Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 101 I want to see the Abstinence Master break his vow.

In March, the streets of the capital were already filled with the fluttering of peach and plum blossoms.

Nobles and dignitaries in the capital often went on outings to enjoy the spring scenery, and groups of carriages and horses could always be seen on Zhuquemen Street.

However, the tracks left by carriages and horses on this day rolled over the bluestone slabs in front of the vermilion gate of the Pang family mansion.

Pang Xu led twelve servants, who lined up like geese, and the sound of their chanting echoed through the courtyard and across the house.

Of course, it wouldn't be something like "an official presents a painting of Magu offering longevity" or "a general presents a pair of jade ruyi scepters from Hetian in the Western Regions." The detailed gift list had already been sent over; a virtuous minister's birthday banquet doesn't follow this kind of formality.

The chanting of greetings refers to the names of each household, which then leads each party to different areas where they exchange greetings from afar, tacitly integrating into their respective circles.

Especially since today is the lady's birthday, and the ladies and children of various households have all come, we must greet and send them off properly.

Pang Xu greeted guests at the gate of the mansion, while Pang Lingyi greeted them at the entrance of the inner courtyard. The Pang family had a very good reputation in this regard, and noble ladies from various families liked to associate with them.

"Arrival at Huyan Prefecture—"

Just as Pang Xu welcomed his sister's close friend, Hu Yanzhuohua, inside, he heard a familiar sound of horses' hooves. His eyes lit up, and he shouted joyfully, "Big brother!!"

A lone rider came galloping in, but the steed suddenly stopped and came to a steady stop in front of the steps, perfectly still. Its movements did not disturb the dust, and its heroic figure on horseback had already captured the attention of everyone around. It was Pang Yu, the eldest son of Pang Ji.

He looked somewhat travel-worn. He dismounted, opened his arms, and embraced his younger brother, laughing heartily: "Second brother! I'm back!"

Pang Ji had three sons: Pang Yu, Pang Xu, and Pang Yun.

Pang Yun is the youngest son, even younger than Pang Lingyi. He is only eight years old this year, so naturally he is not the one to greet guests.

Pang Xu is nineteen years old this year. Under Pang Ji's deliberate tutelage, he has already participated in many affairs of the mansion.

The eldest, Pang Yu, was twenty-two years old. He had received an imperial favor and was serving in the court. He had previously accompanied the Divine Marquis's delegation to Western Xia. When they returned, the Divine Marquis went ahead of them, and the delegation spent some time dealing with Western Xia in the northwest border region before finally returning.

The ages of the two brothers, Pang Yu and Pang Xu, are close in age, even though they are not born of the same mother.

This is because Pang Yu's biological mother, Pang Ji's first wife, died in childbirth after giving birth to Pang Yu.

So Grand Tutor Pang remarried, marrying the current Lady Luo, who subsequently gave birth to two sons and a daughter.

Although she had her own children, Pang Yu was still young at the time and was also raised under Luo's care.

Especially her first two sons, who were essentially raised together, were treated as her own son by Mrs. Luo, and the two brothers had a very good relationship.

At this moment, Pang Yu first caught up with his younger brother and then went to the main hall to pay his respects to the birthday celebrant, Madam Luo. Meanwhile, Pang Xu, preoccupied with his elder brother's stories of his experiences in Western Xia, which he hadn't seen in a long time, became somewhat absent-minded.

Until a special guest arrived.

"Esteemed monks of Daxiangguo Temple, I have failed to greet you properly!"

Upon faintly smelling sandalwood, Pang Xu knew that the procession from Daxiangguo Temple had likely arrived.

Sure enough, a group of monks came on foot, with horse-drawn carriages making way for them on both sides.

The two monks were leading the group; one was very old, while the other was extremely young.

I recognized the elderly Pang Xu, who often presided over Buddhist ceremonies and traveled to various prefectures; his Dharma name was Jie Xian.

