Yu Zhao: Have I met a normal senior expert?

In Famen Temple,

When Yu Zhao and his group arrived, the temple was already extremely lively. There were ordinary people who came to offer incense and listen to Buddhist teachings, as well as cultivators who came to join in the fun.

To be honest, this bustling scene, with people of all kinds gathered together, did indeed resemble a prosperous era.

Regardless of social status, background, or even if they didn't know each other, everyone gathered in the temple and chatted in front of the Buddha statue.

This scene was quite peculiar, and the atmosphere was rather interesting.

The Dharma assembly began in the rear hall of Famen Temple. This single rear hall alone is enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people, but today there are far more than ten thousand people here.

What if there's not enough room? Simple, just limit the number of people allowed into the hall.

There are rows of seats in the hall, but not just anyone can sit in them. This hall, called the Dharma Hall, is not open to just anyone.

Because of their connection with the young monk, and Zhang Yanqiu's status, Yu Zhao and his group were able to enter easily.

They were even seated very close to the front.

They called them seats, but they were actually just individual cushions with long tables in front of them.

The long table was set with fruit and scriptures.

After Yu Zhao and the others took their seats, the young monk Kongxiang instructed them, "Junior Sister Yu, you wait here. I need to go and help the senior brothers at Famen Temple with some things."

Holding a Dharma assembly, especially a grand one, involves many matters. As a member of the Buddhist community, since the young monk Kongxiang has come, he should go and help.

Yu Zhao nodded, indicating that she would sit properly, her gaze sweeping over the books of scriptures laid out on the long table.

Afterwards, the young monk Kongxiang politely said goodbye to Zhang Yanqiu and left for the back hall.

After he left, Yu Zhao picked up a scripture from the table and started flipping through it, but he couldn't understand it at all.

It wasn't that she couldn't understand the content, but rather that she didn't recognize any of the words in the scripture.

The world has a variety of writing systems, but the common language and script are the official language and script of the Dayan Empire. The pronunciation of these languages ​​is somewhat similar to Middle Chinese from Yu Zhao's previous life.

As for the official script, it is somewhat similar to the traditional Chinese characters she used in her previous life.

Besides official language and documents, there are also numerous texts that appear to be encrypted.

For example, the scripture in Yu Zhao's hand is written in characters that look like scribbles.

Yu Zhao is a lowly cultivator in the cultivation world; it's already quite an achievement that she can speak Mandarin and write official documents. It's really difficult to expect her to recognize this kind of character.

So Yu Zhao turned to Shen Yunshu for help: "Junior sister, do you recognize this script?"

Shen Yunshu glanced at it and nodded: "I recognize it. This is called Immortal Script. Some major sects in the cultivation world like to use it to record important techniques. Senior Sister, you don't recognize it?"

Shen Yunshu was quite surprised. This kind of immortal script should be a script that every cultivator should know. Could it be that her senior sister had not learned it?

"How would I know them?"

With outsiders present, Yu Zhao couldn't say it outright. Old Master Qingfeng didn't teach these things at all. When she first transmigrated here, she couldn't even understand the Dayan Mandarin or recognize the official script.

It was a kind senior sister who taught her these things back then.

Hearing Yu Zhao say this, Shen Yunshu immediately felt it made sense. Her senior sister had lost her memory, so even if she had learned it before, she definitely wouldn't remember it.

After being brought into Qingfeng Temple by Old Deng, Shen Yunshu naturally lost access to these things. She knew Old Deng's teaching style for his disciples.

Thinking about it this way, Shen Yunshu felt inexplicably sorry for her senior sister. Her senior sister was like a blank sheet of paper, not knowing many common sense things.

Sigh! I'll teach him slowly later.

Shen Yunshu felt like she was taking care of a child. Her face was full of gentleness. "It's alright. I'll teach you from now on. Immortal script isn't hard to learn. With your talent, you'll be able to learn it in less than a day."

"Then why don't you just teach me now? Anyway, the sermon hasn't even started yet."

Since they had nothing better to do, Shen Yunshu agreed, and the two women began teaching each other as if no one else was around.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a monk came out from the back hall. Shen Yunshu saw that the Dharma assembly was about to begin, so she stopped teaching.

At this moment, the monk spoke:

"Greetings, fellow Daoists. The Ullambana Festival is now beginning. Please rise and respectfully welcome our abbot, Master Liaoxin."

As the middle-aged monk finished speaking, everyone in the hall stood up in unison. Yu Zhao also stood up. She noticed that Zhang Yanqiu beside her looked quite respectful, and she was quite curious.

Who could possibly be the person who commands such respect from the current senior disciple of the prestigious Dragon Tiger Holy Land?

She asked Zhang Yanqiu in a low voice, "Who exactly is this Master Liaoxin?"

"One of the four great masters of Buddhism today, a Nascent Soul Realm patriarch, and a sect leader-level expert."

