Chapter 34 Frosty Dawn (Part 4) He was completely helpless against her. ...

While in mourning, one cannot go anywhere and must avoid all places, except for the pure and quiet Buddhist temples, which become the most suitable place to go.

The Buddha's teachings are compassionate, encompassing all the joys and sorrows of the world.

Inside Baoxiang Temple, Ye Mu had just turned past the release pond when he saw a large crowd gathered in front of the Mahavira Hall.

Beneath the thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, dozens of monks sat upright like lotus thrones, and devout believers knelt in the corridors. Even old women carrying bamboo baskets crowded on the stone steps, listening intently.

It turned out to be a debate about Buddhist teachings.

But then he saw Wen Kong standing on the blue stone altar, wearing a seven-piece ochre robe, holding a palm-leaf scripture scroll, his voice clear as a jade chime, “In the Surangama Sutra, the Buddha asked Ananda seven times, ‘Where is the mind?’ So you all, tell me, where does our knowing and perceiving mind ultimately reside?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a chubby-faced young novice monk eagerly clasped his hands together, saying, "Of course the heart resides in the heart! When angry, it's restless here; when joyful, it's bursting with happiness here—doesn't it all beat here?"

He patted his chest.

The white-browed old monk in the room shook his head, "If the heart is inside the body, how can one not see the internal organs? How can one see flowers and the moon in dreams when the eyes are closed?"

The red-robed monk clapped his hands and interjected, "If it's not internal, then it must be external. For example, when I look at this ginkgo leaf, I feel joy, and my heart should follow my gaze to the leaf."

Wen Kong shook his head slightly. "That's not true. If the mind is outside the body, then your body and your mind are completely unrelated. Why is it that when someone pricks you, it is you who feels the pain, not them?"

"Could it be that the mind is hidden behind the eyes? That's why we can see all things?" the layman in the back row asked hesitantly. "When the eyes see colors, the mind gives rise to likes and dislikes. We make distinctions because we see them."

“No,” Wen Kong said. “The blind have no eyes, yet they still feel fear.”

At this moment, a young woman chimed in crisply, "It must be in their ears! They get angry when they hear slander and happy when they hear praise."

A faint smile appeared in Wen Kong's eyes. "Then why didn't you have any thoughts about the night watchman's drum when you were sound asleep?"

The young novice monk, who had been anxious earlier, said, "If it's neither inside nor outside, and not in the five senses, then it must be right in the very center of the body, right?"

"What you call the 'middle' must have a location. If it's in the center for an Easterner, it's already at the edge for a Westerner. How can such a changeable place be the true abode of the heart?"

Wen Kong looked up, his gaze passing over the throng of people, and met Ye Mu standing in the shadow of the prayer flags.

"Fourth Sister," his voice was like a mountain stream, "this humble monk may be so bold as to ask if you have a small bronze mirror in your carriage?"

Ye Mu nodded, "I'll go get it."

Before she could react, she had already taken several steps. Something was wrong. How could this person be so obedient to her? She had clearly come to the temple to listen to the chanting and cleanse her mind. When did she become a lay disciple at his beck and call?

She clearly wasn't there to pay attention to him.

But he spoke first, his gaze falling on her. Oh well, everyone's waiting, she'll just go get it.

Zijing was leaning against the carriage shaft, feeding the horses and chatting with Wenbo, when she saw Ye Mu return. She asked in surprise, "Did you finish talking with Master Wenkong so quickly, Miss?"

"Hey, who came all this way to talk to him..."

Ye Mu's ears burned slightly. She reached under the brocade cushion and took out a bronze mirror with a peony pattern. This was what she used to groom herself when she went out. It's only natural for a young girl to carry a mirror with her.

But how did Wen Kong know that she carried a rhombus-shaped mirror with her?

She got out of the car and said to Zijing, "It wasn't me who wanted to talk to him; he was the one who spoke first."

Zijing quickly tucked her sleeves in and replied, "What you say is true, Miss."

Yet, a knowing smile still lingered in the corners of his eyes.

Ye Mu glanced at her and ignored this stinky Ah Jing.

