The reason why I pay attention to the man in white is the jade plaque hanging on his waist.
The jade tablet is engraved with a nine-grade lotus. The lotus is particularly important in Buddhism. For example, in many verses, there is: I wish to be born in the pure land of the West, with the nine-grade lotus as my parents. When the flowers bloom, I see the Buddha enlightening to lifelessness, and the Bodhisattva who never retreats is my companion.
In the Buddhist territory here, those who can wear the nine-grade lotus jade plaque are given to eminent monks who are profound in Buddhism and are not from well-known families. If an ordinary person wears it outside the rules, sooner or later the believers will take revenge.
A reclining Buddha is carved at the end of the mountain path. The reclining Buddha is huge and has a solemn appearance. He stares at the young man with half-closed eyes.
When walking towards the forest road with lush foliage and the fragrance of flowers, Shen Li suddenly felt dizzy, and the qi in his body was rushing unreasonably. He hurried to the roadside and sat cross-legged and tried his best to regulate his breathing. Only then was he able to suppress the qi and stir up the internal organs.
This is the dilemma he faces. From time to time, he is like a martial artist who goes crazy, and life is worse than death.
The difference is that his popularity machine would have been on the verge of death a long time ago, while Shen Li's natural Vajra body pushed through as if nothing had happened.
The leader had seen it, and the leader had asked other familiar masters to see it. They all shook their heads and sighed, lamenting that God had given Shen Li a Vajra Dragon Elephant body, while taking away decades of life. It was indeed a blessing. Just as the Southern Wu court allowed Buddhism to encircle the territory to support the people, and the elite soldiers of the Northern Sui Dynasty went south, the Buddhist masters also had to fight to the death for Southern Wu.
"Brother, have you gone crazy?"
Shen Li opened his eyes and saw the man in white stopping a dozen steps away and asking softly.
The man in white has a good appearance, his eyebrows are like fragrant ink, his eyes are like clear spring water, his skin is not white but has the unique beauty of jade, his nose is straight and his lips are red, and his exposed neck is just right slender and soft.
"Xiaosheng is from Pagoda Village not far away. I happened to meet the eminent monk of Bodhi Temple..."
Shen Li was embarrassed to say anything, but the words left his mouth whining and whining, and he nodded helplessly to show that he was indeed possessed.
The man in white quickly took out a pill and handed it to Shen Li: "Bodhisattva bless you, brother, don't look at my frail body, but in fact I am also a martial arts practitioner. Just now the eminent monk gave me two pills to regulate qi. I One pill is enough, brother, please use the rest."
After smelling the medicinal qi of the elixir, Shen Li, who had devoted himself to learning a lot of medical skills in order to solve serious physical problems, instantly understood that the elixir could indeed regulate qi.
Although it's not very useful, it's better than being stiff, right?
The man in white observed Shen Li for a while and said with determination: "Brother, I can't speak or move. In this case, I can only offend you. What an offence!"
Then he carefully put the elixir into Shen Li's mouth.
The fingertips touched his lower lip, it felt cool, and there was a body fragrance hidden in the sandalwood of the man in white that looked like a flower but not a flower.
Shen Li's heart moved.
The man in white suddenly retracted his hand, and after a while, he whispered with red cheeks: "It is very dangerous to become obsessed with evil. Maybe a pill for regulating qi is not of great use. Why don't I ask the eminent monk of Bodhi Temple to come over and protect you? .”
In this moment, Shen Li calmed down his Qi and said in a hoarse voice: "Thank you, brother. It's no big deal if I smooth out my Qi. I appreciate your kindness!"
"Oh, aren't you obsessed?" the man in white asked in surprise, feeling sincerely happy for him.
The martial artist was obsessed with madness, how could he be so relaxed? His life was already hanging by a thread, and he had a narrow escape.
"It's really hard to tell you. I'm not good at studying. I was thinking about practicing Qi while walking, but I made a mistake." Shen Li moved his hands and feet to make sure everything was fine, stood up, and clasped his fists towards the man in white and thanked him, "Xian Shen Li, thank you brother for your help. To lend a helping hand! May I ask your name, brother? This kindness will be repaid in the future."
The man in white became more and more shy when he thought that his fingertips had just touched his lower lip: "The eminent monk often told me that Buddhism is useful in daily life, where we have tea and meals, and where we talk to each other. Being lucky enough to help a group of brothers is also Buddhism. That's right. The Dharma is of benefit to both you and me, so there is no need to say thank you."
Pushing aside the sandalwood, the man in white's own body fragrance, which looked like a flower but not a flower, made Chen Li's heart tremble: "Then it also lets me know who acted righteously, right?"
