Visiting the Temple, Qingxuan's Old Friend

Seeing the miserable state of Sanming City, Shen Yunshu was curious about what had happened. So she picked a beggar woman holding a child and put a few copper coins into her bowl.

"Sister, I want to ask you something."

"You can inquire about things, but please take the money back, young lady." The kind-faced woman politely pushed the bowl in front of her forward, indicating that Shen Yunshu should take the copper coins inside.

Shen Yunshu was a little confused. "Aren't you a beggar? You don't want copper coins? Then you want gold and silver?"

Thinking this, Shen Yunshu took out the copper coin and put in a piece of silver.

"Young lady, you've misunderstood. I don't want any money."

The woman still refused, which made Shen Yunshu frown. She didn't want copper coins or silver, so did she want spirit stones? That was going too far.

Seeing that the kind-hearted girl from out of town was frowning as if she was dissatisfied, the woman smiled and explained:

"Please forgive me, young lady. It's not that I'm ungrateful, but I'm bound by the precept against accepting money. If you have any food, please feel free to give it to me."

Shen Yunshu was completely baffled. She thought to herself, "You're begging, why are there so many rules? And what is this money ring anyway?"

Although she didn't understand, she respected it; when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

So Shen Yunshu took out a pancake and a few fruits from her storage ring and put them into the other person's bowl. "This is all I have to eat, sister, please don't mind."

"No problem, no problem at all. You have a kind heart, and you will be blessed."

The woman, holding her child, rose and respectfully curtsied to Shen Yunshu. Shen Yunshu reached out to help her up and asked the question that had been bothering her, "Sister, has some kind of natural disaster struck the city?"

"No, why do you ask that, young lady?"

"Since there were no natural disasters, then it must have been caused by human error?"

"Young lady, you jest. How could there be human-caused disaster in a place blessed by Buddha?"

"Then why is the population here so impoverished, and why are you also starving?"

Since there are no natural disasters or man-made calamities, why are the people here living such a difficult life? Shen Yunshu was very puzzled. It wasn't that she wanted to meddle; she just felt that something was wrong with this city.

I want to know more information, because only with enough information can I determine whether there is any danger in this city.

Shen Yunshu thought that after she asked the question, the woman would at least show a worried look on her face, but she did not expect that the woman would be calm and even have a satisfied look in her eyes.

The woman bowed towards the east and then said gently, "Young lady, you misunderstand. Although we are starving, it is not due to natural disasters or man-made calamities, but rather our own choice."

We are practicing spiritual cultivation. As the Dharma Master said, if we endure more suffering, other beings will suffer less. This is accumulating blessings for our next life and also eliminating our own karma.

Shen Yunshu frowned upon hearing this, thinking that the woman must be mentally ill.

Cultivation? Cultivation my ass! You haven't cultivated any skill at all. Is this what you call cultivation?

What else is there to say that if you suffer more, other beings will suffer less? It's your own business if you're willing to suffer, but what kind of good deed is it to drag such a young child along to suffer with you?

At this moment, Shen Yunshu was certain that the people in the city had all been fooled by the sorcerer the woman had mentioned.

Good heavens, this isn't Buddhism, it's even more ruthless than the demonic sects!

Having learned the news, Shen Yunshu didn't want to continue talking to the woman. She was afraid of hearing anything that would annoy her, so she said goodbye and left.

She lifted her foot to catch up with her master and senior sister. Seeing her return, her little face puffed up with anger, Yu Zhao knew that they had heard her angry words, so she smiled and asked her:

"But what did you find out?"

"Senior sister, let me tell you, the people here have all been completely fooled..."

Shen Yunshu started talking non-stop, venting to her senior sister about everything she had seen and heard.

As Qingxuan listened to her story, he frowned slightly, while Yu Zhao had already guessed as much, so he was not surprised.

Even after confirming her suspicions, she secretly sighed:

Sure enough, no matter which world you're in, there are always so many of Buddha's disciples who do terrible things.

It is no exaggeration to say that demons roam freely beneath Thunder Sound Mountain.

However, neither Yu Zhao nor Shen Yunshu liked to meddle in other people's business, so they just listened to it as a story.

This Western Regions is Buddhist territory; you can't just run into their territory to uphold justice, can you? That would be suicidal.

Qingxuan, thinking his two disciples intended to help those in need, quickly advised them against it:

"Zhao'er, Shu'er, we can't just believe one side of the story. There might be something else going on. Besides, even if there isn't, there's nothing we can do about it."

The Buddhist sect wields immense power in the Western Regions; they practically rule the entire region. We can't change anything, and we can't risk putting the three of us in danger due to a moment of anger.

