From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 336 Great Aspirations

As the sun slowly rises on the horizon, mist rises from the river, creating a breathtaking sunrise scene.

A small awning boat drifted on the river. Li Weizhen and Hua Suzhi were nowhere to be seen, while Xiangling slept soundly in Meng Yuan's arms.

A gentle breeze was blowing, and Ying Rushi sat opposite Meng Yuan, her back to the rising sun over the river, even her Taoist robe was covered with a thin layer of morning glow.

She was already stunningly beautiful, with an upright and dignified appearance that exuded an aura of inviolability, and now she possessed an even more sacred quality.

At this moment, Ying Rushi slightly turned her head, a smile on her face, looking at Meng Yuan, her hand gently stirring the river water.

Meng Yuan had not spent much time alone with Ying Rushi for a long time, and since leaving Songhe Prefecture, he had never seen Ying Rushi barefoot again.

Seeing Ying Rushi in this state, it's hard not to have wild thoughts.

Times have changed. Meng Yuan is no longer the poor and destitute castrator he once was, but a martial artist who has forcefully killed a fourth-rank Buddhist monk.

Ying Rushi was no longer an unattainable princess, but a weak woman who had lost both her father and brothers.

When Nie Yannian saw that Meng Yuan had hooked up with his daughter, he began to pave the way for Meng Yuan. His original plan was to follow the Third Miss Ying Rushi closely and, as his own cultivation level improved, he would be able to go higher and higher.

This was originally correct, and Ying Rushi also regarded Meng Yuan as a confidant, but Jianlu's entry into Jingyuan clearly indicated extremely high expectations.

Nie Yannian's plan was excellent, but Meng Yuan's progress was too rapid. He had only been practicing martial arts for a year, yet he had already reached the fifth rank and even achieved the feat of defeating a fourth-rank Buddhist monk.

Now, Meng Yuan and Ying Rushi are clearly closer, not only because of their past friendship, but also because of their connection with Nie Yannian.

Now that their realms and strengths have improved, Meng Yuan and Ying Rushi are no longer master and servant.

There are rules in this world, but strength is the greatest rule, and one's realm determines one's strength.

Ying Rushi seemed to sense Meng Yuan's covetousness, and she said, "I heard that you led nuns to break the precepts at Yunshan Temple?"

Who said this? They're slandering someone's innocence out of thin air!

"Who said that?" Meng Yuan pinched Xiang Ling's belly.

“Yuan Jingfeng,” Ying Rushi replied.

These four disciples of Chongxu Temple are truly unreliable. Meng Yuan even helped them out with money, but unexpectedly, they betrayed him behind his back.

“Chongxu Temple is declining further and further. Apart from Senior Brother Li, there is no one else who is worth mentioning!” Meng Yuan decided that no matter how much the four disciples of Chongxu Temple begged, he would never help them again.

Ying smiled slightly, and seeing that Meng Yuan was no longer lost in thought, she simply smiled and said nothing more.

Meng Yuan knew that Ying Ru was joking, so he stopped pursuing the matter of the four disciples of Chongxu Temple. Instead, he looked at Ying Ru, gently scratching Xiangling's white belly, and said, "Third Miss, you came in such a hurry, why didn't you bring Jiang Tang with you?"

“She is staying at home in my place.” Ying Rushi said softly, turning her head slightly to look at the surging waves on the river, “Jiang Tang and Nie Qingqing are both thinking of you.”

Meng Yuan did indeed want to go back as soon as possible.

"Did the Third Miss come here just to see Li Weizhen's sword strike?" Meng Yuan asked.

Ying Rushi nodded slowly and said, "I have been looking forward to it for a long time. I am finally able to see the demeanor of a third-rank martial artist. It is a pity that Li Weizhen is too far-reaching. The title of Wusheng Arhat is empty and he has no substance. I did not expect it to end so hastily."

Meng Yuan shared this sentiment. He had previously heard that high-ranking Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist masters would engage in battles that lasted from one or two days to several months, or even many years, and it was not easy to determine a winner.

