From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 320 Elder Hua

It's late afternoon.

The sun is still shining, the snow is still there, and the early spring air is still a bit chilly.

As the spectators at the Zen Platform gradually dispersed, some remained, especially the members of the Demon Suppression Division, whose gazes toward Meng Yuan now held a different intensity.

Wang Buyi followed behind Meng Yuan without saying a word, but his back was ramrod straight.

"To have witnessed Brother Meng's brilliance today, I could die without regret." Ning Qufei stepped forward only after Meng Yuan had finished dealing with Lord Cangshan.

Mo Tingyu, standing beside Ning Qufei, also exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist Meng, you are much more powerful than you were at the foot of Calabash Mountain that day!"

"You flatter me," Meng Yuan returned the greeting and said with a smile, "It was just a fluke."

"Brother Meng is too modest." Ning Qufei smiled and said, "When the patriarch saw Brother Meng's demeanor and learned that Brother Meng's path was also fire, he said that our Lingxiao Sect has many heavenly secrets and methods passed down, which Brother Meng can refer to."

"The Lingxiao Sect really knows how to do things properly!" Lin Yan immediately agreed on behalf of Meng Yuan. "Brother Ning, send them all over, and I'll help you study them!"

"Fellow Daoist Lin! How dare you be so arrogant! 'Study and research'?" Mo Tingyu immediately refused. "This can only be shown to Meng Feiyuan! Don't you understand the principle that the Dharma should not be easily passed on? Besides, I heard that the Dao you seek is that of a furry beast. What does that have to do with fire?"

"Stingy!" Lin Yan scoffed.

Mo Tingyu chuckled twice, but said nothing more.

"Thank you for your kind offer. I will definitely pay you a visit another day." Meng Yuan clasped his hands in gratitude.

Ning Qufei didn't mince words; after returning the gift, he immediately took his leave.

After Ning Qufei and Mo Tingyu left, Li Wujiu also came looking for them.

When Meng Yuan first met Li Wujiu, the man was sharp and arrogant, acting as if no one should mess with him. However, he suffered a setback at Hulu Mountain and was utterly defeated in Qingtian County, repeatedly humiliated by Xi Yisheng.

Li Wujiu still doesn't talk much, but he has lost some of his domineering air.

"It's only been a few days since that night in Qingtian County, and you've already made such rapid progress, young friend. It's truly admirable!" Li Wujiu said, holding his whisk, his tone unusually warm, devoid of any airs of a superior being.

Of course, now that Lanruo Temple is a gathering place for Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist masters, Li Wujiu can no longer be considered a master.

Li Wujiu didn't waste any words and simply asked, "Young friend, do you have any news about Dugu Kang?"

Since being abducted, Dugu Kang has not shown his face at all. Meng Yuan has been wandering around Ping'an Prefecture recently, and even inquired with Jie Kaiping, but to no avail.

Moreover, the people from the Demon Suppression Bureau were also investigating, but Dugu Kang and Qing Guangzi had gone through a rat hole, so there was really no way to find out.

As long as Qing Guangzi doesn't want Dugu Kang to show his face, given Dugu Kang's abilities, he probably won't show up.

"We can only wait for Qingguangzi to release him," Meng Yuan said.

“That is indeed the case, but who will ferry him across then?” Li Wujiu was very worried. “Who knows if Jin Hai today will not be Dugu Kang tomorrow?”

Jin Hai is Qing Guangzi's disciple, and someone even Jie Kaiping has never met. Dugu Kang is now following Qing Guangzi, and who knows, after leaving the mountain, he might have learned Qing Guangzi's madness.

There's no way to solve this. Meng Yuan's strength isn't enough. Even if he knows where Qing Guangzi is, he still can't defeat him.

"Where there's a will, there's a way. We'll find him someday." Meng Yuan always thought about his old friend Dugu Kang, and Xiang Ling also often talked about her classmate Dugu.

The three founding members of the Laobiekeng Poetry Society will one day reunite.

