The Great Bandit of Journey to the West

Chapter 96 Sharing Experiences with Incense Money

Chapter 96 Sharing Experiences with Incense Money

Jiang Feng arrived at the gate of Guanyin Temple and stopped to look around. He saw towering halls and pavilions, a tall bell tower and a majestic pagoda.

The road is lined with towering pines and cypresses, and the garden is filled with blooming flowers. At first glance, it looks like the home of a wealthy and powerful family.

The temple's main gate is built of white marble, and a couplet is inscribed on both sides of the stone gate. The first line reads: "The upper temple's garden is hidden in a verdant nest, and the scenic beauty of the temple rivals that of the Buddha."

The second line is: Indeed, pure lands are few in the human world, and famous mountains are mostly occupied by monks.

Upon seeing this couplet, Jiang Feng burst out laughing: "Are all the monks in the temple illiterate? The second line is so obviously insulting to monks, and you can't even see it? And it was even accepted!"

Hearing the commotion at the mountain gate, a group of monks came out from inside.

The monks were all dressed in the same manner, wearing hats with left-hand hairpins, robes without blemishes, double earrings with copper rings, and silk belts around their waists.

This outfit alone would cost at least a dozen strings of copper coins, enough for an ordinary family of three to eat and drink for two or three months.

Sha Wujing sized up the monks' attire and then looked at the monastery's decor, exclaiming, "Master, these monks are really rich!"

Jiang Feng curled his lip in disdain: "Does this count as being rich? You don't know how wealthy I am."

The temple where I reside has dozens of branch temples, tens of thousands of monks' quarters, 200,000 hectares of fertile land, and more than 300,000 tenant households.

My daily tax revenue alone could build several Zen temples of this size!

Sha Wujing stared in disbelief, then gasped after a long pause, "So it seems you're really rich, Master!"

Jiang Feng smiled slightly and said very kindly, "It's good that you know, Wujing. You and I are the best of friends in the world. As long as you don't try to trick me into wearing the golden headband again, all my property will be yours to inherit!"

Sha Wujing was taken aback: "How did you know I was planning to trick you into wearing the golden headband?"

Jiang Feng's expression instantly changed, and he chuckled sinisterly, "Hehe, I tricked you into revealing yourself!"

Sha Wujing: "————"

Is this thieving monk's scheme really that sophisticated?

At this moment, a group of monks approached.

From the monks' perspective, the three people in front of them were radiating jewels, their bodies adorned with various precious gems. Jiang Feng, in particular, exuded a faint Buddhist aura, his attire resembling that of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, giving off a feeling of gentle warmth and sacred inviolability.

With just one glance at Jiang Feng, the monks felt as if they heard chanting in their ears, which involuntarily captivated them.

After a moment, Jiang Feng secretly pressed the sound transmission stone hidden in his sleeve, and the chanting immediately stopped.

The leading monk snapped out of his daze and quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully: "This humble monk is Guangzhi. May I ask your Dharma name, Holy Monk, and what brings you here?"

Jiang Feng wore a faint smile: "This humble monk is Sui Sanzang, on my way to the Western Paradise to retrieve Buddhist scriptures, following the imperial decree of the Emperor of the Great Sui Dynasty. Passing through your esteemed temple, I would like to request lodging for the night. Would you be so kind as to grant me this favor?"

Guangzhi hurriedly said, "It is an honor for our temple to have the Holy Monk grace us with his presence. Guangmou, please go and invite the abbot. I will take the Holy Monk to the meditation room to rest."

After saying that, he smiled and led Jiang Feng and his group to the meditation room, where he arranged for tea and fruit to be served.

After a moment, a monk wearing a golden robe and with an old face entered the meditation room. After glancing at Jiang Feng, he bowed with a smile and said, "This humble monk is Jin Chi, and greets the Holy Monk of the Great Sui Dynasty."

Jiang Feng nodded slightly: "This humble monk, Jiang Feng, greets Elder Jinchi."

Elder Jinchi smiled and took his seat. He glanced at the tea on the table, frowned, and said, "Guangzhi, go and change the tea."

Such ordinary items are hardly fit to entertain a holy monk!