"Don't worry, Master, we know what we're doing," Yu Zhao assured him.

Shen Yunshu quickly added, "Master, there's no need to worry. We know what's important. This trip is just for sightseeing, nothing more."

Seeing that his two young disciples were so well-behaved, Qingxuan was relieved. "Very good. I will take you to visit Wujue Temple in Sanming City. Wujue Temple is the actual controller of Sanming City."

As visiting monks, we should pay our respects to our host family. Once we arrive, we must not be rude.

"Your disciple understands," the two women replied in unison.

Both women were very knowledgeable about interpersonal relationships and social interactions; they were both shrewd and understood the intricacies of the situation.

To put it bluntly, it's about paying respects to influential figures.

However, judging from Qingxuan's words, she seemed to be quite familiar with Wujue Temple.

Yu Zhao simply asked directly, "Master, do you know any senior members of Wujue Temple?"

"I do know someone like that." A flicker of reminiscence crossed Qingxuan's eyes as he spoke, his voice soft as he recounted his past to his two disciples.

"When I was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I traveled in the Southern Region and met a Buddhist disciple named Huizhen. My fellow Daoist Huizhen was kind, knowledgeable, and handsome."

We explored ruins and slew demons together; looking back now, it was truly exhilarating!

Seeing that Qingxuan's face was flushed when he mentioned Huizhen, Yu Zhao deduced that the relationship between the two was not simple. It was highly likely that his cheap master had taken a liking to her back then, but she did not agree due to the rules and regulations.

The falling flowers are willing, but the flowing water is heartless.

Well, this time it's like he's going to see his white moonlight (ideal love).

Seeing his eldest disciple glancing at him, Qingxuan realized he had talked too much and quickly straightened his face, adopting the dignity of a master. "In short, you two must remember to treat people respectfully when you meet them later, and never be rude."

The two women nodded repeatedly, but secretly exchanged glances, each seemingly seeing the words "gossip" in the other's eyes.

They were all curious about just how good-looking someone could be to have their cheap master on their mind.

After a while.

When the three of them arrived at Wujue Temple, after the gatekeeper announced their arrival, Huizhen, the Daoist friend Qingxuan had mentioned, came out to greet them personally.

Upon seeing the person, Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu were dumbfounded.

The person in front of them was fat and big-eared, dressed in a white monk's robe, with a string of Buddhist beads around his neck. He looked kind and benevolent.

His appearance is anything but handsome.

Even the two women, who were so good at pretending, almost couldn't keep their expressions on their faces.

Yu Zhao mentally complained:

"This is called handsome? What has this person been through? Time is truly a cruel mistress!"

Could it be that my cheap master has a problem with his taste?

Yu Zhao had truly misunderstood Qing Xuan. Qing Xuan's aesthetic sense was fine; she too was stunned to see her old friend whom she hadn't seen for many years.

At that moment, Qingxuan felt as if something inside him had shattered.

Where has my refined and handsome Daoist friend Huizhen gone?

Seeing his friend stunned, Monk Huizhen knew that his appearance had changed so much that the other person didn't recognize him.

However, he was not angry. He greeted Qingxuan in a very nonchalant manner: "Fairy Qingxuan, it has been many years since I last saw you. You are still peerless, while this old monk has grown old."

Qingxuan then realized what had happened. The thought of that once handsome man now appearing like this filled her with heartache, and she quickly asked:

"It's only been fifty years since we last met, how did you become like this, fellow Daoist? Did someone damage your foundation?"

Qingxuan assumed the other party was injured, which caused him to act this way. He immediately flew into a rage and unconsciously unleashed his aura, forcing the young monks to kneel down involuntarily.

Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu did not kneel, as Qingxuan's oppressive aura was blocked by their protective immortal artifacts.

On the surface, there were no unusual signs. To outsiders, it was just that the two people had strong physical bodies and were able to withstand the pressure of the Golden Core cultivator.

"Amitabha."

Huizhen put her hands together and chanted a Buddhist mantra. Surprisingly, this chant dispelled Qingxuan's oppressive aura and calmed her mind.

"Please do not be angry, fairy. No one hurt this old monk. This is due to the effects of my cultivation technique."

His voice seemed to possess some strange power, calming Qingxuan down from his agitated state.

Qingxuan herself didn't notice, but Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu did, and they exchanged a glance with each other.

This means that:

"These Buddhist supernatural powers are quite extraordinary; we must be careful."

"My apologies, fellow Daoist." After calming down, Qingxuan bowed to Huizhen. Huizhen smiled and shook her head, "Fairy, you're exaggerating. You're just worried about this old monk."

"Alright, enough of that. This isn't the place for reminiscing. Please, fairy, enter the temple."

