Xuanzang smiled and said, "I was already very familiar with these people back then."
I paused for a moment, then immediately realized: Qin Qiong and Xuanzang were both from the time of Li Shimin, and Qin Qiong and the others were famous founding heroes at that time, so Xuanzang naturally knew them very well.
Through my conversation with Xuanzang, I learned that among the eighteen heroes, there were not only those like Qin Qiong and Luo Cheng who advocated for the restoration of the Tang Dynasty, but also those like Yang Lin and Yuwen Chengdu who supported the Sui Dynasty. Moreover, these two factions were almost equal in number and strength. The faction advocating for the restoration of the Tang Dynasty included figures like Pei Yuanqing, Xiong Kuohai, and the Wu brothers, while the faction supporting the Sui Dynasty had fierce generals such as Zuo Tiancheng, Wei Wentong, and Xin Wenli. The two factions had engaged in a long and fierce war for the sake of the country, with almost all of them dying at the hands of their enemies.
I thought about it, and there really weren't any truly wicked or evil people among them. Their reputations speak for themselves—eighteen heroes, after all; they were either fierce generals or extraordinary individuals. Comparing Liangshan and Fang La, their previous conflict stemmed primarily from Fang La's hatred of Song Jiang's betrayal of their class and Liangshan's growing resentment over the loss of their brothers. This escalating conflict led to a heart-wrenching war. Their grudges were personal; the heroes weren't fighting Fang La for Emperor Huizong's throne.
The issues surrounding these individuals from the Sui and Tang dynasties can be broadly categorized as a purely bilateral conflict. In terms of personal relationships, many of them had deep connections; for example, Qin Qiong had once recognized Yang Lin as his godfather, though initially it was feigned, but the two later developed a certain affection for each other. Their conflict stemmed from differing ideologies. It was somewhat akin to a friendly competition, except the loser paid with their life—a life that, for these individuals, hardly represented any real animosity.
After Xuanzang's explanation, I was filled with admiration; the old man had a profound understanding of human nature and social dynamics. I said, "They can be convinced by such a simple principle?"
Xuanzang said, "That's why hatred can blind people. They only know who their enemies are, but they never look back to think about the root cause." The old monk said profoundly, "If you want to resolve their grudges, just make them look back."
I instinctively looked back... and there was a waiter behind me.
I said, "There's one more person I don't understand. What's the deal with Shan Xiongxin? He doesn't seem to get along with anyone."
Xuanzang shook his head slightly and said, "Speaking of this person is complicated. He was Qin Qiong's best friend. Later, they went to Wagang Mountain together to rebel against the Sui Dynasty. However, after the heroes of Wagang decided to protect Emperor Taizong, because the Shan and Li families had a history of conflict, Shan parted ways with the others and later joined Wang Shichong, who was rebelling against Li. When Wang Shichong was defeated and surrendered, Shan broke through the encirclement alone and was captured. In the end, he resolutely refused to surrender and was killed."
I clicked my tongue and said, "Didn't Qin Qiong stop him at all?"
Xuanzang said, "The Duke of Yi was not present at the time."
I lit a cigarette and said, "Even if Brother Qin isn't here, we're all brothers who grew up together in Wagang. What about the others?"
Xuanzang said with a sigh, "This is what is meant by 'those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.' If we hadn't killed Master Shan, given his status in the martial arts world, even if he didn't pose a threat to the later Tang Dynasty, there would still have been many complications."
I said dismissively, "No wonder people say it's better to learn from the Three Sworn Brothers of the Peach Garden than from the One Incense Burner of Wagang. These guys are never the real deal."
Xuanzang sighed, "Some hatreds in this world are easy to resolve, while others cannot be resolved solely through Buddhism. The hatred you just mentioned, such as the murder of one's father or religious conflicts, is a case in point, and this is my greatest regret." It seems that Professor Chen hasn't yet found a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…
I said, "Yes, I have a problem—when I was little, there was a guy named Erpang who always bullied me, and I really hate him. Can you help me resolve this?"
Xuanzang smiled but remained silent. Chatting with the old man, I discovered that this eminent Tang Dynasty monk was not only well-versed in Buddhism, but also possessed profound knowledge of geography, local customs, and even astrology, divination, and traditional Chinese medicine. This wasn't uncommon among the people I'd hosted; after all, they were all exceptional individuals. What was truly remarkable was Master Xuanzang's remarkable eloquence. Sometimes he spoke fluently and sometimes sparingly, but he always got to the point. Moreover, his experiences were truly incredibly rich; after hearing several stories from his journey to the West, I was almost unable to put them down. He managed to get those eighteen heroes and Fang Zhenjiang and his companions to sit and listen attentively by first captivating them with his stories, and then gradually imparting Buddhist principles through these experiences.
What surprised me most was his insightful view of the world and his tactful handling of interpersonal relationships. No matter your status or personality, you could find topics of interest in him without feeling constrained—to put it bluntly, he could speak to anyone, regardless of their background. This is understandable; to travel through over a dozen countries and diverse landscapes to places thousands of miles away, such qualities are indispensable. He had to deal with all sorts of people; otherwise, unless he had Sun Wukong protecting him, a stubborn old monk would probably have been deported before even leaving the country.
