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

Chapter 303 Dream, Escape

Jiangnan, Jinling, Qingliang Mountain.

There is an ancient temple in the mountains called Qingliang Guanghui Zen Temple.

This temple was first built in the Southern Dynasties, gradually prospered during the Zhonghe period of the Tang Dynasty, and was rebuilt by Grand Chancellor Xu Wen during the Shunyi period of the Yang Wu Kingdom in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was named Xingjiao Temple.

In the early years of the Shengyuan era of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Emperor Yuanzong Li Jing expanded Xingjiao Temple into Qingliang Avenue.

In the fifth year of the Taiping Xingguo era of the Song Dynasty, it was renamed Qingliang Guanghui Zen Temple.

The proverb "the one who tied the bell must untie it" originates from this story. At that time, there was a monk named Fadeng Taiqin in the temple. He was unrestrained and did not care about trivial matters, so the other monks looked down on him.

One day, Abbot Fayan Wenyi asked the monks in the temple, "There is a bell tied around the neck of a tiger. Who can remove it?" The monks could not answer.

Just then, the monk Taiqin happened to walk by and, upon hearing this, said, "The person who tied the bell can untie it." Zen Master Wenyi was extremely impressed with him.

From then on, the saying "the one who tied the knot must untie it" spread.

Qingliang Temple is a popular place of worship. There are many temples around Jinling in Jiangning Prefecture, but Qingliang Temple ranks among the top. Every day, many people go up the mountain to worship Buddha.

About a kilometer to the west of the temple, there is a stretch of dwellings that extend into the distance, mostly inhabited by people who make their living off the mountain.

There is a small courtyard at the head of this residence, from which one can see the bustling scene of Qingliang Temple. The mountain mist blows, and the scent of incense drifts in with the wind, swirling and lingering, creating a mysterious and indescribable atmosphere.

At this moment, a person was standing in the courtyard. He had dragon-like eyebrows and phoenix-like eyes, a face as fair as jade, a wisp of beard, and was dressed in a blue robe.

With his hands behind his back, he gazed at Qingliang Temple, his expression thoughtful; it was none other than Xiaoyaozi.

Xiaoyaozi brought Wang Yuyan to Jiangning to pay homage to the Shanhai Temple, but afterwards they wandered around Jiangning, went up Qingliang Mountain, and bought this small courtyard to stay temporarily.

Wang Yuyan wanted to beg him to go to Tokyo to find Zhao Ti, but seeing that Xiaoyaozi had been looking dazed and confused lately, and seemed to have a bit of a mental breakdown, she thought that his practice had caused him to go astray, so she refrained from speaking.

In the courtyard, there was an old wooden table with several worn-out wooden stools beside it. Wang Yuyan then brought out a teapot from the room and filled a bowl on the table with tea.

She looked at Xiaoyaozi and said, "Great-grandfather, it's time for tea."

Xiaoyaozi slowly turned around and said, "Yan'er, do you believe in reincarnation?"

Wang Yuyan blinked her beautiful eyes: "Great-grandfather, I don't understand these things."

Xiaoyaozi said, "Since you've studied, how could you not understand?"

Wang Yuyan smiled and said, "The Master said, 'The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits.'"

Xiaoyaozi nodded: "What if you insist on speaking?"

Wang Yuyan thought for a moment: "If you believe, then it exists, right? There are countless temples and Taoist monasteries in the world, and numerous gods and immortals. They couldn't have just come out of thin air and been created out of thin air. If there are gods and immortals, then reincarnation is also possible, right?"

Xiaoyaozi shook his head: "Why can't it be created out of thin air?"

Wang Yuyan asked in confusion, "Great-grandfather, if gods and Buddhas truly exist, how could they be created out of thin air?"

Xiaoyaozi said calmly, "In my opinion, gods and Buddhas are nothing more than the manifestation of human thoughts. If the gods and Buddhas in temples can truly manifest their power, it is because people have faith in them and offer incense to them. Over time, as people's thoughts and feelings increase, gods and Buddhas are born."

Wang Yuyan said, "Great-grandfather... although what he said makes sense, is it true that all things are like this? It's possible for those local gods who have been worshipped for a long time, but there are also many gods and Buddhas whose scriptures are only seen, but no incense offerings are seen."

Xiaoyaozi sighed, "That's why I'm so confused right now. I've thought about reincarnation and rebirth, and then about gods and Buddhas, and finally about the thoughts and feelings of people."

