You're my wife, don't doubt it!

Zhou Yao and Yu Luying whispered a few words to each other, then followed Wang Ming away.

"It's alright, stop looking," Xiao Yao straightened the hem of his clothes and waved to the two security guards, "Go away, go away."

On the way to the church, Yu Luying said with some complaint, "Xiao Yao, the way you looked just now scared me."

"It's nothing," Shen Jie said with a smile. "Some emotions that have been building up for too long need to be released, and some bad people need to be taught a lesson. But Xiao Yao, I think you have quite a talent for being a hooligan?"

"Stop kidding me," Xiao Yao said with a wry smile. "My arms are still shaking—I haven't fought with any of my classmates since junior high school. Oh, Zhang Zhengkai, who saved you last time, doesn't count."

“Give me back my Zhang Zhengkai Yigang,” Shen Jie said with a laugh. (Note: “Yigang” is a Shanghai dialect word; when added to the end of a sentence, it expresses surprise and disapproval, and has a sarcastic tone.)

"How was it, Doggy?" Shen Jie asked him again, "Did you get your revenge today? Don't get addicted to it."

“No, it’s far from enough,” Xiao Yao shook his head. “The time and place are all wrong, so this fight is meaningless.”

Upon hearing "far from enough," Shen Jie and Yu Luying exchanged a silent glance, both with worry in their eyes.

By the time they reached the church entrance, Yu Bo was already getting impatient.

Two other people stood beside him.

The one on the right is a guy named Ribbonfish. He's wearing a black, tight-fitting T-shirt with skull and flame prints, giving him a rather aggressive look. He's paired it with dark, tight-fitting jeans and black platform sneakers that make him look rather bulky and clumsy. His black athletic socks have white logos printed on them, making them look quite flashy.

"Hey." Xiao Yao stepped forward and exchanged fist bumps with the ribbonfish.

"Sister-in-law, Yu Luying." Daiyu nodded to the two girls while exchanging fist bumps with Xiao Yao.

"Why are you so late? How long did it take you to eat?" Yu Bo was also wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, with his "violin case" slung over his back, and his tone was a little impatient.

“I ran into Wang Ming on the way,” Xiao Yao replied lightly. “I beat him up.”

"You got into a fight?" Yu Bo asked sternly. "The Spirit Fortress isn't for you to bully the weak—"

Daiyu was also surprised, but before he could ask Xiao Yao for details, he explained to Yu Bo, "Brother Bo, this Wang Ming has been bullying our Brother Xiao for a year."

"It's not meant to get involved in personal grudges!"

“Okay,” Xiao Yao replied, not wanting to argue further, “I was wrong.”

“Brother Bo,” Shen Jie spoke up, “if you knew what Wang Ming had done, you would know that Xiao Yao’s punishment of Wang Ming was just as righteous as your punishment of a petty thug. Besides, Wang Ming struck first today; even Christians have the right to defend themselves.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” the ribbonfish echoed, “My sister-in-law is right.”

“She’s your sister-in-law,” Yu Bo’s expression softened slightly, “Of course I’ll side with him. Alright, I’ll ask you about this later…”

Only then did Xiao Yao have a chance to notice the man standing to Yu Bo's left—this man was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, beige trousers, gray sneakers, and white athletic socks. He wore a brown baseball cap, had wrinkles on his face, and was of medium to slightly overweight build, but did not appear bulky; instead, he possessed a calm and composed demeanor.

Although he was getting on in years, his face remained remarkably vigorous, with a broad forehead, a high nose bridge, a sharply defined jawline, and well-defined features. His eyes were bright and piercing, revealing a resolute determination and a hint of… murderous intent?

Xiao Yao himself didn't know where the word "killing intent" came from. He felt that this person looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

Where exactly did I see him before...? Xiao Yao pondered.

Chapter 173 Where Are You Going?

2023-04-26

Only then did Xiao Yao have a chance to notice the person standing to Yu Bo's left—this person was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, beige trousers, gray sneakers, and white athletic socks. He wore a brown baseball cap, had wrinkles on his face, and was of medium to slightly overweight build, but did not appear bulky; instead, he possessed a calm and composed demeanor.