But this time it was too fast. The Arhat Wusheng was so powerful, he could transform heaven and earth. Li Weizhen opened the Heavenly Gate to meet him, and Meng Yuan thought it would take at least a day or two to decide the outcome. But he didn't expect that the Arhat Wusheng was so easily defeated and had already vanished into thin air.

Ying Rushi looked at Meng Yuan and said, "With the death of the Arhat Wusheng, the Buddha of Freedom will surely have something to say, but when he will make his move is still unknown."

She gently stroked the river water, her voice tinged with a hint of languor, and said, "You defeated Master Jiujie this time and witnessed Li Weizhen kill Wusheng Arhat. You must have gained something. However, the world is in turmoil, the power of the Western Free Buddha is great, and the One-Eyed King has encountered a change of fortune. There will be countless difficulties ahead."

As she spoke, Ying Rushi's tone lost some of its laziness, and she said solemnly, "The path of a martial artist is indeed a path of striving, but it is best to have some companions to walk with. Lin Yan is not bad in character, and I heard that you have been getting close to Dugu Ying recently. She is also quite good. But in my opinion, Mingyue is the best."

Meng Yuan also thought Mingyue was the best, and immediately accepted her, saying, "She is too aloof and not easy to talk to."

"She's just cold on the outside but warm on the inside." Ying Rushi smiled slightly. "You're the best at coaxing people. Talk to her more, and she'll definitely be willing to do anything for you."

Meng Yuan acknowledged it and then asked, "What are your plans, Third Miss?"

Ying Rushi pondered for a moment, gently parted the river water, gazed at the rising sun in the distance, and said, "My father and brother's will remains, but I am powerless to reverse it. As for what changes may occur in the future, that is another matter."

Meng Yuan saw that Ying Rushi was also somewhat confused and did not know how to persuade him.

The small awning boat drifted along the river, its destination unknown.

Before long, they saw someone waving from the riverbank. It was Hu Qian and Tie Niu, and next to them was a man in black, who was Cangshan Jun.

Meng Yuan hung the wine gourd given to him by Hua Suzhi on his waist and urged the boat to dock.

"Third Miss, who were the black-clad messengers who attacked you during the Songhe Prefecture incident?" Meng Yuan stood up, holding the sleeping Xiangling in his arms.

“They are Dugu Shang’s men, from the military,” Ying Rushi said.

Dugu Shang is Mingyue's elder brother, the second son of the late emperor, and the current ruler of Qing Kingdom.

"Why would they want to kill you?" Meng Yuan was very curious. The Third Miss's father and brothers had all died many years ago. Although some of their teachings remained, most of them had been banned.

As for the legacy and reputation left by the two Ying Gongs, although Ying Rushi inherited it, she was, after all, a woman and followed the Taoist path. So, although the old friends still exist, after a few decades, I'm afraid that apart from scholars, few people will still remember the Ying family.

Of course, the two Ying Gongs still enjoy great reputations today, and are highly regarded by Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist masters, and even demon masters.

Even someone like Qing Guangzi advised Ying Rushi to take refuge in Buddhism when he was undergoing tribulation. As for the Western Buddhist Kingdom, he hoped that Ying Rushi would go to the Western Land and be granted the position of Bodhisattva.

Ying Rushi also stood up. She glanced at Hu Qian on the riverbank, then looked up towards Lanruo Temple and said, "He has wanted to kill me for a long time, but he couldn't find an opportunity and didn't want to kill me openly."

At this point, Ying Rushi turned around, took the fragrant tassel from Meng Yuan, and said, "Qing Kingdom has a third-rank national teacher guarding the interior, and the experts from the three major Daoist sects have not all come out. Most of the martial artists are guarding the exterior. Right now, you just need to focus on improving your cultivation level and don't think too much."

Ying Rushi held Xiangling in one arm and gently stroked her fur with the other, saying, "Things in this world are actually quite easy to do once you reach a certain level. If your level is insufficient, then they are truly difficult. My late father and elder brother were like this because they did not have a sharp sword in their hands."

“I know,” Meng Yuan replied.

As the boat docked, Tie Niu and Hu Qian were extremely excited. They bowed to Meng Yuan, eager to see him.

