Chapter 115: Afternoon Chess Game in Tianjing

In Qinglong City, in the Zhao Mansion Buddhist Hall, the copper bells in front of the eaves would ring from time to time in the wind.

After noon, the April day already felt like the scorching summer heat.

Shenxiu put down the paintbrush in his hand, looked at the two paintings in front of him, and chanted a Buddhist name in a low voice.

Ever since the dragon fish meeting that night.

Although Zhou Tieyi didn't say a word to him, he was confused.

How is it possible that someone could comprehend the [Buddha Kingdom in the Palm] in just one month?

If Zhou Tieyi has attained enlightenment, then what about Zhou Tiege?

Can the Buddha nature that I leave in the other person's heart still be the key to victory?

Just as Shenxiu was turning the rosary beads, trying to calm down.

An old monk's voice came from behind, "Shenxiu, your mind is in turmoil."

Shenxiu suddenly woke up and turned around, only to see Zhao Taisui leading an old monk quietly to the Buddhist temple.

The old monk was wearing a yellow robe and had a rosary around his neck. Each bead was the size of a child's fist, and there were eighteen of them in total.

He held a Zen staff in his right hand. The staff seemed to be made of brass and looked very heavy.

However, the old monk walked silently with the Zen stick.

"Uncle Kong Hai."

Shenxiu paid his respects.

This person is the head monk of the Arhat Court of the Fahua Temple, and has attained the third level of 'Vajra' in the Buddhist Fahua tradition.

The four holy sites of Buddhism each have their own heritage. The Fahua Temple has the shortest history and is a temple that entered Buddhism through martial arts. On the contrary, people like Shenxiu who entered Buddhism through painting are rare in the Fahua Temple.

The old monk is of medium build, but has a strong aura, like a piece of iron that has been tempered a thousand times.

He walked into the Buddhist hall, glanced at the painting on Shenxiu's desk, and asked, "Is it true that you can comprehend the [Buddha Kingdom in the Palm] in one month?"

When Zhou Tieyi revealed the [Buddha Kingdom in the Palm] in Fengyu Lake, the news spread to the Fahua Temple, and the head of the Arhat Hall hurried over.

Shenxiu thought for a moment and sighed, "It is indeed so."

His eyes fell on Zhao Taisui. If Zhao Taisui understood the wisdom of his past life and comprehended the [Buddha Kingdom in the Palm] in one day, he would not be surprised. But how could Zhou Tieyi do this? !
He couldn't figure it out, so he became possessed by a demon.

Kūkai was silent for a while, and then he said, "Even if he can understand, he can only understand through your Buddha nature. He cannot escape the cage, so you still have the advantage."

Kūkai said this with great certainty, because he was already a Buddhist of the third rank, and naturally knew the restraint that the orthodox tradition had on those who practiced the method.

After Gongshu Sheng invented the steam engine, all subsequent steam engines, as long as they did not go beyond Gongshu Sheng's framework or take a different approach, were within the constraints of Gongshu Sheng's orthodoxy.

It only takes a thought to destroy it.

Although Shenxiu could not yet achieve the Taoism, the [Buddha Kingdom in the Palm] he practiced was the Taoism, which he passed on to the two brothers of the Zhou family!

Even if it cannot be destroyed, it can be influenced.

Shenxiu remained silent because he felt that things would not be that simple, but for a moment he could not think of a better solution.

Zhou Tieyi's appearance that night was probably intended to disturb his mood.

He bowed and said, "Please, Master, give me a lecture for a month."

He wanted to borrow the Buddha nature of the abbot of the Arhat Hall to suppress his own chaotic thoughts and try to adjust his state to the best.

Kūkai put down the Zen staff in his hand, and the tip of the staff sank directly into the Buddhist hall. A vast force suppressed the surroundings, and even the wind chimes stopped ringing silently. No matter how strong the wind was, it could not blow it away at all.

