Kill the enemy and get a wife? I'll single-handedly slaughter my way through the Northern Barba

"grown ups?"

Shenhe looked at Lin Feng strangely, and also looked behind him, but couldn't see anything amiss.

Lin Feng withdrew his gaze and smiled faintly at Shen He: "It's nothing. I just heard someone call me, I probably misheard."

Lin Feng's intuition was very accurate; on many occasions on the battlefield, his beast-like instincts saved his life.

Shortly after Lin Feng turned around, a girl dressed in black gauze and wearing a veil turned her face slightly to the side.

She glanced at Lin Feng out of the corner of her eye, muttering to herself, "This man has such keen intuition!"

"Tell the 'eyes' along the way not to get too close to him, lest they alert him."

She nodded slightly to the man selling clay and wooden statues of gods and Buddhas in front of her.

"Yes, sir!"

The girl said no more, touched the veil on her face, and quickly disappeared into the crowd...

The journey from Ruzhou City to Thousand Buddha Mountain takes less than a day.

Wu Xu and his group set off at dawn and arrived at the foot of Thousand Buddha Mountain by sunset.

After disembarking from the carriage, Wu Xu, Bai Jing, Luo Shao, Feng Lun, and others, along with their families, personally went up the mountain.

Most of the officials are pampered and comfortable people. They would take a carriage even to walk a few steps, let alone climb a mountain.

Old Master Wu was exhausted and had to rest twice along the way.

Lin Feng, on the other hand, was quite relaxed, taking in all the scenery along the way.

Thousand Buddha Mountain is home to Thousand Buddha Temple, so there are many stone tablets and stone carvings related to Buddhism along the way.

Since the Wanfo Festival officially begins tomorrow, there weren't many people going up the mountain today.

Many pilgrims and believers stay in guesthouses at the foot of the mountain to rest.

As the sun was about to sink below the horizon, Wu Xu finally climbed the last stone step.

"call--"

Wu Xu breathed a sigh of relief and saw that a group of monks were already waiting in front of the Thousand Buddha Temple.

The three elderly monks at the head of the group were all over fifty years old, and the one in front looked to be over seventy.

His long, white eyebrows were particularly striking.

"This old monk, Huiguan, along with the monks of Qianfo Temple, respectfully welcomes Lord Wu and all other esteemed officials!"

The old monk was none other than Hui Guan, the abbot of Qianfo Temple. He had a kind face and a deep voice.

Wu Xu took a couple of breaths and led the group forward to pay their respects: "Master Huiguan, there's no need for such formalities. We have disturbed the three eminent monks' study of Buddhism today."

"I feel very bad about this, please forgive me, gentlemen."

Upon hearing this, Zen Master Huiguan smiled and said, "Lord Wu, you flatter us. Your presence and the presence of all the other officials at Qianfo Temple are a great honor for the temple."

"You must be tired from your long journey. I have asked Daorong to prepare meditation rooms and vegetarian meals for you. Please come into the temple to rest!"

"Daorong!"

Master Huiguan called out, and soon a ruddy-faced monk strode out from behind.

The senior monk looked to be about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a handsome face.

He smiled broadly and bowed to Wu Xu: "Lord Wu, I personally clean your meditation room every year."

"I have also inspected the meditation rooms where the other gentlemen are staying, and I guarantee that they are quiet and clean so that you may sleep peacefully."

After lingering for a while, the group followed the monks into the Thousand Buddha Temple.

Qianfo Temple is a renowned Buddhist temple in Ruzhou and even in the Daqian region.

Therefore, it is extremely spacious and grand, and every plant and tree in the temple is carefully considered.

The temple has meditation rooms specially prepared for worshippers, which are elegant and quiet.

Lin Feng and his family, along with Wan Qian, Li Ke, Wang Ling, and Chen Pi who accompanied them, were arranged to stay in the same courtyard.

The young novice monk leading them clasped his hands together and smiled.

"Please wait a moment, our vegetarian meal will be served shortly."

Lin Feng nodded slightly and asked the young novice, "Little Master, are there any activities planned at Thousand Buddha Temple as night falls?"

"Can we walk around and look around?"

Upon hearing this, the young novice monk thought for a moment and said, "Yes, Master Huiyan will be giving a sermon in the main hall in an hour. All the pilgrims who came tonight can go and listen to the sermon."

