Chapter 135: 134 Divine Nun: If you aren't happy, this poor nun won't serve you anymore!

"Little bastard, what are you trying to do!"

Suddenly hearing Ning Mu's reckless, threatening words, Liuli was so startled she stopped in her tracks, her delicate face flushed, her eyes flickering as she stared at Ning Mu, looking quite like someone gritting her teeth in secret, hateful yet utterly helpless.

What else could she do!

As a Disciple of Puluo Zushi, a mountain impossible to scale in the hearts of thousands of monks, known throughout the pugilistic world as the Divine Nun.

What she feared most was breaking the vow of lust, ruining her reputation, and becoming a disgrace to the pugilistic world.

So at this moment, she was truly terrified that this reckless Ning Mu would suddenly speak up and, in front of all the monks of Jikong Temple, reveal the "secret" beneath her Zen robes.

Her heart could not stop racing.

She wondered to herself if this mission would plunge her into an abyss of no return.

And while she hesitated.

Looking at the shimmering-eyed, flustered Divine Nun of Ciyun, Ning Mu felt a ripple in his heart and smirked, "Just like last time, help me get it out, but this time, it has to be in the Buddha hall."

"Otherwise..."

Liuli's heart panicked instantly, her expression filled with intense shame and anger, and she gritted her teeth, "Otherwise what? You dog, don't go too far!"

Liuli wished she could tear this smirking scoundrel into eight pieces to vent the hatred in her heart.

But that system, which felt like the will of the Heavenly Dao, possessed a great power she could not resist; she feared that even her master, Poluo Chanshi, who was in secluded cultivation at Bolu Ciyun Temple in Baisha City, could not oppose it.

After all, this system was formless and intangible, neither visible nor touchable; how could one remove it! Yet for some reason, listening to the words of this brat Ning Mu lingering in her ears, she felt an inexplicable urge to try it.

In the Buddha hall, to comfort him in front of the Buddha.

If such an absurd thing were to truly happen by her own hand, what would it be like! To profane the Buddha like this, she feared she would never again have the qualification to say a single "Amitabha"...

But once this thought took root, it was as if it had sprouted; no matter how she silently recited the Qingxin Mantra, it was of no use. Not only could she not excise it from her mind, but it grew increasingly intense.

She even felt that the Fo Ze within her Fo Ku had become full.

With the possibility of dripping at any moment.

"Nun, you have broken the vow of lying!" Ning Mu teased, looking at Liuli, who was a head shorter than him.

Liuli was stunned.

This brat was simply maddening.

Just a moment ago he was teasing her, and now he was acting all serious; she couldn't keep up with his train of thought! "Hmph, in front of you, I have only broken the vow of lying; that is enough to prove my Buddha Heart is firm!"

Liuli pursed her lips and rolled her eyes speechlessly.

The nerve of him.

Ning Mu couldn't help but shrug, then took hold of Liuli's hand and strode into the mountain gate.

"Mm~"

Liuli let out a coquettish sound and tried to pull away, but after tugging a few times without success, she blushed and let the boy take liberties with her.

At least he wasn't going too far; he was just holding her hand as they walked.

Although it was equally difficult for her to explain this to the monks and nuns of Jikong Temple, especially Zen Master Hui'an.

But as the dignified Divine Nun of Ciyun and a Disciple of Poluo Chanshi, who had always been spontaneous and pure, acting according to her heart, was there any need to explain anything to these low-level little novices?

Yes.

Even someone with as much prestige as Zen Master Hui'an, the object of worship for many Buddha Gate disciples within Yonghang Prefecture, was at most just a slightly larger little novice in Liuli's eyes.

Such was the status of the Divine Nun of Ciyun in the Buddha Gate.

At the mountain peak, Jikong Temple.

Hearing the little novice report that the Divine Nun of Ciyun had arrived again, Zen Master Hui'an, the Abbot who was supervising work in front of the Daxiong Baodian, had his expression change instantly.

"Just say this poor monk is not here!"

