Elaborate on the world of mortals

Chapter 822: A Wrong Thought
The thousand-bottle pot of wine was indeed extraordinary. It was also the first time that Yi Shuyuan opened it and tasted it after the Great Toad King gave it to him last time. Even though Yi Shuyuan and Jiang Lang had tasted many fine wines between heaven and earth, in comparison, the wine in the pot was still a rare top-quality product.

Yi Shuyuan casually told Jiang Lang about the benefits of the Thousand-Doll Pot, and Jiang Lang couldn't let it go. Not only could it store wine, but it could also melt different kinds of wine into it. For someone who could please his taste, this treasure was more valuable than many other precious things.

He was still angry when they first met, but after three rounds of drinks, Jiang Lang was already smiling and very happy.

In Jiang Lang's words, now that the Dragon Clan's affairs have been settled, and he has also received a nice treasure and lots of good wine, isn't it normal to be happy?

The delicious food on the table had been devoured like a whirlwind, but Jiang Lang was still pouring wine for Yi Shuyuan, and then raised his glass to clink with him.

"Old Yi, we have almost finished the food. I think it's time to go and pay a visit to Lord Ao Long!"

Yi Shuyuan drank the wine in the glass and then smiled.

"Brother Jiang, where do you think we are?"

Jiang Lang was slightly stunned, his body shuddered, and he sobered up in an instant. He finally reacted and looked around. The scenery of the Daqiu Mountain that was originally covered with snow seemed to have disappeared without his noticing.

Looking around, all you can see is the lush green of spring, and you can even occasionally see a patch of red in the mountains. Birds fly by from time to time, bringing with them a burst of cheerful bird calls.

Perhaps it was because of the wine, or perhaps it was because the dragon race was so powerful that they were not sensitive to temperature, so Jiang Lang realized at this moment that the surrounding climate was suitable. He looked at the eaves of the pavilion and saw water drops falling continuously. It was the snow on the pavilion melting.

"Isn't this pavilion in Daqiu Mountain?"

Yi Shuyuan walked out of the pavilion holding a wine glass and a thousand-dou pot and looked outside. He turned around to look at Jiang Lang, then looked at the plaque on the pavilion and said jokingly.

"Since it is a Zen Pavilion, nature is in the heart. One thought leads to emptiness, one thought leads to life, one thought leads to morning dew, one thought leads to the blossoming of hundreds of flowers!"

Jiang Lang also followed out, followed by Xue Tian and Hui Mian.

After having a new impression of the Mountain and River Realm when I saw the dragon in the North Sea last time, I was even more impressed this time. It was clearly a place of wonders with beautiful mountains and rivers.
"I understand. The pavilion is still in Daqiu Mountain. It's just that in your mind, the world in the "Map of Mountains, Rivers and States" has embraced it. Feeling the invasion of heat, the snow melts by itself."

As he spoke, Jiang Lang turned around again, was slightly startled but soon felt relieved with a smile. There was no Daqiu Temple Zen Pavilion behind him. It was already a lush green peak. Without the obstruction of the pavilion, his sight now faced not only mountains but also a vast expanse of water.

There are many wonders in the world of mountains and rivers that are hard to find in the outside world. This one is one of them. It seems that mountains, some connected and some independent, are growing out of the endless waters.

"hold head high"

A loud dragon roar was heard in the distance, and a white shadow was approaching from under the water. Jiang Lang suddenly became nervous.

"Lao Yi"

"Look at what I am doing. Bow when necessary and kowtow when necessary."

Yi Shuyuan said this without any psychological burden, and then there were huge waves and a white dragon emerged from the water with a "boom".
"Jianglong King, long time no see, hope you are well—"

Ao Po's voice shook the nearby mountains. The meeting he mentioned might have been traced back to the anti-drought period in Lingdong that year.

Jiang Lang looked up at the white dragon rising into the sky and then flying towards him. He did not dare to be negligent and took a few steps forward and bowed deeply.

"Jiang Lang from Changfeng Lake, I pay my respects to Lord Ao Long - Congratulations to Lord Long for successfully transforming into a dragon. From now on, the four seas will respect the mountains and rivers and honor them together -"

Yi Shuyuan took a glimpse of Jiang Lang's appearance and could find no fault with him from both angles. He was so meticulous and respectful, hey!
The white dragon fell, and its shadow turned into Ao Ao when it reached the top of the mountain.

"You don't have to be so polite, King Jiang. I already know why you came here. It's not impossible to meet the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas!"

Jiang Lang's face showed joy. When he stood up, he saw Yi Shuyuan and Ao Po just bowed to each other without any extra words. He winked at the former and hurriedly spoke.

