Chapter 172: Shock

Li Qi made his way to the Sima Residence with gifts and knocked on its door.

The gatekeeper, still half-asleep and bearing the anger of being forcibly woken up, grumbled from the doorway, “Who is it? Knocking at this hour, don’t you have any sense?!”

“Coming so late, this junior is ashamed, but there is truly urgent military intelligence to report. Please inform Sima, just say that the White Rhinoceros Army has urgent military intelligence and requires his immediate decision!” Li Qi said solemnly from outside, then passed a piece of gold dust, about one-fifth of a gold coin, worth roughly two thousand cash, through the small peephole in the door. It wasn't a small sum for the gatekeeper.

Money paves the way for conversation. Seeing this, the gatekeeper put away his anger. He first took the gold from the small hole, weighed it, and then said, “You’ve been staying in Zhenguan and haven’t been to Guangyang, have you, soldier?”

“I indeed haven’t been to Guangyang. Is there a problem?” Li Qi asked.

“To find Sima, you have to go to Tianning Temple. How could you find him at the Sima Residence? If there’s truly urgent military intelligence, then go to Tianning Temple. Those Great Masters are still reasonable; they won’t stop you,” the gatekeeper said.

“Everyone is at Tianning Temple now?!” Li Qi was astonished. Although he had heard it from a peddler, it couldn't be this exaggerated, could it?

“Otherwise? He hasn’t been back here for a long time. If you really have urgent military intelligence, hurry up. Do you know where Tianning Temple is? Do you want me to tell you?” the gatekeeper asked.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll go there now,” Li Qi said, turning to leave.

“Go, go, hurry! Otherwise, you might have to wait until tomorrow!” the gatekeeper urged, then closed the small peephole.

Li Qi left and came out onto the street.

Tianning Temple had already become a landmark in Guangyang. He had already asked for its location on his way here, so he didn't need to ask again.

But, was it really that absurd?

A dignified Sima of a prefecture didn't even go home at night, staying in a temple. Why didn't he just resign then?

Li Qi only found it absurd, but he still had to do what needed to be done. To withdraw military provisions, Sima still needed to sign for it.

However, looking at this, Sima seemed very, very unreliable. Would signing this matter really go so smoothly?

Li Qi was worried, but things still had to be done. While it wasn't yet midnight and nightlife hadn't stopped, he mounted his old horse and sped up within the city.

However, the acceleration was limited. Flying was not allowed in the city, or one would be shot down. Galloping on horseback was also unlikely. The streets were bustling with people enjoying the night market, and the roads were mostly jammed. Pedestrians also frequently crossed the horse paths, making it difficult to speed up.

But there was no other way; he could only let the old horse go as fast as possible.

After much rushing, it took Li Qi about two quarters of an hour to leave the city. Once outside the city, the speed increased, and in another quarter of an hour, he arrived at Tianning Temple.

Strangely, although there were lights in the temple, there was no gate.

There was no mountain gate, seemingly allowing people to enter and exit freely.

Thinking that the Chan Zhi monk here might be a high-grade practitioner, and there was also a Sima who was already known to be a Seventh-Grade official, Li Qi dismounted at the foot of the mountain, letting his old horse wait there, while he carried his cotton cloth tent and walked up the mountain.

With his martial Dao cultivation, his speed going up the mountain was quite fast.

Along the way, he saw many houses and farmlands, as if people had been living on this mountain year-round. What was originally a barren mountain now housed many people. However, it was already night, and although there were lights, no one was moving outside.

Li Qi observed for a moment, but did not linger, heading straight up the mountain.

Upon reaching the mountain, Li Qi already saw a courtyard, and... a Pagoda.

A Pagoda, which is a Buddhist pagoda. The temple's courtyard occupied a considerable area, with seventeen or eighteen rooms, a grand hall, and behind the grand hall was a Pagoda, twenty zhang high, with a full five tiers.

Li Qi glanced around, just about to continue forward, when he saw a thin, bald man walking towards him from the courtyard.

The bald man had kind eyes and a benevolent face, looking about sixty years old. His skin was loose, with many age spots, but he seemed to be in good spirits.

Li Qi stepped forward, but before he could speak, the old monk approached and initiated the conversation with Li Qi, saying, “Benefactor, you have traveled day and night, arriving late. You must have urgent business. Are you here to find Guangyang Sima?”

Li Qi pondered for a moment, thinking that this Buddha might not be the same as the one in his memories from another world, so he did not apply his preconceived notions but instead honestly asked, “May I ask, old man… and what is a Benefactor?”

“A Benefactor refers to someone who has not left home. Those who stay at home and wish to come to the temple to worship Buddha are all Benefactors. As for this humble monk, Benefactor may call me Chan Zhi. By the way, are you indeed here to find Guangyang Sima?”

