The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun

Page 361

Fang Sheng said, "Senior Feng's swordsmanship is divine, and his martial arts are unfathomable. If he truly has feelings for my senior brother..."

"Overthinking."

Fang Zheng interrupted him.

"Senior Feng is a highly respected elder who has lived in seclusion for decades without ever fighting anyone. How could he possibly lay a hand on me because of some misunderstanding? Besides, Senior Feng saved your life and has done me a great favor. Even if Senior Feng wanted my life, I would simply give it to him to repay his great kindness. Go quickly and send someone down the mountain to inform Senior Feng. I will go down the mountain to pay my respects right away."

Fang Sheng understood what Fang Zheng was saying.

"Yes, senior brother."

Fang Sheng left first to arrange for someone to see Feng Qingyang, while Fang Zheng went back to his room to change into a monk's robe before going down the mountain.

……

Inside an inn in a county town near the foot of Shaoshi Mountain.

Feng Qingyang sat in a chair by the window, closing his eyes to rest, and did not know how much time had passed.

Boom boom boom!

There was a knock on the door, followed by a voice.

"Senior, I am a disciple of Shaolin Temple. Our abbot is on his way and specially sent me to inform you."

Hearing the monk's words outside, Feng Qingyang didn't open his eyes and remained motionless.

After a long silence from inside, the monk outside dared not push the door open and waited at the door.

After an unknown amount of time, several footsteps sounded outside, along with the voice of the monk from before.

"This humble monk greets the abbot."

"Is the person still inside?"

“This humble monk has remained here the whole time and hasn’t gone anywhere.”

"You guys go down."

"Yes."

After a few brief exchanges and the sound of footsteps fading into the distance, the outside world fell silent again.

Boom boom boom!

"This humble monk Fangzheng pays his respects to Senior Feng."

Fang Zheng's voice rang out.

Feng Qingyang, who hadn't opened his eyes until now, finally opened them.

"Please come in."

squeak~

The door was pushed open, and Fang Zheng himself walked in.

Besides him, Fang Sheng also came in.

After the two entered the house, Fang Sheng closed the door and then bowed to Feng Qingyang.

"This junior greets Senior Feng."

Feng Qingyang looked at the two of them.

In an instant, Fang Zheng and Fang Sheng suddenly felt that the old man with a full head of white beard and white hair in front of them was extremely sharp, like an unsheathed sword. Although they could not see the sword's edge, they could already feel it cutting their eyes and throats.

However, this feeling was fleeting. Feng Qingyang's demeanor suddenly changed, and he seemed like an ordinary old man.

"Please take a seat, both of you."

Feng Qingyang gestured for him to enter.

Fang Zheng and Fang Sheng then sat down opposite Feng Qingyang.

Fang Zheng spoke up.

"Senior Feng has always lived in seclusion in the martial world. What instructions do you have for us, my fellow monk and his brother, today?"

Chapter 483: Lankavatara Sutra (Bonus chapter 2/2 by Lin Feng, who likes Lung-Gold Grass)

Fang Zheng's wording was very cautious, and he adopted a humble attitude.

Feng Qingyang smiled slightly: "Master is the abbot of Shaolin, while I am but an unknown person. How dare I give orders?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Zhenglian stood up and said, "Senior Feng, you flatter me. You are a senior in the martial arts world, and my junior brother and I have received great kindness from you in the past, which we have no way to repay. If you have any orders, please just give them, and I will do my best to carry them out."

Feng Qingyang smiled slightly.

"I wouldn't say I need any orders, but I do have a request."

Fang Zheng replied, "I dare not accept such praise. Please speak freely, Elder Feng, and I will do my best to help."

Feng Qingyang smiled and said, "I presume that the two masters already know who my successor is."

coming!

Fang Zheng and Fang Sheng both felt a chill run down their spines.

Fang Zheng asked, "Could it be Young Hero Linghu?"

Feng Qingyang nodded.

"I am old and have lived in seclusion on Mount Hua, detached from worldly affairs. I am already past the age of needing a cane to stand in court, and one foot is already in the ground. Yet, I still have a lifelong wish that has not been fulfilled, which is that the Dugu Nine Swords of the senior Dugu have no successor."

Fang Zheng and Fang Sheng remained silent and continued to listen.

Feng Qingyang continued, "Fortunately, Chong'er is the successor who will carry on the Dugu Nine Swords, so that Senior Dugu's peerless swordsmanship will not be lost. I have no regrets."

"Amitabha."

Fang Zheng chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Senior Feng's wish has been fulfilled, and Senior Dugu's legacy is promising. This is truly a cause for celebration."

Feng Qingyang smiled and said, "Indeed, my wish has been fulfilled. Even if I were to die now, I would have no regrets. However, perhaps because my wish has been fulfilled and I have no desire for anything else in this world, I have become more curious about Buddhism. Therefore, I have come here in person to borrow your temple's Lankavatara Sutra for a reading."

Lankavatara Sutra?

The two looked at each other.

"Senior Feng."

Upon hearing this, Fang Sheng said, "Although the Lankavatara Sutra was transmitted by Bodhidharma when he came from the East, and it is an important Buddhist scripture, it is not a secret that is not passed down, but is widely circulated throughout the world. If Senior Feng would like to see it..."

Before Fang Sheng could finish speaking, Fang Zheng interrupted him.

"Since Senior Feng has this intention, this humble monk will certainly fulfill it."

Fang Zheng didn't ask or say anything; he simply agreed.

Feng Qingyang smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, Master."

Fang Zheng said, "This humble monk will now return to the temple to prepare four volumes of the Lankavatara Sutra as a gift for Elder Feng."

Feng Qingyang added, "Not too many, two volumes will suffice."

Fang Zheng paused for a moment, then nodded and prepared to leave.

