Swallow Return

Despite its ongoing promotion and advocacy, it can be considered a Buddhist holy site in the hearts of cultural figures in the Kinki region.

Rounding it off, it becomes a Buddhist holy site in the hearts of all the people of Japan.

After all, most people don't have the right to speak, they only have the right to be "represented".

Therefore, in this era, massacring countless civilians might not necessarily attract any criticism. But offending a highly respected monk could make one a target of universal condemnation and alienate everyone.

Based on past experience, whether it was the Ashikaga family, the shogunate, or the Hosokawa, Ōuchi, and Miyoshi families who actually held power, they all treated Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei with utmost respect and dared not offend it.

In Iori's opinion, even if Sasaki Ryuun was unparalleled in martial arts, he was still just one person and could not ultimately contend with an army of thousands.

How dare you provoke forces that even big shots wouldn't dare to offend?

Of course, she couldn't possibly know that Liu Yun already had a plan in mind.

At this moment, Iori felt her mind was in complete chaos, and she was at a loss, feeling both worried and confused.

Liu Yun offered no explanation.

Of course, there's no way to explain it.

Could it be that based on my experience from my past life, I deduced that Oda Nobunaga was about to make a move against Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei, so there's no need to worry about them?

Even if I told them, outsiders would only find it hard to believe.

In short, Liu Yun is not afraid of offending people by doing this.

As for whether it will offend the gods or Buddhas...

Since transmigrating, Liu Yun has seen demons, monsters, and ghosts, as well as people with extraordinary abilities and profound cultivation, but he has never been able to find out whether gods and Buddhas exist.

If offending someone slightly can clear up their confusion, then it's not a bad deal.

……

Liu Yun spoke simply, but his actions were far from reckless. He first consulted with the villagers to get a general understanding of the reputation of Guangzheng Temple.

He didn't come forward himself—first, because he was too lazy to talk nonsense, and second, because he was afraid of scaring the people.

It was my uncle and junior brother who asked.

The old monk Xinghe and the young monk Suifeng have established a certain prestige in the village in the past few days—mainly due to the aura brought by their status as monks.

They were used to Liu Yun's invincibility in every battle and his ability to defeat all powerful enemies, so they didn't feel there was anything to worry about.

So the explanation given to the villagers was: Guangzheng Temple, relying on its powerful backers, is greedy for everyone's incense money and is preventing us from building our own temple. It's really unreasonable. So Lord Liuyun is going to teach them a lesson.

This actually stirred up a bit of a sense of shared hatred and indignation.

In the past, the villagers would always hold weddings, funerals, and other important events at Guangzheng Temple, donating an unknown amount of money to provide those eminent monks with luxurious clothes and food, and no one ever raised any objections.

Perhaps some people have objections, but they just don't dare to.

But now, two new monks, Xinghe and Suifeng, one old and one young, have arrived. They seem to be reliable monks in terms of self-cultivation and Buddhist practice. Their explanations of Buddhism are much more accessible than those of the eminent monks at Guangzheng Temple. Their words and actions are approachable, and they live a frugal and simple life, unlike the dignified and aloof eminent monks.

The worst thing is when there's comparison.

With the arrival of the old monk Xinghe and the young monk Suifeng, the venerable monks of Guangzheng Temple suddenly appeared repulsive. (Incidentally, this is also why traditional sects can't compete with the Ikko-shu sect.)

Of course, even at this point, no one dared to express their disgust.

However, if a new lord takes the lead in stirring up trouble, that's a different story.

People dare not criticize eminent monks to their faces, but they still dare not follow behind big shots and shout "666" (a Chinese internet slang term for something impressive or stellar).

In particular, some people's ancestral land was inexplicably "voluntarily" donated to become monks' property; some people's wives went to work as helpers in temples and gave birth to children who looked like the abbot; some people accidentally knocked over offerings in the Buddhist hall and were tied up and had one leg broken...

Collecting "public anger" is not difficult once someone starts it.

The next morning, after listening to the intelligence gathered by his uncle and junior brother, Liu Yun had a better understanding of the situation.

