How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

I rely on...

Corrupt officials!

And a corrupt official!

Will my dad ever cross paths with this word in his entire life?

Zhou Wenju raised his gaze, staring at the mountaintop above: "Fine, I'll tell you the truth. The reason I came to Baima Temple is very simple, and that is... Baima Temple abstains from killing!"

"Abstain from killing? You...you're afraid?" Lin Nongyue glanced at him sideways.

"Isn't that obvious?" Zhou Wenju said, "I went to the capital to attend a literary gathering! On the way, I was attacked by two waves of assassins. I'm really unlucky. If I had stayed at an ordinary inn in the capital, do you think those people would have dared to assassinate me? Only the White Horse Temple is truly a place where killing is forbidden."

Zhou Wenju knew about the White Horse Temple.

The origin of this name is related to Buddhism.

The Buddha sang shaved his head at the "Canhe Temple" in Xishan and devoted himself to studying Buddhist scriptures for eighty-one years. One day, he was blessed with enlightenment, rode a white horse out, experienced thirty-three tribulations in the mortal world, and finally became a Buddha sage.

To commemorate this journey of the Buddha, Buddhist and Taoist disciples changed the name of "Canhe Temple" to "Baima Temple".

There is still a stone tablet in the temple with one word written on it: "否" (fǒu).

Inscribed by the Buddha himself.

When the Buddha attained sainthood, the calligraphy he left behind became the supreme Buddhist treasure.

This stele must not be destroyed!

Holy power covered the entire mountain, and killing was forbidden throughout the mountain.

"I've heard of the White Horse Temple's vow against killing," Lin Nongyue said. "It's just a Buddhist declaration, isn't it? I've never seen a place where they say they forbid killing and then they actually don't kill."

"I don't know about other places, but this Western Hills might really have some unique features. For example, the mosquitoes on this mountain don't bite!"

"Ah? Such a strange thing?" Lin Nongyue said.

"Even if you don't believe it, and I don't believe it either, I came here once when I was ten years old, one summer, and I believed it. The mosquitoes really don't bite."

"You came to the capital when you were ten years old?" Lin Nongyue asked.

"It's not just that I've been to the capital. I lived in the capital until I was fifteen. But later, I left the capital to study. Then my father committed a crime and was demoted to Lingnan. Our house was confiscated, and I could no longer be considered a person from the capital."

"You're so pitiful... You left the capital to study, but you didn't achieve anything. You still couldn't participate in the imperial examinations. Your father even got into trouble, and you lost your family. I will never make fun of you again," Lin Nongyue said earnestly.

"What do you mean we've lost our home? My parents were living happily together in Lingnan, how could they just be gone?"

"Hey...you're mocking my mother for being dumped, you've gone too far..." Lin Nongyue was furious.

The two argued and bickered all the way to the entrance of the White Horse Temple.

A gentle knock was made, and the door opened. A young monk, perhaps seven or eight years old, looked up and asked, "Do you two have something to ask?"

"I would like to donate some money for incense oil in exchange for a few days' stay at the quiet retreat. Is that alright?" Zhou Wenju asked.

The young monk licked his lips: "Your request was possible in the past, but not today."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because the temple is holding a religious ceremony, the abbot has instructed that only monks and nuns are allowed to enter, and people from the secular world are not permitted to enter," the young monk replied earnestly.

Zhou Wenju said, "Young monk, I am a monk, and this is a nun."

Lin Nongyue's eyes widened...

The young monk's eyes widened as he looked at the two men with their long hair: "You flatter me, benefactors. You two clearly have hair..."

"To the common eye, hair is all that is on the head; to the Buddha's eye, hair is emptiness. Young monk, your understanding of Buddhist principles is not deep enough, and you have not reached the state of emptiness of the four elements. You are misled by this long head of hair." Zhou Wenju put his palms together and said, "This humble monk is a monk, and this nun is a nun. This humble monk's Dharma name is Nongwen, and this nun's Dharma name is Nongyue."

The young monk was a little confused: "This humble monk is indeed not well-versed in Buddhist principles, as Master often mentions, however... however, it seems there is no such thing as the 'Nong' generation in Buddhism..."

