Chapter 280: The Great Scholar’s Calligraphy, Spirit of Plants and Trees, Luzhu

Chapter 280: The Great Scholar’s Calligraphy, Spirit of Plants and Trees, Luzhu

The other item was a Great Scholar Scroll, a treasure of the Confucian school. Imbued with righteous qi, it was mysterious and profound.

Lu Ying called herself a Confucian scholar, though she had never mentioned her lineage.

She had many of these Great Scholar Scrolls in her possession, as they were consumables, and she gifted two to Li Yanchu. It was her way of settling the karmic debt she owed him.

Confucians cultivated righteous qi, but ordinary scholars didn’t possess much combat strength. Yet once one becomes a Great Scholar, their words alone could kill, and a single line of verse could subdue demons and monsters.

This Lu Ying really does have some interesting toys

, Li Yanchu thought to himself.

He recalled she had martial guards, a Confucian sword, Daoist magical artifacts, Great Scholar Scrolls... Then three thousand taels of silver notes, and her clear ties to the government.

Such a woman’s identity would naturally arouse curiosity.

Now in Li Yanchu’s bundle lay another golden sacred relic, which had originally been in Lu Ying’s possession.

She had changed her mind. Since she intended to go to Xuzhou to investigate the matter of Xinyi Dao, she deliberately entrusted the sacred relic to him.

The Dragon-Tiger Scepter and the Great Scholar Scrolls were priceless treasures. If not for that, she wouldn’t have needed to part with magical artifacts just to spare that old beggar’s life.

“This woman trusts me that much?” A look of contemplation crossed Li Yanchu’s eyes.

Very soon, he understood why she had done so. Most likely, Lu Ying did not place much importance on returning the sacred relic to its temple at all. Clearly, she had considerable backing.

The matter at Jinshan Temple had probably only merited her personal appearance because it was convenient, and it was something she had done in passing. Compared to investigating Xinyi Dao, the relic of a Jinshan Temple monk was of far less significance.

Since he seemed trustworthy enough, entrusting him with the relic was natural.

Li Yanchu stored the Dragon-Tiger Scepter and the Great Scholar Scrolls into his Universe Pouch.

Then he lifted his gaze toward Lady Yun and asked calmly, “Do you have old ties with Jinshan Temple?”

Lady Yun’s body trembled.

After a long silence, she slowly exhaled a breath. “I was originally a spirit born of plants and trees... Once, I was enlightened by Master Kongwen[1] of Jinshan Temple, and listened to the Buddha’s teachings.”

Li Yanchu felt somewhat relieved. No wonder he hadn’t been able to sense anything unusual at first; her essence was itself pure energy, and she must have carried protective Buddhist spells from a high monk that concealed her true nature.

At this time, Lady Yun looked at Li Yanchu. This young Daoist’s expression was tranquil, his emotions were steady, and his whole bearing was calm and unshaken. But, when Lady Yun met Li Yanchu’s bright eyes, she instinctively looked away.

From her account, Li Yanchu finally pieced together the full story.

After being enlightened by the high monk, Lady Yun had remained cultivating in the mountains without ever leaving. Her Daoist cultivation wasn’t deep, and she had no desire to engage in magical duels. Thus she had always lived in peace.

Through the plants around her and occasional passing travelers, she was not completely ignorant of the world. This time, upon hearing that Jinshan Temple was spreading the Buddhist decree far and wide, summoning back the relics of high monks scattered across the land, she wished to contribute her strength to the escorts by offering them shelter from wind and snow.

Because of the Buddhist nature within her, she had a special sensitivity to the relics of great monks, and thus could recognize who truly carried the role of protector.

Who could have guessed that the very first person she encountered was Li Yanchu...

At this point, Lady Yun’s cheeks flushed red, and in her wide eyes lingered a faint look of reproach. It was only when Li Yanchu used the Clearheart Jade Pendant and cast a Daoist mantra that he saw through Lady Yun’s aura.

This was why he had blocked Lu Ying’s sword qi. Lady Yun’s body emanated a pure spiritual aura, not only of righteous cultivation, but also cloaked in merit. For that reason, Li Yanchu bore no hostility, despite her being a spirit born of plants and trees.

The two spoke casually for a while, and Lady Yun, drawn by Li Yanchu’s calm and steady presence, gradually lowered her guard.

Li Yanchu felt a trace of guilt; after all, he had just pulled her into his arms and searched over her for quite some time. So he deliberately chose topics Lady Yun would find interesting. They conversed for a long while, Lady Yun’s eyes growing brighter with every moment.

As night deepened, Li Yanchu sat cross-legged in meditation, cultivating until dawn. The next morning, he rose and took his leave, departing the thatched hut.

Lady Yun watched his departing figure, then suddenly smiled gently.

“Xu Xian and Madame White Snake[2], Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy[3]... so there really are such clever tales in this world.”

The beautiful spirit, born of plants and trees, was at that moment completely captivated by the little stories Li Yanchu had casually told.

She lightly bit her lip, stamped her foot once, and then hurried after him.

***

On the mountain path, thickets grew thickly. The terrain was steep and treacherous, and wild beasts roamed often.

