"Dawa and the Nightrider Fork have arrived."

The blind old monk sitting in the quiet room listened slightly and instructed the little monk to go out to pick up the guests.

Curiously, the crowd twisted their heads in the direction the door had opened.

They couldn't understand what the old monk was saying, but they could see the monk's prudence. Tuoba Huang was familiar with various scriptures, and had also discussed Buddhism with monks from the Western Regions, so he naturally knew what the Sanskrit pronunciation of "Dawa" and "Night Riding Fork" were.

That's the Celestial and Yaksha in Buddhism.

This was probably the first thing the old monk said when he sat here for almost half an hour.

The truth discouraged him a little.

This old monk may be greeting someone else.

In Tuoba Huang's eyes, the blind old monk who is still walking on the ground with a pair of bare feet in this winter has an indescribable profundity.

Even the posture in which he sits on his knees is the uncommon "big lotus pose", which is not the posture that ordinary monks use.

In such a remote place, in such a dilapidated temple, but there is such a monk, and they meet it again, isn't it an adventure?

In the curious eyes of everyone, He Mulan, Di Yefei and Shan Zhuo were welcomed in.

"The bridge in front is actually broken!" Edan Zhuohan laughed. Even if we find this shortcut, we won't be able to take it! "

"You little monk, why do you only speak half of your words!" Di Ye Fei glared angrily.

He Mullan didn't speak. In fact, she also wants to scold her mother.

Does she have to build bridges in addition to opening roads? Do you really think of her as a demolition office plus engineering team?

But she still remembered to leave a little grace for Mulan, so her face was not very good-looking, and she only nodded slightly reserved when she saw the happy eyes of the egrets

"Several distinguished guests came to this temple, which really surprised the old monk. If you don't like it, please eat here. The road ahead has been destroyed, and returning the same way will definitely delay the stay. Although the Dry Leaf Temple is small, the Zen bed for the pending order is still enough."

"The master is gracious."

"The old monk's name is 'Dry Zen', and he is the host of the Dry Leaf Temple here." He recited a Buddha name.

Seven or eight people poured into this dilapidated small temple at once, and there were simply not so many people standing in the old monk's house, so the egrets discussed for a while, except for Ah Luhuan, who was still on duty in the house, everyone else withdrew from the door.

Shan Zhuo looked at the people left in the house, scratched his head and went out, sitting on the threshold outside to bask in the sun.

When did He Guang change?

It seems to have come from his retinue.

Childe is childe, and ordinary people are ordinary people.

Thinking of He Guang, who would beg him for help because he didn't bring a toilet chip and his legs were numb, Edan Zhuo suddenly felt that it was all a matter of his previous life.

He sat on the threshold thinking about some of the questions that he must have thought too much about at his age, until the little monk went to bring tea to the people in the room, and he looked at him.

Probably because he stretched out his head, so after withering bamboo went in with a teapot and an empty teacup, he came out with an extra cup of tea in his hand.

It was a glass of brown liquid, hot and smoking. On this kind of winter day, even if there is sun, it is very comfortable to hold a cup of hot water in your hand. So Ardan Zhuo took it and thanked him very happily.

Kuzhu showed a very shy smile, nodded slightly to accept his thanks, and went back in.

A few egrets in the distance were a little sour in their hearts.

Why didn't this little monk give them a hot drink, only to the black-skinned boy!

"What the hell is this?" Shan Zhuo held the cup in his hand, because it was too hot to eat, so he covered his hands and blew.

A slightly astringent smell came from it, which made him very curious.

After a while, the water gradually cooled down, and Shan Zhuo took a sip carefully with curiosity.

Just this bite made him make a very terrible reasoning.

Burst!

"Aunt Hua! Heguang, don't drink that water! These two monks want to poison us! "！！！

Hearing this, the egret immediately rushed into the house. Tuoba Huang was about to politely drink the drink prepared by the Zen Temple, but he also stopped his movements because of a scream from Shan Zhuo outside the door.

Di Yefei almost immediately poured out the water in the cup, and knocked over the teacup in front of He Mullan.

He Mulan is very similar to telling Di Ye Fei not to do this. Because she was pitted by all kinds of strange things in ancient times, she almost only drank plain water and wine when she came here.

Kuangcang!

Kuangcang!

After two sounds of the sword being unsheathed, the old monk and the little monk both had two short blades on their necks. Ah Lu Heng was in front of the prince, and he didn't know where to pull out a dagger.