So he took a knife, mounted his horse, found out the location, and prepared to cause trouble for Guangzheng Temple.

At this moment, dozens of villagers ran to the village entrance, knelt down, and saw them off with gratitude in their eyes, chanting auspicious words such as "May your martial arts prosper" and "May your martial arts last forever."

This was the first time he had experienced being loved more than feared by the people.

Indeed, overthrowing the exploitative class that uses the name of gods and Buddhas to amass wealth and oppress the people is what the people desire.

……

Guangzheng Temple is actually very close; it only took about half an hour to get there by horse.

Moreover, the destination is easy to identify.

The multi-story pagoda stands out in the countryside, easily spotted from a distance.

As you get closer, you'll see a spacious courtyard, enclosed by earthen walls and wooden fences.

The courtyard gate was wide open, and pedestrians and vehicles occasionally passed through without any restrictions.

Upon closer inspection, Liu Yun immediately recognized the face.

It turns out that the earthen mound and wooden walls are divided into three areas. Only the central area is a monastery, while each side has a sizable shop.

Judging from the signs, the left side probably sells rice, and the right side seems to sell cloth and make clothes.

It seems to be a Japanese custom for monks to rent land near their temples to merchants to do business.

As a Chinese person who traveled from the 21st century, Liu Yun found this scene extremely comical.

Come to think of it, it seems that many churches and monasteries in medieval Europe evolved into commercial cities, which probably reflects some commonalities of feudal societies.

Perhaps because public security was poor and the military aristocracy was prone to short-sighted exploitation and defaulting on debts, only religious forces could protect merchants and achieve a win-win situation.

However, here at Liuyun today, the monk probably can't even protect his own face, let alone the merchant.

Liu Yun rode his horse to the temple gate and saw a plaque with the three characters "Guangzheng Temple" hanging high above, with a young monk standing lazily with his head down, lost in thought.

The young monk who was greeting guests was startled by the sound of horses' hooves. He looked up and saw Liu Yun swaggering around rudely. He immediately showed displeasure and snorted.

But after looking him up and down, he became a little more reserved.

They probably saw that Liu Yun's clothes were quite impressive and that he was carrying a knife, so they couldn't figure out his background.

So the young monk who was greeting guests put his hands together and recited a Buddhist verse. He then slowly and deliberately shook his head and said, "Benefactor! This is the entrance to the temple. Please dismount your horse first, so as not to offend the worshippers and displease the gods and Buddhas."

Liu Yun glanced down at it, ignored it, and said coldly, "Get your manager out here."

Upon hearing this, the young monk who was greeting guests became suspicious and hesitantly asked, "Do you have business with the abbot of our temple? May I ask your esteemed name? Have we made any prior arrangements?"

Liu Yun pretended to be angry, frowning as he said, "Just tell me to bring out the manager, why are you talking nonsense?"

The young monk who was greeting guests paused for a moment, then shook his head and sneered, "Since there's no agreement, there's no need to say anything. You should know that our abbot used to practice at Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei in his younger days, and he was quite acquainted with Prince Kakushu. He's very busy propagating Buddhism every day and has no time to meet with random people..."

Liu Yun's expression suddenly changed, and he disregarded everything and tried to spur his horse to rush in.

The young monk who was greeting guests reached out to stop them, and said sternly, "Our temple is a renowned and precious monastery. Everyone must dismount before being allowed in. If you don't stop, don't blame us..."

He didn't have time to finish his sentence.

Liu Yun, still on horseback, bent down, reached out his right hand, grabbed the young monk's robe by the chest, and tossed him upwards.

The poor monk suddenly flew up four or five zhang high, crying out in the air.

Upon reaching the highest point, he immediately plummeted. It seemed he would be half-crippled if he didn't die from the fall. The poor monk's face turned deathly pale, he was drenched in sweat, and his voice became hoarse.

Just then, two well-dressed female pilgrims with servants came out of the temple and scattered and fled upon seeing the scene.