As the two were about to leave, Feng Qingyang said something else.

"Just now the abbot said that I have done you a great favor, but it is nothing. You two should forget about it from now on."

Fang Zheng and Fang Sheng stopped, and Fang Sheng looked at Fang Zheng upon hearing this.

The patient's condition returned to normal.

"Senior Feng, when the Huashan Sect Leader Yue and the Songshan Sect split last June, I was confused and mistakenly trusted Zuo Lengchan. In addition, at that time, Ren Woxing of the Demonic Sect led a large number of Demonic Sect masters up the mountain. I did not want the Huashan and Songshan Sects to kill each other due to misunderstandings, which would give the Demonic Sect an opportunity. That's why I spoke up to stop them."

Feng Qingyang laughed and said, "These matters are none of my concern. I am no longer a member of the Huashan Sect. The abbot is mature and prudent, and it is only right that he does this."

Fang Zheng seemed to simply offer an explanation before leaving with Fang Sheng.

Watching the two leave, Feng Qingyang's expression returned to calm.

"Abbot, what exactly does Elder Feng mean?"

After coming out, Fang Sheng finally couldn't help but ask.

He couldn't understand what Feng Qingyang was trying to do, nor could he understand what Fang Zheng meant.

"If Senior Feng wants to read the Lankavatara Sutra, it is available in every temple in the world. Why do you insist on borrowing it from my senior brother?"

Fang Zheng glanced at him but did not answer. Instead, he said, "Do you remember the story from the Lankavatara Sutra?"

Fang Sheng nodded: "Of course I remember. The Lankavatara Sutra is a scripture transmitted by Bodhidharma when he came from the East. It was passed on to the Second Patriarch, Huike. Bodhidharma said: 'I have four volumes of the Lankavatara Sutra, which I also entrust to you...'"

He knows Buddhist stories, especially those about Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of Zen Buddhism, and Huike, the second patriarch, by heart.

"Ah."

Fang Zheng nodded.

After Fang Sheng finished speaking, he asked, "What connection does Abbot Fang have with Senior Feng's request for the Lankavatara Sutra?"

Fang Zheng smiled slightly and said, "Later, after Bodhidharma passed away, the Second Patriarch found another scripture under Bodhidharma's futon, which is the Yi Jin Jing."

As soon as Fang Zheng finished speaking, Fang Sheng exclaimed in surprise.

"He wants the Yi Jin Jing?"

Fang Zheng nodded slightly.

Although Feng Qingyang mentioned the Lankavatara Sutra just now, he actually wanted the Yi Jin Jing. Otherwise, if it were just the four volumes of the Lankavatara Sutra, why would he need to come to Henan in person?

Fang Sheng resolutely refused: "The Yi Jin Jing is a secret martial arts manual of our Shaolin Temple that is not passed down to others. Even if my junior brother owes him a life, he can simply repay it. The Yi Jin Jing is absolutely not going to be given to him!"

Fang Sheng had barely finished speaking when Fang Zheng casually remarked.

"I have already promised."

"what?"

Fang Sheng was astonished. "Abbot, how could you..."

Fang Zheng shook his head and said, "If I don't agree today, then I will have to make enemies with Senior Feng."

It can be confirmed that Feng Qingyang came to question them about why they prevented the Huashan Sect from fighting the Songshan Sect, but later, for some reason, they changed their minds and instead went to Shaolin to ask for the Yi Jin Jing.

"But the Yi Jin Jing is a divine skill of Shaolin, which is not passed on to anyone other than disciples of our sect. It cannot be given to others lightly."

Fang Sheng became anxious.

Fang Zheng explained, "I didn't intend to give him the whole book; I intended to give him half."

Fang Sheng was taken aback. "Half?"

"good."

Fang Zheng nodded and said, "Just now, Senior Feng claimed to want to borrow the Lankavatara Sutra, but in reality, he wanted the Yi Jin Jing. I did not agree at first. When I said I would go back to get the sutra, I meant the Lankavatara Sutra."

"The original text of the Lankavatara Sutra is annotated in Sanskrit from India. Apart from the original book brought by Bodhidharma, there are four sets of Chinese translations that have been passed down to this day. The first time I prepared to leave, I refused, only to give him one of the original translations. Although these four translations are also very rare, they are nothing compared to the Yi Jin Jing."

"Later, Senior Feng changed his request from borrowing four volumes to two volumes, meaning he only wanted a portion of the Yi Jin Jing. Finally, Senior Feng said that he had forgotten all the debts owed to him by his two fellow disciples, which meant that after I gave him half of the Yi Jin Jing, the debts were wiped clean."

After Fang Zheng's explanation, Fang Sheng realized that Fang Zheng and Feng Qingyang had quietly completed the transaction inside the house.

"But the Yi Jin Jing is too precious, even just half a copy is..."

Upon hearing that Feng Qingyang only wanted half a book and not the whole thing, Fang Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still somewhat reluctant.

Fang Zheng smiled and said, "It's only half a copy of the Yi Jin Jing. It's already quite good to exchange it for a favor. You should know that a favor is hard to repay."

When the two of them entered the room, Feng Qingyang's aura was like a sword being drawn from its sheath, which was a message to them.

Although he was old, he was not dead yet. He no longer questioned what they had done, but the price was half of the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic). From then on, they had no further dealings with each other.

If they disagree, they might get to witness the full extent of the Dugu Nine Swords.

Chapter 484: Half a Book of Yi Jin Jing

"It's easy to take advantage of a bargain, but hard to repay a favor, especially one that saved our lives. If Senior Feng really wants to use his kindness to you and my fellow disciples to ask us to do things we can't do, would you and I agree? We've already done enough by repaying the favor with half a copy of the Yi Jin Jing."