"Could he be...? Go quickly and see if he's still in the courtyard. If so, please invite him into the main hall," the old monk instructed.

"Master wants to see him? Who is he?" the young novice asked in surprise.

"It seems that there are far more distinguished guests gathered at the City God Temple tonight than I expected," the old monk said, stroking his white beard.

The young novice monk, following the old monk's instructions, stepped out of the main hall with his lamp lit. He saw the alluring figure of the man, still gazing intently at every corner of the courtyard under the quiet moonlight, seemingly about to turn away in disappointment. The young monk quickly stepped forward with his lamp, bowed, and invited him, "Amitabha, benefactor, my master invites you to the main hall to rest for a while."

"Your master?" The flamboyant man turned around immediately upon hearing the voice, looking puzzled.

“Indeed, please, benefactor.” The young novice said, and began to lead the way with a lantern. The alluring man followed closely behind, heading towards a brightly lit hall with a plaque bearing the words “Great Hero Hall” hanging high above its gate.

The main hall is five bays wide and four bays deep, both clean and solemn, with a bronze cauldron and incense burner in the center of the terrace.

The towering Sumeru pedestal is carved and constructed from white marble, its surface sparkling and pure. A golden statue of Shakyamuni Buddha sits atop the pedestal, its face benevolent and its expression serene. On either side, against the walls, are eighteen gilded iron Arhat statues.

Inside the main hall, an old monk dressed in a kasaya was devoutly burning incense and making offerings.

As soon as the flamboyant man entered the main hall, the old monk, with a kind and benevolent expression, slowly walked towards him, handing him three sticks of sandalwood incense that he had just lit especially for the visitor, and advising, "Benefactor, since you have come, you are someone who has a connection with Buddha, so please offer some incense!"

Although the flamboyant man was utterly disdainful of such matters of gods and Buddhas, he seemed to be deeply awestruck by the scene and atmosphere before him. He involuntarily reached out and took the three sticks of sandalwood incense, stepping forward to insert them into the incense burner in front of the Buddha.

At this moment, the old monk finally spoke, "Benefactor, you have a full forehead, a dignified appearance, and an extraordinary temperament. You are truly a handsome man! But I wonder why you are here at this hour. This is not the time to welcome pilgrims."

Upon hearing this, the flamboyant man, still somewhat unruly and arrogant, put one hand behind his back and looked up to explain, "Master, please forgive me. Although I came here late at night, I had no ill intentions. I just happened to see an old man dressed as a Taoist priest entering this courtyard in the front yard, so I followed him in."

"What is your intention in chasing that Taoist priest, benefactor?" The old monk was taken aback for a moment, and then asked.

"I...I was just looking for my sister who fell into the water and went missing nearby. Just as I was about to leave the temple, I overheard the Taoist priest saying a few words. I was curious and wanted to ask him what he meant. But unexpectedly, the Taoist priest suddenly disappeared." The alluring man answered hesitantly.

Actually, he was just curious and wanted to know what the old Taoist in the green robe and the seemingly furtive third prince of Dongning Kingdom were talking about.

The old monk then realized that this man had overheard his conversation with the Third Prince of Dongning. Oh well, let's see if the rumored Crown Prince of Nan'an is truly as indifferent to fame and fortune, and as unrestrained as he seems.

So he asked, "What profound words of wisdom did you just hear, benefactor? Why don't you tell me? Perhaps I can help you understand them."

"You?" The flamboyant man was stunned by the arrogant words of the old monk in front of him.

"Yes, it is indeed the old monk." The old monk stroked his beard, nodded, and said with a smile.

The flamboyant man stared blankly into the old monk's eyes, and suddenly seemed to see in them a rare state of clarity, as if they contained a great wisdom.

So he tried to speak slowly, saying, "The true dragon emerges from the sea, the spiritual realm is unified, the phoenix is ​​reborn from the ashes, life is death, and death is life."

Upon hearing this, the old monk stroked his beard and pretended to repeat himself, then said, "Before answering the meaning of your question, may I ask you a few questions? Oh, of course... if you are not comfortable answering, you may not."

Unexpectedly, the flamboyant man, without even thinking, turned to him and blurted out, "What does the master want to ask?"

The old monk scrutinized the man before him once more. "May I ask if you are the Crown Prince of Nan'an, the one in the world's legend who 'does not love the country but only loves herbs,' and who cherishes freedom, unrestrainedness, and unbridled behavior?"

"How did you know?" The flamboyant man was taken aback and immediately turned to look at the old monk in surprise.