When she returned to the altar with the bronze mirror in her hands, she saw hundreds of gazes burning under the ginkgo tree, which made her fingertips holding the mirror slightly hot. Wen Kong stepped aside to make way for half of the blue stone steps, and she had no choice but to stand beside him. Her white shawl and ochre robe touched each other in the wind, stirring up wisps of sandalwood incense.

Just as she was about to hand over the bronze mirror and retreat to the corridor, she heard his clear voice resound throughout the courtyard, "Gentlemen, look at this beautiful woman in the mirror, where does she reside on the surface of the mirror?"

A buzz of discussion immediately arose in the corridor.

An old man pointed to the left, "In the southeast corner! I saw someone dressed in plain clothes..."

Before he could finish speaking, a monk clapped his hands and retorted, "No, no, it's clearly in the northwest!"

Several young novices huddled together, arguing: "Down there!" "Up there!"

Because of their different positions, everyone sees different directions.

While everyone was arguing, only Ye Mu looked into the mirror. His own blurry silhouette was reflected in the bronze mirror, overlapping with Wen Kong's slender fingers holding the mirror. He said, "The beauty in the mirror."

beautiful woman.

With just one sentence, he melted away her previous dissatisfaction with him, erasing it all.

Ye Muyuan did not intend to let him off so easily.

He had already visited the cottage and seen the things she had provided for him; shouldn't he at least offer some thanks? He had been away for eight years; wouldn't it be reasonable for him to write her a letter? Traveling the world, wouldn't it be natural for him to bring back a gift for his apprentice?

Ye Mu didn't think she had done anything wrong by parting on bad terms that day; she was just annoyed. She was determined that if he didn't speak to her first today, she would never say a word.

But he called her Jiaren.

He could have easily said, "Gentlemen, look at the female benefactor in the mirror—"

He didn't.

He could have easily said, "Gentlemen, look at the fourth lady in the mirror—"

He didn't.

He meant, "Gentlemen, please look at the beautiful woman in the mirror—"

Under the ancient tree, in full view of everyone, before the Buddha.

You can't lie in front of Buddha.

Ye Mu's heart instantly felt at ease; yes, she was a beauty in his heart.

There are many conflicting opinions right now, and the mirror image shifts position unpredictably with Wen Kong's slight turn of his wrist.

Wen Kong turned his head slightly and saw Ye Mu staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror with a smile on her lips. He then asked gently, "It seems that Fourth Miss has found the answer to her question?"

Ye Mu was staring blankly at his reflection in the mirror, his clothes overlapping with hers, when he suddenly heard the question. He looked up, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.

She was a little embarrassed by the sudden question. Although Ye Mu was usually composed and not one to be coy, she hadn't been concentrating on studying Buddhist principles at all, her mind had been wandering. Now, she felt a rare bit ashamed. "Master, I can't answer that..."

“Speak freely,” Wen Kong comforted him. “There is no superiority or inferiority in viewpoints. Say whatever you think.”

All eyes turned to them again.

Ye Mu pondered for a moment, then took the mirror from Wen Kong's hand. "Look, everyone. When I laugh, my reflection laughs; when I'm angry, my reflection is angry. Do these reflections of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness leave even the slightest trace on the mirror?"

The crowd was still puzzled.

After saying this, she lightly flipped the mirror over, showing the back to everyone. "If it is separated from the mirror, then all the myriad images will have no way to appear and will become illusions. Flowers in the mirror and the moon in the water have no fixed location. If you are attached to the position, you are attached to appearances. Isn't that like marking the boat to find the sword?"

"Therefore, everyone, you have all been deceived by the Master's question. If you are fixated on finding where your heart is, how is that any different from chasing after this illusory reflection?"

“This question,” Ye Mu looked at the believers under the ginkgo tree, “is itself a trap.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent, ginkgo leaves fluttered down, and her plain white shawl seemed to echo the witty remark.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Ye Mu turned to look at Wen Kong and asked in a low voice, "Master, did I speak presumptuously?"

"Excellent!" Before Wen Kong could respond, the white-browed old monk suddenly clapped his hands in praise, "Your words, benefactor, are like a sudden awakening! We are arguing about east, west, south, and north, but we have forgotten that what can reflect thousands of images is the still mirror itself. I did not expect that you, young lady, could understand the Buddha's teachings at such a young age."

A look of surprise flashed across Wen Kong's eyes. He nodded to Ye Mu, "Fourth Miss is so insightful that she was able to see the key to this place."