As she spoke, Huizhen gestured for them to proceed.

Putting everything else aside, Huizhen was really kind to Qingxuan, giving him a lot of face. Not only did she lead a group of people out to greet him, but she also opened the main gate wide to invite him in.

Unlike the Buddhist temples in Yu Zhao's previous life, where anyone could enter through the main gate, the main gates of temples in this world are only open to those they consider distinguished guests.

Putting aside personal relationships, just considering their cultivation levels, Qingxuan, a peak Golden Core cultivator, could indeed be considered a distinguished guest.

It should be noted that in the current cultivation world, there are few powerful beings above the Nascent Soul stage, and those at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage are considered top experts. Qingxuan, who is only half a step away from the Nascent Soul stage, is naturally a distinguished guest.

Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu followed their master, led by the monk Huizhen, into a meditation room. After they took their seats, the monk Huizhen took the initiative to chat with Qingxuan.

The elders' casual conversation naturally started with the younger generation. After glancing at Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu, Monk Huizhen smiled and asked Qingxuan:

"Fairy, these two little fairies must be your worthy disciples. Congratulations on finding such excellent students."

"What kind of disciples are these? They're quite mischievous. They're not as good as your esteemed disciples."

This was just polite talk. Qingxuan was naturally happy when others praised her disciple, but she couldn't just join in the praise; she had to be humble.

However, judging from the expression on her face, Qingxuan was very happy.

Monk Huizhen also noticed that Qingxuan really liked her two disciples. As a master himself, he could understand. Hearing Qingxuan praise his disciples, Monk Huizhen also showed some modesty.

"He's no good. My little apprentice is very stupid."

As he spoke, he glared at the little monk standing behind him and scolded, "What are you still standing there for? Go and entertain your two junior sisters."

"Master, didn't you say that women are tigers and that you wouldn't let your disciple get close?"

The young monk timidly uttered this sentence.

This remark almost made Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu burst out laughing; they were really trying hard to suppress their laughter.

The little monk's words made Abbot Huizhen blush immediately. He stood up and kicked his disciple on the bottom, saying, "You unfilial disciple, what nonsense are you spouting? Hurry up and go and entertain your two junior sisters."

"My disciple is foolish, I'm sorry to have made the fairy laugh at him." After reprimanding his disciple, Monk Huizhen gave Qingxuan an awkward smile.

Qingxuan covered his mouth and chuckled, recalling the past. He then joked with Monk Huizhen, "Your sect is truly of the same ilk. Back then, you were just as naive, thinking I was a tiger demon. You even tried to capture me when you first met me."

"Ahem, fairy, the children are here. Please give your brother some face."

Qingxuan's words stirred up ripples in the usually calm heart of Monk Huizhen, and he couldn't help but feel nostalgic for the past.

Because of Qingxuan's words, the previously somewhat distant atmosphere between the two instantly became much closer.

They huddled together chatting and laughing out loud from time to time. Meanwhile, the little monk sat next to Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu, his face flushed and his head bowed, unsure of what to say to the two junior sisters his master had mentioned.

Upon seeing such an innocent young monk, Shen Yunshu felt a mischievous urge to tease him. With a smile in her eyes and a soft, delicate breath, she deliberately greeted him with a high-pitched, lilting tone:

"Senior brother, why are you keeping your head down? Are we sisters so ugly that we're unbearable to look at?"

"No, no, no!" The little monk panicked even more. He waved his hands repeatedly and stammered, "No...no, the two junior sisters are very beautiful...no, it's that in this humble monk's eyes there are no appearances; all forms are illusions!"

As they talked, the little monk began chanting scriptures to himself.

This made Shen Yunshu burst into laughter, slapping Yu Zhao's thigh repeatedly with her small hands, "Hahahaha! Senior sister, he's so funny."

"I don't know if he's funny or not, but I know if you keep patting my thigh, I'll plant you in the ground!"

Shen Yunshu immediately became obedient, sat up straight, and resumed her well-behaved demeanor.

Having subdued the scheming girl, Yu Zhao turned to the young monk with a polite smile: "Please forgive my sister, little master. She's unruly. I apologize on her behalf."

"N-nothing...it's nothing." The little monk's face turned even redder, but he was delighted by Yu Zhao calling him "little master." He subconsciously looked up and boldly said:

"My Buddhist name is Kongxiang. May I ask how you should address me, junior sister?"

"My name is Yu Zhao, and this is Shen Yunshu. Senior Brother Kongxiang, please don't be so formal. Your master and my master are as close as siblings. We juniors should also get closer to each other in the future."

These words made the young monk Kongxiang feel much more relaxed. The more he looked at this Junior Sister Yu, the closer he felt to her, and he was happy to chat with her...