Chapter Five: Kang City, also known as Kang City

  Like me, those who are infatuated with money, sell their souls for beauty, and succumb to the power of organizations, would use a good bottle of bath gel or shampoo until they feel ashamed of themselves before stopping. They can't put down the obsessions in their hearts, perhaps forever unable to be as carefree as him. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but let out a sigh.

  The words returned to the truth. After passing through N "tourist stops" signs, I arrived at a quiet place in the depths of the temple. Ming Jue bowed to me and said that the abbot was inside, and the donor asked me to move forward on my own, so I retreated.

  I bowed and stepped into the temple with a very nervous heart.

  A loud, resonant Buddha's name echoed out, and I followed the sound to see a middle-aged master with a kind brow and eyes, a broad heart, and a stout body. He was dignified in appearance, wearing a five-colored kasaya robe, walking out from the side door. I hastily joined my palms together and paid respects, saying: "Master, junior has come to pay respects. Junior has erred, hoping Master will forgive."

  The master smiled and said, "I've heard that you have a very sincere heart in worshiping the Buddha, and you're not afraid to follow the example of the ancients, lying under the tree waiting quietly. If this is indeed the case, what fault is there?" As he spoke, he stretched out his hand to gesture for me to sit down.

  I thanked him and said: "Today, I am fortunate to see the Master's precious appearance, and suddenly feel ashamed. The Buddha said, 'Break your attachments.' As a junior monk seeing the Master, I have entered a state of confusion, and my actions are those of a deluded person. I have not escaped falling into the lower vehicle, and I have disturbed the Master's quiet cultivation. This is indeed an error. I don't know if the Master can forgive me?"

  The master smiled but didn't answer, instead telling me his Buddhist name "Xu Jian", and I also reported my own name. The master chatted with me for a while, talking about Buddhism. Every word was like a pearl, every sentence was enlightening, making me feel as if I had been enlightened and my mind had been opened. Seeing that the conversation had started, I took the opportunity to ask: "I've heard that in ancient times, Jinshan was originally named Kangcheng, with a long history. Many folk scholars have worked hard to verify this period of history and have achieved some results, is there such a saying?"

  Continuation Master's smile was withdrawn, and he said seriously: "This matter, where did Lin Shi hear it from?"

  "It was from a friend that I heard about it. To be honest with you, Master, I'm also very interested in the story of Jinshan. I thought Shanghai was a young city, but I never expected it to have such a long history. If you know, would you please enlighten me?"

  The master looked at me, his bright eyes seeming to see through my heart, and said: "I heard the host's words, with a strong ancient flavor, it can be seen that he is a person who has studied history for a long time. Since you asked, I might as well tell the host, there is indeed such a thing. However, related research has not been written yet, and the situation in this matter is complex and complicated, involving many worldly struggles. Therefore, the host should not let outsiders know."

  I heard the phrase "secular struggle" and couldn't help but feel a chill in my heart: Is this referring to the struggle between Old Lady Yin's organization and Chen Ziqi and his backers, or is it related to even more things that I don't know about, or can't even imagine? I hastily said: "I'm just curious about historical events, although this obsession goes against Buddhist principles, but I really can't hold back, please tell me, Master."

  The Master of the Continuation told me that he knew these things precisely because of this Longevity Temple. The Longevity Temple, although everyone knows it was built in the Song Dynasty, is only because during that time, the extremely wealthy King Qian Chu of Wuyue State in the Five Dynasties period, his grandson Qian Chao Su, in the Song Dynasty invested a huge sum of money to rebuild the Longevity Temple and made a major change to the Maitreya Buddha statue on the Heavenly King Hall. He molded the image of his uncle Chen Qi, also known as "Budai Heshang" from Fenghua, Zhejiang, into the Maitreya Buddha statue and personally wrote a couplet: "A big belly can contain things that are difficult to contain; A smile can make people laugh at things that are pleasant to laugh at." The horizontal inscription reads: "Smile often opens to welcome new guests". From then on, this couplet and the Maitreya Buddha statue of Longevity Temple have become a classic passed down through generations, influencing almost all subsequent temple Maitreya Buddha statues as well as literary and film works. Therefore, everyone thinks that the Longevity Temple was built in the Song Dynasty.

