"This is truly magnificent."
Upon entering the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, the group was immediately struck by the lifelike and resplendent array of Buddha statues of varying sizes, arranged in perfect harmony throughout the pagoda.
Beside the statues were numerous memorial tablets. Much like dining at an inn, where there were options for private rooms and the main hall, the Thousand Buddha Pagoda offered different levels of commemoration. Common folk could only afford to place their tablets on simple shelves, surrounded by incense and candles. Wealthier families could secure private alcoves for their tablets, while the eighth floor—the pinnacle—offered opulent "suites." However, despite the pagoda's reputation, the most prestigious families represented were from noble clans. Royalty and the imperial family paid no heed to such practices.
"Who goes there?"
Not long after entering, the group was discovered by two patrolling martial monks. Seeing the intruders, the monks tightened their grips on their Eight Trigrams Staffs and charged forward.
Though Daniel could have snuck the Songstress into the pagoda undetected, certain limitations made that difficult. Given the gender restrictions and the Songstress's vow not to use her martial skills, the group had anticipated a direct confrontation.
This was the primary reason why the Songstress had sought their help. With her sword immortal-level abilities, she could have easily infiltrated the eighth floor herself, but her vow left her powerless.
Thwack! Thwack!
Before Han Lingsha and the others could react, Daniel swiftly appeared before the two monks and neutralized them. His approach was far from gentle. Instead of simply immobilizing them, he delivered precise karate chops to their necks, knocking them unconscious instantly.
"You all take your time. I'll handle any trouble ahead," Daniel said, nodding to Han Lingsha before disappearing into the pagoda.
Using his Observation Haki, Daniel efficiently located and subdued every martial monk within the pagoda. While most monks were weak compared to Han Lingsha, those on the eighth floor showed some promise. Still, they were no match for Daniel's skills.
"So this is the so-called holy light? Turns out it's a luminous pearl… no, wait—it's a spirit pearl. They really spared no expense," Daniel muttered to himself.
Curious about the source of the light said to shine from the top of the pagoda, Daniel ascended to the roof and used his Ope-Ope no Mi powers to dismantle part of the structure. He discovered a glowing blue pearl about the size of a fist radiating light.
Initially mistaking it for a luminous pearl, Daniel quickly realized it was a spirit pearl due to the flow of spiritual energy emanating from it. This explained the legend of the "holy light" that supposedly healed ailments and brought peace to those who prayed under it. The pearl's spiritual energy naturally had a soothing effect on ordinary people.
"I wonder what would happen if this 'holy light' disappeared," Daniel mused but ultimately decided against taking the pearl for now. It could wait until after his visit to the Qionghua Sect.
After restoring the structure to its original state, Daniel returned to the eighth floor, where Han Lingsha and the others had arrived at the memorial room housing Qin Yi's tablet. Taking a deep breath, the Songstress opened the door and entered. Inside, a woman in mourning attire knelt before Qin Yi's tablet, reciting prayers.
"So, you've finally come," the woman said, rising without turning around. It was as if she had already known who her visitor was.
"And you are?" the Songstress asked, clearly unfamiliar with this woman.
"I am Qin Yi's concubine. Though I've never met you, I know you must be her," the woman replied.
"Let's give them some privacy," Daniel suggested. Hearing their conversation, he recognized this as a tragic tale from the past.
Although Yun Tianhe hesitated to leave, he reluctantly followed Liu Mengli and Han Lingsha out of the room.
"You didn't have to hit them so hard. Do you have a grudge against those monks or something?" Han Lingsha asked outside the room, her curiosity piqued by Daniel's heavy-handed approach.
"Don't you think this place is far too extravagant?" Daniel replied.
"Ah…" Han Lingsha was momentarily stunned by his response. She had never considered viewing the Thousand Buddha Pagoda from that perspective.
"It really is," she admitted after taking a closer look at the lavish decorations—the gleaming gold statues, the rare nanmu wood floors, and the jade ornaments embedded in the walls. The eighth floor was an entirely different world compared to the seven below, designed to justify the exorbitant cost of its spaces.
"A supposedly sacred place for Buddhists, yet it's filled with memorial tablets. Where's the purity in that?" Daniel remarked with a faint smirk. The state of the Thousand Buddha Pagoda reminded him of the corruption of the World Government in One Piece. Where the leaders were crooked, the institutions beneath them naturally followed suit.