Although he was getting on in years, his face remained remarkably vigorous, with a broad forehead, a high nose bridge, a sharply defined jawline, and well-defined features. His eyes were bright and piercing, revealing a resolute determination and a hint of… murderous intent?

Xiao Yao himself didn't know where the word "killing intent" came from. He felt that this person looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

“This is Master Shi Hui, you’ve met him at Longhua,” Yu Bo introduced, “at Mr. Song’s memorial service.”

"Oh, it's you!" Xiao Yao exclaimed in realization. "I didn't recognize you without your monk's robes."

"Xiao Yao!" Yu Luying and Shen Jie frowned together and tugged at his arms in unison.

“It’s alright,” Shi Hui chuckled. “Father Yu, are these young people all parishioners from your parish?”

Xiao Yao thought to himself, "I'm so grateful for Brother Bo's kindness. I should give him some face in front of his 'colleague' and competitor." So he quickly replied, "Yes, we are."

“Hmm…” Shi Hui pondered, “But judging from your aura, you don’t seem to be someone who has been baptized.”

"Next year, we'll wash it at Easter next year," Xiao Yaoyuan said.

He seemed to have heard Yu Luying say that baptisms are usually held at Easter.

"Good, very good," Yu Bo clapped his hands and laughed, "I've got it. You'd better keep your word! I won't pursue the matter of you fighting with your classmate."

"Uh..." Xiao Yao was speechless.

Everyone burst into cheerful laughter.

“So, Father Yu,” Xiao Yao felt it was time to get down to business, “why did you call everyone out here in such a hurry? What’s the matter?”

“It was my idea,” Shi Hui said with a kind smile. “I happen to have some free time today and would like to take you all to the ‘Hall of the Masses’ so that you can have some experience and cultivate your character, so that you will not go astray.”

"Huh?" Xiao Yao said.

"In your words, it's about gaining experience and leveling up."

"Huh?" Xiao Yao said.

On the way to the bridge, Shi Hui explained the meaning of "experience" and "cultivation of mind" to the group.

“Young friends, you should all know what the so-called ‘temple’ is, right?” Shi Hui asked with a smile.

After hesitating for a moment, the ribbonfish spoke first, saying, "Brother Bo explained it to me, but I still don't understand it at all."

"The so-called 'temple' is actually a translation of a foreign word, referring to the 'cognitive' world hidden in the depths of one's heart. It is a subjective world composed of an individual's distorted and abnormal desires and emotions. Therefore, the temple is the pain and struggle deep within a person's heart. All beings suffer. As early as the Tang Dynasty, some Zen masters began to enter the 'temple' through meditation and samadhi to help those seeking help restore a normal psychological state."

"Really?" Yu Bo bluntly retorted, "I remain cautiously skeptical."

Shi Hui continued speaking to himself: "In the 'Hall,' the strength of one's spiritual power is the sole criterion affecting the abilities of an 'Awakened One' within it. And this spiritual power can be cultivated artificially."

“‘Awakened One’ is a term created by Master Shi Hui, referring to people like Xiao Yao and Shen Jie who have already established their own spiritual fortress,” Yu Bo explained. “The corresponding term is ‘Potential One,’ which refers to Yingying and Xiao Dai, and people like you who may have talent.”

“Rather than ‘talent,’ it’s better to call it ‘wisdom.’ Buddha is not your God, they are not gods, but just enlightened mortals,” Shi Hui said with a smile. “When Father Yu first met me, he said, ‘Buddha statues are nothing but weeds,’ but I replied, ‘So is Buddha.’”

“It was because of those three words,” Yu Bo admitted, “that I started to think that this old monk was something special.”

“Therefore, I believe,” Shi Hui continued, “that it is very appropriate to call those who have found their spiritual fortress ‘awakeners’.”

"Master, does the training you mentioned refer to constantly fighting against the shadows?" Shen Jie asked Shi Hui.