  Actually, the Wan Shou Temple was built during the Three Kingdoms period and was ordered to be constructed by Sun Quan, one of the three great heroes of the time and the Emperor of Eastern Wu. According to legend, Sun Quan's mother, Wu Longzhen, lost her parents at a young age and could not bear the cold ridicule and hot criticism from her aunt, so she took her younger siblings to seek refuge with their aunt in Kang City, where they received love and care from their aunt's family and were able to study poetry, books, classics, and etiquette. Later, when Sun Quan became emperor, Wu Longzhen was revered as the Empress Dowager.

  To repay the kindness of his aunt and uncle who had raised him when he was stranded in Guangling, Sun Quan's mother Wu Guotai instructed Sun Quan to send someone to Guangling to bring the two elders back to serve them. However, his aunt, who had been a widow for many years, was devoted to Buddhism and did not want to leave her hometown to go north. Therefore, Sun Quan ordered the local officials to rebuild their old house into a Buddhist temple. After three years, the temple was completed. Sun Quan conferred the title of "Wanshou Huanguo Furen" (Lady of Eternal Longevity and National Protection) on his aunt and wrote the three characters "Wanshouyuan" in gold ink, making a huge plaque that hung in the Longsheng Hall inside the temple, allowing his aunt to cultivate her mind and nature inside the temple. Later, Sun Quan also sent his younger siblings to Wanshou Temple several times to pay their respects. After the death of Huanguo Furen, Wanshou Temple became a sacred place for Buddhist believers to worship and burn incense, and was renamed "Wanshou Si".

  By the Song Dynasty, Kang City encountered a great disaster and sank into the sea, leaving only Jinshan Island. The Wan Shou Temple also sank with it and was rebuilt elsewhere. With the addition of the image of Maitreya Buddha and the couplet, its reputation spread far and wide, so that people did not understand much about its previous history.

  After Master Continuation finished speaking, I was shocked and broke out in a cold sweat:

  Kangcheng

  To be honest, Mingying and Li Yubo are too young, and they have a lot of connections with the organization, so I don't dare to believe their words. Maybe it's all just something made up by the organization, especially that mysterious and unfathomable Old Lady Yinru, to deceive me. Does Kangcheng exist? And did it really sink into the sea because of the mysterious 30th parallel curse? I have always been skeptical. Now, this mysterious name, this city that has been erased from the map, is being spoken by this venerable and knowledgeable Master Fangzheng, making me believe, and deeply believe without a doubt.

  Moreover, the master of continuation emphasized the Eastern Wu Emperor Sun Quan, which can be connected to the history mentioned by Li Yu Bo earlier. Because he once said that Lu Xun, the Grand Marshal and Chancellor of Eastern Wu, was also enfeoffed in Kang City. From this, it can be seen that the stories told by Li Yu Bo, from the great king Yu of ancient civilization, including Gun, King Zhou Kang of Ji, Wu Zixu, Spring and Autumn Annals Huang Xie, and King Goujian of Yue, are all true.

  So, Xi Shi's tomb is probably also here.

  I asked Master Xujian: "I once heard from a friend that there was a family who had lived in Yunjian Kangcheng for generations, and they wrote a genealogy that detailed the history of Yunjian Kangcheng. Is this true?"

  The Master's body shook slightly, and after a long time, he said to me: "How could such a secret matter... be leaked out? Amitabha, if this matter is known to the world, wouldn't it be a big deal! Lin Shizhu, who are you, and what is your purpose in coming here?"

  Having heard this, I was filled with regret and didn't expect that the matter of this genealogy would be spoken of by Master Xujian in such a shocking way. It seems that I unintentionally misspoke. Just as I didn't know how to continue speaking, Master Xujian suddenly said: "Master Lin Shi, I have something to ask you."

  I saw him open his mouth, worried that he would give an eviction order, but I didn't expect him to speak like this. Hurriedly, I said: "I dare not, I dare not. Master, please instruct me, and I will definitely tell you everything, without hiding anything."

