Chapter 26

In ancient times, vegetables were free from pollution, meat was purely natural, chickens had never been fed hormones, and steamed buns and noodles were all handmade, with flavors that left no room for complaint...

When Su Yi left the prince's mansion, his father, the prince, and his mother, the peasant woman, gave him a considerable amount of silver. Unfortunately, without a storage ring or similar magical item, he could only reluctantly deposit it in a money house.

And on Zhongnan Mountain, where was there any opportunity to spend money? In the past half year, not only had his substantial wealth not decreased, but it had even increased due to the interest.

The distance from Zhongnan Mountain to Shaolin Temple on Song Mountain was quite far. If it were in modern times, a car ride would take just one day. In ancient times, even if he rode a horse without rest, it would take at least ten days to reach the destination.

Since there was nothing urgent and he had plenty of silver, it was the perfect time to enjoy himself after enduring so much hardship on the mountain. So, Su Yi did not rush his journey. Along the way, he indulged in various local specialties and brands, tasting each one.

As he traveled and sightseeing, he gradually relaxed and became more carefree. When he finally arrived at Shaoshi Mountain, Su Yi was even a bit dazed, wondering why he had come here.

Then he remembered: Oh, to find the *Nine Yang True Scripture*.

Su Yi had initially thought it would be relatively easy to obtain the *Nine Yang True Scripture*, of course, "relatively easy" compared to the *Nine Yin True Scripture*. However, there were still some tricks involved.

He couldn't just go up the mountain and shout, "I want to see your Buddhist scriptures," and expect them to lend him the *Lengqie Sutra*. If he did that, even a fool would know something was wrong.

Indeed, doing things required some skill.

Su Yi left his full-length sword of the Quanzhen Sect at the inn, bought a flashy folding fan, changed into a pure white scholar's robe, and put on a headband. A fresh and handsome scholar made a dazzling appearance.

This was Su Yi's strategy. He couldn't go up the mountain as a martial artist, as it would be seen as a provocation. The Quanzhen Sect had taken the title of the largest martial arts sect from Shaolin, and even though monks were supposed to be detached, as long as they were still breathing, they wouldn't be indifferent. If he went as a Quanzhen disciple, the initial goodwill would be negative, making it impossible to achieve his goals.

It was better to respect their self-esteem and not stimulate their fragile hearts.

That night, Su Yi rested, and the next day, he hired a few servants and sat in a small, soft sedan chair, slowly heading towards Shaolin Temple.

When he reached the mountain, the ancient and simple gate of Shaolin Temple was already in sight, slightly worn but exuding a sense of history. A solemn feeling suddenly overwhelmed Su Yi, making him feel the urge to kneel and worship.

After all, it was a major sect that had been passed down for hundreds of years. Although it was gradually declining, its solemn and dignified atmosphere was far beyond what the newly established Quanzhen Sect could match.

After secretly criticizing it in his mind, Su Yi ordered his servants to wait outside and walked forward himself.

The two young monks at the gate saw Su Yi's luxurious attire and graceful demeanor and knew he was not an ordinary person. They bowed and recited "Amitabha."

Su Yi bowed in return and said, "Disciple Yang Kang has come from afar to offer incense. I hope the young master will be kind enough to let me in..."

One of the young monks said, "If you wish to offer incense, you may enter. There will be masters to receive you."

"Thank you, Yang Kang will not be impolite."

Su Yi bowed again, left the servants outside, and slowly walked into the temple gate. He couldn't help but think, "Someone will receive me... receive me... why does it always remind me of the madams in the brothels shouting, 'Girls, receive the guests!'?"

Upon further reflection, it made sense. Both were about getting money from customers, just in different ways. One sought physical pleasure, the other sought spiritual comfort. The general idea was indeed similar...

As he entered the temple gate, an elderly monk came to receive him. However, he was pale and thin, lacking the dignified appearance of a high-ranking monk.

It seemed that life at Shaolin Temple was not easy. These people were all malnourished, Su Yi thought, secretly feeling relieved. It seemed his chances of success were greater.

"May I greet you, sir!"

"May I greet you, Master!" Su Yi returned the bow and respectfully said, "My mother has been practicing Buddhism for many years. Her birthday is approaching, and I have come to Shaolin Temple to offer incense and pray for her blessings. I hope the Master will be kind enough to help me!"

