[Recently, because my dearest grandma passed away unfortunately, I felt extremely sad. I took leave to take care of many funeral arrangements at home, and I had no time to take care of anything else. Therefore, the update progress is not stable for the time being, so I have to use the time of staying up late to keep vigil to write a few words intermittently. I hope you like it.

Friends of this book, please understand.]

On the muddy and rugged mountain road, Mingchuan supported Shang Yixing, and Shang Yixing led the horse. They walked like this for nearly an hour.

After turning a narrow road in a valley, the road ahead suddenly opened up. The mist filled the eyes of the two of them, revealing a large flat and open land.

This flat land is obviously halfway up the mountainside, as if a platform has grown across the mountainside. It extends straight and is six or seven feet wide, and there is a suspension bridge about six or seven feet long on the edge.

It is connected to the mountain wall on the opposite side; and there is a rock crevice several feet high on the mountain wall, which is obviously the way out of the mountain.

But there is a very deep river under the suspension bridge. Although the river is not wide, the current is very fast, almost turbulent. The sound of the rapids hitting the cliffs echoes back and forth, like the roar of a beast.

The upper and lower parts of the suspension bridge are connected to each other by two iron locks as thick as arms, which are fixed on two mountainside stone walls. The two lower iron locks are covered with wooden boards that have begun to rot. This shows that the suspension bridge has been in disrepair for a long time and is usually replaced.

There are few traces of people.

Looking at this terrifying terrain, it can indeed be called a dangerous place.

This is what the old poor man called Yingchoujian.

As soon as the old and poor master and apprentice walked out of the narrow passage, they were stunned when they saw the scene in front of them.

The two of them were not surprised by the dangerous terrain, but because there was actually a group of people on the flat land at this moment.

The number of people in this group was estimated to be twenty or thirty, including men, women, old and young. Mingchuan looked carefully one by one and found that all of these people had yellow faces, thin skin and scanty clothes, just like a group of beggars. Moreover, the faces of each person

They all looked obviously angry, but they didn't dare to show off. They just chattered there. For a while, people were laughing and laughing, but they couldn't hear clearly what they were saying.

Mingchuan's heart moved and he couldn't help but turn his head to look at the way he came. He suddenly understood - no wonder this mountain trail that was originally rarely visited became so muddy. It was because of this large group of people passing by.

But what puzzles Mingchuan is why these people who look like beggars take this secret path?

Mingchuan looked at those people and whispered to Lao Qiongsu: "Master, why do these people appear here?"

Shang Yixing frowned slightly and said: "Presumably these are the refugees from Qianzhou. They also want to take a shortcut to escape to Xiangchu."

Mingchuan groaned and looked again. Suddenly his expression changed. He quickly pointed to the suspension bridge and whispered: "Master, look, there are actually two monks there."

Shang Yixing looked intently and saw two monks among the refugees.

The eyes of the refugees were all focused on the bridge, especially on the two monks carrying backpacks.

Apparently, these were two traveling monks.

But in addition to the two conspicuous monks at the bridge, there were five or six other people. They were all tall, middle-aged men, dressed in shabby clothes, and their appearance was no different from those of the refugees, but they had more hands than those of the refugees.

One thing - a knife.

Each of the six young and strong men held a knife of different styles in their hands, and each of them had a look of arrogance and indifference on their faces.

They blocked the bridge with knives and looked at the two monks coldly.

Shang Yixing immediately understood that this was a gangster blocking his way.

But in the eyes of this poor old man, those six people were not real gangsters. At best, they were just a few strong ordinary people.

Shang Yixing sighed secretly in his heart. In this world of natural disasters and chaos, everyone is in danger, so some people take desperate risks and start this unprofitable business of preying on the weak. It can be said that God is not good, and all living beings are suffering.

Shang Yixing fixed his eyes on the two monks and suddenly whispered: "It turns out they are the monks from Tianlun Temple."

"Tianlun Temple?" Mingchuan also looked at the two monks and asked, "Where is that place?"

