The felt curtains were lowered, and the candlelight flickered in the room.

Yao Ying followed behind Tanmarajya and walked inside: "Master, what do you want to tell me?"

Tanmarajiva's figure froze and suddenly stopped.

Yao Ying almost stepped on his robes, so she stopped and raised her head.

He turned around and looked at her, his eyes fixed on her face, his deep blue eyes.

"Bisa is still checking the guards in the temple. Princess, please settle them down. When it's daybreak, Yuanjue will take you back."

Yaoying was a little surprised. Did Tanmarajiva keep her here just because he was worried that there were still bad guys lurking in the royal temple?

A few days ago, he showed weakness on purpose, and the outside of the royal temple was full of mixed people, so he allowed people to sneak into the temple. Now he has cleared out the court and taken back the military power. No one dares to spy on the royal temple openly anymore. The city is under strict security everywhere, so there should be no problem.

Yao Ying thought that Tanmo Luojia kept her because he wanted to discuss with her how to guard against the Beirong.

She felt warm in her heart and smiled, "Then I will have to bother the Master again tonight."

Tanmaraka said nothing, opened the brocade curtain and walked in.

Yao Ying did not follow him in. She found the quilt in the outer room as if she was familiar with the place, and found an inconspicuous corner seat, hugging the quilt and sitting cross-legged. There were no tall and wide beds in the inner and outer rooms of the Zen room, only low couches and a carpet on the floor. She slept on the carpet last night.

She slept too long yesterday and didn't feel sleepy at the moment. She took out a pen and paper, spread out the paper, and read it carefully by the candlelight.

The brocade tent swayed slightly, and a corner of the hem of a snow-white cassock flashed in the candlelight.

Yaoying held the paper and looked up.

Tanmaraka stood in front of her, his eyes lowered, his eyelashes black, the candlelight was dim, and a long shadow was cast on the ground.

Yao Ying couldn't see the expression on his face clearly, so she rubbed her eyes and asked in a low voice, "Did I disturb the mage?"

The corners of her eyes were slightly red, as if she had applied bright rouge, and although she was not smiling, her eyes and brows still gave people the feeling of smiling. The dim candlelight shone on her face, vaguely adding a bit of charm, but her eyes were clear and bright.

Tanmaraka glanced at the rolled-up quilt beside him.

Yao Ying followed his line of sight, patted the quilt, and said, "I'll just sleep here."

She had been through wind and rain, and slept in tents, carriages, sand, caves, and woods, and she didn't care where she slept.

Tanmarajiva leaned over and moved the candlestick away.

The only source of light was taken away by him. Yao Ying was stunned for a moment and had to stand up.

Tanmaraka walked into the inner room and placed the candlestick on a low table next to a couch behind the screen. He said, "I have never slept on this couch. Princess, you can sleep here."

The low couch was covered with several layers of Persian brocade, and was equipped with a quilt and pillow. It was smooth and tidy without a single wrinkle, as if no one had ever slept in it.

Yao Ying thanked him and saw him turning around to leave. She thought for a moment and asked, "Can I borrow the writing utensils on the master's desk?"

She was afraid of accidentally messing up his desk or accidentally seeing something she shouldn't see, so she didn't dare touch anything in the meditation room during the day and asked Bamir to help her with paper and pen.

Tanmaraka turned his back to her, nodded, and said, "Princess, you can use whatever is in the room. If you need anything, please have someone bring it to you."

He walked out, and the brocade curtain dropped, separating the inner and outer rooms.

Yao Ying walked to Tanmarajiva's desk, picked up a pen, sat cross-legged, and wrote and drew on the paper with very gentle movements.

This time, Tanmarajiva reorganized the four armies and did not let Sultan Kublai show up. He must have his considerations. He and Wakhan Khan are old rivals, and only he knows how to make Wakhan Khan fall into his trap step by step.

From her instigating Wakhan Khan and Haidu Aling, to the massacre of Haidu Aling and Jinbo brothers, to Wakhan Khan setting an ambush to lure the royal court to send troops, to now that delegations from various countries have witnessed him personally taking control of the military power... the game between him and Wakhan Khan has been going on.

All she has to do is wait patiently and look for opportunities.

Yao Ying calculated silently in her mind and drew map after map, but she was still not satisfied.

