Chapter 33 The Night Candle Flower? The Buddhist Temples of the Great Liang Dynasty

“Qin and chess, lyrics and melody, poetry and painting—these are the subjects to be examined at the Gathering for Talents,” Lin Buyu explained to Xu Ye as they stood at the gates of the Mingzi Camp’s administrative office on the following evening.

“So it’s just a test on the four arts,” Xu Ye remarked, suddenly understanding.

“It’s not that simple,” Lin Buyu sighed. “The Gathering for Talents is different from ordinary literary gatherings. The examination of the four arts here requires cooperation between candidates and their companions. For instance, one person composes the music, another writes the lyrics, one paints, and another inscribes a poem.”

Xu Ye’s eyes lit up at this. He thought to himself, “If that’s how it works, perhaps I really can be of some help.” Though he could not play the qin, he was actually a decent chess player; painting was beyond him, but he excelled at copying poems; and while composing music was not his strength, his mind was brimming with verses.

“Don’t feel too pressured. I never expected to pass this literary gathering anyway. I just don’t want to be a laughingstock to that group of Liu Muxuan’s followers,” Lin Buyu reassured Xu Ye.

“This is what you call ‘no pressure’?” Xu Ye grumbled inwardly, eyeing Lin Buyu’s tired face and the two dark circles under her eyes as she tried to comfort him.

“Xiao Ye!” Just as the two were about to step into the carriage, the burly Tie Mian came charging out of the office in a hurry.

“Oh? Miss Buyu, you’ve come to fetch Xiao Ye again?” Tie Mian gave Lin Buyu a meaningful look upon seeing her.

“Brother Tie Mian.” Lin Buyu nodded to him. “You two have a good chat.”

With that, she quickly slipped into the carriage as if fleeing.

“Brother Tie Mian, is there something you need?” Xu Ye asked curiously.

He had spent the entire day in the archives, reading up on the ways of Confucian and martial cultivation, and methods of dealing with spirits; he had only seen Tie Mian once that morning.

“Your identity token.” Tie Mian handed a bronze token to Xu Ye, pointing at the two characters engraved on it. “This is the spirit name bestowed on you by Lord Yan. From now on, you need not use your real name.”

Xu Ye picked up the token and read the two characters aloud: “Night Candle.”

“What does it mean?” he looked up at Tie Mian.

“Lord Yan names people as he pleases. When he gave me the name ‘Iron Face,’ he was playing chess and casually scribbling on paper at the same time,” Tie Mian replied with a wry smile.

“Alright then,” Xu Ye said, deciding not to probe the meaning any further.

“Oh, and there’s something else you’ll surely find interesting,” Tie Mian added mysteriously.

“What is it?” Xu Ye put away the token, curiosity piqued.

“The case of the Cao family has been sent back by Lord Yan.”

“Sent back? For what reason?” Xu Ye’s interest was instantly aroused.

Although he appeared indifferent, he couldn’t help but feel a bit resentful that his contributions had been taken away by others.

“The exact reason is unclear. I only know that Lord Yan severely scolded the Martial Judge, who in turn called Sun Wuchang into his office for a dressing-down, and ordered the Six Banners to investigate the case all over again,” Tie Mian said, looking thoroughly satisfied, as if a great injustice had finally been righted.

“Maybe it’s just as you said, Xiao Ye—there’s more to this case than meets the eye. Shall I mention your deductions to our Zhou Wuchang?” he added conspiratorially.

“No need for that yet. Brother Tie Mian, could you first find out why Lord Yan sent the case back?” Xu Ye shook his head.

“Alright, let’s wait and see. As you said before, a blessing may come in disguise,” Tie Mian agreed, smiling. Clearly, he was in a good mood.

“If there’s nothing else, brother Tie Mian, I’ll be going now.” Xu Ye glanced at the carriage, where Lin Buyu had begun tapping her fingers restlessly on the bed frame, and then turned back to Tie Mian.

“Go ahead,” Tie Mian nodded.

…

On the road to Lanruo Temple.

Inside the carriage.

“Night Candle… Lord Yan has given you a fine name,” Lin Buyu remarked, gazing out the window as soon as Xu Ye had settled in.

“What’s so special about it?” Xu Ye asked curiously.

“The Night Candle is a flower that can bloom even in lands shrouded by ghostly mists. Many beasts and birds of the wild survive beneath its shelter,” she explained without turning around.