Li Qi nodded in response, “That’s right. I have urgent military intelligence, and I hope Chan Zhi… uh, Great Master Chan Zhi can inform him so that Sima can respond quickly. It concerns the lives of hundreds of thousands of people; there can be no delay.”

He appeared very anxious, and the mention of hundreds of thousands of people in his words made Chan Zhi realize the urgency of the matter.

“Guangyang Sima is currently on top of that Five-Tiered Pagoda, comprehending Buddha-Dharma. If it is truly urgent, Benefactor, please go up quickly; no one will stop you,” Chan Zhi monk said, pointing to the Pagoda in the courtyard.

“Thank you, Great Master.” Having received permission, Li Qi immediately headed towards the Five-Tiered Pagoda.

As he approached the Pagoda, he discovered that it was not an ordinary building.

“Spiritual Artifact…” Li Qi sensed the Qi on it and frowned.

This Pagoda was actually a Spiritual Artifact, but he didn't know what its function was.

He carefully examined the Pagoda. It was made entirely of wood, with a loose structure, as if it were constructed from ordinary wooden planks pieced together. Because of the crude craftsmanship, it looked as if it could collapse at any moment.

However, the collective Qi of thousands of households, the Buddha's light, and many other types of Qi that Li Qi couldn't identify, all mixed together, made this seemingly simply constructed Pagoda appear exceptionally magnificent.

To an ordinary person, this thing would look like a very ordinary, dilapidated wooden pagoda, and one that was very poorly built.

But Li Qi, as a Shaman, had the ability to observe the flow of Qi in all things in the world.

This intuitive observation was not possessed by other Dao paths; it was a unique ability of Shaman Dao.

For example, regarding Death Qi and Evil Qi, a martial Dao practitioner could perceive them through their sixth sense. He wouldn't see anything at that location, but he would be able to sense the Evil Qi there.

But Li Qi could see the black and red Qi at that location with his naked eye.

There were also similar things, like the military Qi gathered by a large army.

Other Dao paths could only perceive it through military discipline, military flags, and that Aura, but in the eyes of a Shaman, military Qi would truly coalesce into a physical form, swirling above the military Formation, appearing in different shapes.

When Daoists set up a Formation and guided the Qi of heaven and earth, they would continuously calculate the positions of various Qi through Yin and Yang numerology. In essence, they would use various methods to determine the Qi. But for a Shaman, there was no need to determine; the Qi was simply there.

It was very intuitive.

It was like radio waves; humans couldn't see them and could only use various instruments to determine the location of radio waves, but Shamanes could directly see their existence.

This was also why Li Qi was able to intuitively sense the small county town of Yi County in Li Prefecture from the beginning.

And now, this ability was also manifested here.

Magnificent, enormous, incredible.

This small Pagoda, however, allowed Li Qi to see endless layers.

This wooden pagoda was filled with a powerful deterrent force, and it was incredibly huge, like a whale leaping from the sea, pleasing to the eye yet shocking to the heart.

And Li Qi himself, in front of this behemoth, was like a sardine next to a whale. The majestic pressure caused his hair and clothes to continuously sway, making him involuntarily stop, abandoning his rush, and halting in front of the wooden pagoda.

This Pagoda... seemed to be a projection of some high-level existence.

Just perceiving a tiny bit of its existence made Li Qi tremble all over, making it difficult for him to run, and he had to maintain at least a modicum of respect in front of it.

The Shaman's intuitive perception made him utterly awestruck by the extremely intense impact.

Sometimes, intuitive perception is not an advantage.

Others would at most feel a sense of grandeur, but now, he felt as if he was crushed by a mountain, unable to move.

Thus, he stopped in front of the wooden pagoda, clasped his hands together, bowed, and offered a sincere obeisance.

Whoosh—

It was as if a great mountain had been lifted from his back.

Li Qi was drenched in cold sweat, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

What… what was this thing?

A wooden pagoda, a Spiritual Tool, all understandable, even the collective Qi of thousands of households within it could be understood.

But what was this oppressive feeling?

Li Qi couldn't describe what it was.

But in his perception, it was as if… billions of stars were within its grasp, and the endless Universe could not encompass its body. Free, eternal, constant, a special Divine Might, directly from bottom to top,貫穿 all of “time and space.”

He clearly understood that this Pagoda did not possess such capability; everything was merely his 'illusion'.

Li Qi merely perceived a certain essence contained within it.

It was as if he was a worm that had seen a tiny bit of sunlight, and then, following the path of the sunlight, traced it back, looked up, and finally saw that sun.