There was a slight snap, a wisp of green smoke rose, the candle went out, and the room fell into darkness.

Yao Ying came back to her senses, rubbed her fingers, put away the papers, tiptoed back to the bed, opened the brocade tent and took a look outside.

It was pitch black outside, with dim light. Tanmaraka sat cross-legged in front of a long desk with his eyes closed in meditation. His figure was like a Buddha statue, motionless.

Is this how monks sleep at night?

Yao Ying muttered something in her heart, lay down and closed her eyes.

Not long after she fell asleep, she turned over and vaguely felt a pair of eyes focused on her. She started from her dream and woke up.

On the scaffold, a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness stared at her quietly.

A chill ran down Yaoying's body, and then she realized that it was the eagle Kashrula raised by a Buddhist. She couldn't help laughing, closed her eyes and continued to sleep.

Before she fell asleep, she heard the sound of flapping wings. An eagle flew to the front of the couch, grabbed the quilt with its sharp claws and tore it, and pecked her arm lightly with its beak.

Yaoying felt a little pain from being pecked, and she sat up helplessly. The eagle hooked her clothes, and its wings flashed violently, as if trying to pull her up.

"Are you hungry? Can I feed you some jerky?"

The eagle remained unmoved and continued to peck at the jasmine flowers.

Yao Ying was so disturbed that she could not fall asleep. She could only stand up, open the brocade tent, and ask Tanmarajiva for help. When her eyes swept over the place where he was meditating, she was startled.

Tanmarajiva's body was trembling slightly and he was sweating profusely. His face and neck were covered with sweat, and even half of his robes were soaked.

He looked strange.

Was this why the eagle woke her up?

Yaoying got off the ground barefoot and walked quickly to Tanmarajiva's side.

"Mage?"

She called him softly.

Tanmarajiva closed his eyes tightly and did not respond.

Yao Ying stretched out two fingers and gently touched his shoulder.

…

Tanmaragha entered into a state of meditation.

He had committed murder and was sent to the execution hall to be punished. He felt waves of pain in his back, like needles piercing his bones.

Having made such a choice, he should be punished.

He had long been accustomed to this kind of pain and did not feel anything about it. On his way back to the meditation room from the torture hall, no one noticed his abnormality. He was only stunned for a moment when he suddenly saw the girl's pretty face with a smile.

He settled her down and recited scriptures silently. He felt as if his soul was drifting away, his consciousness was floating, his mind was empty and boundless darkness swallowed him up.

In the dark cell, a child in gray monk's robes stood in front of a wrinkled old man and recited scriptures in a clear voice.

Tanmaraka recognized that it was his childhood self.

He had been imprisoned in the torture hall since he was born. His master, Pololiuchi, came to teach him Buddhism every day, telling him about the various lives being destroyed in the chaotic world, and taught him to use Buddhism to save the people in the war and save all sentient beings.

He could recite the scriptures after reading them once, and he quickly mastered the texts taught by the master. When the monks in the temple came to test him with questions, he could answer them fluently.

The monks all said that he was precocious, talented and would become a great figure in Buddhism.

Master was overjoyed and had high hopes for him.

"Luo Jia, you are the king of the royal court, the reincarnation of the Buddha. You will definitely be able to pacify the chaotic world and save the working people who are displaced in the war!"

"Although the Zhang family controls the government, they are powerless to control the situation. They only know how to impose heavy taxes and plunder. They are unpopular with the people. In their hearts, the people only recognize the king of the Tanmo family. When you grow up and take power, you can reform the arthritis and save the people from suffering."

"Luo Jia, you must study Buddhism well and take power as soon as possible!"

Tanmarajiva practiced diligently and studied seriously how to be a qualified Buddhist and monarch.

As his reputation for precocity spread, people began to hope that he would soon take power. The aristocratic families were furious and wanted to torture him in every way they could to defeat him completely.

The guards did not give him food, and he was so hungry that he felt dizzy and had to rely on Buddhist scriptures to endure the physical torment.

The soldiers deliberately whipped the prisoners in the cell just across the wall. He heard the screams and remembered his master's instructions. He recited Buddhist scriptures silently to drive away his fear.

At a young age, he could recite scriptures, read classics fluently, and recite Buddhist verses fluently.

The people of the world admired and loved him, hoping that he would grow up quickly and lead them to live a peaceful and happy life.

