21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 272 - 269 Arhat
The monk who called himself an old monk was indeed a true elder monk, his face full of wrinkles and his white-streaked longevity eyebrows made it immediately apparent that he was a very old man. Yet, despite being in the midst of noise, he maintained a peaceful and serene demeanor, which unconsciously influenced others to calm their inner restlessness.
He was dressed in a black monk’s robe that had faded to a light gray with wash and wear, enveloping his stooped yet still upright and thin frame. His old but very clean monk shoes stood on the snowy ground untouched by dust, prompting a sense of surprise in those who saw him.
"I pay my respects to the master," said Chen Yu as he caught sight of the old monk, his eyebrows raising in surprise before he very courteously brought his hands together in a gesture of greeting.
Chen Yu’s polite demeanor took Jounouchi Nami by surprise, but she quickly followed suit and gave a respectful bow to the old monk.
"The old monk presumes too much. Just now, I overheard the two benefactors expressing a wish to see the New Year’s sunrise at our temple, which is why I took the liberty of disturbing you. Please don’t take offense," the old monk said with an unhurried and gentle attitude.
Although his voice was not loud, it compelled serious listening, and his words could still be heard clearly amidst the noise, "However, there is still some time before sunrise, and I wonder if the two benefactors would be willing to ascend the mountain to allow this old monk to offer a cup of fragrant tea and share some Buddhist teachings."
"The master is too kind. We were just wondering where to go this evening. Since the master has invited us, it would be impolite to decline," replied Chen Yu with a polite smile, accepting the old monk’s offer.
Seeing Chen Yu’s acceptance, the old monk also revealed a peaceful smile, recited a Buddha’s name, and then led the two through the mountain gate, which was normally closed due to snow and ice to prevent accidents for tourists at night. They climbed the ancient steps that were covered with a thick layer of ice.
Risseiji Temple was built on the mountain, and several Buddhist Halls were constructed atop the mountain rocks. To reach the top, one inevitably had to wind up the stone steps. The most famous among these was the staircase of 1,015 steps at Risseiji Temple; it was said that by climbing these steps to the peak and taking in the full view of the mountain scenery, one’s troubles would vanish.
In history, the renowned Japanese haiku master Matsuo Basho had also visited this place, where he climbed the stairs and composed the famous verse, " The stillness, the voice of the cicada penetrates the rocks," which remains inscribed on the stone wall to this day.
Climbing the mountain at night, although one cannot enjoy the full vista, the experience of ascending during a snowy night was a flavor all its own.
Chen Yu and Hiromi Jounouchi, of course, were not bothered by the ice on the stairs; the old monk walking ahead of them appeared very ordinary, his steps neither hurried nor slow, but equally steady and strong, showing no sign of instability despite the icy stone steps beneath his feet.
The three of them reached the mountaintop, and the old monk led Chen Yu and Hiromi Jounouchi to the Five Great Halls, home to the statues of the Five Great Wisdom Kings. After paying respect to the statues and praying for blessings for Chen Yu and Hiromi Jounouchi, he took them to the observation deck behind the Buddhist Hall.
Even though it was deep into the night with the mountainside shrouded in darkness, the lights of the homes below remained lit. From the mountain, the scene had a distinct charm.
This place was originally open for tourists to visit, but it seemed that for the sake of hosting Chen Yu and Hiromi Jounouchi, three cushions and a small, low table with a tea service had been placed there.
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"Please take a seat, benefactors. Our mountain temple is modest and can only offer a cup of clear tea; please do not mind," the old monk said very kindly, inviting the two to sit down. Once they were seated, he sat down himself and poured each of them a cup of hot tea.
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As the sky began to lighten with a fish-belly white, the old monk just happened to pour the last cup of tea from his teapot.
"Master, your skills in chess are profound; it is I who have lost," Chen Yu said, tossing the chess piece in his hand back into the Go game basket, smiling and admitting defeat to the old monk.
Last night was supposed to be for preaching, but partway through, the old monk pulled out a Go board and started playing with Chen Yu. They discussed the teachings while playing, and before they knew it, dawn had arrived.
The old monk too put away the chess pieces, looked up at the breaking dawn, and stood up to salute Chen Yu and Hiromi Jounouchi, "I never expected to spend the entire night chatting with the two benefactors. I apologize for taking up so much of your time; it is truly my fault."
"Master, you flatter us. Last night, we learned much from your teachings. We are lucky that you did not find us bothersome," after exchanging pleasantries with the old monk, Chen Yu was about to say more, but Hiromi Jounouchi at his side had already called out to him excitedly, "Mr. Chen Yu, come and see! The sun is rising!"
Hearing Hiromi’s shout, Chen Yu excused himself to the old monk and walked over to the railings. He watched the morning glow slowly rise like a band of golden light, coloring the previously dark expanse before him and gilding the distant mountains with a golden edge.
As they beheld the beautiful scenery before them, both Chen Yu and Hiromi Jounouchi were captivated by the view. Even the old monk beside them simply muttered a Buddhist chant under his breath, admiring the first sunrise of the New Year together.
After the sun had fully risen, Chen Yu and Hiromi Jounouchi bade farewell to the old monk and descended the stone steps they had climbed the night before.
"Mr. Chen Yu, that master is truly impressive, talking about Buddhism with you and playing chess all night. I almost fell asleep," Hiromi said, linking her arm with Chen Yu’s and fiddling with the Buddha beads the old monk had given her, while praising the old monk to Chen Yu.
"Do you think he’s just an ordinary old monk?" Chen Yu smiled at Hiromi, and since she had now stepped into the ranks of the transcendent, he did not keep her in the dark, "If I’m not mistaken, that was not a human being."
"Not a human? Then what is he?" Hiromi suddenly felt a chill when she heard Chen Yu say this, thinking that she had spent the whole night discussing Buddhist scriptures with someone, or something, that was not human, and even felt like discarding the Buddha beads she held.
"Don’t be afraid. Although he is not human, he is not any sort of demons or devils either. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare to spend all night discussing Buddhist teachings with us in this thousand-year ancient temple," seeing Hiromi suddenly frightened, Chen Yu quickly comforted her.
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"So, what exactly is he? Now that you put it that way, Mr. Chen Yu, I’m starting to feel scared even though I wasn’t before!" Although Chen Yu had reassured her, Hiromi was still feeling uneasy.
Chen Yu looked back at the ancient temple built amidst the mountains and said with a smile to Hiromi, "If I’m not mistaken, he should be a being born from the integration of the temple’s incense and its Buddha-nature. In Buddhist terms, he is a Dharma Protector Arhat. He probably revealed himself last night because he sensed our presence and wanted to prevent any trouble from us."
