An Eminent Monk

Although his attempt to temper his state of mind had ended in failure, Shi Chan, as an eminent monk versed in Buddhist teachings, was by no means discouraged. "Senior brothers, you need not worry on account of this humble monk breaking the precepts." "The path of cultivation is fraught with hardship. How could the journey be completely smooth sailing without a single ripple? Failure is simply inevitable." "Only by experiencing failure can one truly appreciate how precious success is." "Only by knowing the liberating delight of indulging physical desire can one's mental state emerge all the sturdier once successfully tempered." "...And what if Master Jiesha finds out you broke the precept?" "Only the three of us know of this matter. Monastics do not speak falsehoods, but you two senior brothers are not monastics. If my master asks, please lie on my behalf." Lu Yang gestured for Shi Chan to stop standing on ceremony and sit down for some water. "And what if Master Jiesha asks you directly?" At this, Shi Chan's expression shifted slightly as he recalled the consequences should his master find out, only to relax again a moment later. "Then this humble monk will simply have to cultivate Silent Chan as well." Lu Yang: "..." *As expected of an eminent monk. Truly thorough in his planning.* Meng Jingzhou stared mournfully at Fellow Daoist Shi Chan, his eyes brimming with grievance. The ancient Pure Yang Immortal Physique having a girlfriend was one thing, but now even a monk could visit a brothel? Was he really the only poor, unlucky bastard left? "The Buddha once said: wherever you stumble, that is where you pick yourself back up. Since this humble monk failed today, once I earn some money, I shall fight another day. This humble monk intends to stay in this city for a few days. What do you two senior brothers plan to do?" Meng Jingzhou made a 'time-out' gesture with his hands. "Are you sure those were the Buddha's words?" Shi Chan smiled, tucked up his wide sleeve, dipped his index finger in water, and drew three circles on the table, explaining: "Buddhism holds that the past, present, and future are one and the same; there are the Buddhas of the Past, the Present, and the Future. As a Buddhist disciple, my goal is naturally to attain Buddhahood. Though I am not yet a Buddha now, I certainly will be in the future. And since the past, present, and future are one, are not the words I speak the words of the Buddha?" Meng Jingzhou felt that Shi Chan joining the Hanging Temple had truly been the Dao Seeking Sect's loss. Lu Yang, who knew little about Buddhist doctrine, turned to ask the Immortal Fairy, the sole founder of Buddhism. "Fairy, does Buddhism really have such a saying?" "I can't recall. I was only responsible for making up stories; theoretical matters weren't my department." The Immortal Fairy was sprawled lazily across her lotus pedestal, arching her back and stretching like a kitten. By this time, Lu Yang's spiritual space had transformed into a cavernous Mahavira Hall, complete with glazed tile roofing, bracket sets under the eaves, and exquisitely carved woodwork adorning the doors and windows. Incense flourished within the Mahavira Hall, venerating none other than the true form of Buddhism's founder, the Immortal Fairy, along with her lotus pedestal. She was the founder of Buddhism; present-day Buddhist monks were all technically her grand-disciples. Since she had run into one of her grand-disciples, she had decorated the Second-in-Command's spiritual space along the way, just for a change of pace. "Then who was in charge of theory?" "Everyone except me." "..." "If I may ask, Brother Shi Chan, how do you plan to earn money?" Considering Shi Chan's previous scheme of earning money by reporting a black market, Lu Yang harbored deep doubts about his earning capacity. "By performing religious rituals, of course." "Oh, right. You're a monk." Lu Yang suddenly remembered that Shi Chan was from the Hanging Temple. Shi Chan gave Lu Yang a bewildered look, then glanced down at his attire. From his garb to his conduct, how could anyone mistake him for anything other than a Buddhist monk? "In that case, this humble monk shall rest for the night and meet you two here tomorrow morning." "Wait a second. Do you even have any money left? Where are you going to stay?" Lu Yang grabbed Shi Chan, who was bustling with energy and already preparing to leave. If Shi Chan had previously