The woodcutter next to him was already slumped on the ground in fright.

After a commotion, everyone learned that it was not poison, but a medicinal tea made from bitter leaves, after they drank the water in the teacup with a sad face.

Of course, it is very inappropriate to drink cold kuding in winter, but there is no such thing as tea in the humble Buddhist temple, and monks of all sizes have become accustomed to grabbing a handful of kuding leaves and boiling them into water to make tea soup. The little monk was afraid that the guests would not be used to drinking this kind of thing, so he put ginger slices, jujube meat and other warm things in accordance with the habit of sencha.

Does that smell......

Maybe accustomed to drinking the same taste of tea as the pot water. [,！ People don't think it's too strange, but as a Shan Zhuo, who has never drunk this "high-end drink" a few times, and He Mulan, who can't accept salt and ginger in the tea at all......

It may or may not taste like poison.

In the more strict commentary, Shan Zhuo, who has a tendon, finally accepts that it is not the strange smell after being drugged, but the original taste of this thing. The original smile became a little cold to his withered bamboo face, but Tuoba Huang kept laughing, laughing until he couldn't breathe.

Why do you want to drink such a bad thing!' ’

Ah Danzhuo also felt embarrassed and withdrew from the room to face the wall.

Well, he once joked that He Guang almost fell into the dung pit when he went to the toilet, and now he was laughed at by He Guang again, and it can be regarded as a rip-off.

It's just that I'm a little sorry for the little monk with good intentions.

After this ridiculous episode, the atmosphere in the room finally became eerily peaceful. When his leg had recovered to normal, the woodcutter ran out of the house as if to show everyone that his leg was fine, dropping the phrase "I'll go to the village and call someone to repair the mountain wall."

Tuoba Huang wanted to maintain a solemn expression of "asking for advice from the master", but when he thought of Shan Zhuo running in in a panic just now and asking for help, "What should I do, am I going to die", he couldn't help but let out a few weird laughs from his mouth after being stifled.

He tried to restrain himself, but he still couldn't hold back the smile that came out of his heart.

That's it, anyway, this old monk is blind, and he can't see his eyebrows

"This old master, I'm really sorry, this kid is not so reckless on weekdays." He Mullan apologized to him on behalf of his juniors.

From the moment he came out in the morning with two black circles under his eyes, this kid was out of his way.

"If the child can't accept it, there is no difference between kindness and poison."

Kuzen replied softly.

"Just like the Most High, if you can't accept it, you will become a victim of all beings."

Tuoba was startled.

It's almost condemnation.

He Mullan didn't like the old monk's tone. This kind of "I'm good, but you don't know how to appreciate" is a little uncomfortable.

So she retorted.

Although it is kind, it adds to the troubles of others, so it is necessary to reflect on whether it really takes care of other people's feelings. How can you expect everyone to be the same as you think without asking them what they like to drink and what they can't drink, and serving good things according to your own ideas?"

"That's what the donor said. It's just that what if the original taste is still this taste, and suddenly one day I don't love it? Tea, whether on the table or on the floor, tea can be changed from one container to another, tea or tea. But people are changing all the time." Dry Zen means something.

"Then change!"

He Mullan pursed his lips.

"You're trying to sell the tea anyway, and the people who buy it don't like it, so you can only drink it yourself."

"Donor, if the taste of tea changes, is it still tea?"

"You haven't seen the tea of the later generations, how do you know that the tea of the later generations is what it is now?"

As long as He Mulan thought of the fragrant and fragrant tea leaves of later generations, or the tea leaves with a long aftertaste, and then thought of the "tea" that was now knocked down from something like a cake, plus ginger, salt, and all kinds of strange things, he was a little angry and blocked back.

"Change the taste...... Is it?" The old monk bowed his head and pondered for a while.

"Maybe that's the case. But we can't do it in our lifetime anyway. If in three or five years, there will still be an ember of fire in Shamen, and I hope that a new flame will be burned."

"It's going to change." He Mullan sighed.

The changes in Buddhism after the beginning can be said to keep pace with the times.

"The donor has a fate with my Buddhism, but now his soul is scattered, and his life is short, the old man is willing to make a good fate, and give the donor a hint......"

He read a verse.

"…… Do you know who I am?" Seeing that he seemed to know himself well, He Mulan felt inexplicably uneasy in his heart.

In various novels and TV dramas, if there is such a master whose whole body is like saying, "Ah, no one has come to see me for thousands of years", he is either really a master or a terrible monster.

