Chapter 384: The News of Handsome Monk

“No need, Temple Steward, I can manage it myself,” Ji Yuan said.

Ji Yuan wasn't trying to refuse the Temple Steward's kindness. He was just worried the steward would be overly attentive, perhaps even serving him food directly. Ji Yuan intensely disliked having others constantly serve him, even with good intentions—it was a consistent preference in both this life and his previous one.

The Temple Steward, being a shrewd person, knew how to maintain a good balance and stop while he was ahead, never wishing to cause offense. After placing the chopsticks, he quickly responded.

“Mr. Ji is a guest from afar, and this is my duty as a host, indeed, my duty! Oh, everyone is here. Squire Liu, Madam Liu, shall we begin the meal?”

“Master Zhao, you are the Temple Steward; you decide,” Squire Liu replied amiably.

Seeing that Ji Yuan also had no objection, the Temple Steward took it upon himself to announce, "Everyone, let's eat, let's eat!"

Only then did everyone pick up their bowls and chopsticks and begin to serve themselves.

“Here, wife, have a longevity cake.”

Squire Liu held his bowl and served his wife, while those around them also started eating.

The table today was laden with a lavish spread. Squire Liu had not only brought a bounty of fish and meat but also his own chef. While the temple workers at the Earth God Temple could cook, their culinary skills were limited. The chef brought by Squire Liu, however, was different; each dish he prepared was perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

Some of the dishes on the table were clearly specialties of Moyuan County or Tingliang Kingdom, which Ji Yuan had never seen before. Already in a good mood, his spirits lifted even further as he sampled these unique delicacies with his chopsticks.

Although the Temple Steward was eating, his peripheral vision constantly tracked Ji Yuan. Seeing him smile while he ate, the steward breathed a sigh of relief, having worried earlier that the dishes might not suit his taste.

“Sir, let me top you up.”

A servant from the Liu family rose, holding a wine pot, and filled Squire Liu's cup, then poured some for Madam Liu. After that, he served himself and others. When he reached the Temple Steward, the latter waved his hand.

“Thank you, thank you, I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself!”

The Temple Steward took the wine pot, but instead of pouring for himself, he looked at Ji Yuan, who was savoring the dishes.

“Mr. Ji, do you drink? This is a famous wine from our Moyuan County. Outsiders only know the name Yuanyuan Ink, but they don't know about this Moyuan Fragrant Wine. Its taste is definitely not bad.”

Ji Yuan was a connoisseur of wine; how could he refuse? He nodded with a smile, and the Temple Steward poured his cup full, then served himself.

Taking a sip, Ji Yuan immediately understood the essence of Moyuan Fragrant Wine. It was a slightly potent drink that might seem ordinary at first, but it had a delightful aftertaste. One needed to drink it slowly, savoring the flavor before swallowing.

Squire Liu could tell at a glance that Ji Yuan either had previous experience with Moyuan Fragrant Wine or was a true connoisseur, as a newcomer wouldn't discern its nuances on the first try.

He had been observing Ji Yuan for quite some time. The plain white long robe had no patterns or accessories, yet his demeanor and aura were extraordinary. The jade hairpin in his hair was also not an ordinary item, suggesting he was a person of significance.

“May I ask where you are from, sir? And have you perhaps tasted Moyuan Fragrant Wine before?” Squire Liu initiated a conversation with Ji Yuan for the first time.

Casual conversation at the dinner table was perfectly normal. Ji Yuan put down his wine cup and replied, “I am from Great Zhen. I haven't had Moyuan Fragrant Wine before, but I've had my share of drinks, so I understand wine a bit more than the average person.”

“Oh! A refined scholar from the Great Zhen Dynasty!”

Everyone present, including Squire Liu and the Temple Steward, was taken aback. Great Zhen was not close to Moyuan County; to ordinary people, it was practically on the other side of the world. Moreover, the relationship between Zu Yue Kingdom and Great Zhen was extremely poor. It was rare for a Great Zhen merchant caravan to visit Moyuan County. Most of the ink from Great Zhen was transported and sold by Tingliang Kingdom merchants or smuggled by second-hand dealers from Zu Yue Kingdom.

