From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 305

The morning is already halfway over.

The sky was unusually gloomy, and the north wind howled, as if mourning the death of the eminent monk.

Upon entering the temple, they saw the monks of Baoquan Temple being questioned by the people of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"I don't know why, but I slept so soundly last night! I dreamt that the Buddha was preaching under the Dragon Flower Tree. I was moved by this and achieved great success in Buddhism. The Buddha named me the Future Buddha, saying that I would be able to teach the world on behalf of the Buddha 5.67 billion years from now and save people from all suffering!"

After Meng Yuan asked a few questions, the abbot of Baoquan Temple began to play the flute with great enthusiasm.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Demon Suppression Division couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" The abbot, a man in his thirties with a fat head and big ears, immediately retorted angrily, "Dipankara Buddha is the past, Tathagata Buddha is the present, and everyone is waiting for the future Buddha! According to the Buddhist scriptures, this is how the three Buddhas are! After the Buddha, 5.67 billion years later, the future Buddha will descend to earth and bring peace to the world's suffering!"

"According to you, it's already 5.67 billion, and you, Buddha, still haven't finished saving the world from suffering?" Zhou Ying mocked.

“Amitabha.” The abbot explained politely, “Madam, the ‘world’ is not this ‘world’, but rather there are three thousand worlds and countless ‘worlds’ to be saved!”

"That will keep you three Buddhas busy," Lin Yan said with a smile.

"To guide all people to the Pure Land and help them attain ultimate bliss is what we should be doing," the abbot said, pressing his palms together.

After exchanging a few casual words, Meng Yuan and Lin Yan left Baoquan Temple and followed the Baoquan River upstream.

Before long, the site of the fierce battle last night appeared. The thatched house was long gone, leaving only rubble everywhere.

Beside the flowing water of Baoquan, Ding Chonglou and Elder Zhichen of Lanruo Temple were whispering to each other, surrounded by several monks and commanders.

Another middle-aged man, holding a whisk, appeared remarkably serene.

The middle-aged man was dressed in a black robe, holding a whisk in his arms. He was gentle and refined, with an extraordinary temperament, and had a somewhat immortal air about him.

This person is none other than Lord Cangshan.

Meng Yuan had met Cangshan Jun once before at Chongxu Temple. Although not much time had passed since then, he felt a sense of loss and change.

"Commander Ding, Elder Zhichen." Meng Yuan stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and then looked at Lord Cangshan, saying, "It's been many days since we last met. I hope Lord Cangshan has been well."

"A free spirit, just wandering around." Lord Cangshan was very kind and smiled, "I never expected that since we parted at Chongxu Temple, young friend Meng has made such rapid progress. Congratulations!"

Ding Chonglou didn't say anything, but just glanced at Meng Yuan, his displeasure undisguised.

Elder Zhichen, however, politely returned the greeting with his palms together, saying, "Amitabha, is this Fellow Daoist Feiyuan? I heard Jueming say that you are well-versed in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, have many connections with people in our temple, and have even mastered the Bodhi Extinction Path Divine Technique. I never imagined that you are also an old friend of Fellow Daoist Cangshan Jun."

The monk Zhichen was very old. His eyebrows were white and his hands were wrinkled, but he had a kind face and a gentle expression that made it impossible for anyone to feel any ill will towards him.

"Please excuse my poor performance, Master," Meng Yuan said with a smile.

"Fellow Daoist is a young and talented man. Our temple also has many young juniors. Fellow Daoist is welcome to visit and make friends with you, and work together for progress." Seeing Meng Yuan's kindness, Zhi Chen extended another invitation.

Seeing that the other person wasn't just making empty promises, Meng Yuan immediately agreed.

"Meng Feiyuan, where did you go yesterday? Why did you leave Lanruo Temple without permission?" Ding Chonglou finally had time to ask.

Seeing Ding Chonglou's disgusting behavior from the start, Lin Yan immediately stood in front of Meng Yuan and said irritably, "What's wrong? Do I have to tell you if my junior brother goes down the mountain to seduce someone? You're the one who transferred him, but my junior brother is Commander Xiao's man, and the Grand Eunuch's man. If you're not happy, just go ahead and appeal!"