"Throughout the ages, people as gifted as donors have never died well, because they killed too much. It's just that although the donor kills a lot, he has more good karma, and he can offset his merits and demerits, and he can also die well."

"It's just that the donor is still suffering. This doom comes from you."

"You are born with divine power, because there is a 'divine energy' in your body that no one else has. But because this 'divine aura' grows stronger and stronger as you get older, your mortal body will one day be unable to bear it, and you will eventually die in the prime of life."

Hermulan looked surprised.

Di Yefei had already stood up, showing an expression that would beat him at any time.

Obviously, Kuzen is a blind old monk, so naturally he can't see his expression.

"There should have been someone who tried to take away the 'divine energy' from you, but there must have been something wrong with this, so that your soul is now unstable and unconscious. Among the masters in the world, only the Daoist Kou who was called the 'National Teacher' and Master Huishi of my Shamen had such skills. But Hui Shi had been there for a long time, so if you want to find out why, you'd better go to Pingcheng and find that Kou Tianshi."

"Of course, the old man is. [,！ ] Don't build yì you do that. Since it is a calamity, you have already been born in response to the calamity, so why should you think about ending it?"

"What does the master mean that Daoist Kou will be bad for her?" Tuoba asked.

"No, since it is its own calamity, then the destruction of a lifetime comes from itself. If the calamity does change, it won't necessarily be a good thing."

He Mulan listened to the words "spirit" and "calamity", and he already had a vague idea in his heart. But after all, she is a materialist, so after listening to it, she only feels that she is not enough, and there is no point in going to see it

"Master, someone once said that I ......" Tuoba Huang held a trace and just opened his mouth when he was interrupted by this monk.

"This nobleman, your fate is not something that someone like Lao Wei can instruct. Even if you ask the old man to give you an answer, the old man's answer is 'no problem.'" Kuzen shook his head.

"I see."

Tuoba Huang's heart sank, all the way to the bottomless abyss.

If there's really no problem, he'll just be blunt. But he came up with such a lot of reasons, thinking that Kou Qianzhi's prophecy was indeed true.

What is fate? Can mortals see through it?

He looked sideways at He Mulan, who was not affected by the old monk's words at all, and had some secret envy in his heart.

The same is the calamity, she should be born in the calamity, but he will die in the calamity.

She received guidance from Kuzen but didn't think so, and she begged for guidance but couldn't get it.

What do the "celestials" and "yakshas" refer to?

Tuoba Huang and He Mulan and the others sat in the quiet room for a while, because they didn't get the answer they wanted, Tuoba Huang inevitably looked restless.

He Mulan was really bored to sit, and it felt too bad to sit in the same room with a strange god stick and have nothing to say, so she excused herself to be "in a hurry", pushed open the door and walked out.

In the courtyard, Withered Bamboo and Shan Zhuo were gesturing something. She narrowed her eyes curiously, and looked closer to see what they were doing

"I want you to feel our kindness, but you say that the tea I gave you is poison."

The withered bamboo made a drinking gesture and stretched out a finger.

He stammered and was used to communicating with Master in this way.

Shan Zhuo frowned, stretched out two fingers in embarrassment, and shook them.

'I swear I don't mean it twice.'

Withered bamboo shook his head vigorously.

Seeing him shake his head, Shan Zhuo had anger on his face, and even stretched out his fist.

He unloaded a small cloth bag from his waist, took out a few eggs from it, peeled them and ate them.

Such a move also made the withered bamboo bite his lip and run away with a twist.

He Mulan was confused watching the mime of the two teenagers on the side, and waited for the withered bamboo to run away without a shadow before walking over.

"What the hell are you playing with him?"

He Mulan patted Ardan Zhuo on the shoulder.

"He told me that I had annoyed him with the tea, so I could only eat one bowl of rice at noon." He stretched out his fingers and made a "one" pose.

"I said that I have at least two bowls to eat when I have a bowl!"

He held out two fingers.

And he shook his head desperately, and he didn't even want to give me that one anymore. I thought to myself, it's not that I don't have food, so why bother annoying him, so I stretched out my hand and told him that I wouldn't take anything."

He stretched out his fist and clenched it.

"And then he probably ran away in shame."

Edan Zhuo took a bite of the egg.

"This little monk is stingy. Didn't he just treat the bitter food he gave him as poison? Later, I apologized, but he was still angry and came to demonstrate with me! "

"Uh......" Hermulan touched his chin.

"It sounds reasonable, but it doesn't seem like that......"

