Chapter 345. New Dragon New Phoenix (2)

Several pieces of news hit the

murim

one after another.

Naturally, the news reached the person at the center of the rumors.

"The Mechanism Dragon?"

Zhuge Shengji paused his work and puffed out his chest.

“Yes! Mechanism Dragon! You're now one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes!”

Li Yicai, who delivered the news, bowed.

The Merchant King, who didn't pay attention to anything unless it was beneficial to the company, or to someone who owned shares in the company, quickly bowed deeply.

News about the world can be delivered through subordinates, but it would be a bad idea to leave the delivery of news to them when it's news that Young Master Zhuge would be happy to hear! He might end up getting so happy that he gives up a share or two! Hehehe!

Li Yicai inwardly laughed like a villain.

“Mechanism Dragon! Mechanism Dragon!”

Zhuge Shengji jumped for joy. He puffed out his chest, flared his nostrils, and laughed like a child.

"To think I'm one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes! The Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes!"[1]

What was the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes? It was the highest honor bestowed only upon a select few from the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Ancient Families.

There was a time when Zhuge Shengji had been treated as nothing more than a troublemaker, a problem child in the family, but he never imagined that he would become one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

Finally, the art of mechanisms...

Zhuge Shengji felt tears welling in his eyes. He was proud not just because of the Lake and Earth Formation’s success in Guizhou, but because the effort and study he had poured in for so many years were finally being recognized.

"Are you not the ThroughoutHeavenAboveandEarthBelowtheSoleHonoredOneMechanismDragon Great Hero Zhuge Shengji?![2] Aiya, as expected of the Young Master. I've recognized your talent since your youth. Even that smug know-it-all, Blessed Existence, cannot compare to Young Master’s strategies. No, not even the Young Master's mechanisms! Kyaaa! The expensive stuff! Bring that treasured liquor I've been saving!"

Flutter!

Li Yicai spread out his fan and waved it in front of Zhuge Shengji.

“Hahahaha!”

Zhuge Shengji swallowed his tears, straightened his back, and laughed.

“Milky White Skin Zhuge Shengji! Great Hero Mechanism Dragon Zhuge Shengji!”

Li Yicai danced around Zhuge Shengji and flattered him.

"Ha, seriously."

"This is embarrassing for everyone watching."

The warriors of the Gold Will Sword Sect, led by Chu Lian of the Ten Gale Swordsmen, snickered at the sight of the Mechanism Dragon and the Merchant King.

The two giants of the murim looked so much like happy children that it was embarrassing for everyone watching.

However, everyone was actually happy for him and congratulated the young master.

Zhuge Shengji had been ostracized and persecuted by his family since he was young. However, despite external pressure, he had studied endlessly and worked hard. Still, he was treated as a freak and never saw the light.

They had felt sorry for him because they knew just how hard he had worked and how great his abilities were.

But now, finally, after a long period of hardship and suffering, he had received the light and was recognized by the

murim.

"It would just be perfect if you hugged him right now, are you sure you don't want to?" Chu Lian turned her head to the side and asked Wu Zhenhua.

“It’s okay.”

Wu Zhenhua shook her head.

"Even though he's smiling like that, he might actually be holding back tears. If I hug him now, he might not be able to stop himself from crying..."

Those nearby were moved by her words.

There's an immortal fairy in our midst.

I envy Young Master Zhuge.

They looked at Wu Zhenhua with warmth in their eyes.

***

Guizhou, Weng’an.

The sunlight glinted off his head. His wrinkles showed the traces of time, and his long white eyebrows curved like crescent moons.

He was wearing yellow robes instead of red ones, which was a little different from the first time they had met, but he was definitely the Lama monk Zhou Xuchuan had seen before.

“It’s been a long time, Benefactor.”

Tsongkhapa clasped his hands together and smiled brightly.

“How have you been?”

Zhou Xuchuan also greeted him with a cupped fist.

“This old monk is doing well. More importantly, I wanted to ask if you, Benefactor, who had been declared dead until quite recently, are truly all right."

Zhou Xuchuan had endured a lot of hardships.

"I'm managing. But this time, you really were a great help. Thank you, Monk Tsongkhapa."

He greeted Tsongkhapa sincerely.

If not for the help from the Potala Palace, things would have ended very differently.

"Hehehe. There's no need for any thanks from you, Benefactor."

Tsongkhapa smiled and recited a sutra.

