Chapter 3683

"En, I know. You can go!"

When the middle-aged monk heard this, he said lightly. Then, he took out a fist-sized fruit from a bamboo basket and handed it to Chong Hong. "This is what This Penniless Monk picked up from the ground. Take it to fill your stomach first. It's still early, so bear with it if you're hungry!"

"Thank you, master!"

Chong Hong spoke respectfully. After receiving the fruit and bowing, he smiled at Xiao Hua and Fairy Jing before turning around and leaving.

"This poor monk Jian Dong greets the two benefactors!" Jian Dong's tone began to sound like that of an ordinary monk.

Xiao Hua and Fairy Jing cupped their hands casually as a greeting. Xiao Hua looked at the bamboo basket in Jian Dong's hand and smiled. "What is master doing?

Aren't you chanting in the temple? Why are you strolling around with a bamboo basket in your hand? "

Fairy Jing was a bit confused. Xiao Hua had clearly asked Chong Hong this question. She didn't know why he would ask again for no reason.

Jian Dong put his palms together and said in a low voice, "Amitabha. If this poor monk has Buddha in his heart, then no matter when or where, his heart will worship Buddha.

If this poor monk doesn't have Buddha in his heart, then even if he sits in the temple with a scroll in his hand and a wooden fish in front of him, the Golden Buddha sitting in the Hall of Great Strength would still ignore this poor monk. "

"En, what you say makes sense!"

Xiao Hua didn't comment and said, "Actually, you can send the strong men of the temple for the things in your hands. You don't have to come in person."

Jian Dong's expression didn't change. He gestured for Xiao Hua to follow him while answering in a low voice, "Other than the Golden Buddha, everything else in Chenghui Temple is idle. This poor monk is a young monk, so I came."

Seeing that Jian Dong's answer was very good, Xiao Hua's originally satisfied heart became even less picky. Soon after, Xiao Hua didn't ask any more questions. He only pointed at the surrounding fruit trees and melon fields and asked some questions. His tone was no different from that of a farmer in the countryside.

At first, when Jian Dong saw Xiao Hua asking about the temple, he felt somewhat disgusted. But then he listened to Xiao Hua's words, which were related to the livelihood of farming and mulberry trees, and had the intention of asking for guidance. He thought Xiao Hua was a young official who happened to pass by today to collect materials, so he answered with great care, not hiding anything from him.

Before arriving at the gate of Chenghui Temple, Xiao Hua had already asked about the temple's affairs. As expected, the Chanyang State had given Chenghui Ridge to Chenghui Temple as a property. However, Chenghui Temple didn't encircle the ridge like the other temples. Instead, they divided the ridge into different areas and planted different things according to the soil and water.

They even cultivated the land of Centipede Ridge together with the land under the ridge, regardless of whether the land belonged to Chenghui Temple or not.

What was special about Centipede Ridge was that other than being used by the temple, it was also given to the surrounding villagers. Even the child beggars who had fled to this place were given to them.

To put it bluntly, Chenghui Temple was like some kind-hearted rich people in the countryside. However, Chenghui Temple was different from these rich people. Chenghui Temple didn't accumulate money at all.

Xiao Hua sighed slightly. The Buddhist doctrine of Buddhism was profound and taught all living things to be good. However, there was one thing that was hard for people to accept. The monks in the temple always considered themselves to be monks. They didn't produce anything themselves and only wanted people to worship them. They called it giving alms and soliciting alms.

Of course, giving alms and soliciting alms were something monks should have. This showed that monks didn't have the foundation to establish themselves and could only rely on the help of people to live.

However, most of the monks were eminent monks who gave alms. Most of them still had humanity. In the end, the temple had a lot of land and the monks lived a very rich life. They still had to rely on people who had difficulties to worship them. People had their own eyes, so who would believe in the temple?

Who would worship monks?

As time passed, the Buddhist Sect began to appear hypocritical.

"I've learned something!"

Xiao Hua cupped his hands and said, "If all the temples in the world were like Chenghui Temple, then why would there be a Longevity Town in the Hidden Immortal Continent?"

Monk Jian Dong didn't seem to know what Longevity Town Xiao Hua was talking about. He only smiled and said, "Young benefactor, I'm afraid you came from another country and aren't a citizen of my country. In my country, all the temples are like this!"

"Really?" Xiao Hua raised his eyebrows and was somewhat surprised.

Jian Dong didn't answer Xiao Hua's words. He looked at the stairs in front of him and then looked at Fairy Jing behind him. He bowed and said, "Amitabha. Female benefactor, my Chenghui Temple doesn't allow women to set foot in. Female benefactor, please serve tea outside!"

Fairy Jing's eyes flashed with slight anger. How could she put this secular temple in her eyes? However, Xiao Hua's smile and warm words calmed her down.

"You wait here first. I'll come out immediately after I visit the temple's abbot!"

Xiao Hua didn't say "fairy" or "Fellow Daoist", but it sounded warm, as if … there was a kind of indescribable intimacy contained within. Fairy Jing agreed in a low voice. She turned her head and walked towards the mountain plum trees in front of the mountain gate.

"Benefactor, please …" Jian Dong raised his hand and gestured. He took the lead and walked up the stairs to the mountain gate.

