Seeing that Miao Yi seemed a little melancholic, Yang Zhaoqing comforted him, "No one can be happy forever. Even commoners have their own troubles. Wherever there are people, there will be grudges. Everyone has to pay the price. Your Highness has already treated Her Highness very well."
Miao Yi smiled, "Are you saying that I'm not content?"
"I wouldn't dare!" Yang Zhaoqing knew that he was joking. He smiled and bowed, then took out a Star Bell. He didn't know where he got the news from, but as the Grand Steward of the Manor, he had a lot of things to do. After holding the Star Bell, Yang Zhaoqing said, "Your Highness, there's a guest. She's from the Realm of Bliss. She says she's an old friend of Your Highness."
"Old friend?" Miao Yi instinctively thought it was Yu Luocha. He asked, "Who?"
Yang Zhaoqing replied, "Arhat Pu Lan."
"Arhat Pu Lan?" Miao Yi was taken aback. He had taken over some of Hao Defang's spies in the Buddha Realm from Su Yun. However, he didn't know many people in the Realm of Bliss, so it was easy to remember those he knew. He asked doubtfully, "Pu Lan, the last disciple of the Mirroring Flower Buddha?"
Yang Zhaoqing said, "That's right. That's her."
"Oh!" Miao Yi nodded, "That's an acquaintance. I owe her a favor back then. Help me welcome her personally!" He wondered what this female monk was doing here. However, when they first met, this Pu Lan had been really nice to him, granting all his requests.
Pu Lan only brought a hundred monks with her. She didn't bring too many people in, only two. The rest were waiting outside the manor. It was clear that they wouldn't be staying for long.
In terms of status and position, the current Pu Lan was clearly far inferior to Miao Yi. However, out of consideration for the care he had shown him all those years ago, Miao Yi waited at the top of the stairs of the loft. Furthermore, he had sent Yang Zhaoqing to personally welcome him, which was already giving him enough face.
A beautiful woman followed Yang Zhaoqing up the stairs. Her hair was tied in a white shawl, and her appearance was dignified. Her forehead was full and clean, and her eyes were bright and clear. She didn't seem frivolous at all, but rather sparkled like the stars. Although she was a monk, she was dressed in a scholar's white dress, and a necklace hung down to her ample bosom.
Her appearance hadn't changed much, and she was still dressed the same as before. However, her temperament had become even more refined. Miao Yi recognized her at first glance, and couldn't help but smile.
Pu Lan showed her pearly white teeth, a smile also appeared on her face. She came up and put her palms together, saying with a smile: "Thank you Wangye for welcoming us personally." The two attendants behind her also put their palms together and bowed.
Miao Yi clasped his palms together and returned the greeting. "So many years have passed in a flash. You are even more elegant than before, Sir." He then extended his hand and invited Miao Yi to take a seat.
Pu Lan stared at Miao Yi with a pure gaze, and said rather ruefully, "Even though I could tell that Your Highness was not an ordinary person since a long time ago, this humble monk really didn't expect that the Benefactor Niu from back then had already become the Commanding Heavenly King of the Southern Army in the blink of an eye." He was truly shaking his head and lamenting.
Miao Yi smiled faintly, "You've also become an Arhat. Your achievements are extraordinary."
An Arhat was equivalent to the level of a Marquis of the Heavenly Court. With Pu Lan's cultivation, being able to become an Arhat was indeed an extraordinary achievement.
"I don't dare to reject Master's favor. In front of Prince, it's not worth mentioning." Pu Lan spoke bluntly because he relied on his master's background.
After Miao Yi invited him to have his tea, he asked, "You're not here to reminisce about old times, are you?"
Pu Lan took out a jade archive and handed it to the female monk standing behind her. The latter passed it to Yang Zhaoqing, and in the end, it landed in Miao Yi's hands. Pu Lan said, "My master, Mirrorflower Buddha, has been ordered by the Lord Buddha to invite the Heavenly Kings to listen to his teachings. This humble monk hasn't seen Your Highness for many years, so I took the initiative to ask for Master's permission."
"Oh, is the Lord Buddha going to hold a sermon again?" Miao Yi replied, then checked the jade archive in his hands.
Over at the Realm of Pure Bliss, the Lord Buddha would hold a sermon at the Spirited Mountain every once in a while. Each sermon would last for several days and nights, and it was a grand event in the Buddhist Realm. Other than the Buddhists from the Realm of Pure Bliss, they would also invite some distinguished guests from the Heavenly Court. Miao Yi knew this. And the jade archive stated that the sermon would be held in a year's time. It wasn't too early, but it wasn't too late either. "Alright.
When the time comes, I will go and listen to the Lord Buddha's heavenly voice. " Miao Yi immediately agreed. As for whether he would go in the future or not, that would depend on the situation. If he didn't want to go, he could always find an excuse to decline.
Pu Lan clasped her hands together in thanks, then suddenly stood up and leisurely walked over to the railing of the loft. Leaning on the railing, she gazed out at the vast King's Manor. "Ever since Heavenly King Hao moved his manor, this is the first time this humble monk has come here. I wonder if Your Highness would be interested in accompanying this humble monk on a tour?"
She was just a mere Arhat, yet she was asking for the company of a mighty Heavenly King. However, everyone present could tell that she had something to say to Miao Yi in private. Miao Yi stood up and said, "Of course." He extended his hand in invitation.
Pu Lan didn't seem to have any intention of going downstairs to take a stroll in the garden. Instead, she looked towards the floating bridge that spanned between the pavilions.
