance the hidden thoughts in He Yu’s heart. He had no interest in getting dragged into some drama of rivals fighting over a woman.

Still, he was a little curious about the Duanmu family daring to hold a banquet in such a solemn Buddhist sanctuary.

After speaking, he turned to leave. A flash of disappointment showed in Ding Rou’s eyes, and she opened her mouth to say something. But He Yu was quicker. “Fellow Daoist, why not come along with us?”

Li Yanchu refused without hesitation. “No thanks. I prefer having my peace and quiet.”

With that, he turned and left, and He Yu’s face instantly darkened.

“Could it be that you’re afraid of embarrassing yourself? Very well, then it’s best you don’t come, saves you from making a fool of yourself.”

Ding Rou glared at He Yu. “Senior Brother He, mind your words! Daoist Master Li is my savior. I won’t allow you to insult him here!”

Normally, Ding Rou was serene, detached, and gentle in temperament. He Yu had not expected that without Li Yanchu even saying a word, Ding Rou would instead be the one to flare up, rebuking him with such sharp words.

His expression grew even darker.

“Junior Sister Ding, I was only joking. Why take it so seriously?” He Yu forced a smile.

Li Yanchu regarded the young man with interest. What the hell was wrong with this guy?

His expression and attitude took Li Yanchu by surprise; he sensed that something was off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

After He Yu finished speaking, he suddenly noticed a pair of piercingly bright eyes fixed on him with a gaze sharp as a saber. Just meeting it made his eyes sting.

“What are you doing!?” He Yu couldn’t help but take a step back.

Li Yanchu sneered. “Do you know me?”

“What nonsense, you think I’d know you?”

Li Yanchu gave him a long, deep look, thoughtful. For some reason, He Yu carried an aura of familiarity that he couldn’t shake.

“Just now you invited me to the banquet, didn’t you? I’ll go.” His tone was calm.

He Yu, still unsettled from being stared down moments earlier, felt as though he’d shown weakness. He gave a cold snort, and said, “Fine! Follow me.”

With a frosty face, He Yu turned and strode off.

Li Yanchu glanced at Ding Rou with a smile. “Come on, let’s go watch the fun.”

Back in the Blissful Land, Ding Rou had already grown used to listening to Li Yanchu. At his words, she nodded lightly.

Together, they headed toward Duanmu Xuan[1]’s gathering.

The courtyard Duanmu Xuan occupied was tucked away in a quiet, secluded corner, backed by sheer cliffs, with an ancient pine spreading like a canopy in the yard.

The Duanmu family was well-versed in esoteric Daoist arts, highly influential in the cultivation world of the Kingdom of Qian, with a lofty status.

This time, she had come to escort the relics, accompanied by attendants and maidservants. Compared to ordinary monks, daoists, or wandering martial artists, her life was far more comfortable.

Duanmu Xuan’s eyes shone bright, and her features were delicate. She was dressed in a long azure gown that lent her a languid, seductive air.

A steward carrying a wine tray followed at her side as she moved about the spacious courtyard, offering a toast to each guest present. Every man who raised a cup with her, without exception, looked at her with a dazzled gaze. She was a stunning beauty. Her graceful curves teased through the gown, and her charming face was tinged with allure. Truly, she was a rare enchantress.

The courtyard was filled with experts who had come to Jinguang Temple for this event, several of them young elites from powerful clans and great sects.

At this time, the courtyard doors swung open, and a servant led He Yu inside. As a Daoist from Mount Danxia[2], he was acquainted with several present and nodded in greeting.

But the person behind him caught everyone’s eye. It was a young Daoist of striking bearing and natural grace. By his side was a beautiful female Daoist, whose flowing robe could not conceal her elegant figure. It was Ding Rou!

Many eyes lit up, unable to help but focus on her. She was a disciple of Master Kumei, and one of the Daoist world’s renowned beauties.

In terms of looks alone, she even outshone Duanmu Xuan by a margin. Though Ding Rou carried a cool, ethereal air, she still made hearts race. Perhaps it was the Daoist robe that made her all the more enticing?

1. The surname 端木 is relatively rare, often associated with nobility or classical lineages, giving the character a sense of heritage and sophistication. The given name 萱, referring to the daylily, evokes notions of grace, gentleness, and cheerfulness, while in literary contexts it can also symbolize remembrance or maternal affection. To me, 端木萱 sounds poetic and slightly aristocratic, perfectly suited for a female character who is cultured, graceful, or of elevated social standing. ☜

2. The character 丹, meaning “cinnabar” or “red,” suggests the vivid hues of rocks and cliffs, as well as carrying connotations of Daoist alchemy, elixirs, and spiritual cultivation. 霞, meaning “rosy clouds” or the afterglow of sunrise and sunset, lends the name an ethereal, almost otherworldly quality. ☜