Chapter 2: The Void

Please arrange it, Senior Brother Xuanxin. Xuan Ku replied earnestly

For him, feelings of shame and frustration are trivial matters; the real issue is the exposure of the fact that he has borrowed a corpse to return to life

You all look like starving ghosts reincarnated

Zhenhui's doubts were instantly dispelled, and she nodded earnestly: "Senior brother, I will take my leave now"

According to Uncle Ma Lian, this jade Buddha was given by an unnamed old monk. However, since no lord has taken it away, it is likely not an ordinary item, so it is better to keep it close to oneself. Meng Qi reattached the jade Buddha pendant to his chest, keeping it close and hidden, and then gathered his jade pendant, clothing, and other belongings, placing them under the chosen sleeping area.

Surrounded by strangers, Meng Qi did not dare to ask too many questions and closely followed behind the two monks in yellow robes, Xuan Ku and Xuan Cang, as they turned into a nearby courtyard

After a few movements, he shouted loudly: "Hey, junior apprentice, wait for me!"

After explaining all these matters, he and Xuanzang left the "Miscellaneous Courtyard" with this group of young monks

Who are these two people! Meng Qi cursed again in his heart, then turned to Zhen Hui and said: "Junior brother, are you ready? It's time for dinner!"

The monk ... Meng Qi pretended to look straight ahead, following the swaying Xuanxin into the meditation room

He lightly tapped his left palm with the ruler in his right hand: "Follow me to the storeroom for ordination, to receive the monk's robe, Buddhist scriptures, and other matters. In the future, if you diligently cultivate yourself, there will certainly be opportunities to study the profound Buddhist scriptures and martial arts in the Bodhi and Damo academies."

What is your name, Senior Brother? Meng Qi glanced at the somewhat dull Zhen Hui and decided to take the initiative to establish a good "roommate relationship".

The child's long black hair underwent a dramatic transformation, visibly changing to a withered yellow at a speed perceptible to Meng Qi, falling to the ground like autumn leaves. In less than two breaths, the child had truly become a little novice monk

Once all the children had paid their respects to the Buddha, Xuan Ku joined his hands in prayer, solemnly bowing to the Buddha statue with the * picture * book in hand, reciting "Namo Amitabha Buddha." Then, he approached a child and gently placed his right hand on the child's head.

He is referring specifically to Mengqi and Zhenhui

Xuan Ku turned his head to glance at Xuan Zang, saying nothing further. Instead, he spoke earnestly to Meng Qi, Zhen Hui, and the other young monks: "I have arranged for you to stay in the miscellaneous duties courtyard because each of you has your own issues. If you can resolve them on your own and refine your character, there may well be opportunities in the future to enter the Martial Monk Academy, the Dharma Academy, or even the Bodhi Academy."

When it was Meng Qi's turn, he lowered his head and silently recited the names of the Buddha and the Daoist ancestors, mourning the hair that was about to part ways with him

Meng Qi, by a stroke of luck, tried hard to make his expression as blank as Zhen Hui's, so as not to be seen through by Xuan Cang, revealing that he was not as dejected and sad as he appeared.

Although there were people in the room, Meng Qi, who often relaxed shirtless in the dormitory during university, felt no discomfort and quickly removed his clothes, changing into a monk's robe

Is there also a Dharma here? Meng Qi was momentarily taken aback, but Xuan Ku did not give him time to ponder, directly passing through the children and walking towards the outside of the hall

What kind of martial arts is this? It is truly amazing! Meng Qi was both astonished and excited, wondering if he would have the opportunity to learn such martial arts in the future

As for Zhen Ying, he simply closed his eyes and continued to sleep

Zhen Hui suddenly stopped at the door, turned to look at Meng Qi, her face full of confusion: "Senior Brother, aren't you going?"

He quietly expressed his gratitude for the simplicity of the monk's robe, which spared him from embarrassment, while simultaneously inspecting the items on his person that he had not had the time to examine earlier

After responding, he fell silent, even turning his head away from Mengqi and Zhenhui, leaving Mengqi with no opportunity to develop the topics aimed at fostering a closer relationship.

He only mentioned two of the penalties, namely the lightest and the heaviest, while the others include forced labor, copying scriptures, corporal punishment, and wall-facing, among others

Meng Qi carefully examined the thumb-sized jade Buddha, noticing its compassionate expression, vividly lifelike, clearly a remarkable piece of craftsmanship. At the same time, it felt delicate to the touch, both warm and giving a refreshing sensation.