Without saying another word, Meng Yuan and Lin Yan went to find Wang Er.

"This time, we've saved Qing Guangzi's beloved disciple, which can be considered half of our revenge for our master," Lin Yan muttered to Meng Yuan as they walked forward.

“One percent,” Meng Yuan said.

"That's true." Lin Yan chuckled. "If Master Nie knew you'd done something this big, wouldn't he want to have a good drink with you?"

“That’s natural,” Meng Yuan said with a smile.

“However, if you manage to accomplish one more thing, Master Nie will be overjoyed when he finds out!” Lin Yan pointed ahead and said, “Old Wang is a woman, and she is very kind and approachable. She has no airs, but she is actually very proud and looks down on most people.”

Meng Yuan remained silent, while Wang Buyi behind him began to frown. Fan Ye pretended not to hear, and Zhou Ying strained her neck forward.

"You've made her look good this time. If she's happy, and something comes up in her heart, you'll have to flatter her!" Lin Yan said with great emotion. "In the end, Old Wang is still a woman. After the Qing Guangzi incident, she's been criticized a lot outside, and she's been feeling very resentful. The books say, 'A gentle and refined gentleman waits for the right time to act!' Isn't this the time? You work hard during the day, and then work hard again at night, to broaden Old Wang's horizons!"

What is all this nonsense? Meng Yuan hummed twice without answering, but the image of Wang Er's dashing older sister flashed through his mind, while he couldn't help but think of the petite figure hidden in the red cloak.

"Commander Lin, watch your words!" Wang Buyi finally couldn't hold back any longer. "My sister is speaking on official business, not personal matters!"

"Just tell me if it works out, are you willing or not?" Lin Yan said to Wang Buyi in an annoyed tone.

Wang Buyi glanced at Meng Yuan, then remained silent.

The group arrived at Wang Er's residence. Only Meng Yuan and Lin Yan entered the courtyard and then went into the meditation room.

The meditation room was quiet, and Wang Er and Daoist Ren were enjoying tea, while Xiao Taotao, dressed in white, stood to the side, lost in thought.

Lin Yan had thought that Wang Er had summoned Meng Yuan to see him alone, but he didn't expect there to be so many people in the meditation room. He immediately knew that things would not go well today!

"Your junior brother won a great victory, why do you look so unwell?" Xiao Taotao asked curiously when she saw that Lin Yan seemed a bit down.

"My junior brother and I were just thinking about our late master," Lin Yan said.

“Old Nie…” Xiao Taotao sighed, but did not ask any more questions.

Wang Er raised his eyebrows, looked at Meng Yuan, sized him up, and then stretched out his hand, "Come here."

Meng Yuan stepped forward and extended his hand as well.

Wang Er held Meng Yuan's wrist down without saying a word.

Meng Yuan felt that Wang Er's fingers were slender, warm, and very strong.

In just a few breaths, Wang Er withdrew her hand. She had already seen that Meng Yuan was unharmed, except that his two dantians were slightly torn due to the depletion of jade liquid. However, the battle was in full swing, and in less than half an hour, the jade liquid had already increased significantly, almost filling the dantian.

The speed of his recovery is simply unbelievable. This shows that the vitality within this child is far superior to that of others of the same level, even stronger than a fifth-rank martial artist, or perhaps even comparable to himself.

That's not all. Wang Er sensed that Meng Yuan's flesh and bones were even stronger than before. Moreover, it wasn't just that his flesh and bones were strong and resilient; his inner and outer selves were in perfect harmony, and he also possessed a profound sense of vitality and endless life, making him truly extraordinary.

"Having seen the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, have you gained anything?" Wang Er didn't inquire further about how Meng Yuan cultivated such a powerful internal and external physique.

This great battle had many ups and downs, and Meng Yuan gained a great deal.

Putting aside his feelings, the change in his inner fire alone was enough to delight Meng Yuan.

This time, the essence of fire not only consumed the monk Jin Hai, but also absorbed much of the red lotus karmic fire. Or rather, the essence of fire assimilated much of the red lotus karmic fire, thereby increasing its own power.