“This is one approach,” Shi Hui explained. “Another approach is to continuously meditate on the inner world of one’s own ‘spiritual fortress,’ thereby enhancing the spiritual connection between oneself and one’s own fortress…”

“Yes, Brother Bo told me the same thing,” Shen Jie nodded. “So recently, after my morning run, I go to Brother Bo’s place to attend Mass. I’ve also learned to recite the Rosary and collected a lot of historical records and film and television materials about Queen Mary I, including the social environment and historical background of Great Britain during that period…”

“Well done, keep it up,” Yu Bo affirmed him. “Everyone should learn from Shen Jie.”

Xiao Yao thought to himself, "They call this 'everyone,' but it seems like only Shen Jie and I are the 'awakeners' here."

"I will definitely continue to work hard!" Xiao Yao said.

Yu Luying sighed, "I don't even know if I can awaken it yet—I really want to know who my fortress is?"

“From the current perspective,” Shi Hui turned to Yu Luying and said, “there is no one-to-one correspondence between spiritual fortresses and natural persons.”

"So, that means," Xiao Yao exclaimed in surprise, "that we can all possess multiple fortresses?"

“It’s hard to say,” Shi Hui told them. “But what is certain is that with the accumulation of combat experience, the significant increase in spiritual affinity, and even some new insights, the spiritual fortress may undergo changes, large or small.”

"So it's an upgrade, or an evolution into a stronger form?" the ribbonfish asked excitedly.

“It’s not impossible to understand it that way…” Yu Bo said, “However, I still have to remind you that much of this is Master Shi Hui’s own research and understanding, and it hasn’t yet gained international recognition and consensus…”

Shi Hui added with a smile: "In itself, a fortress is a kind of 'illusion' or 'representation' that an individual forms deep in their heart in order to adapt to society. This representation can be something that the individual is aware of in their self-consciousness or something that the individual is unaware of in their subconscious. They provide a certain form of protection and support for the individual's survival and interaction in society. Whether the spirit shapes the fortress or the fortress exists and is born from the spirit is still inconclusive."

“However,” Yu Bo began, “in the world of shadows and in the time of shadows, what we show is often the hidden personality image formed deep within an individual’s heart. This image is usually the true, original personality traits and emotional expression deep within an individual’s heart, but due to the suppression of culture and social habits, or the individual’s self-restraint, they cannot be shown.”

The boys and girls looked at each other, and no one spoke.

Someone let out a long yawn.

"It seems like we went into too much depth?" Shi Hui said to Yu Bo.

"I have one more question," Ribbonfish raised his hand and said, "Will strengthening and improving the power of this fortress make me stronger in reality? Like, stronger in a fight?"

Yu Bo frowned, while Shi Hui replied, "Spiritual cultivation can certainly be reflected in the real world, but it may not be in the way you think."

"All you know is fighting!" Yu Bo lightly patted Daiyu's head: "You can't do anything else."

Xiao Yao listened attentively throughout the journey, but spoke very little. At this moment, he suddenly spoke and stopped walking: "Father Yu is wrong. He also knows how to pick up girls."

“That’s really impressive,” Father Yu said.

"We've arrived," Xiao Yao announced.

This is the underpass that Shen Jie passed by when she was driven away by Yu Luying that day and searched for her all night.

Xiao Yao clearly remembers the strange world he entered when he crawled into the mirror under the bridge that day.

That is, what Yu Bo calls "the temple of the people".

There, he encountered a faceless flower girl, and with her help, he finally found Shen Jie in the "Big Dark Cinema".

Should he treat her as a "test case" as well? Xiao Yao really couldn't bear to do that.

This seemingly ordinary approach bridge has revealed its dilapidated state under the erosion of time. In many places, the arched stone wall at the entrance has collapsed, exposing the bricks and concrete inside, and some areas have been corroded into mottled yellow patches.

As the group entered the underpass, the air felt damp. The light was dim, with only a single old light bulb casting a faint glow, swaying in the wind, as if a power outage would plunge them into complete darkness. Scattered graffiti and carvings on the walls added to the space's chaotic and dilapidated appearance.

This underpass seems to be a deserted place, where homeless people often spend the night. When Xiao Yao came last time, it was full of people sleeping there, but today there was no one there—he wondered if it had just been raided by the urban management team.