Suddenly, a wave of melancholy surged in his heart. Others have junior female disciples, but why do I only have a junior male disciple, and it is foreseeable that there will not be a junior female disciple in the future either

Xuan Zang shook his head and sighed, saying: "My martial arts have been destroyed, and it would be inappropriate for me to mislead the younger generation. How could I dare to take on disciples? Brother Xuan Xin, I trouble you to arrange for them to share a room with Zhen Ying and Zhen Guan"

The robe of this body is intricately woven and made of a light and soft material. Even though Meng Qi may not be knowledgeable about goods, he can still discern its considerable value. At the same time, a translucent jade pendant hangs from his waist, and around his neck is a small jade Buddha pendant tied with a red cord, resting closely against his chest, cool and comfortable.

"Yes, Master Xuan Ku. " The children all responded in unison to Zhen De, and then one by one, they knelt on the mats and bowed their heads to the golden statue of the Buddha above.

After watching Xuan Ku and Xuan Cang leave, Xuan Xin twisted his body, causing the layers of fat to jiggle: "Finally gone, I dread seeing that iron-faced ghost the most"

"Ah, Brother Xuan Ku, Brother Xuan Cang, you have arrived so early?" A stout monk at the entrance greeted them with a broad smile, similarly dressed in yellow robes, but with a slanted collar and a protruding belly

In this temple, those wearing gray robes are the general monks, those in yellow robes are the officiating monks of each hall, and those in yellow robes with red kasayas are the abbot, the heads of each hall, and the elders... Along the way, Xuan Ku tirelessly imparted "temple knowledge" to the young novices, only becoming silent again once Zhen De and the others entered the "Martial Monk Academy"

At this moment, Xuan Cang, who had been working on the sawed gourd, suddenly spoke up: "Is Zhen Ying, Zhen Guan still in the miscellaneous work courtyard?"

This silly little fellow is still the best! Meng Qi secretly sighed and decided to play the role of a senior brother to help Zhen Hui: "Junior brother, let me just call you junior brother, come on, let's change into our monk robes first"

Xuan Ku walked up to each child, removing their hair, while continuously uttering the same words

He thought I was pleading with him... Meng Qi quietly breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that he had passed this hurdle. Unless his parents who abandoned this body, or the uncle with the horse face, came looking for him, he should not be seen through. If another ten or eight years passed, it would be even less likely for anyone to suspect him, as childhood memories are easily forgotten.

"Yes, Master Xuan Ku. " Meng Qi and the other young monks replied in unison

Xuan Ku furrowed his brows and clasped his hands together with utmost seriousness, saying: "Namo Amitabha, Brother Xuanxin, how can you be so lazy?"

Meng Qi was suddenly embarrassed, was it possible that only he was relatively normal here

However, if one continues to be deceitful and slippery, lazy and indulgent, with a restless disposition and an inability to endure hardship, I will not conceal this and will certainly report it to the Disciplinary Institute for appropriate punishment

He openly expressed his thoughts, demonstrating his frankness and lack of ulterior motives, causing the face of the elder Xuanxin beside him to flush slightly.

Meng Qi's secret delight was interrupted, and his pride turned into embarrassment and anger. The gazes of Zhen De and the other young monks were both surprised and disdainful, reminiscent of elementary school students trying to distance themselves from a bad classmate. Only Zhen Hui, nicknamed "Fang Aqi," stared blankly at the golden Buddha statue in front of him, appearing as if he were lost in another world.

He turned around and ran away.

A broad and sturdy palm gently brushed against Meng Qi's head, causing strands of withered hair to fall before his eyes. This filled him with sorrow, nearly overwhelming him, for he had fallen deeply in love with the mortal world and had never contemplated becoming a monk.

The stout monk Xuanxin was already familiar with Xuanku's temperament, and he said without any anger: "Ah, you are too attached to appearances, is this for the disciples of our miscellaneous work courtyard?"

Xuan Zang still wore a face full of bitterness, his eyes filled with despair. After sensing Meng Qi's gaze and the light of the picture and book, he gently shook his head: "Namo Amitabha, everything shall be determined by the decision of Brother Xuan Ku."

