The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 2133 The Fire of the Ruler, the Fire of the Minister, and the Fire of the People—This is the True Fire of Samadhi

Feng Jiuxiao sneered, "Still want to breathe fire?" He stretched out his right hand and grabbed at the air. The neck of the bronze eagle suddenly tightened, as if gripped by a giant hand. The grip tightened and tightened, and the eagle became tense and began to struggle desperately. Its wings flapped wildly, trying to break free of its restraints. Unfortunately, the invisible giant hand was like a steel hoop, firmly holding its neck, and its whole body did not move at all!
Then the red light around the neck got stuck and couldn't go up, while the flames in the abdomen continued to surge upwards, causing the neck to start to swell!

Bronze's neck swelled even more like an inflated balloon. Yuan Zishan said, "Won't it explode if you keep holding it in?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "The fire in its belly is not the real Samadhi True Fire, but a false fire conjured by the Great Wizard. Of course, if this false fire were real, people could feel it through sight, hearing, and touch. But a false fire is a false fire after all. It does not have the power of a real fire and cannot burn and expand rapidly to form an explosion in a short period of time!"

Bigwolf asked, "What is Samadhi Fire?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, “The old names were Samadhi, Samadhi, and Samadhi. They translate as concentration, right mindfulness, upright concentration, the place of right mindfulness, and the cessation of thoughts and the concentration of mind. The mind is fixed in one place and does not move, hence the name 'concentration.' Right mindfulness is the object of contemplation, hence the name 'mindfulness.' It is the regulation of the mind's aggression, the straightening of the mind's crookedness, and the stabilization of the mind's distraction, hence the name 'upright concentration.' The action of the mind, aligning it with the basis of the Dharma, is called 'the place of right mindfulness.' The cessation of thoughts and the concentration of mental activity, hence the name 'the cessation of thoughts and the concentration of mind.' The *Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra*, Volume 5, states: 'When a wholesome mind dwells in one place without moving, this is called Samadhi.'”

"However, different schools have different views on this Samadhi. The Abhidharma school considers it one of the Ten Great Grounds, while the Yogacara school lists it as one of the Five Specific Realms. Both of these schools consider it one of the mental factors, believing that the mind is contained within this mental factor and thus can abide in one object. However, the Sautrāntika school believes that the mind continuously turns in one object, which is called Samadhi. The Satyasiddhi-śāstra argues that Samadhi and the mind are not different, that is, neither of them allows the existence of other mental factors."

The *Dasabhumika-vibhāṣā* (Chapter 11) states that "Samadhi is all concentration other than the four dhyānas (four meditative absorptions) and the eight liberations; it also states that the three liberation gates (emptiness without outflows, signlessness, and wishlessness samadhi) and the three samadhis (concentration with awareness and observation, concentration without awareness but with observation, and concentration without awareness or observation) are called samadhi."

"Therefore, the definitions of samadhi in early Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism are not entirely the same."

"As for the true fire, it comes from the Taoist internal alchemy cultivation!"

"The superior Daoist method takes Heaven and Earth as the cauldron, the sun and moon as water and fire, Yin and Yang as the mechanism of transformation, lead, mercury, silver, sand, and soil as the five elements, temperament as the dragon and tiger, and thought as the true seed. Refining thought with the mind is the timing of the fire, calming thought is nourishing the fire, containing light is consolidating the foundation, subduing inner demons is the battle, body, mind, and intention are the three essentials, the Heavenly Heart is the mysterious gate, and returning emotion to nature is the completion of the elixir. This is called the superior way to prolong life, which can lead to the attainment of immortality."

