Catching Monsters

Chapter 534 Personal Hobbies
Soon, Master Hongguang stepped forward, and with each step he took, lotus flowers bloomed.

The lotus flower lifted Master Hongguang up, and the many ordinary people and believers on both sides who saw this scene were even more convinced that the Master Hongguang in front of them was a transcendent being of Buddhism.

Those who came early in the morning to greet Master Hongguang were devout Buddhist believers. Upon seeing this scene, they all put their hands together and chanted Buddhist scriptures.

Jiang Yun frowned, because of the so-called "lotus blossoms at every step".

With a slight exertion of his magic, he could see that the lotus flower beneath his feet was an illusion.

The purpose was simply to show it to the many ordinary people and believers on both sides.

Of course, this is probably just Master Hongguang's personal hobby, and Jiang Yun was too lazy to expose it.

Upon seeing this, the abbots of the five major Buddhist temples behind them frowned slightly and exchanged glances.

It's not that Master Hongguang's illusion of walking on lotus flowers was meant to confuse the Buddhist believers around him. After all, he was a great master and high monk from the Western Regions, and he needed to maintain some of his own dignity, which is understandable.

However, the entire group consisted entirely of young and beautiful women from the Western Regions, and the method of making these women lie on the ground for him to trample on was considered somewhat inappropriate by many abbots.

Jiang Yun led Master Hongguang, whose steps were like lotus blossoms, to the abbots of the five major Buddhist temples.

"This humble monk is Zhiming, the abbot of Puji Temple."

"The abbot of Bailong Temple, Yunwu."

"Lingxin, the abbot of Lingshi Temple."

“Abbot of Jinsha Temple, Yunsha.”

“The abbot of Lingyin Temple is Hongzhen.”

The five abbots all clasped their hands together in a gesture of respect, welcoming Master Hongguang's arrival.

Master Hongguang looked at the five people, nodded slightly, and said slowly, "I have come here to spread and exchange Buddhist teachings. In my opinion, a Buddhist conference should be held in the capital of Zhou State in five days. I hope that all five abbots will attend."

“Of course.” The five abbots nodded in agreement.

Then, Jiang Yun, who was standing to the side, said with a smile, "Master Hongguang, you will be staying at Bailong Temple for the next few days. I have already arranged your accommodation."

"So, how did you get to the capital?"

Master Hongguang clasped his hands together and flew back to the lotus sedan chair. The young girls quickly lifted the sedan chair and entered the capital city.

Along the way, many people who were not interested in Buddhism couldn't help but stop and watch. After all, it was rare to see a hundred beautiful women from the Western Regions arrive with flowers scattered in front of them.

However, the young monk Wu Hui quickly came to Jiang Yun's side, his face bitter, and said in a low voice, "Lord Jiang, you didn't say that Master Hongguang brought over a hundred women with him..."

"Our White Dragon Temple is, after all, a place for quiet cultivation. Allowing so many female devotees to stay here is perhaps a bit..."

Jiang Yun glared at the little monk Wu Hui and said in a low voice, "You're just worried about the expenses of having over a hundred people. Don't worry, keep track of the expenses and we'll get reimbursed by the imperial court later."

Upon hearing Jiang Yun's words, the little monk Wu Hui finally smiled and nodded in agreement.

Jiang Yun was naturally generous, since it wasn't like she was asking him to reimburse her.

The group walked and stopped frequently. Master Hongguang would stop every so often and wave to the people watching the show on both sides.

Although Monk Wuhui was mercenary, he was still a member of the Buddhist community. Seeing so many people love and respect him, he couldn't help but feel a little envious.

How much cultivation must one reach to achieve the same level of prestige as Master Hongguang?

Soon, accompanied by Jiang Yun, they arrived at Bailong Temple and arranged for Master Hongguang to stay in the largest side room.

Fortunately, Hakuryu-ji Temple was large enough that all the women he brought with him could find a place to stay.

After settling in, Jiang Yun arranged for the Imperial Guards to set up defenses to prevent any criminals from attacking the master.

Of course, this kind of task is easy, after all, Master Hongguang's cultivation is not bad, who would be so bored as to attack him.

After making the arrangements, I saw the monk Wuhui walking over.

"Have you settled the master in?"

Wu Hui nodded: "Yes, he and the five abbots are having a simple exchange of Buddhist knowledge."