······
The seventh tower of Yujing Mountain is home to the Confucian Imperial Academy. The Imperial Academy's chief priest was a third-rank civil official of the dynasty and also a third-rank Confucian "Li Yan". To the east of the Imperial Academy, a three-story Wu Yu Terrace was built with a mortise and tenon structure, green wooden beams, and flying corners and eaves.

The temperature of Yujing Mountain is originally lower than that of the mountain below, so the warm wind in late spring passes through the green wooden beams and teases the breeze standing on the eaves, which seems refreshing.

On the Wuyou Terrace, next to the railing, there is a chess table and two low stools. The scenery here is excellent and you can almost overlook the entire Taixue College.

Sitting on the left is Lord Zhang Shizhong, the chief academic officer of the Imperial Academy. He is about the same age as Dong Xingshu. Confucianism does not cultivate immortality, so although he has tempered his body more than ordinary people when he was at the seventh level of self-cultivation, his life expectancy is only about a hundred years.

The highest record is living to the age of 140.

Zhang Shizhong's gray hair was neatly pressed under a black cloth crown. Opposite him, the middle-aged scholar sitting was more casual, wearing a spring shirt and a bun on his head secured with a green jade hairpin.

Zhang Shizhong looked at the chessboard in front of him and said with a smile, "Why don't you play Go today? Do you want to play chess?"

The scholar sitting opposite Zhang Shizhong was named Che Wenyuan, a lecturer at the Imperial College. He was well-liked by students because of his humorous personality.

Che Wenyuan smiled and said, "The Taoist master has come to Tianjing. I heard that he has not been defeated for two hundred years. I dare not show off my skills in front of an expert, so I have been playing chess these days."

Hearing Che Wenyuan say this, Zhang Shizhong sighed silently, "Is immortality really that good?"

They Confucians do not practice immortality, so they know the will of heaven at the age of fifty.

Che Wenyuan turned his head and looked at the students shooting arrows at the shooting range of Tai Academy below. After a while, he said, "It is good to be immortal, but that is something that people outside the world should do. After all, there are too many people in the mortal world, and it is impossible for everyone to be immortal."

"Your Majesty is the father of the world, how can you not understand this?"

Zhang Shizhong sighed.

"Of course he understands. It's just that someone spread rumors and misled the people. For a time, His Majesty was misled. So Brother Qingchen turned into a beautiful jade as a warning from heaven. It was to wake up His Majesty who was obsessed with cultivation, and to warn those who spread rumors and misled the people."

Che Wenyuan became more and more bold as he spoke.

Even Zhang Shizhong frowned and said, "Wenyuan, this is inappropriate."

Che Wenyuan is a good candidate for their Confucianism.

But how difficult is it to be at the third level?

What’s more, it is the third Confucian grade.

Mei Qingchen kneeling in front of the Meridian Gate has proved it.

Confucianism is undoubtedly the most prominent school of thought in the world.

Even Taoism and Buddhism have to avoid its edge!

Even if he is only a third-rank official, kneeling in front of the Meridian Gate, he can't even pull up a second-rank official. Even a saint would have a headache!
But the three qualities of Confucianism are difficult to cultivate!
Che Wenyuan is a good example.

He had entered the fourth rank of Confucianism twenty years ago. In order to protect his sincerity, Confucianism did not allow Che Wenyuan to enter the officialdom, but made him a doctor of the Five Classics.

I thought that Che Wenyuan could practice his knowledge by teaching and educating people, and at the same time observe the situation in the world at Taixue Academy.

Both in the government and in the underworld.

But it's just wishful thinking.

There is no shortcut to the Confucian "establishing words".

Twenty years have passed, and Che Wenyuan still hasn't gotten the slightest clue about "establishing his own words".

Even Che Wenyuan himself secretly turned to learning chess, wanting to see if he could learn by analogy.

On the other hand, Mei Qingchen suddenly realized that if he was not in a situation where he was doomed to die, he might have a chance to enter the second or first rank in the future.

This is what cultivation is.

(End of this chapter)