Zhang Yanqiu's words were concise and to the point.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhao understood. This was indeed worthy of respect. No matter how talented or noble one was, one could not be arrogant in the face of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.

In the world of cultivation, the strong reign supreme, and the Nascent Soul Ancestor is the strongest person in the world in the open.

Good heavens, this Ullambana Festival is truly impressive; the Nascent Soul Ancestor himself is giving a sermon!

As Yu Zhao was lost in thought, Master Liaoxin appeared.

He came out from the back room, dressed in coarse linen clothes, some even patched, and his figure was slightly hunched.

He looks like an ordinary, frail old man.

If Yu Zhao were to encounter him on the street, he would never guess that he was actually a Nascent Soul Ancestor.

"Greetings, Master."

The crowd bowed and said in unison.

Master Liaoxin waved his hand kindly, "No need for formalities, please sit down."

As he spoke, he sat down in the seat prepared for him, facing the crowd.

Seeing him sit down, everyone else took their seats again.

Yu Zhao noticed that this master seemed to value efficiency. After sitting down, he immediately began to talk about Buddhism. Before long, Yu Zhao noticed that some people were starting to doze off.

Within fifteen minutes, a large number of people around him had fallen asleep, but Master Liaoxin did not seem to care and continued to talk as if he were engrossed in his work.

There were no unusual signs, and his voice carried the vicissitudes unique to the elderly. Yu Zhao couldn't understand what he was saying, but there was a vague, indescribable feeling about it.

As if you understand, yet you don't.

However, Yu Zhao listened with great interest. Although she couldn't understand it, she just wanted to keep listening.

Another incense stick's time passed, and when Yu Zhao came to her senses, apart from the Buddhist disciples, only Yu Zhao was still awake. Her big eyes were bright, and she became more and more energetic as she listened.

Noticing that everyone else was asleep, Yu Zhao hesitated. Should she go to sleep too? Otherwise, it would be too conspicuous.

Due to her personality, Yu Zhao didn't want to attract too much attention.

At this moment, she noticed that Master Liaoxin was looking at her with admiration in his eyes. Yu Zhao knew that she had attracted his attention, so she simply stopped pretending.

Continue to listen attentively.

An unknown amount of time passed, and just as Yu Zhao was listening with rapt attention, she heard an old voice.

"Did you understand, young friend?"

Yu Zhao snapped to attention and realized that Master Liaoxin had stopped preaching at some point and was looking at him with a loving gaze.

Yu Zhao knew the question was directed at her, and she honestly shook her head, "I dare not lie to you, Master, I didn't understand anything at all."

"You remained clear-headed even though you didn't understand; young friend, you are indeed destined to be with Buddha."

This answer pleased Master Xin even more. He smiled kindly and said, "Young friend, are you busy? If not, would you like to have a cup of tea with this old man?"

"It is my honor, Master, but may I bring my junior sister along?"

Before the other party could reply, Yu Zhao slapped Shen Yunshu awake. Shen Yunshu was completely confused and had no idea what had happened.

I just feel a little pain in my face.

"Eek~" Little Green Tea let out an unconscious whimper, looking at Yu Zhao with a mournful expression.

Yu Zhao pretended nothing had happened, and didn't even give the other person a glance.

Master Liaoxin, standing at the front, glanced at the two girls, his smile unchanged, and asked, "What if this old monk disagrees?"

"Then please forgive me, Master."

Although she didn't know why the other party had invited her for tea, Yu Zhao was determined to bring Shen Yunshu along. If the opportunity arose, they would share it; if there was trouble, they would face it together.

She was worried about leaving Shen Yunshu alone here. Shen Yunshu knew too much about her, so how could she feel at ease if she wasn't by her side all the time?

"You're an interesting girl, come on over."

As he spoke, Master Liaoxin got up and left, and Yu Zhao pulled the bewildered Shen Yunshu along with him.

Soon after, the three entered a tea room, took their seats, and Master Liaoxin began to brew tea, pouring a cup for each of the two women.

"Try it. Although it's bitter tea that I brewed myself, it has a unique flavor."

Yu Zhao picked up the teacup and took a sip. The other person was right; the tea was indeed bitter, and Yu Zhao felt it was more bitter than her own life.

However, she still drank it all in one gulp without any expression. Given the other party's strength, if they had any ill intentions towards her, they wouldn't have needed to resort to poisoning.

Therefore, Yu Zhao drank it without worry.

As for Shen Yunshu, she wasn't as calm as Yu Zhao. She only took one sip of the tea, and it tasted so bitter that she stuck out her tongue.

I almost cursed out loud, "What kind of junk is this?"

Seeing that the two women had drunk the tea, Master Liaoxin asked, "Did you taste anything?"

"It's bitter, extremely bitter," Yu Zhao answered honestly.