A group of people walked further and further off the path, surrounded by green trees both inside and outside the yellow walls, with few Buddhist temples in sight. After quite a while, Meng Qicai finally spotted a mottled and old courtyard.

"Zhen Ying, Zhen Guan, this is your junior brother Zhen Ding, Zhen Hui." After Xuan Xin pointed to Meng Qi and Zhen Hui, he turned around and led the other young monks to another meditation room

All worries have dissipated, and the mundane world is far away. Xuan Ku solemnly uttered these words, his rich voice resonating in the tranquil Buddhist hall

Meng Qi's heart raced violently for a moment. This was the first time Xuan Cang had taken action to arrange his own affairs. Could it be that the two monks, Zhen Ying and Zhen Guan, possess some special qualities that could assist him?

After the profound suffering and the disappearance of clarity, Meng Qi's conviction remains steadfast; he is determined to return to secular life in the future

After questioning the remaining children, the broad-faced and big-eared Xuan Ku, along with Meng Qi and Zhen Hui, entered the Miscellaneous Servants' Courtyard, making a total of six people, while the others were assigned to the Martial Monks' Courtyard

Alright! As soon as Zhenhui's voice fell, a small figure darted to the door like a rabbit, as if it could no longer bear the hunger

He did not imply it; he stated it directly

On the mat, two gray-clad monks, one lying down and the other sitting, both in their twenties. The one lying down has a vacant expression, lost in thought and speechless, while the one sitting has deeply furrowed brows and speaks in a cold tone: "Just leave your luggage under the mat, if you want water, go to the courtyard and fetch it from the water tank"

Compared to this, entering the servant quarters is merely a trivial matter

Once you have learned the characters at the "Lecture Institute," you will be able to recite the precepts and morning chants of this temple. Before that, I will briefly explain the main precepts of this temple: 1. Do not deceive your teacher or betray your ancestors; 2. Do not allow or secretly learn martial arts; 3. Do not kill; 4. Do not consume alcohol; 5. Abstain from meat and pungent spices; 6. Do not break the precept against lust... Xuan Ku repeatedly emphasized the main precepts that must be followed... In the end, he solemnly and earnestly stated: "Those who violate these precepts will face reprimand for minor offenses, and for serious offenses, their martial arts will be revoked and they will be expelled from this temple"

At that moment, Zhen Ying, who had been in a deep sleep, suddenly turned over and sat up, quickly putting on his shoes and heading out, leaving Meng Qi in a daze, unable to comprehend what had just happened

Subconsciously, Meng Qi turned his head slightly to look at Xuan Cang beside him, wondering if he had noticed any clues

Still here, still here! The plump monk Xuanxin said with confusion: "Brother Xuan藏, what are you asking them for? Do you intend to take them as disciples?"

He was unwilling to entangle himself with Xuan Ku on this issue and directly pointed at Meng Qi and the others

Hey! ... I was just joking, no need to take it seriously ... . ... Meng Qi's mouth was half open

The sound of the mysterious bell resonated like a suddenly struck chime, causing Meng Qi to tremble all over, his mind becoming clear and tranquil

It is time for dinner," Zhen Guan said coldly, and he also got off the bunk and walked towards the door

The person sitting coldly said: "True observation"

Inside the meditation room, there is a mat that can accommodate seven or eight people for sleeping, and there is nothing else.

You are not considered formally initiated; you only need to pay homage to the Buddha and have your name recorded after shaving your head

All worries dissipate, and the mundane world is left behind

"Yes, Senior Brother," Zhenhui called out without any difficulty

You do have a bit of conscience, understanding to wait for me! Meng Qi thought to himself, and then replied half-jokingly: "I am not as hungry as you all."

What kind of people are these! Meng Qi secretly scorned them in his heart, but on the surface, he smiled and said to Zhen Hui: "Junior Brother Zhen Hui, I am Zhen Ding, you can just call me Senior Brother from now on."

Haha, Brother Xuanzang, how could I, as your junior, dare to say a word of 'trouble' regarding the matters you entrusted to me? Such trivial matters, why need it be so?

After paying homage to the Buddha and undergoing tonsure, following the naming of the monk, Xuan Ku instructed several gray-robed monks to take the group of children to the backyard to receive their respective items—two sets of gray monk robes, two pairs of shoes and socks, the "Shaolin Precepts," and the "Twelve Morning Prayers" among others