Chapter 4: What is the request?

Not far from the Thunder Temple, there is a place called the Elephant Sink.

According to legend, when Samantabhadra, the great disciple of Sakyamuni, arrived in Emei, he washed his mount with a white elephant in a six-sided pool, hence the name.

This place is a high and cold area, so the buildings are mostly low.

The house was built with lead, with the Mainland Hall and the Guanyin Hall, which were worshipped by Guanyin and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, and the incense was extremely prosperous.

Zheng Yanqing did not expect that Sun Simiao would actually live in a Buddhist temple. Judging from his appearance with the monks in the temple, he seemed very close.

However, when the monks in this temple heard Zheng Yanqing's name, they seemed a little hostile.

When Sun Simiao first saw Yan Qing, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

"Yan Qing, how could you come here?"

After six years of not seeing him, Sun Simiao looked clearer and clearer. However, his appearance did not seem to have changed much. Compared to six years ago, he looked younger. He originally had some wrinkles on his face, but this time he met, his face was red, his skin was tight and smooth, and there seemed to be a crystal light flowing inside. His clothes were flying, showing a bit of a fairy-like look, which made people feel like worshipping him.

"Zhenren Sun, it's really hard to find you!"

Zheng Yanqing smiled bitterly and said, "The student came from Luoyang and has been entering the mountain for half a month. If you hadn't mentioned Du Juan and Xi Qiao Zhenren in the letter last time, I'm afraid I would have returned empty-handed this time."

Sun Simiao's eyes crossed Zheng Yanqing's shoulders and saw Zhao Xiqiao standing outside the door, standing side by side with Xiong Dahai.

Zhao Xiqiao looked a little miserable, and the traces of fireworks on his face were not yet wiped clean. Sun Simiao looked at him, but Zhao Xiqiao was furious.

"What kind of letters do you damn guy write?

It would be fine if you write a letter, why did you write my name again? Unfortunately, my furnace of golden elixir is about to succeed, but I was disturbed by these guys and they were all ruined... Do you know how much effort I put into the golden elixir and how much effort I spent on that golden elixir?"

The more he spoke, the more angry he became. Later, he pointed at Sun Simiao's nose and started to curse.

Sun Simiao was not annoyed, and listened to Zhao Xiqiao's complaints with a smile, not caring at all.

"This big black guy, it would be fine if I disturbed my alchemy. I said you just went over and found it yourself, but he carried me and left, thinking that my goods would not be done?"

Zhao Xiqiao seemed to have found a backer, pointed at Xiongdahai and began to criticize him.

But Sun Simiao ignored him at all, stepped forward and held Yan Qing's hand, looked at him and said, "Yes, this head is almost catching up with me... Haha, Yan Qing, don't pay attention to this crazy man. That's how he is, refining alchemy... You have practiced for twelve years, but you haven't seen you practice any golden elixir. If I hadn't taken action to save him last time, this guy would have been so refining that he would have lost his life."

Zhao Xiqiao was a little embarrassed, scratched his head, brushed his sleeves, and turned around and was about to leave.

"Hey, Madman Zhao!" Sun Simiao called Zhao Xiqiao, "Don't say I won't tell you, Master Fashun will hold a vegetarian vegetarian meal today and invites everyone to enjoy the moon. If you leave, don't regret it in the future."

Zhao Xiqiao immediately stopped and said, "Monkey Fashun wants to do vegetarian food, so you can consider it."

Sun Simiao ignored him, took Yan Qing's hand and walked to the back hall, "Yan Qing, you are here just right, I will introduce you to a master.

Haha, you have some connection with him.”

"Related to me?"

Zheng Yanqing was stunned and was about to ask, but when he saw Sun Simiao pulling him, he couldn't help but walk to the back hall. If Yanqing had practiced for many years, he was very stable now. If ordinary people don't want to pull him away, they will feel difficult even if they want to push him a step forward.

However, Sun Simiao pulled him without any effort.

Zheng Yanqing was not so much walking by himself, but rather following Sun Simiao's guidance.

"The female donor, the back hall is in great importance. I will not be able to entertain you. I will ask the female donor to rest in the meditation room."

Duoduo wanted to follow him, but was stopped by a monk.

Zheng Yanqing turned his head and said to her, "Duoduo, just wait for me in the Zen room, and I will go to find you later."

Duoduo had no choice but to take Xiong Dahai and two mastiffs to the side room to rest with the monk. Zhao Xiqiao followed the others to sort out the instruments.

Yan Qing followed Sun Simiao out of the back hall, and the two walked through a bamboo forest.

I followed the gravel path in the forest, but I heard the sound of wooden fish coming from my ears.

"Zhenren Sun, who do you take me to meet?"

"Haha, you will know it when you arrive."