"The highest level of cultivation takes the Great Void as the cauldron, the Great Ultimate as the furnace, purity as the foundation of the elixir, non-action as the elixir field, nature and life as lead and mercury, concentration and wisdom as water and fire, suppressing desires and punishing anger as the interaction of water and fire, unifying nature and emotions as the union of metal and wood, cleansing the mind and purifying thoughts as bathing, preserving sincerity and fixing the will as solidification, precepts, concentration, and wisdom as the three essentials, the center as the mysterious gate, understanding the mind as the verification, seeing one's nature as condensation, the three elements merging into one as the sacred embryo, nature and life becoming one as the completion of the elixir, having a body outside the body as rebirth, and breaking through the void as becoming one. This is called the path of the highest-grade celestial immortal. Upon successful cultivation, one can achieve 'wonderful form and spirit, and unite with the Dao.'"

"If a cultivator can internally refine the 'Samadhi True Fire,' he can drive away plagues."

"In addition, the Zhixuan Pian says: 'I have three true fires: the heart is the sovereign fire, also called the divine fire, and its name is Shangmei; the kidneys are the minister fire, also called the essence fire, and its name is Zhongmei; the bladder, which is the Qihai below the navel, is the people's fire, and its name is Xiamei. When they gather, they become fire; when they disperse, they become Qi. They rise and fall and circulate, thus following the way of the Zhou Tian (circular celestial system)...'."

Bigwolf's furrowed brows finally relaxed. "You could have just said the last sentence earlier. Whether you beat around the bush or not, just understand the last sentence: Samadhi True Fire is the fire in the heart, kidneys, and bladder, which are respectively called the Sovereign Fire, the Minister Fire, and the People Fire, right?"

Feng Jiuxiao immediately nodded, "Yes, that's right!"

Bigwof said with some pride, "It seems that my recent study of Central Plains culture has not been in vain; I have indeed made progress again."

Pang Shiwu deliberately glanced at Big Wolf and said, "Bragging so openly in public, Brother Wolf, are we really that unmodest?"

Bigwof feigned ignorance: "Why should I be humble? Humility is a habit of you Central Plains people. We Oroban people never deliberately suppress our nature."

Pang Shiwu shook his head and said, "Pride goes before a fall, humility brings benefit, understand, Brother Wolf?"

Bigwolf laughed and said, "Humility can sometimes be mistaken for weakness and incompetence, which will only bring you more trouble. Only by showing your strength will others look at you differently. Whether it's fear or respect, at least they won't dare to act recklessly in front of you!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Brother Wolf is right! We are influenced by Confucianism and Mencius, and we regard 'gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality and humility' as virtues, while they advocate the law of the jungle, where the strong are respected!"

Xiong Mengyan asked, "Why are they different?"

Feng Jiuxiao laughed and said, "If I were to say it out loud, Brother Wolf would probably scold me!"

Bigwolf rolled his eyes at him. "It's nothing, I'm thick-skinned! You just want to say that you're a great empire, where people are well-fed and know etiquette, while we're a land of ice and snow with nothing, just like your northern Khitan dynasty. Resources are scarce, there are too many wolves and not enough meat, so the wolf's law has emerged, everyone fights tooth and nail, the winner gets to eat meat, and the loser goes hungry!"

Feng Jiuxiao laughed and said, "Brother Wolf, you're right! I have absolutely no intention of discriminating against your country! The Central Plains dynasty has just gone through five dark periods and is now in a period of great need for reconstruction. At this time, some places are peaceful and prosperous, while others are suffering. Take the Tubo dynasty for example. The people here are far from having enough to eat and knowing etiquette. It's a blessing if they can live past thirty, and if they can live past fifty, it's like their ancestors' graves are emitting auspicious smoke! From childhood to adulthood, they face all kinds of risks every day. They may be captured by a lama and made into a ritual implement, captured by nobles and made into serfs, or captured by the royal court and made into soldiers to go to the battlefield. They are like livestock, without even the right to live a normal life. Do you feel any guilt in mocking these people? Aren't you afraid of divine retribution? Although Europe is far away, human nature is the same. Although your country is relatively backward now, I believe that with the passage of time, a great figure will emerge there to realize your glory and bring peace and prosperity to the country, just like the Central Plains dynasty!"