"So, you're admitting your true identity, sir... 'Indifference to fame and fortune, and non-contention with the world, are the natural instincts of humankind.' Such a life of ease and comfort is naturally a good thing. However, since you were born into an imperial family and are the crown prince, yet you spend your days idly and carelessly, disregarding whether the common people under your protection are well-fed and clothed, or suffering in dire straits. This... seems to show a lack of responsibility on your part. How can you possibly succeed as a wise ruler of this country in the future?" the old monk asked earnestly.

"Hmph... There are plenty of wise rulers in this world. There are four of them in this very Lingkong Continent. What does it matter if I, the Crown Prince, am missing? Besides, 'everyone has their own ambitions.' Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs to help the world and save people! My Hundred Herbs Valley and Hundred Herbs Hall are full of rare flowers and herbs. Tell me, who in the world can rival us?" Unexpectedly, the alluring man felt no remorse for his actions. Instead, he answered with righteous pride.

Upon hearing this, the old monk was once again shocked by his words. It seemed that this Crown Prince of Nan'an was indeed extraordinary, living up to his reputation. After a brief pause, he continued, "But Shennong ultimately died from a poisonous plant. If you truly have no interest in the court, have you ever seriously considered the future of Nan'an? Are you truly willing to hand over the vast land your ancestors painstakingly built, only to be scorned and ridiculed by the world?"

"What's wrong with handing Nan'an over to a wise and capable ruler so that it can have a better future? As long as the people of Nan'an live better and better lives, what does it matter who is the wise ruler?" the flamboyant man asked the old monk.

The old monk was astonished, never expecting this descendant of the Southern Kingdom to be so righteous. It seemed that the time had indeed come for the Lingkong Continent to be unified.

“Therefore, the old monk has no further questions. However, the old monk earnestly requests that you never forget what you said before the Buddha today. Amitabha, well said!” The old monk finally put his hands together, bowed to the Buddha, and chanted.

"A man's word is his bond, and of course I keep my promise. Master, do not underestimate this prince," the alluring man said confidently.

Then the old monk slowly said, "The unity of spirit and void, that statement is beyond doubt. But what is 'dragon'? What is 'phoenix'? What is 'life'? What is 'death'? And what is 'Nirvana'?"

"What is a 'dragon'? What is a 'phoenix'? What is 'life'? What is 'death'? And what is 'Nirvana'... Master, you mean..." The alluring man silently repeated along with him, then suddenly seemed to slowly understand. He widened his gentle, slender peach blossom eyes and exclaimed in surprise, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. The old monk was still beside him, just nodding and smiling.

The flamboyant man seemed to have a premonition of something.

After a while, the old monk suddenly spoke up and asked the flamboyant man, "By the way, I just heard you say that you were looking for your sister who fell into the water and went missing in this area. Have you found her yet?"

Upon hearing this, the flamboyant man finally came to his senses, but shook his head helplessly.

"What exactly happened? Please tell me, benefactor," the old monk said.

The alluring man thought to himself, since he had been searching desperately for days without any progress, as if the cloud on his clothes had truly vanished from the face of the earth, he was almost defeated by his own stubborn will. So, he decided to recount everything that had happened on the cliff of North Mountain.

After hearing the whole story, the old monk suddenly realized that the Prince of Nan'an was actually acquainted with Yi Shangyun and the Prince of Qin. He then asked, "I wonder what your relationship is with that missing girl? Is she really just your sister, as you say?"

"She...she is the only person in this world that I desire but seem to be forever unable to obtain. My sister...hmph, it's better than nothing!" The flamboyant man gave a bitter laugh and said helplessly.

"Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. It turns out that your ambitions lie not in the realm of empire and court, but also in your romantic and passionate nature, aside from Baicao. However, the world is full of troubles, and deep affection is always a shackle, which contradicts your carefree and unrestrained spirit. Little do you know that most relationships in this world are deep in affection but shallow in fate, coming and going in a hurry, all like a dream or a bubble. When the music ends and the party is over, all that remains is a broken heart," the old monk said.

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent; there was no sound at all.

"It's late, so I won't bother you any longer. Farewell!" After a long silence, the alluring man suddenly came to his senses and bowed to the old monk to say goodbye.

"Take care, benefactor!" the old monk said to the figure that had turned slightly away.

Just as the alluring man stepped across the threshold, the young novice monk who had been waiting outside the hall entered and closed the door, leaving only a crack, when suddenly the old monk's voice drifted out again, saying, "'The peach blossoms in the small shop are beautiful, the willows along the road are green and misty.' If you are looking for someone, you might as well look here. 'Life is death, and death is life.'"

Upon hearing this, the alluring man suddenly realized and said, "'Peach blossoms adorn the small shop, willows line the street, their branches swaying in the breeze.' Could it be that the Third Prince of Dongning Kingdom is also searching for a maid...?"