Chapter 224: I am back in Luoyang, I am willing to be the abbot

"Luoyang is much quieter now."

In Luoyang City, in front of a luxuriously decorated restaurant, several figures were slowly approaching.

It was one of them who spoke.

"That's normal. Jingnian Temple has a huge influence in Luoyang. Apart from those who have passed by, most of the people who stay here are close to Buddhism."

"Now that the Jingnian Zen Temple has been uprooted, Buddhism has suffered a serious blow, and such an earth-shattering war has occurred. Now that the blockade has been lifted, let alone those who are close to Buddhism, ordinary martial artists dare not stay for long."

The other chuckled.

"Besides, there is news from Daxing that Yang Gong's treasure house has appeared. How can martial artists not flock to it? Only idle people like you and me stay in Luoyang."

"That makes sense, but what you said is not right. The term 'idler' is more suitable for me, but you are the national master."

Laughter was heard.

The old Taoist on the other side also gave a bitter smile when he heard this.

"Fellow Daoist, you are joking. I now hope that there is no such position as the National Master. Beimang... Alas..."

A sigh was heard.

The two people in front of him were not others, but the two Taoist masters who participated in the battle in the Zen temple that day.

The one who sighed was Qilin Zhenren from Beimang Daode Sect, and the other one was Lin Lingsu from Shenxiao Sect.

"Oh? Could something big happen in Beimang?"

Lin Lingsu's eyes showed strangeness.

He was from the Song Dynasty and the founder of the Shenxiao School.

However, because of the destruction of Buddhism, the Shenxiao sect had long ago withdrawn from the court and is now in a semi-secluded state.

Moreover, Lin Lingsu also had some other purposes in mind, which was why he did not leave the Sui Dynasty.

But Qilin Zhenren is different. Beimang’s path is to integrate the fortune of the martial arts world into the court.

Therefore, in Beimang, except for a handful of sects, most of the sects have close relations with the imperial court.

The same is true for the Daode Sect, and Qilin Zhenren is even the national teacher.

It was definitely quite strange that someone of his status stayed in the Sui Dynasty for such a long time.

Even if there were no major events in the country, his behavior would cause a lot of problems. At least if it got to the ears of the Queen of Beimang, it would definitely not be a good thing for the Daode Sect.

Originally, he was still wondering why Qilin Zhenren could be so cruel to bet on one side this time.

Now it seems that something big may have happened in Beimang.

Lin Lingsu didn't rush to ask.

When you step into the restaurant, what you see is an empty space.

It just happened to respond to Lin Lingsu's initial cold comment.

"Huh? There's actually a little monk here. Interesting, really interesting."

As soon as he entered the restaurant, Qilin Zhenren started to laugh.

After what happened at Jingnian Zen Temple, bald men in Luoyang City are now rarer than national treasures.

Lin Lingsu raised her eyes and couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth, revealing a smile.

The monk in the restaurant was not someone else. They had all seen him before. He was Xuanzang, the Buddhist disciple that was loudly declared by the Jingnian Zen Temple that day.

During the series of battles that day, many people at the level of immortals on earth died. Under such circumstances, naturally no one would pay attention to this person.

After all, Buddhism in the Sui Dynasty was almost destroyed, so no one would care about Buddhists.

But I didn’t expect that the little monk was not only still alive, but also dared to stay in Luoyang.

Of course, what Lin Lingsu and the other person said was obviously intentional.

With their strength, how could they not notice the people in the restaurant?

"Clap."

Hearing the voice at this time, Xuanzang slowly raised his head.

Then he just stayed where he was.

The cup in his hand fell directly to the ground.

In his other hand, he was holding a greasy goose leg.

This Buddhist who was once widely promoted by the Buddhist community is actually hiding here, eating meat and drinking alcohol.

No wonder Lin Lingsu, the serious master of Shenxiao, smiled.

Compared to them, Xuanzang was completely dumbfounded at this time.

He was at the Jingnian Zen Temple that day and saw everything with his own eyes, so how could he not recognize the person in front of him?

Lin Lingsu, the feathered guest of Jinmen, and Qilin Zhenren of the Daode Sect are both killing gods to the people in the Buddhist community.

You can crush a little bald guy like him to death without even having to raise your hands.

The most important thing is that there is another person standing next to the two Taoist ancestors.

This one left a deeper impression on him.

The sword flashed across the sky, the Zen temple was destroyed, and a group of Buddhist patriarchs were like chickens, ducks, pigs and dogs in the hands of the opponent, and they couldn't even make a move.

"Amitabha..."

Xuanzang murmured blankly.

This is the person who is called the enemy of Buddha and Mara by all the ancestors who are at the level of gods and immortals on earth.

What's more, he is a little pink bald head.

At this moment, Xuanzang no longer had the ability to think.

Who would have thought that just by secretly having a bite to eat, we would actually encounter such a large group of demon-level characters.

