"Amitabha. A monk does not speak falsehoods. There is indeed a powerful senior currently residing within the lake."
Emperor Xuande's face brightened, but before he could press further, Hui Ming spoke again.
"The senior has said that when the time is right, she will meet His Majesty."
Xuande's eyes narrowed as he fiddled with the jade ornament in his hand and looked at Hui Ming.
"So she does not wish to see me now."
"Amitabha. It seems the Second Prince may have offended her and only left after this humble monk intervened."
Without changing his expression, Hui Ming deflected the blame onto the Second Prince. In his heart, though, he scoffed. That senior is not someone a mortal emperor can meet just because he wants to. With a single flick of her hand, she could topple a kingdom. An emperor's status is worth nothing before her.
Though Xuande's face darkened, he did not lose his temper. After sending Hui Ming off, he summoned the commander of his shadow guards.
"Go investigate that lake."
A man clad in black knelt on one knee and replied,
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He vanished from the hall in a blink.
Xuande then summoned the Second Prince along with the guards and attendants who had accompanied him. He even questioned the shadow guards who were protecting the prince.
None had seen the woman's face. Just her back had stunned the Second Prince. This only deepened Xuande's curiosity, though Hui Ming's words still echoed in his ears.
By evening, the commander of the shadow guards returned to the emperor's bedchamber to report.
"Your servant is incompetent. I found nothing."
Xuande sat up on the dragon bed.
"What do you mean?"
"Your Majesty, when I arrived, the lake was shrouded in white mist. The lotus flowers that once covered it had vanished. I even entered the lake to investigate, but found nothing at all."
Hearing this, Xuande waved a hand to dismiss him. His royal shadow guards were elite. If even they couldn't uncover anything, then it was as Hui Ming had said. The time had not yet come. All he could do was wait.
On her moving mountain, Jian Dan enjoyed a few days of peace. Cotton Candy and Jade spent those days running wild. Only after giving them time to enjoy themselves did she begin addressing the situation.
From her talk with Hui Ming, Jian Dan confirmed that this was indeed the mortal realm. Though far from the cultivation world, it was located at the far western edge of Lingyun Continent, separated by the Storm Sea. Beyond it lay the mortal kingdom of Tianrong.
Tianrong bordered Tianqing, which was Shan Yunzu's homeland.
Jian Dan had fallen into the territory of the Empire of Diling, ruled by Emperor Xuande. The entire capital worshipped Buddhism. Temples were scattered throughout the land, incense ever burning. Even the royal family had their own monastery.
In this quiet land of Buddhism, the people seemed kinder and more at peace. But Jian Dan's presence was striking, like a crane among chickens. To avoid drawing attention, she took Cotton Candy and Jade on a low-profile tour of the capital.
Outside the largest temple, Mingfa Temple, Jade insisted on going inside. Jian Dan allowed it, warning her not to get caught. Meanwhile, Jian Dan stayed at a tea stall by the gate, ordering a bowl of tea while she waited.
Though Jian Dan followed the Dao, she was not unfamiliar with Buddhism. She had two or three Buddhist friends. Liao Kong and Liao Chen were both considered accomplished monks. They pursued different paths, but all sought the supreme Dao. In Jian Dan's eyes, they were not so different.
The tea stall's attendant was quite talkative. Without repeating himself once, he chatted nonstop for over half an hour, telling Jian Dan the temple's origin, the great monks of its past, and how it had earned royal favor. Jian Dan listened with genuine interest.
She didn't interrupt and even tossed the attendant a silver ingot. That made him even more excited. He was just about to roll up his sleeves and launch into a longer tale when a commotion erupted inside the temple.
A flash of green light darted out. Jade wrapped herself back around Jian Dan's wrist and sent her a voice transmission.
"Master, I was just curious. I climbed onto a Bodhisattva statue's pure water vase to see what was inside. But they caught me. They tried to grab me, so I ran."
Jian Dan pressed her hand to her forehead. Her poor child was just too naive and curious. That was on her. She shouldn't have let them act like they'd never seen the world. Clearly, more travel was needed.
The attendant was just about to continue when Jian Dan raised a hand.
"You speak very well, but I'm hungry now. I'll come back another day to hear more."
The attendant hesitated, then reached for the silver to return it. After all, he hadn't really earned it.
But Jian Dan waved her hand.
"Keep it. It's for the tea and your time. Consider the rest a deposit. I'll come again to hear more."
The attendant grinned and nodded quickly, bowing in thanks.
Jian Dan had just taken two steps away when a group of monks with staves blocked her path. A middle-aged monk at the Nascent Soul stage stepped forward.
"Amitabha. Please wait, Benefactor."
Jade flicked her snake tail nervously. Jian Dan turned back, smiling politely.
"Master, may I ask why you are stopping me?"
To the crowd, Jian Dan appeared as a poised, dignified middle-aged woman. None could see her true appearance.
"Amitabha. Apologies for the disturbance. A beast fled from the temple just now. I sense a strange aura from you."
Jade grew anxious. She had forgotten to suppress her presence and had left a trace behind.
Jian Dan sighed inwardly. Too little experience. Such a basic mistake. But they were wrong to call Jade a beast. She was a rank-four spirit beast, already under contract with Jian Dan. She was no longer of the beast race.
"Oh? I only had a cup of tea outside the temple. I didn't notice anything. You can ask this young man here."
The tea stall attendant stepped forward without hesitation and bowed.
"Master, this lady did have tea with me. She listened to the temple's history. I noticed nothing unusual."
"Amitabha. Benefactor, beasts are cunning. Perhaps you were unaware. May I use the Mirror of Revelation to examine you?"
Jian Dan raised an eyebrow. The legendary Mirror of Revelation? She was intrigued.
"No harm in that. Please, go ahead. I'm curious to see it."
The monk clasped his hands, retrieved a bronze octagonal mirror the size of a palm from his sleeve, and murmured an apology. Then he cast a spell and tossed the mirror into the air.
It spun on its own, releasing a beam of golden light that shone down on Jian Dan.
She felt the golden light pass over her, imbued with pure and righteous Buddhist energy. It could indeed subdue lesser beasts and demons. But capturing her Jade? That mirror was far from enough.
Jue Ming stared at the woman bathed in golden light, stunned. The merit light radiating from her body was so strong that even the abbot of Mingfa Temple paled in comparison. Only the Grand Masters of Yunzhong Temple might rival her.
Jade had been nervous, but as the light entered her body and caused no reaction, she relaxed and quietly returned to being a jade bracelet.
"Master, did the mirror reveal anything?"
Jian Dan asked with a smile.
Jue Ming snapped out of his trance, quickly retrieved the mirror, and bowed deeply with folded hands.
"Amitabha. This humble monk was rude. I beg Senior for forgiveness. May I invite you into the temple?"