They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 26 Can I become a monk then?
The atmosphere was heavy and stagnant under the old locust tree at the west entrance of the market.

Yuan Shoucheng stroked his sparse goatee, his cloudy eyes fixed on the copper coins that were being scattered again, his brows furrowed in a frown.

"Trouble! The divination still shows the same thing! That kid's marriage proposal is likely to be rejected! This knot... the loose end is still wrapped around you!"

He slammed his hand heavily on the worm-eaten table.
"Scholar Chen, your method of shifting the blame is risky!"

Chen Guangrui stood opposite the long table, his face calm and expressionless. After hearing Yuan Shoucheng's assertion, his eyes remained sharp as ever, showing neither surprise nor panic. He simply asked,

"The Yin family has already rejected Zhang Changling's marriage proposal? So quickly?"

"Not yet!" Yuan Shoucheng waved his hand impatiently.

"We'll see the outcome within three days! I'm quite accurate about that!"

"Three days?" Chen Guangrui's lips twitched slightly, a faint yet perfectly controlled smile playing across his face.
"It's too long. It won't take three days, maybe one day will be enough for me."

"one day?!"

Yuan Shoucheng looked as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world; his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his goatee trembled.

"What are you planning to do all day? Block the entrance to the Yin residence and prevent Zhang Changling from entering? Or... can you get that stubborn old man Yin Kaishan to change his mind?"

The Jing River Dragon King, who was holding back his anger, glared at the two golden carp that Chen Guangrui had just brought. Hearing the sound, he also suddenly raised his head, his huge, bell-like eyes filled with disbelief.

"One day? Chen Guangrui, what kind of mystery are you trying to pull now? This deadly calamity is still unresolved, aren't you already causing enough chaos?"

“Dragon King, don’t be impatient,” Chen Guangrui said in a relaxed tone, even with a hint of amusement. His gaze swept over Yuan Shoucheng’s surprised face, then over the Dragon King’s anxious expression, before he finally spoke slowly, “I’m going to become a monk.”

"What?!!!"

Yuan Shoucheng's air of being a worldly master who "has seen it all" instantly crumbled! His mouth was agape, his jaw almost dropped to the table, and his cloudy eyes were wide open, as if he were seeing this top scholar for the first time!

"Become...become a monk? You? Chen Guangrui, are you crazy? What...what kind of idea is this?!"

Even someone as worldly-wise as him, who prided himself on his ability to predict the future, never imagined that Chen Guangrui would propose such a desperate, all-or-nothing path! Becoming a monk? What a ridiculous idea!
The Dragon King of the Jing River was also completely taken aback, his whiskers even forgetting to twitch, his enormous dragon eyes scanning Chen Guangrui from head to toe.

"Become a monk? This...this is even possible?!"

He was stunned for a long time, his frustration overwhelmed by immense doubt. "No... Chen Guangrui, what about your promise to find that Cao Guan and break my death curse? You've gone to hide in a temple and become a monk! Who will protect me as the leader?! Are you playing me?!"

With a hand as big as a palm leaf fan, he grabbed Chen Guangrui's arm with such force that Yuan Shoucheng was sweating for Chen Guangrui.

Chen Guangrui gently brushed away the Dragon King's hand, his expression calm, as if he were going to a banquet rather than getting ordained. "Don't worry, Dragon King, your dragon head is certainly fine, but the specific details are a secret that cannot be revealed."

A deep, unwavering determination flashed in his eyes. "I will do my best to fulfill my promise. Once I'm officially registered at the temple and resolve this current 'affair,' I will naturally find a way to secure your position. At that time, I will ensure your safety."

He said no more, turned and gestured to Chen An, "Let's go to Daxingshan Temple."

The most famous temple in Chang'an, closest to the West Market, was a popular place of worship and could serve as a refuge. He specifically mentioned it, his tone resolute, "While it's still early, lest something unexpected happens."

"Brother! Wait!"

Chen An, who had been keeping quiet all along, finally reacted. He rushed in front of Chen Guangrui, his eyes wide open, his face filled with disbelief, shock, and a hint of anxiety.
"Become...become a monk?! You really want to become a monk? Then...how will you ever get married?! No matter how ugly that Miss Yin is, we just won't marry her. There's no need to...uh?"

He suddenly remembered something, and his voice stopped abruptly.

Yuan Shoucheng, who was standing nearby, also listened intently, curious about Chen Guangrui's move.

