Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Error of Yin and Yang Leads to Perfect Enlightenment

  Yue Fei and others arrived at the entrance of the Jianghu Traveler's Inn. Just as Yue Fei was about to enter, an old monk came face to face with him, holding a dragon-headed staff, with white eyebrows and beard, walking unsteadily along the road.

  The old monk saw Yue Fei at a glance and was shocked beyond measure.

  "Zi Peng, how did you end up here too?" asked the old monk.

  Yue Fei listened and was puzzled: "Is this old monk blind? How did he mistake me for Wang Zi Peng. Does he know Wang Zi Peng? Wang Zi Peng is my twin brother, we look similar, since the monk mistook me for Zi Peng, it means he saw Wang Zi Peng not long ago, I'll ask him about it." Yue Fei thought to himself.

  "Master, it's inconvenient to stand and talk here. Why don't you come with us to have a meal? We can chat while we eat," Yue Fei inquired.

  "Then I'll be troubling you." The old monk said and followed Yue Fei into the Jianghu Inn.

  The brothers handed over the horses to the shopkeeper and followed him in.

  "May I ask Master Fahao, where did you cultivate? Are you acquainted with Wang Zongpeng?" Everyone sat down and Yue Fei asked politely.

  "Lao Na is very kind, I settled down at Wú Míng Mountain, and usually wander around the nine provinces, with no fixed abode. Zi Peng was a dying patient I met at the foot of Wú Míng Mountain, I took him up the mountain and saved his life, he became my apprentice. We met last autumn." said Master Zhi Shan.

  "So that's how it is! Master, where is Zi Peng now? Is his body well? He might be my twin brother." Yue Fei said.

  "Is he your twin brother? Have you two met before?" asked Master Zhi Shan curiously.

  "We also met two years ago, that was when we saw each other at the Wu Tong Xiao exam in Neihuang County. At that time, he was a wandering beggar with some skills, and he was favored by the county master, who took him as his adopted son. Ziyu looks very similar to me, I suspected at the time that he was my long-lost younger brother." Yue Fei said.

  "Excuse me, where is the residence of the strong man? What's his surname and given name?" asked Master Zhi Shan impatiently.

  "My old home is in Tongyin County, Yonghe Township, Xiaotielou." Yue Fei said.

  "Filial Piety Village? Do you know someone named Yue He?" asked Master Zhi Shan.

  "Yue and his father's name is taboo. How did Master recognize it?" Yue Fei was greatly perplexed.

  "You are Yue Fei, what a coincidence. To be honest, the name Yue Fei was given by me. Your twin brother's name is Yue Teng, also given by me. I only hope that you two brothers will have a bright future and serve the country, but your parents hope that you two brothers will rise to prominence and bring glory to your ancestors." said Master Zhi Shan.

  "So you're the crazy monk who broke up my brothers, your one sentence made our family separate and unbearable pain, what's your intention?" Yue Fei heard that Zhishan Master was that crazy monk back then, suddenly felt extremely angry.

  "The strong man has something he doesn't know, all of this is destined by fate. I am already a hundred years old, have seen countless people, and saved countless people. If it weren't for the sake of absolute necessity, how could I possibly break up your brotherly bond? As a Buddhist disciple, I am filled with compassion and kindness, how could I possibly scatter a happy family without good reason? There is indeed an unavoidable bitter truth." said Master Zishan.

  "What's the fuss about? It's nothing but deceitful words that confuse people and pretend to be mysterious." Yue Fei said bluntly.

  The great master listened and suddenly felt suffocated, unable to speak with a loud voice. His face suddenly turned very unsightly, like a corpse just dug up from the ground.

  Yue Fei saw the sudden change in Master Zishan's face, unable to speak, and felt extremely regretful. The old monk was already a hundred years old, with his life force dwindling, how could he withstand such a blow?

  "Master, what's wrong? Was it my previous words that were out of place and offended you? If so, I apologize to you. I was also too excited to say such things, please don't take offense." Yue Fei said hastily.

  "Child, you are right - everything is my fault. I was traveling through Xiaoyi when I saw a pair of mandarin ducks descending upon your household. After calculating their fate, I realized that your brother Yueteng would bring misfortune and kill his parents. So I told your father to have him sent away after being cleansed by river water to rid him of the evil energy. Your father hesitated for several months before sending Yueteng away, thus losing decades of good fortune. Alas, this is also the will of heaven that cannot be defied." Master Zishan sighed heavily as he spoke.

  Yue Fei had heard his mother mention this matter before. Although it was a bit absurd and unbelievable, it was also something that one couldn't help but believe.

  "Master, you said that we brothers will meet again in the future and even build a career together. Will this come true?" Yue Fei asked.

  "Of course it is - truly. But - now - it's not the time, when the time comes - we will naturally meet." Master Zishan said in a weak and intermittent tone.

  "Master, where is my brother now? I heard that my sworn father Zhou Tong said before his death that he had found out that Wang Zongpeng was actually my long-lost younger brother Yue Teng," said Yue Fei.

  The Great Master listened, a flush of red crossed his pale yellow face, and he smiled.

  "Can you prove your identities?" asked Master Zhi Shan.

  "Yes! My father had the four characters 'Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty' tattooed on our backs, my brother and I. In the future, we will recognize each other by these four characters." Yue Fei said.

  "Good... good... good... the old monk's... heart's desire... is already fulfilled... can see... the Tathagata..." The great master had reached the end of his oil and lamp, speaking with a weak and feeble voice, stuttering.

  "Master, where is my brother now?" Yue Fei asked anxiously.

  The Master of Great Goodness opened and closed his mouth, wanting to say something but unable to make a sound.

  Yue Fei crouched down and put his ear close to the mouth of Master Zhi Shan, calming his mind to listen carefully, and faintly heard the two words "tree forest".

  Yue Fei listened carefully again, and saw that the Master of Supreme Goodness moved his mouth slightly, then dropped his head onto the table, with both hands hanging down.

  "Master! Master!" Yue Fei loudly called out, wailing in anguish.

  All brothers see the big brother's sorrow and can't help but feel sad too.

  Yue Fei picked up Master Zhi Shan and put him on the bed, and the five brothers stood beside him discussing how to handle the master's funeral affairs. "Master Zhi Shan is my father's teacher, as well as mine. He is a high-ranking monk who has attained enlightenment. I cannot treat him shabbily. Since we met Master here, it must be fate. Brothers, we are almost in the capital city now. How much of our travel expenses do we have left? I think we should pool our resources to buy a good coffin for Master and invite some monks to recite scriptures to help his soul ascend. This is what we should do." Yue Fei said.

  "Big brother's words are extremely right, we will follow them," said Tang Huai.