Hurriedly dropping this sentence, Zen Master Hui'an ran toward the rear Dharma hall as if fleeing.

"Abbot, what should we say!"

Behind him, the Head Monk Huiming asked anxiously.

"Amitabha, just say the temple is in hardship and this poor monk has gone down the mountain to beg for alms."

From afar, the voice of Abbot Hui'an drifted over, seemingly laced with a few traces of panic.

It was no wonder he was so alarmed.

In truth, he was currently in a rather unsightly state.

Although he was wearing a brand-new monk's robe and a precious cassock with bright gold threads.

His face and neck were covered in blue and purple bruises.

There was even a large, raised lump on the corner of his eye where the blood had not yet dissipated.

One look and it was clear he had been given a sound beating.

Of course.

It wasn't just him.

The high-ranking members of Jikong Temple present.

The Head Monk Huiming, the West Hall Monk Huiwu, the Rear Hall Monk Huile, and other high-ranking monks, without exception, all bore injuries to varying degrees.

It was just a matter of severity.

For instance, the Head Monk Huiming had been more alert at the time; apart from taking a palm strike from the Divine Nun of Ciyun on his back, his face remained uninjured.

So he appeared to be the most normal one among the monks present.

Hearing that the Divine Nun of Ciyun was about to visit and that Abbot Hui'an had hidden away, Huiming had no choice but to summon his courage to take charge of the situation and call upon the other high-ranking members to hurry down the mountain to welcome her.

He was terrified that the slightest neglect in etiquette would cause the Divine Nun of Ciyun to fly into a rage again.

In his haste, he even completely cast the supervision of the work to the back of his mind.

At this moment, the Daxiong Baodian was dilapidated and decaying; scaffolding erected with bamboo poles surrounded the entire hall, and it was filled with toiling Laborers.

All around, there were monks from time to time, holding long whips and responsible for supervising the work.

At the slightest sign of slowness, those whips would land on the backs of the Laborers.

Before long.

Outside the Sanmen Dian.

The plaza.

Watching that man and woman approaching hand in hand.

The man was imposing, handsome and dashing, exceptionally refined, and his expression seemed to reveal a hint of anticipation and curiosity.

As for the woman, her posture was graceful and elegant; the Zen robe embroidered with Putuo Ye danced with the wind, occasionally revealing her smooth, fair calves, and she wore wooden clogs on her feet.

It was just that the woman's complexion was a bit off.

Compared to usual, it appeared quite flushed, as if she were incomparably shy.

But very quickly, Huiming recognized this woman wearing the Zen robe.

Who else could it be but the famous Divine Nun Ciyun!

It was just that what he hadn't expected was, why was the dignified Divine Nun Ciyun holding a man's hand? Could it be that she had developed worldly desires? That shouldn't be!

If one were to say some little nun was thinking of the mundane world and had lost her heart to a man, that would still be understandable.

After all, in this world today, many nunneries ostensibly engage in the faith of worshipping Buddha, but in reality, they are nothing more than places used by certain great clans, or even the imperial family, to house women of their kin who have broken the rules.

There are even nunneries that ostensibly revere Buddha, but behind the scenes, they engage in the sordid business of prostitution.

But who is this nun?

She is the illustrious Divine Nun Ciyun, who shakes the Buddha Gate of the north and south, and is the closing Disciple of Zen Master Poluo of Bolu Ciyun Temple in Baisha City.

She thinking of the mundane world?

Isn't that like selling floral cloth in a mass grave—utter nonsense?

With a flash of thought in his heart, Huiming and the others all discarded this unrealistic idea.

"It must be some acquaintance, right? A person like Divine Nun Ciyun has long since seen through the red dust; to her, the body is merely a skin bag carrying the soul, so naturally, she wouldn't care about this physical contact."

Someone asked their doubt, and Zen Master Huiming hesitated for a moment before finding an excuse for Liuli.

Then.

He put on a smiling face and, leading a group of monks, took the initiative to greet them.

"Divine Nun Ciyun has graced us with her presence again; we failed to welcome you personally, please forgive us..."