Meng Yuan was also furious. Ding Chonglou's suspicion of an innocent person right off the bat was completely unreasonable. It was clear that he had ulterior motives and deserved to die!
When Meng Yuan first met Ding Chonglou, he had already formed a grudge against him. Therefore, without saying a word, Meng Yuan directly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Two men immediately stepped out from beside Ding Chonglou, gripping the hilts of their swords and glaring angrily at Lin Yan and Meng Yuan.

"Amitabha." Elder Zhichen quickly stepped forward, put his palms together in a gesture of respect, and said kindly, "You have come to investigate the case, why resort to violence?"

“Not bad.” Cangshan Jun also stepped in as a peacemaker. “Why don’t we go to Ping’an Prefecture City, and with Fellow Daoist Feiyuan’s guidance, find a romantic place where we can all sit down and have a detailed discussion?”

No one paid any attention to Cangshan Jun. Ding Chonglou sneered, "Master Zhichen has made a fool of himself! But this boy is indeed extremely suspicious."

"What does Commander Ding mean?" Elder Zhichen asked curiously. "Junior Brother Zhihe has been cultivating martial arts for many years, while Fellow Daoist Feiyuan has only advanced to the sixth rank. Even with the help of the demon monk, it will be extremely difficult for them to succeed."

Zhichen had clearly noticed the bald monk's involvement last night, and he continued, "Even if Fellow Daoist Feiyuan wins by a narrow margin, with Junior Brother Zhihe's methods, Fellow Daoist Feiyuan will definitely not be unharmed and unscathed."

“When he was at the seventh rank, he could kill enemies beyond his own level.” Ding Chonglou stared at Meng Yuan and said, “He was the one who killed Xi Yisheng.”

"Amitabha." Upon hearing this, Master Zhichen turned to look at Meng Yuan, gave him a slight bow, clearly showing his newfound respect, but still said, "While the difference between the fifth and sixth ranks of martial arts is not drastic, it is by no means easy to kill someone of a higher rank."

"Commander Mengding thinks so highly of me, I wonder if he wants to consider my abilities?" Meng Yuan said loudly.

"There will be a time when I can catch you!" Ding Chonglou kept looking at Meng Yuan, but did not make a move.

"Amitabha." Master Zhichen chanted the Buddha's name again. He said, "Lanruo Temple is currently holding a grand gathering, with eminent figures from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism all gathered together. The person who committed this crime must be a bold and reckless individual. Fellow Daoist Meng Feiyuan was instructed by Senior Brother Zhitong to pass on the Bodhi Extinction Method, which shows that Senior Brother Zhitong has great faith in Fellow Daoist Feiyuan's character."

Master Zhichen trusted Meng Yuan completely. He looked at Ding Chonglou and asked, "Besides, Fellow Daoist Feiyuan would not do such a thing for no reason."

"Heh." Ding Chonglou sneered and said, word by word, "Meng Feiyuan is a member of the Ying family, and Zhihe was involved in the destruction of the Ying family."

Upon hearing this, Master Zhichen looked somewhat bewildered, as if he were unaware of Zhihe's involvement in the destruction of the Ying clan.

"Amitabha." Zhichen shook his head slightly and said nothing more.

“Na Zhihe’s death was not unjust,” Cangshan Jun suddenly said.

Everyone present was knowledgeable and knew more or less about the Ying family's affairs, so they all remained silent.

"Elder Zhichen, do you think Zhihe died unjustly?" Cangshan Jun asked with a smile.

“Amitabha.” Master Zhichen sighed and shook his head, his white eyebrows twitching slightly. After a long while, he said, “Killing is never a good thing.”

These words clearly mean that Zhihe truly deserves to die.

“Master Zhichen!” Ding Chonglou frowned. “If it weren’t for the Ying family, how could Lanruo Temple have divided up its land? If it weren’t for the Ying family, how could war have broken out in all directions?”

