The young monk was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He was handsome and kind, with a slightly dark complexion. His thin robes fluttered in the wind, making him look otherworldly. However, it was still winter, and no one knew why he was not afraid of the cold.
Ning Que felt a little wary, but he did not show it on his face. He smiled and asked, "Master, do you know me?"
The monk smiled and said, "This poor monk guessed."
Ning Que asked in surprise, "You guessed it?"
The monk said calmly, "Because I have seen the Calligraphy Addict, so I guessed that you are Mr. Thirteen."
Ning Que thought of the rumor that had been spreading recently and could not help but laugh bitterly.
Mo Shanshan looked at the young monk, and her eyes gradually focused. She thought of the scene when they met years ago, and said with slight surprise, "So it's Senior Brother Guan Hai. How have you been? Why are you in Chang 'an?"
Through her introduction, Ning Que found out that the young monk was Guan Hai, the last disciple of the Lanke Temple Elder. His expression suddenly became a little strange.
This world was different from the one Ning Que had lived in. Not every housewife was a master of both Buddhism and Taoism. Compared with Haotian Taoism, the influence of the Buddhism Sect was much smaller, and the Dharma was not prosperous.
However, the Lanke Temple was too famous, especially to ordinary people. No one knew about the Xuankong Temple, but they all knew about the Lanke Temple. To cultivators, the Lanke Temple had a higher status than the White Tower Temple of the Yuelun Kingdom. Even Ning Que, who did not know anything about the Buddhism Sect, had heard of the Lanke Temple and had a deep impression of it.
Too many stories had happened in the thousand-year-old temple. Master Lotus had become famous because of his debate with the Lanke Temple Elder. Later, he had secluded himself in the temple for several years. The bloody case of the destruction of the Devil's Doctrine, which had completely changed the face of the cultivation world, had also started in front of the Lanke Temple.
Ning Que had first heard of the Lanke Temple when Prince Long Qing first entered Chang 'an. Long Qing had also become famous because of his debate in the Lanke Temple. Thinking of this, he could not help but wonder if cultivators in the world who wanted to become famous had to go through the Lanke Temple and participate in the debate organized by the Lanke Temple.
Because of these stories, the Lanke Temple had a special status in the cultivation world. The elder who lived in seclusion in the back of the mountain was even more senior. Since the young monk in front of the umbrella was a disciple of the elder of the Lanke Temple, he should have a higher status than the legendary Seven Disciples of the Buddhism Sect.
According to Ning Que's character, he should have gotten closer to this young monk called Guan Hai. However, he had been wary of other sects coming to challenge him because of the so-called Academy's entry into the human realm. Now that he suddenly saw someone from the Lanke Temple appear in Chang 'an, he could not help but feel uneasy.
"So it's the Bhadanta of the Lanke Temple. I don't know why I didn't see you in the palace," he said with a smile.
The young monk said that he did not dare and said respectfully, "I don't dare to call myself Bhadanta. Moreover, my Master bowed to the Headmaster of the Academy as a disciple. How can Lin Hai bear the title of Senior Brother, Mr. Thirteen? As for the matter in the Wilderness, the temple has also received an edict from the Divine Hall. However, the disciples of the Buddhism Sect pay attention to cultivation and do not get involved in the mortal world, so we did not go. "
Hearing these words, Ning Que thought to himself that the monk would not covet fame if he did not mess with the mortal world, so he probably would not make trouble for him. Ning Que felt a little relieved, and when he saw the admiration in the monk's clear eyes, he felt very comfortable. He asked gently, "Senior Brother, what business do you have in Chang 'an?"
No matter if it was a sedan chair or a bamboo sedan chair, it always needed two people to carry it. That was why Lin Hai did not dare to admit that he was the Senior Brother. However, Ning Que insisted on calling him that. From this, Eldest Brother was right. He was indeed the best candidate for the Back Mountain of the Academy.
Lin Hai took out an envelope wrapped in yellow cloth and said, "I changed my documents at the Ministry of Rites and was about to leave the city to go to the Academy. I did not expect to meet Mr. Thirteen, so I can send this invitation to you and slack off."
"An invitation to the Academy?"
Ning Que opened the yellow cloth and found that the envelope was not sealed. He took out a very thin piece of paper. The content of the paper was simple and clear. It was an invitation from the Lanke Temple Elder to the Academy to send someone to attend the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival next year.
After the conversation with Eldest Brother, he was very clear that if the Academy had any secular affairs in the future, they would be handled by him. Then he would definitely attend the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival in the Lanke Temple. Fortunately, there was still more than a year's time, so he could prepare well. Moreover, he could confirm that the person from the Lanke Temple was here to send an invitation, so he could not help but feel more at ease.
He looked at Guan Hai and said with a smile, "Senior Brother, you have come from the Lanke Temple, so you should be a good host. However, I have made an appointment with the Hill Master to travel together. I will drink tea and chat with Senior Brother at night. Is that okay?"
Monk Guan Hai replied respectfully, "Mr. Thirteen, you are too polite. I have come to Chang 'an under the orders of my master and have already slowed down my studies. Since I have already sent the invitation to you today, I will return to the temple later."
"Let's go, let's go. I have to return home," Ning Que thought happily. However, on the surface, he was extremely enthusiastic and tried to persuade him to stay. He even put on a fake angry look that was unique to men from Hebei County.