"What's the rush?" Chen Guangrui chuckled at his brother's honest demeanor, patting Chen An's broad shoulder.

"It's not about shaving your head to become a monk. It's about becoming a 'disciple of the faithful'." "Disciple of the faithful?" Chen An looked blank, like a monk completely bewildered. "Then...how is that different from a monk? Aren't you still a person in the temple?"

"Naturally different."

Chen Guangrui patiently explained, his voice clear and steady, “A Qingxin disciple is a lay Buddhist. They practice at home, eat vegetarian food, chant Buddhist scriptures, and support the Dharma. They do not need to be ordained, nor do they need to abstain from marriage. After some time, when things are settled, they can still marry and have children after leaving the temple. There is no problem.”

He said this to Chen An, but also to Yuan Shoucheng and the Dragon King who were present, to clarify the nature of the Qingxin disciples.

After listening, Chen An suddenly understood, letting out a long "Oh," and his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed. But then, an barely suppressed smile appeared on his face, tinged with disdain.
"Hey! So you weren't really going to become a monk after all! You scared me! So... so you went in to lay low for a bit? Tsk tsk tsk..."

He clicked his tongue, glanced at his elder brother, and then, recalling the rampant rumors circulating in the streets, couldn't help but mutter in a low voice,

"Just how difficult and ugly is that Miss Yin from the Yin family? Brother, you'd rather go to a temple and become a fake monk than even get close to her? Goodness, how ugly does she have to be to scare people like that?"

Yuan Shoucheng, listening from the side, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his eye, stroking his beard, unsure whether to laugh or sigh at Chen Guangrui's brilliant move.

The Dragon King looked bewildered, still trying to process the cause-and-effect relationship between "being nominally in charge and avoiding the limelight" and "keeping the dragon's head."

Chen Guangrui ignored Chen An's mutterings, only glancing at him briefly, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. He was about to step towards Daxingshan Temple, and Chen An naturally followed closely behind.

Now that they had money, Chen An also rented a carriage for Chen Guangrui to make travel easier.

On the way, Chen An was still puzzled as to why Chen Guangrui was so eager to avoid the marriage with Yin Kaishan. Others might not know, but he did know that his elder brother had started planning this marriage many days in advance.

But in the last two days, things have suddenly changed; it seems like they want to stay far away from people.

Chen An was puzzled, but didn't know how to ask.

Chen Guangrui sat calmly in the carriage.

He knew the plot of Journey to the West and recalled that the one who guided Li Shimin to set up the Water and Land Assembly should have been Guanyin Bodhisattva of Buddhism, but that time point should be more than ten years later, when Tang Sanzang had already grown up.

However, he has no way of verifying his current predicament, but it is most likely related to Buddhism.

So, there's nothing wrong with him going to a Buddhist monastery to become a monk, right?
Surely your Buddhist community wouldn't refuse to take me in?

At this time, Buddhism's influence in the Tang Dynasty was still very weak. If they had refused to accept Chen Guangrui, they would have had far fewer believers in the future.

However, if they were to accept Chen Guangrui as a devout disciple, the Buddhist sect's plan would fall through.
"what!!!"

Suddenly!
A piercing, terrifying scream came from not far away. The suddenness and sharpness of the sound instantly tore apart the eerie atmosphere of this small world in Xishikou!
Accompanied by screams, there was a loud crash, as if a heavy object had slammed into and overturned the stall.

"Murder...murder!!!"

What followed was a hoarse scream, like a broken gong!
The crowd erupted in uproar!

A commotion erupted instantly!

Chen Guangrui suddenly turned around! He didn't know why the disturbance had become so chaotic.

Chen An reacted the fastest, his burly body reflexively shifting half a step to the side, standing like an iron tower in front of Chen Guangrui, his gaze sweeping like lightning toward the dark alleyway from which the screams came from!
Not far away, at the entrance of a narrow alley, people were scattering in terror! A grocery stall was smashed to pieces, with fruits and other goods scattered all over the ground.

In the shadows where light and shadow meet at the alley entrance, a cold glint flashed!
A blurry black figure wielding a sharp blade brought it down with a vicious slash! The target appeared to be a person lying on the ground, scrambling and trying to escape!
The blade whistled through the air with a sharp, cold sound!

A striking splash of red suddenly appeared in the sunlight!

(End of this chapter)