"Senior Brother!" Tie Niu seemed to have grown a bit taller, but he was still very honest and simple, and you could tell at a glance that he had no guile. Meng Yuan smiled and patted Tie Niu's arm, and Hu Qian also moved closer.

"Miss Ying." Cangshan Jun, dressed in black robes, laughed heartily, then cupped his hands towards Meng Yuan and said, "Brother Meng, your Fire Phoenix Sweeps Across the Plains, overpowering the Western Nine Tribulations Thief Baldy, your fame has spread far and wide, and I admire you greatly!"

"I dare not accept such praise; it was merely a matter of seizing the opportunity," Meng Yuan said with a smile.

“Brother, you are too modest.” Cangshan Jun was quite right. “Today you have broken through the nine tribulations, who knows if you can break through the Arhat and True Buddha like Li Weizhen in the future!”

At this point, Cangshan Jun bowed to Ying Rushi again and said, "Third Miss Ying, the elder left in a hurry and asked me to say a few words to Brother Meng in private. Please do me a favor."

Ying Rushi didn't want to stay any longer, so she said, "Let's go back to Lanruo Temple."

Hu Qian and Tie Niu agreed and followed Ying Ru Shi away.

Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Cangshan Jun wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with lingering fear, "Fortunately, I didn't offend the four disciples of Chongxu Temple that day."

He was clearly terrified by Li Weizhen's strength. "The Law of Heaven and Earth is so powerful! Just watching from the sidelines made my heart pound with fear, as if I were being led into an endless purgatory to suffer all kinds of torture. Yet Li Weizhen transformed his sword into a dragon, and even the most difficult Arhat to kill was directly reduced to ashes, leaving not even a complete corpse!"

After chatting for a while, Cangshan Jun noticed the blue wine gourd hanging from Meng Yuan's waist and said with a smile, "It seems that Elder Hua is also very grateful to my brother for taking care of Miss Xiang."

"Unfortunately, there's no wine in the gourd. I need to borrow some money to fill it up." Meng Yuan smiled, looked at Cangshan Jun, and asked, "You don't need to be so polite, just tell me what it is."

"There's not much to say about that." Cangshan Jun's smile was somewhat forced, as if he felt embarrassed. "Elder Miaoyin asked me to invite you, my brother, to go south. Our clan has many beautiful women, whose charm is slightly different from that of the Central Plains, but is still very charming."

Let's just use a sperm donor!
“I will definitely go in a few days!” Meng Yuan said.

Seeing that Meng Yuan was so easy to talk to, Lord Cangshan quickly explained in detail where Elder Miaoyin lived, fearing that Meng Yuan might go astray.

As the two were chatting happily, Meng Yuan suddenly saw a small boat drifting upstream on the Qinglong River, with two fishermen on it, one rowing and the other fishing, both wearing large straw hats.

When the small boat came close, the fisherman rowing the oars called out, "Friend, do you need a ferry?"

"Where did this bald monk come from?" Cangshan Jun pulled out a whisk from his sleeve. "Why does he look somewhat familiar?"

"Fellow Daoist, please be mindful of your words." The fisherman who was rowing the oar took off his wide straw hat, revealing that he had short hair, a messy beard, and a dirty, dark face.

Upon closer inspection, who else could it be but Jie Kaiping?
"Is Venerable Peacock here to ferry the fish across the river, or to ferry the two of us from Haoli?" Lord Cangshan asked with a smile.

"No, no!" Jie Kaiping simply let go of the oars, fanned himself with his large straw hat, and laughed, "Both of you are highly skilled, especially Benefactor Meng, whose divine power is extraordinary. This humble monk would never dare to provoke such a tiger."

Meng Yuan didn't respond, but instead looked at another fisherman on the small boat.

"Benefactor Meng, your methods are truly admirable!" The other fisherman, without removing his straw hat, introduced himself.

Previously, Meng Yuan and Dugu Ying pulled Jie Kaiping into the water, and the three of them attacked Ding Chonglou together. Afterwards, Jie Kaiping was targeted by the monk Juesheng, and unexpectedly, the two monks got involved together.

