Catching Monsters

Chapter 344 I hate it so much

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun's lips twitched, and she shook her head without hesitation: "Of course not..."

Jiang Yun isn't stupid; this is a death trap.

However, Xu Suwen frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "I noticed that Miss Feng always seems quite anxious whenever she comes to see you. What if there is something really important?"

After saying that, Xu Suwen seemed to have guessed what Jiang Yun was worried about. She rolled her eyes at Jiang Yun and said, "Alright, I know what you're thinking."

"In that case, when I visit Bailong Temple tomorrow, I will have a servant inform Miss Feng so that she can also come to Bailong Temple to see you."

Jiang Yun looked at Xu Suwen and couldn't help but smile, asking, "You know she's interested in me, yet you're still so open-minded?"

Xu Suwen rolled her eyes at Jiang Yun and said, "I'm not as petty and pretentious as you think."

This is precisely what makes Xu Suwen stand out from ordinary women.

However, Xu Suwen had also heard about some things concerning Feng Beier recently, and thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh slightly.

After a good night's rest, Jiang Yun and Xu Suwen set off early the next morning for Bailong Temple.

At dawn, the sound of the morning bell echoed from afar in Bailong Temple. Today, Bailong Temple is not as bustling and lively as it used to be; instead, there are few worshippers.

The case of human trafficking at Bailong Temple dealt a devastating blow to its reputation after it was made public in Beijing.

Although all the major temples have ways of making money, they openly lend money for donations (high-interest loans) and acquire large amounts of land and shops.

However, strictly speaking, none of these actions violate the wishes of Buddhism.

For example, when it comes to donations, these temples are more reliable than many private lending institutions.

Although the interest rate is high, unless there is a serious overdue payment, there will be no door-to-door collection efforts, which can help many people who urgently need money to solve their immediate problems.

Human trafficking is a despicable act at any time.

Today, the monks at Bailong Temple have been largely replaced, with Monk Yunwu recruiting many new monks from various places.

At this moment, in a meditation room, the young monk Wuhui was sitting inside, tapping on an abacus, his face full of worry.

He glanced at the Cloud Mist Monk meditating peacefully beside him from time to time, and couldn't help but complain, "Master, I have to say, why did we take on this mess of a problem?"

"We've been here for over a month now. Forget about making any money. The newly hired monks cost several thousand taels of silver every month. We also have to advertise Bailong Temple in the Beijing Gazette again, which is another considerable expense."

"Our business at Changxin Temple has finally gotten on the right track..."

Listening to Monk Wuhui's complaints, Monk Yunwu opened his eyes and said calmly, "It's a pity that Bailong Temple, a prestigious family with a thousand-year history, has fallen into decline like this."

"Moreover..." Yunwu paused, then put his hands together in prayer: "Being the abbot of one of the five great Buddhist temples is a dream I've had for many years, and now that I'm here, it's a dream come true."

Upon hearing this, Monk Wuhui wanted to say, "Master, your dream is way too expensive..."

Her lips moved, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Just then, a monk came to announce that Jiang Yun had arrived.

The two exchanged a glance, their faces lighting up with joy, and hurried to the temple entrance to greet him.

Xu Suwen, holding Jiang Yun's hand, entered the Buddhist temple. After a short while, they saw Yunwu and Wu Hui, the master and disciple, rushing over from a distance.

"Commander Jiang, you've finally arrived!" Monk Wuhui greeted Jiang Yun with surprising enthusiasm.

Jiang Yun glanced at Wu Hui and said with a smile, "Little Master Wu Hui has lost quite a bit of weight."

Wu Hui couldn't help but think to himself, worrying about Bailong Temple every day and occasionally having to go back to Changxin Temple to handle affairs is really exhausting, no wonder he's losing weight.

He quickly said, "Commander Jiang, my apprentice and I are indebted to you for successfully taking over the work at Bailong Temple. We discussed it and thought it over, and we can't just take your benefits for nothing."

"How about you contribute some money, and we'll share the incense money from Bailong Temple with you?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun subconsciously touched his pockets, only to find that he had no money left.

Noticing Jiang Yun's actions, Xu Suwen, who was standing beside him, asked with a smile, "Little Master, how much do you want?"

"In that case, ten thousand taels of silver will be divided into ten percent."

"Fifty thousand taels of silver, divided in half."

"One hundred thousand taels..."

"Stop, stop." Jiang Yun quickly raised his hand. This little monk Wu Hui is wasting his talents by being a monk; he should be doing business instead.

However, Jiang Yun glanced at Bailong Temple and his heart stirred slightly.

Bailong Temple is an ancient temple with a history of over a thousand years, and it will inevitably make money in the future. Now that the human trafficking case has just come out, the capital is in an uproar.

After a year or two, or even three years, the matter gradually faded away.