Only then did Liu Yun calmly extend his left hand and support her in mid-air, absorbing most of the force.

Therefore, the young monk who was greeting guests fell to the ground and spun around twice, getting covered in dirt and his robes were stained with mud, but he was not seriously injured.

The man dared not utter another word, and instead covered his head and scurried away from the temple, shouting, "Fellow practitioners, someone is causing trouble with a knife!"

Liu Yun remained calm and composed, urging his horse to stroll slowly, following at a leisurely pace.

A moment later, several monks emerged from the left and right wing rooms.

The leader was a fat, dark-skinned man with a fierce face. His monk's robe was haphazardly draped over his shoulders, his monastic cap was loosely fastened, and he smelled of perfume. He brandished a naginata and said menacingly, "Who dares to cause trouble at Guangzheng Temple?"

Liu Yun then casually broke off a branch from the tree by the door and rode off towards the man.

The fat, dark-skinned monk also saw Liu Yun and raised his sword to fight. His movements were measured and agile, clearly demonstrating his skill and exuding an aura of slaughter and carnage.

Liu Yun did not dodge, but used the tree branch he had just broken off as a weapon to fight back.

The fat, dark-skinned monk brandished his naginata, ready to strike, but was struck hard in the face. He fell backward as if slapped by a bear's paw, seeing stars and collapsing to the ground, dizzy and unable to get up.

There were several monks behind them, armed with weapons. They had been shouting and making a show of attacking, but when they saw the fat, dark-skinned leader being knocked down, they all panicked and scattered, crying and screaming.

Someone, not paying attention, accidentally bumped into an incense burner by the corridor, scalded his foot, screamed in pain, and hopped desperately on one leg.

The once solemn, ancient, and tranquil temple was suddenly turned into chaos and turmoil.

Unfortunately, there aren't many worshippers inside—because Kwangsei-ji Temple follows the tradition of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei, catering only to the wealthy. Ordinary people only come for weddings and funerals.

Looking at the monks' disheveled figures, Liu Yun suddenly understood the famous saying of the renowned philosopher Lei Laohu: "Win people over with virtue!"

It's truly wonderful to win people over with virtue.

Chapter Twenty-One: Winning People Over with Virtue (Part Two)

Liu Yun remained on horseback, looking around the temple courtyard for a while.

Then, a commotion arose in the distance, and surrounded by a group of monks, an old monk with a kind face and white hair and beard emerged.

Judging from his demeanor, even if he's not the abbot, he must be a high-ranking leader.

The old monk approached and bowed deeply to Liuyun from afar, saying humbly, "Your presence is an honor to our humble temple, and we should have given you a grand welcome. It is all my fault for not managing my subordinates properly, which has led to my disciples not knowing the proper etiquette for entertaining guests. Please forgive any rudeness or disrespect! May I ask your esteemed name?"

Seeing that the other party was so old and so humble, even though Liu Yun had come to cause trouble, he subconsciously became more polite and calmly replied, "My name is Sasaki Liu Yun."

"Oh...oh, so it's Lord Sasaki! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

The old monk initially looked bewildered, clearly not knowing who Sasaki Ryuun was, but he quickly realized who it was, put on an expression of deep admiration and respect, stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said with a fawning smile, "What brings you to our humble temple today?"

Liu Yun, riding proudly on his horse, said, "I've come here specifically to teach you the principles of being a good person."

Upon hearing this, the monks around him were all furious.

But no one dared to utter a sound—the fat, dark-skinned man who had been the first to be hit was still lying on the ground screaming in pain! Nobody was stupid enough to suffer a loss now.

Only the old monk with white hair and beard seemed to suddenly understand, nodded solemnly, and said with a smile, "Lord Sasaki has taken time out of his busy schedule to come to our humble temple to teach us the principles of being a good person. We are truly grateful. I will certainly instruct my disciples to pay full attention, listen carefully, and learn the principles of being a good person."

Liu Yun was stunned for a moment, unsure of what to say.

This old monk is truly patient; he has the ability to endure insults without flinching.