  "I had just been gazing out of the window in my study when I saw you and Ming Jue walking together, chatting happily. But then I saw your expression suddenly change, looking worried and preoccupied. Can you tell me what's on your mind?"

  I hadn't expected that Master Continuation would have seen me before I even entered the house. As he spoke, it unexpectedly linked up with my previous thoughts about "all living beings being equal" and my confusion and entanglement over not being able to break free from worldly desires and secular troubles. I couldn't help but bow to him and tell him all my previous thoughts in detail.

  The master of the continuation temple listened and pondered for a moment, saying: "Don't be deceived by what I'm about to say, but earlier when I saw your sudden change in expression, and then you asked about Kang City and that family tree, I thought you were a person with ulterior motives. However, after listening to your words just now, combined with the expression on your face, it's indeed sincere. It shows that you have compassion for all living beings, and also realize that one's appearance is illusory, and truly has the wisdom of prajna. I think you must not be a deceitful person. As for history, it's passed down through oral tradition. If those who know keep silent and seal their mouths forever, then history will disappear. But this matter should be passed on, today we have the opportunity, so I'll tell you about it."

  I leaned forward and listened attentively.

  Continuing to sit in the master's chair, he said solemnly: "Donor, don't say that I, an old monk, will keep this family tree a secret. It is indeed a matter of great importance. Donor, do you know Huang Xin?"

  I shook my head in ignorance.

  In ancient times, there was a famous mansion in Kang City called the Huang Gong Mansion. The Huang family, a renowned and respected clan, had lived in this mansion for generations. The ancestor of the Huang family was named Huang Xin, who originally resided on Anbo Street, Shangwu Alley, in Kang City. From a young age, Huang Xin was extremely intelligent and talented, excelling in both literature and martial arts, with a particular fondness for navigation. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, he served as the Star Officer at the Stargazing Tower in Kang City, often spending entire nights on the outskirts of the city, atop Jinshan Mountain or Wangpan Mountain, observing the stars. After serving as Star Officer for over thirty years, in the second year of the reign of Emperor Zhao of Han, Huang Xin received an imperial decree to set sail with his youngest son, Huang Xuancao, and a crew of over thirty seasoned sailors, equipped with provisions and supplies, aboard a massive official ship. They sailed eastward, relying on fishing and hunting, as well as seeking assistance from foreign tribes they encountered along the way, always prioritizing courtesy and etiquette. After nine years at sea, navigating by the stars, they finally arrived in the Western Regions, reaching the city of Fan Dun, where they abandoned their ship and returned overland. By this time, only twelve followers, including Huang Xin, had survived the journey. Later, he wrote a three-volume book titled "Heavenly Phenomena". At this point, Huang Xin was already advanced in age, and his prolonged exposure to the elements during his voyage had taken its toll on him. He became increasingly obsessed with the mystery of how they had sailed east but returned from the west, and eventually succumbed to severe mental illness, dying a madman.

  I was amazed to hear this: if it's true, Huang Xing has completed a journey around the world. In the second year of Emperor Zhao of Han (85 BC), nine years later (76 BC), he accomplished what Magellan's fleet did 1,600 years later! I couldn't help but ask: "Master, I don't understand: was shipbuilding technology so advanced at that time? Moreover, such a magnificent feat of circling the globe, why has it never been recorded in history?"

  "Think of the grandeur of China, its civilization shining brightly, the wisdom of our ancestors no less than that of people today. At that time, Emperor Qin ordered Xu Fu to sail across the sea in search of the elixir of immortality, and he was able to reach Japan. The great emperor Sun Quan of Eastern Wu built a magnificent warship called the Qinglong at Wusongkou, patrolling the rivers and seas, daring Zhang Fei's million-strong army not to look south. What majesty! This ship inherited the exquisite craftsmanship of the Han Dynasty. As for Huang Xing's heroic deeds, why are they not recorded in history books? You'll have to listen carefully as I tell you slowly."

  I knew this historical story had reached a crucial point and I couldn't help but shift in my seat, sitting up straight to listen.