Chapter 1256: Reprimand

Within the domain of the Hanging Temple.

Still upon that nameless small mountain, the Old Monk Kuzue sat cross-legged atop the peak, scratching his foot while asking in a lackadaisical manner, "Was Linzi fun?"

Not far off, the Monk Jing Li sat properly on a clean stone slab, his face filled with lingering fear: "Linzi was terrifying."

"Without your master accompanying you, you truly couldn't handle it... After all, you are young," Kuzue sighed, then sneered, "Which old fellow dared to bully you? Why was it terrifying? Tell me about it."

Monk Jing Li pouted and said, "A group of women touched me."

"Hehe, what's so terrifying about that?" Kuzue's dismissive words had barely left his mouth when he truly registered what his disciple had said.

His smile vanished instantly.

He slapped Jing Li's bald head with the back of his hand, leaving five mud-stained fingerprints: "This little brat is playing such colorful games!?"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He stood up and rolled up his sleeves: "Two heartless bastards! While your master is drinking plain congee here, you are drinking flowery wine in Linzi!"

Jing Li hugged his head with both hands, but asked blankly, "What is drinking flowery wine?"

"You're even showing off to me!" Kuzue was practically exploding with rage, jumping high in place: "If I don't teach you a good lesson today, you won't know what it means to respect the elders..."

He suddenly put on a smile, gently stroking Jing Li's shiny forehead, his tone becoming very gentle: "Respecting the elders and cherishing the young is also a form of compassion. As monks, when we walk through the world, we must be worthy of the heavens above and the earth below, worthy of the Buddha in our hearts, and even more so, worthy of all sentient beings. Do you understand?"

Monk Jing Li blinked his eyes blankly, his long eyelashes covering his innocent eyes: "Disciple does not quite understand."

"It's alright," Kuzue's smile was gentle, appearing very patient: "Master will explain it slowly to you... Cough!"

He coughed lightly: "How is it that a certain person is free today to visit my Three Treasures Mountain?"

A black-robed monk with a solemn face walked slowly from a distance. Though his steps were slow, each stride was large, bringing him close in just a few steps.

"Didn't you say last time that this place was renamed Spirit Mountain?" he asked with a frown.

"It's been changed again, Martial Uncle Kuti!" Monk Jing Li replied obediently from the side: "Now it's called Three Treasures Mountain!"

Kuti was fond of this simple and clean young monk, and rarely had the leisure to ask a question: "I see this mountain is bare, possessing neither treasures nor blessings. May I ask from whence these three treasures originate?"

He was actually testing this extremely intelligent martial nephew.

Buddhism considers the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha as the three treasures, representing the Buddha, the Buddhist principles, and the monks who carry on these principles.

This is something even newly initiated novices know.

However, for each individual cultivator, there are different understandings of the three treasures. The three treasures can be external, or they can be within the heart.

There are countless Buddhas, and their paths differ.

He was also quite curious about what the three treasures in the heart of this "unsoiled by mud" young martial nephew were.

Hearing his martial uncle's question, Monk Jing Li's face was full of pride, and he said loudly: "Kuzue's knowledge! Kuzue's experience! Kuzue's wisdom! These are the three treasures of our Buddhist sect! That is why this mountain is named thus!"

Kuti felt a wave of darkness before his eyes, as if he was about to faint.

He almost wanted to curse and berate Kuzue.

He was truly misleading disciples!

What did he teach such a pure young monk all day long!

But in the end, he held back.

He held back not because he was afraid of creating negative karma. Having reached his level of cultivation, he was no longer bound by precepts. It was just... he couldn't out-curse him.

He took a deep breath, Amitabha, Amitabha.

"Kuzue," he moved his gaze from Jing Li to Kuzue: "What have you been busy with lately? You have missed the abbot's Dharma talks three times already."

Kuzue glanced at him askance: "If he wants to talk, you can just listen, can't you? I'm teaching my disciple! Didn't you hear just now? How did you preside over the Guanshiyuan being so deaf? At such an age, with dim eyes, deaf ears, and a dull mind, you might as well not do it. I'll recommend someone for you!"

He launched a barrage of words, showering Kuti with abuse.

"Who do you think is suitable?" Kuti asked, suppressing his anger.

Kuzue had an expression like 'you really have no discerning eye', and vigorously patted his own chest: "Looking throughout the entire Hanging Temple, up and down, who else but me is capable of bearing great responsibility!"

Kuti really wanted to slap himself. Seriously, after all this time, did he still not know what kind of person Kuzue was?

Engaging with him was just asking for trouble, wasn't it?

"Speaking of dim eyes, you're even older than me!" he said with a cold face.

"Alright, alright, can't you take a joke? Look at your wrinkled old face, like old tree bark, truly boring," Kuzue grinned lazily: "Then shall I seriously recommend another person for you?"

"No need!" Kuti said sternly.

Kuzue clapped his hands and smiled: "How about Jing Li?"

Kuti suspected that he had said something wrong. Did he say "can" instead of "no need"?

Taking advantage of his愣住, Kuzue had already pulled Jing Li over: "There's no better day than today. Come, kneel and kowtow to your Martial Uncle Kuti. Today, you shall inherit his mantle and bear his responsibility, so that he can focus on cultivation and attain bliss sooner!"

Kuti: ...

The young Monk Jing Li looked troubled: "Ah? Master, isn't it too early? I think I'm still young and need a few more years of tempering..."

Kuti: !!!

What, are you two even pushing and pulling now!

At this point in the conversation, he had completely forgotten that he had come to lecture Kuzue, that he had specifically come to reprimand him and tell him not to miss the Dharma assembly next time.

Good heavens, after only a few words, the position of the Chief of the ZhiShiyuan was almost lost!

"Alright, I won't waste time with you two," he simply flicked his sleeve: "I have things to do, I'll leave now!"

"Won't you sit a while longer?" the Old Monk Kuzue asked with a smile.

Kuti looked around...

Is there a place to sit here?!

"You are truly too kind."

He turned to leave, but suddenly remembered something, stopped, and said: "I remember you said before that you had taken in a disciple with peerless talent?"

The Old Monk Kuzue's old face stiffened, and he said vaguely: "More or less."

Then he glared at Kuti: "What is it?"

That "what is it" was surprisingly imposing and full of confidence.

"Is his name Jiang Wang?" Kuti asked again.

Wasn't this bringing up a sore subject? This unseeing fellow!

Kuzue glared angrily: "Spit it out if you have something to say, if not, get lost!"

Having been fellow disciples for so many years, Kuti didn't bother arguing with him, only saying: "The ZhiShiyuan just received news that this person named Jiang Wang seems to be colluding with the demon race. Zhao Xuanyang, the prodigy of Jingguo, has already set out to personally pursue and capture him. It's not that I want to say anything, but you shouldn't just pick up anyone..."

The intelligence of the Guanshiyuan was indeed remarkable. As soon as Jingguo announced it, the Hanging Temple had already learned of it.

But his "reminder" and "lesson" were bound to be fruitless.

Halfway through his words, Kuzue had already rushed up to him: "What!?"

This fellow shouted: "You old bald donkey, you have ill intentions! My obedient disciple is in trouble, why didn't you tell me earlier?!"