If Bailong Temple spends more money on charitable work, its reputation will not only be restored to its former state, but it will also improve significantly.

Jiang Yun looked at Xu Suwen beside her and asked in a low voice, "How much money do you have?"

"How much do you want?" Xu Suwen asked in return.

"Thirty thousand taels of silver." Thirty thousand taels of silver is certainly not a small amount, but for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, it is not much.

“Okay, I’ll tell Mother when I get back.” Xu Suwen nodded obediently from the side.

Wu Hui's eyes lit up, and he was overjoyed.

However, Jiang Yun also reminded Wu Hui: "We'll divide the money, but remember to set aside a certain amount and give it to the palace every month. The money in the palace is absolutely essential."

"Yes."

Monk Yunwu did not participate in these 'business' discussions. Monk Yunwu did not have a high desire for material things or money. Although his talent was limited and his cultivation was not high, Yunwu could be considered a rather devout Buddhist.

"Benefactor Jiang, this old monk will show you and Miss Xu around the temple..."

Before he could finish speaking, Feng Beier's voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

"Jiang Yun!"

Jiang Yun and the others turned around to look. At the temple gate, Feng Beier, dressed in a white robe, with her hair in a bun, arrived in a scholar's attire.

When she saw Jiang Yun, her eyes lit up with joy, and she quickly ran to Jiang Yun, about to hug her.

Fortunately, Xu Suwen reacted quickly and grabbed Jiang Yun first, leaving Feng Beier's raised hand somewhat at a loss.

"Ahem." Xu Suwen coughed and reminded Feng Beier, "Meeting is fine, but don't lay a hand on my Jiang Yun."

Upon hearing this, Feng Beier quickly replied, "Okay, I promise."

Monk Yunwu and Monk Wuhui exchanged a glance, both of them somewhat dumbfounded.

Xu Suwen's beauty goes without saying, given that she comes from a top-tier noble family like the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. And this strange woman who suddenly appeared is also exceptionally beautiful.

Although he was dressed in men's Confucian robes, his face still made Wu Hui stare in disbelief for a moment.

Could this be the Feng Beier who has been the subject of much discussion in Beijing recently?
Wu Hui also noticed that the smell in the air was not right, and coughed: "Right, Master, didn't you say that there was food being cooked in the kitchen? Let's hurry up and watch the fire to prevent a fire."

The Cloud Mist Monk slapped his bald head: "Right, right, look at my memory. Benefactor Jiang, why don't you take the two young ladies for a stroll?"

The two monks quickly turned and ran.

"Miss Xu, may I speak with Jiang Yun alone?" Feng Beier looked at Xu Suwen with a hint of pleading.

To Jiang Yun's surprise, Xu Suwen nodded in agreement. She turned to look at the main hall and said, "I'll go in and pay my respects to Buddha. You two can talk it over."

After saying that, Xu Suwen turned and left.

It wasn't that Xu Suwen was truly generous.

During the time Jiang Yun was away from the capital, the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion saw that Feng Beier was losing her appetite and becoming increasingly thin.

They were also aware that Jiang Yun and Xu Suwen were engaged, and that the marriage was personally bestowed by His Majesty.

They then decided to find Feng Beier a wealthy and powerful family, hoping to marry her off.

The people in the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion thought that as long as Feng Beier got married, she would naturally forget about Jiang Yun after a while. However, they never expected that Feng Beier, who had always been obedient to her family's arrangements and was gentle and kind, would commit suicide by cutting her wrists after hearing about this.

Fortunately, the servants in the mansion discovered it in time, thus saving their lives.

Then they tied Feng Beier up again, but unexpectedly, Feng Beier slammed her head against the wall and committed suicide.

In the end, he even tried to bite his tongue and commit suicide.

Forced into a corner, the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion had no choice but to agree to Feng Beier's request to cancel her marriage.

After the story spread throughout the capital, it was hailed as a beautiful tale by many.

Feng Beier's beauty was already famous throughout the capital. Now there was such a person who made Feng Beier determined to marry no one else, and she even wanted to commit suicide for him.

Many people are curious: who is this person, and how did he become so fortunate?

Many people in the capital thought that this person was probably a poor scholar whose status was looked down upon by the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion...

So they broke up the couple.

The storyteller had told countless love stories between down-on-his-luck scholars and beautiful young ladies; everyone's ears were practically worn out from hearing them.

You can inquire a little.

Everyone was instantly filled with hatred.

Jiang Yun is actually the future son-in-law of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Many people couldn't help but curse in private, wondering if Jiang Yun's ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke.

Some people countered that this was more than just smoke; it was like their ancestral graves had been blown up.

The general public in Beijing is also eagerly awaiting the follow-up to this matter.

The young ladies of the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion are vying for the same man—what an interesting topic!

(End of this chapter)