Miao Yi smiled, then extended his hand in invitation again. The two of them strolled on the bridge, side by side.
The two female monks stayed where they were, while Yang Zhaoqing quickly took out the Star Bell and arranged for people to dismiss the unrelated people from where the host and guests were going.
Strolling on the pavilion in the air and admiring the beautiful scenery of the King's Manor was indeed a unique experience. What's more, the magnificence of the entire King's Manor was rarely seen. Pu Lan sighed, "It truly is a wonderful place that combines the luxurious beauty of heaven and earth!"
"I'm sure Mirroring Flower Buddha's cultivation place is not bad either. I heard that the Spirited Mountain is even more beautiful. It's a pity that I've always been entangled with mundane matters and never found the opportunity." Miao Yi replied politely. As he spoke of the Spirited Mountain, he recalled the events of the past. He smiled faintly and said, "Back then, I had wanted to visit the Spirited Mountain, and the Scholar had gone to great lengths to arrange it. Who would have thought that I would be delayed by an accident."
Pu Lan said, "With Your Highness's current status, you can go to the Spirited Mountain whenever you want. The Spirited Mountain will naturally welcome you as an honored guest. There is no need for this humble monk to arrange it."
Seeing that she still hadn't gotten to the main topic, Miao Yi teased, "It seems that the Scholar has indeed come to reminisce about the past with this prince."
Pu Lan calmly said, "Although this humble monk is a Buddhist, I have always been paying attention to Your Highness. All these years, Your Highness has stirred up storms and clouds with unimaginable methods. You can do what others can't. Who knows how many lives have been lost because of Your Highness. In the struggle for the position of Commanding Heavenly King of the Southern Army, Your Highness displayed even more of an ambitious and ruthless character, stirring up a storm of blood. The number of those who lost their lives numbered in the hundreds of millions. May I ask, Your Highness, have you ever felt guilty?"
Miao Yi gave her a sidelong glance. He didn't know what this woman was trying to say. "How could I not want to be carefree? How could I not want to live in peace? How could I not want to live in peace? Previously, the Steward even told me that where there are people, there will be grudges. But what can I do? The Scholar has only seen this prince pressuring others, but have you ever seen this prince at his wit's end? Think back to the time when millions of troops from the Purgatory wanted to kill this prince, and now those who want to take this prince's head. Have any of them ever felt guilty? I'm afraid they only hate that this prince couldn't have died earlier! This time, if this prince didn't make the first move, then someone else would have made a move on this prince. If it were you, what would you have done? The Scholar has only seen the surface, but not the inner workings. That's why you said that. The Buddhists speak of sacrificing oneself to feed the tiger. Is there really such a person? At the very least, this prince has never seen such a person, and this prince can't do it either. If you wish to say that the sea of bitterness has no bounds, repent and the shore is at hand, then this prince can tell you that this prince has never felt guilty. I will not repent, nor can I. The road ahead is a sea of bitterness and blood. My bones will turn into a boat to cross it! Are you satisfied, Scholar? "
Pu Lan shook his head and sighed. "Your Highness has misunderstood. Please do not be angry. This humble monk has no intention of condemning you. I am just thinking about the first time I met Your Highness. At that time, Your Highness was chivalrous and righteous, helping the weak. If Your Highness hadn't saved me, this humble monk wouldn't be who I am today. The chivalrous and righteous Your Highness from back then, is now treading on a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. This humble monk feels like a dream. "
Speaking of this, Miao Yi had always been confused. He couldn't help but furrow his brows. "According to the time that the Scholar mentioned, if I may say something disrespectful, based on the Scholar's beauty, if this prince had seen you back then, it would be impossible for me to not have any impression of you. This prince really can't remember when I saved the Scholar."
"It's raining!" Pu Lan muttered. He suddenly stopped in his tracks and extended his hand outside the eaves of the covered bridge, feeling the silent drizzle.
Miao Yi looked outside. It was indeed raining, so he casually replied, "There's a lot of rain here. It's said that Hao Defang's housekeeper, Su Yun, likes to watch the rain, so whenever Hao Defang builds his residence, he always chooses a place with a lot of rain."
However, Pu Lan withdrew her hand and took out a bamboo flute. She placed it by her lips and blew on it while facing the drizzle outside. Her fair and slender fingers rose and fell, and the sound of the flute was deep.
"..." Miao Yi was speechless. He felt like he had run into a lunatic. He really couldn't understand what this woman was trying to do. A female monk actually came here to blow a bamboo flute? What the hell was she doing? However, he vaguely felt like he had heard this tune somewhere before. Because he wasn't a cultured person, he rarely listened to bamboo flutes. It was precisely because he rarely listened to it that when he did occasionally listen to it, he would more or less have some impression of it. This tune vaguely evoked the outline of some scene in his mind.
He only played a small part of it. After holding the bamboo flute horizontally in his hand, Pu Lan turned around and asked with a smile, "This tune was composed by this humble monk in my early years. It should be rare for it to be similar. I wonder if Your Highness has any impression of it? That year, in the dead of night, I saw that Your Highness was lonely, so I specially played it for Your Highness at the foot of the mountain. "
"You played it for this prince?" Miao Yi pointed at himself, his eyes filled with confusion. He rarely listened to bamboo flutes, and there was even someone who specially played it for him, so it was even more impossible that he wouldn't have any impression of it. However, the tune was indeed a little familiar.
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