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墨書 Inktalez
Beyond the courtyard lay a long alley. Across from it were several doorways, with the central one being notably wider than the others, which were all within a yard's distance.
Azure Wind pushed open the central courtyard gate and stepped into an ancient courtyard scattered with tall, verdant cypress trees.
The courtyard was not large; directly in front stood a grand hall, flanked by several side rooms. The most striking feature of the courtyard was the more than ten towering cypress trees, each over two embraces high.
Azure Wind did not linger but walked along a straight path of bluestone that led to the hall, pushing open its door. The path was narrow, allowing only two people to walk side by side, so Taishi Beichuan pulled Xunuo ahead. As they stepped onto the path among the cypress trees, a chilling pressure surged forth, causing Xunuo to breathe a bit more rapidly. He focused his mind and calmed his thoughts before feeling somewhat better.
Upon entering the grand hall, that inexplicable pressure returned with a vengeance. Azure Wind sat on a pearwood chair inside and noticed Xunuo's pale face as he entered; soon beads of sweat began to form on Xunuo's brow. After a moment of contemplation, Azure Wind laughed heartily and said, "Liu Shizhi, do not be nervous. How could this ancient temple of a thousand years lack some pressure? Just relax your mind and take a few deep breaths."
He then gestured for two of his direct disciples to help Xunuo into a chair. It was only then that Xunuo realized he had already broken into a sweat, his clothes thoroughly dampened. Not daring to practice the Huayang Classic in front of Azure Wind, he followed his advice to relax his breathing and empty his mind, gradually forgetting himself and his surroundings. After about the time it took to brew a cup of tea, he began to recover.
At that moment, Xunuo realized he had inadvertently taken a seat in front of Azure Wind. He hurriedly stood up and bowed, saying, "Nephew has acted out of line just now and disrespected Master Lan; please forgive me."
Azure Wind waved his sleeve from two yards away and lifted Xunuo back up, saying, "This is not your fault. Few who enter this grand hall for the first time do not experience dizziness or discomfort; yours is the first case I've seen so severe. I couldn't just watch you faint without offering help—wouldn't that invite Tian Feiyu to come knocking?"
Xunuo finally regained some color in his face and smiled as he replied, "I apologize for worrying Master Lan. What is it about this grand hall that feels so strange? And you mentioned earlier that this is an ancient temple of a thousand years. How could my Wuhua Sect have such an ancient site? I must still be confused and unable to grasp this."
Azure Wind laughed heartily and said, "This story is quite long. You are all Outer Sect Disciples; there are some historical secrets of our sect that you should know."
He then pointed to an object behind him and asked, "Do you know what this is?"
Only then did Xunuo realize that what lay behind Azure Wind was not a wall but rather a round, massive object that appeared entirely black at first glance like a giant bell.
After some thought, he dismissed this idea. Firstly, there were already Bell Tower and Drum Tower on the mountain; even if it were one, it should be suspended high above rather than hidden within a room. Secondly, judging by everything seen so far, this hall seemed to be the meeting place of the Divine Mechanism Hall; placing a bell here would be ominous. For both emotional and logical reasons, this object should not be a bell. As for what it truly was, Xunuo could not guess at all.
As Xunuo pondered, a disciple standing behind him timidly said, "Master Tian, from my perspective, this object looks like a bell."
"Don't be ridiculous," Azure Wind scolded. "You have no discernment."
Then he turned his gaze to Xunuo, who quickly stepped forward and said, "My junior is just short-sighted and can't see clearly."
Only then did Azure Wind explain, "This is a statue of Buddha."
The disciples were left dumbfounded upon hearing this.
Xunuo stared at the statue, pondering for a while: What kind of Buddha is this? A round Buddha? But he had never heard of it before.
Seeing the puzzled expressions on everyone's faces, Azure Wind began to narrate the story behind it.
This history dates back to the Founder of the Wuhua Sect. When the Wuhua Sect was first established, it was built at the foot of Wuhua Mountain, near the Spring Edge.