“Then, may I ask why you have come to Moyuan County on this trip? Is it convenient to share?”

“Ahem, ahem, well, Squire Liu, Mr. Ji is a friend of an important figure closely associated with our Earth God Temple, and a distinguished guest here. He might have other important matters, so let's not press him.”

Squire Liu, assuming Ji Yuan had bypassed Zu Yue through smuggling, did not dare to ask further.

“Oh, oh, oh, yes, Master Zhao is absolutely right. Let's talk about something else. By the way, I've heard merchants who visited Great Zhen say that its national power is flourishing now. I suppose the country is rich and the people are strong?”

Ji Yuan smiled. "It's not the best, but certainly not the worst. Great Zhen is indeed quite alright, but Tingliang Kingdom isn't bad either."

“Ah, Mr. Ji, with all due respect, you're mistaken. Our Moyuan County is certainly not bad, but the same cannot be said for other parts of Tingliang Kingdom. There are many who don't have enough to eat or warm clothes to wear.”

“Indeed,” Ji Yuan said, his smile fading, and nodded. What he said was indeed reasonable.

“By the way,” Ji Yuan continued, “I also have a question for Squire Liu and the Temple Steward. Have either of you ever heard of Daliang Temple?”

Although Ji Yuan's chess piece had indicated that Monk Huitong was doing well, and he now knew that Tingliang Kingdom was stable (though he wasn't clear about the specifics of Tianbao Kingdom, it was at least not truly overrun by malevolent spirits), and the murderer of the ink dragon had also been identified. However, since he was already in Tingliang Kingdom, Ji Yuan decided to ask a couple of questions.

“Mr. Ji knows about Daliang Temple too? Of course, I've heard of Daliang Temple's reputation. It's a famous Buddhist temple in the northern part of our country. It's said that many eminent monks have come from there, and it's quite efficacious. Moreover, there's an amusing story that has been circulating for years, though I'm not sure if it's true.”

As soon as Squire Liu said this, Madam Liu covered her mouth and chuckled, and even the Temple Steward smiled.

“Is Squire Liu referring to the monk-love affair?”

“Hehehehe... what else could it be? Of course, it's that matter.”

Seeing the smiles on their faces, and the general amusement among those around, Ji Yuan inexplicably made a connection. A handsome face appeared in his mind—a face, mind you, topped with a bald head.

*Could it be what I'm thinking?*

“What is this ‘monk-love affair’?” Ji Yuan deliberately feigned ignorance, asking with a puzzled expression.

The Temple Steward glanced at Squire Liu. Seeing that he intended to speak, the steward wisely kept quiet. Indeed, Squire Liu took a sip of wine and spoke with a smile.

“Sir, you might not know this, but there's an eminent monk at Daliang Temple, Dharma name Huitong. Though he's no longer young, he still possesses an exceptionally youthful and handsome appearance. His kasaya robe shines brilliantly, enchanting countless female pilgrims. Many wealthy families, merchants, and even female members of royalty and nobility have fallen for him. There was even an absurd prince who personally visited Daliang Temple to ask Master Huitong if he would consider renouncing his monastic vows...”

*Yes, it's him!*

Ji Yuan tried to remain serious, but couldn't help but laugh. "Hahahahaha, this is truly amusing. Did Master Huitong agree?"

“Hahahaha, of course he didn't agree! But that didn't stop people from still thinking of him. For a while, the incense offerings at Daliang Temple were extraordinarily abundant, almost abnormally so, with an unusually high number of female visitors!”

The Temple Steward also added with a chuckle from the side. “So later, Master Huitong probably got a bit scared and simply stopped residing permanently at Daliang Temple. He often went out on pilgrimages, staying away for one, two, or even several years at a time. When other monks say they're wandering to cultivate Buddhism, I believe them. But Master Huitong, he must have been fleeing from women! Unfortunately, no matter how long he was away, all his efforts were undone upon his return. A few years ago, when he came back to Daliang Temple, the Eldest Princess almost abducted him, hahahahaha...”

