How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Zhou Shuang leaned closer: "I've actually discovered that the golden bowl is a treasure."

"Three or four pounds of gold is a treasure in itself."

"It's not a treasure in that sense... As long as you fill this bowl with water, you can see a golden dragon."

"Ah? A magical artifact?" Zhou Wenju's eyes lit up.

A golden bowl, weighing three or four pounds.

This single item alone would be an extraordinary treasure in the secular world.

Of course, this is the view from before.

The visual perception has changed.

He's the kind of person who's robbed people!

Especially last night's robbery...

It greatly broadened his horizons.

He had become so arrogant that he no longer valued three or four pounds of gold.

However, the golden bowl contained a magical artifact with a golden dragon inside...

My God, could it be an ancient artifact?

Only a true ancient artifact can restrain a real dragon!

"It doesn't seem like a magic artifact; it's more like a royal gold artifact. I've heard that the royal family has a craft that can create hidden patterns on gold. As long as water is poured on it, the patterns will appear. You should know more about this than I do, Second Brother, since you studied at the Mohist school for a few years..."

Zhou Wenju's interest plummeted.

Of course he knows this craft.

No matter how superb this skill is, it is still just a worldly skill, which the disciples of the Mohist school look down upon.

It's not a magical artifact, so it doesn't really mean anything...

"Second Brother, what do you think? Should I steal this bowl and sell it?" Zhou Shuang asked.

"Let's forget about it. Our Zhou family isn't that poor now; we have a broader perspective..."

Zhou Shuang's eyes lit up: "Huh? You robbed someone again last night? How much did you steal?"

"My God..." Zhou Wenju glared at her. "Didn't I give you a hundred taels last time? Did you spend it all?"

"Yeah, I ordered two top courtesans at the Drunken Pavilion, and it cost me all in no time. It's practically robbery..."

"You're ordering the most beautiful courtesan? I'm asking you, why are you ordering her?"

"I know what you mean, you're saying I'm a woman and can't do *that*, right? Second brother, you're a scholar, don't be so vulgar and crude. I just enjoy listening to music, so what? Can't women listen to music?"

We chatted and talked along the way as we climbed the mountain.

Zhou Wenju let out a long sigh, stretched out his hand, and three hundred-tael silver notes appeared in front of Zhou Shuang as if by magic: "Here you go!"

Zhou Shuangxi beamed, kissing the silver note on her lips: "I can listen to music again!"

Then, he warned Zhou Wenju: "Second brother, when you meet my master today, don't reveal your identity as a scholar."

"Huh? Why is that?" Zhou Wenju didn't understand.

"Why so many whys? My master doesn't like it!" Zhou Shuang said. "She's always been cold and sarcastic, and if she knew you were a scholar, she probably wouldn't even let you in the door. Wouldn't that make me lose face?"

"I don't like women who are intellectuals!" Zhou Wenju scratched his head. "This nun is making me more and more interested. Let's go in and take a look."

Stepping into the ancient temple, one is greeted by towering trees and fallen leaves covering the ground.

Clearly, this nun was not one to sweep the floor.

Coincidentally, her only disciple was also someone who disliked sweeping.

This resulted in the pristine state of the entire mountain, extending from the foot of the mountain all the way to the summit, leading directly into Tianjing Temple.

"She should be meditating right now!" Zhou Shuang looked around. "Second brother, let's go take a look. I'm not lying to you, when she meditates, she really is wet down there, and there are grapes on her chest..."

The two tiptoed through the ancient and quiet meditation hall, where the backyard offered a unique view.

An ancient Bodhi tree grows at the foot of a cliff in the backyard, and on the edge of the cliff, a nun in blue sits cross-legged.

Zhou Wenju's gaze fell upon the scene, and he was slightly startled.

He actually saw "water flowing below and grapes on the chest".

However, the scene was completely different from what he had envisioned, one that would require blurring out details...

The nun sat cross-legged on a blue stone, where shimmering water flowed, making her appear as if she were sitting in a vast ocean.

And on her chest, beads were secretly knotted.

It's called grapes, but it's not actually grapes at all.

It is Bodhi!

He witnessed firsthand how Bodhi seeds came into existence from nothing, slowly transforming from illusion into reality.

This is the transformation of true essence into reality...

Zhou Shuangyan, when she was eating her master's grapes, was actually eating a Bodhi seed formed from condensed true essence.

Therefore, her cultivation level improved rapidly, transforming her from a street brat into a master cultivator just a hair's breadth away from the Dao Mountain...

My goodness, it seems that one should not presuppose too many unhealthy things in one's mind, otherwise, even very serious and sacred spiritual practices will be distorted when they reach one's ears.

A gust of wind blew by, and the leaves of the Bodhi tree fell one after another.

Zhou Wenju looked up and suddenly sensed something was amiss...

The water flowing beneath the nun was intimately connected to the Bodhi tree.

And the Bodhi tree...

With his incredibly keen senses, he caught a glimpse of an extremely strange feeling.

He could clearly sense that the life force of the Bodhi tree was slipping away.

She absorbed the vitality of the Bodhi tree and transformed it into the source of her spiritual power...

