After spending several days in seclusion to properly temper her fists, Jian Dan finally emerged with nothing urgent on her schedule. Feeling leisurely, she fetched a purple jade flute from the music room within her spatial storage and played a tune inside her cave residence for her own amusement.
Cotton Candy was overjoyed, dancing gracefully to the melody throughout the cave. Its movements stirred up clouds of vibrant mist, turning the space into a swirl of color.
One person, one cloud, each immersed in their joy. It was the very picture of carefree delight.
"All right, that's enough. Someone's coming to see you, probably to confront you about something," Liu Chuan called out abruptly.
Jian Dan lazily lowered her flute. She had expected someone to come knocking eventually.
"Chuan, you've become much more alert since arriving in the Diling Kingdom. Your information network seems sharper too."
Liu Chuan replied nonchalantly, "It's summer here, the season when flora is at its most lush. Naturally, I can gather news from the plants around us."
Jian Dan nodded. That was the divine power of a sentient plant, after all.
"Well then, let's go greet these esteemed monks."
At that moment, Qing Yong and his companions had already arrived at the edge of the Lotus Lake. Gazing out at the mist-covered water, he intoned a Buddhist chant.
"Amitabha. I, Qing Yong of Yunzhong Temple, have come to pay respects to the senior expert residing here."
As soon as his voice fell, Cotton Candy retracted the mist from the lake's surface.
The view that appeared before them was like something out of a painting.
Vast lotus leaves shimmered in verdant green, and each bloom swayed elegantly in the wind. Dewdrops resting on petals and leaves refracted the sunlight, casting golden glimmers. In the middle of the lake stood a jade-green mountain peak, and beneath a weathered pine at its summit stood a lone woman.
"Friends from afar, how delightful! Please, come."
Jian Dan's voice echoed clearly in each visitor's ear. After uttering a courteous "Forgive the intrusion," the monks of Yunzhong Temple stepped one by one onto the floating mountain peak.
Both sides exchanged quick glances as they met face to face.
Qing Yong wore the standard garb of a Buddhist cultivator—monk's robes overlaid with a kasaya, a string of prayer beads in hand. His features were somewhat dark, and his build was stocky and strong, giving off the aura of a body cultivator.
To Qing Yong, Jian Dan appeared radiant and graceful, her smile serene and refined. She was slender and willowy, dressed in a white robe adorned with faint patterns that gave her an ethereal presence.
At a glance, the robe seemed plain, but a closer look revealed intricate patterns woven into the fabric, arranged in a deliberate sequence that concealed potent power. The ruby hairpin at her crown and the matching earrings at her ears were clearly no ordinary accessories.
Qing Yong had already formed a general judgment about the senior expert before him.
"Amitabha. This humble monk is called Qing Yong. May I ask how I should address you, Senior?"
"My surname is Shan."
"Senior Shan."
"Master Qing Yong, please sit. I've only prepared some light tea for your visit."
"We were presumptuous in arriving uninvited."
"Then may I ask, what brings such esteemed monks to my door?"
Jian Dan was never one to dance around the point.
"Amitabha. May I ask where Senior hails from?"
Jian Dan responded with a classic line of her own. "I come from where I came."
Qing Yong paused, then continued.
"Will Senior be residing long in the Diling Kingdom?"
"No. This place isn't suited for my cultivation. Once I settle my karmic ties, I'll naturally take my leave. You may inform your Buddha Child there's no need for concern."
She answered as she picked up her white jade teacup and took a sip.
Qing Yong didn't touch his tea. After a moment of silence, he raised his gaze and finally asked, "Senior, when the Locking Beast Tower collapsed, since you had the strength to block the most dangerous beasts, why did you not…"
Jian Dan smiled and cut him off.
"Why didn't I block the rest of them?"
"Amitabha. Forgive this monk for his offense."
"Heh. Since you know it's offensive, then why ask? Even your Buddha Child didn't raise the question. Why are you?"
"This monk was arrogant."
Despite the reprimand, Qing Yong remained calm and courteous.
Jian Dan set her teacup down and regarded the monk with a gentle smile.
"The Locking Beast Tower had already reached its limit. What Ampei did was simply the last straw."
Qing Yong's expression finally changed. He murmured another Buddhist chant.
"Amitabha. Senior, please be careful with your words."
"What? You can't handle the truth? Isn't the Locking Beast Tower currently in your possession?"
Several of the Divine Soul-stage monks behind Qing Yong frowned and subtly shifted their stance. Qing Yong, however, raised a hand to stop them.
"Senior, the Locking Beast Tower is under our Buddhist sect's care. We naturally bear the responsibility for it. There's no need for you to worry."
"Master Qing Yong, your logic is full of holes. If your sect is in charge of guarding the Locking Beast Tower, then shouldn't it be your responsibility to recapture the escaped beasts? How dare you question me for not stopping every single one of them?"
That single statement struck the core of the matter. Qing Yong realized it immediately—this was her way of responding to his veiled accusation.
"Amitabha. My words were indeed reckless."
"Do you still need me to explain further?"
"Amitabha. Senior, you are kind. But might you be too lenient with the beasts?"
"Not at all. I am far from kind. Nor would I call it leniency. But you Buddhists speak of mercy and the equality of all beings, do you not?"
By this point, Jian Dan was already losing interest. Their philosophies differed too much. Besides, the Buddhist sect clearly dominated this region and seemed wary of any other cultivation path.
"Master Qing Yong, my cultivation follows a different path than yours. Naturally, our views will differ."
Qing Yong finally sat down and took a sip of the tea before him.
"I would like to hear more."
Jian Dan suddenly felt a headache coming on. So he really did want to debate her. Even Liu Chuan was quietly smirking to himself—so this woman could be caught off guard too.
Clearing her throat, Jian Dan said, "Very well. Let me share a story with you all."
"Long ago, a monk and his disciple journeyed into the mortal world for ascetic practice. They traveled across thousands of mountains and rivers, witnessing human suffering along the way. One day, they came upon a vast desert. To complete their journey, they had to cross it.
They entered the desert without hesitation. But ten days passed, and they still hadn't reached the end. Worse, they had run out of water."
The monks listened attentively, waiting for what came next.
"They didn't give up. Exhausted and parched, they kept going. Eventually, they spotted a household amid the sandstorms and staggered toward it, begging for a single bowl of life-saving water.
But the homeowner was also in a difficult spot. Their water supply was nearly gone. They had only one bowl left."
Jian Dan paused here, then smiled at Qing Yong.
"Master Qing Yong, tell me. Who should get the water?"
"Amitabha. As a Buddhist cultivator, they should not put the homeowner in a difficult position. The water should be left to them."
"I think the monk should drink it. Without it, he'll soon meet the Buddha in person."
"This…"
Jian Dan continued before he could reply.
"No, the water should stay with the homeowner. It's their last supply. Without it, they won't survive until the next source arrives."
The monks behind Qing Yong all nodded in agreement, but Jian Dan pressed on.
"Actually, I still think it should go to the monk and his disciple. After all, they're two people. Better two survive than just one, right?"
Now, Qing Yong said nothing. He had fallen silent, lost in thought. Jian Dan glanced at him and delivered her final words.
"Still, it should probably go to the homeowner. Because no one can guarantee that single bowl of water would be enough to get those two monks through the desert and to their destination."
"Amitabha. Senior Shan, you need not continue."