Heaven-Subduing Scripture

In the bronze ancient mirror a woman’s figure appeared.

She wore a loose moon-white Daoist robe; the collar left unlaced, it revealed a stretch of skin white as jade.

A dot of cinnabar between her brows, dark hair cascading like a waterfall, she leaned lazily among the flowers, gazing at the Lady in Green with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Perhaps in sheer stunning beauty she fell a little short of the Lady in Green, yet she had a natural, unworldly air — like clear spring and bright moon, like birdsong and flowers — that at once put one at ease, as if bathed in a spring breeze.

Whoever saw her could not but sigh — a peerless female Daoist indeed!

”Tai Zhen — only you would dare be so brazen before me.”

The moment she saw this female Daoist, the Lady in Green, who had sat upright and proper, relaxed too, showing a warm smile.

The Daoistess called Tai Zhen, before the Lady in Green, slipped off shoes and socks, baring feet white as frost and snow, stretched with comfort, and laughed. ”Lady — you simply live too constrained.”

She sighed. ”Heart like the white cloud, ever free; mind like the flowing water, going east or west. That is the mood we cultivators should pursue; though the Lady’s divine arts are vast, in this poor Daoist’s eyes are you not a golden-cage bird that has drawn a circle around itself?”

Had others heard this, their jaws would drop.

Not only did she show no courtesy before the Lady in Green, she even dared call the Lady a golden-cage bird trapped in Yuzhang — such bold words were truly earth-shattering.

Yet the Lady in Green was not angry, but laughed. ”You and that Li Daoxuan are truly of a kind; were I not knowing you are his senior sister, I would think you his elder sister.”

Hearing the three words Li Daoxuan, the female Daoist’s eyes lit; she hurried, ”Quick, tell me of my little junior brother — is he handsome? How did he do tonight?”

The Lady in Green tapped with her jade finger; a light-shadow rose in the void, forming Li Daoxuan’s likeness — a blue Daoist robe, a Daoist topknot, handsome of brow and clear of gaze, outstanding of bearing.

The female Daoist beamed with delight, her eyes rippling.

”Who would have thought that old codger of a master took such a handsome, adorable little junior brother — good, this senior sister is quite satisfied.”

The Lady in Green teased, ”It is not a husband you are choosing; why so concerned with looks? Your junior brother is of a temper like yours, but his thinking is the more wild; tonight at the feast he stole the show, and is now my Blue Netherworld’s walker in the mortal world.”

The female Daoist paused. ”Lady — though I asked you to look after him a little more, you need not value him so; the post of Blue Netherworld Envoy is weighty; what if he—”

The Lady in Green shook her head, cutting her off, and laughed. ”He is far better than you think; tonight, at early-Bigu cultivation, he drank nine cups of nectar, then wittily solved a puzzle, and lastly even wagered with me.”

”Wagered with you?”

The female Daoist shook her head and laughed. ”Then he must have lost.”

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The Lady in Green said flatly, ”I lost.”

The female Daoist’s gaze shook; at once she showed the deepest interest. ”Quick, tell me all!”

…

At dawn, the little monk Xuanzang yawned and, as usual, washed and prepared to go to the kitchen to cook his master’s breakfast.

He looked up and saw Li Daoxuan seated cross-legged on the eaves, hands in a Dao-seal, the five hearts toward heaven, breathing the morning sun’s purple qi.

Viewed from afar, his body flowed with light, like rosy cloud, like jade — truly a man among immortals.

A trace of envy showed in Xuanzang’s eyes.

He too wished to cultivate, but though his master said he bore a wisdom-root, he would never teach him, saying the time was not yet, and only bade him recite the sutras and observe the world’s myriad states.

He too wished to practice Buddhist divine arts, to slay demons and shield the people.

”Eh?”

Suddenly Xuanzang gave a soft cry, his gaze at Li Daoxuan most strange.

Just then Li Daoxuan finished his cultivation; he opened his eyes, drifted down, and smiled. ”Xuanzang, what is it?”

