Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 290 Lingyin Temple

Feilai Peak stands in front of Lingyin Temple, with three hundred Buddha statues standing within it.

Famous mountains and great rivers are all closed off, while incense and oil for worshipping Buddha are pocketed.

"Buddha saves the Yuan people."

After resting for a day, Lin Dao went out to visit a temple.

Upon reaching the top of Feilai Peak, Lin Dao turned his head to examine a seated Buddha statue carved into the stone wall.

"Is this the demonic monk Yang Lianzhenjia?"

"Yes." Luo Guanzhong, who had accompanied him, cupped his hands in response, "It is indeed this wicked monk."

On the stone tablet next to the statue are the words "President of Buddhism in Jiangnan, Tangwu".

"This thief is extremely wicked."

When this person was mentioned, Luo Guanzhong could not hide his anger: "He was a Tangut, whose original name was Tangwu, and he came from the Tantric sect."

"When he was the head of Buddhism in Jiangnan, he dug up graves, raped and abducted women, and committed all kinds of evil deeds."

"What is most hateful is that this thief dug up the remains of Emperor Lizong of the former Song Dynasty."

"They hung Emperor Lizong's corpse upside down on a tree and drained the mercury."

"They also cut off Emperor Lizong's head and made it into a wine vessel."

"He always flaunts it at banquets, which is utterly detestable!"

Digging up graves for money is nothing new; even Boss Cao did such things.

It is infuriating, yet understandable, that this Tangut monk excavated the tombs of former Song Dynasty officials.

Making money is something that has existed in every era.

But he cut off Emperor Lizong's head and made it into a wine vessel to show off, which was a blatant disgrace to the Han people.

Its nature is no different from that of the Jurchens who humiliated Emperor Huizong and his son with the sheep-leading ritual.

"Tangut people."

"Fan Monk."

Lin Dao, with a calm gaze, did not say much.

However, sometimes, saying very little can mean that things are more serious.

The claim that the Tanguts were wiped out by the Mongols is actually a rumor.

They transformed into a branch of the Semu people and lived quite well under the command of the Mongols.

When they were exploiting the Han Chinese, they were incredibly arrogant and felt extremely pleased with themselves.

As for the Tibetan monks.

Calling them monks is an insult to Buddhism.

Leaving aside their excessive drinking and eating, and their fondness for women, let's just say they are inhuman.

To use a human body to create a magical artifact is beyond the realm of humanity.

The slaves under the noble chieftains and their followers, living a life worse than death, were mostly Han Chinese sons and their descendants who had been captured by successive dynasties.

Their tragic fate is beyond description.

Lin Dao knew all of this.

"If you fall behind, you will be bullied!"

He took a deep look at the statue of Yang Lianzhenjia, then turned and walked towards Lingyin Temple.

People always have to pay the price for what they've done.

Although the evil monk is long dead, the Tangut people and the Tibetan monks are still here.

Let his clansmen and followers pay for his sins.

"Since rumors say that the Tanguts were wiped out by the Mongols, let's make those rumors true!"

Lingyin Temple was built during the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

It is the earliest temple in Hangzhou, located between Beigaofeng and Feilaifeng, near West Lake.

The environment here is truly picturesque, with clear waters, lush mountains, birdsong, and drifting clouds and mist.

As for the name Feilai Peak, it comes from the founder of Lingyin Temple, the monk Huili, who came from India.

He said that Feilai Peak is a small hill in Lingjiu Mountain in Tianzhu, which flew to the West Lake, hence the name Feilai Peak.

Lin Dao scoffed at this, saying he would lead a large army to India to see if it was truly missing a mountain peak.

If not, then let the Indians dig out a mountain!

Lingyin Temple is a large temple complex, with nine towers, eighteen pavilions, seventy-two halls, 1,300 monks' quarters, and more than 3,000 monks.

After passing through the mountain gate, one is greeted by the solemnity of Buddhist temples.

Walking through the palaces and pavilions, one sees exquisitely crafted carved beams and painted rafters.

The chanting of Buddhist scriptures and the rhythmic sound of wooden fish drums emanated from various houses.

The area in front of the main hall was bustling with worshippers putting money into the donation box inscribed with "Immeasurable Merit".

Incense was burning all around, and the smell was pungent.

Lin Dao looked at the believers, who were all dressed neatly in fine clothes and silks.

That makes sense, since poor families who want to worship Buddha can't even get through the temple gates.

Only with beginnings can there be destiny.

When it was Lin Dao's turn to put in his money, he looked at the guest monk.

"Is this donation for incense oil for the temple or for Buddha?"

The kind-faced monk bowed and replied, "It is for the Buddha."

The donations from temples are mainly used for the daily expenses of the temples, as well as other uses that cannot be explicitly stated.

However, since it couldn't be said openly, it naturally had to be attributed to Buddha.

Anyway, Buddha won't come looking for them.

"I see."

Lin Dao nodded. "Since it's for Buddha, I'll give some too."

He reached out his hand, and Lan Yu, who was following behind him, hurriedly took out a thick stack of banknotes from his bundle.

Seeing this, even the usually unresponsive monk, who only saw money every day, couldn't help but raise his eyelids.

News from the temple was not kept secret.

They also knew about the imperial court's large-scale currency reform.

Although the value of the paper money has been greatly depreciated, people still have a lot of it.

According to the monks, all of these were large banknotes with denominations of one or two strings of cash.

Moreover, that thick stack must have contained at least several hundred strings of cash.

Even if it depreciates, it's still worth tens of strings of cash. If it's lent out as interest, it could bring back at least tens of acres of land for the temple.

Some time ago, the temple, having learned in advance of the news of the currency change, lent out all the banknotes in its possession on a large scale and in a concentrated manner.

