The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 256 Shackles, Mountain Song

The next day, after releasing Azi's acupoints, Azi cried out "Ouch!" and fell directly to the ground.

She had been standing all night, and her legs were already numb. If the pressure points weren't released, she would be fine, like a wooden or clay sculpture. But once they were released, she would lose her balance and fall down immediately with the slightest movement.

She sobbed, reaching up to roll up her trouser legs, revealing two snow-white calves with faint blue spots showing signs of bruising.

Zhao Ti asked, "Why are you crying?"

Azi shook her head, the scorpion hook behind her hair bun came undone, her black hair fell over her shoulders and back, she rubbed her calves hard, and tears fell "pitter-patter" onto her knees.

Zhao Ti looked at it for a while, then said expressionlessly, "Go and fetch me water to wash my face."

Azi glanced at him, then slowly got up from the ground and walked outside with stiff, puppet-like movements.

A moment later, she carefully brought over a basin of clean water. Then Zhao Ti told her to go out and tidy herself up. Once everything was done, they left the inn and headed into the city for breakfast.

After breakfast, we went to the gate of Rasa Temple. The guest monk was talking to a young novice monk. When he saw that we were dressed in Song Dynasty attire, he quickly put his palms together, chanted Buddhist prayers, and asked us questions.

Zhao Ti thought that an old friend had come to see the Great Wheel King. Upon hearing this, the guest monk led the way and entered the temple.

Rasa Monastery is an ancient monastery. It suffered some damage when the Tubo Dynasty collapsed, but it still retains many of its original buildings. It looks antique and has an added touch of mystery because many of its artifacts are different from those in Buddhist temples in the Central Plains.

Before long, they arrived at the back of the temple and saw Kumārajīva standing in a courtyard, staring blankly to the west.

Tong Guan exclaimed, "Master, you seem quite leisurely. You don't even know that you need the sect leader to come and find you in person to return to Tokyo."

Kumārajīva paused in the courtyard, turned around and saw the crowd, a look of surprise on his face. He stepped forward and bowed in Buddhist greeting, saying, "Why has Benefactor Zhao come in person?"

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "If I hadn't come, would the monk have stayed?"

Kumārajīva shook his head with a wry smile: "Benefactor Zhao is joking. I originally wanted to go to the Central Plains a long time ago, but I was delayed by some things."

Zhao Ti asked, "What is it?"

Kumar sighed, "This is a long story. Please come inside and we can discuss it in detail, Benefactor Zhao."

As he spoke, he went into the back room, took his seat, and sent a young novice monk to brew tea. Kumārajīva then began to speak.

It turned out that last year he traveled south from Qinghai, first arriving at Luosuo City. Upon returning to the capital, he recounted his experiences over the past two years to the Tibetan king. The account was a mix of truth and fiction. The Tibetan king, who had never been to the Central Plains, listened with bewilderment, without a shred of doubt.

He then headed south to Dalun Temple in the Great Snow Mountain. The temple hadn't changed much. He stayed there for a while, shared his insights on Buddhism with his disciples, and visited temples in the surrounding mountains and other countries. Just as he was about to return to the Central Plains, Rasa Temple suddenly sent a message saying that a monk from another place had come to debate with him and he was unable to defeat him, so they asked him to go and help him.

He figured he could go to the Central Plains by any route, and going through Luosuo City wouldn't be too far. After a debate on the scriptures there, he could set off directly without delaying his business, so he got up and went.

To their surprise, they found that the monks of all sects at Rasa Monastery had already been utterly defeated and were no match for the visiting old monk. Not only were they no match in discussing scriptures, but they were also no match in martial arts.

He was naturally dissatisfied, for there was a saying in the Western Xia, Western Regions and Tibet that the northern waves shone on the southern great wheel.

Bei Bo Zhao refers to the abbot of Chengtian Temple in Xingzhou, the fearsome Vajra Bo Zhao, while Nan Da Lun refers to Da Lun Temple in the Great Snow Mountain of Tubo, the Great Wheel King Kumārajīva.

Kumārajīva was the Dharma King who protected the Tibetan kingdom. He was extremely proficient in Buddhism. Every five years, the Dalun Temple would hold a sermon, and eminent monks from all over the Western Regions would gather at the Dalun Temple in the Great Snow Mountain to discuss the scriptures and debate the inner texts. After listening to the Dharma, they would all leave with joy and praise, which shows how profound his scriptures and how refined his Buddhist teachings were.

What he found hard to accept was that he lost his first debate with the old monk, whose Dharma name was Wensheng. The old monk was not only well-versed in the scriptures, but also had a very high level of understanding of Buddhism, which was beyond the reach of ordinary monks.

Although Kumārajīva lost the first round, he was not convinced at all. He was not an ordinary monk, and his defeat was not so bad.

