Chapter 254: Bald donkey, what are you barking about?

Several people had fallen silent; seeing this, Hong Zun was also at a loss, Shi Song's side was temporarily stable, but what about Juéqíng Shītài's side?

Just when everyone was silent and speechless, Ye Zhangqing spoke up.

Or we could tell Juéqíng Shītài that the Second Elder went to cultivate his mind.

Even Shi Song could believe Hong Zun's lame excuse; could we also use this method to deal with Juéqíng Shītài?

Anyway, a nun probably wouldn't have experience in this area.

Upon hearing this, Hong Zun, Zhao Zhengping, Liu Shuang, Xu Jie, Lu Youyou, Wang Yao, and several others turned their gazes over, their eyes full of surprise and delight, and Hong Zun laughed repeatedly.

Cultivating the mind, good, cultivating the mind is good, young Ye Zhangqing, at the critical moment you're still reliable.

He twitched the corner of his mouth; since the other party is a nun, you try swapping in another person to test.

Having a plan, Hong Zun immediately went full of confidence to request an audience with Juéqíng Shītài.

After Hong Zun left, Xu Jie said with a smile.

I couldn't tell, junior brother, you're so experienced; honestly, how many have you dated?

They couldn't think of it, but Ye Zhangqing came up with it first; hearing this, Ye Zhangqing glanced at Xu Jie speechlessly.

I read it in a book.

Which book? Recommend it to senior brother so he can also study it a bit.

Ye Zhangqing simply ignored it and didn't notice the unusual expressions of Liu Shuang, Lu Youyou, and Wang Yao.

Meanwhile, Hong Zun went straight to Juéqíng Shītài's residence and ordered someone to announce his arrival.

Perhaps because she hadn't seen Hong Zun in the morning, Juéqíng Shītài didn't refuse; under the guidance of a disciple of the Gutwood Hermitage, Hong Zun came to the front hall and met Juéqíng Shītài.

However, the master's attitude was very cold.

Daoist friend Hong Zun, please have a seat.

After sitting down, the master remained silent; Hong Zun, helpless, could only start by laughing.

Well, I've heard about what happened this morning.

Heh, which matter are you referring to, friend?

It's about the Bìyuè Lóu incident.

He gave an embarrassed smile, but Juéqíng Shītài's face darkened at once, and she spoke displeased.

Hong Zun, your Dao Yi Sect is strong, and now with Qing Shi joining, wiping out my Gutwood Hermitage would be easy; but does that mean your Dao Yi Sect can thus bully a poor nun like me?

I... I didn't mean that.

What do you mean? I, a poor nun, have cultivated for over three thousand eight hundred years, and today is still my first time entering that place of flowers and flames; your Dao Yi Sect really has a clever method—are you trying to destroy my Buddhist heart?

Even talking about destroying the Buddhist heart, upon hearing this, Hong Zun hurriedly said.

Master, please calm down; I came here specifically for this matter.

Actually, the reason the senior brother appeared in that place was entirely to cultivate his mind.

Cultivating the mind?

Juéqíng Shītài stared blankly; seeing this, Hong Zun seized the opportunity and quickly continued.

Exactly, it's about cultivating the mind; Master, you too are a cultivator and should know the importance of one's state of mind; the senior brother's action is precisely for cultivating the mind.

Walking through the red dust, one's state of mind can arise spontaneously; beauty is like a poison that cuts to the bone; the senior brother doing this is entirely to test himself with poison, seeking only to perfect his state of mind; Master, you have misunderstood.

Upon hearing this, Juéqíng Shītài's expression grew complex, she felt uncertain—had she really misunderstood?

Then why did he have to strip completely naked?

How can you cultivate the mind while wearing clothes?

Really?

Absolutely certain; Master, doesn't your Buddhist sect also have special methods for tempering the state of mind? It's the same principle, just a different method.

As the saying goes, worldly affairs are inherently like this; the world is the same, only the perspective differs; looking at the same thing with different eyes yields different results; Master, you are fixated on appearances.

Hong Zun spoke with growing confidence; after his words, he actually made Juéqíng Shītài feel ashamed.

Is it that my own heart has become dirty?

After sinking into silence for a moment, Juéqíng Shītài put her palms together and blamed herself.

