A Tale of Encounters with Immortals: A Peach Blossom Temple in the Martial World

Zhang Zhengdao felt he should visit the White Lotus Temple to learn from their advanced management experience, which would also help him expand the Peach Blossom Temple's ranks in the future.

There are only two women and a ghost, it's too pathetic.

Moreover, that ghost was too embarrassed to even show it.

"Little monk, what's your surname? Would you like to come with me for a free tour of Peach Blossom Temple?"

The young novice monk looked at Zhang Zhengdao as if he were an idiot.

"Trying to poach our employees? Hah—"

The young novice even spat near Zhang Zhengdao's feet, clearly someone who wanted to show off despite being broke. He reached out to stop Zhang Zhengdao, saying, "My temple is closed for business today... We're welcoming..."

They couldn't stop him; Zhang Zhengdao took a step and was already on the mountaintop.

The young novice was filled with doubt and suspicion, and ran wildly up the mountain as if he had seen a ghost.

Zhang Zhengdao stepped to the front of the main hall.

A monk faced Zhang Zhengdao and bowed, saying, "Amitabha, benefactor, we meet again."

Zhang Zhengdao looked at the monk and recognized him as the same monk, Yuanjue, who had abducted the white-haired old prisoner on the official road.

"The Lotus Sect?"

Monk Yuanjue shook his head: "I have only received guidance from my master and want to do something for the world."

Zhang Zhengdao asked, "Is your guru the leader of the Lotus Sect?"

Monk Yuanjue smiled and said, "It's alright to tell the Taoist priest, that's right."

"Inside?" Zhang Zhengdao pointed to the back of the main hall.

Monk Yuanjue shook his head and said, "No, after the failure last night, the master and the lord left. As the saying goes, if you fail to strike, you should flee far away. This humble monk is willing to stay."

Zhang Zhengdao laughed and said, "You didn't go to the He residence, did you?"

Monk Yuanjue also smiled: "We're going to the He residence."

Zhang Zhengdao: "How long have you been gone?"

Monk Yuanjue: "It's been an hour. I estimate they've arrived at the He residence by now."

Zhang Zhengdao nodded: "No problem. Shall we talk about your guru?"

The monk Yuanjue clasped his hands together, chanted a Buddhist prayer, and said, “Years ago, I descended from Zhenshan Temple in Qingzhou, determined to roam the world, uphold justice, and accumulate merit for my spiritual practice. However, this world is treacherous, and the people suffer. So-called heroes are merely acting on their own whims, relying on their own strength. There is no true chivalry, no true fairness or justice; it is all just the evil in people's hearts. I was in distress, but could not find a way out. Fortunately, I met my master, and after a long talk with him, I finally understood…”

"What did you realize?"

"Our Buddha is merciful; there is a reincarnated Maitreya in the world who will widely spread the teachings, propagate Buddhism, and save all people from suffering. Only by believing in the White Lotus Maitreya can one transcend the sea of ​​suffering..."

Zhang Zhengdao was stunned.

Another one who's been brainwashed.

Zhang Zhengdao felt that it was impossible to reason with such a brainwashed person; they were extremely stubborn.

That so-called old man and his subordinate Qin Honglian, if they didn't have enough faith, they wouldn't be so brain-dead.

What a waste of a young man who was determined to contribute himself and seek the truth.

Zhang Zhengdao sighed and asked, "I'm going to kill your so-called master. Will you stop me?"

Upon hearing this, Monk Yuanjue remained silent.

Zhang Zhengdao said, "If you're going to make a move, then do it quickly."

Monk Yuanjue did not make a move: "You are a good person, and I never lay a hand on good people. So, whatever you wish to do, please do it."

Zhang Zhengdao: "I thought you weren't afraid of death."

Monk Yuanjue said, “I am naturally no match for you, benefactor. Since I am no match for you, I will naturally not make a move. If I do not make a move, you will naturally not be able to make a move against me. It may be the right choice to save my life to do something useful for Maitreya the White Lotus.”

This monk was honest; he said what he thought.

"Fine, you've just gone astray and joined a cult. Buddha said, 'Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot.' I think you shouldn't be looking for that lotus Maitreya or anything like that. You've done so much just to get enlightenment, haven't you? I'll ask you, have you ever killed anyone?"

Monk Yuanjue nodded: "Of course I killed him."

Zhang Zhengdao clapped his hands: "That makes things much easier. Buddha said, 'Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot.' As long as you stop killing people in the future, you will be a Buddha. It's that simple."

Monk Yuanjue was shocked.

"No, benefactor, I am not wielding a butcher's knife. I kill to save the world. It is the work of a wrathful Vajra. I am not killing indiscriminately. To kill one person to save ten thousand is compassion!"

Zhang Zhengdao: "How do you know you killed people to save them? Tell me, how many people have you killed?"

"No fewer than ten!"

"Did you save 100,000 people?"

Monk Yuanjue was dumbfounded again.

"No... I was just using an example..."

Zhang Zhengdao said, "The things you use as analogies are things that haven't happened yet. You're using things that haven't happened yet as analogies. The Buddha said, 'Don't use idle talk.' Aren't you breaking the precept? If you've broken the precept, are you still a monk?"

