Chapter 128: Cultivation
Lin Qingli was initially furious, but her anger soon evaporated, and she smiled. "Brother, do not worry. I only ask that you keep my return to the Kongtong Sect a secret. Furthermore, please find me a secluded place to stay; I intend to devote myself to martial arts. When the time comes, if they dare to be insolent or cause trouble, I will certainly vent your grievances for you."
"You?" Qingyuan asked, half-doubting. However, there was no shortage of rooms on the mountain, so he quickly called for Old Chen to make arrangements. Lin Qingli chose a room closest to the back mountain without a second thought. As she followed Old Chen toward the back of the mountain, she passed the small cottage where she had lived years ago. It remained exactly as she had left it, though neglected, covered in dust and cobwebs. The graffiti she had drawn on the wall as a young girl was still clearly visible: a girl with pigtails riding on a man’s shoulders, reaching for fruit on a tree. "That is Father and me," Lin Qingli whispered to herself.
Old Chen did not hear her clearly and turned back to ask, "Miss, what did you say?" Lin Qingli shook her head in silence. She visited the rooms of Lin Tieqiao and Xu Qianfan. Lin Tieqiao had passed away years ago, and his room was now filled with discarded furniture, bearing no resemblance to its former state. Xu Qianfan’s room, however, was kept clean and tidy, evidently cared for by Old Chen.
"Alas, ever since the master left, I never knew when he might return. I clean this place thoroughly every day, hoping that one day he will walk through that door and restore the glory of our Kongtong Sect," Old Chen sighed, shaking his head repeatedly.
Upon reaching the back mountain, they found a solitary small courtyard. This was the place Lin Qingli had chosen; she favored it for its extreme seclusion, a spot rarely visited even during the Kongtong Sect's heyday. Though elderly, Old Chen was still nimble, and he quickly cleaned the place and even boiled a large tub of water for her bath. Once he left, Lin Qingli slowly removed her clothes and sat naked in the tub, letting the warm water wash away the dust of her travels. After bathing, she changed into clean clothes. From her old garments, she retrieved a bodice densely covered in tiny, neat script—the complete text of the *Yijin Jing* (Muscle-Tendon Change Classic) she had transcribed years ago. By now, she had memorized it so thoroughly that she could recite it backward; there was no longer any need to keep the fabric. She took a fire-starter, set the bodice ablaze, and watched it turn to ash, finally putting her mind at ease. For the past two years, she had lived in constant anxiety, terrified that the secret on the bodice would be discovered.
Once settled, she strolled out of the courtyard and toward a mountain cave. The entrance was densely covered by thick shrubs, hiding it completely. Had she not discovered it by chance while playing hide-and-seek with Qingyuan and Qingbai as a child, it would have been nearly impossible to find. Though the entrance was small, the cave within was vast and deep.
Lin Qingli found a large boulder inside, sat cross-legged, and began to regulate her breath through internal energy. Ever since she had obtained the *Yijin Jing*, she had practiced daily, but for fear of being discovered by Li Zhongyuan, Lan Wutong, and the others, she had always been cautious, stopping at the slightest disturbance. As a result, her cultivation over the past two years had been plagued by restless thoughts, yielding half the result for double the effort. Now, with no one to disturb her, she could finally refine her qi at will.
As her myriad thoughts settled, her *dantian* began to pulse gently. A potent internal energy rose from within, circulating through her meridians and throughout her body. Her limbs and bones felt as though they were soaking in warm water, an indescribable sense of well-being. Two hours passed as she completed one cycle of her technique. Training in such an environment was incomparable to anything she had known before. When she opened her eyes, she felt invigorated, like a spirited horse leaping within her. She drew her long sword, brandishing it in a flourish as she performed the Tianshan Sword Style. In an instant, sword qi surged through the cave, wind whistled, and stone chips rained down. When she finished the set, the steel sword in her hand had turned a dark red from the heat radiating from her body.
Only today did Lin Qingli witness the true power of the *Yijin Jing*. She could not help but let out a long, resonant cry. After the cry, she thought of how the Shaolin Temple had always treated the *Yijin Jing* as their own private treasure, forbidding others from practicing it or even laying eyes upon it. *Heh*, she thought, *this time, it is destined to spread throughout the world.*
With this in mind, she carried her sword to the depths of the cave, found a flat stone wall, and channeled her qi into the blade. Moving like the wind, she carved the entire text of the *Yijin Jing* onto the wall, word for word. Once finished, she lightly blew the dust from the stone and smiled. "Once a fated person learns the *Yijin Jing*, let us see what your Shaolin Temple can do about it."
She then turned and walked out of the cave without looking back.
Leaving Lin Qingli to her secluded cultivation on Mount Kongtong, the scene shifts to the capital, Chang'an. Empress Wei had been restless for days, suffering from nightmares every night. She dreamt of the deceased Li Xian and Zhang Jianzhi, their hair disheveled as they came to claim her life. She would wake up drenched in cold sweat every time.
An attendant suggested that the Abbot of Baochang Temple, a monk named Purun, was highly skilled in prayers and blessings, and suggested inviting him to the palace to perform a rite to banish the nightmares. Empress Wei agreed, and the attendant immediately summoned Abbot Purun.
Upon entering the palace, Purun was escorted by attendants to a high vantage point to survey the Daming Palace. Only after a long while did he enter the Taiji Hall to address Empress Wei. "Old monk just used my 'Heavenly Eye' to observe the Daming Palace," he said. "I realize that Your Majesty cannot sleep because wicked people are using a nightmare curse against you. This technique is an ancient one. The practitioner killed forty-nine young boys and buried them north of the Daming Palace, and forty-nine young girls were buried to the west. To the south lies Vermilion Bird Avenue, and to the east is the Wei River."
"These ninety-eight children met with violent deaths, and their resentment is profound. Because the south is Vermilion Bird Avenue, the hustle and bustle of people during the day gathers the 'yang' energy of the masses, while the east is guarded by the River God of the Wei, preventing the spirits from crossing. These souls cannot be reincarnated and remain trapped here. Over time, they have turned into malevolent ghosts, wandering the Daming Palace, which is why Your Majesty is plagued by nightmares."
Empress Wei did not believe him at first, but she secretly ordered her loyal subordinates to dig at the spots Purun had indicated. Seven feet down, they indeed discovered a large number of children's remains. Only then did she believe him and urgently ask for a way to break the curse. Purun replied, "With dozens of malevolent ghosts gathered in the Daming Palace, ordinary exorcism rituals will not suffice. The only way is to exhume the bodies, cleanse them, and bury them properly to pacify their grievances. Furthermore, a water-and-land ritual must be held in the palace. I am willing to bring three hundred monks from my temple to chant scriptures for seven days and seven nights, using the supreme power of the Buddha to liberate the souls and ensure peace."
Empress Wei, already mentally exhausted by the nightmares, had no choice but to comply and immediately arranged for the preparations. The next day, Purun led hundreds of monks in a grand procession into the Daming Palace, blowing conch shells and performing rites before the main hall. Some guards noticed that many among the group had not shaved their heads and questioned Purun. He replied, "Those are the temple’s laborers, here to serve the chanting monks their meals."
The guards knew the old monk was a guest of Empress Wei and dared not offend him. Furthermore, some of Li Longji’s confidants among the guards offered words of persuasion, so they let it be. Thus, he was allowed to perform his rites openly within the palace. Empress Wei would occasionally visit the scripture hall to listen to the monks chant.