However, when the Zhang family brought him to the square and chopped off the heads of his relatives, both men and women, one by one, he could only stand there and watch his clansmen die one by one.

The tribesmen were terrified and knelt down to beg for mercy, trembling under the bloody knife.

"Please be kind, please be kind, let my child go!"

"He is not even as tall as the wheels. He killed me. Let him go!"

"Be kind..."

"Please spare my life, Captain. I will serve you like a slave..."

"Please, don't kill my mother, don't kill my mother..."

Knives rose and fell, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the cries for mercy stopped abruptly. More screams and cries arose, merging into one and echoing over the square for a long time.

Tanmarajiva stood among the fallen corpses, blood splattered all over his head and face, and sticky blood beads slowly flowed down his monk's robe, dripping, dripping.

The ticking sound lasted for a long time.

It lasted so long that all the voices begging for mercy stopped, and all he could see before him was a pile of broken limbs.

One living life after another disappeared before his eyes.

Chima's crying was hysterical, desolate and hopeless.

She clutched him tightly, her fingers twitching, and screamed at him.

"Why didn't you cry? Why didn't you shed a single tear?"

"You have been a monk since you were young... You don't care about anything... You won't be sad..."

She hugged her dead relatives and cried loudly.

Tanmarajiva fell seriously ill and was in a state of confusion. Countless demons and fierce ghosts danced around him in celebration, and the ghosts of his dead relatives screamed in pain in his ears.

He sunk and struggled in his illness, as if he were in the gloomy Avici Hell, his body being torn apart constantly, his flesh and bones being mercilessly beaten, and he was in agony.

Master sighed deeply, saying that he was so young, yet he witnessed the death of his people with his own eyes, which was a great shock to him. He might have developed a demon in his heart, and it would be impossible for him to make progress in Buddhism in the future.

After he recovered from his illness, he picked up the Buddhist scriptures again and studied them.

Master cried with joy.

"Luojia, you can actually make it through this, you are truly extraordinary! This is the Buddha's training for you. You are the reincarnation of Ananda, and you should go through hardships one after another in order to strengthen your mind, cut off your emotions, get rid of your worries, enter Nirvana, and attain Bodhi."

Tanmaraka had a strong will and cast away his inner demons. Just like before, he firmly believed that Buddhism could ultimately save all sentient beings.

But there are things that Buddhism cannot do.

Buddhism can guide him to understand life and death, leave the Three Realms, realize the truth of extinction, and forever escape the suffering of the six realms of reincarnation.

But Buddhism cannot make the evildoer put down his butcher knife, the scriptures cannot save his relatives, and the chanting of Sanskrit cannot save the people from water and fire.

The flames of war were raging, corpses were everywhere, smoke was everywhere, and the world was devastated.

The old and weak were killed, people were like ants, and their names were like grass.

He is not only a son of Buddha, but also a monarch of the royal court.

Without real power, there is no way to stop the massacre.

In addition to studying Buddhism, he began to learn how to manage state affairs, how to mediate with aristocratic families, and how to guess people's hearts.

Pololiuchi secretly trained guards for him, selecting a group of children from noble families and a group of slaves who were sold as livestock.

One of them was Bisha, who took the initiative to ask to be Balaruci's disciple and vowed to fight for him through life and death.

They practiced martial arts diligently and became his most loyal soldiers.

Pololiuchi was worried: "We can't shake the noble families with just the likes of us. Luo Jia, you are growing up day by day, and they will not let you go."

"Even if you can rule the country, you won't be able to take back the power. You will be sidelined and become a puppet at their disposal."

"You need a helper, one who can shock the noble families, take all the killings for you, and be loyal to you forever. He must be cold-blooded, have no relatives, no weaknesses, and no burdens."

"He must also be highly skilled in martial arts. No matter how many bloody storms he encounters, he must be able to turn danger into safety and firmly follow you."

Bisha and Yuanjue asked curiously, "Is it like Master's senior brother General Saisang'er? He is the regent king, loyal to the royal family all his life, devoted to the king, and spent his whole life in the military. He is the most powerful warrior in the royal court in the past hundred years!"

A trace of melancholy flashed across Pololuzhi's old face.

"Yes, just like General Cesar."