"Lord Jiang, I've really learned something new this time. You wouldn't believe it, Master Hongguang is always surrounded by a group of beautiful young women no matter what he does. His Buddhist faith must be incredibly strong..."

“Maybe the master is using this method to cultivate his Buddhist heart. You have money now, why don’t you find a couple of young girls to cultivate your Buddhist heart?” Jiang Yun replied with a smile.

Monk Wuhui shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, no, I'd better not. I don't want to end up with a heart of Buddha but instead become addicted to lust. That would be a huge sin."

Jiang Yun couldn't help but laugh and ask, "I say, you little monk, you're so worried about lust, but why are you so greedy for money? Isn't greed a sin in Buddhism?"

"How can that be the same?" Wu Hui shook his head, but then seriously counted on his fingers and said, "Lord Jiang, look, I'm busy every day making money and saving money. Apart from buying myself two beautiful cassocks, which is my selfish wish, I also..."

"Did I secretly hoard all this money? I used it all for Hakuryu-ji Temple."

"This is for the purpose of spreading Buddhism. If the Buddha knew about it, he would surely understand."

……

Meanwhile, inside Hakuryu-ji Temple, in a huge, luxurious side room.

The room is simple and elegant, with a sense of tranquility and serenity.

On the six meditation cushions on the ground, Master Hongguang and the five abbots sat, exchanging their insights on Buddhism.

"Master Hongguang's journey to this place has been long and arduous," said Abbot Zhiming of Puji Temple with a smile.

Master Hongguang nodded slightly, glanced at the five people beside him, and slowly said, "Buddhism originated from the Buddhist country, and it seems that it has a considerable foundation in the Zhou Kingdom as well. The five great Buddhist temples are well-known even to me in the Buddhist country."

"The Buddhist teachings of our Western Region Buddhist kingdoms emphasize asceticism, believing that one must undergo trials akin to being burned alive in flames in order to attain enlightenment."

"The Buddhist teachings in the Central Plains are like a clear spring, gradually nourishing and enriching one's practice."

"Different paths, but the same destination."

Upon hearing Master Hongguang's words, the five abbots all nodded in agreement. Among them, Abbot Yunwu had the lowest cultivation level and only became the abbot of Bailong Temple because of Jiang Yun.

Feeling he had no right to speak in front of these masters, he stood aside, constantly pouring tea for them and smiling obsequiously. Listening to their debate on Buddhist teachings, Abbot Yunwu felt he had gained a great deal.

It's a pity that I have limited talent and am too old. I should have let Wu Hui come in and listen more, so that he could learn more about the Buddhist teachings of the masters.

After discussing for about half an hour, Abbot Zhiming of Puji Temple finally spoke up: "Master Hongguang has traveled a long way, so we should let him rest properly."

Unexpectedly, seeing that everyone was about to leave, Master Hongguang smiled and waved, calling in five beautiful women from the Western Regions.

"These five women are my gifts to the five abbots. Women from the Western Regions are not as gentle as women from the Central Plains; they are quite fiery," Master Hongguang said with a smile.

The five abbots' expressions changed slightly as they stared at Master Hongguang in astonishment.

Abbot Zhiming's face darkened, and he waved his hand, saying, "Master Hongguang, please don't make such a joke. We are Buddhists."

After saying that, he strode out, and the others followed suit and left.

Watching the group leave, Master Hongguang, his face cold, beckoned, and five women nestled beside him like kittens.

"These monks from Zhou Kingdom are really ungrateful," Master Hongguang said coldly. "There are still five days until the Buddhist Debate Conference. Remember to get things done in these five days."

After he finished speaking, Master Hongguang slowly took out a list from his pocket and said, "This is the list and their addresses."

"Yes." The young women beside him nodded in unison.

……

After arranging these matters, Jiang Yun returned to the Jiang residence, where Qi Da was left to oversee things.

It was noon, and after lunch, when Xu Suwen mentioned wanting to eat fruit from the west side of the city, I accompanied her to stroll around the west side of the city.

Along the way, I kept hearing people in the city talking about Master Hongguang who had arrived in the capital that day.

Xu Suwen walked ahead, holding Jiang Yun's hand: "Weren't you ordered to protect Master Hongguang today? Why are you home so early?"