Especially Gao Changsheng, didn’t he return to Daxing a long time ago? Everyone in the Sui Dynasty knew that the newly crowned King Wu was in charge of Daxing City. How could he appear here?

"Interesting, interesting."

Lin Lingsu chuckled.

Then, in Xuanzang's increasingly frightened eyes, several people came closer and closer, and then actually sat directly on his left and right.

Gao Changsheng, Lin Lingsu, and Qilin Zhenren are all outstanding people.

Now, there is suddenly a little bald head among the people, which means that a husky has sneaked in among the wolves.

"Buddhists who drink alcohol and eat meat are indeed interesting." Qilin Zhenren added.

"Wine and meat pass through the intestines, but the Buddha sits in the heart."

Xuanzang responded instinctively, but he regretted it the moment he said it.

"Amitabha, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm really dead this time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qilin Zhenren was also inexplicably stunned, as if he did not expect that this little bald guy would be so brave.

"Interesting, little monk, do you want to learn from Monk Ji Dian?" Lin Lingsu suddenly laughed:

"That's right. Dao Ji is from the Yangqi sect, which is also considered a branch of Zen Buddhism. He can be considered a distant relative of the Jingnian Zen Temple."

"I am not from Jingnian Zen Temple." Xuanzang spoke again.

"Oh?"

Lin Lingsu exclaimed: "Which sect are you from?"

After hearing this, Xuanzang was a little stunned. He was originally from the Pure Land Temple. Although it was named Pure Land, he actually only absorbed a small part of the Pure Land Buddhist scriptures.

Moreover, he did not stay in the Pure Land Temple for a long time and was soon snatched away by the Jingnian Zen Temple. If you really ask him which sect he belongs to, he really can't tell you clearly.

Lin Lingsu did not speak again. With his status, he would not bully a little monk.

His benchmarks are all at the level of the founders of Buddhism. As for the disciples of Buddha, he would care even less about them. He can pick out ten or eight with this title just by wandering around.

Gao Changsheng, however, looked at Xuanzang, who was talking nonsense, and suddenly smiled:
"What is Buddha?"

Gao Changsheng's sudden words startled the others. They both looked at Xuanzang at the same time.

Xuanzang obviously did not expect this sudden question.

It took him nearly two minutes to react, and then he responded instinctively.

“I am the Buddha.”

"what?"

"what?"

Lin Lingsu and Qilin Zhenren let out a light exclamation at the same time.

This extremely arrogant statement, in the eyes of ordinary people, may be a sign of betrayal of one's ancestors.

But in their eyes, it represents an indescribable spirituality, or Buddha nature.

He drinks alcohol and eats meat, and calls himself a Buddha.

This is definitely a Buddhist disciple who goes against orthodoxy.

But on the other hand, even they, as Taoists, could feel the talent in this boy.

No wonder Jingnian Zen Temple went to such great lengths to call him a son of Buddha.

Gao Changsheng smiled again.

"Yes, Xuanzang, how about I find a place for you?"

When the voice came out, several people in the field were surprised again.

The two men in Taoist robes did not expect that Gao Changsheng seemed to really like this little monk.

Of course, the two did not make any suggestions. After all, it was not their turn to oppose or make suggestions on the decision made by Gao Changsheng.

Besides, top Buddhist forces like the Nyingma School and the Liangchan Temple have already cooperated with Gao Changsheng, so it is obvious that a small monk like Xuanzang cannot be ranked.

Xuanzang was also equally surprised at this time.

However, the first thing that came to his mind was not that he was not worthy of her or that Gao Changsheng had some purpose.

The first thing that came to his mind was that Gao Changsheng's words meant that his life was saved.

"Amitabha, it is my honor that the prince has taken a liking to me. As long as the prince gives the order, I will definitely do it even if it means death."

Xuanzang clasped his hands together and spoke with a serious face.

However, this posture, coupled with the oil stains at the corners of his mouth that he hadn't had time to wipe off, looked weird no matter how you looked at it.

"You are so arrogant. What can you, a little bald head who only eats meat and drinks, do for the prince? And you dare to say that you would never give in even if death is the cost?" Qilin Zhenren raised his wine glass and teased.

"Amitabha, the Zen temple and Jingzhai have been colluding with the enemy and betraying the country, which has really humiliated the image of our Buddhism. Now the Zen temple has been destroyed, and it is what they deserve."

"But there is also a Cihang Jingzhai, and I heard that it is still under the blockade and siege by the prince."

Gao Changsheng nodded, because recent events had happened suddenly and he had not yet found time to deal with Cihang Jingzhai.

"Amitabha, if I don't go to hell, who will? As long as Your Majesty nods, I am willing to enter the devil's cave and serve as the abbot of Cihang Jingzhai to lead them onto the right path. As long as the disciples of Jingzhai do not give up evil and do good, I will not leave Dita Peak."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Even with the realm of Qilin Zhenren, he almost spit out the wine.

