Feng Na watched the young man’s receding figure, her heart stirring sharply, feeling an uncanny resemblance to the man she held dear in her thoughts, yet upon closer inspection, the likeness seemed to fade. Though the height and silhouette were similar, something felt off in his gait and bearing; she hesitated to confirm, offering a smile to Jiang Xiuxiu, "I don't know, perhaps just a new student." Jiang Xiuxiu let out a disappointed "Oh," watching the young man walk away, thinking to herself: No matter, I will find out who he is sooner or later!

Since the incident with Meiduo during his trip to Tibet, Li Yundong had become less casual when interacting with women, wary of causing a "love at first sight that lasts a lifetime" scenario; thus, he hadn't even given his name to Jiang Xiuxiu. Li Yundong, carrying the Seven Treasures Spirit-Illuminating Fan on his back, arrived at his classroom.

It was nearly empty, which surprised him for a moment, but then he realized: today was the orientation day for freshmen; classes wouldn't start until tomorrow. He smiled, and with the fan still on his back, headed to the school library.

Thankfully, the library was open today. Li Yundong quickly obtained a borrowing card and stepped inside.

Upon entering, Li Yundong first used a computer to search for books on religion. He was quite surprised by the collection's depth; there were several hundred titles related to religious studies!

After reviewing the search results, Li Yundong selected The Diamond Sutra and The Lotus Sutra, then approached the librarian to check them out. The librarian, an old man in his seventies, took the reading glasses hanging around his neck the moment he saw Li Yundong requesting those two specific books.

He scrutinized Li Yundong thoroughly from head to toe, tutting softly, "It's rare for young people nowadays to borrow such books..." With that, he walked over to the shelves, searched for a while, and retrieved the two volumes. Since they were rarely touched, the sutras looked as if they were brand new.

The old man lightly dusted the covers and chuckled, "This book hasn't been borrowed since it entered the collection. Tell me, young man, can you actually understand them?" Li Yundong smiled, "Not necessarily, I'll see after reading them." The old man laughed, "Don't mind an old man rambling, but if you can't grasp them, please don't damage the books!" Then, as if sensing his words might have been ill-phrased, he added, "Of course, even if you can understand them, handle them with care." Li Yundong chuckled, "I won't, Teacher.

I will treasure them." The old man nodded, watching Li Yundong leave with the books, letting out a soft sigh, "It's truly rare these days, for a young person to have the patience to settle down and read such texts?" Li Yundong opened The Diamond Sutra. After just a few pages, he found it wasn't as abstruse or daunting as he had imagined.

The beginning sections were filled with short Buddhist tales, rich in spirituality and wisdom, easily accessible. In the middle, it transitioned into the dialogues between Subhuti and the Buddha, much like the conversations between the Yellow Emperor and Qibo in The Classic of Internal Medicine—a series of questions and answers.

Although written in Classical Chinese, Li Yundong could comprehend it. With the preceding Buddhist anecdotes serving as groundwork and guidance, he found himself engrossed in the reading.

Most significantly, the former Li Yundong would likely have fallen asleep from boredom by the first page of such a book. But now, as a cultivator, he possessed some understanding of practice.

Furthermore, having perused the Mahamudra Esoteric Law Scripture, which contained considerable Buddhist theoretical knowledge, and being actively engaged in practicing Mahamudra, he experienced faint glimmers of insight. Li Yundong was naturally gifted, and with fresh understanding dawning, reading these Buddhist classics seemed to pluck a string deep within him; he grasped something, yet the more he understood, the more aware he became of what he didn't know, fueling a growing, voracious desire to read on.

On his way back, Li Yundong sat in the vehicle, book in hand, never letting it go. Once home, he settled in the living room, facing east, cross-legged, utterly lost in the reading.

He remained completely unaware when Ruan Hongling and Ziyuan entered the house. Ziyuan opened the door and saw Li Yundong sitting cross-legged in the living room, clutching one volume, reading with intense focus, with another volume placed beside him, bearing the golden, ancient seal script: The Lotus Sutra.

