Yuzhou has been the hinterland of the Central Plains since ancient times, Songyang City is the hinterland of Yuzhou, and Songshan is in the hinterland of Songyang City. The Shaolin Temple is located in the dense jungle of Shaolin Mountain, and it is just in the hinterland of Songshan Mountain.

Shaolin Temple got the news that Wang Chongyang entered the autumn realm 15 days later.

An official of the Ministry of Rites who came to Songyang City from the capital on a business trip brought the news to Shaolin. This official came to the Shaolin Temple to pay homage to incense, and mentioned it when chatting with a monk who knew him, and the monk hurriedly reported the news to the abbot and his uncle.

Master Zhitong, as the highest-ranking monk in Shaolin Temple except for the abbot, after learning the news, said to Ling Yun, the second disciple of the master beside him: "Do you have a relationship with Chongyang, the king of Wudang?"

Ling Yun arched his hand and replied, "We have met a few times, we know each other, but we are not familiar with each other. ”

Zhitong smiled: "I guess too, you, you're too dogmatic, and your temperament is not suitable for the Taoist style, but it is quite compatible with our Zen Buddhism." ”

Ling Yun was noncommittal and did not speak. After a while, he added, "But I'd love to compete with him." ”

The old monk of Zhitong laughed, thinking of the scene when he met Wang Chongyang for the first time, it was seven or eight years ago, he took Jueyuan, who was only eight or nine years old, to walk the world, passing by Wudang, and went up the mountain to visit the old master who had not passed away at that time.

Wang Chongyang, who was only a teenager at the time, pouted his ass and watched the ants move in front of Qiongtai Guan. Seeing Zhitong coming, he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Old bald... Where did the old abbot come from?"

"Shaolin Temple. Jueyuan was serious, and even a little angry, so Wang Chongyang almost said a rude word. Judging from the expression on his face, Jue Yuan looked older, but in fact, Jue Yuan was seven or eight years younger than Wang Chongyang.

Wang Chongyang was taken aback, and hurriedly ran into the temple to find the master and brothers.

Of course, the old monk of Zhitong doesn't care about the unspoken 'old bald donkey', children, children's words.

After staying in Wudang Mountain for several days, the old monk Zhitong felt that this little junior brother Wang Chongyang was born with a Taoist heart, although he was a little naughty, but he was able to see through many things at a young age. For example, those pilgrims who worship incense donate one penny or two merit money, and he can't help but thank him, which is exactly the same attitude as those who donate a few hundred taels. The pilgrims who donated a few hundred taels were suspicious, and they always wondered if others had donated thousands of taels.

Although Wudang does not rely on this merit money for a living, but the more money this thing, the more the better, just like the Shaolin Temple, with incense money, you can do more things, open the Buddha hall, talk more about the Buddha with the people, and spend more sentient beings.

Compared with Ling Yun's temperament, Wang Chongyang is almost the opposite. It is normal for Ling Yun to want to communicate with Wang Chongyang for the competition, but it is normal for Wang Chongyang to refuse to compete.

During this time in Shaolin Temple, Lingyun ate and lived with Zhitong every day. To be honest, Zhitong likes Lingyun very much. Ling Yun's bearing of taking the world as his own responsibility is the same as Buddhism, I don't go to hell, who goes to hell, and they have the same end.

A few years ago, when I heard that the woman who misunderstood his Taoist heart got married, Wang Chongyang almost fell into the realm, if it weren't for the fact that the current senior brother in charge of the sect tried his best to maintain it, I am afraid that Wang Chongyang would have to work the way back to the summer realm in the spring realm now.

Ling Yun suddenly said: "Wang Chongyang is stronger than me. ”

Zhitongqi said: "How can you see it?"

Ling Yun said: "The last time we met, I am afraid that he is still on a par with me, and now he has ascended to the autumn realm again, but I have not improved in the past few years." ”

Zhitong touched his bald head and sighed: "You are too demanding of yourself." ”

While the two were talking, the bell for lunch in Shaolin Temple rang.

After lunch, Zhitong took Lingyun to the cave where Patriarch Darumo faced the wall. Bodhidharma Patriarch faced the wall here for ten years, and once had an epiphany and became a Buddha.

This shadow wall was not idle, and since then, many Shaolin monks have been fined or come to face the wall. The last time I used it, it was Jueyuan a few months ago. Because he went to Tianlong Temple to challenge without authorization, he was punished by the abbot for facing the wall for a few months.

Ling Yun had already talked to Zhitong about facing the wall, and he naturally disagreed with the act of facing the wall from the academy, because he didn't do anything during the face of the wall, and even had to be sent by others to eat and drink. This is not in line with the fundamental principle of Confucianism.

Zhitong pointed to the shadow wall and said: "Lingyun, the merits of the Bodhidharma Patriarch need not be repeated, you say that facing the wall is a waste of time, but if there is no ten years, Bodhidharma will not be able to become the ancestor of all living beings in the future." ”

Ling Yun arched his hand and said: "If Patriarch Bodhidharma can use these ten years to spend one or two people, maybe he can also have later achievements, or maybe during this period, he can also have an epiphany." ”

Zhitong smiled and shook his head: "Whether it is Confucianism, Taoism or a hundred schools, in fact, in the final analysis, it is still the word cultivation." Confucianism reads and cultivates the mind, Taoism cures diseases and saves people, and Buddhism cultivates asceticism. In this case, any method of cultivation is just a means, and cultivating the mind is the goal. ”

Ling Yun pondered for a moment and arched his hand: "Disciple understands. ”

Zhitong waved his hand and said: "You haven't understood yet, let's not rush, take your time." Hey, have you eaten enough for lunch, let's go to town for a few drinks?"

