Kongheng had once entered the Pure Land[1] himself. There were luminous treasure pools, glazed jade steps, lotus canopies, hundreds of birds and beasts, and millions of souls in bliss inside. One could even leave upon being summoned. He was young then, and the experience had shaken him deeply. It even made him begin to secretly question his own Dao lineage.0

I’ve had heart-connection since my youth and I can sense others’ emotions. Those people were all genuinely happy… Fuxia too is wholeheartedly devout… this… thought Kongheng.3

After the Liao River Temple collapsed, Kongheng had journeyed southward, witnessing countless tragedies across Yan and Zhao States. Only then did he begin to appreciate his master’s Buddhist teachings. Yet Fuxia’s words had stirred that old unease once again. There was a tight knot in his chest that he could not bring himself to voice. 0

Their ways are simply too extreme, too domineering… if all...0