“Four years ago, in the Great Snowy Mountains, did I not swear before the Lama that if the Central Plains were in danger, I would run to the Benefactor’s aid even if there was discord within the Potala Palace? I have come only to repay my debt to you, Benefactor.”

I never thought that the karma from back then would come back like this.

Four years ago, he had definitely saved Tsongkhapa's life and had asked him for his help if the Central Plains were in danger later.

However, at that time, he had only said something vague in order to get rid of Tsongkhapa because he didn't want to be associated with the Potala Palace.

Zhou Xuchuan had only remembered that incident a short while ago and reached out on a whim, never expecting the response to be so overwhelming.

This old monk, just who the hell is he?

Mobilizing over a thousand monks from the Potala Palace was impressive enough, but their cultivation levels were also extraordinary.

The fact that he could mobilize this many people meant that he wasn't just anyone within Potala Palace.

Even for the Valley of Phantoms and the Xia Wu Sect, which were both spread all over the nation, their influence was limited to the Central Plains and couldn’t reach that far.

It hadn’t been easy to find any solid information on him, even after trying.

In order to resolve his doubts about the old monk, Zhou Xuchuan had looked into his memories of his past life, but he couldn't recall anything.

Then, just as he was about to honestly ask Tsongkhapa, 'just who the hell are you?', a Lama monk came to speak to him.

“I would also like to express my gratitude, Lord Sword God.”

He was a young monk in his mid-twenties.

“Four years ago, when I heard that my master Lama had been attacked by the Kagyu (喝擧派) and Sakya (薩迦派) who had fallen into the three poisons while he was visiting the Great Snowy Mountains for Tonglen, I felt a chill down my spine.

"Sword God, you are also the benefactor of this little one, Gedun Drupa (根敦珠巴). I am truly grateful to you for saving Lama’s life.”[3]

The breathing method of the Central Plains cultivation methods, the dantian breathing, sucked in good qi and expelled bad qi.

However, the breathing method of the Potala Palace was the opposite.

It sucked in bad qi, the suffering of others, and expelled good qi, joy. The compassion-based meditation method, often described as “making others healthy is also making me healthy,” was the essence of Tonglen as practiced by the Potala Palace.

Kagyu and Sakya...

Zhou Xuchuan thought of the knowledge that had been instilled in him by Tsongkhapa in the past.

Two of the three major branches of Lama Buddhism. The sects that the lamas belonged to at that time... Huh?

Zhou Xuchuan tilted his head when he saw the attire of Tsongkhapa.

I was sure that this old monk was from the Nyingma branch, called the Red Hat Sect (紅敎)?

A red robe with a hat of the same color.

That was why they had been called the Red Hat Sect.

However, his current attire was yellow.

Before Zhou Xuchuan could ask, Tsongkhapa answered.

“In addition, since the evil deeds of four years ago were widely known within the sect, those who had previously been skeptical of the sect were able to gather together. Thanks to this, the old sect was reformed, and our Yellow Hat Sect (黃敎) and the Gelug Branch (格魯派) were able to safely establish themselves as the four major sects.”

"Yellow Hat Sect? Weren't you from the Red Hat Sect?" Zhou Xuchuan asked Tsongkhapa.

“Oh, since you're the one asking about our Lama Buddhism, Benefactor, I can't help but answer.”

Tsongkhapa’s eyes lit up, and Zhou Xuchuan regretted it instantly.

“It was a slip of the tongue. You don’t have to teach me.”

“When I was sixteen, I went to the center of the Western Zhuang to study the manifest teachings, and then I went into the mountains to practice in order to understand the secret teachings of the esoteric teachings. Oh, the manifest teachings are the Mahayana and Hinayana sutras preached by Shakyamuni Buddha. The esoteric teachings are....”

“So you still don’t listen to others, monk.”

“After that, I studied Buddhism for a while at Nyingma while visiting the temples of the chief monk, so it's not wrong to say that I was a member of the Red Hat Sect, but in fact, I had unavoidable circumstances at the time. Since this little monk was hated by Kagyu and Sakya, I could not move freely in the yellow hat of the Yellow Hat Sect, so I had no choice but to wear red robes to hide my identity.”

“Excuse me, disciple. Do you know that your teacher usually ignores others?”

Zhou Xuchuan turned toward Gedun Drupa.

"I was so worried back then that I had monks assigned to protect him. But the moment I looked away, he shook them off and wandered off alone. I can only reflect on the shortcomings of this humble disciple.”

Gedun Drupa smiled bitterly when his eyes met Zhou Xiaochuan.

