Chapter 536: One with Buddhist Affinity, Temporarily Cultivating in the Temple

“Huixin, you’re finally back.” Huiyun, the Abbot of Xingdu Temple, hurried over, his expression growing anxious when he saw the weakened Huixin.

He was particularly grief-stricken upon seeing the extent of Huixin’s injuries.

Both were of the “Hui” generation. Though they hadn’t shared the same master, they had grown up together. Moreover, Huixin was a high-ranking member of Xingdu Temple.

If they were to lose him, Xingdu Temple’s advantage over Zhu Huan Academy and Pear Blossom Temple would diminish even further.

Their situation would become even more precarious.

“Brother Abbot, rest assured, the matter has been taken care of.” Huixin’s first words weren’t about his own safety or injuries, but were meant to put Huiyun at ease.

“You’re so badly injured. It’s a good thing you made it back in time.” Huiyun merely nodded, not pressing for details on the mission. Instead, he was more concerned with Huixin’s wounds.

Since the mission was a success, there was little point in asking for more details. Huixin’s injuries were now the top priority.

Qi Suian had suspected as much. Why else would Huixin have been traveling alone? He was clearly on some kind of mission.

“It’s all thanks to Brother Qi’s help; otherwise, I never would have made it back.” Huixin managed a smile and said, “Brother Qi is a man of profound blessings. He has an affinity with the Buddha.”

Upon hearing this, Huiyun immediately understood Huixin’s intention: he wanted to bring Qi Suian into their fold.

But he hesitated. ‘Isn’t he a bit old for this?’

It was true that there was no age limit for cultivation, and many were late bloomers, but they were the exception, not the rule.

Being young still held a greater advantage.

But since Huixin was the one who had brought it up, Huiyun felt he couldn’t easily refuse. “Since Huixin says the benefactor has an affinity with the Buddha, he may remain at the temple to cultivate for the time being.”

Huiyun agreed, going with the flow, but he offered no special treatment, not even an official status.

It made him an unofficial member—granted access to the Buddhist Teachings, but not the identity of a monk. To formally join Xingdu Temple, he would have to at least reach the level of a Novice Monk.

Huixin understood the Abbot’s line of thinking and was about to say something, but Qi Suian spoke up first.

“Thank you, Abbot! Thank you, Abbot!” Qi Suian repeated, cutting off whatever Huixin was about to say.

This left Huixin with no choice but to sigh, saying nothing in the end.

It was too late to speak now.

According to his original plan, he had wanted Huiyun to accept a disciple on their late master’s behalf, making Qi Suian one of the “Hui” generation. Even if Qi Suian couldn’t support the temple with his mastery of the Buddhist Teachings, he could use his profound blessings to add a sliver of good fortune to Xingdu Temple.

“Very well. I will have someone arrange for our benefactor to rest. Starting tomorrow, a Preaching Monk will be assigned to instruct you in the Buddhist Teachings.” Huiyun’s expression remained largely unchanged as he spoke in a neutral tone.

In his view, the most Qi Suian could hope to achieve was the rank of Bhikkhu. At his age, becoming a Mage wasn’t impossible, but it was a monumental, near-insurmountable task.

‘And with such an impatient demeanor, his temperament is likely set in stone.’

Soon after, a monk led Qi Suian to the guest quarters behind the main monastery, an area reserved for visiting patrons and pilgrims.

This signified that Qi Suian was, for now, merely a guest.

“Sigh… Brother Abbot, why did you push him away? I told you, his blessings are profound.”

“I only escaped with my life thanks to Brother Qi’s help. Otherwise, I would have certainly perished on the road,” Huixin said, his face a mask of frustration.

Huiyun’s face clouded with regret. “I was so focused on your injuries, Huixin, that I did indeed overlook that detail.”

But then, his expression relaxed.

“If he is fated to join us, it is our fortune. If not, it is our fate. If he can cultivate to the level of a Novice Monk, he can still formally enter the gates of Xingdu Temple.”

‘It won’t be too late to invest in his training then,’ Huiyun thought, realizing he hadn’t completely shut the door on the possibility.

If he couldn’t even manage to become a Novice Monk, accepting him formally would just make him a burden. In that case, he would be better off just living in the temple as a layman.

And if he remained a layman for the rest of his life? Given the merit he’d earned by saving Huixin, what was the harm in Xingdu Temple supporting him for a lifetime?

It was just one more mouth to feed, an insignificant expense for Xingdu Temple.

Hearing Huiyun’s explanation, Huixin thought it over and had to admit his brother Abbot had a point.

If he could become a Novice Monk, everything else could be discussed.

But if he couldn’t even reach that level, making him their peer would be a complete joke.

“You are right, Brother Abbot. Your considerations were far more thorough. I was only thinking of using his blessings to aid Xingdu Temple, which was a shortsighted approach,” Huixin said.

“Though Xingdu Temple faces many hardships, we have no need to rely on the blessings of a single man.” Huiyun didn’t put much stock in matters of fortune.

Luck was something that added flourish to success, not something that could be relied upon for salvation in a time of crisis. That was simply absurd.

“You speak the truth, Brother. I must have been muddle-headed,” Huixin said with a wry smile.

“Enough about this. Let me take you to have your wounds treated.” Huiyun changed the subject. It wasn’t that he didn’t see Qi Suian’s potential value; he simply didn’t have the spare energy to focus on it.