"Later, there will be a lamp-lighting ceremony at the stupa forest. All benefactors are welcome to go and observe the ceremony."

A lamp-lighting ceremony?

Lin Feng's eyes flickered slightly as he continued, "Little Master, what is the significance of the lamp-lighting ceremony at Thousand Buddha Temple?"

"Are you unaware, benefactor?"

A look of surprise appeared on the young novice's fair face.

However, he quickly composed himself and explained to Raymond Lam, "During the Ten Thousand Buddhas Festival, the stupa enshrining the Buddha's relics of Master Kumarajiva will be lit up with lamps."

"Two layers of lamps are lit each day, and on the last day of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Festival, the lamps on the top layer of the pagoda are lit."

"At that time, the Buddha relics of Master Kumarajiva will manifest and bestow blessings upon the lay Buddhists who come to the temple."

As he spoke, the young novice showed a look of longing, clearly filled with awe and longing for the Buddha's relics.

"I see..." Lin Feng nodded slightly. "Thank you for your explanation, young master."

After the young novice monk left, Wan Qian stretched and said, "I'm exhausted after traveling for most of the day. Didn't Qianfo Temple provide any meat for its worshippers?"

"To be honest, I feel weak if I don't eat meat and drink alcohol for a day!"

Lin Feng rolled his eyes at Wan Qian: "What nonsense are you talking about? The monks in the temple don't eat meat or drink alcohol all year round. They would vomit if they smelled meat."

"Wang Ling, why haven't I seen anyone from the Wang family today? Is no one from your family attending the Ten Thousand Buddhas Festival?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ling cupped his hands in greeting: "My lord, the Wang family of Ruzhou are devout Taoists and have never participated in the Ten Thousand Buddhas Festival."

After returning to Ruzhou, Wang Ling took a break and visited the Wang family ancestral graves to see his father and elder brother.

Wang Xin and Wang Qian survived the ordeal in Zhenyuan City.

Now, they stay obediently in the Wang family ancestral graves to guard their ancestors' tombs, which is quite peaceful.

Before long, the monks from Qianfo Temple brought over a vegetarian meal.

Despite Wan Qian's claim of wanting to eat meat, he praised the vegetarian meal at Qianfo Temple after tasting it.

After having eaten vegetarian food for ten thousand coins, Li Ke and the other three unanimously decided to stay in the meditation room to rest.

Su Wan'er was too tired to move, so only Song Yuwei was willing to lead Cherry and Lin Feng to the main hall of Qianfo Temple to listen to Zen Master Huiyan preach.

Thousand Buddha Temple, Mahavira Hall.

Zen Master Huiyan sat on the futon, his face calm and his voice steady and powerful.

When Lin Feng, Su Wan'er, and Cherry arrived, Zen Master Huiyan had just begun his sermon.

"Dear lay Buddhists, it is an honor to gather here today, as Huiyan will give a discourse on the Mahaparinirvana Sutra."

"This sutra is the Buddha's final teaching, much like a king who, at the end of his life, entrusts his supreme treasures to his descendants."

"In the sutras, the Buddha compassionately proclaimed and dispelled the misunderstanding that Nirvana is emptiness or annihilation, directly revealing the four virtues of Nirvana: permanence, bliss, self, and purity."

Lin Feng knew nothing about Buddhist scriptures, but he saw that Zen Master Huiyan had the demeanor of a high-ranking monk.

Su Wan'er and Yingtao listened attentively, while Lin Feng secretly observed the lay Buddhist who had come here.

Those who can enter Qianfo Temple today are either rich or noble.

There were about seventy men and women listening to Zen Master Huiyan's sermons here.

Judging from his demeanor and attire, he must be either rich or noble.

Lin Feng thought to himself: With such a reputation for Thousand Buddha Temple in Ruzhou, it's no wonder that Lord Wu Xu insisted on coming.

Besides Qianfo Temple, there are numerous Buddhist temples of all sizes in Ruzhou.

Moreover, every temple was thriving with worshippers, who believed in Buddhism and continuously offered money and silk as tribute.

If this continues, won't the people's livelihood decline?

If everyone becomes a monk, who will do the production work?

When others come to listen to the sermons, they hear the profound truths of Buddhism, which transcend worldly concerns.

Only Lin Feng, in front of the golden statue of Buddha in the main hall, kept criticizing the Buddhism and Taoism of Ruzhou in his heart.