Liu Mengli, too, seemed thoughtful as she glanced around.
"What are you all talking about?" Yun Tianhe asked, baffled. He could understand each word they were saying, but when strung together, their meaning eluded him entirely.
"You don't need to know," Han Lingsha replied dismissively.
At that moment, the Songstress emerged from the room, her face filled with sorrow.
"Thank you, everyone."
"It's nothing. Let's go," Han Lingsha said, peeking into the room to see the other woman still kneeling before Qin Yi's tablet.
After leaving the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, the Songstress, sensing Han Lingsha's unspoken questions, explained the situation.
The other woman was Jiang Shi, Qin Yi's cousin and childhood sweetheart. Jiang Shi had loved Qin Yi deeply since they were children, but Qin Yi had chosen the Songstress instead. Once again, it was a story proving that childhood sweethearts often lose to sudden arrivals.
After the Songstress left, Qin Yi fell ill from missing her. Jiang Shi married him as a form of "happy union" to counteract his illness. Despite her happiness in marrying the man she loved, Qin Yi passed away a few months later. Not even the wealth and influence of the Qin family could cure his sickness—a malady of the heart that required a cure of the soul.
"Songstress, where will you go now?" Han Lingsha asked.
"I'll roam the world with my guqin, collecting musical scores from generations past. Perhaps, in doing so, I might see him again in my dreams," the Songstress replied wistfully.
Later, at her residence, the Songstress performed a moving piece titled The Tale of the Immortal Sword for the group.
"Thank you all for your kindness. I hope we'll meet again someday," she said as they parted ways.
In a world without phones, parting without a set meeting place often meant never seeing each other again. Daniel's earlier arrangement with Su Xin to leave messages at specific inns was a precaution against this.
"Take care," Daniel said.
The next day at noon, as the group ate lunch at the inn, they overheard a rumor: someone had died at the Thousand Buddha Pagoda the previous night.
It turned out that Jiang Shi, Qin Yi's concubine, had taken her own life. The incident stirred significant trouble for the pagoda. Even though it was a suicide, Jiang Shi's status as Qin Yi's cousin—a member of the prominent Qin family—meant the matter couldn't be easily dismissed.
Strangely, there was no mention of the intrusion or the monks being attacked. The pagoda's monks likely kept such humiliating events under wraps to protect their reputation. This was precisely why Daniel had acted so boldly—he knew the monks wouldn't publicize their failure.
"This must be what they mean by 'love makes fools of us all,'" Daniel remarked.
The news cast a shadow over Han Lingsha and Liu Mengli, their hearts heavy with the tragic entanglement of the Songstress, Qin Yi, and Jiang Shi.
Later that evening, Daniel resumed his discussions with Su Xin. Upon learning that Daniel sought to master sword immortality, Su Xin expressed her surprise.
"Becoming an immortal is no easy feat. You'd better prepare yourself. Throughout history, countless have sought it, but none have truly succeeded."
"You seem to know a lot about sword immortals," Daniel noted with a sly smile. "To be honest, I'm not too concerned about becoming an immortal. Don't you think flying on a sword is just really cool? And besides, it'd make traveling so much more convenient."
Daniel wasn't lying. One of his motivations for learning sword flight was indeed how stylish it was. After all, looking cool was a lifetime achievement.
"Using sword flight for travel… that's an interesting thought. Maybe I should give it a try," Su Xin mused, nodding thoughtfully.
Back in his room, Daniel reflected on Su Xin's words and demeanor. It became clear to him that she had ties to the Qionghua Sect. For a wandering martial artist to show such indifference to sword immortals, there had to be a deeper reason. For most martial artists, becoming a sword immortal was a lifelong dream.
What Daniel didn't realize was that his casual comments about sword flight had rekindled Su Xin's desire to return to the Qionghua Sect, a place she had long left behind.
Finally, after several days of fruitless searching, Han Lingsha's spirits lifted when they encountered Huai Shuo and Xuanji again at the inn. The two were buying food and water for their journey.
Even sword
immortals needed sustenance, especially since their cultivation levels hadn't yet reached the point of living without food.
With arrangements made to journey to the Qionghua Sect together, Daniel and the others prepared to leave. Meanwhile, high above the city, Su Xin clumsily took to the skies on her sword, her form wobbling and unsteady.
"If Senior Sister sees this, she'll definitely scold me," Su Xin muttered with a wry smile.
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