Xiao Hua didn't release his divine sense, but he had already seen the exterior of Chenghui Temple on the way. This was a regular temple. It looked very big, but the buildings inside were simple. There was a main hall, a meditation room, and there seemed to be a forest of pagodas behind. Moreover, these buildings didn't look very new and were somewhat old. In particular, some places had a lot of moss because of the year-round rain collection.

Although the mountain gate and stairs in front of Xiao Hua were very clean and tidy, they were also somewhat shabby. They weren't even as bright as the mountain gate of Longevity Town's Xiao Jin Temple.

Xiao Hua followed Jian Dong up the stairs and stepped through the mountain gate. What greeted him was a main hall and square. There was an incense burner in the square and incense in the main hall. However, there were sparse villagers kowtowing and offering incense. There were several young novice monks accompanying them. The incense burner didn't seem very vigorous.

"Chongxi …" Jian Dong walked in and took a look. He called out to a young novice monk who was standing in front of the incense burner.

"Master …" The young novice monk carefully placed the incense stick in his hand on the incense burner and hurriedly ran over. He put his palms together and bowed respectfully to Xiao Hua. "Greetings, benefactor."

"Take this benefactor to see the abbot. Master will go to the kitchen." Jian Dong instructed the young novice monk. He then said to Xiao Hua, "This poor monk will deliver tea to the benefactor."

"Thank you for your trouble, Master." Xiao Hua nodded.

Soon after, under the guidance of the little monk, Xiao Hua walked through the main hall and went all the way inside. In the end, he actually passed through the meditation room and came to a pine forest. He saw a slightly withered old monk wearing a shabby kasaya sitting on a mountain rock. He was holding a shiny prayer bead in his hand and his mouth was slightly moving as he chanted.

"Martial Ancestor!"

The young novice monk didn't dare to approach. He stood still from afar and bowed. "A benefactor came to pay a visit. This disciple has brought him here."

Who would have thought that the old monk didn't pay any attention to him. He only closed his eyes and slightly moved his hands. He was chanting scriptures word by word.

"Benefactor …" The young novice monk turned his head and said apologetically, "Martial Ancestor is like this. If you want to wait, you can wait here for a moment. If you feel impatient, please turn back. This little monk still has some matters to attend to and can't accompany benefactor here."

After he finished speaking, the young novice monk respectfully bowed and slowly walked away. Looking at his appearance, he was already used to this kind of situation. Moreover, his attitude was definitely not disrespectful.

Xiao Hua didn't mind that the group of monks had left him hanging. He faintly smiled and quietly stood there, listening to the old monk chanting scriptures.

The old monk's voice was extremely soft and even somewhat vague. However, Xiao Hua heard it clearly. It was the Vimalaku Sutra.

The Vimalaku Sutra wasn't a scripture that ordinary monks often chanted. The things inside were rather obscure. Even Buddha's Śarīra Bodhi had read it before, but he didn't understand it too well.

When he heard the scriptures, Xiao Hua felt somewhat disdainful at first. However, after a moment, a trace of seriousness appeared on his face. He then slightly closed his eyes and quietly listened.

The old monk's chanting voice was like a gurgling stream flowing through the pines and into Xiao Hua's ears.

After a full four hours, the sky was already dark, but the old monk still didn't stop. Monk Jian Dong also came twice. When he saw Xiao Hua quietly standing there, he didn't dare to disturb him and quietly left.

Outside the temple, Fairy Jing took out a praying mat from her Qiankun Bag and sat down. She didn't cultivate and only silently recited Xiao Hua's teachings. As for Monk Jian Dong's tea, she didn't even touch it.

The sky was already dark. Naturally, the monks who were working at the foot of the mountain returned. The group of monks was very well-behaved. Their footsteps weren't loud and they didn't make any noise. When they saw Fairy Jing, who still had an outstanding appearance, they didn't dare to look at her too much and carefully entered the temple.

Old Monk Chong Hong was naturally among them. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything and followed the others into the temple.

Not long after, the sound of chanting came from inside the temple. Then, the bell rang and waves of the fragrance of vegetarian food came from inside the temple.

In the twilight, Jian Dong came back with a basket and some food to invite Fairy Jing to eat. Fairy Jing slightly opened her eyes and looked at him. She only said three words, "No need." Then, she ignored Jian Dong.

Jian Dong was helpless and could only put the basket next to Fairy Jing. Then, the young monk called Chong Xi stood guard at the side.

"This Xiao Hua … is a bit strange!"

Fairy Jing was comprehending the mysteries of Xiao Hua's teachings while also being puzzled. "It's just a temple, what's so good about it?

Could it be that there's a hidden Buddhist expert? "

When she thought of a Buddhist expert, Fairy Jing's eyes suddenly opened. Xiao Hua had already said that he was proficient in Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Fairy Jing had seen Xiao Hua's Daoist abilities and Confucian abilities, but she had never seen Xiao Hua's Buddhist abilities!

Could it be that Xiao Hua really met a Buddhist expert in the temple?

Fairy Jing originally wanted to release her divine sense, but she hesitated. She didn't know if her divine sense would disturb Xiao Hua.

"Forget it, so be it …" Fairy Jing closed her eyes again. "Sometimes, waiting is also beautiful. How long can this beauty last?"