The chanting at Tanyin Temple filled the air, mingling with the bustle of the crowd.
Shen Qingli knelt on a prayer mat, worshipping with devout reverence.
[I, your faithful devotee Shen Qingli, am willing to journey to the holy land and guard the sacred mountain, never again to set foot outside Tibet!]
The lama looked at her, dressed in plain clothes. [Zagmar Sacred Mountain is the last pure land left to humanity. To set foot on the holy land, you must give up your attachments and sever all worldly desires.]
Shen Qingli’s eyes trembled slightly, but they held the calm acceptance of someone who had seen through the mortal world.
[I will never marry or have children in this life. I am willing to let go of my attachments and withdraw from the world!]
The lama’s eyes filled with compassion. [The air on the sacred mountain is thin, and the weather is bitterly cold year-round. The living conditions are extremely harsh. Once you enter the mountain, you must guard the holy land until the end of your life.]
[Shen Qingli, have you made up your mind?]
She nodded solemnly. [I am willing to guard the holy land for the rest of my life, until my final breath!]
Seeing that her resolve was firm, the lama did not try to dissuade her. [You must fast for three days, burning incense and bathing. After three days, I will ask local Tibetans to escort you into the sacred mountain!]
Zagmar Sacred Mountain, where Shen Qingli was going, was a holy Buddhist site, and outsiders were forbidden from entering.
Once she went there to guard the holy land, she would be cut off from the outside world forever.
She and Qu Sibai would never see each other again in this life!