Monk Yuanjue's mind was buzzing.

This kid is full of enthusiasm, but not very bright; no wonder he got fooled.

"Let's go inside and have a drink!"

"Monks are not allowed to drink alcohol."

“You’ve already broken the precept against lying, so you’re no longer a monk. You’re not a monk anymore, so what’s wrong with having a little wine? After you’ve finished drinking, think about whether you still want to be a monk. If you do, then shave your head again, and you’ll be a monk again, right?”

Monk Yuanjue: "Really?"

"Of course it's true."

Monk Yuanjue then said to Zhang Zhengdao, "You're drinking with me, does that mean you're not going to see your master?"

Zhang Zhengdao laughed: "Of course I found it."

As he spoke, he took out his wooden sword, casually tossed it into the air, and said, "Go!"

The peach wood sword moved with the wind and suddenly disappeared into the sea of ​​clouds.

Monk Yuanjue was dumbfounded.

Although I witnessed Zhang Zhengdao's potential last time, this...this...isn't immortal magic? I'm even stammering a bit. It turns out that the Great Dao I've been pursuing is nothing more than ordinary to him.

"Master—"

Monk Yuanjue bowed respectfully to Zhang Zhengdao.

"Being a monk has made me confused!" Zhang Zhengdao said, downing a pot of wine.

Monk Yuanjue refused to accept it.

"I killed two people last night."

He now deeply regretted stopping Qin Honglian and Qin Fangguan. If it weren't for him, they might have died anyway, but they wouldn't have died because of him.

Zhang Zhengdao listened to Monk Yuanjue recount the events. It turned out that both Qin Honglian and Qin Fangguan were dead. Qin Fangguan was killed by the Four Heroes of Kunshan, while Qin Honglian died by severing her own meridians.

After taking a sip of his drink, Zhang Zhengdao said, "I'm leaving. Take care of yourself!"

"Who awakens first from the great dream? I know myself best... Uh, when the mood strikes, I go alone, and the joys are known only to myself. When I reach the end of the watercourse, I sit and watch the clouds rise." Zhang Zhengdao felt that after showing off, reciting a poem made him look like a wise and enlightened person.

It was somewhat influenced by movies, TV series, and novels.

There's something off about him. Cultivating the Tao requires cultivating the mind. In the end, Zhang Zhengdao is just a librarian in a Taoist temple who has only read some Taoist books.

How can he be considered a proper Taoist priest?

Even the most respectable Taoist priests aren't as obsessed with making money as Zhang Zhengdao.

These are all habits brought from Earth.

Without money, there is no sense of security.

Now they're using the pretext of building Taohua Temple to make money, and later they'll dare to use the pretext of building the Taohua Temple area in Linbin Town to make money. In the future, in the county, the prefecture... Zhang Zhengdao might also try to take advantage of the situation.

The peach wood sword flew through the sky, and then an old monk was seen leading a white-haired old man and a child, walking briskly along a mountain path towards Qingzhou.

This old monk was quite something; he carried an old man with white hair in one arm and a child on his other shoulder. He moved with incredible speed and agility as he walked through the mountains.

When encountering a ravine, one can easily leap into the air and stretch out effortlessly, like an immortal.

Even though the white-haired old man was being dragged along, he was exhausted and panting heavily.

"Do you have to push yourself so hard? Aren't you more powerful than the Four Great Masters? Is there anyone in the world more powerful than you?"

The white-haired old man stopped, waved his hand, and said.

"I can't walk anymore, let's rest for a while."

The old monk looked around, then released his spiritual energy. After confirming that there was no danger nearby, he stopped and put the child down from his shoulder.

“Master, I have a question.”

Kids always have so many questions.

The old monk nodded and said, "Ask away."

The child said, "A few days ago, someone asked me, since Buddhist scriptures mention cause and effect and retribution, why are there so many people suffering in the world today? I've thought about it a lot, but I can't figure it out. If that's the case, then there must be countless evil people in their past lives."

The old monk nodded: "Indeed, people's hearts are inclined to evil, and it is necessary for me, the Lotus Maitreya Buddha, to resolve their suffering. This is also the Buddha's will."

The white-haired old man watched with great interest as an old monk and a little boy exchanged questions and answers.

He quite liked this way of discussing issues.

The child sighed and said, "How lazy Maitreya Buddha must have been in his previous life to allow so many evil people to run rampant in the world, so that we have to fulfill such a grand wish in this life."

The old monk was taken aback.

The white-haired old man was also taken aback, then burst into laughter.

The old monk was losing face, but he didn't know how to respond. His words lacked a logical coherence, making it easy for the clever child to find a loophole.

The child then asked, "Master, you said I am the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. Was I punished for being too lazy in my past life and have been reborn to suffer in this life?"

The old monk nodded quickly, thinking, "This child really knows how to justify himself!"

The child looked at the old monk with a worried expression: "Um... I'm already the Maitreya Buddha, who's so bold as to punish me? Who is it? Can you tell me quietly?"

The old monk immediately sat down, his expression blank.

The white-haired old man clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he almost fell over.