A chill gripped Prince Chu from head to toe, and his instinct was to flee back into the palace. Yet though the palace gates stood a mere step away, he could not retreat no matter how hard he tried.
Cold sweat broke out across Prince Chu's body. He suddenly remembered how Consort Yuan had cautioned him time and again when he was young: he was never, under any circumstances, to stray too far from the royal palace. If he ever encountered danger outside, he had to stand his ground and not move a single step.
Prince Chu was terrified beyond words. How could he have forgotten the endless assassination attempts from his childhood? How could he have forgotten his mother's warnings?
Yet he had snuck out in disguise many times before without incident, and slowly, the cautions had slipped to the back of his mind.
The little monk smiled faintly. "Since Your Highness is already here, why not join this humble monk for a cup of tea and a game of weiqi?"
Prince Chu looked back once more, only to see Consort Yuan appearing at the side gate of the royal palace. An invisible barrier seemed to bar her path; no matter how violently she pounded against it or screamed, she could not take a single step beyond the palace grounds.
The little monk gestured politely. "Your Highness, after you."
Prince Chu was not completely unworldly. Forcing himself to stay calm, he recognized that resistance was futile and walked in the direction the little monk indicated.
The instant that step fell, heaven and earth shifted. The royal capital and palace vanished entirely, replaced by a bamboo grove. Within the grove lay a clear pool, flanked by a stone table and stone stools. A weiqi board rested on the table, and beside each bowl of stones sat a cup of clear tea.
In an instant, Prince Chu was overwhelmed with bitter regret. He understood now: had his will been firm just then, had he ignored the little monk and stubbornly refused to advance, they would have remained locked in a stalemate.
As the Crown Prince of Western Jin, standing in the royal capital a mere step from the palace walls, reinforcement would have arrived with just a little delay.
Regrettably, his resolve had wavered. His mind had been swayed by the little monk, and he had subconsciously taken that step, yielding to the other's wishes—only to be instantly transported who knew where.
Prince Chu suddenly realized something else. Leaving his true father aside, his mother came from an illustrious background and possessed vast knowledge and experience—so why had she never trained his character, his fortitude and decisiveness, from youth?
If he had been properly educated from childhood, Prince Chu felt that even if he did not possess an iron will, he certainly would not have been cowed into following the monk's command just now, ending up in such a plight.
Yet regret was useless now. Prince Chu had no choice but to brace himself, walk over to the stone table, and sit down. The little monk casually picked up a stone and placed it squarely on the central point, Tengen. "Since we have nothing else to attend to, why not play a round? Benefactor possesses profound karmic ties with the Buddha, so there is no need to worry. For now, this humble monk merely wishes to ask a few questions. You may answer if you wish; if you cannot, it does not matter—you may ponder them at your leisure."
It sounded as though he would not be killed immediately—Prince Chu finally calmed down a bit. He played a responding stone and said, "Please, Master, ask away."
The little monk smiled. "Benefactor's karmic ties to the Buddha are so profound that before you, this humble monk dare not accept the title of Master. I merely harbor a few perplexities and hope Benefactor might provide some answers."
"Please speak, Master." Subconsciously, Prince Chu still used the respectful title.
The little monk played his stones with blinding speed, quickly seizing a distinct advantage. He said leisurely, "Prince Chu has such deep karmic ties with the Buddha and naturally possesses innate wisdom from past lives, making you heaven's chosen one destined to respond to the tribulation. With such exceptional talent, why have you never received the cultivation you deserve? Forgive this humble monk's candor, but with our innate wisdom, failing to reach Scenery Command by now is already lagging behind."
Prince Chu's heart gave a sudden lurch. This had been a lingering question in his mind for a long time. He was clearly gifted when it came to Buddhist arts, grasping them instantly and mastering them effortlessly, yet his mother had insisted that he cultivate Daoist techniques—and not even top-tier paths.
Later, by pure chance, the young Prince Chu had caught wind of that rumor. Beyond the shock, it had brought him a hint of pleasant surprise. In Western Jin, Wei Yuan's renown was at its zenith; not a soul dared utter a word of dissent. Had it not been for the overarching orthodoxy of Great Tang, hardly anyone would have been surprised even if Wei Yuan demanded the King of Jin abdicate the throne to him.
