In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 468 The Pure Land of Buddhism, a Place Where Defilement Hides

Immediately afterwards, Gu Shaoan used all his achievement points to participate in a lottery.

Unfortunately, the items obtained in the subsequent lottery were of ordinary value. The only items of decent value were two pairs of Heavenly Silkworm Gold Silk Inner Armor made of the same material as the Heavenly Silkworm Gold Silk Gloves and another set of Black Gold Soft Jade Gloves.

Gu Shaoan took out the set of black jade gloves.

The gloves are as thin as cicada wings, feeling almost weightless against the palm, yet possessing a warm, jade-like texture. They are crafted from a mixture of black gold and special meteorite, with gold threads forming the veins, exhibiting extremely fine craftsmanship and exceptional toughness, impervious to swords and blades, and unaffected by water or fire. Even more remarkably, this thin and soft material does not impair the dexterity or tactile sensation of the fingers at all; the knuckles bend and straighten as usual.

Such a thing may not be most suitable for those skilled in weapons; rather, it is more suitable for those who need to "grasp the subtle changes."

Huang Xuemei is skilled in "Tianmo Bayin", and the most important thing in string playing is to avoid finger injuries and blood stagnation.

These black jade gloves can protect her fingers and hands without hindering her agility; they were made just for her.

He put the gloves away, his gaze sweeping over the ownership of the other two gifts, and his mood eased somewhat.

"Alright."

"The gifts for all three have been received."

While having multiple partners is certainly wonderful, with so many people around, you sometimes need to be careful about what gifts you give to avoid treating everyone unfairly.

Especially in this kind of world, the most important thing is to avoid letting "comparisons" wear down relationships.

After the post-battle cleanup was completed, Gu Shaoan slowly stood up and looked in the direction of Shaolin Temple.

"To be honest, I've never been to Shaolin Temple yet."

He has always acted on the principle of "I will not offend others unless they offend me." In the past, the relationship between Shaolin and Emei was relatively good on the surface. Even though he knew what kind of people those so-called Buddhist holy sites were really like, he was too lazy to break off relations and simply maintained a facade of harmony.

But this time is different.

Shaolin actually sent two experts at the Celestial Realm level to join forces with Zhu Houzhao and others to surround and kill him in this narrow space.

This matter cannot be left like this.
Moreover, Shaolin Temple is a fickle place, never concerned with chivalry or honor, only with power and profit. Today they might help Zhu Houzhao, tomorrow they might help someone else. Rather than keeping that remaining Celestial Realm expert in the temple as an unstable factor, it's better to take this opportunity to remove that thorn in their side.

With that thought in mind, Gu Shaoan stood up.

With a light touch of the toes, the body moves like the wind.

Where he landed, the ground beside the campfire sank slightly, burying the few remaining embers of the fire in the soil. With a hiss, the fire went out completely, and even the last glimmer of red light was swallowed by the darkness. The next moment, Gu Shaoan had already transformed into a faint shadow, darting out of the forest and heading straight towards Shaolin Temple.

The weather at the end of August was already noticeably hot, and the sudden rain that had just stopped made the atmosphere even more oppressive.

The city wall of Zhengzhou, which is seventy miles away from Shaolin Temple, is solid and heavy, and the dark blue bricks and stones are shiny from being soaked in rainwater.

From afar, wisps of smoke could be seen lingering in the sky above Zhengzhou.

That wasn't the smoke from an ordinary household's chimney, but cigarette smoke.

Influenced by Shaolin, there are many Buddhists in Zhengzhou.

Many families have the custom of enshrining Buddha statues in their homes.

This also meant that, even though the heavy rain had just passed, from a distance, wisps of smoke rose, swirled, and coalesced into a thin mist over Zhengzhou.

It gave the entire city of Zhengzhou a misty, hazy feel, much like the early morning fog.

Despite the vague outlines, the basic structure of Zhengzhou Prefecture still reflects its northern origins.

The city gate was tall and wide, with a long and deep entrance. Travelers constantly passed by the city gate, carrying loads, driving carts, and leading horses. Their footsteps trod on the boundary between wet mud and bluestone, and the splashing water carried the earthy smell of soil.