No matter how intelligent a person is, they will always have shortcomings, but this monk is almost the most perfect person I have ever met. You could say that if he had chosen politics, Xu Maogong would at most have been his assistant; if he had aspired to science, perhaps the Tang Dynasty would have been using steam engines; if he had wanted to learn martial arts, he might very well have become the prototype for later martial arts fiction…
But I'm puzzled. How could such a talented person become a monk? Then again, it's all for the sake of saving all sentient beings. However, Xuanzang's explanation was to alleviate the suffering and dispel the confusion of the world; to put it more simply, to do his utmost to help as many people as possible live happily. This makes me wholeheartedly admire someone for the first time. Xuanzang was a very pure person, a noble person, a selfless person dedicated to others, a person who traveled thousands of miles to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures… This is similar to those from illustrious families who choose to become ordinary psychologists. In fact, Xuanzang was more like a psychologist and therapist, specializing in untangling people's inner knots.
Speaking of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, the old man not only knew their names but also gave me a detailed introduction to their representative works and philosophies of life. It was then that I realized the Seven Sages weren't all the refined and tranquil figures I had initially imagined. The seven brothers had indeed originally sought seclusion and peace, but later, the powerful Sima clan forced them to serve as officials to bolster their own power—from this, we can conclude that it was a good time, with a severe shortage of civil servants. As a result, Ji Kang and Ruan Ji openly refused, and Ji Kang was even persecuted to death for it; while Shan Tao and Wang Rong, two of the seven sages, couldn't resist the coercion and inducements, not only entering the world but even becoming high-ranking officials. Just now at Yucai School, Shan Tao was embarrassed by Ruan Ji because of this.
Xuanzang laughed and said, "These scholars are a bit like children, very innocent and simple. There is no hatred between them."
Just as they were having a good time, Liu Laoliu called, and his first words were: "Xiaoqiang, where are you?"
"Eating out, what's up?" I'm not too fond of that old charlatan right now. He usually doesn't come to me with anything good, especially since he stopped paying me. I'm even less willing to talk to him now.
Sure enough, the old charlatan shouted as if his pants were on fire, "Then don't go home, go straight to the Three Kingdoms!"
I picked up a tofu ball and put it in my mouth: "Did something happen to Guan Yu?" In the Three Kingdoms, apart from Cao Cao who could never return, I've only ever entertained Guan Yu. What could possibly happen to him? Did he get beaten up by the city management for selling dates?
Liu Laoliu said, "It's not Guan Yu, Liu Bei has had him captured. You must hurry and rescue him, or it will be too late."
I chuckled and said, "Is Liu Bei our customer?" Although I work in after-sales service, you can't just buy a Lenovo computer and have Founder's after-sales service handle the warranty, can you?
Liu Laoliu said, "It's the same. Guan Yu's return caused a chain reaction, which is why Liu Bei was arrested. If we don't do anything, we'll all be in trouble too." Hmm, this is like buying pirated software and hacking the computer. We need to find the kid who sold the pirated software.
I asked absentmindedly, "Who arrested them?" I knew the Liu family's characteristics all too well; their chances of escaping death were definitely higher than mine.
"Lü Bu captured them at Hulao Pass. You'd better hurry, because Liu Bei and Cao Cao are still nobody at this point; they can be killed without warning."
I sat bolt upright: "What? What am I supposed to do then? What do I look like that could defeat Lü Bu?"
"Don't you still have cookies or something?"
I laughed wildly, "Even if I had ten thousand cookies, who do you think I should copy?"
Liu Laoliu chuckled and said, "Then you'll have to figure it out yourself. Many problems can't be solved by force. Let me remind you, if Liu Bei dies, we'll all be finished. This is a battle to save your life."
That's so damn true. Many things really can't be solved by force, because they simply can't be solved—who can beat Lü Bu by force?
I broke out in a cold sweat, clutching my wallet, and asked Xuanzang, "Have you finished eating?"
Xuanzang said, "That's fine."
As I took out my money, I said, "Then I'll take you back first. I also have the phone number here, so I'll have them deliver your meals regularly from now on."
Xuanzang glanced at my face and asked, "Is something urgent?"
I had already stood up by now, and said with some difficulty, "...No rush."
Xuanzang didn't ask any more questions. He carried the leftovers that the waiter had packed up and came outside with me. After we got in the car, he said, seemingly casually, "No matter what urgent matter comes up, don't panic. That's half the battle won."
After the old monk chanted his sutras, I actually calmed down a bit. Thinking about it calmly, there really were people who could go toe-to-toe with Lü Bu. At least Xiang Yu and Erpang were two of them. Xiang Yu was too busy to fight, but Erpang was readily available, wasn't he?
I drove off and called Erpang. I could hear the sizzling of welding on the other end. I said, "They're fixing a motorcycle."
Erpang said, "Yeah, we're not short of money now, so we treat this as a hobby."
I cut to the chase and asked, "If you were to fight Lü Bu right now, would you be confident of winning?"
Erpang laughed and said, "Did you have a stroke? Aren't I Lu Bu?" He didn't even know that he could meet and drink with himself.
"Let me put it simply: if you and Lü Bu met right now, could you defeat him?"
Upon hearing this, Erpang stopped what he was doing and asked me in a low voice, "Did something happen?"