It is truly difficult for him to remain in the mortal world in such a state. Based on my understanding, he should have lost all humanity after mutating to this extent, with only Buddhistic nature left in his brain, capable of achieving Buddhahood and ascending to the colorless realm at any moment.
However, he can still maintain the appearance of an ordinary monk before people, and even try to conceal his Dharma form, so as not to affect ordinary people. If my Spirit Vision were not so high, I wouldn’t be able to see through his identity.
It seems that Buddhism also has methods to control one’s Dharma form, which the West calls containing the Angel Form. I wonder what the specific differences are.
As for the other Taoist, his aura is much weaker than the monk’s. Although there is an aura of immortality surrounding him, there are wisps of black energy intertwined within.
As I looked at them, they also looked at me. The monk’s eyes flashed with golden light, and his aura collided slightly with mine. He seemed to have perceived something.
“Cough, cough! Lord Zhang, is this the master you mentioned?” the leading old man said, looking at me with a hint of surprise in his eyes, but speaking in Mandarin.
Although I had already learned from Mr. Zhang that the one who revised their blueprints was a young girl, seeing how young and petite she was still greatly surprised him.
“Yes, Minister, she is the master who revised the blueprints for me, Miss Parul,” Mr. Zhang replied. After receiving a letter from the other party, expressing no objection to revealing her identity and hinting that she had matters to attend to, he revealed Parul’s identity.
“She’s too young.” “Yes, she’s just a little girl.” “Are they colluding to deceive us?” “They wouldn’t find a little girl to act, would they?” “She’s not looking at us at all, showing no courtesy.”
Those officials chattered non-stop. Amusingly, they seemed to think I didn’t understand Chinese and were cleverly critiquing me in Mandarin.
Actually, I understood. The official language of the Qing Dynasty was already very close to the Mandarin of my previous life. Apart from a few different pronunciations and some differences in word order, I had no communication barriers with Mr. Zhang before.
At this moment, the monk in the corner let out a low Sanskrit chant. It was hard to describe the specific meaning of the word, and it wasn’t loud, but it resonated in everyone’s hearts.
The officials were startled, and even the official in the center showed a surprised expression. The monk merely glanced at the officials, and their expressions all became strange.
However, I didn’t hear the monk say anything. It seemed he had transmitted a message to everyone, likely related to me. When I was looking at him earlier, did he also see something on me?
“Miss Parul, welcome. Please have a seat,” the official in the center said with a benevolent smile, speaking fluent Castilian.
A maid pulled out a chair for me, and I smiled and sat down. Another maid immediately poured me tea. The teaware used here was a Yixing teapot and colorful glass cups, completely in the Eastern style.
“Allow me to introduce everyone. This is the shipbuilding master who helped me, Miss Parul,” Mr. Zhang said, stepping forward to the center. “This is the Envoy to the Iberian Empire, Lord Yu; the Director’s Office, Lord Cai; the on-site supervisor from the Holy Roman Empire, Lord Liu; and Counselor Xu…”
He quickly introduced several officials’ names and their positions to me. I was actually not interested in this, but for the sake of future conversation, I politely listened. However, I noticed that he seemed to have omitted the two people behind, a monk and a Taoist.
“Mr. Zhang, you can speak Mandarin directly to me. Why use Castilian? And who are those two people? You haven’t introduced them to me yet.” I said directly in Chinese.
Mr. Zhang was a little embarrassed. Although he knew I could speak Chinese, and even very well, in diplomatic occasions, he habitually used a foreign language for introductions.
The officials were even more embarrassed. Apart from the Minister, who had reviewed Mr. Zhang’s full report, no one here knew she could speak Chinese. Weren’t they just bad-mouthing me to their faces and she understood everything?
Upon hearing my question, Mr. Zhang hesitated before saying, “The two masters were specially invited from the Embassy to protect the Minister upon entering Cando City. They are Zen Master Qiuye and Immortal Master Li.”
An ambassador is a higher rank than a minister, a plenipotentiary representative who can oversee the affairs of a country. And judging by their words, it seemed that there was no ambassador in Iberia, and the highest was the Minister Yu standing before me. Thus, the ambassador likely oversaw a large region in Western Europe.
This was also normal. After all, the Qing Dynasty’s diplomatic system, especially its envoys abroad, was not yet complete, and some were only recently established and still in a provisional capacity.
Given the importance of the ambassador and the embassy, the cultivators sent to accompany and protect them should also be very powerful. Both of these masters were official posts, with “Zen Master” and “Taoist Master” likely being formal official titles.
Since they were purely high-level bodyguards and not members of the delegation or shipbuilding personnel, they did not take seats but stood guard silently on the side. Mr. Zhang had not introduced them initially.
“This humble Taoist offers his respects,” Immortal Master Li said, bowing with his hands clasped. Zen Master Qiuye, on the other hand, raised his palm in a bow. “The female benefactor noticed this humble monk and fellow Taoist Li as soon as she entered. To have such eyesight and strength at such a young age, this humble monk admires you.”
His divinity is still very clear, with no signs of madness or loss of humanity. It seems he has good control. However, the other Taoist has completely different problems and hidden dangers compared to him.
“Immortal Master Li, is your condition not quite good?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t an offense.
“Miss, how could you tell?” Immortal Master Li asked, raising his head in surprise. He believed he had hidden it well.
“Your aura is unstable, and there is abnormally hidden energy circulating within your body, which you are desperately suppressing,” I said directly. In fact, judging by his posture and movements, it was also possible that he had unhealed old injuries.
“Miss has sharp eyes. When Lord Zhang first told us you were a shipbuilding master and a powerful caster who had gone on several adventures with him and saved him, this humble Taoist was skeptical. Today, I realize it was not false praise,” Immortal Master Li said.
“You are too kind, Immortal Master Li. Do you need treatment? If not treated soon, it might lead to some undesirable consequences,” I inquired.
“Thank you for your kindness, Miss, but the matters of the adults are more important now. I can manage my injuries with some self-adjustment,” Immortal Master Li replied.