Bigwolf solemnly replied, "Thank you!" Jokes aside, the facts were undeniable: the various small countries of Europe were indeed quite backward. They possessed none of the technologies of the great Eastern powers, such as silk production, porcelain manufacturing, iron smelting, and medicine. Compared to the great Eastern powers, their clothing was merely modified animal hides or linen, barely enough to cover their shame!
As for eating utensils, let's not even talk about them! The tableware used by Easterners can be divided into: jars, pots, basins, bowls, plates, and dishes, while they only have one thing that is neither a basin nor a bowl, which is almost the same as the eating utensils used by the dogs at home!

We must admit our shortcomings; only by knowing shame can we rise to the challenge!
Bigwolf said, "Alright, we've gone off on a tangent about the Samadhi True Fire, let's not talk about it anymore. How are you going to deal with it?"

Feng Jiuxiao looked at the bronze sculpture hovering in mid-air and said indifferently, "What can such a large piece of bronze be used for?"

Pang Shiwu said, "Sell it to a rich landlord! Put it at the entrance, how impressive!"

Venerable White Lotus laughed and said, "Good idea! But how do we bring it down the mountain?"

Pang Shiwu raised an eyebrow and said, "What's so difficult about that? Look at what my elder brother is doing right now. He's just controlling the golden eagle to go down the mountain, isn't that enough?"

Venerable Bailian was taken aback. "But Young Master Feng must be expending a great deal of true energy to remotely control the golden eagle like this. If he were to control the golden eagle to descend the mountain, he would probably be consuming a huge amount of true energy!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "It's alright!" He thought to himself: Why would I need to expend true energy and internal strength to control this bronze golden eagle? It's just a matter of controlling it with my mind! Venerable Bailian couldn't possibly not know this; she was just trying to curry favor with me!

Yuan Zishan asked, "Fifteen, are you done cleaning up?"

Pang Shiwu rolled up the three blankets on the ground, "All done!" He then picked up a bundle and slung it over his shoulder.

Seeing this, Wang Sheng and Duanmu Yan immediately took up the remaining two bundles! The two had already agreed to help, so they couldn't go back on their word.

Yuan Zishan looked at Feng Jiuxiao, "Shall we go?"

Feng Jiuxiao glanced around and said, "Fifteen, let's see if there are any medicinal herbs, maps, rosters, or anything like that."

Pang Shiwu laughed, "They're all in the bundle." He had already thoroughly searched the entire palace; all the books and medicine jars were on the antique shelves. There wasn't even a treasure chest in the corner, and the space under the bed was completely empty; he must have taken everything he could.

Feng Jiuxiao said, "That's good! Let's go!"

He walked ahead, and the golden eagle suddenly regained the ability to move its wings, but it could only flap them slightly and couldn't generate any wind. Then, influenced by external forces, it changed direction and drifted with Feng Jiuxiao, looking like a large kite from a distance. The white-clad youth in front was the one holding the string.

As everyone left the palace gates one by one, Pang Shiwu said, "Venerable One, it's up to you now!"

Venerable White Lotus clasped his hands together and laughed, "Young master, rest assured, just watch this humble monk's step-by-step thunder!" He suddenly stomped his right foot on the ground, and with a "pop," blue ripples spread from his feet toward the palace!
The blue ripples touched the palace gate, and the gate shattered!
Upon touching the palace wall, the palace wall collapsed!
In an instant, the entire palace collapsed!

Wang Sheng said softly, "Is the White Lotus Venerable's 'Thunderous Steps' really that powerful?"

Duanmu Yan whispered, "That's definitely not it. When we left, he had already used Thunder Steps, which had shaken the palace to pieces. The palace walls were only cracked but did not collapse. They could have been knocked down with just a gentle push. He's just putting in one last push now."

Wang Sheng asked, "Did you see him kick?"