The old monk clasped his hands and said, "Amitabha, Yang Layman's filial piety is touching. Our temple will naturally not refuse. Please follow me, Yang Layman."

Su Yi obediently followed the old monk, visiting each of the various Buddha statues. For each one, the old monk would tell him the story of the Buddha, showing his familiarity with the task.

Su Yi also displayed the image of a good child who revered the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. He bowed to every Buddha statue he saw and greeted everyone he met, truly embodying the image of a well-mannered and devout young scholar.

After visiting and bowing to all the hundreds of Buddha statues in Shaolin Temple, from dawn until dusk, even with his considerable internal cultivation, Su Yi was exhausted, his back and waist aching, feeling as if he couldn't straighten up.

He secretly grumbled, "Hundreds of years ago, the bookworm Duan Yu bowed a thousand times to the Immortal Sister, and she immediately gave him the *Northern Dipper Divine Skill* and the *Lingbo Microstep*. I've bowed a thousand times today, rounded up. If you don't give me the *Nine Yang Divine Skill*, how embarrassing would that be? I'm a man, don't let a woman outshine me..."

After bowing to the Buddha statues and lighting the incense, the most important part came: giving the incense money.

Su Yi smiled and took out a silver ticket worth 100 taels, and in the old monk's shock, he gently placed it in the donation box.

"Amitabha," the old monk couldn't help but get excited and hurriedly recited a prayer to calm himself.

100 taels of silver was a significant amount. In the Song Dynasty, one tael of silver was equivalent to nearly a thousand modern yuan. 100 taels of silver was almost 100,000 yuan, no wonder the old monk was so excited.

Is this it? I haven't even started yet!

Su Yi smiled and took out another 100-tael silver ticket, and again gently placed it in the box...

Three, four, five...

Under the old monk's shocked gaze, Su Yi kept putting in the silver tickets, muttering to himself, "The feeling of throwing money is so good, I can't stop!"

After putting in ten tickets, Su Yi finally stopped...

1,000 taels of silver was nearly a million yuan. Shaolin Temple was currently in a state of seclusion, and its poverty was evident. With 1,000 taels of silver, they wouldn't have to worry about money for ten years.

Seeing the old monk's barely concealed joy, Su Yi couldn't help but sigh. No one had it easy! When Qiu Chuji took him away from the prince's mansion, he didn't hesitate to take the gold and silver offered by Wanyan Honglie. It wasn't until Su Yi arrived at the Quanzhen Sect that he realized it wasn't that Qiu Chuji wanted the money, but that the Quanzhen Sect was too poor... For such a large sect, the daily expenses were enormous. Relying solely on farming at the foot of the mountain wouldn't be enough.

Qiu Chuji spent most of the year outside the sect, helping the weak and robbing the rich, but he himself was also one of the poor.

The Quanzhen Sect, which had some side income, was still so poor. After Shaolin Temple's seclusion, the disciples were not allowed to go out, making their poverty even worse than the Quanzhen Sect.

"Amitabha!" The old monk regained his composure and bowed deeply, "Yang Layman's devotion to Buddhism is sincere. I believe your mother will surely live a long and prosperous life!"

"Thank you, Master. I have one more request, I hope the Master will be kind enough to help me!" Su Yi said respectfully.

"Yang Layman, please speak freely."

"Then I will be bold... This is the decisive moment," Su Yi took a deep breath and said, "My mother has been practicing Buddhism since childhood and has never stopped. Her love for Buddhist scriptures is deeply rooted. I am bold enough to ask the Master to allow me to copy a few Buddhist scriptures from your temple to take home for my mother. She will be overjoyed, and it will not be in vain for my filial piety."

"This..." The old monk hesitated, instinctively wanting to refuse. These Buddhist scriptures were ancient relics that had been passed down for hundreds of years. If they were damaged, it would be an unforgivable sin!

... But he couldn't refuse after taking so much money from him.

"Of course, I know these Buddhist scriptures are extremely valuable. Whether the Master agrees or not, I will consider it a good deed to have a connection with your temple. I am willing to fund the repainting of the Buddha statues in your temple. I hope the Master will not refuse my sincere intentions."

Su Yi smiled and threw out another offer, directly putting the old monk in a difficult position.

You are so reasonable, how can I refuse you! The old monk shouted in his heart. After much consideration, he said, "This is a major matter. I need to discuss it with the abbot. It is already late today. If you don't mind, would you like to stay overnight?"

"Of course, I will not refuse!"

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