"You can't go wrong! I've been playing with the little mute guy in the village for years, and I've always guessed what he said." Shan Zhuo ate the egg in his hand with great certainty.

"Aunt Hua, I'm still so hungry, shall we stay here for dinner at noon?"

"Extension...... He Guang didn't want to go, the road ahead was cut off again, we were going to get some hot water here at noon to pad my mother's Hu Cake to pad my stomach, and then return the same way in the afternoon."

He Mulan was also upset by the events of this morning.

"If only I had known what shortcuts I wouldn't take. Whether it's walking or being a person, counting on shortcuts is often the life of being cheated."

"What are you talking about, Aunt Hua?" Adan Zhuo is filial piety.

"Ah, nothing."

For the rest of the day, he tried to find an answer, but the blind monk was as silent as He Mullan had not come, so after everyone had finished their lunch, he had to admit that he had done useless work.

At noon, two monks in the temple, an old man and a young monk, accompanied everyone to lunch. After the porridge and rice were served, Shan Zhuo was silent.

There is no food at all.

Boiled thin corn porridge is no different from water, with a few pickles, and cooked beans, and that's their lunch.

He Mulan's stomach ached when he looked at the pile of boiled beans. This Mulan's original body had stomach bloating, and I don't know if it was the sequelae left over from years of marching and fighting, so she didn't eat beans and beans when she was at Hua's house.

"You guys on weekdays. [,！ Eat this?"

He Mulan looked at the withered "dry Zen" master and the withered bamboo in the monk's robe that looked like a kite floating on the ground, and wondered if the monk who gave them the Dharma name probably had some curse.

"How can a monk be dependent on others for support, so how can he be demanding that others must give him food and clothing? A grain of rice is kindness, and a bowl of rice is kindness. Now that I share this kindness with you, please do not underestimate them."

Kuzen picked up the bowl and read the scriptures again, then pursed his lips and began to drink corn porridge.

They don't have much to say.

He is right, the monk himself does not produce, he eats whatever others give, and it is already a blessing to be able to eat food, how can he sympathize with their suffering?

He Mulan took out the Hu cake he brought with him, which was made by the flower mother with good wheat flour, which was delicious and hungry, but it was a little difficult to swallow when there was no hot water.

She broke the cake and divided it into three parts, one for herself, one for the old monk and one for the little monk.

Then I started eating.

Kuzen was blind and couldn't see what He Mulan had done, but Kuzhu screamed.

"Shi, donor...... I'm ......."

"You're welcome. You have given me the kindness of the villagers, and I will share it with you now. I have received kindness from you, and is it not fair that you accept my kindness? Buddhism pays attention to the reincarnation of cause and effect, and this is reincarnation."

He Mulan ate his Hu cake in two bites, and drank two mouthfuls of hot porridge without disliking it.

"Donor, I, I can't eat and eat......"

"Mulan asks you to eat, you can eat it." Di Yefei also relied on the gourd to draw a scoop and break the hu cake into three pieces." You little monk is still so young, how can you drink gruel every day. Don't you want to grow some vegetables in the front and back of the house?"

"I, I, we ......"

He Mulan saw that several pieces of Hu Biscuits were piled up in front of the little monk in a short time, and Ah Danzhuo and Tuoba Huang all gave them their own, and couldn't help but show a satisfied smile.

Everybody is a good person.

The two monks should be happy that they can finally eat enough.

Don't be too grateful to her!

After eating a full meal, He Mulan asked the villagers to do it too thoroughly, and there was no way out at all, so they could only choose to turn around and go back.

Although they may miss the lodging and not be able to reach Xiang County, the egrets said that they could use their tokens to spend the night in any yamen, and He Mullan dispelled his doubts.

There are several inferior counties along the way, as long as it is a county seat, there is always a government office.

Tuoba Huang left a few pearls as sesame oil money, and the two monks of the Dead Leaf Temple who said goodbye began to turn back and return the way they came.

After a long time.

Their shadows are gone.

"Master, I, I, I, we, isn't it time to, it's time to change, change places?" Withered bamboo looked at the temple in front of him with some reluctance.

"It's time for a change of place." Kuzen walked barefoot on the ground, and his feet were as smooth as jade." Hey, in the next few years, Buddhism will be wiped out. The Great ...... of the World"

His cloudy eyes rolled up and down.

"Where is our place?"

"Aunt Hua, can you say 'reincarnation of cause and effect', do you also believe in Buddhism?" Tuoba Huang huddled around Mullan affectionately and asked her this question.