Duanmu Yan said, "I was close to him and felt it. At the time, I thought there was an earthquake in the distance, which is why we felt a slight tremor here."

Wang Sheng said, "That Miss Chang is closer to him than you are, but she doesn't seem to react much."

Duanmu Yan whispered, "Even if she knew, there was no need for her to spread it around, was there?"

Wang Sheng said, "That's true."

Given Chang Zijin's temperament, there was really no need for her to publicize it. If it were Pang Shiwu, he might have made a fuss!

The golden-domed palace collapsed, raising a cloud of dust that blotted out the sky!

Wang Sheng suddenly pointed behind him and said, "Is this guy just standing here like that?"

As everyone looked, the gray-colored behemoth stood atop the mountain like a colossal pillar reaching for the sky!

Feng Jiuxiao said, "The Great Wizard is dead, and no one can break the spell. This giant snake will surely carry out the orders given to it by the Great Wizard until its death, which is undoubtedly a huge hidden danger to the people below the mountain!" He looked at the giant snake, "Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. If you want to blame someone, blame the Great Wizard!" He concentrated his mind and unleashed an invisible force that formed an enormous fist, which he then slammed into the giant snake! The fist was much thicker than the giant snake!
This is the true Shadowless Divine Fist!

Not only can you not see the shadow of the fist, you can't even see the fist itself!

boom!
A loud bang!
The giant serpent, its entire body covered in ice, shattered with a deafening roar! It was smashed to pieces by the immense force of the fist!
Feng Jiuxiao said, "Alright! Let's go down the mountain!"

He walked ahead, with a giant eagle slowly following behind him several feet above the ground. Fortunately, there were few pedestrians along the way, otherwise it would have caused a sensation!

Back at the "Eight Directions Guests" inn, Erni immediately grasped Chang Zijing's hand. "How was it?" Chang Zijing smiled and said, "Of course it was a great success! That great wizard is dead, the Zanpu has vanished without a trace, and those imprisoned children can go home safely!"

Erni exclaimed excitedly, "That's great!"

Chang Zijin asked, "How is Brother Zeng?"

Erni said, "He's still meditating, and he looks great. He'll probably be able to get out of bed by tomorrow morning."

Chang Zijin smiled and said, "That's wonderful!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Everyone is tired, so take a good rest. I'll treat you all to drinks tonight!"

Xiong Mengyan immediately clapped her hands: "Great!"

Wang Sheng and Duanmu Yan also shouted, "Good!"

Yuan Zishan rolled her eyes at Feng Jiuxiao, said nothing, and went straight back to her room, closing the door behind her.

Chili suddenly woke up with a start. "Huh? Miss, you're back?" She rolled out of bed, rubbing her eyes. "When did you get back? Just now?"

Yuan Zishan said, "Yes!" She took out a jade pendant from her bosom and handed it to Chili. "This was taken from the palace of the Tibetan king in Qinghai. Keep it safe."

Chili took the jade pendant, a warm sensation washing over her as she touched it. It was exquisitely carved with a dragon and phoenix motif. "Wow, this must be very expensive!"

"Things from the royal palace can't be cheap."

"Haha, Miss, you're so sweet." Chili shook Yuan Zishan's arm and started to act coquettishly again.

"Okay, I'm going to rest for a bit."

"What's wrong, Miss? You seem a little unhappy. Did Young Master upset you again?" In Chili's mind, besides Young Master Feng, who would dare to offend Miss Yuan?

Yuan Zishan lay on the bed with her eyes closed. "Okay. Time to sleep."

Chili had no choice but to shut up and carefully examine the jade pendant.

"I've seen the world!" Chili chuckled. "This is a real gem, worth at least tens of thousands of taels of silver!"

Outside the inn, Feng Jiuxiao looked at the golden eagle hovering in mid-air, glanced at the open space next to him, pointed to that spot and said, "Come down and stand there!" The golden eagle immediately floated down and stood in the place he specified.