He then looked around at everyone present and said, “People often regard the ‘heart’ as a thing, thinking that it is hidden in the chest, has a concrete appearance, and can be captured, wiped clean, and found. But that is not the case.”

Wen Kong's robe sleeves fluttered slightly in the wind. "If the mind is like a clear mirror, it reflects all things that come and leaves nothing behind. It reflects all things without being tainted by a speck of dust. Ladies and gentlemen, when you stop chasing after things outward, let go of your attachments, and let go of the obsession with 'I must find my true heart,' that is when your true heart will be revealed—"

Just then, the noon bell rang out, and amidst this solemn sound, Wen Kong's final words resonated clearly in everyone's hearts: "Where the deluded mind ceases, there lies Bodhi. Therefore, the Buddha said: 'The mind cannot be found.'"

The clouds swept across the temple eaves, the bell tolled and faded, but the crowd remained immersed in the profound Zen atmosphere, lost in thought.

Ye Mu lowered her eyelashes.

No wonder Wen Kong later became a revered national teacher. He was able to transform those obscure and difficult scriptures into the most accessible language, guiding each listener to gain clarity and peace from the profound and subtle Buddhist principles.

Although she had lived in seclusion in a temple in her previous life, she had little interest in Buddhism and had never listened to a lecture. Today, she was participating in this Buddhist debate for the first time and found it quite novel.

What Wen Kong said actually resonated with her feelings when she copied scriptures in the past.

We always subconsciously feel that the heart should stay in the chest, a tangible entity. But the Buddha said that all forms are illusory. In fact, they have no substance, no origin, and are just illusions arising and ceasing due to causes and conditions.

In her haste, she spoke up based on the vague understanding she had accumulated from copying scriptures, and unexpectedly, it came in handy.

But Ye Mu knew in his heart that he was far less insightful than Wen Kong. His master had probably reached a transcendent state, able to see all things as illusions and not dwell on appearances.

But she couldn't do it.

She was just an ordinary person trapped in this mundane world.

Having returned in this life, she carries unfulfilled regrets, obsessions, and an inability to let go.

We can't let go of it either.

Moreover, Ye Mu thought about it and realized that if everyone were as sage-like as Wen Kong, devoid of form and thought, life would be quite boring, lacking the joy of revenge and severing all seven emotions.

They are just human beings; not everyone wants to be a Buddha.

Someone in the corridor started clapping, and then the applause spread like a tide across the courtyard.

Wen Kong led Ye Mu down from the altar. As they passed under the corridor, some believers couldn't contain their curiosity and called out, "This young lady is so insightful! May I ask which family she comes from?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Mu raised his eyes and smiled, not answering the question about his social status, but instead turning his gaze to the monk beside him, "I am Master Wen Kong's disciple."

Upon hearing this, even the white-browed old monk stroked his beard in surprise, "When did Nephew Wenkong take on a disciple? The other day, this old monk wanted to recommend a young novice monk, but you clearly said that you would not take on any disciples in this life."

At the time, Wen Kong said that his wisdom was still shallow and he was afraid of misleading others by taking on disciples. But in the blink of an eye, he had such a bright and beautiful female disciple.

Ye Mu bowed gracefully to the old monk. “Please don’t be offended, old man. It was my ignorance that led me to pester my master. He taught me to write eight years ago. Although we never formally performed the apprenticeship ceremony, I have always regarded him as my master in my heart. Over the years, I have gotten used to calling him Master.”

She stuck out her tongue. "I guess I'm just shameless."

A good-natured laugh immediately rang out from under the eaves. "The girl is lovely and unpretentious, and her words are quite amusing."

A woman dressed simply nodded in agreement, “Yes, it is truly a blessing that Master Wen Kong has such a bright and sincere young disciple.”

Wen Kong, fearing that if he kept praising Ye Mu, Ye Mu would miss the mealtime again, stepped aside to separate the crowd, saying, "It's time for vegetarian meal, everyone please go and have your meal."

Inside the dining hall.

Wen Kong led Ye Mu to sit down in a secluded corner by the window. It was quiet and secluded, and one could see a corner of lush greenery in the courtyard.

Before long, a gray-robed monk quietly arrived and gently placed two vegetarian meals on the elmwood table.

