"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and lightning; one should view them in this way...
Then he heard Master Kong muttering a sentence, and then he looked at Shui Menghan and sighed: "Love in the world is all shackles... Female donor, you are too persistent."
After hearing this, Shui Menghan turned around, clasped his hands together and returned the greeting, but his face showed no emotion: "Master Liaokong."
However, it is not a ritual of respecting Buddha, but a ritual for the younger generation.
"Amitabha..." Liaokong wanted to say more, but Shui Menghan slowly shook her head and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Master. But since you have already entered the Buddhist world, how can you understand the obsession that you can't let go of... I have already chosen Xiao Lang for this life, so you don't need to persuade me anymore."
"..." Hearing this, Liao Kong's eyes showed a complex emotion, which seemed to be admiration, regret, and a hint of kindness from an elder... After a moment of silence, he said: "Amitabha, in this case, what are the plans of the female donor next?"
Hearing this, Shui Menghan also showed a confused look on her face, but after a moment, she gradually became determined...
She opened her cherry lips slightly, but as if with a resounding voice, she spoke out a vow that was enough to shock the world...
"I will go to Xuanmen and cancel the engagement!"
Hearing this, even Liao Kong, who had practiced Buddhism for many years, was startled and frowned. Then, he shook his head slowly: "Female donor, this is too unwise."
"... I know this is too risky, but I... can't take another step back!" Shui Menghan's pretty face seemed to be covered with frost, and she said coldly: "The master of Xuanmen is pressing me step by step, and has already specifically asked me to marry the young master of Xuanmen... I can no longer tolerate it!"
"Just because he couldn't get his master back then, he wants to make up for this regret in the next generation, so that his Tao heart can be perfect? Humph, that's wishful thinking! Does he think that he can dominate everything just because he is in charge of Xuanmen?"
"It's their business to give in. I won't let them do as they wish!"
It seemed as if years of grievances had burst forth, or as if Luo Kong in front of her was one of the few elders she could rely on and trust... Shui Menghan's face showed annoyance, and she blurted out many "disrespectful" words like a drumstick.
"I will never marry someone I have never met before. Moreover, I will not marry anyone but Xiao Lang in this life, so how can I allow the Master of Xuanmen to interfere in my marriage!"
"Besides... I heard that the 'young master of Xuanmen' is surrounded by beautiful women. Let's not talk about anything else, just talk about my silly cousin... Humph, he already has a cousin Yuxi, but he still wants to provoke me. How greedy!"
"He wants to use the power of Xuanmen to marry me, but has he ever thought about how my cousin Yuxi would feel? This shows that he is simply a pervert. He wants me, probably just to satisfy... humph, those disgusting thoughts of men!"
"How can I marry such a guy! No, the marriage contract with the 'Young Master of Xuanmen' is simply a shame for me!"
Tingshui Menghan kept complaining, but Liaokong said nothing, just listened quietly, as if a loving elder was listening to his niece complaining...
When Shui Menghan's emotions stabilized a little, Liao Kong looked at her and said, "Amitabha... Female donor, I only have one question for you."
"Do you really know that young master of Xuanmen?"
Shui Menghan frowned upon hearing this and turned her head away: "How could I know about that lecher..."
"Where did the female donor hear that?"
“…Xiaoya told me.”
“… I see.” This was a bit unclear, but Liaokong showed a look of sudden realization. Seeing his expression, Shui Menghan became more annoyed: “Master Liaokong, Xiaoya is familiar with Xuanmen disciple Su Yufei. The information she found out cannot be wrong. Three years ago, the young master of Xuanmen returned to Xuanmen, and then, then he…”
"Xuanmen Su Yufei..." Hearing this, Liaokong was not "convinced" but showed an expression of complete enlightenment, "It's that 'interesting' boy? No wonder... This makes sense."
"Master Liaokong!" Shui Menghan was about to stomp her feet!
Lekong shook his head slowly and said calmly, "Let's not talk about that. I just want to ask you, female donor, have you ever really come into contact with the young master of Xuanmen? What are his actions that you have witnessed with your own eyes?"
"... I have never met him..." Shui Menghan avoided her gaze, "I only know his last name is Chu, and he is the eleventh disciple of the master of Xuanmen..."
