Sword from the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 30 The Way of Freedom
"Master Buchi, who was visiting our temple, was in the Sutra Library last night. He encountered the thief and was injured."

Zhou Yi remained silent.

But alarm bells were ringing in my heart.

This thief is no small matter as he is able to harm the Four Vajras of Jingnian Zen Temple.

I walked with the young novice monk to the altar near the main hall, found a place with few people, took a cushion to sit down, waited for the Dharma Assembly to begin, and listened to the old monks preach.

Mu Daoren and Shan Xiongxin were drowsy, and occasionally monks would come to talk to them.

Except for shouting the name "Tianpeng Juanlian" in a loud voice, the rest of the time they were hesitant and would just say "OK, OK".

The local monks in Fule wanted to laugh but were hesitant, so they felt uncomfortable holding it in.

These foreign monks cannot chant scriptures, they can only say "good".

No wonder he is just a wandering Buddhist.

It was not until the vegetarian meal that the two of them became energetic and could finish several large bowls of food without any oil or water.

Zhou Yi was not so idle, and he was always paying attention to any movement in the temple.

The Yingyangfu Army came once. The army searched the city and only sent a few people to the temple to congratulate the Dharma Assembly.

The abbot of Qing'an Temple, Master Sanchi, is not so shameless and he gave his face to Jingnian Zen Temple.

only.
Because the Master Bu Chi was injured, he did not participate in the Dharma Assembly and did not see the people from the Yingyang Mansion Army.

Zhou Yi had been observing and suspected that this was a deliberate design by the temple.

Even the people from Jingnian Zen Temple didn't come.

The abbot of Qing'an Temple, Sanchi, seemed to be good at socializing. He seemed to be at ease talking with monks from all walks of life at the Dharma Assembly. Perhaps he was just trying to flatter himself.

After all, they are also a force in the underworld. Now that Fule City is in chaos, it is not excessive to give themselves some identities.

The effect was very good, and now the Yingyang Mansion Army did not dare to make things difficult for them.

The Dharma Assembly went smoothly.

After finishing his vegetarian meal at noon, Zhou Yi couldn't help shaking his head.

I've been thinking too much lately.

Nearly two hours later, a bell rang in Qing'an Temple, and the abbot, Master Sanchi, led the monks in distributing millet in a straw shed near the temple gate.

Many civilians lined up to receive rice, and the Yingyangfu Army also sent a small team of troops to maintain order.

Master Miike stood in the center of the temple gate with a kind face.

He was bathed in sunlight, his bald head reflecting the halo, making him look more like a Buddha than the one sitting in the hall.

Zhou Yi and the other two stayed with the foreign monks and watched from afar.

Although they lagged behind the crowd, they could still see the alms-giving scene at the temple gate.

Shan Xiongxin lowered his voice and said, "Master Sanchi is quite kind-hearted."

Taoist Mu looked at Zhou Yi and asked, "Has Fuzishan ever done something similar?"

Zhou Yi pondered for a moment and replied, "Only three or five of us would travel around the villages and towns in a carriage. We would carry some rice and grain on the carriage. When we were treating patients, we would give some to the poor families we met. We rarely did anything so grand and ostentatious."

"How often?"

Zhou Yi said: "I can go down the mountain several times a month."

Mu Daoren smiled cunningly:
"The great monk is much more tactful than you. They only give alms once a year, and the amount of rice they donate may not be much, but they let the whole city know about it. And since they did it during a time of war, it's natural that the citizens will be grateful and increase the number of worshippers."

After hearing this, Shan Xiongxin's expression changed immediately when he looked at the great monk Sanchi.

"How does Master Mu know so clearly?"

The short and fat Taoist twitched his lips and said in a low voice, "Nonsense, of course I bought it with money."

He then warned Zhou Yi: "You owe me the money, not a single penny less."

"With Li Mi as your guarantor, what are you afraid of?" Zhou Yi looked towards the host Sanchi again.

The great monk not only became famous in Fule City, but also allowed a group of foreign monks to see his great and glorious side.

After the alms giving was completed, Sanchi led the team out of the city.

There was an old Zen master in Qing'an Temple who was highly respected. It was said that he did good deeds throughout his life and passed away in meditation on the eastern outskirts of the city in his later years. His body was found in a stone wall at the southern end of Cangyan Mountain.

Every year during the Dharma Assembly, Abbot Sanchi would lead the monks to pay homage to the old Zen master.

Zhou Yi was mixed in the crowd, and he could already confirm that the soldiers at the city gate would never stop him.

Because several Sui cavalrymen were leading the way ahead.

They lowered their heads and moved forward with the group.

The banners and pennants fluttered, and the clatter of monks' footsteps knocked on the bluestone slabs, like the scattered chanting of Buddhist scriptures.

Along the way, Zhou Yi accidentally heard the sounds of fighting and shouting, and the Sui army was arresting people everywhere.

However, no one made things difficult for this group of hundreds of monks.

It was already dusk when we approached the city gate.

"Du~~~"

From a distance of more than a hundred feet, the soldiers at the East Gate opened the two blocked doors.

Zhou Yi, Shan Xiongxin and Mu Dao Ren all looked up and saw the green mountains outside the city, a small river, and lush aquatic plants by the river.

Finally leaving the city.

The group of monks continued to move towards the city gate at a leisurely pace.

Sixty zhang, forty zhang, thirty zhang
The leading cavalryman had already asked the soldiers on both sides to give way.

at this time!

Let something unexpected happen suddenly!
Six or seven pedestrians were walking on the ancient road under the city gate when suddenly they rushed out and rushed towards the soldiers on both sides who were responsible for closing the gates.