Wang Yuyan asked softly, "Why has my great-grandfather kept bringing up the matter of reincarnation lately?"

Xiaoyaozi glanced at her and said, "I've been having dreams a lot lately, something that hasn't happened in decades. Martial artists don't dream for long periods of time. The higher one's skill, the less likely one is to have such dreams. When one's internal energy is strong, one's muscles, bones, and blood vessels are healthy, and one's martial intent is stable, one's mind and spirit are stable, and one rarely has dreams."

Wang Yuyan asked, "What kind of dreams did my great-grandfather have?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyaozi fell silent, picked up the rough porcelain bowl and took a sip of tea. After a long while, he said, "In the dream, I vaguely felt that there was a past life, with all sorts of experiences. But when I woke up, I had almost forgotten everything. However, the feeling in the dream was so strong that I didn't know who I really was."

Wang Yuyan said, "Have you forgotten everything from your dream? That's quite strange."

Xiaoyaozi pondered for a moment: "I haven't completely forgotten them. I remember some lines of poetry that often echo in my ears, but I don't understand their meaning."

Wang Yuyan asked in bewilderment, "Poetry...poetry appeared in my dream?"

Xiaoyaozi nodded: "The 'Three Thousand Six Hundred Gates of Transformation' that I often recite, where each gate conceals the Dao and each Dao conceals the truth, was obtained in a dream, along with some others."

Wang Yuyan said, "The rest..."

Xiaoyaozi looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, and slowly recited: "Chaos has always been a source of wonder, relying entirely on profound principles to establish mysteries. Taiji, Yin and Yang, and the Four Symbols, Heaven opened with Zi, allowing for boundless wonder. In the realm of mystery and yellow, I hold the reins of teaching, and the Jade Book, with its thousands of chapters, guides the lost..."

Wang Yuyan looked surprised upon hearing this: "Great-grandfather, this..."

Xiaoyaozi stood up and continued reciting: "Where Kunlun is broken, Jade Void opens; One Qi of Xuanhuang rises from the palm; Before unraveling the primordial chaos, the Dao is established; Having already separated the chaos, one ascends the platform..."

Wang Yuyan also stood up and murmured, "Great-grandfather, how can this poem be so profound?"

Xiaoyaozi looked towards Qingliang Temple and said, "In the beginning of chaos, I was renowned; I refined the innate essence and gathered the five elements; the three flowers on my head face the northern palace; the five qi in my chest permeate the southern sea; though fragrant flowers accompany the imperial carriage, through countless vicissitudes, my lifespan is the same..."

Tokyo, the Infantry Prison.

Deep inside the prison was a spacious iron cell, and in the very center of the cell was a coffin made of cast iron.

The coffin has a unique shape, with seven small vent holes on the lid, arranged like the Big Dipper, which looks quite strange and unusual.

The coffin was also bound by iron chains, seemingly to prevent the person inside from escaping, hence the layers of caution.

The coffin was the specially made iron coffin that contained Murong Longcheng, and at this moment, some rustling sounds were coming from the seven small holes.

The two jailers standing beside the coffin both looked terrified. One of them whispered, "Why is there movement inside? Could it be that the person has woken up?"

Another said, "What should we do? His Highness is not in Tokyo right now. Where can we report this matter?"

"His Highness once instructed that if this person shows any unusual behavior, we should not act rashly to avoid unnecessary losses."

"We can't just stand by and watch without taking any action. We need to find someone to make a decision. If something really goes wrong, neither of us can afford the consequences."

"At the time, His Highness was not in the Ministry of Personnel, and no general from the Ministry of Personnel was involved in the matter. His Highness also did not mention seeking assistance from the Ministry of Personnel should any unusual activity occur."

"Then go to the Prince's residence to report the news. There are stewards and His Highness's personal guards on duty there. Go and ask them what to do."

"Then I'll go report. You stay here, and I'll have everyone outside come and keep watch."

One of the two jailers turned and walked out, while the other glared at him and said angrily, "Why isn't it me who goes to report? You stay here..."

A moment later, seven or eight more guards came in. The jailer who had just left turned back, looking rather resentful.

The jailer inside asked in confusion, "Zhang Da, why are you back again? Didn't you go to the Prince's mansion to report the news?"

