Chapter 27

As one of the few major patrons of Shaolin Temple in recent years, Su Yi received meticulous care from all directions. The room he stayed in, though not luxurious, was filled with ancient charm, from the table and chair to the wooden fish on the table and the prayer mat on the floor, exuding a strong Zen atmosphere.

After enjoying a vegetarian feast specialty of Shaolin, Su Yi, who had recently turned into a carnivore, was quite satisfied. After all, the monks had been making this for a lifetime, and the taste was exquisite, satisfying his appetite.

After some contemplation, he thought that if he had to eat this every day, the first week would be delightful, the second week might get a bit monotonous, the third week would definitely make it hard to swallow, and by the fourth week, a breakdown would be inevitable.

"Fortunately, I didn't become a monk!" he sighed after his contemplation.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the old monk came to fetch Su Yi.

"Greetings, Layman Yang. The Abbot invites you."

"Thank you, Master."

Guided by the old monk, Su Yi entered a rather ancient and simple Zen room. After he walked in, the old monk smiled and closed the wooden door.

Before he could pay attention to the room's decor, an elderly voice sounded, "Layman Yang possesses the orthodox Quanzhen sect's heart method. You must be an outstanding disciple of the Quanzhen sect. I wonder why you have come to our Shaolin Temple?"

Indeed, he was discovered!

Su Yi looked up to see a venerable monk with white hair and beard sitting on a wooden bed. His eyes were deep and dark, his spirit inwardly focused, and he smiled at Su Yi.

Su Yi was not surprised at all. His internal martial arts skills were not high, and it was impossible to deceive the experts of Shaolin Temple. He had already anticipated this situation before coming and had prepared his answer.

"I have been in poor health since childhood. Fortunately, my father once had a connection with the True Man of Changchun, and I had the opportunity to learn martial arts from him for several years. This helped me get rid of my sickly body. It's not wrong to say I am a disciple of the Quanzhen sect."

Su Yi fabricated an explanation for why he knew the Quanzhen sect's internal martial arts and then asked, "May I ask the Abbot Master's Dharma name?"

"Amitabha, my Dharma name is Kucheng..."

"Meeting Master Kucheng!" Su Yi bowed his head in respect, performing the disciple's salute. As the Abbot of Shaolin, and considering his age, he must be from the same era as Wang Chongyang, so it was appropriate to show respect as a disciple.

Master Kucheng smiled and nodded, then asked, "Since you are a Quanzhen disciple, you should know that Buddhism and Daoism do not mix. Your unauthorized visit to our Shaolin Temple could lead outsiders to misunderstand that there is discord between Shaolin and the Quanzhen sect. If this happens, it could cause trouble in the martial world..."

"I did not come here as a Quanzhen disciple, but as a son to my mother..."

Su Yi explained, "My ancestors were heavily involved in killing, so my parents have always admired the compassion of Buddhism. Especially after my father's death, my mother has been practicing Zen and vegetarianism daily, without the slightest negligence. Although she is not a nun, she is no longer part of the secular world. I have always been worried about what I can do for her. Now that her birthday is approaching, I secretly hope that if I can bring back a few hand-copied Buddhist scriptures, it would be wonderful."

"Heavily involved in killing?" Master Kucheng pondered for a moment and asked, "May I ask who your ancestors are?"

Su Yi breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he would ask this. He lowered his head and said, "My ancestor is Yang Zaixing."

Master Kucheng was greatly surprised and asked, "Yang Zaixing, the old general? You are the descendant of a loyal and virtuous family?"

"I dare not claim to be a descendant of a loyal and virtuous family, but I dare not deceive Master..."

Su Yi laughed inwardly. Now, not only am I a major patron who has donated a large amount of incense money, but I am also a descendant of a noble and loyal family. I want to see how you can refuse my heartfelt request.

When Qiu Chuji heard about Yang Tieshen's identity, he immediately put aside his pride and showed great respect. Su Yi didn't believe that this Abbot Master would ignore his identity!

"I did not expect you to be a descendant of a noble family. I apologize for my lack of respect..."

Master Kucheng bowed his head slightly and performed a salute. He was not worried that Su Yi was lying, as such easily exposed lies were too obvious. Unless he wanted to ruin his reputation, he would not dare to lie about this.

Of course, Su Yi was not lying. Even if Qiu Chuji were here, he would not object, as Yang Tieshen was indeed a descendant of Yang Zaixing. Although Bao Xiruo remarried to the Jin Kingdom's Prince Wanyan Honglie, Qiu Chuji never recognized this marriage, seeing it as a weak woman's sacrifice to protect her son, a great act of self-sacrifice.

Therefore, although there was a slight modification, it was necessary. After all, the title of a descendant of a loyal and virtuous family sounded much better than a little prince of the Jin Kingdom. Qiu Chuji would also not want people to know that his disciple had a stepfather who was a Jin Kingdom prince, so he would definitely help Su Yi cover up this lie.

He would even praise Su Yi for his filial piety, traveling for days to copy Buddhist scriptures for his mother, which was undoubtedly a great effort.

"I did not expect that General Yang Zaixing still has descendants. If he knew this, he would surely rest in peace." Speaking of Yang Zaixing, even Master Kucheng could not help but sigh.

For the loyal and virtuous Yue Family Army and Yang Zaixing, no one could say a bad word. If someone mentioned Shaolin Temple, they might curse the monks, but if they mentioned the Yue Family Army, even the lowest criminals in the martial world would have to give a thumbs up and say, "Truly a fine son of our Great Song!"

Seeing that Master Kucheng was already swayed, Su Yi pressed his advantage, "I have a heartfelt filial piety and hope Master will fulfill my request... I also understand the differences between sects and would never dare to enter your temple's scripture repository. I only ask that the monks fetch the scriptures for me. Once I finish copying them, I will return them immediately without any delay."

Seeing that Su Yi had proposed a reasonable method, Master Kucheng finally agreed, "Layman Yang, your filial piety is commendable. How can I not fulfill your request? We will follow your method. I will send a disciple to deliver the scriptures to your Zen room. Which scriptures would you like to copy?"

Yes! It worked! Su Yi was so excited that he wanted to let out a loud cry. He suppressed his excitement, knowing that he had to be cautious, especially at this critical moment. If he showed too much eagerness, the old monk might see through him.

He said solemnly, "My mother likes many Buddhist scriptures, so it would be more convenient to copy them one by one. Hmm... I would like to start with the Lotus Sutra. My mother has been looking forward to this scripture for a long time."

Su Yi did not dare to ask for the Lankavatara Sutra right away, even though the chances of being discovered were low, it was better to be cautious.

"Very well! The Lotus Sutra is one of the Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, containing profound wisdom. While you copy it for your mother, you might also gain some insights." Master Kucheng smiled and nodded, pleased with Su Yi's choice.

"Thank you, Abbot Master, for your guidance. I will not disturb your meditation any further. I will take my leave now." Su Yi bowed respectfully and bid farewell.

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