Ziyuan turned and made a "shush" gesture to Ruan Hongling, then quietly retreated with her. Ruan Hongling asked, puzzled, "Sister Ziyuan, isn't he cultivating the Daoist arts?

Why is he reading Buddhist canons?" Ziyuan paused silently for a moment before replying, "Perhaps he intends to practice both Buddhism and Daoism." Ruan Hongling snorted with a laugh, "Throughout history, many have attempted dual cultivation of the Buddha and the Dao, but only figures like Liu Huayang and Wu Shouyang were truly accomplished. The rest were fools chasing after the ephemeral, dropping the substance for the trivial.

Does he intend to follow in their footsteps?" Ziyuan inwardly agreed with Ruan Hongling’s assessment. After all, since Buddhism arrived in China during the late Han Dynasty, it had been locked in subtle and overt struggles with Daoism.

These conflicts peaked in the late Tang Dynasty, instigated by the Heavenly Secret Black Fox, leading to the irreconcilable schism between the two schools. For nearly two millennia, countless Buddhist practitioners sought to learn Daoist magic, and countless Daoist cultivators desired Buddhist techniques, yet almost all failed.

The barriers between Buddhism and Daoism were formidable, the chasms deep; achieving dual cultivation was far from simple. Over two thousand years, only a handful managed it.

Could Li Yundong succeed? As Ziyuan pondered this, she said aloud, "Don't be so dismissive.

Even while cultivating Daoism, one can still study Buddhist classics. Broad learning from various schools and absorbing the strengths of many disciplines is beneficial, not harmful.

Moreover, Buddhism and Daoism share common ground; examining them poses no serious issue. His recent journey to Tibet—he has traveled ten thousand miles, not only increasing his strength but also his insight.

Now is the time to read ten thousand scrolls." While the two were whispering outside the door, Li Yundong unconsciously finished reading the section in The Diamond Sutra concerning Subhuti and the Buddha discussing the emptiness of beings and the emptiness of phenomena. After finishing, Li Yundong sat still, the words of the sutra replaying continuously in his mind.

He felt as if he understood, yet when trying to articulate specifics, the words seemed to dissolve on his tongue. It was like viewing flowers through a fog, separated by an intangible, misty veil—vague and elusive.

Li Yundong pondered for a while, then let the thought go, setting the scripture down to move on to the second book, The Lotus Sutra. What Li Yundong didn't realize was that his approach precisely echoed the carefree cultivation mindset of the Dao, and simultaneously aligned with the Buddhist principle of letting go without attachment.

Another person might have felt compelled to resolve every conceptual knot, refusing to rest until the truth was crystal clear. But this very action bordered on self-induced affliction.

Li Yundong's current level of cultivation was insufficient to fully grasp these profound concepts. Forcing the understanding would be like asking someone capable of lifting ten pounds to hoist one hundred—not only impossible but damaging to the self.

This was what Su Chan meant when she called his spiritual disposition first-rate: he never forced himself into things beyond his capacity. Another hour passed this way.

Li Yundong finished The Lotus Sutra. When he finally returned to awareness, it was past noon.

He ate a quick lunch, then shouldered the Seven Treasures Spirit-Illuminating Fan and his books, heading back to school. Back at the library, the elderly librarian saw Li Yundong returning with the two books and inwardly sighed, As expected, young people like him wouldn't be able to get through these.

Li Yundong approached him and handed the books over with a smile, "I'm here to return these, Teacher." The old man sighed inwardly, took the books, and casually asked, "Couldn't understand them?" Li Yundong smiled, "It was alright." The old man squinted at Li Yundong, thinking to himself: Still putting up a front? Hmph, young people pretending to know what they don't.

He pretended to be casually interested and asked offhandedly, "What are form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharma?" Li Yundong replied just as casually, "These are the other Six Dusts!" The old man was instantly stunned, seemingly disbelieving his ears. He pressed further, "Then what are the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind?" Li Yundong smiled gently, "These are the Six Roots!" Without waiting for another question, he continued on his own, "...The roots and dust confront each other, giving rise to the Six Consciousnesses—the eye-consciousness, ear-consciousness, and so forth.