The two soon arrived outside a quiet Zen room. The sunlight was shining on the courtyard, and the yard was covered with weeds. The grass leaves were still stained with morning dew. Fortunately, Zheng Yanqing was wearing a dress of a man. If he was wearing his usual clothes, he would be afraid that the collars would be wet with dew.

There is a Zen room in the yard.

There were two people sitting on the porch, one lying with a high hand and the other sitting cross-legged.

The one who lie down with a high arms is a Taoist dress, half-squinted, as if he is sleeping soundly; the other is an old monk, sitting cross-legged on the porch, like an ancient stone Buddha. One hand, the Vajra hand bead, which seems slow but actually rotates quickly, and the other hand, the wooden fish hammer is only lightly tapping the wooden fish once after a long time.

This monk and Tao describe it as strange.

Sun Simiao signaled Yan Qing not to speak out. The two of them sat down on the porch next to them and looked at the monk and Taoist quietly.

Dear!

In just one cup of tea, the wooden fish sounded lightly, and the monk and Taoist broke away their eyes at the same time.

"Old monk, you lost."

The old monk smiled, "Zhengren Yuan, the distinguished guest is here. If you continue, wouldn't it be rude?"

The Taoist turned his head and looked at Sun Simiao and Zheng Yanqing. When his eyes fell on Zheng Yanqing, he was slightly stunned, with his slender eyes showing a feminine light.

"Who are you?"

"Zhengren Yuan, he is Zheng Yanqing I once told you. Six years ago, you passed by Luoyang and failed to meet him..."

The Taoist waved his hand, his fingers kept changing, his eyes still fell on Zheng Yanqing, and his voice was extremely gentle: "Who are you?"

"I……"

For some reason, Yan Qing's heart suddenly trembled.

He wanted to speak, but he didn't know how to say it.

who I am?

I am Zheng Yanqing, but I am clearly called Li Jianguo? I am Li Jianguo, but I am clearly Zheng Yanqing.

"I'm me."

The Taoist was stunned and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

The old monk's dim gaze also lit up and then dimmed again.

"Zhenren Yuan, what are you doing?"

"Oh, there's nothing else, it's a joke."

Yuan Zhenren laughed, withdrew his eyes, sat up again, stretched his waist, "But it was a good sleep, old monk, let's continue to compete tomorrow."

"tomorrow?"

The old monk smiled and said, "I'm afraid there's some trouble. I'll go to Chengdu Prefecture tomorrow morning... Yuan Zhenren, our battle for teaching and Taoism has been nearly half a year, and the outcome has not been decided. But today, if there are people from the original Taoism visits, we might as well ask him what is Buddha and what is Taoism?"

Yuan Zhenren turned his head and looked at Zheng Yanqing.

"Little donor, what is the Tao?"

Zheng Yanqing would have thought that he had encountered such a dispute over teaching and Taoism here.

His mouth opened, and for a long time he ate and said in a vain: "Buddha is the Tao, and Tao is the Buddha."

"oh?"

The eyes of Yuan Zhenren and the old monk suddenly became solemn.

Zheng Yanqing felt that there was a big stone on his body, and the strange pressure made him feel very uncomfortable.

"There is no tree in Bodhi, and the mirror is not a platform. There is nothing in it, so where can dust be caused?"

A Zen poem that was familiar to later generations suddenly appeared in his mind. Yan Qing blurted out, but after saying that, he felt a little regretful. Why should he get involved in this kind of thing? The dispute between the Tao and the Tao has not been able to distinguish between the superiority and the inferiority of the Tao for many years. Wouldn't he be involved in it?

The wooden fish hammer in the old monk's hand hit the wooden fish firmly.

But Yuan Zhenren seemed to have changed his expression and was speechless for a long time.

"However, the way of heaven is far, and the way of humanity is far." Zheng Yanqing hesitated for a moment, and then said, "What do I have to ask for in the teachings of Taoism? "

"What are you asking for?"

Yuan Zhenren immediately asked.

Zheng Yanqing was stunned and couldn't help but fall into confusion.

Yes, what is the one I ask for?

After eleven years of rebirth, he never seriously considered such a problem.

Whether he plagiarized poetry or practiced literature and martial arts, the person he sought was just to be able to hold Li Er's thighs in the future and be able to live happily.

But, is this really what he wants?

My thoughts suddenly became chaotic, and Zheng Yanqing sat on the porch without saying a word for a long time.

Sun Simiao did not expect that this would turn out to be the case. He couldn't help but frown and wanted to speak up for him. However, he saw Zhenren Yuan and the old monk glance at him. The two of them shook their heads gently at the same time, and sat on the porch with their eyes drooping, as if they were in a state of meditation.

Although Sun Simiao didn't know what the two were doing, he still shut up considering his identities.

Time passed little by little, and before I knew it, it was already afternoon.
To be continued...