In this way, the essence of fire was almost complete again.

Meng Yuan estimated that if he could kill one or two more people of the same level, he could achieve perfection again.

However, Meng Yuan had a feeling that if he were to hastily temper his body after this refinement of the essence fire was perfected, the hardship would be even greater, but the gains would not be much greater.

If one's cultivation level advances further, then tempering the body with the essence fire will be even more effective and may yield greater gains.

"There have indeed been gains."

Meng Yuan slowly answered Wang Er's question, "The Buddhist scriptures say that the karmic fire of the red lotus is formless and without substance, but the karmic fire driven by the Golden Sea has the image of a red lotus. Buddhism also has the theory of formlessness, so isn't this karmic fire from the heart, and its image is also an image in the heart?"

“This is it. Buddhism teaches the cultivation of the mind. The mind is free from external things, and only what the mind sees is what it perceives. Once the thought is realized, the intention is fulfilled.” Master Ren pointed to his chest. “Jin Hai Kong has the intention of the Red Lotus Fire. Although it has the intention of taking on the sins of all living beings and adding them to itself, it is ultimately too ethereal.”

“He is imitating the great vow of the Arhat Wusheng, who vowed not to become a Buddha until hell is empty, and established the great path in his heart.” Wang Er smiled. “Even if Meng Feiyuan did not kill him, I think he would not be able to suffer the karmic fire in the end.”

At this point, Wang Er looked at Meng Yuan again and asked, "Has the Red Lotus Karmic Fire tempered your heart and brought you any results?"

"Today, when I witnessed the Red Lotus Karmic Flame, at the brink of life and death, I roughly understood what the flame I sought was, and I also gained some thoughts on the path of the Great Dao in the future," Meng Yuan said sincerely.

"Good!" Wang Er clapped his hands and laughed, looking at Xiao Taotao, and said, "Our Demon Suppression Division will have another fifth-grade martial artist."

As he spoke, Wang Er looked at Lin Yan again and said, "Your aptitude is not bad, your temperament is good, and you are reliable in doing things. However, you lack ambition. In my opinion, if you do not undergo the hardship of tempering your heart in the future, the fifth rank will probably be your limit, or you may even be stuck in the sixth rank for the rest of your life."

"There's no difference between the sixth and fifth ranks." Lin Yan, being a sow, didn't care at all. "The tradition of bald monks is to make grand vows, while we martial artists are to defeat enemies beyond our ranks. So what if it's the fifth rank? Although Monk Jin Hai was only at the sixth rank, his strength was no less than Old Xiao's, and he was still killed, wasn't he?"

"Fellow Daoist, you have a broad mind." Daoist Ren stroked his beard and smiled, it was hard to tell whether it was praise or sarcasm.

"Hopeless, a wall of dung." Wang Er couldn't help but frown.

"According to you, breaking through to the next realm isn't far off?" Xiao Taotao looked at Meng Yuan.

"I don't know yet." Meng Yuan smiled modestly and said, "I plan to meet with everyone I need to meet today, and then choose a place to go into seclusion."

“Then we need to find a quiet place.” Wang Er lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, “Lanruo Temple is probably not going to be peaceful. Master Xuanjizi probably won’t stay at Lanruo Temple for long. He’s cultivating in seclusion near Yunshan Temple. Go and seek his protection. He was able to teach someone like Li Weizhen, so he must have a great understanding of martial arts.”

Meng Yuan thought the same way. After the physical fight at Lanruo Temple, there would be a literary contest, making peace and quiet a rare treat. Going down the mountain to stay at Yingmei's house for the night would likely disturb his peace of mind, and Mingyue would probably start overthinking again.

Therefore, Yunshan Temple is truly a wonderful place!

"Where is the Arhat of No Birth?" Meng Yuan was only worried about the Arhat of No Birth.

“He’s playing chess with the Imperial Advisor.” Master Ren stroked his beard and smiled, then added, “Besides, he’s also waiting for Li Weizhen.”

