Chapter 37: The Dharma of Self-Liberation

Upon hearing that Lu Dongbin had arrived, Hua Sheng and Mie Ying felt as if they had been plunged into icy water. The guest-monk added that Lu Dongbin was accompanied by a young man, who was undoubtedly Tianjiezi.

Hua Sheng thought to himself, "I never expected them to track us down so quickly." Perhaps they had already scoured the entire vicinity before daring to come to the Daqian Zen Temple to demand the fugitives.

While Hua Sheng and Mie Ying were pale with terror, Master Ruokong remained as serene as ever. He said calmly, "Do not panic, my two guests. Perhaps they have only come to borrow a power bank."

Hua Sheng could not bring himself to laugh. "That can’t be right, Master Ruokong! The Ruihua Treasure Mirror doesn't use electricity at all, so why would they need a power bank? Besides, who comes to borrow one in the middle of the night?"

Master Ruokong tapped his own forehead. "Oh! It seems I have confused them with human smartphones."

The elderly guest-monk, also ashen-faced, asked, "Abbot! Abbot! Lu Dongbin is one of the Eight Immortals, after all. What are we to do?"

"Consider it an academic exchange between Buddhism and Taoism. I shall go and meet him." With that, Master Ruokong walked toward the door.

Hua Sheng anxiously called out, "Then... should the two of us find somewhere to hide?"

"There is no need for such trouble, my guests. If Lu Dongbin truly intends to search this temple, digging three feet into the ground to hide would be in vain." Master Ruokong closed the door and said with a smile, "Rest well. I shall return once I have settled matters with Lu Dongbin. Wait for me!"

Having already suffered at the hands of Lu Dongbin, Hua Sheng hurriedly warned, "Abbot, the man is Lu Dongbin! One of the Seven Sages of the Realm! Please do not be so calm, as if you were merely slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm! You must be careful! You must—"

But the sound of Master Ruokong’s footsteps had already faded; Hua Sheng did not know if his warning had been heard.

No sooner had the Abbot left than Hua Sheng began pacing restlessly. Mie Ying said irritably, "Stop walking back and forth. You’re making me dizzy."

"I can't help it," Hua Sheng replied. "I have to see. I cannot drag the Daqian Zen Temple down with us. If Master Ruokong suffers because he harbored fugitives, I will regret it for the rest of my life!"

"You can barely save yourself, yet you worry about others."

"I cannot let Master Ruokong get involved. If things go wrong, I will reveal myself and go with them."

"Don't you go!" Despite her injury, Mie Ying stood up and blocked the door. "No! I won't allow you to go!"

With no other choice, Hua Sheng said, "Fine, fine! But I still can't rest easy. I’ll just go and take a look. If Master Ruokong cannot stop them, I will return immediately and retreat through the back door so we aren't caught red-handed. If we are caught somewhere outside the temple, Master Ruokong will not be held responsible for harboring us. How about that?"

Mie Ying finally stepped aside. As she moved, the bandage on her shoulder began to seep blood again. Seeing this, Hua Sheng’s heart tightened with guilt. He helped her back to her seat, settled her, and then quietly opened the door and crept onto the gallery.

He scaled the stone wall, climbed onto the roof, and crawled along the glazed tiles. When he reached the temple gate, he flattened himself against the roof, holding his breath to observe the situation. The once-silent temple was now filled with the noises of the night.

The gates of the Daqian Zen Temple were thrown wide open. Lu Dongbin and Tianjiezi stood outside, their expressions grim, clearly suspicious of the temple. Inside, two monks stood trembling, their legs shaking, whether from the biting cold or sheer terror.

Master Ruokong, guided by the light of the guest-monk’s lantern, walked through the corridors. To save time, he crossed the central courtyard. Amidst the swirling snow, he passed by the great incense burner. The heat rising from the burner met the freezing air, creating an updraft that billowed his brocade kasaya. With his hands pressed together in a prayer gesture, he walked with steady, fearless strides toward the massive problem waiting at the gate.

Hua Sheng watched as Master Ruokong waved away the trembling monks and stood alone, composed, before Lu Dongbin and Tianjiezi.

"Two immortals have graced the Daqian Zen Temple in the middle of the night," Master Ruokong said with a bow. "I apologize for not welcoming you sooner."

"Abbot," Lu Dongbin said impatiently, "I would not have disturbed you tonight if I did not have a pressing matter."

"Nonsense!" Ruokong replied. "You flatter me, Pure Yang. It is only a pity that my monks and I have stayed within these walls for too long, growing lazy; otherwise, we would have lined the path to greet you. Our temple gates are rarely opened, and the monks have become homebodies. Most are blunt and unversed in social graces. I hope you will forgive them."

Lu Dongbin’s expression remained stern. "Spare me the pleasantries. I have come to ask one question: have you seen a boy and a girl?"