The younger one was completely unfamiliar, yet exceptionally outstanding—

His sword-like eyebrows were long and slender like still water, his eyes were clear and compassionate, his nose was round and his lips were light, and the dot of cinnabar between his eyebrows was a stroke of genius, which made Pang Xu momentarily dazed.

When the monks of Daxiangguo Temple arrived, Jiexian first put his palms together in a gesture of respect, followed by this monk: "This humble monk, Jiese, greets Benefactor Pang."

"what?"

Pang Xu was shocked: "You are the Master of Abstinence from Lust?"

That appearance, that bearing...

The key is that they are so young...

Cruel man!
Pang Xu was not bad-looking either, and considered himself quite dashing, but compared to the other person, he was clearly inferior.

If he had such looks, not to mention the most beautiful courtesan in Little Sweet Water Lane, even the noble ladies of the capital would be crying and begging to rush over to him!

How could the other person actually abstain from pornography?
You deserve to be called a highly virtuous monk!

Zhan Zhao thought he would face the challenge of not laughing, but Pang Xu was unexpectedly full of respect.

Moreover, the Heart Sword Divine Technique could sense that the other party was not just putting on an act, but was genuinely standing at attention, which made him somewhat moved.

Pompidou's tutor is amazing!

They have raised their children well.

"Please! Venerable monk, please come in quickly!"

at the same time.

Pang Lingyi made sure the group of noble ladies were settled in, and her eyes unconsciously glanced outside.

She wasn't sure if her senior brother would come today.

After all, the invitation from Daxiangguo Temple included two masters, Jiexian and Jiese.

She had seen Master Jiexian before, but she had never seen or heard of a master who abstained from sex before. Could it really be...?

No way?
"My dear sisters, you would never guess what a charming and dashing man I just met!"

Just as I was worrying about it, I suddenly heard the tinkling of jade pendants. It was Wang Xiaoniangzi, who loved to gossip, who arrived gracefully with a gold-plated folding fan and a wisp of perfume.

"Who?" "Could it be the young master of the Cao family?" "I caught a glimpse of him during the Lantern Festival; that handsome young man with the jade-like face is truly dashing!"

The women were whispering among themselves, discussing their private matters, and upon hearing this, they couldn't help but feel curious.

Wang Xiaoniangzi slammed her folding fan shut and lowered her voice mysteriously, saying, "Wrong! It's a young, eminent monk!"

"Oh!"

The women immediately lost interest.

It was common for monks and Taoist priests to hold vegetarian feasts on birthdays and chant scriptures. High-ranking monks often associated with scholars and officials!
They've seen it all before, what's so surprising about it?

"This one is truly different!"

Wang Xiaoniangzi parted her lips slightly, her tongue casually brushing against the rouge on her lips: "If you were to see her, you would surely be astonished. Her entire demeanor is truly that of a celestial being descended to earth!"

She wanted to say that he was even more handsome than the young master of the Cao family, but thinking that saying it would offend people, she could only swallow her words. However, she really wanted to express them, which made her feel quite uncomfortable.

A young woman covered her mouth with her fan and chuckled, "If he is a monk, how can he be a banished immortal? He should be an Arhat from the Ninth Heaven who has accidentally fallen to the mortal world!"

The thought of the majestic Arhat descending to earth made the young ladies giggle and laugh heartily.

Only Pang Lingyi became wary, her eyes darting around. Just as she was about to change the subject, the most restless Hu Yanzhuohua stood up: "Is it really that mysterious? I'll go take a look!"

Huyan Zhuohua had the appearance of a fierce daughter of a northern military family—her eyebrows were like those of a knife, slanting upwards into her temples, her nose was high and straight, her lips were thin and pale, and a nine-section iron whip given to her by her father hung at her waist. She exuded a decisive and efficient energy.

Her father was none other than Huyan Biexian, the Iron Whip King.