"Does Li Wei really intend to use the Arhat of No Birth to attain the third rank of Dao?" Lin Yan asked curiously.

"I don't know," Wang Er shook his head.

Master Ren remained silent.

The two high-ranking officials of the fourth rank seemed to have high expectations for Li Weizhen, but also seemed to have other worries.

Looking at the two men, Meng Yuan felt that they were not even as confident as Master Zhitong, Dugu Kang's mentor.

According to Master Zhitong, once Li Weizhen makes a move, all high-ranking individuals, regardless of whether they are Confucian, Buddhist, Taoist, martial, or demonic, will retreat.

Thinking this way, Meng Yuan's anticipation grew even stronger.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, and seeing that there was nothing more to say, Meng Yuan decided to take his leave so he could go and meet the alluring Elder Miaoyin.

Lin Yan leaned forward curiously and asked, "My junior brother made a great contribution in the first round, killing one of Qing Guangzi's men. Wasn't he rewarded?"

“Having reached the level of a martial artist and gained fame, what is there to lack? There’s no need to rush.” Wang Er waved his hand impatiently. “Besides, think more about how to suppress this old friend of Miss Ying’s.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan looked at Meng Yuan and thought to himself that his junior brother's abilities were growing stronger and stronger. He was already quite familiar with the Third Miss, and it seemed that he would eventually become the one in charge.

Thinking this, Lin Yan muttered, "If my sister-in-law is the Third Miss's disciple, then wouldn't my junior brother be in a mess..."

Meng Yuan immediately nudged Lin Yan, fearing he might say something inappropriate, and then quickly excused himself.

"Don't rush." ​​Wang Er pointed outside and said, "Abbot Zhiguan asked you to go find Monk Jueming. Go and see him when you have time, and tell him he is an old friend of yours."

What does this mean? Wasn't there a prior agreement that if Lanruo Temple won the first round, the player could choose any of the Heavenly Secrets Diagrams? Why the change of heart?

Meng Yuan was puzzled.

Seeing that Meng Yuan made no attempt to hide his doubts, Wang Er said, "Qing Guangzi has brought disaster to the world, and most of the Western visitors are also not good. However, there are many enlightened monks in Buddhism. Regardless of their cultivation level, their virtue alone is enough to make them worthy of being called monks."

"Are there also eminent monks in the Western Buddhist kingdoms?" Lin Yan asked curiously.

"Yes, yes," Master Ren answered on behalf of Wang Er. "Among the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, their classic texts are all correct. Although not all of them lead people to goodness, none of them teach people to bring chaos to the world. A bad person who studies Buddhism is a demonic monk; a bad person who practices Taoism is a demonic Taoist."

Master Ren pointed to the west and said, "There are several disciples under the Buddha of Freedom, among whom are great virtuous ones. We will meet them in the future."

This is said as if the Buddha of Freedom were a demon.

"Who is this old friend?" Meng Yuan was afraid that if he untied the screen, it would be taken away.

Of course, given its ability to unlock the screen, it's not surprising that it could be taken down.

"You'll find out then." Wang Er smiled but said no more.

Seeing that Wang Er wouldn't say anything more, Meng Yuan stopped asking. He figured he'd find out eventually when he met Monk Jueming.

If we can unlock the screen, then we can save his life.

After leaving the meditation room, they came to the courtyard. There they saw that Lord Cangshan had come again, his forehead covered in sweat, and he was talking to Zhou Ying about something.

In the past, Lord Cangshan always had the air of a wise and virtuous man, but today he seemed to be being chased for a debt.

"Brother Meng, Brother Lin!" Lord Cangshan said with a grin, "Elder Miaoyin invites you!"

As he spoke, Lord Cangshan kept looking Meng Yuan up and down, as if he were examining some rare and precious object.

"Who else is here?" Meng Yuan felt that Cangshan Jun's gaze was somewhat similar to how he used to look at sheep and deer pens when he was a castrator.

"Elder Hua is here too," Cangshan Jun said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)