"Lord Ao Long has successfully transformed into a dragon, which is a happy event for all dragons in the world. When I came here, I, the Dragon Lord of the East China Sea, said that the four seas want to hold a dragon transformation banquet for you. As long as Lord Ao Long agrees, you don't need to worry about anything. Everything can be done, and you can choose any banquet site in the four seas!"

Hui Mian, who had already jumped onto Yi Shuyuan's shoulder, was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth.

"That's great, that's great, Fellow Daoist Ao, you don't mind this kind of good thing, do you?"

Ao Po glanced at Hui Mian, then looked at Jiang Lang.

"Forget about those grand occasions. Ao Po is used to being free and easy. He doesn't have such a big foundation to manage like Ya Ci. He doesn't know many people in the Four Seas Dragon Tribe. There is no need for a dragon transformation banquet. Whenever the Four Seas Dragon Kings want to see me, just tell Fellow Daoist Yi!"

Jiang Lang kept winking at Yi Shuyuan, but the latter had his eyes closed and seemed to be resting, pretending not to see anything. Instead, Ao Po looked over.

"Jiang Longwang?"

"Uh in!"

Ao Po looked at Jiang Lang very seriously.

"Does King Jiang have anything to say to Fellow Daoist Yi? Or has he contracted a divine eye disease during his practice?"

"Uh, nothing happened. Sorry to have made a fool of myself, Lord Ao Long."

Faced with words that were obviously meant to make fun of him, Jiang Lang could only smile awkwardly.

Feeling Jiang Lang's embarrassment, Yi Shuyuan couldn't help but smile and opened his eyes.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha"

Ao Po also laughed loudly, Hui Mian also laughed out loud "Hahahaha", and even Xue Tian started grinning.

Jiang Lang was the only one standing there, feeling a little overwhelmed.

Yi Shuyuan smiled and patted Jiang Lang on the shoulder.

"Brother Jiang, Brother Jiang, Fellow Daoist Ao is a sincere and true practitioner, but he doesn't have as many twists and turns as the ordinary dragons. You don't have to be restrained, just treat him as an ordinary fellow Daoist."

Ao Po smiled and took a step closer, bowing to Jiang Lang.

"Jiang Longwang, I am sorry for offending you just now. I am not someone who will joke with everyone!"

Jiang Lang was stunned for a long time, and suddenly felt a little amused, but he had to admit that he did relax.

Ao Po's face was no longer so serious and stern, and he pointed into the distance.

"It's rare for the River Dragon King to enter the Mountain and River Realm. Last time he walked on the water, it was difficult to see the whole picture. This time he should take a good look at the scenery of this world. As for the meeting with the real dragon, I don't think there is any rush, right?"
-
Later, on the peak of the mountain behind Daqiu Temple, a monk walked up the stone steps. The monk held a broom in his hand, and it was obvious that he was the one who came up to clean up after a while. There was a strange snowstorm today, and the mountain had to be cleaned up, otherwise the snow would be too thick and he would not be able to go up next time.

But this time, the monk reached the top of the mountain and was stunned after just one look at the pavilion. After rubbing his eyes, he quickly walked forward.

There were strips of icicles hanging on the eaves of the pavilion. It was not surprising to see icicles in such a cold day, but he had just come to clean it up two days ago and there were no icicles at all.

What you see now looks like water flowing down from the pavilion and froze not long ago. They are all thin and long.

But this is not the point. The monk avoided breaking two ice spikes and walked into the pavilion. There were actually many plates on the stone table, as well as some bone fragments and other things. Just by looking at the layer of frozen fat on the plates, you can tell that many of them are meat dishes.

There is also an exquisitely shaped food box next to it.

Who is so bold? It is simply a desecration of the holy place of Daqiu Temple!
The monk approached the table and suddenly smelled a faint fragrance. His eyes fell on the three cups on the table, and there was more or less amber liquid in the cups. He sniffed hard and the fragrance became stronger, and it was a bit intoxicating.

liqueur?
The monk couldn't help swallowing his saliva. Why is it so fragrant?
Finally, the monk chanted scriptures while clearing the dishes on the stone table. When it came to the wine glasses, he struggled for a long time holding half a glass of wine. After swallowing a lot of saliva, an idea came to his mind.

Just taste it, just a small bite, just a small bite!

The monk picked up the wine glass and took a sip. Immediately, a stronger aroma of wine went down his throat and into his stomach. The fragrance filled his throat and tongue, and the taste was so delicious that it made him feel comfortable all over.

By the time the monk realized what was happening, half the glass of wine was gone.

“I haven’t even tasted it yet.”

The monk looked at the other two cups on the table, swallowed his saliva, and tasted it again.
He really couldn't help it and drank half a cup. The rich aroma of the wine made the monk linger in it. It was not only the mellow taste of the wine, but he also seemed to feel all the beauty of the world.

He also recalled everything before he became a monk, the good, the bitter, the desires and the unwillingness. He clenched his fists slowly, thinking it was not so easy to let go.