In a rough earthenware bowl, snow-white rice steams, a dish of stir-fried yam slices is bright white, and a bowl of brown and white mushroom and tofu soup is served, with a light aroma wafting through the air.

Wen Kong gently called to the departing monk, "Ning An, please prepare two more vegetarian meals to give to the people waiting by the carriage under the ancient pine tree outside the temple."

The monk clasped his hands together, nodded, and silently withdrew.

"Master has said everything I wanted to say." Ye Mu took the bamboo chopsticks handed to him and chuckled. "I thank you on behalf of Zijing and Uncle Wen."

Wen Kong nodded in acceptance of her thanks. He didn't ask her why she came to the temple or what she was doing there. He only treated eating as the most important thing in front of him, and picked up his own bowl first, his demeanor calm and composed.

Ye Mu picked up the bowl and ate in small bites.

She didn't like yams, so she only scooped out the tofu and mushrooms from the tofu soup. The glistening white rice grains paired with the tender tofu were quite palatable.

Wen Kong didn't eat quickly, but he noticed her little movements out of the corner of his eye. When he saw her avoid the plate of yam several times, he finally stopped eating and said in a calm voice, "Yam is neutral in nature and can strengthen the spleen and stomach. We should eat some of it."

"I don't like it," Ye Mu complained in a low voice, "It's too smooth..."

"It can help you lose weight and slim down."

Ye Mu remained silent, hesitant.

"Long-term use can also help shape the body."

Ye Mu immediately picked up two slices and swallowed them with rice. Perhaps feeling that she could still bear it, she picked up another piece with her chopsticks, looked up at him, and asked, "Master didn't lie to me, did he?"

"It is recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica."

Wen Kong also picked up his chopsticks again. Seeing her put another bite into her mouth, the corners of his lips curled up, but quickly disappeared. He had noticed that she was very picky about food when they ate together at the manor. She wasn't picky about the presentation, but rather about her preferences. If she liked a dish, she would focus on eating only that one flavor, and if she didn't like it, she wouldn't touch it at all.

He could only try to appease her, and it worked.

The last few times he asked her to sunbathe, she said he wanted her to get tanned. When he asked her to eat pastries, she said he wanted her to get fat. Only in the last few days has he realized that he has to go along with her preferences and say things she wants to hear. Otherwise, she might really turn her head away and not speak to him all day.

He learned this lesson firsthand during the days he spent performing religious rites at his residence.

Since that night, whenever she encountered him in the corridor, she would always have a cold expression, lift her skirt and walk away quickly, leaving him standing there alone, and she would no longer even call him "Master".

He thought about it for several days, but still couldn't figure out why he was unhappy and a little... disappointed.

Being all alone, isn't that what he wanted?

He can enlighten his followers, but he still cannot understand his own heart.

Perhaps having a disciple is quite nice, with their chatter. Zen can be found both in stillness and in the hustle and bustle of life; a little noise in life isn't so bad.

But she ignored him, and he couldn't do anything about it.

Just when he thought she would remain cold to him forever, she suddenly appeared after only ten days.

Wen Kong glanced at the white velvet flower at her temple and asked gently, "How is the old lady's situation?"

"It's become a muddled case." Ye Mu wiped her lips with a handkerchief, told him the whole story in detail, and sighed, "With Granny Li dead, all the evidence is on her head, and there's no way to prove it."

"Is there anything else important this afternoon?" Wen Kong also put down his chopsticks. "If you have time, come to my room. There is something I need to tell you."

Mysterious.

Ye Mu lowered his voice as well, "Can't we say it here?"

"It concerns the cause of your grandmother's death."

Ye Mu became even more curious and followed him to the small house.

The path in front of the house has been widened and repaired; it is no longer overgrown with weeds and has been carefully paved with bluestone slabs. The slabs are of varying sizes, and the edges still bear the marks of fresh chiseling. The gaps are filled with damp soil, suggesting that it was laid after Wen Kong returned.

The hut is no longer as dilapidated as before; the paper windows are bright and the floor is dust-free, with neat rows of scriptures on an elm wood bookshelf in the corner.

"Master, is this the new bookshelf you made?"

Just as Ye Mu was about to sit down, he saw Wen Kong walk towards the elmwood cabinet and take out a plain-colored quilt.