Fortunately, he was a Shaman, so under that sun, he was considered a worm with eyes. If it were a Ninth-Grade practitioner of another Dao path, they would most likely be a worm without eyes, only able to feel the warm light, but unaware of the horror hidden behind that warmth.

However, no matter how terrifying, he still had to go in.

The lives of over a hundred thousand people were in his hands; even if it was a mountain of daggers or a sea of fire, he had to wade through it.

Putting aside all disrespect, Li Qi walked step by step, carefully and reverently, into this Pagoda.

Entering the first floor, he saw a plaque hanging above, on which was written “Arhat Hall.”

Inside, there were enshrined one hundred and eight Arhat statues. Beside the Arhat statues, there were demons and evil spirits, in a prostrate posture, as if enacting a scene of Arhats subduing demons.

To the right of the hall was a large painted drum, and to the left hung a bell, creating an atmosphere of solemn majesty.

Li Qi walked through the one hundred and eight Arhats. Some were in a wrathful state, some in a compassionate state, some in a peaceful state, and some in a demon-subduing state. They were either reclining or leaning, with various postures, but the only constant was that they were all lifelike. Walking among them felt like being scrutinized by one hundred and eight people simultaneously. If one had a guilty conscience, they might not even be able to pass through this path.

Li Qi felt as if those gazes were trying to penetrate his body, to uncover all the secrets in his heart, making one involuntarily feel fear, even frenzy.

If a person with a guilty conscience were here, they would probably have the urge to smash all the Arhat statues.

Fortunately, Li Qi conducted himself with righteousness and treated others with integrity. With righteousness and integrity in his heart, he was open and honest. Even under such scrutiny, he walked leisurely and calmly passed through the first floor.

He continued up to the second floor.

The second floor also had a plaque, inscribed: “Bodhisattva Hall.”

Upon reaching this floor, he saw ten Bodhisattva statues.

As soon as he entered, Li Qi felt a solemn Aura. Although they were inanimate objects, they made him feel a certain temperament…

Some embodied the serene mind of the bright moon and the wondrous source of wisdom.

Some were like the natural clear water reflecting the moon, and the Dharma drum gathering fish and Dragons.

Some were empowered by Divine Might.

Some had the Karma of water from a琉璃 bottle and the auspiciousness manifested by cloud-like garlands.

He saw many Bodhisattva statues, with fragrant incense condensing into canopies and precious light residing eternally. With their coiled hair and garlands, their feet treading on lotus flowers, they were solemn yet gentle, not as oppressive as the Arhat statues below.

Li Qi walked more easily here. Although it was solemn, there was no resistance to speak of.

Upon reaching the third floor, there were no Buddha statues, but instead some books and a plaque inscribed with the words “Sutra Altar.”

Here, there were sutra tables and incense burners, about several hundred books, seemingly available for anyone to browse freely.

By this point, there was little sense of oppression left.

Li Qi’s bookworm nature stirred, and he approached the sutra tables, wanting to browse a bit. But he reconsidered, thinking that if he read these things, it might cause him to question his own Dao path.

Classics, as mentioned before, are where the 'Dao' is expounded. They explain what the path of cultivation is, what its philosophy, core, pursuit, and essence are. Classics are where these things are discussed.

If one reads too much of this kind of material, it's easy to be led astray by other schools of thought, which is not beneficial for cultivation in the Early Stage. After one has forged their own Dao path in the Late Stage, then looking at these things to draw parallels might have some meaning.

Moreover, these were classics from another school… casually flipping through them would also be taboo.

So he suppressed his bookworm nature and ascended to the next floor.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, the plaque read “Three Buddhas Hall.”

In the hall, three great Buddha statues were enshrined.

The three Buddhas had identical appearances, like one person, almost indistinguishable, but their postures varied.

One Buddha wore a cloud-patterned robe, leaned on a bamboo staff, and held a Sanskrit scripture scroll. This Buddha was incredibly old and even had some paint peeling off.

One Buddha hugged his knees and hunched his shoulders, appearing like a ghost king, terrifyingly inexplicable, as if about to devour others. This Buddha was brand new, looking as if it had just been made.

One Buddha sat withered with closed eyes amidst myriad mountains, his long eyebrows touching the ground. This Buddha had not yet been completed; only a clay embryo existed.

These three Buddhas sent shivers down Li Qi's spine.

He instantly confirmed that this was the ‘sun’ he had sensed!

Behind these Buddha statues was an indescribable spectacle. Everything seemed to break off here, then shatter, and finally coalesce into a 'boundless light' that penetrated all of space-time.

Upon arriving here, Li Qi immediately swallowed hard.

Then, he scrambled up to the fifth floor.

(Monthly tickets… recommendation tickets…)