Chapter Seven, The Monk Who Knows When to Give and When to Take

As Yu Furong walked into the garden, she felt an unusual stillness. Since Master Shede had arrived, why was there no sound? Usually, upon entering the back garden, Yu Furong would immediately catch sight of the beautiful figure of Ouyang Xiaodie and hear her gentle voice like a soft breeze and light rain. But now, it was eerily quiet, so quiet that it filled Yu Furong with a sense of fear. "Sister, sister..." Yu Furong called out loudly and anxiously, quickly running towards the northwest direction where several tall and dense cacti grew. The others were startled and hurriedly followed her. Before them stood a rather exquisite small wooden house. Yu Furong was the first to rush into the wooden house, but there was no one inside, neither Master Shede nor Ouyang Xiaodie.

At this moment, Ziyun was very angry. It was already unpleasant that her wedding was being disrupted, and to her surprise, it was a monk who was causing the trouble. Moreover, these monks had come to a brothel to look for another monk. One of them casually remarked, "Oh, I suppose your senior brother is not adhering to the precepts and is currently fooling around with the girls here."

After the three monks of Shaolin and Dharma left, Ren Piaoping looked at Liu Rujun with a ghostly smile and said, "Brother Liu, I have heard that you are quite familiar with the wife of the Zhen Tian Gang's chief steward, Ji Sanniang..." Liu Rujun remained silent for a moment and replied, "What do you want me to do?" Ren Piaoping smiled and said, "Brother Liu knows my intentions, so why not go and see if anything has happened in the Zhen Tian Gang in the past few days?" Ren Piaoping's eyes darted towards Chang Xiaoyu, who was even more straightforward, saying, "Old fox, speak quickly, and let it out if you have something to say." However, Ziyun Xing shot a sideways glance, and Chang Xiaoyu became much more honest. He asked, "What do you want me to do?" Ren Piaoping smiled and said, "Brother Liu knows my intentions, so why not go and see if anything has happened in the Zhen Tian Gang in the past few days?" Ren Piaoping's eyes darted towards Chang Xiaoyu again, who was even more straightforward, saying, "Old fox, speak quickly, and let it out if you have something to say." However, Ziyun Xing shot a sideways glance, and Chang Xiaoyu became much more honest. Seeing this, Ren Piaoping smiled mischievously and said, "Oh, are you scared so soon..." Ren Piaoping deliberately left his sentence unfinished, but Chang Xiaoyu became anxious and said, "Hey, hey, hey, who is scared? Just say it, what is it?" This remark caused Yu Furong and Liu Rujun to burst into laughter, and even Ziyun couldn't help but laugh helplessly. Yu Furong not only admired Ren Piaoping for being able to joke and laugh in such a situation, where her beloved was missing and her best friend's life or death was uncertain. But Chang Xiaoyu became anxious and said, "Hey, hey, hey, who is scared? Just say it, what is it?" This remark caused Yu Furong and Liu Rujun to burst into laughter, and even Ziyun couldn't help but laugh helplessly. Yu Furong not only admired Ren Piaoping for being able to joke and laugh in such a situation, where her beloved was missing and her best friend's life or death was uncertain. Ren Piaoping smiled and said, "You and Ziyun should go to the Longmen Grottoes and ask whose weapon this is." As he spoke, he took out the Buddhist beads that Lianhua had just picked up.

Ren Piaoping did not argue, merely smiling at Yu Furong. Yu Furong, unable to contain her anger or laughter, stamped her foot and said, "Hmph, Ren Piaoping, just you wait!" Then, taking a deep breath, she turned to everyone and said, "Follow me!"

Ren Piaoping spoke and said: "I am hungry"

Yu Furong raised her eyebrows and looked at Ren Piaoping, coldly saying: "The open road is well-constructed, while the secret passage is cleverly utilized; young master, you are indeed a strategist!"

At that moment, Lianhua suddenly said, "Master Ren, please take a look at this." As she spoke, she bent down and picked up a Buddhist bead from under the table, the bead belonging to the monk. Ren Piaoping naturally recognized it; it was merely one bead from a string, and it was evident that the entire string of beads had broken. So, where did the other beads go?

The madam clearly failed to stop them, and Yu Furong instructed the madam to step aside, saying in a soft voice: "Do the three of you know where this place is? Hasn't the monk from Shaolin Temple turned to eating meat?" The sisters of Yajing Pavilion laughed so hard that their waists trembled.

A group of people followed Yu Furong into the back garden, which was filled with various types of cacti, their colorful flowers blooming vibrantly in competition with one another

At this moment, everyone felt a sense of shame in their hearts and could not help but admire Chang Xiaoyu's experience in the martial world. It is said that the three monks of Damo had already gained fame in the martial world twenty years ago, and in recent years, they have rarely appeared in the world, dedicating themselves to practicing martial arts and revering Buddha. The three monks are respectively named Lianchen, Lianhua, and Lianqiu, and they are fellow disciples of the monk Shede. If the three were to join forces, even Ren Piaoping would likely have no absolute chance of victory.