Monk Guan Hai refused repeatedly and said, "I really cannot delay my studies any longer. It is just that it is rare for me to come to Chang 'an and meet Mr. Thirteen in person. I have some problems in cultivation and hope that Mr. Thirteen can give me some advice."
"No problem at all. Speaking of which, I will book a table of vegetarian noodles at the Building of Pines and Cranes in the evening, along with two jars of vegetarian wine. You and I can drink and chat, or even have tea. We can discuss it in detail then … Eh, what did you say just now?"
Ning Que spoke in high spirits and fully acted like a person from the Academy who had entered the human realm. It was only then that he came to his senses.
There were many things in the world that did not need to be said clearly and could not be said clearly, because if it was said too clearly, it would make both parties feel embarrassed. People who came from places like the Academy, the West-Hill Divine Palace or the Lanke Temple usually had to pay attention to their demeanor.
Since they were cultivators who had not entered the human realm, how could they act like hooligans in the secular world who would pick up a watermelon knife and slash at the other party's chest or bald head without saying anything or saying a few harsh words?
Even if they wanted to fight, they had to find prettier clothes and a better reason for it. People like Ning Que and Ye Hongyu, who fought as they pleased and never cared about their demeanor and only wanted to win, were rare in the cultivation world.
As for the prettier clothes and the better reason, it was nothing more than to ask for advice on the problems in cultivation and to discuss the state of cultivation with each other. Without all these external appearances, the naked truth was to ask for a fight!
After confirming that the monk from the Lanke Temple had issued an invitation for a fight, Ning Que's expression changed slightly. Looking at the monk's slightly dark cheeks, he could not help but think of Sangsang and Zhuo 'er's skin color. He thought to himself that he seemed to be going against people with skin color like that for the rest of his life.
After a moment, he said sincerely, "A monk is merciful. Why do you care about the superficial reputation?"
Monk Guan Hai said with more sincerity, "I have been cultivating in the temple for many years, and I have often heard the elders talk about the past of seeking guidance from the Headmaster. I know that the Academy is a first-class place in the world, and I have always yearned to visit the Academy. However, I have always been tied down by my schoolwork. It is rare for me to come to Chang 'an City today, and I hope Mr. Thirteen can understand my rare greed and give me some advice."
Ning Que stared into his eyes and found that there was nothing but respect and admiration in the young monk's eyes. There was nothing but a firm will to fight.
The other party was so respectful and admiring, how could you scold him? The other party had such a firm will to fight, and he was a stubborn monk who never ate oil and rarely ate salt. How could you persuade him?
Ning Que did not know how to deal with the situation in front of him. If it had been in the City of Wei, he could have run away. However, he was forced to carry the two mountains of the Tang Empire and the Academy on his back. If he really ran, it would be difficult.
In fact, he had never been afraid of fighting, let alone fighting. He was just worried that he could not win.
Guan Hai was the last disciple of the Lanke Temple Elder. In Ning Que's opinion, the last disciple of the Master of Calligrapher, Mo Shanshan, and himself, the last disciple of the Headmaster of Academy … Well, he had to admit that he was the weakest Wayfarer of the Academy in history. Therefore, he had less and less confidence in defeating the other party.
Sometimes, it could be called courage, but sometimes, it could be called stupidity. Ning Que held the big black umbrella and fell into a long silence in the light snow of Chang 'an. He struggled between bravery and wisdom, but he could not come up with an answer.
Mo Shanshan had been standing quietly by the big black umbrella. She could probably guess the pain in his heart. She could not help but look down and blink her eyelashes. It took a lot of effort to not let a smile appear on her face.
Monk Guan Hai was an honest man. Ever since he was young, he had always heard the Elder's respect and admiration for the Headmaster of Academy. He had never thought that he could defeat a student of the Second floor of the Academy. Now, seeing that Ning Que was silent for a long time, he thought that Mr. Thirteen probably did not want him to lose too badly. He could not help but feel touched.
"Mr. Thirteen, if you think that my cultivation is low, why don't we sit down and meditate?" he said sincerely.
Ning Que thought to himself that the Lanke Temple was famous for debating. Besides, the monk's skin was slightly dark and his name was Guanhai. It was obvious that he ate a lot of soybean oil and was good at arguing with others. If he were to sit down and meditate with him, wouldn't he be defeated in less than three breaths and officially announce his defeat in the first battle after entering the human realm?
Losing was not a problem. The problem was that Eldest Brother would not let him lose. The problem was that it would bring shame to the Academy and the Headmaster of Academy. The Headmaster of Academy did not seem to be able to afford to lose, so this would lead to a series of very serious problems.
Ning Que raised his head and met the monk's clear and sincere eyes. His heart skipped a beat and he suddenly felt that he lacked something very important compared to the monk.
The falling snowflakes covered the greasy surface of the big black umbrella.
Ning Que looked at the monk and said calmly, "Senior Brother, can I trouble you to wait for me for half a day?"
Monk Guan Hai put his palms together.
Mo Shanshan looked at him and asked, "What do you need half a day for?"
"I need half a day to think about a very important problem."
After saying this, Ning Que closed the big black umbrella and carried it on his back. He walked toward the south of Chang 'an in the light snow. An hour later, he came to the newly dredged lake in the south of the city and slowly sat down in the snow.
…
…
(My inability to compose sentences suddenly flared up. It's very painful to write and I don't know how to write. But today is the last day and I can't drop the ball. I will continue to struggle like Ning Que and I will win. The next chapter may be later, but if it goes well, it won't be too late. Thank you.) (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com and vote for me. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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