"That is the second largest Buddhist sect in the world after Shaolin in the Central Plains." Shang Yixing squinted his eyes and said: "In the past fifty years, although Shaolin is still regarded as the orthodox Buddhist sect in the Central Plains, its limelight has long been eclipsed by Tianlun Temple.

Gradually catching up. Especially in the past few years, it is said that an extraordinary person came out of Tianlun Temple. He is talented and intelligent. Although he is young, he is proficient in Buddhist scriptures. It is said in the world that the young monk has served in three consecutive sessions of the World Buddhist Sect.

He has won first place in Zen debate conferences. Given time, this person will have the possibility of Tianlun Temple completely surpassing Shaolin and becoming the first Buddhist sect in the Central Plains."

"So powerful?" Mingchuan's eyes flashed. He tugged on Shang Yixing's sleeve and said, "Master, if we have a chance, can we go to Tianlun Temple and see what that little monk looks like?"

?”

"No matter how awesome he is, he still looks like the same person. If you want to see it, I can take you there when I have time." Shang Yixing smiled lightly, turned his head and glanced at the young man, with a deep look in his eyes, he whispered softly

Said: "The three sects of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism have suffered heavy losses and have been dormant for twenty years after the accident that year. Now both Buddhism and Taoism have emerged with rising stars who can revive the hope of the sect. Now only Confucianism is left

, I wonder if anyone can continue the gentlemanly style of the past?"

Mingchuan felt uncomfortable looking at him, and he was muttering to himself: Why does Master always say some weird things today?

Mingchuan looked at the bridge in the distance, frowned and said, "It seems something happened ahead. Master, how are we going to get there?"

Shang Yixing's face changed to one of leisurely expression. He simply pulled his horse to the mountain wall and sat down, leaning his body comfortably on the stone wall. Then he said to Mingchuan: "Look at this formation, it must not be easy."

We've crossed the bridge. Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble? Then we'll just stay away and wait and see what happens."

Mingchuan cursed helplessly in his heart and sat down next to Shang Yixing.

The current situation in Yingchoujian is basically no different from what Lao Qiongsu said.

In order to take a shortcut into the territory of Xiangchu, a group of refugees from Qianzhou entered the forest trails in the lofty mountains together. As soon as they arrived at Yingchou Stream, they found that six men with knives were blocking the bridge head with fierce looks. They blocked the bridge.

The reason for the bridge is simple: if you want to cross the bridge, each person has to pay two cents.

This is obviously a robbery on the road.

But how can this group of refugees get two ounces of money? First, Qianzhou was hit by heavy snow, and most of the people's remaining grains had been exhausted; now it rains continuously, and the best farming period has been ruined.

In addition, the corruption and inaction of the Qianzhou government has led to the decadence of people's livelihood, and now it has reached a situation where the people are in dire straits. Countless people have to flee in order to survive.

Who would be willing to leave their homeland and flee if they still have money?

But those six strong young men holding knives were clearly refugees once, but in order to survive, they chose to take up knives and point them at people who were also refugees. This is human nature and the way of the world.

The six men with knives obviously aroused public outrage, and a younger refugee got into an argument with them, but was chopped down by one of them with a knife, and his body fell into the rapids of Yingchou Stream.

This attack was enough to scare the monkeys, and the refugees were immediately in a state of silence. No one dared to say another word.

But they didn't want to go back. If they went back to Qianzhou, the situation would only get worse. So the two sides were in a stalemate.

At this moment, two more monks came to Yingchoujian.

Two monks came to Yingchou Stream and saw this situation, and they didn't know why.

So the two people stepped forward to argue with the six people, intending to persuade them with their reasoning.

But sometimes if you want to reason with others, if you have a knife in your hand, the effect will obviously be much better.

"Dear donors, the poor monk has told you so many truths, don't you have the slightest awareness in your hearts?"

The monk who spoke was about forty years old, tall and handsome, and looked somewhat like a Buddhist monk in his gestures.

The other monk was very young and looked like he was only in his early twenties. However, he was tall and slender and had an extraordinary appearance, with a majestic appearance. He had been standing quietly next to the middle-aged monk.