However, he lost the second and third games as well, which made him panic. Then he suffered a series of crushing defeats and did not win a single game.

The old monk won for several days, but instead of leaving, he suddenly brought up some past theories, all of which revolved around the scriptures about the thousand Buddhas who appeared in the glorious kalpa of the past.

The scriptures and teachings held in this world are mostly teachings for the present age. The monks are not familiar with the scriptures and treatises of the Buddhas of the past, or have never even heard of many of them. Let alone expounding on them, they need quite a while just to contemplate their meaning.

So they continued to lose, and the whole temple was filled with anxiety. After the old monk won, he preached in front of the temple gate to attract Buddhist followers. Some of the sutras he preached were even sent to the court. Kumārajīva was worried and became thin. Not only him, but also several fat monks in the temple lost a lot of weight during this period.

After listening, Zhao Ti pondered for a moment and said, "I met that old monk named Wensheng yesterday and had a conversation with him."

Kumārajīva exclaimed in surprise, "You spoke with him, Benefactor Zhao? What did you talk about?"

Zhao Ti recounted his conversation with the old monk in the abandoned temple outside the city yesterday, and then said, "His words were quite absurd, like a dream. If it weren't for his clear mind and logical thinking, one would almost think he had gone mad."

Kumārajīva's expression changed, and he stood up and shook his head, saying, "Nonsense, utter nonsense! How could such a thing happen? This humble monk does not believe it for a second. That old monk is of unknown origin and has suddenly appeared in the world to spread heretical rumors."

Zhao Ti asked, "Do you still remember the events of the Kingdom of Kucha and Kunlun?"

Kumārajīva nodded: "They should all be the same group of monks, practicing some strange and evil methods. They probably had a feud with a sect in the Kunlun Mountains in ancient times, and were wiped out by them. They went into hiding somewhere to lie low and eke out a living. Now that they have recovered a bit, they have come out of the world again to mislead and cause trouble."

Zhao Ti pondered, "That's what I think too. His explanation is really too absurd, as if he were just talking nonsense. There are many parts that don't make sense or have a beginning or end. It's bizarre and strange, making it hard to believe."

Kumārajīva said, “But the people outside don’t think that way. Once they’ve seen and heard about it for a long time, they might be bewitched by this demon and start to believe it to be true.”

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment and said, "If what the great monk said is true, and they are allowed to spread the Dharma so that the people will believe it to be true, and that a great chaos is about to break out and a true Buddha will descend, what is the purpose of this?"

Kumārajīva said, "On a superficial level, it is naturally to instill fear in people and then take the opportunity to amass wealth. On a deeper level, it is to confuse Buddhism and to substitute one person for another. They are the real demons who want to usurp the Buddha's teachings."

"The matter of usurping Buddhism?" Zhao Ti reached out and touched his chin.

"Or they might use the chaos of the times to intimidate people, and possibly seize the opportunity to usurp power, take over the throne, and exploit the people." Kumārajīva's expression was grim.

"Usurping power, disrupting the government, and oppressing the people?" Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes.

Kumārajīva said, “It’s a pity that I can’t out-argue him in the debate. No one in Rasa Monastery has his eloquence. Even if I explain to the Buddhist followers and the common people that he is a heretic, it won’t be very convincing.”

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "If you are so sure of this, and you can't win the argument, why bother arguing anymore?"

Kumārajīva was taken aback: "What does Benefactor Zhao mean..."

Zhao Ti said calmly, "Since the other party is a demon, and you can't argue with him, then just deal with him."

Kumārajīva gritted his teeth and said, "How can I win a fair debate against a heretic? I am still unwilling to accept it. How can the righteous Dharma not defeat the heretic? Even if I kill him, it will leave a flaw in my heart. I am afraid that my cultivation will not make any progress in the future."

Zhao Ti looked at Kumārajīva and said slowly, "The great monk is too attached to appearances. If you don't deal with him, won't your flaws become bigger and bigger? You know he has won so many debates, so why doesn't he leave and still come to debate with you?"

Kumārajīva asked, "Why is that?"

Zhao Ti said leisurely, "Having won so many times, you could have directly started preaching and gaining followers, but you're still debating. It's to make you reveal more and more flaws. Rasa Monastery is the number one monastery in Tibet. The entire monastery is no match for him. Even you, the monk, lost. The further the news spreads, the less people will believe the preaching in other monasteries."

Kumārajīva immediately broke out in a sweat: "This humble monk did not think of this part. I was only thinking that if I could not win fair and square, it would be disadvantageous if the outsiders saw it. I never thought that he would be so cunning."

Zhao Ti pondered for a few moments: "I will leave Luosuo City tomorrow. The monk can handle it himself. Continuing to delay will only make things worse. His accomplices have not yet appeared. Once they have more people, they will spread their fallacies and heresies throughout the city. I'm afraid there will be no place left for Rasuo Temple."