"We humble monks respectfully welcome the Divine Nun; may the Divine Nun be filled with Dharma joy, Amitabha!"

Accompanied by Zen Master Huiming's proactive greeting and well-wishes, the group of Jikong Temple high-ranking officials behind him all pressed their palms together, bowing their heads in a posture of utmost respect and piety.

The meaning of being filled with Dharma joy expressed their admiration and pious blessings for Liuli's success in cultivation and her profound Buddha Dao.

"Where is that old bald donkey Hui'an?"

Liuli feigned composure, looked at the group of monks before her, and asked.

"..."

Ning Mu was stunned for a moment.

Is Liuli Shitai this 'arrogant'? Although he didn't know who Hui'an was, looking at the degree of respect this group of monks showed Liuli, he could guess that Hui'an's status and position were no lower than any of these monks.

These people were all draped in kasayas, with the appearance of Buddha's radiance; at a glance, they were the high-ranking officials of this Jikong Temple.

Connecting this to Liuli's identity.

Then the Hui'an she spoke of was, in all likelihood, the Abbot of this temple.

For a person of such noble status, not calling them a high monk was one thing, but to actually call them an old bald donkey directly? Yet, looking at Huiming and the others, there was not the slightest expression of surprise.

Clearly.

They seemed to have long been accustomed to Liuli's 'arrogant behavior'.

"Replying to the Divine Nun, per the Divine Nun's decree, this temple is currently undergoing large-scale construction of Buddha quarters, conscripting over six thousand Laborers, and coupled with the three hundred thousand catties of grain previously advanced to the Divine Nun, our temple's accounts are now in deficit, and we cannot even guarantee the wages of the Laborers, so the Abbot has gone down the mountain to beg for alms..." Huiming answered cautiously, his words revealing prudence.

While speaking, he secretly observed Liuli's expression from time to time.

If there was the slightest sign of something wrong, he could change his words in time.

Fortunately, Liuli's expression did not fluctuate.

In truth, it was because Liuli was too nervous at this moment; after all, standing here with the cold wind blowing in, that Empty Gap State made her incomparably nervous, and on top of that, her palm was being constantly harassed by this brat Ning Mu, making her heart itch unbearably, and she had no way to focus her attention on what Huiming was saying.

As the head monk, with the Abbot away, Huiming needed to act as the proxy in charge of all affairs in the temple.

Having him lead a group of high monks to welcome her personally was, in reason and sentiment, a display of sufficient importance.

Liuli raised her eyebrows, waved her hand casually, and said: "Understood, all of you go back to your work. This young friend has a profound affinity with the Buddha, and this poor nun is very fond of him, so I brought him to your temple to pay respects; I shall lead him myself, you all may do as you please."

Huiming and the others were all suddenly enlightened.

So that was it.

For a moment, the gazes everyone cast toward Ning Mu were filled with nothing but envy and respect.

Being able to gain the favor of Divine Nun Ciyun, his future in the Buddha Gate would surely be limitless.

Perhaps in time, this benefactor's cultivation would surpass theirs, and even his seniority would be much higher than theirs.

In the entire Buddha Gate, who does not yearn to be able to join the ranks under Divine Nun Ciyun? After all, once one has entered Divine Nun Ciyun's door, it is equivalent to having obtained the protection of the Buddha Gate's Puluo Zushi; in the Buddha Gate... no, in this Jianghu, one could almost walk sideways!

As long as it is not some great disaster of destroying a family or clan, no one would look for trouble with an old monster who has lived for eight hundred years.

"Understood, understood, the Divine Nun may do as she pleases, we shall not disturb you further!"

"Blessings to the benefactor."

Huiming immediately nodded respectfully, recited a Buddha name, and after greeting Ning Mu, he led the group of monks and turned to walk back.

"I didn't expect that Shitai's status in the Buddha Gate would be so high?"

After Huiming and the others had left, Ning Mu squeezed Liuli's soft, boneless-feeling jade hand, leaned down to her ear, and sent a voice transmission.