The late emperor bestowed upon it the King-Slaying Whip, which once held up half the sky, protected the emperor amidst a million-strong army, and ensured the Song dynasty's longevity.

It is said that this whip, used in the Battle of Gaoliang River, once fought against eight Liao Dynasty masters and even whipped the donkey cart so hard that it sent Emperor Taizong flying, thus saving him from an extremely dangerous situation.

Of the five imperial divine weapons, the other four may have been exaggerated, but this one truly protected its master amidst a million-strong army, holding up half the sky back then.

Pang Lingyi pouted slightly.

Despite Hu Yanzhuohua always carrying a whip, she is empty-handed most of the time. If it really came down to a fight, she could take on at least three opponents.

All show and no substance.

How could she possibly compare to the unique skills her master had passed down to her?
However, among the noble ladies, she was gentle and weak and never made a move. At this moment, she couldn't suppress Huyan Zhuohua with a single palm strike, so she could only watch her run away like a gust of wind.

Just as Pang Lingyi was pondering how to refute Huyan Zhuohua's claims upon his return, she waited and waited, but he never showed up.

Huyan Zhuohua isn't coming back. This piqued everyone's curiosity, and they all stood up: "Let's go! Let's go see what's going on!"

There was no need to sneak around; they were going to the main hall to celebrate Madam Luo's birthday anyway, so they set off ahead of time.

Once we arrived outside the main hall, we deliberately slowed down.

From afar, one could see Madam Luo, who was over forty years old, wearing a lake-blue jacket embroidered with silver peonies, and a hairpin with a filigree and beaded longevity character. Apart from that, she was quite plain, without a gold belt or any other luxurious accessories.

Clearly, a virtuous husband is matched with a virtuous wife, and the whole family is quite virtuous.

At this moment, Luo was talking with two monks, one of whom was the familiar Jiexian.

The elderly monk, who was always a distinguished guest in various prefectures, was relegated to the sidelines for the first time, and a younger monk took his place to converse with Luo.

His words seemed unremarkable, yet they brought a smile to the other person's face.

Huyan Zhuohua leaned against the window, staring intently at the monk.

Wang Xiaoniangzi tiptoed forward, smiling as she patted the door: "Hey! Who are you looking at!"

Huyan Zhuohua was startled and almost cried out. Then his eyes darted around: "I wasn't looking at anyone! I wasn't looking at anyone! I was listening to a high monk preach!"

"I want to hear it too! I want to hear it too!"

A group of noble ladies crowded around, listening intently with sparkling eyes.

Even Pang Lingyi couldn't take her eyes off it.

To be honest, at first glance, the young monk in the hall was completely different from his senior brother; it was as if they were two different people.

But she could always recognize her senior brother's aura.

His height and stature remained unchanged.

Master of Abstinence...

I can't believe it really was you!

She thought about it and felt a little touched.

In order to prevent his uncle Luo Shijun from going down a dark path and doing something irreversible, the senior brother indeed entered the mansion in the way he had suggested.

In order to gain people's trust, they even used such Buddhist names to show themselves...

It's all for me!

The sacrifice was too great!
Pang Lingyi knew her senior brother's Dharma name, but others did not. Having enjoyed the fascinating Buddhist teachings, and wanting to hear more in the future, she inquired, "Is this eminent monk from the Great Xiangguo Temple? I've never seen him before. Do you know his Dharma name? I'll go and find him when I offer incense..."

Hu Yanzhuohua turned around abruptly: "I just heard someone call him Master Abstinence from Lust."

"Pfft!"

The women tried to hold back, but ultimately couldn't.

But upon closer reflection, another indescribable feeling arises...

A forbidden temptation?

More exciting!
Young women are known for their boldness, and with no men around, one of them said, "I wonder what such a high-ranking monk would look like if he broke his vows?"

"Gudu!"

Pang Lingyi immediately heard someone swallow hard, as if they were thinking of something.