“Alright…” Kumārajīva nodded: “This humble monk will discuss this matter with the abbot in a moment. How long will you be staying in Dali this time, benefactor?”

Zhao Ti said, "I'm not sure about that. If you've finished your business here, you can come to Dali to find me. If I'm not here, just go directly to Xingzhou City."

Kumārajīva said, "That's very good. Your words have enlightened me. By the way, I have found some clues about the martial arts temperament you mentioned last time."

"Oh?" Zhao Ti smiled and asked, "How so?"

Before Kumārajīva returned, the two had discussed the ever-changing positive and negative aura that appeared outwards. Since they did not know its name, they called it the aura of martial arts. Kumārajīva said he would go back to Tibet to search for it and see if he could find out its origin.

"I went to Hongshan Palace, but found nothing. It was dilapidated and there was almost nothing intact. However, I found an ancient scripture notebook in this Rasa Temple, which contained some notes."

"Ancient classics and notes?" Zhao Ti asked.

“It’s a copy of Buddhist scriptures left by some ancient master. It looks older than Rasa Monastery, so it must have been brought here from elsewhere by a high-ranking monk when the monastery was built.” Zhao Ti nodded: “What does it say?”

Kumārajīva said, “There is a sentence in the notes at the back of that scripture that does not discuss the scriptures, but rather martial arts. It says that when martial arts are practiced to the extreme, one can break the shackles of Buddhism and form martial intent, which is called the will of martial arts.”

“Martial will…” Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes.

"It is indeed the will of martial arts, but it's hard to say whether it's related to that temperament based on just these few vague words. However, the notes give an example later, saying that during the reign of King Tianhu of Magadha, there was a monk who broke free from the shackles of Buddhism and cultivated the will of martial arts. The two characteristics on his body interacted and collided, which could be hidden or revealed. His moves were like thunderbolts, and he had the strength of a dragon and an elephant," said Kumārajīva.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows and fell into deep thought.

Kumārajīva continued, “This humble monk feels that this describes the spirit of martial arts. To reach this level, one must break free from the shackles of Buddhism. As for what the shackles of Buddhism mean, I have not found it in any other scriptures. This humble monk’s martial arts are not profound enough, nor have I gained any insight from my own cultivation.”

“Buddha’s shackles…” Zhao Ti muttered to himself. He was now certain that when his true energy surged up the twelve floors, he could generate martial intent. But what did the Buddha’s shackles mean?

Based on Kumārajīva's description, it should be correct that breaking through the Buddhist shackles is the beginning of forming martial intent. It must refer to the bottleneck name of reaching this realm. However, this name is obviously the Buddhist term. The Buddhists call this bottleneck the Buddhist shackles. What should other sects, such as Taoism, call it?
Zhao Ti took a breath. He had no bottlenecks in his martial arts training, so he had no way of knowing how difficult it was to break through the twelfth level of true qi, or what kind of dangers and obstacles he would encounter.

Actually, this isn't good either. Although his skill level has increased and his realm has improved, his mental state hasn't progressed at all. Right now, he can rely on his knowledge of astronomy and geography, and understand the past, present, and future, without being bound or entangled by his martial arts techniques. But when his martial arts become higher and higher, will his current mental state still be sufficient?
Seeing him deep in thought, Kumārajīva did not disturb him. After a while, Zhao Ti slowly said, "I know about this matter. Monk, remember to practice diligently. You may one day reach this bottleneck. Prepare early, as it will be beneficial for breaking through to the next level."

Kumārajīva agreed. Zhao Ti thought for a moment, then got up and left with the others.

We then spent most of the day wandering around the city, and only returned to the inn after having dinner outside. It was still dark at this time, and the setting sun hung high in the sky, making the plateau evening somewhat chilly.

Zhao Ti sat in the courtyard drinking butter tea, watching A Zi wash and peel fruit by the well. After she finished, she carefully brought the fruit up and said, "Your Majesty, please have some."

Zhao Ti ate a few fruits expressionlessly, then walked into the room. Azi watched his back with a resentful expression, wishing she could run away right now, but she didn't dare.

As darkness fell, she cautiously entered the room, lit the lamp, and saw Zhao Ti sitting by the bed.

Azi's eyes darted around, her little face full of fawning: "Your Majesty, is there anything else you need me to do?"

Zhao Ti looked at her and said, "Go and boil a basin of water for washing your feet."

"Huh?" Azi's lips curved into a smile, but she didn't dare refuse. She muttered under her breath, "You've boiled water for washing your feet, does that mean you want me to wash your feet too..."

Zhao Ti snorted coldly: "Do you really want to take a shower?"

"I, I..." Azi's expression changed, and she hurriedly ran out of the room.

An hour or two passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhao Ti was still pondering things, showing no sign of resting.