Zhang Da said angrily, "The prison guard found out about the unusual movement of the coffin and went to report it himself, asking me to come back and help guard it."

The jailer inside laughed and was about to speak when suddenly a loud "bang" came from inside the coffin.

Although the sound wasn't very loud, it was muffled and obscure, immediately startling everyone in the cell. No one dared to speak again, gripping the hilts of their knives and staring intently at the coffin.

A few breaths later, an old voice came from the coffin: "It hurts so much!" The jailers were even more terrified when they heard this. They looked at each other and didn't dare to breathe.

"Where is this?" the aged voice continued from the coffin. "Who has locked this old man in such a cramped place?"

The voice then fell silent briefly, but returned a moment later: "Who... am I?"

Upon hearing this, the jailers couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from their brows, recalling Zhao Ti's instructions that if the person in the coffin woke up, they might lose their memory, and he had told them how to deal with such a situation.

At this moment, the voice from the coffin sounded again, but with a hint of anger: "Who, who imprisoned me here? Release me at once!"

The guards exchanged glances, and the one who had been called Wang Er in the cell from the beginning stammered, "S-senior, please don't be in such a hurry..."

Upon hearing voices, Murong Longcheng, inside the coffin, fell silent for a long while before finally saying, "Who are you? Why have you placed this old man in this... box? Quickly release me!"

Wang Er's lips twitched: "Senior, no one locked you up, you imprisoned yourself inside..."

Murong Longcheng was speechless for a moment upon hearing this, then roared in fury, "Nonsense, utter nonsense! How could I possibly imprison myself here... inside this iron box?"

Wang Er blinked: "Senior, do you still remember who you are and what your past is like?"

Murong Longcheng said after a moment, "I don't remember!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Er glanced at the other jailers, who all knew Zhao Ti's instructions and nodded in agreement. He chuckled dryly, "Senior, you've forgotten who you are and what happened before... How can you say I'm talking nonsense?"

Murong Kongcheng remained silent upon hearing this, and after a few breaths said, "Although I have forgotten some things, who would imprison themselves? There is no such logic in the world!"

Wang Er said, "Senior, do you not remember at all that it was because you went into a qi deviation while practicing that you asked my young master to prepare these things, and then you jumped in and imprisoned yourself?"

Murong Longcheng was stunned and said, "Possessed by demonic possession? Your young master?"

“Isn’t that so? Senior is a retainer in my young master’s household. He provides for my young master’s needs and serves him.” Zhang Da interjected.

"Who would have thought that one day the senior would suddenly suffer a qi deviation during his practice, go mad and harm himself. Before losing his mind, he asked the young master to prepare a secret iron coffin, saying that he wanted to imprison himself to suppress the demonic signs of his martial arts. After the young master prepared it, the senior jumped into the iron coffin himself and fell into a deep sleep."

"Am I a retainer of your young master?" Murong Longcheng asked, puzzled.

“Yes, yes, senior, you don’t even remember this?” Zhang Da hurriedly said, “All these years, it’s been the young master who has been supporting you, senior.”

Murong Longcheng said, "This...Is it true that I have gone mad from practicing martial arts?"

"It's going mad from practicing qi cultivation." Zhang Da nodded vigorously.

Murong Longcheng snorted coldly: "Then tell me, what kind of martial art do I practice that would cause me to suffer a qi deviation?"

Zhang Da glanced at Wang Er, who coughed and said, "What you practice, senior, is naturally the Great Circulation Star Shift."

"You really knew?" Murong Longcheng asked in surprise, "I can circulate this technique at will, so how could I possibly suffer a qi deviation?"

“This…” Zhang Dadao: “We men don’t know, but you should know that you also know this skill.”

"What?" Murong Longcheng was taken aback: "Your young master also knows the Great Zhou Heavenly Shifting Stars? How is that possible?"

Wang Er chuckled and said, "What's impossible about it? Senior, don't forget that we are guests of the young master's mansion. We rely on the young master for everything. Besides, my young master has mastered all the martial arts in the world. He is extraordinary and his skills are beyond the ordinary. What's so strange about him knowing this martial art!"

"Is that really so?" Murong Longcheng's voice from within the coffin was filled with doubt: "But..."

Wang Er said, "If you have any questions, senior, we would never lie about this matter, and it is not impossible to verify it in the future."

