Chapter 138

The ninth day of the twelfth lunar month.

An Ziyang left the An mansion and rode his horse.

Quanzhou Prefecture is not far from Shaolin, and that afternoon, An Ziyang arrived outside the Shaolin mountain gate.

Tying his horse, An Ziyang stepped forward and knocked on the mountain gate.

A short while later, a guest monk came over and bowed to him.

"This benefactor, I'm really sorry. Our temple suffered a disaster in recent days, many buildings in the temple were damaged, and we are currently repairing them, so it is not convenient to receive pilgrims. If you are here to offer incense and worship Buddha, please turn back first and come again later."

The news that Shaolin's mountain gate was broken by the Ming Cult spread after the Jianghu people dispersed on the day Xingchi passed away. Shaolin didn't mean to hide the news.

An Ziyang said to the guest monk.

"This master, I am not a pilgrim, I am entrusted by someone to come and find someone."

"Oh?"

The guest monk looked An Ziyang up and down.

Being able to be a guest monk at Shaolin, his martial arts are not bad, and his eyesight is even more superb. At a glance, he saw An Ziyang's martial arts foundation, and judging from his clothes, his family background is quite rich.

It's just looking at this complexion, it looks like a dissolute son who lingers in the flower bushes, and his essence and blood are more or less empty—commonly known as kidney deficiency.

What kind of person is such a person looking for at Shaolin?

"I don't know who the benefactor is entrusted by, and who are you looking for?"

"It's not that the monk is getting to the bottom of things, it's just that it's my duty, and if I don't ask clearly, it's not easy to report."

An Ziyang pondered for a while.

He was also a bit unsure. Li Miao, an Embroidered Uniform Guard, asked him to come to find the new Shaolin Abbot... don't tell me he's planning to find trouble and use him to scout the way?

Thinking about it, he told the truth: "Entrusted by Hero Li Miao, to find the Abbot of your temple, Master Yongjie."

Who knew that as soon as he said this, the guest monk's face changed instantly.

"Hero Li!?"

"Where is he now? Didn't he come with you?"

"Why didn't he come in person, is there any trouble?"

"Do you need help from Shaolin?"

The guest monk's series of questions stunned An Ziyang.

"No, it's just that Hero Li has some things he can't get away from, so he asked me to bring a message to Master Yongjie. If it's not convenient for your temple, I can come again in a few days..."

"Convenient! Convenient!"

The guest monk showed a smile that was a bit contrary to the precepts on his face.

"Hero Li's business is Shaolin's business. No matter when, it is convenient!"

"May I ask your name?"

"An Ziyang."

"Young Master An, since you are a friend of Hero Li, how can Shaolin treat you poorly. Please follow me inside."

After speaking, the guest monk reached out and grabbed An Ziyang's wrist, and enthusiastically led him into the temple.

An Ziyang had a feeling of deja vu.

When he went to visit the fireworks place, the procuress also pulled him like this.

But this is Shaolin, and the one pulling him is a monk!

No matter how kind the Shaolin monks are, when facing Jianghu people, they will reveal a kind of arrogance intentionally or unintentionally.

Like a person like him who is so kidney-deficient from whoring, even monks in ordinary temples might not give him a good face. Being welcomed into Shaolin so enthusiastically really made him feel a bit of the anxiety he had when he first experienced human affairs.

Walking into the temple, An Ziyang looked around and couldn't help but sigh.

This Shaolin really suffered a great disaster, with broken walls and ruins everywhere, and it is currently "clanging" and rebuilding.

The guest monk led An Ziyang halfway, and heard a low voice from one side.

"Hengshu, who is this benefactor? Where is this going?"

While speaking, a tall monk walked over, dressed neatly, without any flaws, with broad shoulders and a round waist, a serious face, and two decree lines outlining a tough chin.

An Ziyang recognized him at a glance; this person was the head of the Shaolin Discipline Hall, Hengchang.

"It's a disaster. This person is the most serious and rigid, and the most loyal to Shaolin. If he finds out that the Embroidered Uniform Guard sent someone to find the new Abbot, I'm afraid it will cause trouble!"

The guest monk smiled and said.

"Head, this Benefactor An is a friend of Hero Li, here to find the Abbot."

"Hero Li?"

Hengchang asked in surprise.

"Where is he now? Why didn't he come himself, is there any trouble..."

The guest monk smiled: "Head, I have already asked these words. Hero Li just can't get away."

"I see."

Hengchang nodded: "You go and get busy. The Abbot is currently in the Scripture Pavilion on the back mountain, and you can't get in. Since he is a friend of Hero Li, I will take him there."

The guest monk nodded and turned to leave.

"Benefactor An, please follow me."

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Shaolin, Scripture Pavilion.

Yongjie sat cross-legged on the futon, already full of cold sweat and trembling all over.

He could endure being "remodeled" by Li Miao that day, but at this moment he was in a mess, as if he was suffering unimaginable torture.

An old monk turned from the bookshelf, holding an old broom in his hand, sweeping while walking behind Yongjie.

"Still not working."

"Although my Shaolin's method doesn't require cutting off dust, it still requires purity when practicing martial arts. Your heart is in a mess, how can you practice?"

Yongjie opened his eyes suddenly, panting, and sweat the size of soybeans dripped down.

After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said.

"Unwilling, puzzled, resentful, the five aggregates are burning... the disciple is really hard to resolve."

The old monk shook his head.

"My Buddhist martial arts are the easiest to fall into the devil, so from shallow to deep, you must have corresponding scripture attainments before you can practice. You practice like this, it's just like rushing to get into the devil."

He sighed long.

"Forget it, if you have anything to ask, just say it."

Yongjie turned his head to look at the old monk, as if hesitating. But after a long while, he still gritted his teeth and asked urgently.

"When the Ming Cult broke into the mountain gate that day, why didn't you make a move?"

"With you here... why did my master need to use the temple's foundation, exhaust his life, and pass away?"

The old monk answered lightly.

"Because I dare not."

"Dare not!?" Yongjie was shocked.

"You... dare not fight with Ji Tianrui? So... you watched my master die!?"

"No."

The old monk waved his hand.

"I'm not afraid of Ji Tianrui, and Shaolin is not afraid of the Ming Cult."

"But..."

He pointed to the sky.

"The Ming Cult just wants a few things, not to destroy my Shaolin mountain gate."

"Xingchi didn't have to die, but he couldn't bear to see Shaolin disciples die, so he used his own life to exchange for Shaolin disciples to live a little longer."

"He's also a fool."

Speaking of this, the old monk sighed long.

"I am a person who must exist, but should not exist."

"If I make a move and am seen, Shaolin will truly suffer a devastating disaster."