Chapter 275: Discussing the Dao While Seated

「Bai Hua junior sister, senior brother will show you something good. 」

「What is it? 」

「My old Shi family's genealogy! 」

「Brother Tianzhen, I'll show you something good. 」

「What is it? 」

「My old Shi family's genealogy! 」

「Zhangqing kid, I'll show you something good. 」

One morning, Shi Song was holding that genealogy, showing off to anyone he saw, while Ye Zhangqing and the others were all left with a black line by him.

Those eight characters don't even have a stroke yet, and you've already written the genealogy—aren't you being a bit too hasty?

By breakfast time, upon seeing Juéqíng Shītài, Shi Song instantly wilted, putting on a shy, fidgety appearance.

Seeing this, Hong Zun and the others were speechless and shook their heads.

Breakfast was simple—baozi, soy milk, youtiao—but the taste was still enough to earn everyone's praise.

After breakfast, Juéqíng Shītài, as before, voluntarily helped Shi Song wash the dishes, but when passing by Zhāng Tiānzhèn, she casually asked a question.

「Zhang Daoist, do you need this poor nun to help you wash the dishes? 」

Hearing that, Zhāng Tiānzhèn was startled, didn't think much, and naturally nodded and thanked.

「Then I'll trouble you, Shi Tai. 」

Just as the words fell, a chilling aura suddenly came from behind; following the scent, they saw Shi Song appear not far away, his face dark as he stared fixedly at Zhāng Tiānzhèn.

He gulped down his saliva—how could he forget this? Now Shi Song is totally a jealous lover; anyone who says more than a word to Juéqíng Shītài makes him jealous, let alone letting her wash the dishes.

After all, in Shi Song's eyes, washing dishes is equivalent to the major affair of deciding one's lifelong partner.

If Zhāng Tiānzhèn dared to let Juéqíng Shītài help him wash dishes, Shi Song would absolutely dare to fight him to the death.

The words already spoken immediately came back around.

「Trouble you, Juéqíng Shītài, but it's just a small matter; I'll handle it myself. 」

Saying that, he didn't bother with Juéqíng Shītài, turned and left straight away—really risking his life.

Seeing that, Shi Song finally nodded in satisfaction, regained his shy expression, and even when Juéqíng Shītài looked at him, he gave an embarrassed smile.

「I feel my senior brother's condition is getting worse and worse. 」

「What can be done? I guess even junior brother Muyou can't do anything. 」

Beside them, Hong Zun, Qing Shi, and Bai Hua Xianzi looked at Shi Song with worried faces, saying, "This jealous lover's condition is getting more and more serious."

「No matter what, from now on keep your distance from Juéqíng Shītài; yesterday you almost fought me to the death. 」

Qing Shi said helplessly from the side.

After breakfast, since today is the day Juéqíng Shītài gives a sutra lecture, a high platform has already been set up in the square of the imperial capital.

As the Shíchén arrived, Juéqíng Shītài led the disciples of the Withered Wood Hermitage onto the platform and began the lecture.

The Dao Yi Sect members didn't come, after all, nobody was interested in Buddhist sutras; except Shi Song, who sneaked off, the others stayed at the camp to rest, or went into the city to stroll.

On the platform, Juéqíng Shītài chanted the Buddhist sutras neither hurriedly nor slowly.

However, when she got to the Fomen precepts, the Fomen believers below frowned, thinking, 'This seems a bit off.'

「The so-called precepts are not meant to be mouthed, but to be kept in mind. 」

「The so-called breaking of precepts cannot be limited to appearance; take this chicken leg, for example—I ate it; does that count as breaking the precepts? 」

「Perhaps you did see this poor nun eat that chicken leg, but in fact, in her heart there is no chicken leg, so eating it does not count as breaking the precepts. 」

Huh???

The more they listened, the more off it seemed; the Fomen believers below all had doubts—does eating meat not count as breaking the precepts?