Wang Sheng thought to himself: That golden eagle has no independent consciousness at all. All its movements are being remotely controlled by you, Feng Jiuxiao, yet you make it seem as if you have tamed this golden eagle so obediently. You are just a child at heart, so mischievous!
Venerable White Lotus whispered, "Young Master, are you really planning to sell this thing?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Of course it's true!"

Venerable White Lotus asked, "Then...where does Young Master intend to make his move?"

Feng Jiuxiao asked, "Who is the richest person in the city? Who bullies the common people the most?"

Venerable White Lotus's eyes lit up. "This humble monk knows! The city is dominated by six powerful families, each with roughly equal influence!"

"Oh, then Venerable One, tell me, which six families are involved?"

"First is the Mo clan, whose emblem is a blood eagle pattern, and they control the salt road of the Western Sea. Second is the Dai clan, whose emblem is a yak horn. Third is the Wei clan, whose emblem is a roc that devours the sun, and they control the gold mine of the sacred mountain. Fourth is the Bolanjia clan, whose emblem is a chain of bones. Fifth is the Chen clan, whose emblem is an ice crack pattern, and they monopolize the Tea Horse Road. Sixth is the Niang clan, whose emblem is a two-headed snake."

"There are people with the surname 'Niang' (娘)? This is the first time I've ever heard of that."

"Yes, it's quite rare. None of these families are good people. The Mo family monopolizes the salt tax from Qinghai Lake and often skins salt merchants alive to make maps. The Dai family monopolizes warhorse breeding and actually feeds the testicles of their castrated serfs to their stallions!"

"What?" Feng Jiuxiao felt nauseous and wanted to vomit!

Bai Lian immediately continued, "The Wei clan holds the divine authority of the Bon religion and frequently extracts the brain marrow of twin children to make gold!"

Feng Jiuxiao frowned and said, "Let's go to the Wei family first!"

"Good! The Blanga clan controlled copper smelting, and they often forced their slave craftsmen to jump into the copper furnace!"

Why force someone to jump into the furnace?

"They say that using human blood as a sacrifice can produce divine items!"

"This is fucking weird! I think they're just looking for a reason to kill someone. They can kill someone for any reason. They're so ruthless! Should we go to their house first? Forget it, let's do it in order. They all deserve to die. There's no need to distinguish the order."

"Hehe, we'll do whatever you say, young master! This Chen family monopolizes the Tea Horse Road and takes exorbitant commissions. They once robbed caravans and used the leg bones of innocent girls to make flutes."

"Hmph! As expected, there is a way to die."

"The Niang clan trains assassination puppets called 'Blood Servants,' all of whom are young children. These children must pass a test to become assassins, the first of which is to kill their own blood relatives!"

"What do you mean? Father murder and mother murder?"

"Not bad!"

"Is it to sever family ties and cultivate ruthlessness?"

"Guess so!"

"Damn it, they all deserve to die! Let's start with the first one!"

"Going right now?"

"Of course, it'll be dark soon, and we have to keep traveling tomorrow, time is tight!"

"Okay, how many of us should go?"

"Can't it just be the two of us? They're all tired, let them rest first. You can just give me directions and watch from the sidelines, I can handle it myself."

"That won't do, young master. This humble monk isn't tired, and I'll definitely be following you into battle!"

"Okay, shall we set off?"

"go!"

The two left without hesitation. Wang Sheng and the others, who had already entered the inn to rest, naturally heard Feng Jiuxiao's words. They looked at each other in bewilderment, "Is he really addicted? He's going again?"

Wang Sheng asked, "Are you going?"

Duanmu Yan countered, "And you?"

Wang Sheng's eyes flickered: "We're just killing time anyway, so why don't we..."

Duanmu Yan grinned. "Let's go! We'll follow from a distance and wait for the right moment to strike!"

Wang Sheng smiled and said, "Okay!"

Above: A bronze sculpture spews flames.