Daoist friend, your words shook the heart; indeed, I, the poor nun, am fixated on appearances.

Settled, seeing this, Hong Zun felt reassured, and the two then began to chat casually.

Of course, Hong Zun kept steering the topic toward Shi Song, and Juéqíng Shītài also said she would later personally visit Shi Song to apologize for this morning's matter, as she had misunderstood Shi Song, Daoist friend.

Just as the two were chatting heatedly, outside the door a little nun reported that the Great Master Juéyuǎn of Putuo Temple sought an audience.

Upon hearing it was Great Master Juéyuǎn, Juéqíng Shītài was startled, then promptly went out enthusiastically to greet him in person.

Although Putuo Temple is not one of the Four Great Sects of Dongzhou, it is the leader of Dongzhou's Buddhist faction, with strength second only to the four great sects.

Moreover, this Buddhist sect differs from ordinary immortal sects, originating from Xizhou.

On the surface it appears sympathetic to heaven and pitying of mankind, delivering all beings, but in reality it is completely not so.

Unlike the various sects of Dongzhou that emphasize pure cultivation, the Buddhist sect most likes to intervene in worldly affairs.

Under the beautiful name of teaching and saving beings, bluntly it's just about developing followers.

Having entered Dongzhou only a few thousand years ago, the Buddhist sect already has countless followers there.

Using cultivators' methods to deceive mortals, tricking them into contributing money and labor to build temples, but what has the Buddhist sect done for these followers?

Burning incense sticks, kowtowing, praying for safety, praying for a...?

Therefore, the native sects of Dongzhou actually dislike the Buddhist sect, because they have been trying to break the balance between cultivators and mortals.

The Gutwood Hermitage actually came about this way; it was among the first to be brainwashed by the Buddhist sect and then established as a Buddhist-Daoist sect.

Not long after, Juéqíng Shītài brought in a monk with a fat head and big ears; this was Juéyuǎn, the chief of the Pure Tranquility Courtyard of Putuo Temple, a strong cultivator of the Sacred Realm.

They had met before, having seen each other a few times; thus, upon seeing Hong Zun, Juéyuǎn actively performed a salute.

Amitabha, Dao friend Hong Zun, it's been a long time since we last met.

Hehe, Master Jueyuan, it's also been a long time since we last met.

In response, Hong Zun gave a fake smile and replied; he and this fat monk already had grudges, so naturally he saw no need to be courteous—responding with just a sentence was already out of respect for his Shèngjìng cultivation.

With Jueyuan's arrival, the atmosphere became a bit awkward for a moment, or rather, Hong Zun himself felt a bit awkward.

It was entirely because Jueyuan, as soon as he came up, took over the conversation and began discussing Buddhist scriptures with Juéqíng Shītài.

Hong Zun didn't understand this either, obviously unable to interject, so the two of them just got engrossed in their chat.

Although they were indeed talking about Buddhist scriptures at first, as they chatted on, the flavor completely changed.

Female monk, this poor monk had wanted to say earlier; upon seeing you today, I notice your Hall of Manifestation is dark, foreboding a blood disaster.

Master, what do you mean by that?

I don't know if the female monk would allow this humble monk to read her palm?

Of course not.

Huh???

As they chatted on, how did you two start looking at palmistry?

Hong Zun, standing aside, slightly furrowed his brows.

And when Elder Monk Jueyuan saw the female monk extend her hand, he also wanted to reach out and pull, but Juéqíng Shītài cleverly dodged.

Master, aren't you supposed to be reading palms?

Damn bald donkey.

Hong Zun, standing aside, gritted his teeth and cursed silently, but he still restrained himself; at this moment he could not afford to offend Juéqíng Shītài any further, otherwise his senior brother Shī xiōng would surely fight him to the death.

He pretended to examine for a long time, until Juéqíng Shītài withdrew her palm and spoke.

Master, can you see the result?

Palmistry after all can only give a rough idea; if one truly wants to understand, one probably needs to feel the bones as well. I don't know what the female monk thinks, but no need to overthink—we are both members of the Fomen, even if......................

Bald donkey, what are you barking about?

Damn, you still want to feel the bones? This time Hong Zun can't tolerate it; the female monk is the woman my senior brother Shī xiōng has taken a liking to—are you treating me, Hong Zun, as if I don't exist?