Azi stood by the table, so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. Last night, she had been acupunctured, but unfortunately, there were no pressure points that would cause her to faint, so it was as if she hadn't slept all night. Now she was starting to feel restless.

Zhao Ti suddenly stood up, and she was overjoyed to see this: "Your Majesty, are you going to rest?"

Zhao Ti nodded, his eyes scanning her up and down. She couldn't help but feel a little flustered: "Your Majesty, please don't use any more pressure points on me tonight. Just let me sleep well."

Zhao Ti said calmly, "What if they run away under the cover of night?"

Azi shook her head hurriedly: "I will never run away. I'm going to Dali. Even if I run away..." She immediately stopped talking.

Zhao Ti sneered, "Even if you run, will you run from Dali and then from the Duan family's place?"

Azi's eyes darted around, and she quickly said, "I didn't say that, Your Majesty, please don't remind me."

Zhao Ti said, "It's still not safe without using pressure points. If you escape, where am I supposed to catch you again?"

Ah Zi pleaded pitifully, "Your Majesty, please don't use acupressure anymore. If you do, I'm afraid you won't be able to walk tomorrow."

Zhao Ti thought for a moment: "We're setting off for Dali tomorrow. If I can't walk, then I won't use acupressure."

Azi immediately exclaimed joyfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Ti added, "Go outside and find a rope."

Azi asked blankly, "Why are you looking for a rope?"

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes, and A Zi immediately ran out. She returned empty-handed after a while and said aggrievedly, "I searched for a long time but there was no rope in the courtyard. It's already late, so it's not good to go to the front of the inn to borrow one."

Zhao Ti said calmly, "Untie the well rope and bring it over."

Ah Zi gritted her teeth inwardly, but then revealed a look of sudden realization: "How come I didn't think of that? There's still a well rope we can use."

She dawdled outside, and it took her a long time before she returned to the house carrying the well rope.

Zhao Ti said, "I won't apply any more pressure points. Just tie yourself up and sleep for the night. Don't tell me you won't run away; you know I don't believe you."

Azi said, "I... I won't tie myself up."

Zhao Ti glanced at her, walked over and got a rope. He channeled his inner strength into it, and the rope immediately wrapped around her.

Azi screamed immediately, but dared not dodge. She watched as the rope wrapped around her body again and again, and in a short while, she was completely bound.

"Your Majesty, why are there so many bandages on your legs?" Azi asked tremblingly, looking down to see that each of her legs was bound with several bandages.

"To prevent you from escaping, I've bound your legs." Zhao Ti said as he lifted her up, walked to the room opposite the main hall, and tossed her onto the bed: "Go to sleep!"

Azi nodded, immediately closed her eyes, and Zhao Ti turned and left.

She didn't know how much time had passed when Azi opened her eyes. Her eyes shone brightly in the darkness. Suddenly, a thin, narrow blade popped out from the sleeve of her wrists, which were bound behind her back, and she began to cut the ropes behind her.

Although the blade wasn't exactly blunt, it was so small that it was difficult to cut, taking a full quarter of an hour to finally sever it. However, despite her struggles, the rope didn't come undone. Zhao Ti had used a special method to tie her up, so she wouldn't be freed just by breaking the rope at one point.

She gritted her teeth and continued cutting, and after nearly half an hour, she finally felt her body loosen up. Then, trying not to make any noise, she ran out of the rope.

Then, he tiptoed to the window. Just as he was about to reach out and open the window to escape, he heard footsteps approaching. His expression changed drastically, and he stood there stunned, at a loss for what to do.

In just a few breaths, Zhao Ti appeared at the door. He saw her but didn't say anything. He raised his hand and pressed a few acupoints, then turned and left.

Azi stood by the window, her face blank, her eyelashes trembling, on the verge of tears...

As dawn broke, Zhao Ti came over again and released her pressure points. Azi collapsed to the ground with a "plop".

Zhao Ti said, "Let's fetch water and eat before we continue our journey."

Ah Zi stammered, "I... I can't stand up."

Zhao Ti said coldly, "You have to crawl."

Azi, sobbing, leaned against the windowsill to get up and then headed out the door.

After a while, once they had eaten, drunk, and packed up, the group left the inn and exited the city of Lhasa.

They then traveled southeast, day and night, for countless days, until they finally crossed the Tibetan Plateau, descended the plateau, and entered the territory of Jianchang Prefecture in Dali.

The scenery changes in an instant, with willows turning green and flowers blooming, the climate becoming mild, and birds singing and flowers fragrant everywhere.

As the group walked through the green fields, they heard mountain songs drifting from the nearby verdant hills.

The song goes: "In June, the camellias are in full bloom, red and vibrant. It's fate that I've met you, brother. Our brotherly and sisterly affection is stronger than wine, oh my, stronger than wine..."

(End of this chapter)