Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 530 Hanshan Temple

The bird path leads to the rainbow, and the cloud gate is half open.

After another half day, the mountain road finally came to an end.

Compared to the Five Aggregates Temple, Hanshan Temple is much smaller, occupying only a hilltop. The gatehouse is even more rudimentary, without even a plaque, just a vermilion door standing in front—the color of which is clearly faded.

I'm telling you sects, you clearly amass a lot of wealth on a daily basis, can't you at least fix up your own facade?
Looking at the marks left by wind and rain, Zhou You hesitated for a moment, but still knocked on the door knocker.

It took about half an incense stick's time before anyone responded.

Upon opening the door, the first thing you see is a monk dressed in simple robes, with a youthful face.

When he saw Zhou You, he was stunned for a moment, but quickly put his hands together and bowed.

"I'm sorry, please come again tomorrow if you want to offer incense. The temple is currently holding evening prayers and we cannot receive guests."

Just as the young monk was about to close the door, Zhou You suddenly held Wan Ren's sword sheath horizontally, blocking the way.

"What are you doing, benefactor?"

Seeing the young monk suddenly become wary, Zhou You said with a smile.

"Don't be so nervous. I'm just here to pay my respects to the senior monks at Hanshan Temple. Is Master Hongyi here?"

However, upon hearing this, the monks became even more cautious.

"Benefactor, where did you learn of this name?"

“From my master… Oh right, I almost forgot.” Zhou You cupped his hands and then smiled. “I am Ling Yuan of the Five Elements Temple. I have come to visit Master Hongyi on the orders of my master.”

"The Heaven-Reaching Sword?"

Why don't we teach Lin Yunshao a lesson when we get back? Doesn't the whole Han land know about that nickname?

Zhou You's mouth twitched slightly, but remembering the important matter at hand, he still accepted the order.

"Yes, it is I. May I trouble you, Venerable Master, to go and inform him?"

The young monk spoke calmly.

"I wouldn't dare. I've only been a monk for a few years. Please wait here while I go and check."

After saying that, he closed the door again, and only the sound of his footsteps could be heard fading away.

So Zhou You, left there, could only look around listlessly.

And you know what? He actually found something wrong with it.

On the wall in front of the temple are carved some Buddha statues, which look like the Eighteen Arhats - there is a bag, a riding elephant, a hand reaching out, a gatekeeper, a long-browed man, and a laughing lion. However, after so many years of wind and rain, most of the images are no longer recognizable, and only some blurry traces can be seen.

But that wasn't what Zhou You was curious about.

Instead, he counted left and right, but could only find seventeen Arhat statues on the wall—not that they had been peeled off or stolen, but that they never appeared to have been carved in the first place.

"But who is it? I can't see their face clearly. My understanding of Buddhism isn't that deep. Those with distinctive features are fine, but those without... is it someone crossing the river, with long eyebrows, carrying a begging bowl, or someone who is joyful?"

However, before he could figure out what was going on, the door not far away was pushed open once again.

In addition to the welcoming monk, there was also an old monk with white hair and beard this time.

Like the welcoming monk, he was also wearing a light blue robe, making it impossible to tell his rank. However, his robe was quite tattered, covered with patches of various colors, indicating that it had been mended countless times.

When the old monk saw Zhou You, he also put his hands together and greeted him politely.

"Excuse me, are you Ling Yuan, the Tongtian Sword of the Five Elements Temple?"

Zhou You has always been polite to me, and I'm just as polite to you, so even though this nickname is really unpleasant to hear, I still bow and greet you in the same way.

"That's me. You don't need to be so polite, just call me Ling Yuan. You must be Master Hongyi, right?"

The old monk shook his head and said the same thing.

"I dare not accept the title of Master; I have merely lived a few more years. Please address me differently, Benefactor Ling Yuan."

"That Brother Hongyi?"

The welcoming monk next to him twitched his face and finally couldn't help but rebuke him.

"How should I address him? This is the abbot of Hanshan Temple."

Before he could finish speaking, the old monk Hongyi smiled and pressed him down.

"Huineng, you have broken the precept against anger. It's just a title, why take it so seriously?"

Upon hearing this, the welcoming monk immediately bowed and apologized.

"The host is right, it's me too..."

Hongyi shook his head again.