"I hadn't wanted to send him away, but since you said that we had to go to the Great Snow Mountains to find the answer, I..."

“This is driving me crazy.”

That master and that disciple.

“I would like to thank you again. If you hadn’t helped, Sword God, the Gelug Branch would have lost our Founding Ancestor in vain.”

“Founding Ancestor?”

Zhou Xuchuan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Gedun Drupa also seemed surprised by Zhou Xuchuan’s reaction.

"I had the thought in the back of my head, but it truly seems like you don't know anything about Master Lama."

For reference, a Lama was someone who accurately conveyed the teachings of Buddha and guided others toward enlightenment. It was also a title for a virtuous monk who could remember his past lives.

Tsongkhapa was also a Lama.

"I wasn’t hiding this on purpose. I had intended to explain after he’d helped us. But he said he’d abandon me if I didn’t let him go because he was in a hurry... so I had to let him," Tsongkhapa explained.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“Hmm...”

Gedun Drupa was silent for a moment and then continued.

"My esteemed master, Tsongkhapa, was the one who had lamented that the doctrine of Lama Buddhism was rotting in the wrong direction and that the monks were falling into debauchery. Thus, he donned a yellow hat and called for strict discipline, eventually starting a religious reform movement that combined esotericism and divination. The faction that emerged from this is the Yellow Hat Sect, also known as the Gelug Branch.”

“Wow!”

Zhou Xuchuan couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

I knew he was an extraordinary old monk, but...

If it was as Gedun Drupa said, Tsongkhapa was a great man among great men who would become the founder of one of the three major branches, or rather, the four major branches.

It was now understandable that he could mobilize over a thousand lamas, but on the other hand, it was absurd.

A person who would become the founder of one of the three major sects, or rather, the four major sects, would climb the Great Snowy Mountains alone without an escort?

He had even shaken off those who had been assigned to be his escorts.

When Zhou Xuchuan first met him, he thought the monk was insane.

Now, he realized he’d been absolutely right.

At the same time, he couldn't help but laugh in vain as he thought of the face of the new-medicine obsessed Divine Physician who had gone all the way to the Southern Jungles.

“Benefactor, you have saved not only the lamas, but also the Gelug Branch, and the future of the religion. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude once again.”

Gedun Drupa bowed with his hands clasped together.

"Moreover, while I would very much like to remain in the Central Plains and continue offering my help, I must apologize for being unable to do so.” Tsongkhapa said apologetically.

“Unfortunately, the relationship between the Western Highlands and the Central Plains isn't very good, so I cannot stay long because I am concerned about the Ming Dynasty.”

“It’s okay. I understand.”

The reason the Dark Heavens Association couldn't reach out to the Western Highlands

murim

was because of these complicated diplomatic relationships.

In fact, there had been many internal objections to Zhou Xuchuan’s request for help, saying it was too dangerous.

However, Tsongkhapa insisted on going ahead, saying that they owed him their lives and he had sworn an oath to the Lama.

If the location had not been Guizhou, which was relatively close to the Western Highlands, they would not have come in the first place.

That was how awkward it was for them to be in the Central Plains.

“I am grateful that you came.”

His words were all sincere.

With the help of a thousand lamas and the Potala Palace, they had been able to minimize the damage and achieve a near-complete victory in the first fierce battle.

“The Great Snowy Mountains have been visited by many great monks. It is a connection that the Buddha has made, so how can I, as a monk, easily accept it? I have only done what was natural. It is regrettable that I cannot help you more.”

“Monk, do you know that I am a Daoist? Would you like to hear about Dao?”

“Namu Amitabha Buddha...”

“Hey.”

1. As of this chapter, the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes are, The Sword Dragon Zhou Xuchuan, the Knowledge Dragon Zhuge Xiang, the Boundless Dragon Nangong Shanxu, the Tactician Phoenix Zhuge Xiuluan, the Poison Phoenix Tang Hui, and the Plum Blossom Sword Phoenix Luo Xiaoyue. There is no mention of the fifth dragon in either of the generations so far. The previous generation's Five Dragons were, the Seal Dragon Hao Dechang, the Poison Dragon Tang Mingren, the Knowledge Dragon Zhuge Xiang, and the Boundless Dragon Nangong Shanxu. ☜

2. Yes, this is the famous Buddha quote that's been recently made into pop culture by JJK. ☜

3. Gedun Drupa was Tsongkhapa's student and first Khenpo of his monastery. Eventually, he was posthumously awarded the Dalai Lama title, and thus was the first Dalai Lama. ☜