Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 97 Junior Brother, you must never become obsessed with women!

Daxiangguo Temple.

Zhan Zhao returned to the monk's cell and sat down cross-legged.

The second night raid on the Pang residence yielded considerable results.

First of all, my junior sister is a little excited.

She hoped to go there a third time and enter through the main entrance.

To be honest, it's quite a bold idea for Pang Ji to invite Zhan Zhao directly into his residence by inviting a high-ranking monk from the Great Xiangguo Temple.

With over a thousand monks at Daxiangguo Temple, he was so young; he didn't look like a highly virtuous monk at all.

Secondly, there are monks with negative karma.

Based on the clues gathered so far, Zhan Zhao vaguely sensed that the burdened monks were a double-edged sword for the Daxiangguo Temple.

The advantage is that there are six more experts for free. Unlike ordinary monks who meditate and perform rituals, they can travel around and increase the sect's influence and deterrent power.

The downside is that these monks with negative karma are actually quite unstable, and who knows what they might do, so the Buddhist precept against killing must be used to suppress them.

but now.

Bai Xiaofeng, known as the "Number One Thief in the World," is coming to steal the "Killing Ring."

Luo Shijun, known as the "Golden-Faced Yama," is suspected of secretly recruiting another monk with negative karma.

Are these two events a coincidence?
Or are they related?

"The visitor is evil!"

Zhan Zhao has been quite comfortable at the Xiangguo Temple lately.

By practicing martial arts, one can also stay informed about various sources, thus avoiding becoming disconnected from the martial arts world.

In another place, it might not be so pleasant.

As he gradually came to understand how Buddhism operates, he didn't forget his initial idea: to proceed step by step.

Therefore, he did not want the Daxiangguo Temple to descend into chaos.

"Bai Xiaofeng is the world's number one thief, and no one knows his whereabouts. This lead is not easy to investigate for the time being."

"As for Luo Shijun's connection, we need to inform the temple so they can be on guard."

Zhan Zhao plans to inform Jie Wen of the whereabouts of the monk Fu Ye tomorrow.

But simply raising questions is not enough; it's best to also have solutions.

"The monks who bear heavy responsibilities are renowned throughout the martial arts world, causing temples and local sects to tremble in fear. Their martial arts skills should not be underestimated, and they are familiar with the disciples in the temple. Sending a familiar monk to investigate may not be enough to find out the situation."

“The monk with bad karma certainly doesn’t recognize me. It’s appropriate for me to step in, but sneaking into the Pang residence to keep watch nearby carries the risk of being exposed. If we can approach him openly and honestly, that would be the safest option.”

"How can I become a high-ranking monk who can be invited to the Pang family in a short period of time?"

……

at the same time.

Jiewen entered a simply furnished meditation room, put his palms together and bowed: "Uncle Master, the eight Dharma Protectors have been arranged."

The monk in the center of the meditation room was thin and frail. His shoulders, sharp as if cut by a knife, were faintly visible beneath his wide robe. He resembled an old pine tree weathered by frost, and at first glance, he appeared quite ordinary.

But in those deep-set eye sockets were a pair of clear and wise eyes, light in color, almost amber, containing compassion and wisdom. Her long, snow-white eyebrows hung down to her cheekbones, like two hanging Buddhist banners.

This eminent monk was none other than the head of the four monasteries, the abbot of the Manjushri Monastery, Zen Master Chihui.

Just now, Jiewen had obviously gone to reinforce the manpower to guard the precept against killing. Now, he returned to the meditation room to report, still somewhat worried: "Although the four courtyards have sent more people, they still cannot get close to the 'precept against killing.' If this continues, I fear there may be some mishaps!"

If it were any other divine weapon, the best way to stop a master thief from stealing the treasure would be to have a skilled person carry it with them.

They were even placed directly in the abbot's room, where they were guarded by the abbot and the head monk of the Puxian Temple, ensuring their safety.

However, the precept against killing is extremely special.

Once you get close to this Buddhist weapon, your blood and qi will surge, your true energy will become disordered, and all sorts of strange phenomena will appear.

If one holds the Buddha's hand for a short time, it can also test the Buddha's heart. The "precepts" that monks who bear karmic burdens receive are derived from this.