"It is a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them, especially since this is not a serious problem. Go fetch water from the mountain spring for two days; it will help you calm down."

"Disciple obeys."

Watching the guest monk run out gratefully, Master Hongyi smiled and nodded, then turned to Zhou You and said.

“Benefactor Ling Yuan”

“Abbot, you are of a higher generation than me, so please remove the title.”

“Alright, young friend Ling Yuan, it’s not very convenient to talk here. How about you come with me to the Heavenly King Hall? Since you’re a guest from afar, it will be easier for me to introduce you to the temple.”

Zhou You had gone to great lengths to finally find the place, so he answered crisply and decisively.

"It's impossible."

Compared to the outside, this temple, though equally dilapidated, is much cleaner. Even though it is autumn now, there are still few fallen leaves on the ground, and one can only see the morning bell and evening drum, with pavilions and terraces reflecting each other.

Although Master Hongyi was the abbot, he was very approachable and far more respectable than the group of scoundrels at the Five Elements Temple. Spending time with him would even give you a feeling of warmth and comfort.

At this moment, this person asked Zhou You as if it were a casual conversation.

"Young friend Ling Yuan, I remember you should have arrived half a month ago according to the agreed time. Why have you only come now?"

I can only say that this place is so damn hard to find. For the past month, I could only wander around like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.

After struggling for a long time, Zhou You finally managed to utter a sentence.

"We encountered some trouble on the way, which caused a slight delay."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this clearly evasive answer, the old monk Hongyi actually nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, since the last Tianyuan Conference, the world has become increasingly chaotic. Some time ago, the Wusheng Sect suffered a sudden misfortune, and not a single member of the sect escaped alive. Although we have been trying our best to accept refugees, it's still just a drop in the ocean. I don't know how things are going."

—It's nothing much, just that a mushroom took over the mountain and I wiped it out. I reckon those Tantric guys will be arriving soon.

Of course, he couldn't say that out loud, so Zhou You could only pause for a moment and then awkwardly change the subject.

"By the way, Abbot, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"Please speak, young friend."

"I heard from the welcoming monk that they no longer accept incense offerings, but why are there still so many lay people in this temple?"

Zhou You pointed around.

There were quite a few monks in the temple, but many of them wore long robes and had not shaved their heads, clearly ordinary people like townspeople from the foot of the mountain.

The old monk Hongyi explained with a smile.

"It is indeed evening prayer time now, and most of the monks have gone to practice. However, there are still quite a few lay disciples and lay Buddhists residing in the temple. In addition, the temple also accepts temporary guests, so there are also a few fellow practitioners from the martial arts world staying here temporarily."

"Really? Then maybe I misunderstood."

Zhou You nodded ambiguously, but his sharp eyes still spotted two refugees among the common people—they seemed to have just been brought up from the foot of the mountain that day, but they disappeared after just one turn.

However, he didn't pursue the matter and continued to follow the old monk silently. Before long, the two arrived at a dining hall.

Upon seeing this, Zhou You asked again, seemingly puzzled.

"Abbot, didn't you say you were taking me to the Heavenly King's Hall to discuss some matters? Why did we end up here?"

The old monk Hongyi smiled and shook his head.

"If I'm not mistaken, young friend Ling, you haven't eaten a single grain of rice since this morning, have you?"

That's true.

He originally intended to grab a bite at the tea stall, but after receiving a clue about Hanshan Temple, he realized he had already missed mealtime, so he simply rushed over without stopping.

Of course, given his physique, he could go three or four days without eating, let alone one day, but there's one thing that's quite strange.

—How did this old monk figure it out?

Seemingly aware of Zhou You's doubts, the old monk Hongyi smiled and said...

"Our temple practices the method of eating, so at least we can guess whether a person has eaten their fill."

"But Abbot, I'm really not hungry."

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the usually kind old monk suddenly became serious.

Then he looked up and spoke to Zhou You with great seriousness.

“My friend, as the saying goes, nothing is more important than food. What is the purpose of a person’s life? It’s to have enough to eat. If you starve to death, you will be reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts in hell, where there is little joy and much suffering, and your blessings are low and your tribulations are long. So, you can’t lack anything but food.”

Now that they've said all that, what else can Zhou You object to?
So he could only smile wryly and follow along.

Most of these dining halls are of average appearance, so there's not much to say about them. The only impression Zhou You got was that this place was a bit larger, probably able to accommodate several hundred people eating at the same time.