"All is emptiness, even seniority is empty!" Zhou Wenju said. "Please, young monk, open the door and let this humble monk in. Amitabha!"

"Amitabha!" the young monk replied, pressing his palms together. "I'll speak to the abbot; if he agrees, we can open the door then, okay?"

"All is emptiness, the steward is emptiness, the master is emptiness, Amitabha..." Zhou Wen raised his hand and flipped it over, handing a piece of candied fruit to the little monk's lips. With a gentle rub, the sweet fragrance made the little monk's lips suddenly glisten.

Lin Nongyue pressed her hand to her forehead, completely speechless.

But she didn't say anything; she just stood there watching him fool the young monk...

"The Buddha said, 'By helping others, you help yourself.' Little monk, how about you do me a favor?... Amitabha!"

"Amitabha Buddha, please come in, fellow practitioners!"

Get it!

The young monk led them through the long corridor to the backyard, where there were several elegant and quiet rooms.

After settling them in, the little monk ran off. Lin Nongyue looked through the window at the small, bald boy leaning against the temple wall licking dried fruit, her expression unreadable.

He slowly turned around: "Have you always solved problems by lying?"

"Don't you think this is very effective?" Zhou Wenju smiled.

"Effective?" Lin Nongyue rolled her eyes at him: "You're just fooling this kid. If his master finds out, not only will we not be able to stay here, but you'll also be charged with blasphemy against Buddhism."

"If his master finds out, I'll have another excuse," Zhou Wenju said with a faint smile. "I guarantee he'll still be able to stay!"

Lin Nongyue gently shook her head: "I've noticed that you're really shameless... almost as thick as the walls of the capital."

As soon as she finished speaking, a voice came from outside: "What Miss said is true! Brother Zhou, I'm already too lazy to say anything about your casual misinterpretation of Buddhist scriptures, but using a piece of candied fruit to lure Kong Dan, further stimulating his already weak appetite, is really going too far."

As soon as the sound faded, a figure flashed by.

A dashing and handsome figure appeared at the end of the corridor. Chung-hachi strolled over, the snow behind him now serving as his cloak.

Zhou Wenju stood up and smiled slightly: "There's no other way! Brother Zhong asked me to stay at Baima Temple, so I naturally have to comply. I can't break Brother Zhong's promise just because the little monk said he was doing a ritual and refused to receive lay guests."

"It's true that Baima Temple holds religious ceremonies and doesn't receive lay guests. However, it's also normal for literary figures to observe Buddhist ceremonies. Brother Zhou, just reveal your reputation as a master of poetry, and Baima Temple really won't turn you away, will it?" Zhongba sat down and gently beckoned, "Junior Brother Kongdan, bring in the tea set. This is a literary figure I specially invited. It won't disrupt the temple's ceremonial procedures, and you don't need to hide behind the door and be afraid to show your face."

The little monk came in.

He was holding a tray in his hands.

Inside are tea sets and charcoal.

Zhongba took it, and the little monk's round eyes were still fixed on Zhou Wenju, with a hint of resentment.

"Brother Zhong, you call him... junior brother?" Zhou Wenju was somewhat surprised.

"Yes, I spent some time in seclusion at the temple back then. The abbot gave me the status of a disciple. At that time, my junior brother Kongdan had just entered the sect." Zhongba picked up the stove and started a fire.

"Now that you say so, doesn't that make us acquaintances?" Zhou Wenju opened his pouch, took out a piece of dried fruit, and handed it to the little monk Kongdan.

Kongdan stared wide-eyed at the dried fruit and shook his head resolutely.

"It's alright. As the Buddha said, 'Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but the Buddha sits in the heart.' Even wine and meat have their reasons, so what's a piece of dried fruit? Here you go!" Zhou Wenju handed the dried fruit to Miaokong.

Miao Kong's eyes were a little unfocused as she looked at Zhong Ba...

Zhongba gently shook his head: "Your master strictly ordered... if you indulge in gluttony, you must recite the 'Erwang Sutra' ten times at a time. Have you forgotten, junior brother?"

"I haven't forgotten!" Kong Dan took the piece of candied fruit: "Tonight's evening prayers, this humble monk will recite the 'Sutra of Calamities and Illusions' twenty times."