This city is not extravagant, but it has a sense of tranquility that comes from the incense burning there.

Gu Shaoan entered the city at this time.

He walked from the end of the official road, his steps slow.

If someone were to take a closer look, they would surely notice that Gu Shaoan was extremely clean; even his white cloth shoes were not stained with a speck of mud.

The bluestone streets in the city were washed clean by the rain, and the water flowed away from the cracks in the stones, with water dripping from the eaves of the street.

The air was filled with the warmth and somberness of sandalwood, and the scent that entered the nose brought a sense of calm to the heart.

Gu Shaoan strolled slowly along the street and found that Zhengzhou Prefecture was indeed worthy of being near Shaolin Temple.

On almost every street, you can see several incense shops selling incense, candles, and paper money.

That's fine.

Besides these incense shops, many shops in the city had small incense tables in front of their doors, with the incense ash covered by tiles to prevent it from being scattered by the rain.

Throughout the city, one can see traces of Buddhist culture everywhere.

This demonstrates just how deeply influenced Zhengzhou was by Buddhist culture.

As he walked, Gu Shaoan discovered that in Zhengzhou, besides the numerous incense shops and Buddhists, the number of beggars in the city far exceeded what he had seen in other towns.

Almost every street and alleyway has a few huddled figures.

Gu Shaoan's gaze lingered on the huddled figures for a moment.

Some people had a broken bowl in front of them, with a few copper coins inside that were darkened by the rain. Others were too lazy to even beg, simply keeping their hands tucked into their sleeves and letting passersby walk past them.

The Great Wei Kingdom has enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests in recent years, and has not suffered from war.

In all his years traveling, even in some third- or second-rate powers that controlled prefectures, despite the disparity in wealth, Gu Shaoan had never seen such a prevalent "begging atmosphere" as in Zhengzhou Prefecture.

The key difference was that the beggars we encountered along the way were unlike those elsewhere.

It's not the kind of begging forced into a desperate situation by the need to survive, but rather begging with a sense of complacency.

As Gu Shaoan walked slowly, he turned onto a street and saw a group of people gathered there.

Several monks were distributing porridge to some beggars, but their eyes showed no peace, only contempt.

Beside them, a monk led some beggars who had just eaten porridge in chanting sutras and reciting Buddhist prayers.

Surprisingly, it even attracted passersby to join in, putting their hands together, closing their eyes, and chanting sutras.

Taking in the reactions of these people, Gu Shaoan frowned slightly. The sandalwood incense was still strong in the air; the fragrance, which should have been pure, seemed somewhat suffocating at this moment, as if it were softening the fire that should be burning in people's hearts.

Buddhism teaches "emptiness of the four elements," "letting go," and "cause and effect."

When these principles apply to a truly enlightened person, they enable them to suppress greed and anger, restrain desires, and prevent them from being enslaved by external things.

However, once reason is applied to the common people and the mundane, it is easily used as another excuse.

Letting go has become giving up.

Over time, some people stopped thinking about making a living and becoming independent. Instead, they used "hardship" as a fig leaf and "lack of desire" as a reason not to work.

To put it nicely, it's about seeing through the illusions of the world; to put it bluntly, it's about being lazy and averse to work.

What's worse is that once this trend takes hold, it's like damp mold, silently but capable of softening the bones of people who could otherwise rely on themselves.

If it were anywhere else, it wouldn't matter.

The key point is that Zhengzhou Prefecture is near Shaolin Temple.

Only a fool would believe that Shaolin wasn't behind it.

The Buddhist temple is a pure and holy place, yet it is also a place where filth and defilement can accumulate.

Is the city filled with the fragrance of sandalwood a sign of Buddha guiding people, or are people nurturing Buddha? It's quite intriguing.

As his thoughts wandered, Gu Shaoan couldn't help but shake his head.

Looking at the stability of Zhengzhou and the people chanting Buddhist scriptures, Gu Shaoan felt annoyed.

In an instant, Gu Shaoan's original interest in strolling around Zhengzhou Prefecture was instantly dampened, as if enveloped by the heavy, damp smoke after the rain.

In the next instant, he swayed and stepped onto the roof of the building facing the street.

