Li Muchan carried the monk on his back and walked straight through the courtyard to a Zen room. The room was simply decorated, with a bed, a table and a stool. There were folded quilts on the bed, which was clean and tidy.
Li Muchan first put the wooden box on the table, then leaned over to put it down gently, and slowly laid him down on the cloud bed: "Monk, this is my house. If it doesn't feel too shabby, let's live here for now!"
The old monk stood up with difficulty, sat in the lotus position, and said, "Thank you very much. Have you asked me about my little master's name?"
Although his face was covered with abscesses, his voice was calm, unhurried and had a peaceful charm.
Li Muchan combined the tithe: "The little monk's name is Zhanran."
"Master Zhanran, there is something disturbing about the old man Jikong." The old monk said solemnly.
Li Muchan said: "Master Jikong, there is no need to be polite. Just treat this place as your own home. I am the only one in the temple. I usually live at home at the foot of the mountain, and occasionally come here for retreat and meditation."
Old monk Jikong nodded, feeling a little sleepy.
Li Muchan opened the wooden box and took out two plates of vegetarian dishes: "I have something to do today, so I can't stay too long. Master, I'll make do with it for now. Feel free to do whatever you want."
After saying a few words to the old monk Jikong, he picked up the wooden box and went out.
He left Chengjing Temple and headed towards the back mountain. He entered a small valley and walked deeper through the weeds. After walking a hundred meters, a small pool appeared in front of him.
The pool is located on the slope of the valley, halfway up the steep mountain. The stones form a circle with a diameter of four to five meters, but the length of two modern bathtubs.
The water in the pool is so clear that you can clearly see the bottom. Fish, stones, and fine sand are clearly visible. There is a light white mist floating on the water surface, like a layer of white gauze rolling in the wind.
He put away the wooden box and a baggage he took from the temple. He took off his clothes and revealed his well-proportioned body. He jumped into the pool and suddenly showed an intoxicated expression.
This is a hot spring that he discovered when he was eleven years old. The valley is already remote, and the water pool is halfway up the mountain in the valley. It is steep and difficult to navigate, so it is difficult for others to find it.
Every time you feel tired, take a dip here and your fatigue will disappear.
Away from all the modern enjoyments, he was satisfied to come here and take a dip in the hot springs.
This time, it was not for enjoyment. Although he saved the old monk, he was afraid of some serious contagious disease, so he came here to wash himself before going back to avoid infecting his family.
After an hour he came out, his whole body was steaming, he unpacked his baggage, changed into new clothes, carried the wooden box down the mountain, and returned to Lijiacun.
Li Muchan's house has three large tile-roofed houses as the main house and several side rooms. It is quite grand. Although it is not as good as the Zhao family, the big landowner in the village, it can be regarded as one of the top three.
Li Mufeng was the deputy deacon in Mei Mansion and earned twenty taels of silver per month. Li Muchan chopped firewood. Every time he went to the city, he carried a mountain of firewood on his back. One person was worth four or five strong men, and he earned a lot of money.
It's no longer the embarrassment it once was.
Before he got home, he saw a beautiful middle-aged woman standing at the door from a distance. She was about forty years old, with a slim figure and a beautiful face. She still had charm. It was obvious that she must have been a stunning beauty when she was young.
"Mom!" Li Muchan greeted, striding over with a smile on his serious and rigid face.
When the middle-aged beautiful woman saw him, she took a few steps forward with a smile, took the wooden box, and rolled her eyes at him: "What did you do before you came back!"
Li Muchan seemed to be a different person, he put aside his silence, put his arms around her, and said with a smile: "Something delayed me, is the second sister back?"
The beautiful middle-aged woman patted his shoulder, opened his hand, smiled brightly, and said, "I came back a long time ago! If I hadn't pressed him, I would have gone to the city to find you!"
Li Muchan smiled and said: "Second sister has been released from confinement, has it been a month?"
As he spoke, he put his arms around the waist of the beautiful middle-aged woman and walked in, looking affectionate.
Entering the courtyard, you are faced with a screen wall with a painting of the sun and moon shining on the river.
Turning around, there is a flower garden on the east side of the yard, which takes up more than half of the yard, with all kinds of flowers blooming in full bloom. On the west side is a green bamboo forest, rustling, and the middle of the yard is paved with green bricks, which is clean and tidy.
An old man in his fifties was holding scissors, bending down to prune flower branches, with a focused and serious expression. Hearing the footsteps, he turned his head and looked over. He had a square face and a serious expression.
Seeing Li Muchan come in with a middle-aged beautiful woman in his arms, he straightened up, put his hands behind his back, glared at Li Muchan, and hummed with a straight face: "Are you willing to come back?!"
"Dad." Li Muchan smiled.
The beautiful middle-aged woman tugged at his sleeve: "Don't worry about this old man, go in and have a rest!"
After saying that, he pulled Li Muchan into the house. The old man clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head: "A loving mother often loses her son!"
After sighing, he picked up the scissors again, then bent down to prune the flower branches with a focused expression.