At that time, there was already a temple on the mountain called Nantuo Temple. However, its incense offerings were not prosperous. With the establishment of the Wuhua Sect at the foot of the mountain, ordinary people feared martial heroes and avoided them at all costs. How could they dare to ascend to the Wuhua Sect and burn incense to worship Buddha in the temple? As time went on and the Wuhua Sect grew stronger, the monks at Nantuo Temple gradually starved and fled.
Eventually, only one monk remained on the mountain. This monk had been deceived by a wandering monk. After promising great benefits, the nearly elderly host fled under the support of two remaining monks during the night.
The next day, when the wandering monk awoke and found the temple empty, he realized he had been tricked.
This wandering monk had sworn an oath before Buddha and dared not abandon the temple. He endured hardship while hoping another wandering monk would come to take his place. However, after half a year with no one arriving, he could no longer bear the hunger and sought help from the Wuhua Sect below. He was willing to give up this Buddhist sect's foundation on Wuhua Mountain but had one request: that the main hall of the temple remain intact and that the statue inside not be damaged. This was actually a bottom line left for him by the old host.
At that time, as the Wuhua Sect was expanding, they eagerly accepted such a good deal. They also took control of Wuhua Mountain and its surrounding lands.
The lands and houses surrounding Wuhua Mountain, including oil mills and rice shops, were mostly owned by Nantuo Temple. However, the temple lacked diligent monks, and collecting rent became increasingly difficult. When faced with stubborn tenants, they would find excuses to avoid paying rent. Some struggling families even delayed their payments. As time went on, this behavior became a trend, and gradually no one was paying rent.
Initially, the temple could survive on the offerings of incense money. However, one year there was a severe drought, followed by a locust plague the next year, leading to starvation among the people. Some larger temples began to distribute porridge as charity. Yet Nantuo Temple not only refused to give away porridge but also sent monks out to beg for alms.
It was hard to blame the monks; as people's livelihoods worsened, the offerings dwindled. In normal years, they struggled to collect rent from fields and houses, and during disaster years, it was nearly impossible. But the monks still needed to eat. Thus, rumors spread that the monks of Nantuo Temple were competing with the people for food.
Gradually, their reputation in the community worsened, and fewer believers came to worship. The monks began seeking other avenues for survival. Some went to other temples to find work, while others wandered to different states as wandering monks. The pile of unpaid debts was left unattended.
The Wuhua Sect rejoiced at acquiring these land deeds and rental agreements. In truth, the early Wuhua Sect was no different from bandits and robbers. They had no properties of their own and relied on their disciples for sustenance. They often engaged in acts of robbing the rich to feed their own poverty and oppressing the weak.
After seizing this territory, they immediately divided their people into two groups: one group surrounded the mountain and claimed the land while the other held onto the land deeds and began collecting rents from each household. They demanded interest on past dues without exception. Those who couldn't pay had their valuables taken away; if that wasn't enough, they would sell their women into brothels to settle debts. Within a month, they had plundered an area spanning several dozen miles—this time legally.
Those who suffered—families torn apart and homes destroyed—began to lament the monks' actions, but it was too late.
Later, when the Founder of the Wuhua Sect saw that his sect had established itself firmly, he began to set rules to distinguish his disciples from actual bandits.
The Founder was a devout believer and felt grateful to that monk who had brought him fortune. Following the monk's advice, he preserved the temple and its Buddha statues while establishing rules forbidding future generations from damaging them. However, in later years, one leader of the Wuhua Sect rejected Buddhism and sought to eliminate it but dared not violate the founder's rules. Instead, he chose ignorance and had someone build a cover for the Buddha statue. Due to its bell-like shape, visitors began referring to this hall as the Bell Chamber.
This leader found it unlucky and in a fit of anger challenged someone to a duel. He struck thirteen acupoints on his opponent, leaving that person bedridden for half a year. Unable to contain his anger, that man began mocking the Wuhua Sect for having a Bell Chamber. Later on, feeling resentful about being struck in that chamber, others humorously dubbed it the "Acupoint Room."
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