Turned around and left.

No, it jumped...

Chung-hachi was a little confused.

He directly stopped his junior brother from indulging in his gluttony, even bringing up his master. What did the junior brother interpret that as? Facing punishment head-on, accepting punishment... this... this gluttonous habit is incurable.

"His name... is Kongdan?" Zhou Wenju seemed quite interested in the young monk.

"Yes, when he first became a disciple of his master, he was so cold that he fainted, but he held a hard-boiled egg tightly in his hand, afraid of losing it. His master said that only when you can completely get rid of your appetite and can no longer see the egg can you be considered to have entered the Buddhist path. To spur him on, he gave him the Dharma name: Empty Egg."

Zhou Wenju chuckled: "So, it seems I really succeeded in using dried fruit to lure him today?"

"You... I can't even be bothered to talk about you! Let's not talk about him anymore..." Chung-hachi turned his gaze to Lin Nong-yue: "And this is...?"

"This is Miss Lin, whom I met on the road," Zhou Wenju said.

Encountered on the road...

He keeps running into beauties of this caliber, and he always manages to get close to them...

Chung-ba stared at Lin Nong-yue, momentarily at a loss for words.

Lin Nongyue stood up: "I'm going out for a walk."

He got up and left.

As she left, Zhongba gently raised his hand, and a drop of water flew out, forming a soundproof barrier...

"Brother Zhou, if your opponent knew you were fond of beautiful women, he probably wouldn't have needed to send someone to assassinate you on that snowy night. That would ultimately be a very poor strategy," Zhongba sighed softly.

"Who doesn't like a beautiful woman?" Zhou Wenju smiled lightly. "But you can rest assured, she's not the type to have ulterior motives."

"Whether she has ulterior motives or not, she wouldn't go so far as to stick a note on her forehead to make it clear." Zhongba said, "I have no doubts about her intentions, but I am just reminding Brother Zhou that you should be careful when you encounter beautiful women on the road in the future."

"I will follow your instructions, Brother Zhong. It is fine to admire and play with the beauty, but as for entrusting her with my true feelings, we shall wait and see... listen to her words and observe her actions."

Zhongba rubbed his forehead in speechlessness: "Brother Zhou intends to be a carefree playboy who 'passes through a sea of ​​flowers without a single petal clinging to him,' so why make me, Zhongba, take the blame?"

"Haha..." Zhou Wenju laughed.

After a moment of hesitation, Chung-hachi finally smiled.

The moment they laughed, the atmosphere immediately relaxed.

Zhou Wenju spoke up: "Brother Zhong, you must have something to discuss today."

"Brother Zhou, you've come for the Qingshan Literary Society, so let me tell you about its basic information..."

Chung-hachi continued talking about the current situation...

The Qingshan Literary Gathering will be held on the seventh day of the second lunar month.

Everyone knows that this top-level literary event will be the best opportunity for scholars to make a name for themselves.

Therefore, all the scholars in the Great Yu Kingdom wanted to participate.

However, there are only seven spots available.

These seven people are corresponding to the seven major types above literature and the Way.

Classics, poetry, music, mathematics, calligraphy, painting, and chess.

The four major academies, the Hanlin Academy, and the literary circles of the capital were in an uproar over these seven spots.

Currently, there is little controversy regarding the candidates for the five categories of economics, music, mathematics, calligraphy, and painting; they have been preliminarily selected.

However, the specialization in chess and poetry is highly controversial.

In the game of chess, three days ago, the two most outstanding talents in the capital city began their duel. After three days, the game was in full swing, and the outcome was still undecided.

The Poetry Path was the track that His Majesty and the Chief Judge intentionally had Zhou Wenju participate in...

The competition intensified.

There are three strongest competitors on this track.

Each of the three has their own unique characteristics, and they are all true geniuses in the art of poetry.

One person's name is Bai Tianyang.

He was once the top of the four great talents in the capital. Four years ago, he passed the imperial examination with the third-highest rank and became a fifth-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy. In his past career, he wrote six colorful poems, earning him the nickname "Six-Colored Third-Rank Scholar".

The second one is a true master.

He Wenxin, professor of poetry at Luoyang Academy.