However, even martial arts masters would find it difficult to control if they carried around with them for an extended period of time.

Therefore, Daxiangguo Temple could only enshrine it.

This gave the thieves an opportunity to strike.

In fact, Daxiangguo Temple has never relaxed its adherence to the precept against killing, but there is a limit to how many people can be mobilized.

It's impossible for the most prestigious Buddhist temple in the world, a royal temple that opens its doors to the nation, to have its monks stop doing everything else and just spend their days guarding a Buddhist weapon because of a notice of theft.

trouble!

Zen Master Chihui was well aware of the difficulty in protecting this Buddhist weapon, and his gentle tone rang out: "The precept against killing is ultimately a dead thing; it is the person who takes the precept who is living!"

Jiewen's eyes flickered: "Does Master Uncle mean that we should pay more attention to the six monks with bad karma?"

Zen Master Chihui nodded: "Waiting idly is useless. Let Dingguan take the initiative to find them and bring them back to the temple."

Each of the six groups of monks responsible for their own affairs had a liaison person, known as the "Cloud Board Monk".

The cloud board is a ritual instrument used in temples for announcing messages. It is used to summon monks, tell time, and for funeral rites. The role of the cloud board monk is to communicate with the monks in charge of their responsibilities.

The main task is resupply.

After all, monks with karmic burdens need money to travel around; they can't just carry a bowl and beg for alms everywhere.

Daxiangguo Temple was never stingy with resources. As the intermediary between the two parties, Yunban Monk would immediately provide whatever the other party needed, such as silver, elixirs, and scriptures.

However, these monks also had the responsibility of observing the condition of monks with negative karma. If they found that a monk with negative karma was not in a good condition or showed signs of being out of control, they had to recall him immediately.

These six monks, all young monks of the Ding generation, included Ding Guan.

Jiewen understood and put his hands together, saying, "Disciple obeys."

He left the meditation room. It was already late at night, so he didn't disturb the others' rest and went back to his room to meditate.

As dawn broke, they immediately headed towards Puxian Temple.

Before long, Dingguan arrived with two other young monks: "Greetings, Uncle-Master Jiewen."

Jiewen said, "You should set off immediately to bring back the monks who have committed karmic offenses. At the same time, send a message by carrier pigeon to contact Dingchen and the others to ensure that they are returning with their respective monks who have committed karmic offenses."

"This..." Dingguan was somewhat confused. The three of them had just met with the monks in charge of their respective karmic burdens before the New Year, and confirmed that the monks were in good condition before returning to the temple.

It's only been a short time, why rush to welcome them? The monks burdened with karmic debts are already on their way back to their respective temples!

Jiewen, not wanting to be a riddle-maker, directly advised: "Uncle-Master Chihui is worried that someone intends to harm the monks who have committed sins. You must be vigilant on this trip. If you encounter anything unusual, send a message immediately and protect yourselves first!"

"Yes!"

The expressions of the three people immediately turned serious.

Communicating with monks who have responsibilities is also a kind of training. Ordinary monks really can't adapt to their strange temperaments. They are the best of the generation and can shoulder such important responsibilities.

The three monks immediately packed their bags and set off from the temple.

Jiewen pondered whether he should send more Vinaya monks to provide support.

After thinking about it, I gave up.

He felt a little sad.

I remember when I was young, there were also monks with bad karma at Daxiangguo Temple.

But the monks who were burdened with karmic debts at that time were truly monks who persuaded sinners to sincerely repent, and they traveled the world as ascetics, without needing to do anything else.

After all, the Great Xiangguo Temple at that time had five martial arts masters with great prestige, so the monks who were burdened with responsibilities only needed to carry their alms bowls and staffs to persuade evildoers to do good.

Who in the Central Plains martial arts world dares to defy the might of the Great Xiangguo Temple? Why would it need to borrow a few ascetic monks to enhance its reputation?
Things are different now than before!

With the abbot seriously injured and his master not in the temple, this vast and ancient temple, the number one in the world, is without a single proper martial arts master in charge.

He had been exploring his own primordial sea of ​​qi for several years, yet he still couldn't grasp the method to build a bridge between heaven and earth.

Jiewen knew he shouldn't rush, but he was still impatient nonetheless.