A flash of arrogance immediately crossed Liuli's brow.

But before she could even show off.

Suddenly.

Ning Mu's next sentence made her face turn as red as blood. "But if they knew that the dignified Divine Nun Ciyun was wearing nothing at all when she met with them, what would they think?"

"Tsk, Master, I suddenly remembered that you seem to have had such experiences many times, and I've discovered them all. Could it be that you have some strange hobby?"

Before Liuli could react, Ning Mu clicked his tongue in wonder, then added another sentence.

In an instant.

One could see Liuli's deep, arrogant eyes suddenly filled with shame, annoyance, and anger.

Her gaze flickered, as if she wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

What could she do? It was all the fault of that system, forcing her to accept such shameful tasks! And this scoundrel Ning Mu just happened to be the Xia Lu partner bound to the system.

Otherwise, how could she demean herself so much and blaspheme the Buddha? "Shut your mouth!"

"I'm happy to do it, is it any of your business? Fuck your mother, are you the wall in the Buddha hall? Why do you talk so much!"

Liuli was so ashamed and angry that she clamped her legs together, rolled her eyes, and even blurted out profanities; one could imagine how intense the shame and anger in her heart were.

That "fuck your mother" left Ning Mu speechless for a moment.

And at the same time.

In the Heavenly King Hall.

Huiming, Huiwu, Huile, and the others slowed their pace.

It wasn't that they were eavesdropping on what that man and woman were saying in the square outside the Sanmen Dian.

At such a distance, plus the noisy construction of the Daxiong Baodian, even if the high-cultivation Abbot Hui'an were here, it would be hard to hear clearly.

Rather, they were whispering to each other.

Seeing the West Hall monk Huiwu lean toward Huiming, he looked back secretly at Liuli and Ning Mu, then whispered, "Senior Brother, is it appropriate not to arrange for someone to keep an eye on them?"

As he spoke, he gestured with his chin toward the Daxiong Baodian.

A look of gravity immediately flashed across Huiming's brow.

After all, their attitude and treatment toward that group of Laborers were indeed too excessive.

If Divine Nun Ciyun discovered it, she would surely be furious.

"Yes, and if the Divine Nun takes that young man and breaks into the Chanfang and Dharma Hall in the back courtyard, discovering the Abbot, how would we explain it..." At this moment, the back hall monk Huile also echoed in a whisper.

Upon hearing this, a flash of sharp calculation passed through Huiming's eyes.

As the head monk, if the Abbot passed away, he would be the rightful next Abbot!

But Huile was of the Abbot's faction, and it was indeed not easy to fool him.

After thinking for a moment, Huiming said immediately, "Fine, then I'll trouble Junior Brother Huile to keep watch in secret. If anything happens, send a Disciple to notify us immediately, can you do that?"

Huile did not doubt him, nodded immediately, and said gravely, "Don't worry, Senior Brother Head Monk, this poor monk will do his best!"

Huiming patted his shoulder, said nothing more, just smiled, and then took Huiwu to the Daxiong Baodian, which was under construction.

"Is this side..." The West Hall monk Huiwu pointed at the Daxiong Baodian and looked at Huiming.

Huiming shook his head slightly and said, "This is all the Abbot's intention; what does it have to do with us?"

Huiwu was stunned, then realized, and immediately reached out his hand to give Huiming a thumbs-up.

The two looked at each other and smiled; everything was understood without words.

And at this moment.

After their brief conversation, Liuli and Ning Mu were already walking hand in hand toward the Sanmen Dian.

"This hall has three gates standing together, one large and two small, symbolizing the Gate of Emptiness, the Gate of No-Form, and the Gate of No-Action..."

"What is worshipped here is the Big-Bellied Joyous Buddha, representing the equality of life and presenting a joyful appearance."

"Standing back-to-back with the Joyous Buddha is the Demon-Subduing Bodhisattva, holding a demon-subduing pestle. If the hands are pressed together, it means the temple welcomes wandering monks from everywhere to stay; if the pestle is held in one hand, it means they are not welcome. This temple does not welcome guests."