“Amitabha.” Master Zhichen lowered his head and said, “Commander Ding, I entered the Buddhist temple when I was young. My family was poor and had no land. My parents were destitute and I had younger siblings to support. That’s why I was allowed to enter the temple as a monk in place of the son of a wealthy family.”

In Ping'an Prefecture, many wealthy families would make offerings to Buddhist temples, either by donating money or by repairing the statues. There was also a custom of sending one's sons or nephews to become monks, which led to the custom of taking someone else's place in the monastic community.

This is actually nothing special. In the previous dynasty, there was even a story of an emperor becoming a monk.

After Master Zhichen spoke, no one was able to utter a word.

"Then everyone in the world should be dead!" Ding Chonglou said angrily.

"The tears of the common people are the water that capsizes the boat." Lord Cangshan chuckled and waved his whisk. "Brother Ding, you only see the boat sailing, but not the water and fire." Ding Chonglou glanced at Lord Cangshan, sneered, and walked away.

Master Zhichen didn't linger. He sighed, clasped his hands together, and left.

In the blink of an eye, besides Meng Yuan and Lin Yan, there were also Zhou Ying and Fan Ye, and the four of them were looking at Cangshan Jun.

"Lord Cangshan, hehe!" Lin Yan was very familiar with him and immediately stepped forward. "I wonder what Elder Hua has been busy with lately?"

"How could I possibly know that?" Cangshan Jun took two steps back, clearly unable to withstand Lin Yan's enthusiasm.

"What brings Lord Cangshan here?" Meng Yuan asked with a smile.

“Elder Miaoyin is in seclusion nearby, so I’ve come to pay my respects,” Cangshan Jun said with a smile.

Nearby? Who would believe that! Besides, what exactly is Elder Miaoyin's cultivation level, and what is her stance?

"I see." Meng Yuan didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "Lord Cangshan used to have dealings with Li Weizhen, the chief disciple of Chongxu Temple. I wonder if you have heard any news about Daoist Li Weizhen recently."

"I have indeed heard about this." As soon as Cangshan Jun mentioned this, he hugged his whisk tightly, losing some of his otherworldly demeanor. He said, "I have received news that Fellow Daoist Li Weizhen is already on his way to Lanruo Temple."

Seeing that everyone was interested in Li Weizhen, Cangshan Jun said, "Just now I heard you all discussing the future Buddha at Baoquan Temple?"

“Not bad,” Meng Yuan said.

“Li Weizhen encountered the future Buddha and was hindered,” Cangshan Jun said.

In the Western Buddhist Kingdom, there were three ancient Buddhas who achieved great accomplishments, and these three ancient Buddhas jointly revered the ancient Buddha who founded the Buddhist path as the Buddha of the past.

Countless eminent monks have emerged from it, and three ancient Buddhas achieved the highest level of enlightenment, but only one person has reached the highest level. He has always been called the World-Honored Ancient Buddha, and is also revered as the Buddha of the Past.

In Buddhist scriptures, there is the concept of the Three Buddhas: the Buddha of the past, the Buddha of the present, and the Buddha of the future.

But the Buddhas of the past have long since vanished, and the Buddha of the present has not yet been born, so how can a future Buddha suddenly appear?

In the Western Buddhist world today, the highest level of enlightenment is held by the Buddha of Freedom, and even he hasn't dared to claim himself as the "Buddha of the Present Day"!

When the people heard the name "Future Buddha," none of them had heard of his origins.

"Is this so-called Future Buddha self-proclaimed?" Having seen many wicked monks, Meng Yuan immediately sensed something was amiss.

“That’s right.” Cangshan Jun nodded and smiled. “That Future Buddha is also at the fourth level. He and Qingguangzi once sought the Dao together and listened to the teachings under the Buddha of Freedom.”

Cangshan Jun looked westward and continued, "Li Weizhen, in his search for Qing Guangzi, found the Future Buddha. The Future Buddha dared not see anyone and kept hiding. Li Weizhen had no choice but to turn back."