Li Yanchu looked at Lady Yun in surprise, his expression a little odd. “You want to follow me?”

Lady Yun nodded, her voice soft. “Since fate ties me to you, Daoist Master, I am willing to remain by your side, to serve you.”

It was definitely not just to hear more stories. It was simply that she had met such a young, immortal-like figure, and wished to follow him.

***

A young, handsome Daoist rode a plain black donkey along the mountain path.

A Daoist riding a donkey looked rather harmonious. If only the donkey’s face didn’t carry such a wicked, unruly grin... For some reason, this beast had been unusually excited the entire journey.

Li Yanchu couldn’t be bothered with it. In the pack on his back were two relics, sealed within specially crafted wooden boxes that suppressed their aura. These relics bore the Buddhist power of high monks, and at times weighed on him like a mountain. They couldn’t be stored away inside his Universe Pouch, and the wooden boxes only served to muffle the Buddhist aura they exuded.

Isn’t this basically a walking treasure vault? How could it not tempt others?

Li Yanchu thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Lady Yun was cultivating within the Dragon-Tiger Scepter. This Daoist artifact could host and contain such a wood-spirit. Of course, that was only possible because Lady Yun’s cultivation was high enough. Despite her alluring face and graceful figure, she kept insisting her Daoist cultivation was shallow.

Li Yanchu strongly suspected she was just timid... This was also one of the reasons he agreed to take her along. Otherwise, bringing a beautiful woman along on the road would be far too inconvenient. What would people think of him!?

Bah! A depraved Daoist is kidnapping a beautiful woman!

He could very well end up being marked by the authorities or righteous sects, bringing needless trouble upon himself.

***

That night, Li Yanchu lodged at a place called Jingou Official Village[4], which had about a hundred households.

The household he stayed with bore the surname Zhao. The master of the house had once been a county magistrate under Xuzhou’s administration, but after offending a superior, he was impeached and stripped of office, left to retire at home.

The family still had dozens of servants and maids, and owned hundreds of mu of farmland. Generous and charitable, he was known as “Philanthropist Zhao.”

In Jingou Official Village, theirs was the foremost household.

“Daoist Master Li, here is supper, please enjoy it slowly.” A pretty young maid came in, setting the dishes on the table. She had a delicate melon-seed face[5], with bright, lively eyes of striking black and white.

“Thank you for your hospitality.” Li Yanchu smiled at her.

“My name is Luzhu[6]. If you have any instructions, you need only call for me,” the maid spoke softly.

“Thank you.”

Luzhu couldn’t help secretly stealing glances at Li Yanchu’s appearance. His sword-like brows, striking eyes, and handsome features made her heart beat faster.

After Luzhu left, the sound of a few young maids laughing drifted in from outside.

“You little minx, why’s your face so red? Don’t tell me that Daoist Master Li has caught your fancy!?”

“I’d say Luzhu’s spring heart[7] has been stirred. One look at that young, dashing Daoist, and her heart’s already flown away.”

“Come on, Luzhu, tell me, was Daoist Master Li really as handsome as they say?”

1. 空闻禅师 (Kōngwén Chánshī) literally means “Zen Master of Empty Hearing.” In Buddhist naming conventions, 禅师 (Chánshī) is an honorific for a master of Chan (Zen) Buddhism. 空闻 combines 空 (kōng, “emptiness”), reflecting the Mahayana Buddhist concept of śūnyatā or the realization of the impermanent and insubstantial nature of phenomena, and 闻 (wén, “hearing” or “listening”), suggesting spiritual receptivity or understanding through listening to the Dharma. To me, such a name conveys both the master’s insight into emptiness and the cultivation of mindfulness and discernment through attentive practice. ☜

2. Madame White Snake and Xu Xian is an ancient Chinese love story about a human and a demon, and is one of China’s four great folk legends. It tells the tragic romance of the snake demon Madame White Snake (originally named Bai Suzhen) and her husband Xu Xian, whose love is obstructed by the monk Fahai. ☜

3. Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy is a Chinese legend centered around a romance between an orphaned Han-dynasty man named Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy, the youngest daughter of the Jade Emperor. ☜

4. 金沟官庄 (Jīngōu Guānzhuāng) literally means “Golden Ditch Official Village.” The name likely combines a geographic feature (沟, gōu, “ditch” or “canal”) with 官庄 (guānzhuāng, “officially managed village/estate”), indicating a settlement historically administered or established by government authorities. Such names are common in northern China, reflecting both local topography and administrative history. ☜

5. 瓜子脸 (guāzǐ liǎn, “melon seed face”) is a Chinese term describing a face shape that is long and narrow with a gently pointed chin, resembling the shape of a melon seed. Often considered aesthetically pleasing in Chinese beauty standards, emphasizing a delicate and refined facial contour. ☜

6. 绿珠 (Lǜzhū) literally means “Green Pearl.” ☜

7. 春心 (chūnxīn, “spring heart”) is a classical Chinese expression referring to romantic or amorous feelings, especially the awakening of desire or attraction that comes with youth or the “spring” of life. Often used in poetry and literature to describe the stirrings of love or sexual longing. ☜