Chapter 619: Chapter 358: Disaster

You don’t know?

This answer was utterly unacceptable to the white-browed elder monk, and he could not tolerate it. Just what did he think the Scripture Library was? How could one not remember the days spent in such a sacred place? Did he stay there for several years and thus forget the time? How absurd.

“What do you mean by ‘you don’t know’?”

“I was immersed in the true meaning of the scriptures and neglected the passage of time, hence I do not remember.”

With an honest and earnest tone, Feng Qing’an told the truth. However, on hearing his words, the old monk’s snow-white eyebrows began to tremble with rage.

“Which scriptures did you read in the Scripture Library?”

“Well, that’s hard to say!”

Feng Qing’an showed a troubled expression on his face.

“What’s difficult about it?”

“Too many to tell all at once. It would probably take several days and nights.”

“Several days and nights?”

The old monk, who had a face as rosy as a baby’s, now looked as black as a frying pan, for he was becoming furious. He was using his Divine Power and, according to his judgment, this young man in front of him, who seemed to be trifling with him, was not lying.

“Indeed, there are too many to mention one by one. I think it’s unnecessary to do so.”

Feng Qing’an sincerely articulated his thoughts: he was amazed at the variety of Buddhist scriptures he had read and the sheer volume of their contents.

Even though these scriptures were generally straightforward to read, Feng Qing’an couldn’t help being influenced after reading such a large number. He became calm and composed, and his every action seemed to carry the spirit of Zen.

Of course, this influence could easily be shaken off. Perhaps within a year, Feng Qing’an could break free from this state and return to his original self.

“This poor monk deems it necessary.”

The old monk’s face was now so black it couldn’t get any blacker. Never in his dreams did he think he would encounter such a situation, where a young boy brought by the Buddhas’ son had flipped through countless scriptures in the temple’s Scripture Library.

“Master, you seem perturbed.”

Feng Qing’an was not showing any signs of joy or sorrow; his tone was calm and unhurried. At this moment, their roles seemed to have been reversed: Feng Qing’an seemed to be the accomplished monk who had gained enlightenment through years of studying scriptures, and the monk before him seemed to be merely flesh bound by worldly desires.

“Benefactor, this place is still sacred ground for our monastery. Please understand my position. We must discern which scriptures you have read, and then decide how to deal with the situation.”

“Alright, I’ll just mention a few then.”

Feng Qing’an found the expression on the old monk’s face rather amusing. Thanks to his elder brother’s Divine Power, he had a new understanding and feeling. After a moment of thought, he casually named more than ten scriptures.

“The Diamond Sutra, Mahayana Unified Essence Sutra, Lotus Sutra, Mahavairocana Tantra, Sutra of Observing Bhaisajyaguru Tathagata…”

“?”

Upon hearing the names of the scriptures Feng Qing’an had recited, though the old monk was certain that the young man in front of him wasn’t lying, he still asked incredulously.

“Did you read all of these?”

“What I have read is not just these; they just form a part of all the scriptures I have read.”

Feng Qing’an corrected.

“And how much do you remember the benefactor?”

“I remember every single word.”

The young man replied, laughing.

“Amitabha!”

The old monk lowered his head and chanted a Buddha’s name to suppress his turbulent emotions.

Normally, if a thief who tried to steal the essential scriptures of the temple was caught, he was expected to take immediate action, seize the thief and it was even permissible to kill him directly as a violation of the precepts.

However, looking at the face of the young man in front of him, he felt compelled to restrain himself and had no intention of taking any action.

“Benefactor, do you know what you have done?”

“Of course. But my elder brother told me to read casually and not to worry about anything else. He said that once I finished reading, I would be qualified to travel anywhere in the world and could leave here.”

“I beg for the benefactor’s understanding, but I fear that you cannot leave this temple just yet.”

The white-browed elder monk didn’t bother asking who the ‘elder brother’ mentioned by the young man in front of him was. Aside from their temple’s Buddha’s son, Fayuan, who else could have such Divine Power?

He quietly sent someone unrelated to the Buddhist Gate into the Scripture Library, but did not alert anybody until the person had finished reading everything and walked out. He was only able to see him then.

He could even guess that it was probably because the Buddha’s son couldn’t be bothered to exert his Divine Power. That’s why he was able to see this. If the Buddha’s son persisted, he might not even know that someone had flipped through the most important inheritance of their temple.

“Does the master wish to capture me?”

“Amitabha! This poor monk… You may wander around our temple at ease. After I have discussed the matter with the other monks, we will make a decision. The issue involves the Buddha’s son of our temple, and I cannot handle it alone.”

The young man standing before his eyes obviously had a very close relationship with their Buddha’s son. That’s why the white-browed old monk didn’t dare to make any decisions or judgments rashly.

He didn’t want to have any conflicts or contradictions of any kind with his temple’s Buddha’s son and create any karma.

His cultivation to his current state wasn’t easy. Although he was given the responsibility of guarding the Scripture Library, his responsibility, for the most part, was to fulfill his duty diligently. At critical moments, he had to turn a blind eye.

“I can wander around your temple?”

Feng Qing’an’s expression showed a hint of surprise. Because the cultivation technique he held, “The Great Zhou Heavenly Star Inhaling Art,” had undergone earth-shaking changes after he had recited many scriptures. It was drastically different from before.