I served as Li Bai's page.

The five of us followed Hongyi to the dining hall, which was already filled with dozens of monks, all sitting in meditation postures with their hands clasped together and chanting scriptures.

Hongyi led us to a table, sat down next to us, and began chanting scriptures like the other monks.

Faced with this scene, I dared not utter a single word. Only after the monks finished chanting and uttered "Amitabha" in unison did everyone pick up their bowls and quietly begin to eat.

This is very different from the Shaolin monks I've seen in movies. I asked Hongyi, "Master, do you recite scriptures before every meal?"

"Yes, this is a rule passed down from our ancestors: to sincerely worship Buddha and never forget it."

"Do all the monks who ate today know martial arts? Do you only eat vegetarian food and not meat?" I had many questions and wanted to ask them all at once.

Hongyi smiled and said, "The Buddhist order is one of purity, refraining from killing, consuming alcohol and meat, and experiencing neither anger, rage, joy, nor sorrow. These are the precepts that all monks in our temple must follow."

I thought it would be very difficult for me to do, so I asked Li Bai, "Li Bai, the Qinglian Hermit, could you do even one or two of these things?"

"I can't do even one of them. I can go a day without wine, but how can I go a lifetime without it?" Li Bai said.

Yang Shanren said, "Only with rules can there be order and harmony. Otherwise, how could Shaolin Temple have become the number one temple in the world?"

After finishing our meal, we chatted for a while in the dining hall. Hongyi offered to escort us back to our rooms. I declined, saying, "Master, you go ahead with your work; we'll go back ourselves."

"Let me escort you," Hongyi said. "There are many places in the temple that you are not allowed to enter."

We could no longer refuse, and followed Hongyi back to the guest room.

"Master Hongyi, do you all have to go to sleep so late at night?" I asked.

"It's still early before bedtime, so I need to rush over to do my homework now. After that, I need to practice my martial arts. I won't be able to sleep until midnight."

I suddenly realized that being a monk with martial arts skills is much harder than being an ordinary person. It's even harder than being a talented scholar like Li Bai. At least Li Bai was free, unrestrained by time and rules.

"Go on with your work, thank you Master Hongyi."

Cen Xun paced back and forth in the room, sighed, and said, "See? We're confined to this room. Shaolin Temple isn't a place for ordinary people to roam freely."

I guessed Li Bai might be having a drinking fit; he seemed a bit flustered. I took out a copy of Zhuangzi from my backpack and handed it to him: "Young master, calm down. When you're on someone else's turf, you have to respect their rules."

Li Bai took the copy of Zhuangzi and began to read it by the dim light of the kerosene lamp in the guest room. I think Li Bai was truly talented, studying Taoist doctrines within Buddhist territory.

Yuan Danqiu and Yang Shanren sat on the bed and began to meditate.

I went to the other end of the dormitory and took over a bunk next to the wall. I placed my backpack on the adjacent bunk, and after settling in, I walked out of the guest room and looked into the temple. I saw a lantern moving towards our room, and I turned back into the room and said, "Someone's coming."

Before I could finish speaking, the spiritual master and Hongyi were already standing in front of our door.

"Esteemed benefactors, please wait. Master Yuan, please introduce your friend," said the Spirit Master.

Yuan Danqiu awoke from his meditation, got out of bed, and said to the Spirit Master, "Master, I'm sorry to have troubled you." He pointed to Li Bai and introduced him, "This is Li Bai, the Qinglian Hermit, a talented scholar from Western Shu."

The spiritual master casually remarked, "Still I cherish the waters of my hometown, which carried my boat for thousands of miles. This poem captures the deep longing for home felt by countless wanderers. Li Bai's presence at this humble temple truly brings glory to our humble abode." With that, he took Li Bai's hand and examined him closely.

"I would like to invite you all to my meditation room for a chat, is that alright?" the spiritual master continued.

The host's initial arrogance followed by obsequiousness left everyone speechless. Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu, not wanting to offend their host, led Cen Xun and Yang Shanren to the Master Tongling's meditation room.

I stayed in the guest room and started reading Zhuangzi. It was too dark outside for me to go out for a stroll.

When the four of them returned, I happened to be reading "Zhuangzi: On the Equality of Things": Zhuangzi had a dream in which he turned into a butterfly.

"Yuehua, aren't you going to sleep yet? It's already midnight," Li Bai said, reaching out to remove my backpack as he tried to lie down.

I gestured to him and said, "Sleep in that bed." Li Bai obediently moved over.

When Li Bai woke up the next day, the four of them were no longer in the room.

I walked out of the room, intending to go find them, when the four of them returned, swords in hand, talking as they walked.

"Young Master, you went to practice your skills so early. Why didn't you call me?" I said loudly as I watched them walk towards me.

"You were sleeping soundly. We called you twice, but you didn't wake up. So we left," Cen Xun said.

"Have you seen any Shaolin monks practicing martial arts?" I asked.

"They're everywhere on the mountain. Some are practicing swordsmanship, some are practicing boxing, and some are even doing horse stance. It's a pity you didn't see them. I even learned a move from one of them." Cen Xun finished speaking and raised his sword, pressing it down on my shoulder. Li Bai reacted quickly and knocked his sword to the ground.

"Master Cen, don't make jokes like that, you'll scare him." Li Bai was a little angry.

"Oh, so protective of your own? Don't spoil him. You need to take him out for walks every day so he can travel all over the world with you," Cen Xun said.

"Mind your own business. If you're going to take someone for a walk, take them gently. Don't always use knives and swords. Be more refined." Just as Li Bai finished speaking, three more bells rang out above the Shaolin Temple.

"Time to eat." I turned and walked towards the cafeteria, and Yuan Danqiu chuckled.

"These are the bells the monks ring for their morning prayers. Didn't you hear the difference? There are two long bells and one short bell. The bells for mealtimes are all the same length."

Yang Shanren exclaimed in surprise, "There's such a difference? I also thought it was because we ate!"

Since they haven't called me for dinner, I'm going to take a walk around the Shaolin Temple in broad daylight.

"Young master, I'm going for a walk," I said to Li Bai.

"Don't go too far. There are some forbidden areas. The four of us will read in this room. You won't get lost." I suddenly felt that Li Bai was becoming more and more gentle.

I walked out of the backyard of Shaolin Temple and headed towards the frontyard. Following the sound of monks chanting sutras, I arrived at the entrance of the Mahavira Hall.

I looked into the hall and saw monks sitting neatly on prayer cushions, their hands clasped together in front of their chests, their eyes closed, and their mouths constantly chanting scriptures.

With a devout heart, I clasped my hands together, bowed three times to the main hall, and then retreated from the entrance.

There are many Buddha statues in Shaolin Temple. Everywhere I go, there are carved Buddha statues. This early morning, bowing and kowtowing has made my head dizzy. I decided to go back to my room; I can't wander around aimlessly like this anymore.

Just as I reached the guest room door, three more bells rang out from above the Shaolin Temple. I listened carefully and confirmed it was breakfast time. I called into the room, "Breakfast is ready!"

Hongyi walked towards the guest rooms, put his hands together in prayer, and said, "Esteemed guests, breakfast is served. Please follow me."

The five of us followed Hongyi toward the dining hall.