"I'm...I'm Lu Sifo."
"Master Lu."
"Where are you going, brother?"
"To the capital."
"It just so happens that after I met the eminent monk of Bodhi Temple, I also want to go to the capital to meet my uncle." Lu Sifo was quite excited. "My uncle introduced me to Mr. Zhao, and I hope he will accept me as his disciple."
"May I ask if the Mr. Zhao Mr. Lu is talking about is the great scholar Zhao Ruyu who lives in the capital?"
"Exactly, ah, have you heard of Mr. Zhao's name?"
Shen Li secretly thought that this was a coincidence, and immediately said with admiration: "Mr. Zhao is only more than thirty years old, but he has cultivated a great and upright spirit by studying heaven and man. All the famous Confucianists from the north and the south say that Mr. Zhao has many talents and wisdom. .When it comes to Mr. Zhao in the capital, it must be Zhao Ruyu.”
Lu Sifu couldn't hide his excitement: "My uncle ordered me to go to the capital as soon as possible to visit Mr. Zhao. Why don't you and I go together and have a companion on the way?"
"That's fine, I'm bothering Brother Lu." Shen Li said with a smile.
When Shen Li felt that his energy had almost calmed down, he and Lu Sifo set off on the road.
Lu Sifu was quite good at martial arts and could keep up with his footsteps. The two of them were very fast.
Until the stars filled the night sky, a shortcut was taken through the moonlight, and a bustling inn appeared not far away.
There are more than a dozen fast horses tied up in the stable nearby, and business is booming.
Lu Sifu took a breath, pointed at the inn and asked, "Why don't you take a rest?"
During the conversation on the road, the two got to know each other better. Shen Li lied about going to the capital to seek refuge with distant relatives. Although Lu Sifu didn't believe it, it was hard to question him after hearing what he said.
However, from Lu Sifu's words, Shen Li learned that Lu Sifo's clan uncle in Kaixi City was actually Lu Xiu, a member of the Ministry of Industry.
Shen Li heard Brother Zhao mention Lu Xiu. The Lu family has practiced Confucianism and worshiped Buddhism for generations. After Lu Xiu came to Kaixi City to serve as a capital official, he made many friends with famous Confucian monks to expand his family network.
"Let's go, just rest in this inn." Shen Li said softly while looking at the strong horses in the stable.
Lu Sifu walked side by side with him: "What level of martial arts does Brother Shen have?"
Shen Li smiled bitterly and waved his hand: "You can't stand on the stage, but you are worthy of the seventh rank."
"There are ninth-grade officials in the court, and the world is also divided into nine grades. A seventh-grade martial artist is already beyond the reach of many people." Lu Sifu looked at his profile. Shen Li was indeed handsome, with sword-shaped eyebrows and starry eyes, and a gentle temperament. Those in the capital The eldest lady from a famous family would be fascinated when she saw him?
"I have a hidden disease, maybe it will stop here."
"If you have the intention to be diligent, you will be making unrealistic efforts. If you are not arrogant, your efforts will have no limit."
"It's a pity that I admire Buddhism but don't have the understanding."
Lu Sifu said with a gentle smile: "Buddhism is in everyone's heart, just ask the heart. The Buddha said that all living beings have the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagata. I believe that you will cure the hidden disease sooner or later, and your martial arts will make rapid progress."
It is said that there are many people with profound Buddhist teachings in the Xingxiu Sect. Shen Li asked if they would feel compassion when killing someone? Although this group of people gave different answers, the meaning was still the same. Probably the Buddhists still have Angry-Eye Vajra and Protector Jialan, so I can’t kill a few of them?
The waiter greeted us enthusiastically, "Two guests, please come in. Oh, you guys came just in time. There is only one table left."
The inn was bustling, and the waiter asked the two of them to sit down: "What do you two gentlemen want to eat?"
Lu Sifo said: "Just eat fast."
Shen Li couldn't bear to eat vegetarian food, "Bring me a plate of beef, half a smoked chicken, and three steamed buns."
"Come on, vegetarian rice, beef, and smoked chicken are all ready. I will serve the food for you two."
After entering the inn, Lu Sifu felt a few eyes staring at him, and asked Shen Li as usual: "Why don't you want to practice Buddhism because you can't let go of your lust for words?"
Shen Li shook his head and pointed at his heart: "Brother Lu just mentioned that all sentient beings have the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagata. I am an exception. I cannot hold the Buddha's teachings in my heart."
"Brother Shen, what are you pretending to be?"
He smiled slyly and said, "Pretending to be Guanyin in white."
Lu Sifu's face instantly turned red with embarrassment, which reached to his neck. He shyly turned his head away from looking at him. He endured Shen Li's burning gaze and said coquettishly, "Brother Shen, did you misunderstand something?"