The temple will not acknowledge the losses caused by subsequent devaluation.

Want to reason with me?
Go and reason with Buddha.

If Buddha were to descend to earth and manifest his divine power, he would immediately and without hesitation admit defeat. If he couldn't win an argument and wanted to report it to the authorities, that would be even more appropriate.

Throughout history, which government office wasn't a frequent guest of temples?

The government can easily resolve any trouble without the temples even needing to intervene, at most sending some delicious vegetarian food afterward.

Examples include vegetarian chicken made of gold, tofu made of silver, and glutinous rice balls made of pearls.

If someone's family is destroyed and they can't go on living, they might come here to fight for their life.

The warrior monks kept in the temple are there to do these kinds of work.

They'll disappear without a trace, and no one will be able to find them.

Lin Dao waved the banknotes in his hand and walked towards the donation box.

Unable to suppress his smile, the monk bowed his head, raised his palms, and chanted the Buddha's name.

Just before he was about to put the money into the donation box, Lin Dao turned his hand and shoved the banknotes onto the large incense stick next to him.

In no time at all, the entire stack of banknotes burst into flames.

This scene stunned everyone around.

It wasn't until Lin Dao let go, and the remaining burning banknotes spilled out, that the guest monk, regaining his senses, exclaimed in surprise.

"What are you doing, benefactor?!"

These things were just printed materials to Lin Dao, no different from the products of the Heaven and Earth Bank, so he naturally didn't feel bad about them.

He looked at the guest monk with amusement and said, "You said the money for incense oil is for Buddha, but I'll burn it directly for Buddha."

"Could it be that your temple has received a divine intervention from Buddha, who has come personally to collect the donations?"

"If that's the case, then I beseech Buddha to grant me a million strings of cash!"

"Precious paper money".

Those who can serve as guest monks are all eloquent and persuasive.

After his initial lapse in composure, he quickly regained his senses.

First, he chanted a Buddhist prayer, then revealed a professional smile.

"I believe the Buddha will reciprocate your kindness."

"Who knows, they might even impart Buddhist teachings to the benefactor in a dream."

These words clearly imply that Lin Dao has offended Buddha, and that Buddha should be careful of him.

Not only in this era, but even in later generations, many people believe in the existence of gods and Buddhas.

Anyone who feels guilty will inevitably apologize with trepidation, and may even have to take out hundreds or thousands of strings of cash to express their remorse.

Unfortunately, Lin Dao wasn't buying it at all.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze disdainful.

“I am a disciple of the Bodhi Patriarch of the Xieyue Sanxing Cave on Fangcun Mountain.”

"If the Buddha comes, my master will personally receive him."

He had been making this up on the spot, but suddenly Lin Dao felt a wave of dizziness.

It was as if, in the darkness, a force of cause and effect had transcended time and space, connecting them together.

The guest monk's heart skipped a beat.

They're here to challenge us.

He steadied himself and chanted the Buddhist prayer again, "May I ask, benefactor, what brings you to this temple?"

Shaking his head, Lin Dao gestured, "I've heard that your vegetarian dishes are quite good. Bring me a few tables."

He gave a wink to the young novice monk not far away, and the guest monk himself stepped aside to lead the way, saying, "Please follow me, benefactor."

As you walk along the way, you'll find that the pavilions and towers along the route are exquisite.

It also features ponds, artificial hills, and shady trees.

There are even many gardens and nurseries, where all kinds of exotic flowers and plants compete for beauty.

If you ignore the bald heads, this place is almost indistinguishable from the gardens of Suzhou and Hangzhou.

"To become a monk or nun, one must first have a home."

Lin Dao casually commented, "If one has no home, one doesn't even have the opportunity to become a monk."

"The environment here is so beautiful that people who don't know it might think it's the imperial garden in the palace."

"You seek Buddha amidst such beautiful scenery, no wonder Buddha does not come."

At that moment, Lin Dao thought that the monk Gao Bin of Huangjue Temple was a pretty good person.

At least they rely on growing their own food to eat, and they are willing to take in children from poor families.

Compared to this place, it's like two different worlds.

"Please be careful with your words, benefactor."

The monk, his face grim, quickened his pace and led Lin Dao and his group to a quiet room.

The place where monks eat is called Xiangji Kitchen, also known as Wuguan Hall.

The guests naturally didn't go there; they were all arranged to stay in quiet rooms.

"Dare to ask the donor."

The guest monk bowed and asked, "Do you have any vegetarian meals you would like?"

"Just bring a few dozen dishes," Lin Dao waved his hand. "Bring out the ones you're best at."

The monk's eyelids twitched at those words.

Do you think this is a restaurant?

Before leaving, Lin Dao instructed, "Lan Yu, go with me to the kitchen and make sure no one spits in the vegetarian food."

The monk in charge of the guest endured it all, swallowing his anger.

He first took Lan Yu to the vegetarian kitchen, and then hurriedly ran to find the abbot.

"There were more than thirty people. Except for one child, the rest were all strong men, and the bulging pouches at their waists were probably concealed weapons."

"They were all dressed in luxurious clothes, and were definitely not ordinary people."

"The leader had a disdainful look in his eyes and an air of great authority."

"His words carried an air of authority, as if he were surveying the world."

Having received the young novice's notification, the abbot ended his tea party with his friends early and went to the meditation room to wait.

At this moment, I closed my eyes and listened silently to the monk's narration.

Upon hearing this, the abbot asked, "Do you have any jade pendants?"

"some."

The monk hurriedly recalled, "The finest mutton-fat jade, as white as cut fat, is truly exceptional."

"Sigh~~~"

He seemed to remember something, and his face turned slightly pale.

"It looks like a dragon pattern!"

(End of this chapter)