He authored a book called "Twelve Poetry Criticisms," which was included in the "Confucian Temple Classics Library."

Scholars have three things to establish: virtue, merit, and words. He has achieved the "establishment of words." Those who establish words are called masters. Therefore, he is a true master.

The third person is Xiang Yuezhou, a great scholar from the capital, who once wrote a poem...

"Qing Shi?" Zhou Wenju was slightly taken aback.

"Exactly! The Eternal Blue Sky Poem, the poem that 'spreads throughout the world with a single poem,' is the pinnacle of poetry!" Zhongba said, "I know that Brother Zhou has unparalleled talent in poetry, and can compose a seven-colored poem with a wave of his hand. However, the seven-colored poem is not the pinnacle; the Eternal Blue Sky Poem is."

"According to the 'List of Poems on the Heavenly Way,' there have only been five hundred such poems in the past three thousand years. We don't know which one he wrote?" Zhou Wenju said.

"It's: 'Willows by the river in the misty rain, autumn in the heart of the one who departs!'" Chung-hachi chuckled softly, "The beautiful young woman you met on the road had his poem on her umbrella, and you didn't even know where it came from?"

"This...this poem isn't included in the 'Heavenly Dao Green Poems Directory'...is it a Liu Dao Green Poem?"

There are two kinds of poems about the eternal blue sky.

One type is the one whose creation was determined by the Heavenly Dao to be an eternal Green Poem. This type of poem is recorded in the "Heavenly Dao Green Poem Directory" and is called the Heavenly Dao Green Poem.

Another origin of this style is not the eternal blue sky poem. It was gradually known to people through word of mouth and was included in the "Blue Poems Directory", called "Flowing Blue Poems".

"So what if he's a Qing Shi poet? He's still a Qing Shi poet!" Zhong Ba said, "The Director was entrusted by His Majesty to select candidates for this Qingshan Literary Gathering. He initially chose this person. However, this person is arrogant and his proposed conditions angered the Director, so the Director abandoned him and chose another capable person."

"He made other demands? What kind of demands did he make?" Zhou Wenju asked.

"This man said... 'How can an old man who has not yet acquired literary talent bear such a heavy responsibility?' His meaning is clear: he demands that the dynasty grant him literary talent before he will fight for the dynasty."

"Is this person not Wenxin?" Zhou Wenju asked.

"This man excels in poetry, but his knowledge of classics, history, essays, and policy is unremarkable. He barely passed the provincial examination, and failed each of the three palace examinations. Therefore, he possesses literary talent, but lacks true literary talent!" Zhongba said, "The imperial court can only bestow literary talent based on the imperial examination results. Even if it were to grant a special favor, there must be a plausible reason. If he could shine brightly at the Qingshan Literary Gathering and achieve great merit for the dynasty, it would be understandable for His Majesty to bestow literary talent upon him. The problem is, this man demands to be granted literary talent first, and then join the literary gathering..."

"Hmm, arrogant because of their talent, and lacking in common sense, let's not talk about them!" Zhou Wenju nodded: "Brother Zhong, tell us about the other two..."

Zhong Ba said, "Bai Tianyang, the Six-Colored Scholar, is an editor in the Hanlin Academy, and the entire Hanlin Academy supports him. He Wenxin is a professor at Luoyang Academy, and all four major academies in the country support him! His Highness the Crown Prince has also praised him as a pillar of the literary world on many occasions. Therefore, he has an excellent reputation in official circles."

Zhou Wenju was slightly taken aback...

Compiled by the Hanlin Academy, with support from the Hanlin Academy.

Professor at Luoyang Academy, supported by the four major academies.

These are all perfectly legitimate and justifiable.

After all, people have their own circles. No matter how much people in a circle dislike each other, when competing with outsiders, they will always vote for their own people.

But then, suddenly a prince appeared...

The words "Your Highness the Crown Prince" were somewhat sensitive to Zhou Wenju.

After the Qishan incident, the phrase "Your Highness the Crown Prince" became synonymous with Zhou Wenju's enemy.

Given his position, Tadashi would naturally not directly consider the Crown Prince his enemy, but that doesn't mean Tadashi was unaware of the Crown Prince's affair with him...