If the conflict between the Daoist Lineages wasn’t so severe, he would naturally have given the matter more thought.

For now, their own survival was far more important.

Meanwhile, Qi Suian was led to a well-appointed guest room.

It seemed to be a room for wealthy merchants or respected scholars; the tables, chairs, and bedding were all of a higher quality.

“Benefactor, you may stay here for the time being. A monk will bring your meals.”

“If you grow restless, you are free to walk around the grounds, but I must advise you not to wander too far. While there are no wolves or tigers on the mountain, there are venomous snakes and insects.”

“Furthermore…” The monk gave Qi Suian a brief overview of Xingdu Temple.

There were no real restricted areas or off-limits places, as it was a temple that welcomed visitors.

“Thank you for the explanation, Master,” Qi Suian replied.

The monk quickly replied, “I am unworthy of the title ‘Master.’ I am only a Novice Monk of this temple.”

“If you need anything, Benefactor, you can ask any monk you see. If you can’t find help, you may seek me out in the North Courtyard,” the monk said courteously.

Qi Suian naturally agreed. The monk was being so polite, how could he have any complaints?

The monk soon left, and Qi Suian was left to ponder something. The brutality between these Extraordinary Beings seemed to be confined only to rival Daoist Lineages.

Towards their own and to ordinary people, however, they appeared remarkably united and tolerant.

Qi Suian found this very perplexing.

‘How can a group of powerful individuals be so restrained? If it were me, I’d have started lording it over everyone by now.’

‘Was he getting special treatment just because he saved Huixin, a high-ranking member of Xingdu Temple?’

‘There was special treatment, yes—the highest tier of hospitality for a patron in terms of food and lodging—but it wasn’t something he alone could enjoy.’

And it wasn’t so exceptional that it could explain everything.

He recalled the scholar he’d met earlier. When that scholar encountered the merchant caravan, his first instinct wasn’t to use his Extraordinary power, but to negotiate with the caravan leader.

Only after being repeatedly refused and finding it impossible to reason with the man did he resort to a mere threat, never truly intending to cause harm.

‘Besides needing ordinary people as a resource to provide productivity, there must be something else I’m missing,’ Qi Suian mused, rubbing his chin.

Before long, another monk arrived, bringing Qi Suian a sutra.

Qi Suian flipped through it. It was essentially a book of the Buddha’s sayings, its content encouraging people toward positivity, good deeds, and accumulating merit—all very wholesome.

The text seemed to be redacted; he guessed the missing parts were related to the conflict between Daoist Lineages.

“Benefactor, can you… read?” a monk asked, walking in with a food box. His tone was slightly odd.

His name was Ming Jue, a disciple of Abbot Huiyun. He had come this time because the Abbot had instructed him to teach Qi Suian how to read.

‘After all, how could one comprehend the Buddhist Teachings and sutras without being able to read?’

“Not a word. I was just flipping through to see if there were any pictures,” Qi Suian lied smoothly.

Ming Jue set down the food box and laid out the meal. “You must be weary from your travels, Benefactor. Please, have some hot food first.”

“After you’ve eaten, I will begin your instruction.”

Of course, Ming Jue hadn’t brought just any random sutra. This particular book was what the monks themselves used for their initial literacy and enlightenment.

For someone with high aptitude, this first lesson alone could be enough to break through to the level of a Novice Monk.

But such people were incredibly rare in Xingdu Temple. The most recent example of such a prodigy was their own Abbot, Huiyun.

It was due to this aptitude, combined with his own diligent efforts, that Huiyun had become the Abbot of Xingdu Temple.

“Instruction? You mean, you’ll teach me to read?” Qi Suian asked, feigning ignorance.

‘Since they have this whole Extraordinary power system, direct knowledge infusion shouldn’t be too hard for them.’

But he couldn’t just agree outright. He had to at least ask.

“You could put it that way,” Ming Jue explained patiently. “But since you are to begin studying the Buddhist Teachings tomorrow, I will need to use a certain technique to allow you to bypass the process of learning to read characters one by one.”

He didn’t explain the specifics. After all, he didn’t even know if this man would become a member of Xingdu Temple, so it was best not to say too much.

“The Buddhist Teachings are truly boundless,” Qi Suian said with a respectful flourish before sitting down to eat.

As he ate, he asked, “How are Master Huixin’s injuries?”

“Thanks to you bringing him back in time, Benefactor, Martial Uncle Huixin’s injuries have been treated. However, it will still take some time for him to fully recover,” Ming Jue answered vaguely.

It concerned a high-ranking member of Xingdu Temple, so he naturally couldn’t reveal too many details.

“That’s good to hear. I was given quite a scare when I found Master Huixin.”

“He wouldn’t wake up no matter how much I shouted. In the end, all I could think to do was bring him here to Xingdu Temple,” Qi Suian added, playing his part.

Ming Jue took the conversational cue and ran with it. Having hosted countless patrons, his conversational skills were, if not masterful, then at least exceptionally smooth and tactful.

He knew how to speak pleasantly without offending anyone, a sign of high emotional intelligence.

This was all part of his grooming, of course. Barring any accidents, Ming Jue was set to be the next Abbot of Xingdu Temple.

He just had to wait for Huiyun to retire to smoothly take over the position.

But in the current climate, the odds of dying were far greater than the odds of retiring.

Of course, it was also possible Ming Jue would die before Huixin ever did. The blades of the Daoist Lineage conflict cared little for such hierarchies.