After the Master finished speaking, he stopped talking. Senior Brother Li drove the ox cart slowly away.

Qinghuan was silent for a long time. He originally intended to go north on this trip. The Tang Kingdom was just to the north of Xiling.

You might as well go and have a look.

……

Xiling is a theocracy with Xiling Temple as its government and dedicated to Haotian.

In a theocracy, the top level may be devout in their faith, but piety cannot be used to make a living, nor can it govern the country well, so the middle and lower levels cannot avoid amassing wealth. In a country dominated by theocracy, the people have always had a hard life, and Xiling is no exception.

The most important thing is that people here believe in Haotian. They are willing to donate money to Haotian, but will not give alms to monks.

Therefore, it is difficult for Qinghuan to find fate in Xiling.

If you can’t get any luck or eat, you can only…

"This chicken was stolen!"

Ye Hongyu appeared quietly beside a small river and said coldly, "Stealing, killing, eating meat, drinking, I heard you even visited a brothel, aren't you afraid of going to hell?"

Qing Huan handled the chicken in his hand calmly and said with a smile: "Am I not in hell now? Buddha said: If I don't go to hell, who will?"

Ye Hongyu mocked, "For someone like you to understand Buddhism, the Buddha must be blind!"

"What's wrong with someone like me?"

Qinghuan stood up and reached into his patchwork robes. When he took them out, he found a stove in his hand, which surprised Ye Hongyu.

Putting down the stove, Qinghuan took out a pot, a kitchen knife, a chopping board and other things from his cassock, which stunned Ye Hongyu.

How could he take out so many things when he was only wearing a thin cassock?
Qing Huan continued, "I have never done good deeds in my life, and I love killing people and setting fires. But if you put down your butcher knife, I will become a Buddha right away!"

He started chopping the chicken.

Ye Hongyu closed her mouth and said, "It is said that every time you help someone, you ask for a piece of clothing in return. Is this how you got this robe? Is it your natal item?"

"You could say that."

Qing Huan gave an ambiguous answer. After chopping the chicken, she clasped her hands together and whispered, "Life is death, and death is life. There is no sorrow or joy. It is like a dream and an illusion. Everything is an illusion."

After saying that, Qing Huan lit the stove, put the pot on the stove, and put the chicken in the pot...

After a busy period of covering the pot, Qing Huan finally had some free time. He looked at Ye Hong Yu curiously and said, "Didn't we already talk about it? Why are you still staring at me?"

Ye Hongyu stood there watching Qing Huan cooking skillfully, not knowing what she was thinking. After a moment, she said, "You are very knowledgeable in Buddhism. I have some questions and would like to ask you for advice."

Qing Huan immediately took an exaggerated step back and shouted, "Monster, who are you? The Taoist idiot I've heard of is definitely not like you!"

Ye Hongyu subconsciously pressed the hilt of the sword.

Qing Huan put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, everyone in the world has obstacles to knowledge and perception. I wonder if there is anything I can do to help you?"

At this moment, Qinghuan's eyes were clear and bright, and a holy look bloomed on her face.

Ye Hongyu's cold and pretty face revealed a complicated expression. She felt like she had really seen a ghost and couldn't help but sneered, "You change your face so quickly, no wonder you are called a demon monk!"

Qing Huan shook his head proudly, his bald head reflecting bright light, and said: "That can only prove that I have achieved great freedom!"

Ye Hongyu curled her lips and said, "According to what you said, other Buddhist disciples are not at ease? Is it the same for Master Qishan?"

"Well--"

Qing Huan thought for a moment and said, "Although it may be a little disrespectful, in my opinion, Master Qishan still has many things that he cannot let go of and cannot fully realize."

Ye Hongyu frowned and said, "Is that how you evaluate your master? If he doesn't have enlightenment, then you can't?" Qing Huan waved his hand and said, "He is a good person, no one can deny that, but 'enlightenment' has nothing to do with being a good person. What is the so-called 'enlightenment'? It means being able to take it up and be able to let it go!