Ordinary folks were somewhat confused by the explanation, but among the crowd there were also some Fomen cultivators who, looking at Juéqíng Shītài on the platform, already felt a chill in their eyes.

An old monk even shouted loudly.

「Absurd to the extreme, Juéqíng Shītài, you so distort Buddhist principles—how dare you lecture here? 」

This old monk turned out to be the abbot of Jinshan Temple; he had also come to listen to the lecture, but at this moment he could not agree with Juéqíng Shītài's fallacious theory.

Eating meat is eating meat; breaking precepts is breaking precepts—saying you ate with your mouth but not in your heart is all twisted reasoning, a distortion of the Buddhist sutras.

Faced with the abbot of Jinshan Temple's angry shout, Juéqíng Shītài remained calm, even taking a bite of the chicken leg in public and eating it with satisfaction.

Seeing this, the abbot of Jinshan Temple became even more furiously indignant.

「Juéqíng, you... how dare you, as a high monk of the Fomen, do such a thing? 」

「Look, this is your misunderstanding of the Buddhist sutras, just like this chicken leg—you say with your mouth you won't eat, but in your heart you actually want to eat; mouth and heart are not in sync. 」

「As for me, although I ate this chicken leg, there is no chicken leg in my heart—indeed, 'alcohol and meat pass through the intestines, the Buddha remains in the heart'; how could that count as breaking the precepts? 」

「You you you... 」

Left speechless by Juéqíng Shītài's words, he stood there, furious inside but completely unable to find a reason to rebut.

Finally, the abbot of Jinshan Temple could only grit his teeth and say one sentence.

「Nonsense, Juéqíng, this is fallacious theory, it's sophistry. 」

「If you say I'm being sophistical, then please, venerable monk, produce reasons to convince this poor nun. 」

"I............"

The abbot of Jinshan Temple simply could not out-argue Juéqíng Shītài; moreover, when she spoke, a rich Buddhist light emanated from around her.

That Buddhist light was pure beyond compare, utmost good and sincere, the purest Buddhist light of the Fomen.

Looking at the Buddhist light surrounding Juéqíng Shītài, the abbot of Jinshan Temple stood there, face full of disbelief.

Why, why does this meat-eating old nun have such pure Buddhist light, why............

Not only him, but the monk Jueyuan beside him also furrowed his brows.

This Heartless is a bit strange today, as if something has changed; moreover, an act like eating meat and breaking the precepts would have been absolutely impossible for Juéqíng Shītài in the past.

Her observance of Fomen's precepts can be called one of the strictest that Juéyuǎn has ever seen.

But today, this old nun not only ate meat in public; moreover, her Buddha heart seems to have been unaffected at all.

His gaze locked on Juéqíng Shītài; suddenly, Juéyuǎn abruptly thought of the Flawless Heart.

That's right, it must be the Flawless Heart; without it, this old nun's breaking of precepts would have long since shattered her Buddha heart.

In a moment, Juéyuǎn's desire for the Flawless Heart burned hotter; he was determined to obtain it, and the Flawless Heart could only be his.

As for why Juéqíng Shītài would openly eat meat, Juéyuǎn didn't care at all; he only wanted the Flawless Heart.

Juéyuǎn stared fixedly at Juéqíng Shītài, unaware that in the dark, a pair of eyes had also locked onto him and the Abbot of Gold Mountain Temple.

Hidden among the crowd, Shi Song's eyes icy cold, fixed on the Abbot of Gold Mountain Temple, a chill flashing in his gaze.

"Old monk, you dare to speak to the nun like that? You're dead."

Thinking that, he then turned his gaze toward Juéyuǎn nearby, the same chilling intent pressing in.

Although Juéyuǎn said nothing, he kept staring at Juéqíng Shītài, his eyes burning with fervor; this person must harbor ill intentions, is no good, and deserves to die.

Before they knew it, Juéyuǎn and the Abbot of Gold Mountain Temple had already been targeted by an obsessive lover.