With a light touch of his toes on the roof tiles, his figure swept across the roof ridge like a gust of wind, and in another blink, he had crossed the long street, quickly moving along the outline of the mountains in the distance to the north of the city.

The wind brushed past my ears, leaving the dampness of the grass and trees after the rain behind.

He moved quickly, yet without appearing hasty. Sometimes his steps were light and slow, yet as if he were shrinking the distance between two points. At other times, his figure rose higher and higher, stepping on sword energy as if he were riding the wind.

What would be a half-day's journey for an ordinary person is just a short distance for him.

Along the way, pilgrims flocked to the Shaolin Temple to worship Buddha, including ordinary people dressed in plain clothes and high-ranking officials and nobles traveling by carriage.

Gu Shaoan ignored him and continued forward.

Before long, the mountain approached.

The outline of Shaoshi Mountain emerges from the mist, the forest deep and secluded, and the temple bells faintly drift through the mountain wind, sometimes intermittently.

Even from afar, one can see the smoke rising from the temples atop the mountains, a testament to the flourishing incense offerings at Shaolin Temple.

The air was filled with the scent of sandalwood.

Perhaps it was because the sandalwood incense in Zhengzhou had upset him, but Gu Shaoan also felt somewhat disliked the sandalwood scent emanating from Shaolin Temple.

As he approached Shaolin Temple, Gu Shaoan did not go through the main gate. Instead, he turned around and avoided the paths usually taken by pilgrims and monks, cutting into the deep forest behind the temple and ascending along the steep mountainside.

The surrounding scenery also rushed past under Gu Shaoan's extraordinary lightness skill.

A short while later, Gu Shaoan arrived at the back mountain of Shaolin Temple.

Finally, he stopped in front of a cliff.

The cliffs here are as sharp as if cut by a knife, and clouds and mist surge below. Several ancient pine trees grow along the cracks in the rocks, their branches and leaves swaying in the wind and making a low rustling sound.

Gu Shaoan stood on the edge of the cliff, his right hand behind his back, a corner of his robe lifted by the wind.

He slowly closed his eyes.

The sword-shaped energy ball within the body trembled slightly, as if it possessed a spirit, and a subtle vibration spread along the meridians.

The next instant, his aura contracted and then suddenly released, like a sword drawn from its sheath but without showing any sharpness.

Under the influence of the sword's intent, the power and momentum of heaven and earth surged in from all directions.

In an instant, a fierce wind arose around the cliff where Gu Shaoan was located due to the changes in the power and momentum of heaven and earth. The rocks on the cliff edge bounced lightly, and the branches and leaves of the ancient pine trees were blown and rustled.

Standing in the eye of the storm, Gu Shaoan let the wind swirl around him, his robes billowing like flags, yet his figure remained as immovable as a mountain.

After a hundred breaths.

He suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes were clear as cold stars, and the surrounding gale seemed to be cut by an invisible sharpness. The momentum was still there, but it was no longer chaotic, as if some stronger will had pressed down on his throat.

Just then, a Buddhist chant rang out from above, calm and serene, yet it pierced through the wind and clouds, landing on every inch of the cliff face. The echoes layered upon layer, possessing a power that calmed the mind and spirit.

"Amitabha."

"I never expected such an honored guest to arrive; I have failed to greet you properly."

As soon as the words were spoken, a figure slowly emerged from the misty forest.

He was an old monk with white eyebrows and beard, and a thin face.

He was of average height and build, with a slightly hunched back, like an old man who had worked hard for many years. He wore a faded monk's robe with fine patches on the cuffs and hem, and a pair of old cloth shoes covered in mountain mud, but they did not look sloppy.

What is most striking is the old monk's eyes.

It is neither sharp nor cold, unlike the turbidity of an ordinary old man, nor the compassion of a high monk preaching, nor the sharpness of a warrior facing an enemy; it is only as calm as the water of a deep well.

He walked very slowly, but with each step he could cover tens of feet.

This demonstrates that his skill in lightness of body has reached an extraordinary level.

Once the final step was completed, the old monk stood ten feet away from Gu Shaoan, his hands clasped together and his head slightly bowed.

(End of this chapter)