Ling Yun nodded: "Okay." ”

With that, the two of them walked down the mountain. Master Zhitong looked up, as if he saw the chickens, ducks, wine and meat in the town beckoning to him, an old monk.

Shaolin Temple is famous, and there is an endless stream of people who come here to burn incense and worship Buddha, so in this Songyang City, there is naturally no shortage of good restaurants. After all, there are many pilgrims who come here to worship Emperor Zhenwu, and they are all either rich or expensive.

Zhitong and Lingyun had been eating and drinking in the tavern for more than an hour.

Master Zhitong was born poor since he was a child, and he couldn't afford to eat any good things, and later became a monk, and before he became a monk, he didn't dare to go beyond the temple rules, and he didn't touch any wine or meat. Later, in the words of the abbot, after he had to become a small path, he began to eat meat and drink wine. But for so many years, he only had one or two taels of silver on him at most, so he ate and drank. This time, there was a Ling Yun by his side, who was not short of silver, and he naturally refused to let go.

Lingyun's family background is illustrious, and he is the most first-class wealthy family in Bianjing, and the silver ticket is just a number for him.

Ling Yun and Zhitong sat opposite each other, the table was full of fish and meat, Zhitong was still eating, and Ling Yun was already full and was slowly tasting tea.

Zhitong's mouth was full of meat, and he couldn't make a slurred speech: "Uh... Lingyun, aren't you tired of managing yourself so strictly?"

Ling Yun shook his head.

Lingyun wine also drinks meat and eats it, no matter what delicacies from the mountains and seas, he eats them. But he has a trait, he is never greedy. Wine, only drink three small cups, meat, and eat only three chopsticks. Flying in the sky, swimming in the ground, anything delicious, to his bowl, he only eats three chopsticks. I've always eaten only seven points full.

Therefore, the eating habits of the temporary master and apprentice are completely opposite. Ling Yun and Jueyuan always babble about Zhitong, he never said that Zhitong ate and drank a lot, and he didn't even say 'this is not good'. So during this time, Zhitong felt liberated, and he no longer had to hear the constant chatter in his ears, which was really a very pleasant thing.

However, Zhitong often talks about Lingyun, and almost every time Lingyun pays the bill and invites Zhitong to eat and drink, Zhitong has to shake his head and say regretfully: "You're too tired like this." ”

Tired or not, Ling Yun knew in his heart, but Zhitong looked tired.

"Sooner or later, you'll suffocate yourself to death. Zhitong drained a glass of wine, held braised pork in his mouth, and caught a glimpse of a beautiful woman passing by outside the window who was also dressed in cool clothes in this winter, and hurriedly broke Ling Yun's head with his greasy hand: "Look at the beauty!"

Ling Yun was helpless, so he had to follow the direction of Zhitong's finger and look at the woman.

"In our Songyang City, there are still a lot of beauties, I often walk around the city with Jueyuan, although Jueyuan is unwilling, but I am the master of the speak, he dare not listen. In fact, he didn't know that I took him to see beautiful women, which was a test for him and a kind of cultivation. Zhitong flipped over the plate of fish in front of him, and he had eaten it all, leaving only a plate full of fish bones. This plate of sea bass is actually not very well cooked, and it doesn't taste as good as the fish in Qingtian Pavilion.

Zhitong was talking to himself, only to see that the coolly dressed woman actually walked into the restaurant.

In the winter, the woman wore a padded jacket on top and a calf-high red dress underneath. The white calves and belly are exposed, which makes people feel cold when they look at it.

Zhitong only looked at the leg, and when the woman walked into the store and saw her face, Zhitong was shocked: "Ouch, I forgot everything." With that, he hurriedly buried his head on the table and pretended to have drunk too much.

Ling Yun was surprised, only to see the woman striding towards their table with leather boots on her feet, and said as she walked: "Master Zhitong, don't pretend, I just saw that you are very energetic!"

The woman was at most seventeen or eighteen years old, although her appearance was not extremely beautiful, but she was full of youth, her skin was as white as snow, and her cheeks were red and gorgeous, she turned her head to look at Ling Yun, and said angrily: "Are you Ling Yun, the second disciple of the Master of Qingtian Pavilion?"

Ling Yun nodded, his eyes only lingered on the woman's face for a moment, and then moved away: "Exactly." "I thought, the bet that the academy and Shaolin Temple made for Zhao Yuanzuo is now well known, this woman seems to know Master Zhitong, but she doesn't know what to do with Master Zhitong.

"You too, knowing that Master Zhitong is a Buddhist monk, but you still accompany him here to eat meat and drink wine!" The woman blamed Ling Yun, leaned over and shook Zhitong's arm, seeing that Zhitong was still pretending to be drunk, she gritted her teeth and said: "Master Zhitong, if you pretend again, I will go and tell the abbot that you are stealing wine and meat at the bottom of the mountain!"

"Don't, don't..." Master Zhitong hurriedly sat up, looked at the woman with a smile on his face, and said, "Xiaoyue, I have already bought rouge, but I forgot to bring it back and left it in Jueyuan." ”

The girl snorted: "I don't believe it, you must have forgotten to buy it, I know that you don't take what I told you to heart at all, no, I'll go to the abbot to sue you now! Let the abbot punish you severely!"