"You are such a rebellious little monk. It's fine if you broke the vow of not eating and drinking, but you actually want to break the vow of not having sex?"

Lin Lingsu also shook his head speechlessly: "I now believe that you are not a Zen sect member. Your character does have some of the style of the Joy Sect."

Xuanzang has just been ordained as a monk for a short time. Not to mention in the martial arts world, even in the temple, he is a newcomer.

Now, hearing the two masters-level masters teasing each other, an embarrassed look appeared on his face.

"Hahaha."

Qilin Zhenren shook his head and laughed.

"Master, from what you said before, it seems that something has gone wrong in Beimang?" Lin Lingsu stopped teasing Xuanzang and asked Master Qilin instead.

Hearing this, Qilin Zhenren also smiled bitterly and shook his head: "It's nothing more than trying to get the skin of a tiger, but getting eaten by it in return."

"Back then, in order to seize Nanjing and deal with the prince, the Northern Mang chose to cooperate with other countries and even gave way to Kublai Khan of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty."

"After returning without success, the king withdrew to Liyang. I, Beimang, also withdrew my troops. However, Kublai Khan did not withdraw to the Mongols. Instead, he led his army straight to Beiliang."

"Oh?" Lin Lingsu exclaimed softly.

It didn't seem too strange.

The character of the Mongols and their subordinates is similar to that of Temujin. Sending troops is like a pack of wolves leaving their nests to hunt. They will not be content unless they get meat.

Although Temujin suffered a crushing defeat in Xiangfan, it was actually more beneficial than harmful to Mongke at home.

"Kublai Khan attacked Northern Liang, what does that have to do with Northern Mang?"

Qilin Zhenren shook his head: "Mongol Yuan and Northern Liang do not border each other, so we must pass through Beimang Gusaizhou."

"Given the vision of Mongke and Kublai, how could they be willing to have their escape route cut off?"

"When Kublai Khan attacked Beiliang, Mengge's army moved at the same time and captured Gusai Prefecture in a sweeping manner. Then, they moved north and captured half of Jinchan Prefecture."

"Although we are dealing with Beiliang, it is Beimang that will suffer the most first."

"And who can be sure that their purpose is limited to this?"

Lin Lingsu nodded.

He had also served as an imperial tutor in the court, so he could naturally see the situation clearly.

When the two brothers Mongke and Kublai Khan took action at the same time, it was definitely not a small fight.

Although Gusaizhou and Jinchanzhou are only two states, the losses do not seem to be great.

But the Beimang of today is no longer the Beimang of the past.

There are eight states in Beimang, plus the two cities of Beidi and Nanjing, which is almost equivalent to ten states.

After the Battle of Baichuan, Gao Changsheng sent troops to capture Longyao, Juzi, Jinxi, Jindong, and the city of Nanjing.

Beimang has almost lost half of its territory, but the essence of the north is still there.

And now the Mongols have taken over Gusaizhou and Jinchanzhou.

Especially Jinchanzhou, which is already the core area of ​​Beimang.

After the two states are gone, there will only be three states left in Beimang: Baoping, Yuchan and Xihe, plus Beidi City. Xihe State in particular is mostly desert, and was swept through by Gao Changsheng.

Just by looking at the strength on paper, you can tell how miserable Beimang is today.

The most important thing is that once Gusai Prefecture fell, the entire southern line was out of Beimang’s control.

In other words, today's Beimang, Beiliang and Liyang are no longer bordering each other.

It can be said that all of Beimang’s original strategies against the South have become a pipe dream.

And looking at the appearance of Qilin Zhenren, you can tell that the situation is likely to deteriorate further.

The reason is also very simple.

It seems that Kublai Khan's target is Northern Liang, but who can be really sure?

To take a step back, even if the Mongols' target was Northern Liang, they might also be able to take care of Northern Mang at the same time.

The reason is simple. If the Mongols want to attack Northern Liang, they only have one route: Gusaizhou.

Beimang bordered the Mongols in the north and northwest, and with the newly fallen Gusai Prefecture, it was already surrounded by enemies on three sides.

Even those who don’t know much about military affairs can see that it is now much easier for the Mongols to attack Northern Mang than Northern Liang.

After all, there is still Li Yang in Beiliang, while Beimang has no helpers. Even if it wants to use the same trick again and unite with Li Yang, the previous conditions are no longer available.

Lin Lingsu glanced at True Man Qilin. No wonder the other party could stay in the Sui Dynasty so peacefully without worrying about the empress's misunderstanding.

After all, given the current situation, the empress can't care about such a small matter. Even if the other party knew, they would not dare to offend Gao Changsheng.

Even in the current situation, Bei Mang might want to use this relationship to ask Gao Changsheng for help.

(End of this chapter)