As soon as I entered the main room, a faint fragrance came, and a soft voice sounded: "San'er!"
A young girl in white clothes appeared in front of Li Muchan, with long hair shawl, skin as smooth as gel, a soft face, and no smell of fireworks, like a Gushe fairy.
She is about the same height as Li Muchan. She wears a moon-white monk's robe, which is wide and wide, covering her exquisite curves. However, her temperament becomes more and more earthly, like a lotus flower, and the whole room seems to be illuminated by her face.
"Second sister!" Li Muchan looked her up and down, smelled the faint fragrance, and said with a smile: "Second sister's style is even better than before. It seems that her cultivation has made great progress!"
"It's okay," the soft girl smiled.
The beautiful middle-aged woman smiled and said: "Yu Rong, San'er, you two brothers and sisters, let me go and heat up the dishes!"
After that, he carried the wooden box and went out.
On the north wall of the house is a picture of pines and cranes prolonging life. Below is an Eight Immortals table and two Taishi chairs. To the south are two Taishi chairs on the left and right. In the middle of the Taishi chairs is a dark-patterned coffee table, which gives the impression of a large family.
The two sat on the two Taishi chairs on the east side, leaned forward, and came together.
"San'er, I heard from my mother that the eldest brother and the eldest sister-in-law quarreled again?" The beautiful girl Li Yurong sighed softly.
Li Muchan nodded: "Well, eldest brother hasn't been back for another month."
"The two of them..." Li Yurong shook her head lightly.
"The second sister doesn't have to worry about a husband and wife quarreling at the end of the bed," Li Muchan said with a smile.
"I see, the two of them are incompatible!" Li Yurong sighed and shook his head: "By the way, Master has something to tell you before I come."
"Oh——?" Li Muchan's eyes lit up.
Li Yurong pursed her lips and smiled: "Master said that your meditation skills have entered the root of Zen, leaving the desire world and entering the color world. I am very happy and congratulated."
Li Muchan smiled and looked at her soft face. The two of them were very close to each other. Her skin was like jade, and the glint was faint, which was a sign that the inner power had entered the room.
"Master praised you very much, saying that you were able to escape from the world of desire and reach the first state of Zen by practicing alone without anyone's guidance. You are indeed a person of wisdom. You are not a mortal. You must be the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva." Li Yurong said softly.
laugh.
Li Muchan laughed, but his heart was awe-inspiring. This Snow Seal Nun was really powerful in his Taoism. Although he was not a Bodhisattva, he was reincarnated. This biggest secret has never been revealed to anyone.
Once a person has a secret, he will become deep and mature. My current mentality is a bit more mature than when I was thirty-five years old.
"What else did Master Tai say?" Li Muchan asked with a smile.
Li Yurong said sternly: "Master said, you should not continue to practice alone. Once you reach the first level of Zen, if you practice further, you will encounter many illusions and countless demons. If you are not careful, you will be in danger."
"Well..." Li Muchan pondered and nodded: "I feel the same way."
Li Yurong's slender eyebrows frowned: "Alas... it's a pity that Master doesn't accept male disciples!"
"I'm not lucky enough, so I have no choice!" Li Muchan smiled and nodded.
"You're still laughing!" Li Yurong rolled her eyes at him, pursed her lips and smiled: "Master said that she can introduce you to Daguangming Temple and become a disciple of Master Xuanguang."
Li Muchan shook his head: "Thank you so much, Master, for your kindness... I want to enter Mei Mansion."
"Entering Mei Mansion?!" Li Yurong was puzzled and said with a frown: "Why do you want to enter Mei Mansion?... Although the Mei family is a big family, can you serve others according to your temperament?"
When it comes to understanding my little brother, I am number one. Neither my eldest brother nor my parents are as good as me. My little brother is truly a genius who was born with knowledge. He also has an extremely aloof heart, but it is all covered up by his gentle and peaceful appearance.
If he hadn't been my younger brother, he wouldn't have been able to become a disciple of his master. The master was one of the most respected nuns in the universe, and his status was so respected that even the governor of Jinyang City would have to bow before him.
Li Muchan said: "I heard from my elder brother that there is a unique skill in the Mei Mansion called the Vajra Indestructible Magic Technique."
"The indestructible magical skill of Vajra?" Li Yurong was thoughtful, thought for a while, and said slowly: "I seem to have heard Master comment on this skill..."
"What did Master Tai say?" Li Muchan asked with a smile.
Li Yurong pondered for a moment and said: "It seems that the martial arts left behind by the previous dynasty is a technique for surviving disasters with a golden body. However, except for the monk Huiguo who originally invented this technique, no one seems to have mastered it for hundreds of years.
,...Mei Mansion actually has this magical skill?"
Li Muchan nodded: "Brother will never lie to me."
"But this Kung Fu is extremely difficult to practice!" Li Yurong frowned and shook his head: "Master said it is difficult to practice, so you can see how difficult it is... Moreover, over the past hundreds of years, there have been many amazing and talented people, but no one has been able to practice it.
, San'er, although you are smart, you can't be afraid."