If he could live up to expectations, the temple wouldn't have to go through all this.

Among the monks of the "jie" generation, there are two others similar to him. One spends many years in seclusion to meditate, while the other travels around hoping to find a breakthrough opportunity. He has been stuck in a bottleneck for even longer than him, for more than ten years.

Among the monks burdened with negative karma, there was one who had reached the Grandmaster realm and possessed the hope of breaking through.

The rest are much less capable; several fellow disciples are still working hard to open up their innate Qi Sea.

Despite having fully accumulated their power, they were still just one breath short, unable to take that crucial step.

The initial stage of Qi Sea is already a relatively simple hurdle, and if people are already stuck here, it will inevitably be even more difficult when they try to break through to the Grandmaster level.

and so.

In terms of incense offerings, Daxiangguo Temple is becoming increasingly prosperous.

In terms of martial arts talent, Daxiangguo Temple can be described as depleted.

However, the presence of two talented newcomers to the temple pleased Jiewen.

One is Gu Lin, and the other is, of course, Zhan Zhao.

'Junior Brother is a prodigy. He may still need several years to accumulate experience before becoming a Grandmaster, but opening his Innate Qi Sea might happen within the next three or four years!'

'The temple's medicinal baths must be supplied to help him accumulate internal energy!'

The specially made Zen Samadhi Soup was based on Jiewen's suggestion.

Some people worried that Zhan Zhao was too young and that taking the precious medicine would be like pulling up seedlings to help them grow too fast.

But in retrospect, it was fortunate that he had this precious medicine to enhance his skills, otherwise he might have been harmed by Han Zhaoye.
So it turns out that the precious medicine still needs to be supplied.

Such a promising talent deserves our full support and nurturing.

Within ten years, a grandmaster might be born!
A master in his twenties, a Buddhist monk of divine status—this is something one would hardly dare to imagine on ordinary days, but when it comes to Zhan Zhao, Jie Wen has an inexplicable confidence in him.

"Eh!"

Just as they were looking forward to it, Zhan Zhao appeared in the distance. Jie Wen was about to call out to his junior brother when he saw him pick up Lian Caiyun from Yunqi Manor. The two of them chatted and laughed as they headed towards the monks' quarters.

Jiewen's eyelids twitched.

Pang Lingyi repeatedly sent messages through Chen Xiuhan, which was observed by those inside the temple.

Even Caiyun took measurements and sewed clothes, which was noticed by the temple staff.

How to do it?

Just turn a blind eye.

After all, nothing out of the ordinary had been done. Even Caiyun had come to visit her senior brother Gu Lin and take a look at Zhan Zhao. It wouldn't be right to forbid relatives from seeing each other right after Gu Lin was admitted to the temple.

However, this beautiful young woman has been coming far too frequently.

Inside the monk's cell, a colorful cloud drifted about busily. Just then, the eunuch Guo Huaiji appeared at the door, looked inside, and his expression turned somewhat strange.

Seeing this, Zhan Zhao asked in surprise, "Why are you here? Is something the matter?"

Guo Huaiji glanced at Lian Caiyun and said in a low voice, "His Highness has finished a painting and invited you to exhibit it... for your appreciation, young master."

"Inviting me to appraise your painting?"

Zhan Zhao was somewhat puzzled.

He had only met Princess Zhaoning once, and the two had no real relationship. However, this led to Guo Huai entrusting him with the task of investigating the case.

However, in the case of the Zhong Kui painting, if it weren't for Princess Zhaoning's words, he really wouldn't have been able to connect the dots that Zhao Wujiu was a fake.

Since that was the case, he did not refuse directly, but said, "I am honored by Your Highness's favor, but I am currently preoccupied with temple affairs. Let's discuss it later. I wish her good health and longevity!"

The other person is so nice.

He blessed the princess twice in a row.

Unfortunately, they simply won't appear.

Guo Huaiji had no choice but to leave.

Lian Caiyun pursed her lips and said nothing.

On the contrary, Jie Wen, who had secretly followed them, couldn't stand it anymore.

How come another princess has appeared?
He was really anxious.

Junior brother, you have the talent of a grandmaster, you must not be obsessed with women!
(End of this chapter)