"Since you don't know much, how can you be sure that this man is not a good match?" Liaokong said, "The Lord of Xuanmen is above the clouds, and his every move has its own deep meaning. Apart from other things, the Ten Shuras of Xuanmen are already unrivaled by the talents of the same generation in the world... And the Lord of Xuanmen did not choose the ten Shuras who have followed him for many years, but instead chose a new disciple to be the future Lord of Xuanmen... This shows that this person must have something extraordinary."
“… Humph, I was almost tricked by the master!”
Hearing this, Shui Menghan was silent for only a moment, then her face turned cold, "Even if the 'Young Master of Xuanmen' is indeed not an ordinary person, so what? The Master of Xuanmen has determined that I will have a happy marriage with that person, which is ultimately absurd!"
"My heart already belongs to someone, and I have made a promise to you for my whole life... I am not like those mediocre women in the secular world who change their minds every day!"
Shui Menghan looked into the air and said with a firm expression: "Isn't the master of Xuanmen known for his perfect calculations? Well, this time, I will destroy his myth! Let the world know that this person is nothing special! Yes, he is just a coward. He has not dared to see Master for so many years. He only makes Master cry for him... What kind of an otherworldly master is he!"
After hearing this, Liao Kong was silent. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Is the female donor really determined? For one person, to fight against the master of Xuanmen, is this worth it..."
"... Heh, Xiao Lang once told me that love in this world is not worth talking about, it's just about whether you are willing or not." When Shui Menghan said this, there was a hint of tenderness in her eyes. When she glanced at Chu Tianxiao, she seemed to have gained some kind of inexplicable "power" from it...
She turned her head and looked at Sora, her eyes burning.
"Master, please come out and lend a helping hand to me! If there is anyone in the world who can fight against the master of Xuanmen, you must be the best choice!"
Hearing this, Liaokong just shook his head and sighed: "Female donor... You are the daughter of an old friend of mine, and you should know that in the past... your father's Dharma body came to this humble place nine times, making it glorious, but I declined in the end. What's more, I am just an ordinary person. Even at the peak of my power, I may not be able to compete with the master of Xuanmen. Now that my life span is about to end, I am even more powerless. I am afraid that I can't help you in any way..."
At this point, seeing Shui Menghan showing an anxious and disappointed expression, Liaokong couldn't bear it anymore, so he sighed and said, "... Forget it, for the sake of our old friend Ningdan, I will show you a way out..."
Hearing this, Shui Menghan's eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly put his hands together and said respectfully: "Master, please give me some advice!"
"Amitabha..." Lekong chanted the Buddha's name, then looked at Shui Menghan and said, "The female donor asked me to come out of the mountain, but in fact, she was just giving up a beautiful jade for a stubborn stone... Instead of asking me, you might as well find someone else... If you can convince him to fight against the master of Xuanmen, you won't be completely without confidence..."
"…Who?" Shui Menghan frowned in confusion. She knew very well how influential Kong was before he entered Buddhism, so when she heard this, she couldn't help but wonder - is there such a strange person in the world
Sora looked at her and said in a very complicated tone, word by word, a "special title" that was once remembered by countless people, but then deliberately faded and forgotten...
"Xuanmen, Junior Master."
(ps1: First of all, Junior Uncle is Chu’s father. If you haven’t figured it out, go to the first chapter of this volume, or take a closer look at the correspondence between Junior Chu and Fifth Brother before the final battle in the Forbidden City… You all know what I mean. Alas, I shouldn’t have kept it a secret, but the group never mentioned this plot… So, I’ll just announce it, lest you find it weird later…)
(ps2: For some reason, when I write this, a picture suddenly appears in my mind—the master is holding a dozen pimps, smiling and saying, "Master is a professional, I have pulled the pimps thousands of times and never failed"... and Chu's father is waving at Shui Menghan with a smile—"Come on, come on, my dear daughter-in-law, let's form a brother-beating alliance together!"... I think my imagination is hopeless, ah, I really want to quickly write about these two guys' official appearance! Unfortunately, it will take a long time... )
(PS3: This plot is not about torturing the protagonist, nor is it about looking for trouble. It is a foreshadowing of something "weird", so I won't spoil it for now...)