"He's been hiding and hasn't shown his face..." Lin Yan stroked his chin. "A bald monk of the fourth rank, he's been hiding and hasn't shown his face."

"Sigh." Cangshan Jun sighed. "Dugu Sheng was very selective in choosing someone to test his sword against in order to find someone at the third rank. I have had dealings with Fellow Daoist Li Weizhen. He is an honest man and would never be picky."

“An honest man…” Zhou Ying opened her mouth, but couldn’t say anything.

"When will you arrive?" Meng Yuan pressed.

"That's all I know." Cangshan Jun shook his head slightly, then asked in return, "Master Xuanjizi should know, right? By the way, Master Xuanjizi was at Yunshan Temple, didn't he ask about my whereabouts?"

"Master Xuanji said that when Li Weizhen returns, he will act on behalf of his master," Lin Yan said.

Cangshan Jun opened his mouth, then shook his head. "I'll admit my mistake later, and he won't do anything to me."

Instead of fighting or running away, he immediately admitted his mistake!

Meng Yuan and Lin Yan exchanged a glance, realizing they had underestimated Li Weizhen's strength.

"Lord Cangshan, what are your thoughts on the person who assassinated Zhihe?" Zhou Ying suddenly changed the subject.

“There must be a fifth-grade monk involved.” Cangshan Jun was very confident. “In my opinion, the person who made the move is a cultivator of the Nirvana Form, and must be the Peacock Venerable who was once under Qingguangzi’s command.”

At this point, Cangshan Jun sighed, "Before the Songhe Prefecture incident, Peacock advised me to help, and I could tell that he had the most Buddhist heart, but he was blinded by the light."

“Blinded by the light…” Zhou Ying rubbed her forehead.

“I heard that Venerable Peacock has been expelled by Qingguangzi and I don’t know where he went.” Cangshan Jun knew Jie Kaiping very well. “Now that a high monk from Lanruo Temple has come from the west, it is only natural that Peacock would come here.”

Cangshan Jun looked at Meng Yuan and said with a smile, "I have heard Kong Que mention you several times, and I once intended to guide you into the Buddhist order."

“I’m also thinking of unwrapping the screen,” Meng Yuan said.

"He will show up soon," Cangshan Jun said confidently.

"Why?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

“Qingguangzi has also sent people. He will definitely have ways to control Peacock.” Cangshan Jun became solemn. “You have never met Qingguangzi. He cultivates the Dharma of Light, but he is actually the most sinister. He likes to hide in dark places and cannot tolerate others’ betrayal. Since he has sent people, he must eliminate Peacock.”

"I see." Meng Yuan understood.

"Speaking of which, how has Miss Xiangling been lately?" Cangshanjun changed the subject.

"She is resting peacefully in the Moon Palace of the Imperial Preceptor's residence. She even wrote to me recently, saying that everything is fine," Meng Yuan said with a smile.

“My wife is very familiar with Xiangling!” Lin Yan also said.

“Yuan Yaoniang is not a bad person.” Cangshan Jun actually knew Lin Yan’s wife.

"She's the most virtuous!" Lin Yan only saw the good in Yuan Yaoniang, and there was absolutely no bad in her.

After chatting for a while, Meng Yuan asked Cangshan Jun about martial arts cultivation.

"I have indeed studied the knowledge and cultivation methods of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and martial arts. However, it is more and more difficult for a martial artist to advance. Moreover, it requires opportunity, the right time, and a clear direction. It is not something that can be achieved with just a few pointers."

Cangshan Jun did not hide anything, "When Li Weizhen returns, we may ask him for advice. In addition, although Elder Hua is not a martial artist, he has studied it extensively. If there is an opportunity in the future, we may also ask him for advice."

"Thank you for your guidance," Meng Yuan said sincerely.

Just as they were rambling on, Wang Buyi hurriedly came looking for them, saying, "Commander Meng, an old friend has come looking for me."

Seeing Wang Buyi's anxiety, Meng Yuan thought Li Weizhen had returned, but upon asking, he learned that it was actually Yuan Jingfeng and Zhao Jingsheng.

(End of this chapter)