Guangzhi immediately accepted the order, instructing the young novice to take the tea and fruit away, while he personally fetched the gold-inlaid enamelware and replaced it with fine tea and snacks.

Elder Jinchi stared intently at Jiang Feng, especially when he saw the cassock he was wearing, his eyes flashing with greedy light.

"What a fine robe! What a fine robe! I have lived for two hundred and seventy years and collected more than seven hundred robes, yet none of them can compare to this robe of the holy monk. I am truly ashamed!"

Jiang Feng snorted coldly: "Of course, this brocade cassock of mine was bestowed by Buddha and personally delivered to me by Guanyin Bodhisattva. How can it be compared to any earthly object!"

Elder Jinchi exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, so this robe has such a history! I am truly envious!"

Jiang Feng took a sip of tea with a smug look on his face and said slowly, "You weren't blessed by Buddha, probably because your temple doesn't have enough donations."

Elder Jinchi retorted, "My Guanyin Temple is thriving, with monthly donations exceeding a hundred strings of cash. We also have wealthy benefactors who can donate dozens of taels of gold at a time!"

Such a number cannot be considered small.

Jiang Feng scoffed, "A mere hundred strings of cash for incense oil? You think you can even bring that up? This humble monk could extort—cough, could beg a powerful family for ten thousand acres of fertile land in one go! If you were Buddha, to whom would you bestow your robe?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Jinchi's eyes immediately dimmed, and he said with a sigh, "As expected, the monks of the Great Sui Dynasty are still ruthless. Ten thousand hectares of fertile land—I wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing in my dreams!"

Jiang Feng smiled faintly: "So, we still need to find a way to get the rich to contribute more money for incense offerings, so they can eat their fill in one go. That's the true Dharma of Buddhism!"

Elder Jinchi nodded in deep agreement, stood up, and bowed to Jiang Feng, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Holy Monk. I have learned a great deal!"

Bai Suzhen: "————"

No, is that right?

Is the true Dharma of Buddhism just a way to trick rich people into paying more for incense and donations?

Whoever earns the most money is a saint?!

While Bai Suzhen was in a state of utter confusion, Elder Jinchi glanced at the brocade cassock with a look of reluctance.

"Holy Monk, I have been practicing Buddhism for over two hundred years, and I have never seen the robe bestowed by the Buddha so closely before. If I could wear it for even one night, I would die without regret."

Jiang Feng took off his cassock and handed it to me, saying generously, "Take it and wear it, just return it to me before you leave tomorrow!"

Elder Jinchi, beaming with joy, presented the brocade robe with both hands and bowed deeply to Jiang Feng once more: "Thank you for your compassion, Holy Monk! Thank you, Holy Monk—Guangzhi! Quickly arrange meals and lodging for the Holy Monk, treat him with the utmost care!"

Guangzhi dared not delay upon hearing this, and led Jiang Feng and the others to the side room, where he had someone serve an extremely sumptuous vegetarian meal.

The table was laden with a dazzling array of mountain delicacies and various pastries, which surprised even Bai Suzhen.

"Deep-fried matsutake mushrooms, ginseng soup, lingzhi mushrooms, and monkey head mushrooms? I've lived in the mountains for a thousand years, and this is the first time I've ever had such a sumptuous vegetarian meal!"

Jiang Feng rolled his eyes: "You're a snake demon. You probably spent the last few hundred years of your cultivation catching and eating rats every day. What kind of vegetarian food could you possibly have?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Suzhen immediately raised her eyebrows in displeasure.

"Field mouse, it's a field mouse, don't you understand! If you slander me again, I'll bite you!"

Seeing her anxious, Jiang Feng quickly coughed and changed the subject, saying, "Wujing, hurry up and eat. I suspect that shady monk is trying to harm someone. After you finish eating, go over and eavesdrop on their plan!"

"knew!"

Sha Wujing responded, lowered his head and ate most of the food on the table, let out a burp, and then sat down to rest with his eyes closed.

Jiang Feng frowned, and seeing that he hadn't moved for a long time, he couldn't help but urge, "Wujing, why don't you go already!"

Upon hearing this, Sha Wujing suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Master, that improper monk spoke!"

He said, "Wujing, why don't you go already!"

Jiang Feng: "???"

>