Xuanzang scratched his bare scalp. ”Could it be this novice saw wrong yesterday? Daoist Li, though the calamity-qi above your head remains, it is much fainter, and even faintly shows a five-color spirit-light…”

Five-color spirit-light?

Li Daoxuan started, then recalled the Great Five-Elements Escape Art the Lady in Green had taught him; though not yet perfected, the art’s true meaning was already engraved in his heart — comprehension was but a matter of time.

What Xuanzang saw was surely that true meaning of the Great Five-Elements Escape Art.

What an innate wisdom-eye — nearly the match of Brother Monkey’s Fiery Eyes! It made Li Daoxuan marvel; with such an innate wisdom-eye, how could Xuanzang ever be deceived by a White-Bone Demon?

”Daoist Li?”

Xuanzang said worriedly, ”You don’t think… my eyes have gone wrong?”

Li Daoxuan laughed. ”Last night I went to the Lady in Green’s feast, became the Blue Netherworld Envoy, and gained a divine art; what you saw is perhaps it.”

Only then did Xuanzang relax, showing a sincere smile.

He was genuinely glad for Li Daoxuan, with a little envy besides.

Just then Master Sanle came out yawning, clothes askew, round belly bared.

”Zhang Qianyang indeed took a fine disciple — so young, yet favored by the Lady, become the Envoy; tsk-tsk, truly enviable!”

So saying he knocked Xuanzang smartly on the head.

”Look at him, then look at you!”

Xuanzang said aggrieved, ”Master, clearly you would not teach me, saying the time was not yet!”

Master Sanle slapped his belly and laughed awkwardly. ”Ha-ha — so it was; your master just woke and was not quite clear; disciple, forgive!”

Xuanzang drooped his little head and walked dejectedly toward the kitchen.

Li Daoxuan thought, then took the Fish-Intestine Sword from his waist and stopped Xuanzang.

”Xuanzang, I am about to leave this place; parting today, I know not if we shall meet again — this Fish-Intestine Sword I give you for self-defense.”

Li Daoxuan’s gifting the sword was no impulse, but weighed with care.

First, he already had a better sword — the lower-grade treasure Red Cloud Sword seized from the Wanshou Palace Daoist; what, you ask if Wanshou Palace will make trouble?

Heh — my master is Zhang Qianyang; and look at this phoenix pendant, gift of the Lady in Green!

Second, Xuanzang is assuredly a potential stock!

Whether or not he later becomes the Chandana Merit Buddha as told in the Journey to the West, Li Daoxuan felt at least he would not be nameless.

Third, last night Master Sanle saved his life; Li Daoxuan, though he repays enmity, also repays kindness — gifting an upper-grade artifact, he even felt it too light.

Looking at that antique Fish-Intestine Sword, Xuanzang, with his wisdom-eye, at a glance saw its extraordinariness.

Within it brewed killing-sha, without it nurtured sword-edge — truly a fine sword to slay demons!

”This sword is named Fish-Intestine, one of the Ten Famous Swords of the Spring-and-Autumn; an upper-grade artifact. You cannot yet cultivate, but for self-defense it is most fitting.”

Gazing at the sword, Xuanzang froze there.

From childhood he had scarce a friend, and for being Master Sanle’s disciple had suffered cold eyes and mockery in the city; Li Daoxuan was, besides his master, the first to treat him so well.

”Daoist Li, this is too precious, I cannot—”

Li Daoxuan simply pressed it into his hands and laughed. ”You and I are brothers — no need to stand on ceremony; when you master your Buddhist arts, perhaps I shall have need of your help.”

Xuanzang gripped the cold Fish-Intestine Sword, yet a warm current stirred within.

He lowered his head, that Li Daoxuan might not see his moist eyes, and said firm, ”Xuanzang, if ever my cultivation succeeds, I shall surely repay Daoist Li’s gift of the sword!”

He had, indeed, been promoted from Daoist Li to Big-Brother Li.