been poor enough to be unable to afford Old Meng's blood while still having enough for a brothel, whether he still had a coin to his name after the brothel visit was another matter entirely. Yanked back by Lu Yang, Shi Chan explained, "This humble monk is penniless. Yet in roaming the world, where is not home? I have already scouted out an arch under a bridge. It cannot keep out the wind, but it will shelter from rain. Tonight there is neither wind nor rain, making it ideal lodging." Lu Yang was speechless. They were all disciples of the immortal sects—if the two of them stayed at an inn while Shi Chan slept under a bridge, how would that look if word got out? "At any rate, the two of us earned plenty of money tonight. Old Meng will treat you to an inn." Meng Jingzhou glared at Lu Yang. *You play the good guy and I foot the bill?* Lu Yang placated Old Meng: "I'm letting you do a good deed. Think about it: who is Brother Shi Chan? An eminent monk of the Hanging Temple! You commit all sorts of wicked deeds on a regular basis, so providing lodging for an eminent monk this time is immense karmic merit. It's only in light of the spirit stones you shared with me that I'm ceding such an opportunity to you." "Get lost, get lost, get lost." Meng Jingzhou didn't buy Lu Yang's nonsense, but an inn only cost a few spirit stones anyway; treating them was fine. "It just so happens I've never seen a Buddhist ritual before. Staying here a few days to see how you perform one works out nicely." "Then this humble monk thanks both senior brothers." Seeing that the two were willing to remain in the city, Shi Chan was genuinely delighted. Perhaps he would have the chance to learn both boxing styles, as well as learn from Senior Brother Meng how to rein in the desires of the heart. The blood of an ordinary Bachelor Spiritual Root would never produce such an effect. Senior Brother Meng had surely driven himself to the absolute limit to cultivate such aphrodisiac blood. Shi Chan hadn't even been able to endure twenty drops; he dared not imagine how Senior Brother Meng, covered in blood, had managed to endure it. Speaking of staying at an inn, Meng Jingzhou had some unpleasant memories. "We stayed at three inns in a row, and incidents occurred at every single one. Surely things won't go wrong a fourth time, right?" Lu Yang had always possessed great faith in his luck: "Of course not. Think about what we've been through. How many battles between Body Integration stage, Tribulation Transcendence stage, and half-immortal combatants have we stumbled into? And didn't we survive every single one smoothly, without even scraping off a patch of skin?" "That's a blatant sign of how good our luck is." Meng Jingzhou thought to himself that Lu Yang ought to first consider *why* they kept encountering so many battles between supreme experts in the first place. The three had no trouble finding an inn meant for cultivators. Such establishments featured internal Spirit Gathering Formations to aid in cultivation. If it had been just Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, any ordinary place would have done; opening their mouths and executing 'Heaven-Swallowing' was more effective than a Spirit Gathering Formation anyway. With Shi Chan along, however, that wouldn't do. "Shopkeeper, three Heaven-grade rooms." Meng Jingzhou had rarely earned so much and was in high spirits today, paying for all three rooms. The shopkeeper was a man; it looked like there wouldn't be any scenario of a brother-in-law fighting over an inheritance. Heaven-grade rooms were plentiful, so there wouldn't be any scenario of cultivators coming to blows over vacant rooms. The three smoothly made their way to their respective rooms. Lu Yang pushed open his door, only to find the room in utter disarray. Wardrobes and tables lay overturned across the floor, the windows were thrown wide open with chilly wind pouring in, and a man and a woman were locked in a violent struggle atop the bed. The man, clad in black, held a dagger with murderous intent gleaming in his eyes. The woman was disheveled, struggling desperately, a bloody gash across her neck that matched the bloodstains on the dagger. A soundproofing formation was active in the room, keeping any noise from escaping outside. Seeing Lu Yang, the fiercely struggling woman looked as though she had caught sight of hope. Lu Yang backed out of the room and checked the room number. Wrong room.