Upon seeing the Venerable Master Hongyi, the monks working in the dining hall hurriedly bowed, but the Venerable Master simply waved his hand and said...

"We have guests at the temple today, so please give this young friend an extra meal."

The monks all agreed, while Master Hongyi casually pointed to two spots.

"Please have a seat."

After both parties were seated, the first dish was served very quickly.

It's fruit.

Zhou You was also taken aback.

It's not that these fruits are anything special, nor are they any delicacies—they're just ordinary wild fruits and some seasonal items.

But this amount
It's more like a large washbasin than a plate, filled to the brim with all kinds of fruit, which at first glance must weigh at least ten kilograms.

"Abbot, haven't we made a mistake? Doesn't this seem like a bit too much?"

The old monk Hongyi clasped his hands together and smiled.

"Not much, not much, this is just a normal amount. People who practice our method lose a lot of essence and blood, so they often need to replenish it with food. These are just appetizing fruits."

That's it? And it's just an appetizer?
Zhou You was a little confused, but he still politely picked up a fruit, then habitually used the Jing Shen Fooding Song to sniff it. Finding nothing unusual, he then took a bite.

The taste was quite normal, just a little sweet and sour. But it was a rare treat, so Zhou You quickly finished it and picked up another one.

But soon, he discovered another problem.

The old monk Hongyi did not make a move; he simply sat opposite him, watching him with a smile.

"Abbot, there's so much food, why aren't you eating it?"

The old monk Hongyi answered with a smile.

“Young friend, you probably don’t know this, but our temple’s rule is that no one is allowed to eat before evening prayers, regardless of whether they are participating or not. As the abbot of the temple, I cannot break this rule.”

"So all of these are mine?"

"nature."

"."

Zhou You remained silent for a moment.

Now that things have come to this, he can't tell whether the abbot is deliberately making things difficult for him or if this is just how things are.

However, he was an easygoing person. After shaking his head, he peeled open something that looked like an orange and casually stuffed it into his mouth.

Unfortunately, before he could even take a few bites, an even larger basin—no, it should be called a vat—slammed down in front of him.

Its weight was so great that it even made the table tremble.

In the blink of an eye, an extremely tempting aroma wafted into my mouth and nose.

Even with Zhou You's composure, he couldn't help but look towards it.

That's a pot of meat soup.

A generous portion of meat broth.

The meat inside had been stewed until it was mushy and didn't look very appetizing, but the aroma was extremely strong. There were also some vegetables like cassava and radishes bubbling around inside, and the tempting aroma made one's mouth water.

"Abbot, what is this?"

The old monk Hongyi smiled.

"This is a specialty of our temple. It is made by stewing ham, fat chicken, and the finest pork and fish together. Although it doesn't look special, many gourmets travel from afar just to taste it."

Oh right, I forgot, you monks don't abstain from meat.

Zhou You, who hadn't tasted the aroma of meat in a long time, picked up a spoon, intending to scoop himself a bowl. However, halfway through, he suddenly stopped and then sat back down.

The old monk was puzzled by this.

"Young friend, is it because you find this soup too simple and unpalatable?"

However, Zhou You simply smiled and shook his head.

"It's nothing, it's just that I've been eating and sleeping outdoors for a while now, and my stomach might not be able to handle it. Other things are fine, but if it interferes with important business, that would be troublesome."

The reasons were still flimsy, but the old monk accepted them all without hesitation, merely nodding in agreement.

"It is indeed something I forgot to mention, but unfortunately, young friend, you will never get to taste it."

Zhou You smiled but remained silent.

Even after the meal was over, the old monk Hongyi still didn't take him to do anything important. Instead, he used the excuse of being tired from the journey to call over a monk and asked him to take him to his room to rest for the night, saying that everything would be discussed the next day.

However, when Zhou You saw the person who was picking him up, he suddenly burst into laughter.

It's not because of anything else.

Instead, the person who came to pick him up was none other than the monk leader he had seen in town.

He waved to us from afar.

"Brother, what a coincidence! We just bumped into each other this morning, and now we're seeing each other again?"

Unexpectedly.

The monk frowned, scrutinized him carefully for a while, and then spoke.

"Excuse me, benefactor."

"Excuse me, who are you?"

(End of this chapter)