"No, I don't believe in Buddhism, in fact, I don't believe in any gods."

"Is that so?"

Hermulan was an atheist, and as a forensic doctor, she didn't believe in gods, Buddhas, or ghosts. Otherwise, she would have been scared to death by herself.

However, since she crossed over, she vaguely believed that there was a spirit after death.

Uh, she helped so many "brothers" cut it over, they shouldn't mind, right?

"Yes. I don't believe any of that. Moreover, I think that a worthy monarch should not believe in any sect either." He Mulan thought for a while, and said in a more cautious tone:

"In a certain way, whether it is Taoism, Buddhism, or any other sect, it can make people restless and complacent. The stubborn doctrine that seems unbreakable is often the culprit that suppresses and extinguishes our imagination and creativity. As a result, the mind is often shackled, and the questions that continue to be thought about are often stagnant.

She remembered the Dark Ages in Europe.

"For the king, all voices need to be heard. Both good and bad, both good and bad. As a leader, he must have the ability to think for himself and take what is best for him, not what is based on him."

"Do you want to listen to everything?"

"Yes, for example. You are a Xianbei person. You are learning the classics of Han governance, using the methods of Xianbei people to fight wars, and ruling the people of Great Wei. Among your people, there are Xianbei people, Zahu people, Han people, and people from the Western Regions. Every ethnic group has different beliefs, and it would be unfair for you to accept only one. Because your people are the same, and all your people have the right to choose different faiths......"

Therefore, it is the safest thing to respect all doctrines, but not to express one's likes and dislikes. It is really smart to treat everyone equally and turn them into beliefs that are conducive to domination. Otherwise, if you suppress the Buddha and the Dao Gate rises, if you suppress the Tao again, when will you be at peace?"

"Aunt Hua also thinks that my father is doing the right thing?"

"Ah...... I didn't say he was bad." Congratulations.[,!] Mu Lan looked left and right, and saw that everyone was not paying attention to their side, and hurriedly whispered and quickly said his thoughts:

"I don't think so. But he didn't have a choice."

"I just said causal reincarnation, right? Now that the number of Buddhist disciples has surged, this is the fruit. What is the reason for the effect? It's because everyone doesn't want to fight anymore. The men in the family died one after another, which made many people willing to give everything to the temple rather than watch their loved ones die. This is the cause."

"You are the crown prince of the prison country, and you should have more knowledge than me. You admit it, right?"

Tuoba Akira, who had a serious expression, nodded.

He Mullan continued with satisfaction.

"Therefore, if you keep fighting like this, and the people are living more and more miserable, this kind of thing cannot be stopped. There is no Buddhism, there is still a Taoist gate, and if you don't even have anywhere to escape, it's time to rebel."

"Your Majesty is now a Buddha, or you feel that the world is at peace, and those men who are frightened and panicked should go home; Or if you want to continue the war, you need more men......"

He Mulan looked at Tuoba Huang with a smirk.

"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, can you tell me what kind of situation is it now?"

……

Tuoba shook his head, not daring to look into Hemulan's eyes.

"Does Your Highness know why Mulan joined the army?"

"Isn't it because my father is old and sick, and my younger brother is young?"

"That's it, and it's not just that."

He Mulan smiled very gently. As soon as she thought of the heroine's unique thoughts, her heart was ironed as if even her limbs and bones were warm.

"The division between the front line and the rear of the Great Wei is very clear, the people in the south live and work in peace and contentment, and the six towns in the north hoard heavy troops and military households, responsible for the Great Wei campaign. Mulan was born in six towns in the north, and since she was a child, she was accustomed to seeing men in the countryside immediately set out to fight when they received military stickers......"

Her mediocre-looking countenance seemed to glow slightly in the winter sun.

Nowadays they don't look like they're walking on a remote path in the woods, and there's a sense of being too quiet around them.

"The women of Great Wei sent off their fathers, husbands, and sons in exchange for peace in the rear. The men fought on the battlefield to protect their wives and children, and in our place, what we were most afraid of seeing was not the military stickers sent by the military government, but the soldiers who came to the village in black clothes to report the funeral......"

"'Men are desperate to protect women and children, and now I am going to protect men, what's not to do?', because of this idea, Mulan wants to go to the army for her father."

Tuoba Huang saw a smile on He Mulan's face.

"Your Highness, the one who can protect people's hearts and lives has never been a Buddha."

"It's important to remember that."