The large group of monks attracted everyone's attention. This was extremely sudden!
Bright red blood was splattered, and the back of the city wall looked like it was painted with blood. The roars and screams brought about chaos!
"Calm down, take them down!" "Don't take any of them."

The Sui general guarding the city wall had not yet finished his words when he was pierced by an arrow from the back of his neck. With a muffled groan, he lost his balance and fell off the city wall.

"Brigade commander!"

The situation near the city wall was even more chaotic, and this mess was clearly seen by a sharpshooter in white clothes who was sitting on a tall tree outside the city.

The Yingyangfu army quickly assembled and gathered towards the east gate.

But the shouts and cries of killing came from outside the city first!
The water plants on the bank of the Caishui tributary were swaying, and a large group of rebels coming from Taikang emerged along the river, and it seemed that they were going to attack Fule!
The first ones to rush up were all highly skilled in martial arts. The Fule defenders had no time to close the city gates and were already rushed into the city by the rebels.

East City Tower, lost!

"Return to Qing'an Temple."

The voice of the great monk Sanchi sounded extremely calm and had the power to soothe people. The monks hurriedly turned around and walked quickly.

The host, Sanchi, was originally walking in the front, but now he was following at the end, as if he was not worried at all about the war behind him.

"what to do?!"

After Zhou Yi and the other two were far away from the east gate, they rushed out from the crowd of monks and looked back towards the city wall.

Although some monks looked at them with strange eyes, no one said much and just walked towards Qing'an Temple.

Before Zhou Yi could reply, he glanced towards the streets and alleys.

He saw a familiar face!

It was the member of the Baling Gang whom he met in the Fushi Inn. He turned around and went deep into the alley.

There were several other people with him.

These people were carrying several sacks on their backs, obviously they had captured some girl.

The Baling Gang had been secretly colluding with the Yingyang Prefecture Army, and now that the chaos had broken out, they became even more unscrupulous.

As the team marched, Master Miike also walked up to them. This old monk, who was over 70 years old, had superb Buddhist martial arts.

His eyes also drifted through the alley and saw the evil deeds done by the Baling Gang.

"You three, please return to the temple."

The old monk clasped his hands together and said, "Return to the temple. No matter which forces come, they will not disturb us."

Zhou Yi's eyes became sharp as he looked into the alley:

"Master Sanchi, when faced with such evil, does Buddhism always choose to ignore it?"

The old monk shook his head: "Buddhism will eliminate evil, save evil, and do good, great good. When I return to Qing'an Temple, I can protect more people, including you."

Zhou Yi heard even louder cries of killing and stared at the kind-browed old monk, speaking faster:
"In fact, Bu Chi from Jingnian Zen Temple didn't come to Fu Le at all, right?"

"True or false, they are all illusory," the old monk said with a strange glint in his eyes. "Just like you are not wandering laypeople from Kucha, this temple will tolerate you just as much."

"Come back with me. Qing'an Temple can save you."

"Whether it's the Yingyang Army or any other force, we will no longer question you."

"Golden Chan, Heavenly Peng, and Rolling Lian, you can be the three great Vajras of Qing'an Temple. Together we can perform great good deeds. When great good deeds are widespread, small evils like this will naturally disappear."

The short and fat Taoist was furious: "Bullshit!"

He released his internal energy, which exploded his monk's robe. His chest and abdomen were exposed, and he was only wearing a pair of hemp shoes and shorts tied with a rope.

"I won't be a hypocritical Buddha."

The old monk was not angry. Instead, he smiled and said, "Master Mu, there is no need to be so hostile. Since I entered Buddhism, I have never done anything evil."

The call of "Master Mu" startled the short and fat Taoist.

I didn't expect that this old monk had a mind as clear as a mirror.

Zhou Yi took off the luggage on his back and also took off his monk's robes.

"Thank you for your kindness, Master, but I am used to being unrestrained and not used to being a shackled Buddha. I would rather follow the path of freedom and ease."

He was more refined than Mu Dao Ren, and he had a robe underneath so he wasn't naked.

This is a difference in Taoist traditions, and it is impossible to clarify it among individuals.

"Well done, well done," the old monk said, clasping his hands together in worship, and looking at Zhou Yi with a smile, "The Heavenly Master of Peace is truly an extraordinary person."

"Master, you live deep in the temple, but you seem to know everything about the world. Nothing can be hidden from your eyes and ears." Zhou Yi bowed without being rude.

The old monk was very frank:

"Because this is Fule, outside of Fule, I can only rely on hearsay."

"Fu Le is about to fall into chaos. With your abilities, it will be easy for you to leave the city."

Zhou Yi looked towards the alley and said, "I owe Qing'an Temple a vegetarian meal. I will repay it with a small evil that the master would disdain."

The old monk smiled again and took out thirty copper coins from his pocket:

"That's not necessary. This is what Taoist Master Mu paid for the information. It's more than enough to cover the cost of vegetarian meals. I've heard of Master Zhou Tianshi for a long time, and this time, thanks to Taoist Master Mu, I'm fortunate enough to meet him."

"If I stay any longer, Master Mu might take action. So I'll take my leave now."

After saying this, Master Sanchi chased after the large group of monks in front without looking back.

Zhou Yi and Shan Xiongxin looked at the short and fat Taoist priest with quite offensive eyes.

"Master Dao, are you surprised?"

The furious Mu Dao Ren had no place to vent his anger and roared:
"The monk is cunning!"

At this time, the shouting and screaming outside was deafening, and his roar was drowned out.

I saw Mu Dao Ren with a ferocious look on his face, running wildly towards the Baling Gang members on the other side of the alley!
……

Another day of involution('-'*ゞ

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(End of this chapter)