“Hmm,” he said, his back to her, as he spread the mattress on the couch. “I made this myself in my spare time. There wasn’t enough room for the scriptures.”

He bent down and spread the quilt slowly, his slender fingers smoothing out every wrinkle, then gently patting the center twice. The fluffy cotton wadding billowed slightly, like a handful of sunlight gathered, looking very comfortable.

Ye Mu suddenly remembered that when she first came back, she was still a child. The room was too cold, and she couldn't stand the cold, so she sat on his cold, hard couch without a care. He did the same, silently spreading out an old quilt for her.

"The weather was nice yesterday, so I sunbathed there," Wen Kong explained softly when he saw her standing there in a daze.

Even though her words haven't changed, he still feels she'll find it distasteful.

"It doesn't matter if you haven't sunbathed before," Ye Mu said with a slight smile. "I won't mind."

She walked over and sat down on the soft spot, where the bitter sandalwood scent wafted around her, though the aroma seemed to come and go, making her heart itch with a strange, tingling sensation.

She really wanted to get closer and smell it.

"Master," she looked up, her gaze clear, "can I go get another blanket to cover myself with?"

Wen Kong was stunned. This was far too inappropriate. Even if they were master and disciple, they should not share a quilt...

Before she could even utter the words "no," she had already taken off her shoes, gracefully climbed onto the couch, and leaned slightly forward, her waist curving supplely beneath her dress. She crawled forward on her knees, her dark hair cascading down her shoulders, revealing her exquisite figure.

Her slender waist resembled a willow branch, and her breath trembled like spring smoke.

Wen Kong looked away, but when he heard her pull the cabinet door shut, he turned his head and saw her skillfully take out another thinner quilt from the cabinet and gently place it on her lap.

Then, Ye Mu lowered her head, buried half her face in the blanket, took a deep breath, and then exhaled a long breath, releasing all the pent-up emotions of the past few days.

“Master,” she said, raising her slightly flushed cheeks, a faint smile playing on her lips, “the sunlight in your temple smells much better than the sunlight in our mansion.”

It turns out, she just wanted to smell the sunshine.

What did you want to tell me just now?

Upon hearing her question, Wen Kong composed himself and said, "It's about an old matter concerning your household. I want to tell you about a secret in your household that involves the Zhou family."

He pulled up a chair, sat up straight, and said seriously, "When I caught her talking to Mr. Chen that year, I also heard some unusual noises."

He couldn't explain it clearly, not knowing how to describe those sounds to a girl of marriageable age. He assumed that since she was old enough to understand things, he spoke vaguely, thinking that she was intelligent enough to understand immediately.

To everyone's surprise, Ye Mu buried her face in the blanket again, took a deep breath, and then looked up at him with her hazy eyes, "What's that noise?"

"It's just noise." Wen Kong thought for a long time, but still only uttered these four words.

"Tell me in detail what exactly happened," Ye Mu said, puzzled and increasingly confused. "And what does this have to do with my grandmother's death?"

Wen Kong was speechless for a moment, his ears gradually turning crimson, "The two of them..."

Ye Mu was dazed, staring blankly at his increasingly red ear tips, which gradually spread to his neck. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down several times, but he couldn't utter a single word for a long time. The words "the two of them" kept lingering in his mind. Meanwhile, his hands on his knees unconsciously clenched and unclenched, then clenched again and unclenched again.

Ye Mu's gaze fell on his clenched, pale knuckles. What was he having trouble saying...? Her mind raced, and she abruptly stood up from the couch.

"Master!" The thin blanket slipped from between her knees, and Ye Mu looked down to meet Wen Kong's gaze. "You caught my second aunt and Mr. Chen making love?"

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Author's Note: Thank you for reading and for adding this to your favorites! [Thumbs up]

I previously watched a debate at Sera Monastery, paying 50 baht to watch a group of monks clapping (not really).

Haha, it's actually quite interesting. The monks will be divided into groups for question-and-answer debates, but they don't just sit there stiffly. They use a lot of body language, like swinging prayer beads and clapping their hands. Their movements are exaggerated and passionate. Although I can't understand what they say, the atmosphere is great and the scene is spectacular. It's definitely worth seeing.

More sweetness in the next chapter!