The three of them arrived before an abandoned temple. The main hall contained no statues, only an unfinished mural, which was the Dipamkara Jataka Mural.
Behind the temple stood a simple bed and some old bowls and jars abandoned for many years. On one side of the mural lay some long-dried peacock-blue pigment. From the looks of it, no one had lived there for quite some time.
“If you hadn’t found it in the ancient records,” Xiang Xian said, “I never would have thought to visit the place where Ge Liang lived before his death.”
Chaosheng asked, “You’ve never heard of him? That’s strange. It shouldn’t have been that long since he went into reincarnation.”
“I didn’t know him personally, but my master was friends with him,” Xiang Xian replied. “After Senior Ge Liang passed away, my master searched for the whereabouts of the Heart Lamp. But its inheritance is very strange. It’s not like it passes from one person to another upon death—it just suddenly vanishes.”
The Heart Lamp had no fixed form, unlike Xiang Xian’s Wisdom Sword. In fact, it had disappeared without a trace multiple times throughout history, only reappearing at certain specific points in time.
Xiang Xian and Chaosheng walked around to the back of the building and saw a small grave mound with a peach tree planted on top. A wooden plaque stood beneath the tree: Ge Liang’s Tomb.
Xiao Kun stood before the mural, looking up at the Dipamkara Ancient Buddha radiating light across the world with the great illumination lamp-holding mudra. The mural was unfinished, and beside it was a line of small characters:
Myriad Laws Return to Silence, time without end, only the Heart Lamp’s light shines like day, eternal through the ages.
Chaosheng and Xiang Xian came back from the rear room without finding many clues. Xiang Xian still asked Chaosheng, “Are you sure he left hints?”
“I’m not certain,” Chaosheng replied. “That’s what the books said. I know nothing about it myself. Xiao Kun came to Kunlun to find me, and the two of us looked into the origins of the Heart Lamp.”
Xiao Kun asked, “Why did the Heart Lamp fly away?”
“It had to find its next life’s master,” Chaosheng said. “After all, when the previous Lamp Keeper dies, a new one hasn’t been born yet. It has to wait for the right person to be born.”
Xiao Kun said, “We might have come here for nothing today.”
After Chaosheng’s words, Xiang Xian instead felt that the mural was full of hints. “Don’t you think this mural’s style resembles some cave?”
Xiao Kun replied, “I’m not good at painting, so I can’t tell.”
Xiang Xian studied it for a moment. Though he wasn’t proficient in painting, his master Shen Kuo had been an expert in astronomy, geography, calligraphy, painting, music, the arts, and even qimen dunjia. Over the years by his master’s side, he had picked up some knowledge.
“You suspect that before he passed into nirvana, he saw where the Heart Lamp had gone, or the location of its next master?” Xiao Kun said.
They sat down on the steps of the ruined temple. Xiao Kun distributed dry rations to his companions. It was noon, and birdsong filled the air incessantly.
Xiang Xian thought for a moment and said, “The Heart Lamp was originally entrusted to the Chen family lineage, much like the Wisdom Sword to the Xiang Family. But over three hundred years ago, for certain reasons, it vanished in time. Later, a great monster found it instead.”
Chaosheng sat between Xiao Kun and Xiang Xian, eating a flatbread. “Legend has it that when the Heart Lamp Power is pushed to its limit, it can even cause Myriad Laws Return to Silence.”
“What is that?” Xiao Kun had never heard of it.
Xiang Xian explained, “The ultimate divine ability: Myriad Laws Return to Silence, only the Heart Lamp’s light shines like day eternal. When the Heart Lamp’s power is fully unleashed, it forms a ‘domain.’ Within that domain, all spells and rules are erased, and every power becomes invalid.”
Xiao Kun nodded. “I thought that phrase was just a precept. But the Heart Lamp has the power to illuminate the long night and dispel demonic obstacles. When all lights vanish, to defeat the Heavenly Demon, the Heart Lamp and Wisdom Sword must both be present—neither can be missing. Anyway, we should head down the mountain and return to Chengdu. Are you still looking? If so, hurry up.”
Xiang Xian turned and went back inside to examine the mural again.
“Is this Dunhuang?” Xiao Kun said. “Maybe we should try our luck there?”
Xiang Xian shook his head. “No, it’s not Dunhuang. I went there once with my master. This is more like…”
“Maijishan? Dazu?” Xiao Kun said. He couldn’t discern the mural’s style and was just guessing.
Xiang Xian didn’t answer. He felt like he had seen this kind of mural somewhere before. It differed from most common styles—the Buddha figures were slimmer, with a… with a…
“What style was this again?” Xiang Xian searched his memory. “Master mentioned it—a place, a… kind of tongue-twister…”
Chaosheng and Xiao Kun both waited for Xiang Xian to recall. He simply couldn’t remember, so he gave up. “Let’s head down the mountain first and stay in the city tonight.”
It was fine not mentioning it, but once brought up, Xiao Kun flared with anger. He said to Xiang Xian, “You handle the money problem. The inn expenses haven’t been settled—they were all donated as merit by you!”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry—” Xiang Xian found the cart pulled by the Wild Boar Demon and hitched himself in front to pull it. Chaosheng sat on the cart, and Xiao Kun joined him after a moment.
“Why am I the only one pulling?” Xiang Xian said.
Xiao Kun replied, “This lord exerted the most effort today. I don’t want to move.”
When they reached the slope, Xiang Xian jumped onto the cart himself. The cart then sped down the mountain road like lightning.
By the time they returned to Guanjiangkou, night had nearly fallen completely. Chaosheng rubbed his stomach. “Big Brothers, I didn’t do much work, but I’m still hungry.”
Xiang Xian reassured him, “In a bit, we’ll have the innkeeper stir-fry some wild mushrooms with cured meat and stew a pot of fish soup.”