A familiar voice came from the corridor outside the house: "I apologize for disturbing your enjoyment." Upon hearing this voice, Ren Piaoping was overjoyed and flew out of the small wooden house. Standing under the moonlight was none other than Master Shede. Master Shede stood with his back turned, and Ren Piaoping smiled and said, "How are you, big brother? What about Xiao Die?" Master Shede did not turn around but replied, "Don't worry, third brother, Ouyang Xiaodie has already been sent back to the Zhen Tian Gang by me."

The monk Shede was taken aback, leaping back in surprise, and said, "Why have you become so polite?"

Ren Piaoping's eyes were fixed on the jade hairpin on the dressing table, unmoving. He knew that this hairpin was entrusted to the monk Shede for him to present to Ouyang Xiaodie. Yet now it lay there quietly, what could have caused Xiaodie to leave in such a hurry that she even forgot something so important to her... He stepped forward slowly, picked up the hairpin, and held it before his eyes, gazing at it as if he had been looking at it this way since time immemorial

The two individuals waited like this until the last trace of cloud in the sky was consumed by darkness

Ren Piaoping let out a cold smile in her heart, took a step closer to the monk Shede, yet wore a look of joy on her face, saying: "So it seems I owe my elder brother another favor." Before her words had finished, Ren Piaoping lunged forward, twisting her body as her palm formed a claw shape, aiming directly at Shede's face.

At this moment, the three monks of Shaolin, Da Mo, wore serious expressions. Ren Piaoping, seeing this, smiled and said: "Masters, there is no need to worry too much. I believe there are not many in the martial world who can compete with Master Shede. It would be better for you three to return to Shaolin first, and I will have someone notify you as soon as there is news." Lian Qiu, who had intended to say something more, noticed that Ren Piaoping and Master Shede were close friends, and seeing the confidence and smile on Ren Piaoping's face, decided not to speak further.

Yufurong pondered for a moment and said coldly, "In any case, Yajing Pavilion has never hosted any monks; surely the master must be mistaken."

Yufurong was just about to speak, still shy and unsure of how to express herself, when Ren Piaoping had already called out loudly to the outside, "Friend, since you have already arrived, why not share a drink together? How can we let this beautiful moonlight and fine wine go to waste?"

At this moment, Yu Furong finally understood that Master Shede and Ren Piaoping were friends across generations, a fact well-known throughout the martial world. It was clear that the person Master Shede wished to meet was none other than the one Ren Piaoping longed to see—Ouyang Xiaodie

However, Yu Furong did not speak; she did not know what to say, nor did she know where to begin. At this moment, her heart was in turmoil, and she had never anticipated that things would develop to this current state. She was also waiting, waiting for Ren Piaoping to speak.

Everyone was searching for other prayer beads inside and outside the small wooden cabin, but they found nothing. Suddenly, Ren Piaoping leaped up and landed on the beam of the house. When everyone looked up, they saw that the roof was densely embedded with rows of prayer beads, the monk's prayer beads. Ren Piaoping immediately took one and placed it in her bosom before jumping down.

In fact, there was nothing much to prepare; the ready-made food and drinks had just been heated and were now placed in front of Ren Piaoping. Ren Piaoping was indeed very hungry, and he did not let Yu Furong serve him, but rather ate alone without any pretense of politeness. However, Yu Furong did not show any sign of blaming him; instead, like a wife, she poured wine and served dishes for her husband who had worked hard all day. Outside the window, a bright moon cast a charming silver glow into the small wooden house, while unknown insects chirped joyfully outside. Wasn't all of this exactly what Yu Furong had desired? What could she possibly blame him for?

However, at this moment, the three monks are standing inside the gate of Yajing Pavilion

Ren Piaoping initially thought she would be angry, as she had not spoken for a long time. Stealing a glance at Yu Furong, he saw her pouring wine for him, her expression so focused, her delicate cheeks radiating such tenderness and sweetness. It was clear that his own wife was serving him. In that moment, the wayward spirit cultivated over eight years of wandering was completely melted away, and he found it hard to swallow the food in his mouth.