Beside him, there was a calm demeanor that was as motionless as a mountain.

The man who seemed to be the leader among the six people had a Chinese character face and a full beard. He waited for the middle-aged monk to finish speaking, then he smiled and said: "Master, you have been talking for so long, and I have listened.

It makes some sense. I have also heard others say that Sakyamuni cut his flesh and fed it to eagles. Since the Buddha saved all sentient beings, then if you pay these people's bridge crossing fees, it should be considered a big deal.

Is it a good thing?"

The middle-aged monk couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he heard this. He didn't expect that this rough-looking bandit leader actually knew the Buddhist allusion about the Buddha cutting his flesh to feed the eagles. Some people really can't bear to look at their appearance. The monk clasped his hands together, lowered his eyes, and said in a deep voice.

Said: "Since the donor knows the allusion of Buddha cutting his flesh to feed the eagle, he should also know the principle of making things convenient for others and for himself."

The man laughed heartily and continued: "What the great monk said makes sense. It is precisely because I understand what you said that I am here."

"Oh?" The middle-aged monk's eyebrows sank slightly. He looked at the man and asked, "What does the donor mean by this?"

The man smiled again and said: "They want to cross the bridge, it is for their own convenience; I let them cross the bridge, it is for the convenience of others. And if I charge a small amount of money to cross the bridge, it is also for my own convenience. Do you think this is reasonable, great monk?"

The middle-aged monk did not expect that this man would be so eloquent and distort the meaning of the Buddhist scriptures he said. At that moment, his expression changed and he said in a deep voice: "Also, please don't lie, and don't misinterpret what the poor monk said."

if."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

The man laughed loudly, stepped on the iron rope of the bridge, put the knife on his shoulder, and said sarcastically to the middle-aged monk: "You are such an unreasonable monk. I am obviously following the Buddhist principles you said."

Why, you said that I was lying? Do you think that there is something wrong with what you said?"

Although the old poor man was far away, every move and word at the bridge could not escape his ears and eyes. He raised his brow slightly, looked at the man who was having a quick talk with the monk, and thought to himself: "I didn't notice this.

The man has such a sharp tongue, no wonder he can be the leader."

The middle-aged monk was repeatedly provoked by the man's words. Even though he was also a highly accomplished Buddhist monk, he couldn't help but feel angry in his heart. His eyes flashed, and he said in a deep voice again: "Donor, please respect yourself. In front of Buddhist disciples,

You are not allowed to talk about Buddhism with heretical words!"

"Here's what you say?" The man smiled coldly and sneered: "You clearly think that what I said is reasonable, but you dare not admit it. Could it be that you Buddhists will only agree with your own right, but ignore all contrary truths?

See it as a mistake. Haha, how can such self-deceptive Buddhist principles help save all sentient beings? If this is really the case, then in my opinion, the Buddha you follow should be the most evil existence in the world!"

"Amitabha!" The middle-aged monk chanted the name of Buddha, his face gradually turned as dark as water. He looked at the man and said with the last bit of patience: "The donor is so eloquent and eloquent, but he is reduced to being a bandit here. He is really unworthy of his talents.

The donor is too paranoid that there is no Buddha in his heart, so he will not be able to see the Buddha because of his natural karma. But I, the Buddha, are compassionate and wish that all living beings are equal, so I can tame all living beings with the wisdom of the Tathagata. Therefore, if the donor can regain his own nature,

If you let go of your obsessions, you will naturally understand the origin of Buddhism and gain great wisdom."

"A tough melon is not sweet." The man chuckled and said: "It is said that the Buddha does not save all sentient beings by himself, but becomes a Buddha and saves all sentient beings by himself. Now it seems that the great monk has not become a Buddha, so you can't convince me. In my case

In my eyes, the only thing that can save all sentient beings is money. So after talking so much nonsense, in the end, you still need money to solve the problem." The man clapped his knife and sneered: "Great monk, are you willing to become a Buddha for these people?
To be continued...