Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 49 The Soup of Zen Tranquility

"Brother, you're finally back!"

As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the monks' quarters, Chen Xiuhan came out yawning, shouted, and opened his arms to hug them.

Zhan Zhao chuckled and patted his shoulder: "It's only been a few days, why are you making it sound like we've been apart for years? Is it really necessary?"

"With my brothers around, I feel at ease!"

Having identified a powerful patron, Chen Xiuhan was completely unashamed and asked with concern, "Where did you go? I asked Senior Brothers Dinghai and Dingyi, but they both said they didn't know."

"A guest from Jiangnan, someone I know, is currently settled in the capital. I stayed at his residence for a few days..."

Just as Zhan Zhao was explaining, accompanied by a fragrant breeze, Lian Caiyun appeared behind him: "Brother Zhan, is this where you live?"

Chen Xiuhan's eyes lit up. He usually only saw monks, and had never seen such a beautiful girl before. But upon hearing the address, he immediately lowered his eyes and put his hands together, saying, "Greetings, young lady."

Lian Caiyun returned the greeting solemnly: "Greetings, Junior Master."

Zhan Zhao introduced the two to each other, then turned his gaze and saw Guo Huaiji standing not far away.

This is Guo Huai's adopted son, the Grand Eunuch. Ever since Guo Huai entrusted him with the task of investigating the "Zhong Kui Picture", Guo Huaiji has been used as a liaison with the other side and has been coming to Daxiangguo Temple frequently.

He beckoned Guo Huaiji over and briefly recounted the events that had occurred at the Gu family mansion, then said in a deep voice, "When I first entered the martial world, my first stop was Yunqi Manor, where the manor lord disappeared and my eldest disciple was tragically murdered;"

"At the second stop, the Xiangguo Temple, another incident occurred during morning prayers, resulting in poisoning. One person died, and another was seriously injured. The perpetrator was indiscriminately killing.

"At the third stop, the Gu family mansion, another dismemberment occurred. The murderer had hollowed out the victim's upper body, all to set up that inexplicable secret room."

"What do all these events illustrate?"

Lian Caiyun blinked her eyes.

This seems to indicate that...

Chen Xiuhan and Guo Huaiji were startled and asked in unison, "Is it that dangerous outside?"

"Yes!"

Zhan Zhao wholeheartedly agreed, and said earnestly, "This is the world of martial arts!"

"I am confident in my martial arts skills, but in such an environment, I dare not be careless. You should all work hard to practice and develop the ability to protect yourselves. You must not slack off in the slightest!"

Chen Xiuhan listened attentively, and remembering his original path to becoming the martial arts champion, he left first.

Guo Huaiji listened attentively, but still looked at him questioningly. Seeing Zhan Zhao shake his head slightly, he knew that the Imperial City Guard did not need to do anything for the time being, so he left as well.

'Looking at it this way, we Qiyun were pretty lucky before, surviving peacefully until now...'

Lian Caiyun was a little confused by what was said, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt quite fortunate.

Nothing happened to them despite the dangers of the martial world, until "Zhong Kui" came knocking on their door.

After her reflection, she thought of something else: "Brother Zhan, should we go to the Six Doors and return the Panlong Silk to Su Wuqing?"

One thing at a time. Since her second senior brother was indeed not harmed by the Six Doors, she was unwilling to wrongly accuse the other party. What should be repaid must be repaid.

"Yes."

Zhan Zhao had the same idea, and immediately asked with concern, "You barely slept last night, why don't you go back to the manor to rest?"

"I'm not tired."

Lian Caiyun didn't feel tired, but her expression darkened: "I...I don't really want to go back. I don't know how to face Fourth Senior Brother and Sixth Senior Brother...What will happen to them in the end?"

Zhan Zhao thought for a moment, then instead of answering directly, said, "There's a Buddhist story I heard during morning prayers that's quite relevant to the current situation—"

"It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a Zen Master Congshen who lived in the Guanyin Temple in Zhaozhou. He was known as Zen Master Zhaozhou. One day, a monk in the hall asked him, 'What is the meaning of the Patriarch's coming from the West?' Zhaozhou asked the monk in return, 'Have you had your tea yet?' The monk replied that he had not. Zhaozhou then said three words: 'Go have your tea.'"

Another monk asked him, "What is the Way?" Zhaozhou then asked in return, "Have you had your tea yet?" The monk replied that he had already had it, and Zhaozhou simply said, "Go have your tea."

The abbot of Guanyin Temple was puzzled and asked Zen Master Zhaozhou, "Why do you tell those who haven't eaten tea to go have some, and those who have already eaten tea to go have some tea too?" Zhaozhou smiled at the abbot and said the same three words: "Go have some tea."

Lian Caiyun only vaguely understood: "What does this mean?"

Zhan Zhao smiled slightly at her and asked, "Have you been practicing your skills yet?"

Lian Caiyun subconsciously replied, "Not yet."

"Go practice your skills, and those problems will be gone!"

Lian Caiyun: "..."

But upon closer reflection, I seem to have gained some insight.

The sorrow and worries that had been weighing on my mind regarding the fratricide have actually eased considerably.

Zhan Zhao not only told Lian Caiyun not to worry, but he also did the same thing himself.