"It seems these two Buddhist masters have come to seek out my virtuous brother. I will not disturb them any longer." Cangshan Jun, holding his whisk, bowed slightly to Meng Yuan, nodded to the small boat on the river, and then strode away.

In no time at all, Lord Cangshan had vanished without a trace.

Then Jie Kaiping and Juesheng stepped onto the riverbank. Juesheng took off his bamboo hat and saw that he was still bald with a monk's scar on his head. His clothes were slightly dirty, but his face was not weathered and he was still very handsome. He was obviously a highly accomplished monk.

Jie Kaiping is not bad-looking either, but he is unkempt. In comparison, he appears to be a lecherous and wicked monk who specializes in deceiving people.

“The two of you seem like old friends,” Meng Yuan said with a smile.

"Alas." Jie Kaiping sighed upon hearing this, "Brother Juesheng's Buddhist teachings are profound, far beyond my reach. I have been listening to his teachings every day these past few days."

That means they can't win in a fight, they can't escape, and they've been captured. What's the point of talking about listening to guidance?
Meng Yuan, out of consideration for Jie Kaiping, did not expose her, but instead went to see Monk Juesheng.

The monk Juesheng appeared calm and composed, clearly demonstrating excellent self-cultivation, showing no trace of the madness described by Xuanhui.

"Master Juesheng has come to find me. What teachings does he have?" Meng Yuan asked.

"I dare not." Monk Juesheng put his palms together in a gesture of respect. "I am merely waiting here for an unusual phenomenon. It is Junior Brother Peacock who wishes to see you, benefactor."

Meng Yuan looked at Jie Kaiping.

"Sigh." Jie Kaiping sighed again, showing no trace of the self-cultivation skills of a Buddhist disciple. He said, "We plan to go and find a guru."

"Where should we look?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

He untied the screen, spread his hands, and said, "Let it be."

"..." Meng Yuan's eyes widened. For a moment, he wanted to mock her, but then he felt that Jie Kaiping's words were in line with Buddhist teachings.

After a pause, Meng Yuan looked at Juesheng again and asked, "I wonder what strange phenomenon you are waiting for, Senior Brother?"

“Look.” Juesheng, who hadn’t been acting crazy at all, now had a maniacal smile on his lips as he pointed in the direction of Lanruo Temple, his finger trembling slightly.

Meng Yuan and Jie Kaiping both looked towards Lanruo Temple. They saw mountain mist in the morning and the temple was bustling with activity, indicating that the events of the previous night were not yet over and that people were currently making arrangements for the aftermath.

But apart from that, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.

"Junior Brother Peacock, do you know the fundamental reason why the fourth grade of Buddhism can break through to the third grade?" asked Monk Juesheng.

"It is to establish a grand ambition and to fulfill that ambition," said Jie Kaiping.

“Confucianism emphasizes the fundamentals. The so-called setting and fulfilling a grand vow is actually a change in one’s state of mind, and its outward manifestation is whether or not the grand vow is fulfilled.” Monk Juesheng spoke with certainty. “But what is a grand vow? What is a great grand vow? It is an extremely difficult thing to do. Whether it is towards good or towards evil, it is always in line with the word 'grand vow'. In Buddhism, we cultivate our nature and mind. Like the Arhats of No Birth, we also attain enlightenment by fulfilling a great grand vow.”

Meng Yuan and Jie Kaiping saw Juesheng talking non-stop, but they didn't know why he was rambling on about these things.

The river flowed swiftly, and suddenly the sound of bells rang out again from Lanruo Temple.

In the otherwise cloudless morning, auspicious seven-colored clouds suddenly rose in the sky, and streaks of Buddha's light appeared from afar.

"The Buddha's light shines again, and the great vow has been fulfilled," Juesheng said.

“This is…” Jie Kaiping frowned, straining to look up at Lanruo Temple, “Another person has attained enlightenment and broken through to a higher realm? Who is it?”

“Help one person become a Buddha, help one person destroy Buddhism.” Monk Juesheng put his hands together and looked at Meng Yuan, saying, “He is the mentor of your esteemed poetry society’s founding elder, Uncle Liaokong.”

(End of this chapter)