Master Ruokong replied with calm indifference, "A monk does not lie. I have certainly seen boys and girls before!"

Hua Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. *Is the Abbot being duplicitous?*

Tianjiezi stepped forward eagerly. "Is that true, Abbot?"

"It is indeed."

"Where are they now?"

Master Ruokong looked puzzled. "Strange. In the vastness of Shengpingning, have you never seen a boy and a girl? Are they not everywhere?"

Tianjiezi realized he was being toyed with. "We meant, have you seen them tonight!"

Master Ruokong shook his head in sudden realization, then said with absolute conviction: "No!"

On the roof, Hua Sheng nearly tumbled off. He thought to himself, *This Master Ruokong is a genius at spouting nonsense! He lied to the Eight Immortals without even blinking! And he just said a monk doesn't lie!*

If Hua Sheng was shocked, Lu Dongbin and Tianjiezi were green with rage. Seeing this, Hua Sheng felt relieved, thinking the Abbot might actually pull this off. Feeling drowsy and sore, he climbed down from the roof to return to the guest hall.

Outside the gate, Lu Dongbin refused to give up. He leaned toward the Abbot and growled, "That cannot be! If you were not hosting guests, why were you dressed in your ceremonial kasaya as if you were prepared for a visit?"

"I enjoy nightlife. Does the Immortal have a problem with me being a night owl?"

Lu Dongbin narrowed his eyes. "Since your temple is in such high spirits tonight, why not invite us in for a seat?"

Master Ruokong smiled. "Unfortunately, the temple’s curfew has passed. If you immortals wish to force your way in, you might want to draft a confession of your crimes now to present to the Bodhisattva Guanyin and the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, with a copy to Taibai Jinxing. You can start drafting it now so it reaches their desks by dawn."

Lu Dongbin was livid and silent. Beside him, Tianjiezi could no longer contain himself. "What if we do force our way in!"

As he moved to step over the threshold, Master Ruokong’s expression shifted. He raised his right hand in the Abhaya Mudra.

Suddenly, the entire Daqian Zen Temple erupted in blinding Buddha-light, shooting from behind Master Ruokong toward the two immortals, forcing them to shield their eyes. A deafening roar of Buddhist chants surged like a tidal wave, and the snow on the temple grounds and rooftops began to dance as if boiling.

Tianjiezi’s right foot, which had crossed the threshold, hung suspended in mid-air, unable to move.

Master Ruokong remained smiling. "I may be a vegetarian, but did you think the Dharma of Guanyin was also soft?"

Tianjiezi gritted his teeth and forced his foot back. The exertion caused him to lose his balance, and he stumbled back three steps, nearly falling down the stone stairs.

Master Ruokong withdrew his power. "I may not be able to stop you from entering, but I have every confidence that once you enter, you shall not leave. You must have heard of the Hundred-Day Great Thousand Array of Guanyin. If you are interested in enrolling in our exclusive hundred-day course on meditation and chanting, feel free to step through this gate. I am quite eloquent; I will ensure you feel so welcome that you’ll leave a five-star review!"

Upon hearing "meditation and chanting," Lu Dongbin and Tianjiezi were twisted with rage, but fearing the Bodhisattva Guanyin and the Buddha of Sandalwood Merit, they dared not force their way in without evidence.

Lu Dongbin flicked his sleeve. "Fine! But if I discover that you, Master Ruokong, have been shielding these monsters, I will certainly go to Tang Seng to demand an explanation!"

Master Ruokong pressed his thumb and forefinger together in a gesture of teaching and laughed. "I have often heard that Shengpingning prides itself on freedom and democracy. Please, do as you please, Great Immortals."

Lu Dongbin snorted, turned, and rode a cloud away. Tianjiezi, though clearly unwilling, had no choice but to follow.

After watching them leave, Master Ruokong closed the gate and returned. The elderly guest-monk, still hiding in the corridor, asked, "Abbot, you told Lu Dongbin they were not here. If he finds out later, what will we do?"

Master Ruokong smiled lightly. "The Buddha says, 'Do not rely on written words.' Any word that can be spoken is not the ultimate truth. Besides, if this temple cannot protect two children who have worn our robes and eaten our vegetarian meals, how could one speak of the boundless compassion of the Buddha?"

The guest-monk nodded, pressed his palms together, and retreated behind the Abbot.

As they walked through the snowy corridor, Master Ruokong pushed open the door to the guest hall and laughed, "Guests, look, I pulled off a light show and sent Lu Dongbin packing!"

There was no answer from within. Looking inside, he saw that Hua Sheng and Mie Ying, exhausted, had fallen fast asleep on the wooden tea table.

The guest-monk asked, "Do they still need to reach Butterfly Spirit Manor? Should I wake them?"

Master Ruokong sighed softly. "Go and tell Bu Xu to make preparations. Let these two star-crossed birds sleep a little longer."