Yu Furong and Liu Rujun were secretly astonished, as the monk demonstrated a mastery of control in both greeting and receiving gifts, clearly indicating that his skills had reached a level of effortless execution. While Ziyun was still in a state of shock, Chang Xiaoyu smiled and said: "Chang Xiaoyu has met the three monks of Dharma, thank you for your compassion, Master"

After Ren Piaoping and the others arrived in Luoyang, they did not go directly to Yajing Pavilion, but first found an inn to rest. During this time, Ren Piaoping quietly made a trip to Shaolin Temple alone. Ren Piaoping believed that Yu Furong first tested her martial arts skills with Liu Rujun at the restaurant, then intentionally revealed her identity at Yajing Pavilion to lure her to Chang'an, and later had someone steal the letter at the gambling house. She knew that Murong Qiuyue needed the letter to verify its authenticity, as those two letters were definitely not written by Murong Qiuyue. Ultimately, she was certain that she would not kill Murong Qiuyue, so she arranged for Liu Rujun to follow along and seize the opportunity to kill Murong Qiuyue. Therefore, Ren Piaoping believed that Ouyang Xiaodie must still be at Yajing Pavilion in Luoyang, but she could not rashly act to rescue her, as she was currently in a precarious situation. Moreover, she was very curious as to why Yu Furong, having avenged her family, had not yet released Xiaodie. The biggest problem was that Yu Furong's martial arts were simply no match for Xiaodie. Thus, Ren Piaoping entrusted the monk Shed and the three monks of Dharma to secretly investigate Xiaodie's whereabouts while she kept Yu Furong occupied, not expecting that this would lead to the unfolding of the romance between Chang Xiaoyu and Ziyun.

Chang Xiaoyu realized that trouble was imminent upon hearing this, and urgently shouted, "Ziyun, do not be disrespectful!" However, it was too late. The leading monk said, "My apologies, my apologies." He bowed to Ziyun, while the others did not notice anything unusual. Ziyun suddenly felt as if she had been struck by a heavy object in the chest. She immediately focused her energy to resist, but unexpectedly, that force suddenly vanished. Unable to regain her balance, Ziyun stumbled forward for three steps, at which point Chang Xiaoyu had already supported her.

Yu Furong felt a buzzing in her head, her mind blank. In a state of panic, she searched frantically around the now empty cabin. The second person to enter was Ren Piaoping, and Yu Furong did not even dare to look at him. She could not imagine what kind of gaze Ren Piaoping would cast upon her at this moment, nor could she guess what his expression would be like. She resembled a little girl who had done something wrong, gently biting her lower lip, her head lowered as she stared at her shoes, yet her pretty face was filled with endless grievance. Ren Piaoping was neither angry nor did he speak, and he did not even glance at Yu Furong. It was as if she had suddenly fallen into an ice cellar, feeling cold from head to toe. If someone is still angry with you, scolding or blaming you, it at least indicates that they care about you; however, if someone ignores you completely, it suggests that you do not exist in their eyes.

No one knows what these three monks intend to do, but everyone can see that their arrival is not a good sign. After all, this is Yajing Pavilion, the largest brothel in Luoyang, and monks certainly do not come to a brothel

The leading monk, neither warm nor cold, said: "Monks do not eat meat; we are merely here to seek our senior brother."

Ziyun suddenly said: "Will Sister Ouyang return to Zhen Tian Bang?" Upon hearing this, Ren Piaoping felt a wave of confusion in her heart. Could it be that Xiaodie had never been kidnapped at all?

Liu Rujun, Chang Xiaoyu, and Ziyun have already left. In the small cabin, only Ren Piaoping and Yu Furong remain. Ren Piaoping sits silently in a chair, his eyes fixed on the exceptionally red cactus flowers under the setting sun, his expression unusually calm. He is waiting, waiting for Yu Furong to speak.

Lian Chen replied in a low voice: "Senior brother is willing to let the monk just now say that he is going to Yajing Pavilion to meet a friend, and has informed us to wait for one hour. If there are any changes, we are to immediately join him."

At that moment, Yu Furong raised her eyebrows and glanced at Ren Piaoping. Their eyes met, and Yu Furong, feeling shy, exuded an enchanting charm, while Ren Piaoping, overwhelmed with shame, felt utterly embarrassed, only managing to swallow the mouthful of rice.

Everyone was left in a state of confusion. Wasn't that Buddhist bead precisely the one belonging to the monk Shede? Ren Piaoping smiled mysteriously and took out the Buddhist bead he had just retrieved from the rooftop. Upon comparison, everyone noticed that the bead from the rooftop had a hole for threading, while the other did not. Suddenly, with a flick of her wrist, the bead without a hole shot out with a sharp whistling sound, spinning rapidly as it flew towards a cactus in front of the door. Just as the bead was about to strike the cactus, a sound erupted, and dozens of silver needles, as fine as cow hair, shot out from the bead, all piercing into the cactus. In an instant, the cactus changed from green to yellow and then to black, clearly dead. Witnessing this, everyone couldn't help but gasp in shock at the lethal nature of the hidden weapon. Ren Piaoping could only speculate about the origin of this bead, never expecting it to be so mysterious and powerful.

The jade hibiscus seems to awaken from a dream, saying: "Look at me, truly, I will have the servants prepare it right away."

Yu Furong replied decisively: "It is impossible, she has not yet met the person she wishes to see." Her gaze had already turned towards Ren Piaoping, who couldn't help but be startled. Could it be that all of this was because Xiaodie wanted to see her?