This……

Is this a Buddhist supernatural power, or a demonic divine skill?

Buddhism emphasizes helping the world and saving people; the Buddha himself was known for cutting off his own flesh to feed eagles.

She sat on the bluestone, absorbing the vitality of the Bodhi tree and making it her own.

Every move he made was in the style of a Buddhist monk, but what he actually did was plunder...

What a contrasting Buddhist nun!

His gaze finally settled on the nun's face.

This positioning...

Zhou Wenju was a little surprised...

He once again captured a contrast—a contrast to what he had expected.

Generally speaking, a female nun living alone in a Buddhist monastery should exude a sense of tranquility and elegance.

However, Zhou Wenju's first impression today was: noble!

My second impression was: she was incredibly beautiful!

Yes, the words "noble" and "exquisite beauty" can actually be paired with a nun...

"She'll be a while longer. Let me take you to see her bowl first..." Zhou Shuang pulled Zhou Wenju out of the backyard and into a side room. On the table in the side room was the golden bowl that she had mentioned several times.

Zhou Wenju took the golden bowl, ran his fingers along the clean inside, felt the dark patterns, but did not sense any information about the ritual object.

Zhou Shuang is right; this is not a magic artifact, but more like a royal everyday item.

It's almost noon.

Zhou Shuang went to the backyard.

When she stepped into the backyard again, the nun opened her eyes.

As soon as she opened her eyes, the jade-like water beneath her transformed into a spirit snake and burrowed into her body.

She picked up a Bodhi seed from her chest with her fingertips and handed it to Zhou Shuang with a smile.

Zhou Shuang threw it directly into his mouth and swallowed it: "Master, this disciple has brought someone over."

"Hmm?" The nun turned her gaze back and stared at Zhou Wenju, who had come from the meditation hall, her expression somewhat unpleasant.

Zhou Shuang quickly said, "Master, this is my second brother. He just had a huge fight with my father and was put in solitary confinement. I brought him out to avoid my father's wrath..."

"Your brother... is he so unruly?" The nun's expression softened slightly.

"Well, he's not a bad person, he just doesn't like to follow his elders' arrangements. He's also quite generous and righteous. No matter where he gets the money, he always shares it with me. The rice and noodles I took up the mountain last time were bought with money from him."

Every word he said reached Zhou Wenju's ears.

He really didn't know how to comment.

Are these words describing him?

Isn't he clearly a spoiled brat?

Alright, alright, as long as you two are happy.

Zhou Wenju walked over in a few steps, clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Hello, young lady, my name is Zhou Wenju!"

"Wenju...is the young master a scholar?" the nun asked.

This name really sounds like that of a scholar.

Zhou Shuang quickly explained, "This was my father's high expectation for his two brothers. He hoped they would pass the imperial examinations. But that's how things are in this world. The more you expect something, the less likely you are to get it. My second brother failed the preliminary examination for the imperial examinations on his first try, and then he stopped studying altogether..."

"Throughout history, scholars have often ruined the country; it's actually better that she didn't pass the imperial examinations!" The nun smiled slightly. "Young master, are you perhaps here to see if your younger sister has been entrusted with the wrong teacher in her spiritual practice?"

"I'm relieved to have a master like you to guide me, young lady! Thank you so much..." Zhou Wenju said, "I'm going for a walk outside."

He went out the back door.

We left the Zen temple.

It was time for Zhou Shuang to put in the effort; he needed to go into seclusion to refine the Bodhi seed after swallowing it.

Sit down and study diligently.

The nun watched Zhou Wenju leave with her beautiful eyes.

Zhou Wenju behaved like a spoiled brat throughout the entire process.

However, he stopped once he left the area of ​​the ancient temple.

Under the tree ahead, two men turned around; it was Zhang San and Xu Hai…

He just hooked it with his finger...

"Young master, there's something you need to know," Zhang San said in a low voice as he approached.

"explain!"

"He Wen, the seventh young master of the He family, was not at the manor last night. He stayed overnight at a brothel in Qishan, which is why he escaped this calamity," Zhang San said. "After learning of the He family's attack, he rushed to Lingnan, undoubtedly to find that damned Prefect Chen Zhang. Chen Zhang will certainly come to punish him. Moreover, this news must have already been sent to the capital; a massive storm is imminent!"

Theoretically, anyone would be horrified upon hearing this.

However, Zhou Wenju's face remained expressionless: "No need to panic, everything is as expected."

Zhang San sighed softly: "Whatever the outcome, the consequences of what the Hexi Valley did are the price we should pay. It's just that your father and you, young master, have suffered this undeserved calamity because of the people of Hexi... it's truly..."

"The dust hasn't settled yet, so don't look to the future!" Zhou Wenju interrupted him. "Analyze how Chen Zhang will react after learning this news."

Xu Hai said, "Chen Zhang is just a dog kept by the He and Li families. What kind of reaction can he have? There are two things he will definitely do. First, he will immediately send someone across Pingfeng Ridge to deliver the news to Luoyang, the capital. Second, he will come in person to question your father."

Zhang San continued, "Considering the special circumstances of Qishan County, he might also bring the local troops from Lingnan... no, he definitely will!"