Apart from anything else, if you ask Master Qishan to steal a chicken, he will definitely not do it!"

Ye Hongyu snorted and said, "No one with any shame will do it!"

"So..." Qing Huan shook his head and said, "What exactly are we cultivating? Are we cultivating our face? The world gave him a standard of "goodness", and he believed it. Until now, he still can't let it go. It would be strange if he could fully understand it!
Did I steal a chicken?

Ye Hongyu pointed to the pot and said, "Is the evidence still here?"

Qing Huan shook her head and said, "I was just cooking the chicken, that doesn't mean I stole the chicken."

Ye Hongyu was silent for a moment, then said, "I saw it! I was watching you steal the chicken just now."

Qing Huan smiled and said, "You also said it was 'just now', but I am not stealing a chicken now! Do not be angry or love, it means it has passed. That is what the 'Buddha of the past' did, what does it have to do with me? I am the 'Buddha of the present'!"
I have let go of the past and picked up the present, but you keep holding on to it. Aren't you tired?"

The words “Aren’t you tired?” moved Ye Hongyu. She was touched and stood there in a daze.

Qinghuan ignored her and took out the seasoning from her arms, added it into the pot, and simmered it for a while.

Ye Hongyu said in a hoarse voice: "Can we really let go of the past?"

Qing Huan took out two bowls from his robes and said as he filled them: "All Buddhists talk about the 'sea of ​​suffering'. Why is it 'suffering'? It's because we can't let go!
If you can’t let go, you will always be “suffering”! Pick up, put down, pick up, put down, isn’t this what practicing Buddhism is all about?
It’s like you, your enemy is not in front of you, but you still hold on to the hatred and refuse to let it go. You are the one who is tired and suffering, while your enemy is living happily!
Asking you to let go does not mean asking you to give up hatred. "Letting go" and "giving up" are not the same thing!

It is better to put down the hatred first and enjoy the present moment! When you see your enemy, pick up the hatred, kill him, and then put it down!

Hatred is like this, and everything in the world is like this!"

Ye Hongyu's body trembled, and she murmured to herself: "Pick it up, put it down! Pick it up when needed, and put it down after it's over..."

The vitality of heaven and earth began to bloom, ripple, and respond...

Ye Hongyu came back to her senses and seemed to be different. She lowered her head and looked at her hands: "Is this how I know my fate..."

"I stole a chicken in the past. I felt guilty when I stole it, but after I stole it, I let it go and no longer thought about it, so the chicken tasted delicious... The present moment is important!"

Qing Huan pointed at the bowl and said, "Would you like to eat something together?"

Ye Hongyu hesitated for a moment, but still walked to the table, picked up the bowl and started eating.

I have to say, good-looking people also look good when they eat. Watching her eat, Qinghuan’s appetite also opened up and she started eating.

When they were almost done eating, Qing Huan said, "Actually, I am still a virgin!"

"Puff..." The food in Ye Hongyu's mouth sprayed out. She looked at the strange monk in front of her, and after calming down, she said, "What do you want to say?"

Qing Huan said seriously: "I heard that you are a Taoist genius?"

Ye Hongyu didn't know who she was thinking of, and said silently: "It's not like he's a genius!"

Qing Huan sighed and said, "I am a Buddhist monk, and you are a Taoist monk. I heard that the Taoist sect has the "skill of bedroom" and the Buddhist sect also has the "joyful Zen". I yearn for it, but I have never seen it. I wonder if there is a chance to communicate with the female monk in this regard..."

Before Qinghuan could finish speaking, Ye Hongyu directly placed the bowl in her hand on Qinghuan's bald head.

"Lecherous monk!"

Ye Hongyu had a cold face, picked up the sword, turned around and left, and disappeared in a moment.

Qing Huan calmly took the bowl off his head and said to himself, "A piece of stinky skin, do you think so highly of it? If you don't agree, forget it, I'll find someone else!"

A stone flew from somewhere and hit the bald man.

Qing Huan immediately held his head and cried out in pain. (End of this chapter)