Murong Longcheng said, "That's true. Although I've forgotten many things, if I really did suffer from a qi deviation as you say, I've already recovered. Why don't you release me quickly?"

Zhang Dadao: "Senior, our martial arts skills are too weak to tell whether you have truly recovered. It is up to you, young master, to make the judgment. Otherwise, if you are not well, all our efforts will be in vain, and we might even encounter some other problems."

“Young Master…” Murong Longcheng pondered, “Then why don’t we go and invite Young Master over?”

“Senior…” Wang Er said, “But the young master is not at home right now.”

"Not home?" Murong Longcheng's voice was somewhat urgent. "When are you coming back? Where did you go?"

Zhang sighed and said, "We don't know when he will return, nor is it something we lowly people could know. The young master has been sent on a mission to a very far place, thousands of miles away."

"So far?" Murong Longcheng took a deep breath from inside the coffin. "I'm feeling unbearably stifled here. I can't wait for you any longer, young master. I need to get out now. Open this thing!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Er hurriedly said, "Senior, this won't do. Even if you say that he has gone into qi deviation, you still need to observe him. Otherwise, if he doesn't recover, wouldn't that cause trouble? This is also for your sake, Senior."

Murong Longcheng said unhappily, "I naturally understand this principle, but the young master is thousands of miles away and we cannot be sure when he will return. I cannot wait here any longer."

Zhang Da chuckled and said, "Senior, even if we believe you, there's nothing we can do. The key to this iron coffin, including the outer chain lock, is in your hands, young master. We can't open it."

"They're all with you, young master?" Murong Longcheng asked, puzzled.

"It was instructed by our senior that the key was kept only by you, young master, and only you can unlock the shackles," Zhang Da said.

"I see." Murong Longcheng hesitated, "But I really can't wait any longer. Since I've already suffered a qi deviation, it's too unbearable to stay here any longer. I need to leave now."

“Senior, we understand your difficulties, but we really have no way to help you…” Zhang Dachong said, winking at Wang Er beside him.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the prison gate. Wang Er hurriedly went out to see what was happening and saw the prison warden leading Zheng Fu, the chief steward of the Prince of Yan's mansion, and Yu Er.

The two men were left by Zhao Ti to guard the Prince's Mansion. They had given instructions regarding the matter of Murong Longcheng. Zheng Fu pulled Wang Er to a secluded place to inquire about the situation. Wang Er answered one by one, and Zheng Fu nodded before entering the prison.

Both he and Yu Er held official ranks, and the jailers bowed in greeting. Murong Longcheng, from inside the coffin, asked, "Who has come?"

Zhang Dadao: "Senior, it's the steward from the manor who has come to visit you."

Murong Longcheng said happily, "Could it be that you left the key behind, young master? Quickly unlock this shackle, this old man needs to leave this place."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fu's face twitched. Looking at the iron coffin, he said, "Senior, the young master did not leave the key behind, but I have already sent someone to inform him of this matter. I estimate... I estimate that news will be sent back in one or two months."

"One or two months?" Murong Longcheng was stunned in the coffin: "I absolutely cannot wait that long."

Yu Er said, "Senior, if things go quickly, it should take about a month to make the round trip."

"A month?" Murong Longcheng said angrily, "I can't wait that long either. Living in this coffin is worse than death. One or two days is already unbearable, let alone ten or twenty days."

Zheng Fu said, "Senior, but we don't have the key, and we dare not touch this thing without permission. What do you think of this matter, Senior?"

There was silence from inside the coffin for a few breaths, then Murong Longcheng said calmly, "Then I'll try to see if I can get out myself!"

After he finished speaking, a loud "boom" came from inside the iron coffin. Zheng Fu hurriedly gave a signal to the people around him, and they immediately stepped aside.

The sounds from inside the iron coffin grew louder and louder until they were earth-shattering. Then, a few crisp cracking sounds rang out, and the large lock on the iron coffin snapped open.

Zheng Fu then winked at the group, who understood and carefully retreated to the doorway.

At this moment, the chains outside the coffin were seen to tighten, as straight as swords and spears. Then, a long howl came from inside the coffin, followed by several crisp sounds, and the large locks that held the chains broke.

With a "clatter," the iron chains swung open in all directions and shot into the wall, while the iron coffin lid flew upwards with a "bang" and pierced straight into the beam.

Then a tall and majestic figure stood up from inside the coffin...

(End of this chapter)