Pololuzhi told his students: "General Saisang'er practiced a secret technique passed down from generation to generation in the Royal Court Buddhism. This technique is called the Vajra Technique, which is domineering and fierce. If you can master it, you will become an unrivaled master. However, the practitioner must be a person of pure heart and must have a strong will and self-control. Otherwise, once the emotions fluctuate, it is very easy to go astray and be attacked by the technique, becoming a cold and cruel demon. Therefore, those who have practiced this technique in the past are all disciples of Buddhism."

The young men vied with each other to learn martial arts; they all wanted to become great heroes like General Saisang'er.

Polo Liuchi shook his head and sighed.

"From the beginning of practicing this kind of practice, you need to insist on taking pills to suppress the practice. Every time you take the pills, it is extremely harmful to your body. At first, you just feel weak in your limbs, and then slowly it becomes more and more painful, as if your bones have been run over by an elephant. Later, your legs swell up and you gradually become unable to walk, until finally you become emaciated and exhausted."

"If you practice this technique, you are destined to die in your prime. Do you still want to practice it?"

The boys hesitated for a moment and nodded firmly.

For the sake of Buddha, they are willing to practice!

Pololiuchi began to teach the young men how to practice martial arts.

The technique was so strange that the first few teenagers who learned it lost their energy while practicing it after just a few months, and showed signs of losing control.

Pololiuchi was afraid that they might develop bad habits, so he did not dare to let them continue studying and started teaching Bisa and Yuanjue instead.

The two were not suitable for practicing the Vajra Kung Fu and could not bear it. The other few who had learned it earlier also gradually showed various symptoms of discomfort.

That day, a young boy who was born a slave secretly took an overdose of drugs in order to break through his martial arts. He bled all over and nearly died. Although he managed to save his life in the end, he became a useless person.

The young man who was most suitable for practicing martial arts was impetuous in nature. He almost killed his brother by mistake in a competition. After waking up, he had no regrets at all. He only wanted to master the martial arts as soon as possible so that he would be invincible.

Pololiuch was almost in despair.

Tanmaraka found him and said, "Master, you once said that I have excellent physique. Let me give it a try."

Balaruzhi was horrified: "No, you are a Buddhist, a king, how can you practice this kind of practice? If you practice this, your life will be ruined! You should study Buddhism well and stop worrying about these things."

Tanmarajiva looked at the young men who were practicing martial arts seriously outside the cell, put his hands together, and had a calm expression on his face.

"If I don't go to hell, who will?"

If the only way to achieve the bodhisattva's heart is through thunderbolts, he is willing to bear all the karma and kill the thief himself.

Pololiuchi was shocked, stared at him for a while, sighed, and tried to let him practice his skills.

Three months later, Tanmarajiva showed no signs of being affected by the technique, and he was able to grit his teeth and endure the pain after taking the medicine.

He is the most suitable regent.

Pololiuchi let out a long sigh.

"Maybe this is God's will..."

…

After regaining the throne, the Zhang family was punished.

Chi Ma asked him to kill all the members of the Zhang family, including men, women, young and old, including the elderly, the weak, women and children from remote branches, without sparing a single one.

He refused.

The pain that had been inflicted on him was so deep that he would not take revenge on innocent people.

Chima cursed him in disappointment.

"Have you forgotten those people who died in front of you? You don't care about the Tanmo family at all! You are not worthy of being king!"

…

Tanmaraka never regretted his decision, so he seldom recalled the past in recent years.

He watched his younger self stop Chi Ma from killing innocent civilians, then turned away calmly, leaving her crying, cursing and swearing behind him.

The illusion before my eyes gradually faded.

A faint warm light shines through the darkness.

A gentle call echoed in my ears.

"Mage?"

Tanmarajiva opened his eyes.

The girl's anxious face came to his eyes, her slender eyes reflected his sweaty face, she picked up a handkerchief in her hand and gently wiped the sweat from his brow.

He held her hand and looked into her clear eyes.

"Where are you from?"

Yao Ying was stunned, blinked her eyes, looked a little dazed, and said softly: "...from the Wei Kingdom in the Central Plains."

Tanmarajiva stared at her for a while, then let go of her hand.

Ten thousand miles, so far away, separated by vast deserts, towering mountains, and vast rivers.

Why did she come to him?

The author has something to say: I originally wanted to round up to 5000... but it's too late...