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Chapter 79 An Encounter with Zhang Sanfeng
The furnishings in the side room were very simple.
There are two lampposts on the left and right, each covered with a shade that contains a light fixture.
The floor was paved with cedar wood. In the center of the room was a small square table with a teapot, several teacups, and four wooden stools on it.
Next to the square table was the kang mat. The kang mat was very long, with six bamboo mats laid on it, and each bamboo mat had a pillow and quilt on it.
Clearly, although Huangjue Temple provides accommodation for travelers, the services are not as comprehensive as those of a guesthouse. The rooms are large, shared rooms, and the meals are only vegetarian.
There were four people in the room at this time. Three of them were Jueyuan, Grasshopper, and Zhang Junbao. These three were also on their way to Quanzhen Sect to participate in Qiu Chuji's blessing ceremony. Unexpectedly, they met in Huangjue Temple.
There was also a burly man wearing a Mongolian robe, with one shoulder bare and a long scar on his face. He was sitting at a square table in the side room, one foot on the ground and the other on a stool, eating a leg of lamb with gusto. He appeared to be a Mongolian.
"Oh? Two delicate-skinned, foolish scholars have arrived."
"It's my cleverness to bring some meat with me, otherwise, living here would be a feast for the eyes."
"Want to order some together?"
The burly man glanced up at Li Boyang and Liu Bowen, who were carrying only a bundle, sneered, and then ignored them, continuing to feast on his food.
It's quite a coincidence that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Sanfeng met.
After entering the room, Li Boyang only glanced at the Mongolian man briefly before turning his attention to the three people sitting on the kang mat.
The moment Li Boyang entered the room and saw the three men, he had already guessed their identities. The old monk was Jueyuan from Shaolin Temple, the two young men with shaved heads were naturally Grasshopper, and the one with a non-shaved head was Zhang Junbao.
"Greetings, everyone."
Seeing that the three people were also looking at him, Li Boyang nodded politely to them.
The three smiled and nodded. Jueyuan pointed to the remaining two seats and said, "There are two seats left here, benefactor, they are for you."
Liu Bowen, upon entering the side room, stared at the Mongol. Seeing the man's rude behavior and the fact that he was eating meat in a temple, he couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"This is utterly disgraceful! How dare they act so recklessly in the pure land of Buddhism!"
"Huh? Kid, who are you talking about?"
Ba Chi'er, who was gnawing on a lamb leg, tore off a piece of meat and chewed it in two bites. He then glared fiercely at Liu Bowen, clearly intending to attack if the latter couldn't give a coherent explanation.
"I'm talking about you, am I wrong?"
Unfazed by Ba Chier's dangerous tone, he was no longer the cunning and ruthless strategist Liu Bowen who had become a master strategist, whose sharpness was concealed yet who could devour people without spitting out the bones.
Liu Bowen is only in his early twenties, a time of youthful vigor. In addition, after Li Boyang entered Songyang Academy, he not only cultivated his knowledge but also taught him some basic martial arts skills. Ordinary three or five people really couldn't beat him, so why would he be afraid of Ba Chier?
"You little brat, you're asking for it."
However, what Liu Bowen didn't know was that Ba Chier was also a notorious bully who had made a name for himself in the Central Plains martial arts world. His martial arts skills were at the peak of the Acquired Realm and were on the verge of reaching the Innate Realm, which was far superior to Liu Bowen's mediocre skills.
Ba Chi'er threw the lamb leg onto the square table and slammed it down, ready to teach this arrogant bastard a lesson.
“Amitabha, benefactor, it is indeed not good to eat meat in the pure land of Buddhism.”
A Buddhist chanting.
The entire room was filled with Buddhist chants, and there were no other sounds. As the chants were uttered, both Ba Chi'er and Liu Bowen felt their anger dissipate.
Li Boyang's eyes narrowed as he looked down at Jueyuan. The Buddhist chant was naturally uttered by Jueyuan, and it carried a charm that could make people convert. Monk Jueyuan was probably a Qi Refining Realm cultivator.
"That's right, it's one thing for you to eat meat, but you even ate it in front of the three of us Shaolin monks."
"That's outrageous. If you want to eat, go eat outside."
Zhang Junbao and Grasshopper also scolded Ba Chier together.
The Buddhist chant only affected Ba Chi'er for a moment. Ba Chi'er wasn't stupid. He looked up at Jueyuan, who was probably a master. He then looked at Zhang Junbao and Zhang Sanfeng, who were united against the enemy. With a cold snort, he picked up the lamb leg and walked out of the room.
A conflict vanished without a trace thanks to Jueyuan's chanting of Buddhist hymns.
"Thank you for speaking up for us, Master. May I ask how you gentlemen are addressed?"
Although Liu Bowen disliked Buddhism, he was not without right and wrong. His thoughts were directed at the religion as a whole, not at any particular person. He was naturally grateful to the monk Jueyuan for speaking up for him.
As for why he wasn't interested in Buddhism, it was naturally due to the influence of Li Boyang. When Li Boyang was giving him private lessons, he specifically mentioned the religious section.
In ancient times, religions often enjoyed privileges such as tax exemption, land, female servants, and slaves. This led to a great concentration of social wealth in the hands of religions, which seriously affected the development of the social economy.
The famous Huichang persecution of Buddhism occurred in this way. At that time, the official in charge of the persecution said: "Of the world's wealth, seven or eight parts belong to Buddhism."
In fact, religious sages throughout history have been aware of the dangers of this, but they have been powerless to change it.
For example, Emperor Wu of Liang, who was famous for his devotion to Buddhism, was told by Bodhidharma that his so-called faith in Buddhism had no merit or blessings. The Sixth Patriarch Huineng said, "Emperor Wu's mind is evil, and he does not know the true Dharma."
The original intention of religion is good, providing people with spiritual sustenance. However, as it grows, it often becomes distorted, involving too many interests.
Jueyuan bowed with one hand and introduced, "I am Jueyuan, the head of the Discipline Hall of Shaolin Temple. These are my disciples, Grasshopper and Zhang Junbao, a lay disciple of Shaolin Temple."
"It is fate that we have met. How should we address you if we are not the two of you?"
Liu Bowen returned the greeting, smiled, and said, "Just call me a student of Songyang Academy, or Liu Bowen. This is my teacher, Li Boyang, the most learned scholar at Songyang Academy."
Li Boyang smiled slightly: "I am not worthy of the title of great Confucian scholar, but I am a master whose depth is unfathomable."