“It’s just a flower?” Xu Ye sounded a bit disappointed.

“By the way, what kind of place is this Lanruo Temple? Does the Liang Dynasty really have Buddhist temples?” he asked, suddenly poking his head out to inquire.

“Why wouldn’t it?” Lin Buyu gave him a baffled look.

“Uh, I mean, why would a Confucian literary gathering be held in a Buddhist temple?” Xu Ye quickly covered up his blunder with a sheepish smile.

“Though our country is founded on Confucian principles, our ancestral sages taught us to draw upon the strengths of all schools of thought. Buddhism is not excluded. Many renowned scholars have delved deeply into Buddhist teachings, and some eminent monks can recite Confucian classics fluently,” Lin Buyu explained.

“Do Buddhist monks possess supernatural powers as well?” Xu Ye’s interest was piqued.

“Of course,” Lin Buyu nodded. “It’s said that thousands of years ago, a holy monk singlehandedly crossed the western wastelands covered in ghostly mists and delivered a million evil spirits. Sadly, he was eventually slain by a demon, and with no disciple to inherit his teachings, Buddhism in Liang has declined ever since. For over a thousand years now, Buddhist practitioners have rarely progressed beyond the level of Arhat.”

“Even such a being could be slain by a demon?” Xu Ye was startled.

“Demons are entities so powerful they can even slay sages,” Lin Buyu said gravely.

“Miss Buyu, we’ve arrived at Lanruo Temple,” the driver suddenly called from outside.

“Let’s get off. Tonight, just treat this as an excursion with me through Lanruo Temple. Don’t worry too much about the literary gathering,” Lin Buyu said, stretching her hands above her head, fingers interlaced.

It was clear that although she felt the pressure, she truly didn’t have high hopes for this event.

…

At the gates of Lanruo Temple.

By the time Xu Ye and Lin Buyu stepped out of the carriage, the sacred light in the sky had already faded, but the lanterns hanging within the temple were all aglow, making the place as bright as day.

Inside and outside the courtyard, monks and visitors wandered in small groups, creating a lively scene.

“Holding a literary gathering at night—aren’t they afraid of attracting the attention of spirits?” Xu Ye muttered, feeling the cool night breeze and eyeing the temple’s ominous-sounding name with unease.

From what he had gathered, most spirit-related cases in the capital occurred at night, after the sacred light had faded. And with this temple situated in the wilderness, the risk should be even higher.

“The candles and lamp oil in these lanterns have all been consecrated by eminent monks; they’re considered Buddhist relics. There’s also a sacred bodhi tree in the temple, and the abbot himself has attained the rank of Arhat. Ordinary spirits wouldn’t dare even glance this way,” Lin Buyu said dismissively, pointing at the red lanterns hanging by the gate.

“Even the candles are relics? They must be rich,” Xu Ye muttered, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Despite Lin Buyu’s reassurance, Xu Ye remained vigilant, carefully observing the layout and furnishings as they entered.

“The main gate of Lanruo Temple has three courtyards: the first leads through the front yard to the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the second is the Grand Hall, and the third, at the rear, houses the Hall of Marvelous Dharma and the Sutra Library,” Lin Buyu explained as she noticed Xu Ye glancing about.

“The three rounds of the Talent Recruitment Gathering—qin and chess, lyrics and melody, poetry and painting—are held in the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Grand Hall, and the Hall of Marvelous Dharma, respectively.”

“Also, as you enter the Hall of Heavenly Kings, Abbot Huineng will have a disciple pose a question on doctrine at the door. It’s an extra test, not part of the formal rounds, but if you answer well, the abbot might take a liking to you and accept you as a disciple of Lanruo Temple,” she added with a sly smile.

“No thanks. I just want to grow stronger, not go bald,” Xu Ye replied flatly.

“Senior Sister Buyu!”

Just as they reached the Hall of Heavenly Kings, a delicate and radiant young woman called out to Lin Buyu, hurrying their way.

“She’s here too,” Lin Buyu muttered with a frown as she recognized the newcomer.

“Who is she?” Xu Ye asked casually, noticing Lin Buyu’s discomfort.

“My junior apprentice from the Academy of Sacred Medicine, Bai Zijin—a competitive and insufferable know-it-all,” Lin Buyu replied, her voice dropping to a whisper for those last words, but making no effort to hide her disdain.