Thus, when he first heard the news, the young Prince Chu had felt more joy than shock.
Yet he had never anticipated that even though the King of Jin was clearly near the end of his days, Wei Yuan would actually extend his life—not just once, but three or four times, with who knew how many more to come.
Therefore, Prince Chu had no answer to this question.
The little monk did not press the matter. Instead, he asked a second question: "The King of Jin is decrepit and muddled. His end was nigh, his passing a matter of a year or two at most. How is it that he became full of vigor once more and resumed personal rule?"
This was a thorn in Prince Chu's heart, one that still bled.
Prince Chu considered himself inferior to the old King of Jin in nothing—not statecraft, not securing the people, nor military strategy or martial prowess. His sole shortcoming was that his cultivation remained only at the peak of Dao Foundation. Yet he was confident that if he switched to Buddhist cultivation methods, he could swiftly form a dharma idol and continue to advance even while occupying the throne.
Yet precisely at this juncture, Wei Yuan had presented the King of Jin with life-extending medicine. Had it happened only once, it would not have mattered; he could endure it. But this most recent time, the King of Jin had already handed the court's affairs over to him for two or three months. He had just grown familiar with government affairs, just begun to relish the newfound awe in the ministers' eyes, when the King of Jin suddenly returned to the throne.
When the ministers looked at Prince Chu again, the awe was gone from their eyes, replaced by subtle scrutiny, amusement, and even gloating schadenfreude.
Prince Chu finally understood: what the ministers revered was the seat itself, not the person in it. Even if a dog were tethered to the throne, the assembled officials would still chant "Long live the King!"
During those few brief months in power, Prince Chu believed he had governed admirably, resolving many long-standing maladies. Given just a little more time, he would surely have restored a prosperous and mighty Western Jin to the world.
Both sides placed their stones in rapid succession. Troubled and distracted, Prince Chu suffered a crushing defeat, failing to establish even a single living group of territory.
The little monk smiled. With a flick of his finger, the stone originally placed on Tengen flew into the space between Prince Chu's brows and vanished without a trace.
The little monk said, "Benefactor's karmic ties to the Buddha are even deeper than mine. If there comes a day when you feel destiny has wronged you, and you wish to defy the heavens, rewrite your fate, and ascend the highest peak, you need only think of me in your heart."
Prince Chu shuddered. "Ascend the highest peak? I... I can still have a day where I ascend the throne?"
The little monk burst into laughter. "The mere ruler of one of the Nine Kingdoms—how could that be called the highest peak? The true peak lies up there."
The little monk pointed toward the heavens above and said, "Beyond the Immortal Heaven, within the Buddhist Pure Land, a great karmic attainment awaits us. Immortal and indestructible for ten thousand generations—only that is the true summit."
Prince Chu shuddered all over. "Me??"
The little monk smiled. "Does Benefactor still fail to realize how immense your innate wisdom and fortune are? In truth, we knew from the very moment you were born, but at that time you possessed another great destiny. Your parents were both great opportunities—and Benefactor should well understand which one I refer to. Only recently, with the great catastrophe approaching and heaven and earth on the brink of drastic upheaval, seeing that Benefactor's opportunity was about to slip away, this humble monk could not resist stepping forth to meet you and offer you an alternative path.
"For no other reason than that this humble monk cannot bear to see the supreme karmic attainment of the Buddhist realm lie vacant. Should we miss Benefactor, who knows when your next reincarnated form will appear? In these times, external demons gather from all around, and the Buddhist land itself is tossed in the storm. Thus, this humble monk also hopes to gain such a powerful ally in Benefactor, that we may sweep away the demonic hordes and attain true enlightenment together."
The vision painted was so magnificent that Prince Chu was at a loss for words, his heart surging with turbulent waves of emotion.
The little monk said, "Very well. I have said all there is to say. Benefactor may do as you please."
Startled and elated, Prince Chu stammered, "I... I can leave?"
The little monk said, "Benefactor may naturally leave. This humble monk looks forward to sweeping away the demons beyond the heavens together with you! Besides, our Buddha is merciful; why would we ever harm you without cause?"
Chapter 1119