"I have to give it a try." Li Muchan smiled.
"Alas... you are so arrogant!" Li Yurong stared at him for a long time and sighed helplessly: "Well, I can't persuade you. In short, if it doesn't work, leave Mei Mansion and join Master Xuanguang!
"
Li Muchan nodded in agreement.
Footsteps sounded, and a slim woman came in, wearing a green floral dress, a snow-white face with melon seeds, a small cherry mouth, a straight nose, bright eyes, and a charming temperament.
She smiled softly at the two of them: "Uncle, Yu Rong, let's eat."
"Sister-in-law, come sit here!" Li Yurong stood up, pulled her over, pressed her down on his seat, and whispered: "Brother, are you having trouble again?"
"No." She shook her head quickly and forced a smile.
Li Muchan glanced at her charming face and sighed secretly.
It's really strange for the eldest brother that instead of cherishing such a charming and charming wife, he often gets into trouble, often doesn't come back, and neglects her.
The eldest sister-in-law's name is Zhao Yiyi. She is the daughter of Zhao Laocai, the big landlord in the village. She can be described as a rich lady.
I remember that at the beginning, the elder sister-in-law wanted to marry her elder brother regardless of the family's objections, which made a huge fuss. Did you never expect that it would end like this?
"Brother is really...!" Li Yurong said bitterly and comforted softly: "Don't worry about him, he will come back sooner or later!"
"Sister-in-law, let's have dinner!" Li Muchan said.
"Okay, uncle!" Zhao Yiyi hurriedly agreed, got up and walked out quickly, as if running away.
Li Muchan came over and whispered: "Second sister, just pretend you don't know!"
"Brother is really going too far!" Li Yurong said angrily.
Li Muchan waved his hand: "It is difficult for an upright official to deal with household affairs. Outsiders cannot explain the affairs of a husband and wife, so they can just pretend not to see it."
Li Yurong rolled her eyes at him: "You boy, you are old-fashioned and seem to understand everything. Do you have a woman?!"
"Second sister, don't talk nonsense." Li Muchan smiled, stood up and walked to the door, taking the wooden plate from Zhao Yiyi's hand.
There are two plates of vegetarian dishes on the wooden plate, tofu with mushroom sauce, lotus root and fungus. The color is bright and the aroma is fragrant.
Li Yurong stepped forward to help, put the dishes on the Eight Immortals table in the east, and said with a smile: "San'er, are these from Chaoranlou again?"
Zhao Yiyi smiled and nodded: "My uncle brought it back from Chaoran Building. I can't make it look so good."
Li Yurong said: "Sister-in-law, your craftsmanship is already very good! ... How much is San'er's mouth? There are several restaurants in the city. Only the dishes of Chaoran Restaurant are worthy of his attention, and there are also dishes made by you, sister-in-law."
Li Muchan nodded: "Well, my sister-in-law's cooking skills are not inferior to those of my second sister."
"Didn't you force me out of here?!" Li Yurong rolled her eyes at him.
Li Muchan smiled and went out to help serve the food. After a while, his parents came in and the family sat together and started eating.
It started raining the next day, so Li Muchan said something and went to Aishan.
As soon as he left the house, his expression was calm and serious. He was followed by a different person. He had an ax in his waist and a rope wrapped around him, walking casually.
Because it was raining, everyone in the village stayed at home and did not come out. He went straight up Mount Ai without meeting anyone.
Ai Mountain is steep and high. On such a rainy day, the mountain road immediately became slippery. He felt like walking on flat ground, thinking as he walked.
He wanted to practice the magical power of Vajra Indestructibility, but was influenced by later generations.
In later generations, when he was a child, martial arts novels were very popular and he read a lot of them. Like other men, he also had a martial arts dream.
When he came to this world, he realized the dangers of this martial arts world. Although becoming a monk could minimize the dangers, since the last time he encountered a robber, he understood a truth. If he wants to live freely, Buddhism cannot do it.
To practice martial arts.
Occasionally, he heard his eldest brother mention that the most powerful martial arts in the Mei family was the indestructible Vajra Kung Fu, and he was very excited.
In later generations, he read martial arts novels and was deeply impressed by Shaolin's magical power of indestructibility. Although he knew that the two worlds were different and that this magical power of indestructibility was not the same as that of the other, he still felt itchy.
Going up the mountain road, he did not go to Chengjing Temple, but to the valley behind the temple.
We walked straight in and reached the end of the valley. We stopped in front of the mountain wall and pushed aside a piece of ivy to reveal a cave entrance that was as tall as a person.
After entering, there was a round stone chamber inside, which was quite wide. It was about ten meters from the entrance to the innermost part. He lit a torch and lit up the cave.
The cave was empty except for a simple wooden bed with nothing on it. There was a dark iron rod at the head of the bed with a row of throwing knives inserted into it.
The iron rod is as thick as a baby's arm and one arm long, more like an iron pestle.
More than a dozen flying knives were stuck on the bed, shining coldly under the firelight. The distance between each throwing knife was the same, neat and uniform, and it was really beautiful.