She lowered her head slightly, her eyes practically rolling to the sky.

From now on, we're not best friends, but enemy best friends.

Regardless of what happened outside the main hall, Zhan Zhao chatted with his junior sister's mother inside, making her quite happy, without diminishing the reputation of the Great Xiangguo Temple in the slightest.

Even Jie Xian, who was standing next to him, nodded silently, as if he had found a successor.

Based solely on this one move, there's absolutely no problem for Master Abstinence to become a distinguished guest in various prefectures of the capital in the future.

But Zhan Zhao wasn't concerned with those things; what mattered was the appearance of his target.

Luo Shijun, known as the "Golden-Faced Yama".

Why is this person so late for his own sister's 40th birthday?

However, upon further reflection, the other party's status was not high. He was a so-called tyrant in the capital, who was half-black and half-white. In the eyes of the powerful and influential people in the mansion, although he was not an ant that could be crushed at any time, he was actually not worthy of being mentioned on any important stage.

The fact that they dared to arrive late suggests they had considerable confidence.

Sure enough, after another two cups of tea, all the guests in the mansion had gathered, and only then did the belated announcement of names come from outside.

"Master Luo has arrived!"

Luo finally looked away and gazed at her brother, who strode in with an imposing air. There was no reproach in her eyes, only tenderness.

When Luo Shijun saw two monks in the hall, he was not surprised, knowing that his sister was a devout Buddhist. He even put his palms together in greeting and did not realize that the young monk in front of him was the same constable who had overturned the table at his birthday banquet.

Upon arriving, the burly man sat down, and the brother and sister reminisced.

"It's my sister's birthday today. I'm a rough man and don't know how to say nice things, but I know that you've managed the household well all these years, and your husband has been rising through the ranks in the court. Even the women on the streets say that Madam Pang's demeanor is just like that of a fairy maiden reincarnated from the Bodhisattva. It's really true!"

Luo Shijun's tone was filled with pride.

"Brother, you've been good to me since we were little. I owe a lot of my life to you!"

Ms. Luo was equally moved upon hearing this.

The Luo family was not without a history; if we trace it back to the time of Emperor Taizu, they were a general in the army.

But if that's the case, it's clear that the family declined after several generations.

Under such circumstances, Luo Shijun was still able to achieve great things, and even when Pang Ji was remarrying, he cleverly brought his sister into his life and persuaded her to marry him. That takes real skill.

It is true that Luo Shijun is now relying on his sister's family, but it would be unfair to ignore his role in the early stages.

Mrs. Luo did not forget her roots and was very grateful to this brother. She often spoke well of her uncle in front of her children.

Unfortunately, as Luo Shijun's reputation in the capital declined, his children were still not very fond of him.

Now Luo Shijun said, "On this joyous occasion of the Double Tenth Festival, I, your brother, have prepared a rare flower to give to my sister."

"Oh?"

Mrs. Luo was somewhat surprised: "Flowers?"

Luo Shijun said, "This flower is called Xiyan, and it is extremely magical. Once it is made into an ointment, if you apply it for forty-nine days, it can restore the skin to its youthful radiance and make the fine lines around the eyes disappear. It is also called... Stealing a cup of Xiyan dew, you can borrow half a lifetime of beauty from Chang'e!"

After a pause, Luo Shijun smiled and said, "I don't understand all that, but I do know one thing: this flower can make the elderly rejuvenate and keep the young forever young!"

"What!!"

Ms. Luo was moved.

For the first time, the women outside the hall also shifted their gazes away from the face of the abstinence master.

Does such a thing even exist in the world?

"Come in!"

Luo Shijun sensed the sudden change in atmosphere, smiled, and clapped his hands.

A tall attendant carrying a brocade box walked in.

Almost everyone's eyes were fixed on the brocade box in the man's hand, filled with skepticism and extreme curiosity.

Only Zhan Zhao's calm gaze fell upon his attendant.

(End of this chapter)