“Hahahahaha...” “Yes, yes, hehehehe...”

“Hahahaha...”

The temple kitchen erupted in laughter, Ji Yuan among them. It seemed Monk Huitong was living quite a comfortable, or at least very exciting, life.

Although the *Sword Intent Scroll* was tucked away in his sleeve, Ji Yuan, mindful of the hundred-plus lively little fellows within it, deliberately did not block external sensory perception, only preventing sounds from emanating. Consequently, the *Sword Intent Scroll* was even more boisterous with merriment.

After such laughter, the atmosphere at the dinner table became noticeably more harmonious. Toasts and refills became more frequent. At the urging of Squire Liu and others, Ji Yuan recounted many interesting anecdotes, not limited to Great Zhen, but encompassing the events he had experienced over the years.

He even spoke of some supernatural and strange occurrences, though often prefacing them with "I heard" or "rumor has it." Yet, he recounted them with such vivid detail that listeners felt as if they were present. What made it even more uncanny was Mr. Ji's consistently calm tone, making him seem more mysterious than even some professional storytellers. Several times, people forgot to use their chopsticks, their hearts pounding in their chests.

“Oh dear, this... this fishball has absolutely no taste and no elasticity?” Squire Liu suddenly exclaimed. He then used his spoon to take another fishball and found that one had flavor.

The Temple Steward quickly exaggeratedly exclaimed, “Congratulations, congratulations, Squire Liu! You've eaten a fishball tasted by the Earth God himself! Good fortune awaits you!”

As he said this, the Temple Steward furtively glanced at Ji Yuan, fearing he might expose him, as he had been spinning this tale for years. He breathed a slight sigh of relief when Ji Yuan remained silent.

“Oh, oh, oh, yes, yes, yes! I've long heard that food tasted by the Earth God loses its original flavor and essence. So!” Squire Liu gritted his teeth and quickly put the half-eaten fishball back into his mouth, chewed it twice, and swallowed it.

Ji Yuan could only pretend not to notice. It was true that the Earth God had tasted it, but to say it brought fortune and wealth was an overestimation. It was genuinely devoid of nutrition, and eating too much would only fill one's stomach.

The meal ended with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves; even Ji Yuan hadn't expected to have such a good time. Upon returning to his room, the Earth God promptly appeared, holding a large box.

“Mr. Ji, I've prepared a box of top-grade pine soot ink for you, totaling one hundred sixty-three standard inksticks. Rest assured, this isn't all. This humble deity will help you gather all the finest ink from Moyuan County. Please accept these for now!”

Ji Yuan cupped his hands in thanks. “Thank you for your trouble, Earth God.”

“Oh, oh, as long as you like it, this humble deity will take his leave now!”

The Earth God did not linger, directly disappearing into the ground.

Ji Yuan did not say that a hundred-plus pieces were enough. It wasn't that he was ungrateful, but that the Dharma coin was definitely worth a great deal more fine ink.

He walked to the box and picked up a piece of pine soot ink. It had fine textures and golden threads, and a faint, unique ink fragrance wafted from it. It was indeed better than what the little characters had consumed before.

He took out the *Sword Intent Scroll* and spread it on the table. Looking at the restless little characters on it, Ji Yuan offered a calming remark. "Don't rush. The way you eat is too wasteful, and too much will make you overstuffed. It's not even the most beneficial for your cultivation!"

Ji Yuan then put the entire box of ink into his sleeve, leaving out only one inkstick. He also took out an inkstone, a pen holder, and a weasel-hair brush.

“Everyone, settle down. I will apply the ink for you.”

Seeing this posture, all the little characters understood that the great master was about to use the weasel-hair brush to apply ink for them. Each one became incredibly excited, and the entire *Sword Intent Scroll* shook continuously on the table, as if a breeze were blowing.