Shen Yunshu nodded in agreement: "That's right, it's extremely bitter. Master, what exactly did you use to make this tea? How could it be so bitter!"

"It's not the tea that's bitter, but the bitterness in your hearts."

Master Liaoxin said something that seemed plausible but was actually wrong.

The two women: "..."

It's no fun chatting like that.

"No matter what world it is, this monk doesn't speak human language," Yu Zhao thought to himself.

When Master Liaoxin saw the helpless expressions on the two little girls' faces, his smile widened. He suddenly found it quite amusing to tease the children.

He straightened his posture, stopped teasing the two children, and with a wave of his hand, a plate of various pastries appeared on the tea table. He pushed the pastries towards Shen Yunshu.

Then he began to discuss serious matters with Yu Zhao:

"Young friend Yu, Huizhen told me about you. Now that I have met you today, I am convinced that you are destined to be with Buddha. You are indeed the Buddha's chosen disciple."

"I've come to you to ask if you'd be willing to become my disciple and cultivate under my tutelage."

Master Liaoxin originally did not approve of the concept of "Buddha's disciple". Every year, there are many "Buddha's disciples" in Buddhism, but most of them are not worthy of his special attention.

But after meeting Yu Zhao, he felt that she would become a great Buddhist master in the future. She was born with a Bodhi mind and would surely achieve something if she devoted herself to Buddhist practice.

This Buddhist disciple truly has the potential to become a Buddha.

Therefore, he decided to take on apprentices.

Yu Zhao hadn't expected the other person to ask so directly. After thinking for a moment, she didn't answer whether she was willing or not.

"To be honest, Master, I don't think I have the wisdom you Buddhists talk about. I can't understand Buddhist teachings at all. Are you sure you want to take me as a disciple, given how foolish I am?"

"You are not stupid. It doesn't matter if you don't understand now. You will understand slowly. That's how Buddhism is. You might suddenly understand it one day."

"Like this old monk, when I was fifty years old, I met a monk chanting scriptures on the road, and suddenly I understood the Dharma."

Yu Zhao: "???"

Is it really that mystical?

"Master, must I give you an answer now?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course not. This is a Buddhist sect, not a demonic sect. How can we force people to take on disciples?"

Young friend, there's no need to be nervous. You can take your time to consider it. There's plenty of time. I'm certain that we have a master-disciple relationship.

Master Liaoxin's words pleased Yu Zhao. Thank goodness, she had finally met a normal senior master.

For a fleeting moment, Yu Zhao wavered, thinking that becoming this senior's disciple might be a good idea, and that living a life of quiet contemplation and meditation might not be so bad.

But only for a moment. She quickly suppressed her emotions and said respectfully:

"Thank you for your understanding, Master. I do need to consider this carefully."

This senior won Yu Zhao's favor, to the point that Yu Zhao subconsciously used humble terms for him.

"Good child, caution is the right thing to do; one should be cautious on the path of spiritual practice."

I do admire you, but child, you need not be alarmed. Even if you do not choose to become my disciple in the end, it is nothing.

This means our master-disciple relationship hasn't reached its peak yet.

Master Liaoxin truly fits the image of a virtuous and eminent monk in Yu Zhao's mind. He did not use his power to intimidate people, and Yu Zhao felt like she was bathed in a spring breeze when chatting with him.

As soon as he finished speaking, Master Liaoxin took out two items from his robes and handed them to Yu Zhao and Shen Yunshu. "It is fate that we meet. As your senior, I would like to give you these two items as a gift."

These are two strings of 18-bead Buddhist prayer beads. I don't know what material they are made of. The beads are dark brown all over, with gold threads swirling around them.

Upon seeing the treasure, Shen Yunshu's eyes lit up, but she didn't move. Instead, she looked at Yu Zhao, seeking her senior sister's permission.

After a moment's thought, Yu Zhao accepted the prayer beads, stood up, and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Master."

Shen Yunshu quickly returned the greeting, saying, "Thank you, Master."

"Hehehe." Master Liaoxin smiled kindly, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two young girls' faces. The more he looked, the more he liked them, and he asked them:

"Are you planning to explore the ruins that have recently appeared in the Western Regions?"

Yu Zhao was taken aback, not understanding how the topic had suddenly shifted to this point, but she still obediently answered, "Yes, we plan to go with Senior Brother Zhang Yanqiu from the Dragon Tiger Holy Land."

"Then be careful. That ruin is both an opportunity and a danger. Once inside, act cautiously and do not be greedy."

One should understand the proverb "A man's greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant."

The words were rather vague, and Yu Zhao sensed that this master might know something, so she asked him directly, "Master, do you know something? Could you please tell me?"

"It's unspeakable, it's getting late, you should leave." He directly gave them the order to leave.

Yu Zhao: "..."

I take back what I just said. This master is also a bit abnormal, acting strangely.