Speaking of this, Liuli's brows furrowed slightly.

Walking to the front of the Big-Bellied Joyous Buddha, she pursed her lips, cast a glance at Ning Mu with a hint of shyness in her eyes, and then pressed her hands together, knelt on the prayer mat, and bowed in worship.

Ning Mu didn't say much here, but stood behind and watched quietly.

As Liuli knelt and bowed to the ground.

Her Chan robe was pulled upward.

Vaguely, the scenery hidden under the Chan robe was revealed.

A Sacred Land of the Buddha Gate.

The scenery here was unique.

Liuli seemed not to notice.

After rising, she even gave Ning Mu a grateful look, as if thanking him for not speaking rudely in front of the Joyous Buddha.

Then.

Liuli led him to continue walking forward.

Crossing the Sanmen Dian, one reached the square of the Heavenly King Hall.

However, there was a path here leading from the side of the Heavenly King Hall to the other side.

Seeing that Huile in the Heavenly King Hall had not left, but was acting sneakily, his gaze glancing over here from time to time, Liuli frowned slightly and immediately pulled Ning Mu toward the other side.

"Master, I wonder what it feels like to worship the Buddha without a single thing in your heart, without heavy silk on your body, and without wearing inner garments?"

Liuli's footsteps paused, and she glanced at Ning Mu with a slightly red face.

This scoundrel, just when she thought he knew how to behave with propriety.

Having just stepped out of Sanmen Dian, he could still see the statue of the Joyous Buddha when he looked back, and he started up again.

Frowning slightly and too lazy to pay any more attention to this brat, Liuli took his hand, quickened her pace, and headed straight toward that small alley.

Yet as she walked, her heart could not help but ripple slightly.

That feeling... was indescribable.

While possessing a strong sense of guilt, an unconscious surge of excitement and stimulation arose, making her very Buddha Heart tremble incessantly.

Too much!

But why, in her heart, was there not only no trace of remorse, but instead a feeling of relief? Liuli pursed her lips, her gaze flickering, and for a moment, her heart became incredibly complicated.

Fortunately.

Not far ahead, there were two novices holding brooms, sweeping dust and fallen leaves from the ground.

Seeing that it was the Divine Nun Ciyun who had displayed such great power a few days ago and beaten the Abbot and a group of masters until they were black and blue, the little novices were immediately frightened into shrinking their necks, retreating to stand to one side, and quietly waiting for Liuli and Ning Mu to pass by.

This is the Liaofang, a place specifically for pilgrims to rest.

Walking along the way, Liuli remained silent.

Ning Mu, however, was quite elegant and interested, walking around and looking at things; from time to time, he would meet pilgrims who had come to pay respects to the Buddha, nodding to them as they crossed paths before hurrying on.

Passing through the Liaofang, they walked another few hundred steps.

Another group of houses appeared.

"Hoo~"

For some reason, Liuli secretly let out a breath.

"This is the Chanfang, a place for meditation and quiet cultivation; people cannot live here, so very few people come by."

Liuli looked back, her eyes flickering as she glanced at Ning Mu.

She did not finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Seeing her face rosy and flawless while she spoke, with her eyes flickering, Ning Mu immediately realized what she meant.

Seeing Ning Mu staring at her playfully without speaking.

Liuli's heart tightened, and she immediately blurted out: "Don't think about doing it in the Buddha hall; that is a desecration of the Buddha Lord. This nun will absolutely not agree to it. The Chanfang is already this nun's maximum limit of tolerance. If you don't agree, then forget it; it just so happens that this nun will be spared this trouble!"

After finishing, Liuli's face could not stop burning, and in her pair of eyes, a spring lake full of charm gradually accumulated, rippling slightly.

"Oh~ so the Master wants to... tsk tsk, Master, you are so proactive, so filthy!" Ning Mu teased, his gaze full of flippancy and mockery.

Proactive and filthy...

Liuli was stunned, and then her eyes turned red.