The monk looked at the last cup on the table and reached out to pick it up. He had already broken the precepts, so why not break them once and for all?
Although thinking so, the monk hesitated for a long time while holding the last glass of wine, and recalled his mother's words before she died, asking him to listen to Master Wufa, live in peace and avoid trouble, and not to cause trouble again.

"Oh, what a sin!"

With a sigh, the monk poured the wine out, and the wine split into many water droplets in the air, and finally fell on the mouth of the cliff and sank into the soil.

After pouring the wine, the monk continued to clean the table.

When the monk finished cleaning the table and picked up the food box full of plates to leave, he found that the plant on the cliff where the wine had just been poured had turned emerald green, which was particularly eye-catching in this cold and snowy day.

The monk subconsciously took the food box and walked a few steps closer. The green plant was still sprouting and growing at a speed visible to the naked eye, and it was even producing flower buds that were then slowly blooming.
The monk was so engrossed in watching that when he came to his senses he found that the sky had become somewhat dark. It was only noon when he came up.

Later, after a long delay, the monks who were cleaning up the mountaintop hurried down carrying food boxes and disobeying their master's instructions by performing Qinggong.

The temple had become much quieter. There were no noisy believers, nor were there Prince Anguo and envoys from the upper country.

It was freezing cold, and the sun was setting to a certain extent. There were few pilgrims in the temple except those who stayed overnight on the mountain. After all, there was still a long way to go down the mountain and go home, let alone now.

The monk felt a little uneasy and subconsciously avoided some of his fellow disciples while carrying his food box. But when he was about to reach the kitchen of the dining hall, his heart suddenly jumped because he saw an old monk standing near the sink in the back kitchen.

"Teacher, master!"

The old monk was none other than the abbot of Daqiu Temple, Monk Wufa.

"Xuesheng, I heard from the monk on duty that you, who were supposed to be on duty with me today, didn't show up for most of the day, and you weren't even seen in the dining hall during meal time?"

The monk hurried to explain.

"Master, yes, I think it's snowing today, so I have to hurry up to the Peak Pavilion to clean it up. Otherwise, the snow and ice will freeze and people won't be able to go up. That's why I'm delayed."

"Good, Buddha King of Light, I see. It's just a small pavilion and stairs to the top, does it take so long?"

The monk looked embarrassed, he had even forgotten to sweep the steps. Then he remembered something and quickly gestured to the food box in his hand.

"Master, someone had a meal up there, and I spilled a glass of wine while cleaning. Who knew a mountain flower would sprout and bloom? I was so mesmerized by it that I think it might have delayed the time. If you don't believe me, you can go up and take a look!"

Monk Wufa had a calm expression.

"Not really. The green leaves and red flowers only last for a moment, which means you have some distracting thoughts in your mind. What really delayed you was that you were so drunk that half a day had passed in a trance!"

The monk was frightened when he heard this and immediately knelt on the ground.

"Master, I didn't mean to break the precepts. I didn't mean to do it. Master, I am willing to accept the punishment!"

Monk Wufa looked at the monk and shook his head, and he had an epiphany in his mind.

In a flash, Xuesheng's footsteps on the Buddhist path finally landed on the intersecting human road. Well, well, it's over today, otherwise there will be disaster for Daqiu Temple in the future.

"Xuesheng, you were born in the temple thirty-five years ago. Now it seems that although you have a deep affinity with Buddhism, your affinity with monks has ended. I have taught you for a few years to help you resolve some of your hostility. I hope that you can think of the common people and be compassionate in the future. I have nothing to teach you. Go down the mountain!"

The monk kneeling on the ground was stunned.

"Master, I know I was wrong. Master, please don't chase me away. Master, I know I was wrong!"

Although I was not used to everything when I first came to Daqiu Temple, I have already adapted to it now, and I respect the master from the bottom of my heart. He is a truly great monk in the world, and is definitely not comparable to those fat-headed people I have seen before. The monk kept begging, but his body was helped up by the monk.

At this moment, no matter how hard the monk tried, even using his martial arts again and slowly exerting his full strength, he could not shake the hands of the ordinary old monk.

"Xuesheng, in this moment in the Zen Pavilion, I have recognized myself. I have made up my mind. Go ahead."

Monk Wufa put a silver ingot in the monk's hand and then turned and left.

The monk stood frozen on the spot, seemingly dazed, or perhaps realizing something. After coming to his senses, he shouted at the old monk's receding back.

"When does Master want me to leave——"

The monk's shout received no response, and two lines of tears had already overflowed from the corners of his eyes.

After a long time, the monk knelt down in front of the old monk again and kowtowed three times to the ground. He was also tough. After getting up, he didn't think about spending the night there and chose to leave directly.

(End of this chapter)