“Hey, that master is incredibly capable, he doesn’t need my protection.” Jiang Yun shook his head and then briefly explained the situation to Xu Suwen.

After listening, Xu Suwen frowned: "I don't know much about Buddhism, but I do know that Buddhists should abide by the rules and not have too much contact with women, right?"

"I have a feeling that something is not right about Master Hongguang bringing over a hundred beautiful women with him."

Jiang Yun thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I have checked those women. Although they all have cultivation, it is not high, only around the eighth or ninth rank. They can barely be considered cultivators. Even if there are problems, they are easy to solve."

"Besides, if this master is willing, whether he brings a hundred women or a thousand, it's none of our business, right?"

Xu Suwen nodded slightly: "That makes sense."

Soon, night fell. Jiang Yun and Xu Suwen went to bed early to rest, as they had to go to Bailong Temple to do errands early the next morning.

Just before midnight, a soft knock came from outside the door.

Jiang Yun wasn't sleeping too soundly. He opened his eyes instantly and glanced at the door in surprise. By the moonlight, he could vaguely see a figure.

Jiang Yun put on his coat, opened the door, and to his surprise, found a blonde, blue-eyed foreign girl of about eighteen or nineteen years old, who was brought by Master Hongguang today.

The woman, dressed in a black veil, looked at Jiang Yun with a dreamy gaze and said, "My master, mindful of Lord Jiang's hospitality today, specially sent me to massage your legs and shoulders..."

After saying that, her fair feet were about to step into the room.

Before Jiang Yun could even make a move, Xu Suwen, standing behind him, raised her sword and pressed it against the foreign girl's neck.

Xu Suwen's eyes were icy as she slowly said, "Get lost if you don't want to die."

"I..." The foreign girl saw the murderous intent in Xu Suwen's eyes and knew that Xu Suwen was not joking with her.

Given Xu Suwen's status and position, if he were to kill her with a single sword strike, her death would be in vain.

The foreign girl's eyes flickered, and she could only turn around and flee in panic.

Xu Suwen watched Jiang Yun staring at the girl's back and couldn't help but pinch his thigh, saying, "If I wasn't inside today, would you have let her in?"

"How could that be?" Jiang Yun waved his hands repeatedly upon hearing this. "I am, after all, a government official. Can't I even withstand this little test?"

……

"Oh, Master Qian, it's been so long since you last visited."

At Yihonglou, Qian Buchou, dressed in official robes, swaggered in. The hall was almost full.

The pimp who led him respectfully escorted him upstairs: "Master Qian, you've come to the right place today. You probably don't know, but today, several exotic girls have come to our Yihong Pavilion. Your information network is truly impressive."

Now, he has no worries about money. With the help of the Crown Prince, he has been promoted to the position of Principal of the Ministry of Personnel, making him quite a figure in the capital.

After Qian Buchou slowly sat down in a private room on the second floor, he soon saw several beautiful women with exotic features come out. His eyes lit up and he couldn't help but say to the pimp, "Go and call your madam over."

"This is."

Soon, the madam was found. She was in her forties and quite plump. Clearly, Qian Buchou was a regular customer, and she quickly sat on Qian Buchou's lap: "Master Qian, what are your orders?"

"Where did you get these women?" Qian Buchou frowned. He was well-informed and said in a deep voice, "Today I heard that a high monk came from the Buddhist Kingdom of the Western Regions, and he brought with him hundreds of beautiful women with exotic charms."

At this point, Qian Buchou stared at the madam: "Could it be that you kidnapped her?"

Having this suspicion is certainly reasonable.

Upon hearing this, the madam was so frightened that she waved her hands repeatedly: "Master Qian, you have wronged me. They found these girls themselves. I was also wondering about them. Such a good figure, such a beautiful girl."

“Normally, our boss couldn’t get them even through swindling or cheating, but we never expected them to come to us on their own initiative.”

Qian Buchou looked at the madam with some suspicion: "Did they really come to us on their own? Or did you use some tricks?"

"How could I dare lie to you?" The madam, of course, knew that money was no object and she couldn't afford to offend anyone, so she simply revealed the truth, saying, "These girls insisted on coming to our Yihong Pavilion to entertain customers. We initially refused, but these girls didn't want any money..."

When asked why, they said it was their personal hobby.

(End of this chapter)