"Bastard, isn't it what you demanded? If you aren't happy, this nun won't serve you! Damn it, why should you insult my purity for no reason? If it weren't for... if it weren't for... if it weren't for seeing that you and I have a deep bond of love, do you think I would be willing to serve you!"

Liuli was going crazy!

She had almost blurted out the matter of the system Binding Companion.

Fortunately, she stopped in time.

It wasn't that she was quick-witted; at such a moment, she had already been teased into a daze by Ning Mu.

【Hint: If the existence of the system is leaked, the Host will be directly erased!】

It was the reminder that suddenly popped up from the system that made her react in time.

After these words slipped out, Liuli glared at Ning Mu angrily, though that incredibly beautiful face of hers still bore a look of shyness.

【Hint: Your flippant words have made Liuli lose her patience. Although she hides a trace of guilt-like abnormal excitement in her heart, and is even somewhat expectant, in order to maintain her dignity as a Divine Nun, anger has taken the upper hand. Liuli's Loyalty Value toward you has dropped by 2%, current Loyalty Value is 54%!】

"..."

Seeing Liuli lose her temper and almost expose herself.

Ning Mu could not help but smile bitterly.

Experienced as he was, he immediately understood that too much is as bad as too little! On another level, Liuli's progress was too fast, and the smoothness of his strategy with Liu Qingmei had made him somewhat careless.

He immediately woke up; he still had to proceed slowly, otherwise, it was very likely to be counterproductive.

Looking at the information popped up by the system, Ning Mu pondered for a moment and understood Liuli's complicated state of mind at this moment.

She was at a crossroads.

To the left was the infinite Great Way leading to Leiyin, full of Buddha nature.

To the right was the mutual affection of two people, departing from the Buddha Gate and participating in joy together.

At this time, someone needed to push her from behind.

To choose the direction for her.

Otherwise, in such a complex and intertwined process, it was very likely that she would constantly wander, feeling lost, and in the end, not only miss the infinite Great Dao but also miss the tender and infatuated love.

After hesitating for a moment, Ning Mu stepped forward slowly and then forcibly pulled the still-sulking Liuli into his arms.

Ignoring her annoyance and struggle, he whispered in her ear: "Master, it was this brat who was too reckless. Don't blame me; blame only yourself, Master, for being so charming, and for wearing only such a wonderful meditation robe, enticing me. That is why I could not control my feelings and became distracted."

"Although I am fickle in love, does the Master know that every time I dream at midnight, your graceful figure is like a nightmare, unable to be dispelled from my mind, making me lose my appetite..."

Ning Mu feigned sadness, and combined with his unique voice and affectionate tone, it immediately made Liuli quiet down.

Liuli struggled a bit but did not break free, her expression filled with embarrassment and anger.

After hearing Ning Mu's voice, her heart skipped a beat, and her heartbeat accelerated, as if a little deer were bumping around.

Growing up, apart from this nemesis Ning Mu, she had never had such intimate contact with any man.

And it was so frequent.

In daily life, no matter what man it was, they were either afraid of her or respected her; no one dared to desecrate her, who was like a fairy.

Now, here with Ning Mu.

She had been teased and toyed with time and time again.

But these seemingly flippant sweet words were like a knife, deeply breaking through her defenses, allowing an unspeakable emotion to gradually rise in her angry, beautiful eyes.

That's right.

It was clearly she who had been enticing him.

How could she blame him? He did not know she had a system, nor did he know he was her Binding Companion; everything was the result of her secretly and subtly influencing him, which led to their current way of interacting.

How could she blame him!

At this moment, Liuli, whether influenced by Ning Mu's deep confession or simply self-hypnotizing, had not a shred of temper left.

Within those eyes that had just been angry, a touch of apology and deep melancholy gradually welled up...

【Notification: The Host saved the situation in time; the sweet words were quite well-received by Liuli, who feels deeply excited that she can attract the Host so much. Loyalty Value increased by 1%, current Loyalty Value is 55%!】

(End of chapter)