"When I meet you, I know what it means to be a fish, a bird falls, a bird makes a loud noise, and a shy flower closes the moon, and the flower trembles in sorrow."
"I'm a man."
"Since the Buddha is a man, why are there ring marks on his ears?"
Lu Sifu was even more embarrassed: "There's a reason for...the earring scars. There are many temple fairs in the village to honor the gods, and I play the role of Guanyin every year...Brother Shen, it's important to rest and recuperate...Don't think about hairpin skirts!"
The waiter smiled and served the vegetarian food. Hearing Shen Li sigh, he thought he was dissatisfied with his food: "My lord, please don't sigh. Don't look at the appearance of my food, but the taste is actually first-class."
Shen Li shook his head, his eyes shining: "I'm not sighing about your food."
"Ah? Why are you sighing?"
"Sigh, I dare not look at Guanyin from now on."
The boy wondered what Guanyin didn't dare to see.
Lu Sifu buried his head in his meal, not daring to touch his hot eyes.
As soon as he entered the inn, Shen Li noticed that four eyes swept over the two of them, and finally focused on Lu Sifu. The eyes contained undisguised surprise, and soon became malicious.
After eating, Shen Li took it out of his arms and smiled awkwardly at Lu Sifu.
Lu Sifu knew that he was short of money, so he stood up to pay the bill, "You owe me a pill and a meal."
"Strange, you said this is all Buddhist teachings and is beneficial to both you and me."
"Yes, this is also Buddhism."
The two of them were tired from the journey and drank tea in silence to rest to regain their strength. Lu Sifu thought hard about how to deal with the four people with malicious intentions.
As it gets later, some of the diners leave with their horses, some walk towards the guest rooms with square steps, and others sit quietly and whisper to each other.
The four people stared at Lu Sifu openly as if they would take action the next moment.
Shen Li was familiar with the look in their eyes, which was no different from how a hunter looks at his prey.
Lu Sifo's identity has long been suspected, firstly because of the ring mark on his ear, and secondly because the jade plaque he was wearing had the words "A gentleman creates his destiny" engraved on the front.
He had seen the same calligraphy at Nalan Suichun's residence. It was written by Zen Master Yong, a very famous monk in Nanwu.
When talking about Zen Master Yong, Sister Nalan was full of praises, but there was only one thing that disappointed her. Master Yong came from a prominent family, and everyone he interacted with was a famous scholar and a monk, but there was no white man.
With the background of the Lu family, it is absolutely impossible to make friends with Master Yong. How can he wear a jade plaque engraved by Master Yong himself?
"Do you know them?" Shen Li asked in a low voice.
Lu Sifu slowly shook his head.
Shen Li said carelessly: "I don't dare to act rashly because of my worries. Is this the Dharma?"
"yes."
"Why does a good person value Buddhism so much? He has fallen behind." He murmured.
"What grade are you?"
Lu Sifu hesitated: "Sixth grade."
"I'll help you attract their attention, and you can solve it quickly with all your skills. By the way, don't tell me you're merciful. If you fall into their hands again, you'll suffer a lot."
Lu Sifu frowned and nodded in agreement.
Shen Li smiled bitterly in his heart. He had recently formed a quarrel with the Wild Inn. He had just had a fight at the Wuyidu Inn, and in the blink of an eye, he came to this inn to have another fight.
The difference is that you have to hide yourself this time. Kaixi City is the capital city of South Wu, and God knows how many informants are around it? If the inn hides something, there will be trouble from the Insect Catcher Department.
"What if they don't have any ill intentions?" Lu Sifu whispered.
Shen Li almost laughed: "If looks could kill, you would die eight hundred times."
Being a killer means you have a clear mind.
"Strike first, are you ready?" Shen Li asked in a low voice.
"Wait, wait."
Lu Sifu's heart was beating very fast. Since he started practicing martial arts, his masters have said that he is extremely talented. However, the moves he made and the moves he made were all made with martial artists in his family. How could those people dare to fight with real swords and spears? They just got over it by fooling around. This is considered This is the first time you have to fight an enemy to the death.
"What if they have no ill intentions towards us?" Lu Sifu asked uncertainly.
Shen Li was speechless. Could it be that he opened the skylight and told him that as a professional killer from the Xingxiu Sect who had traveled through the bloody sea of corpses, he believed in his judgment and that was all?
Before Lu Sifu was ready, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from outside the inn. Before the horse could stop, the group of people impatiently dismounted and rushed into the inn.
The leader showed his token and shouted coldly: "The Insect Catching Department is handling the case!!"