Combined, these constitute the Eighteen Realms. It is not just these Six Dusts where one must not abide; everything—the Five Aggregates, the Eighteen Realms, the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, the Four Noble Truths, the Thirty-seven Aids to Enlightenment, up to the eighty-one categories such as Bodhi and Nirvana—must be transcended without attachment." The old man stared at Li Yundong in astonishment.

"Well done! You actually read this book?

I thought you hadn't looked at it. How much did you cover?" Li Yundong smiled, "I finished it all." The old man grew displeased, speaking with palpable annoyance, "Young men shouldn't boast without drafting their lines first!

Then tell me, what is 'a single thought arising in pure faith'?" Although Li Yundong could not fully comprehend every subtlety of The Diamond Sutra, his memory was prodigious; he remembered everything he read verbatim, so he answered off the cuff, "It means to believe profoundly without doubt. This single thought is the thought of no-thought; if there are two thoughts, then calculation, speculation, and doubt arise.

The critical point here is not to look down upon later generations; even in the degenerate age, there are still people with the sharp roots capable of one thought of pure faith." The old man’s mouth gaped open. He asked again, "What is the 'delight in non-contention practice' (le Alanā practice)?" Li Yundong instantly replied, "It means to practice without dispute; to delight in tranquility!" The old man's eyes widened, refusing to concede, and he pressed one last time, "Then tell me, what is 'neither substantial nor empty'?" Li Yundong laughed, "Not substantial, because it is not a substance that exists in form; not empty, because the Tathagata attained that Bodhi.

Furthermore, since it cannot be grasped through mere words, it is called 'not substantial'; since it cannot be sought apart from words, it is called 'not empty'." The old man fired off question after question like a string of firecrackers, yet Li Yundong answered swiftly, without hesitation, his responses matching the text almost word-for-word! Only then was the old man completely won over, looking at Li Yundong with shock.

"You actually finished reading all of this so quickly! Remarkable!

I misjudged you! Did you finish The Lotus Sutra too?" Li Yundong chuckled, "Yes, would you like to test me on that one too?" The old man burst into laughter and waved his hand dismissively, "Forget it, forget it, I can’t stump you.

I believe you now. I simply thought it was unlikely for a young man today to grasp these scriptures, so I tested you.

I hope you don't mind." Li Yundong laughed, making a wry face, "Tests, tests—that's the teacher's treasure; grades, grades—that's the student's lifeline!" Hearing this, the old man roared with laughter, his voice booming, "Good, good! I feel like a teacher again." Li Yundong smiled, "Then how many points did I score on that last quiz?" The old man gave him a thumbs-up, "Outstanding, a full hundred points!" He then put on his reading glasses and sighed admiringly, "Young people today...

those as capable as you are exceedingly rare. Truly amazing, absolutely amazing!" Li Yundong felt a bit embarrassed by the praise.

He said, "I would like to borrow two more books." The old man quickly nodded, "Of course, of course. Which two would you like?" Li Yundong named them, " The Śūraṅgama Sūtra and The Mirror of the Zen Teaching (Zongjing Lu)." The old man was astonished again, glancing at Li Yundong.

He thought to himself, Good heavens, two more classics? He no longer dared to look down on Li Yundong.

He retrieved the books himself, handed them over, and smiled, "Next time you return them, I’ll have another exam waiting!" Li Yundong laughed heartily, "Welcome, welcome." He exchanged farewells with the old man and turned to leave. Watching him walk away, the old man couldn't help but dial a phone number.

"Hello, Xiao Hua? Today I met a master who can truly challenge you.

His grasp of Buddhist philosophy, tsk tsk, astonishing, truly astonishing! What?

Old man? Ha!

You’ve got it all wrong. He's about your age, and goes to your school!

You don't believe me? Ha!

Wait until you meet him one day. Stop acting like you know everything just because you topped the municipal exams!

There are far more remarkable people in this world than you think!"