The case is still shrouded in mystery, and he cannot see it clearly. Yet, he is not troubled by it.

On the contrary, at these times, he would become focused on practicing his skills.

Furthermore, due to his comprehension of the Pure Tathagatagarbha and the Six Minds Illumination Technique during this period, and witnessing the skills of Jiewen, Zhao Wujiu, Guo Huai, and Madam Gu, he vaguely sensed an inexplicable change within the condensed acupoints.

Just as he was about to return the Panlong Silk and return to his practice with complete focus, a small head peeked out, looked in his direction, and cheered, "Junior Uncle, you're finally back!"

The newcomer was none other than the young monk who had questioned the monk in the dining hall during the morning prayers poisoning incident. Zhan Zhao asked, somewhat puzzled, "Are you Ding Geng?"

"It's me! It's me! I've been looking for my junior uncle for days!"

Ding Geng's chubby face was full of joy: "Everyone in Xiangji Hall should thank Junior Uncle for clearing our name!"

Zhan Zhao understood: "The innocent are innocent, and you are all innocent, so there is no need for thanks."

"That's not true at all. If the murderer hadn't been found by then, everyone in the hall would have been living in fear!"

Ding Geng presented a food box as if it were a treasure. When he opened it, a fragrant aroma wafted out. Besides vegetarian dishes and steamed buns, the main attraction was a bowl of tea: "The medicinal ingredients used in this 'Zen Tranquility Samadhi Soup' were personally selected by the head monk and prepared over a long period of time. It was brewed by the most skilled senior brother Ding Che. Junior Uncle, please have a taste!"

Lian Caiyun, who had been lost in thought, instinctively looked over, sniffed, and thought to herself, "It smells so good!"

"The Samadhi Soup of Zen Tranquility?"

Zhan Zhao then examined the bowl of tea.

The soup in the jade cup was clear and blue, yet its layers were distinct.

The first layer resembles fresh tea floating on snow, the second layer resembles pine soot in ink, and the bottom layer is solidified into amber-like jelly, indicating that the materials used are extraordinary.

"Zen Tranquility Samadhi Soup" is a high-end version of the morning tea soup "Five Bitterness Relief Soup".

To be precise, there was originally only the Zen Tranquility Samadhi Soup, but after drinking this soup, one had to use internal energy to neutralize its medicinal properties, otherwise one would be too weak to absorb the tonics and it would be harmful to one's practice. Later, the temple improved the recipe into the Five Sufferings Elimination Soup, which was given to novices who generally lacked sufficient foundation.

As a result, the novice monks, who were afraid of bitterness, all held their noses and some even deliberately left a few mouthfuls. Only Zhan Zhao tasted the first bowl and knew it was a good thing. He didn't stand on ceremony and drank it down in one gulp.

Now, Xiangjitang presents an even better original product as a token of gratitude for solving the case.

"Good work!"

Zhan Zhao didn't stand on ceremony, picked up the teacup, and began to sip the tea.

The moment it touches the lips, a faint sour taste spreads from the tip of the tongue, which quickly transforms into a clear sweetness. There is a slight astringency between the teeth, and when the sweetness returns, the rich aroma of frankincense and myrrh emerges, making the taste extremely magical.

As the soup glides over the twelve-story building, it is as if a sword has cleaved open the blocked meridians, causing many acupoints to throb and pulsate, as if a vajra is being struck. Each tremor breaks through an invisible karmic obstacle.

If one were to look inward at this moment, one would see a surge of heat spreading into the limbs and bones, specifically targeting the smallest meridians.

Even if all meridians are open, there will always be some that are relatively narrow.

This heat is directed at those areas to clear blockages.

Finally, when the power transformed from the soup sank into the dantian, it formed a vortex of true qi, driving the circulation of qi throughout the body, becoming increasingly smooth and efficient.

Zhan Zhao stood firmly on his feet, and the little monk Ding Geng, seeing this, quickly stepped back a few paces.

This is experience.

He had seen many of his senior brothers and even his uncles and elder brothers of the "Jie" generation, who couldn't help but feel their internal energy surge and release their true qi when they drank the "Zen Samadhi Soup" for the first time.

The medicinal effects of this bowl of "Zen Samadhi Soup" are probably stronger than others due to the precious ingredients used, and it would be bad if someone nearby were to accidentally get hurt.

As he moved aside, he said to Lian Caiyun, "Sister, let's keep our distance!"

Lian Caiyun shook her head slightly, adopting a protective stance.

Whether it was when the master's wife practiced her internal energy at midnight, or when the eldest disciple went into seclusion, it was always she who came to protect him.

She once asked her teacher's wife, who said that she had the purest heart.

I asked my senior brother, and he said he felt most at ease.

The same is true now.

However, their worries were unnecessary.

Zhan Zhao simply stood firmly, breathing evenly, with no sense of oppression emanating from his body.

Because he absorbed the medicinal power perfectly, there was not a single bit of waste.

After a long while, he slowly exhaled a white, ribbon-like stream of energy from his lips. His already radiant eyes shone even brighter as he sincerely exclaimed in admiration:

"What a wonderful medicine!"

(End of this chapter)