I Only Want to Lie Flat But Am Forced to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 442 - 231: The Master’s Feeding, Sixteen Prophecies

Before Xuan Yu could speak, the monk continued: "The so-called almsgiving is building connections with all beings, transmitting Buddhist Teachings, and accumulating rit between one another."

"Only those who eat for nothing are beggars."

After saying this, the monk carefully placed the chicken bone he regarded as a treasure into his sleeve, then stood up, holding a wine flask, and with blurry eyes said, "I, a poor monk, always give alms, not beg for food."

After speaking, the monk looked down at Xu Qing, who was still sitting at the table, and said aningfully, "It’s good for the benefactor to have the heart to seek the path, but be aware that this road is also very perilous."

"In ancient tis, a disciple of Buddha sought the true teachings of the mystical dharma, endured nine lifetis of hardship, and suffered more than a dozen years of calamities of wind and rain before finally seeing the true essence."

"Seeker of the Xuan Sect face the sa. How many have gone through countless hardships only to end up with nothing, even if they truly enter the Xuan Sect, ultimately it might just be a dream, an illusion.

Just like I, a poor monk, despite all my practices, I still feel the hunger inside and the thirst that cannot be quenched."

Xu Qing looked at the monk in front of him, obviously understanding there was more to his words.

When did he ever express his desire to seek the path outside? Only during the wedding feast at the Shang mansion did he ntion this matter to the Zen master of Cizhao Temple and the Temple Master of Ruyi Temple.

Moreover, his so-called quest for the path was rely to test Bai Yun the Elder Daoist’s words, not really to seek immortals and visit the path here.

Now the monk before him, coincidentally speaking to him, made Xu Qing suspect a connection between him and the previous Zen master Jinghai.

"Where is your elder’s sect?" Xu Qing suddenly asked.

The ragged monk lifted the wine jug and took a swig with no regard for propriety, chuckling and saying, "Heroes don’t ask about the past, monks have no ho, so if the benefactor wants to seek the path at my poor monk’s sect, I’m afraid it won’t be possible!"

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and said, "This won’t do, that won’t do, yet you say you are not eating for free by giving alms?"

Upon hearing this, the monk didn’t get angry but laughed tipsily saying, "I, the monk, am so drunk I can’t walk straight. I’m afraid I won’t be able to return by nightfall. If the benefactor has kindness, could you lend this horse to ?"

This was truly taking advantage!

Xu Qing shook his head and said, "The horse was lent by a friend and must be returned, can’t be given to others. If you’re not afraid of being late to return, I could talk to the tea stall owner and see if he could accommodate you sohow."

"I’m afraid that won’t work, the poor monk is disliked by both dogs and people. The old shopkeeper won’t even let this poor monk into the tea stall, so how would he listen to the benefactor to accommodate ."

"How about this?" Xu Qing silently took out a piece of broken silver and placed it on the table.

"..."

The monk whose eyes were half-closed suddenly beca sober for a mont.

"The benefactor truly understands human nature."

The monk sighed and said, "Well, though I may not ride your horse, I do know a bit about horse assessnt, would the benefactor be willing for to take a look?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing felt a twinge in his heart but remained indifferent and said, "Elder, please go ahead."

The tea stall wasn’t big, and the horse was tied to the horse post on the east side. Xu Qing and Xuan Yu remained seated, watching the monk’s actions completely.

The horse seed to understand humans, and having suffered from the monk before, it beca very uneasy at seeing a bald head approaching, stamping its hooves and grimacing, as if warning, "Don’t ss with ."

"Oh, horse, I’m here to relieve your disaster and solve your problems. Don’t judge people by appearance like the shopkeeper."

Nearby, the tea stall shopkeeper, watching the monk’s every move, suddenly had a dark expression.

Yet, upon hearing the monk’s words, the horse indeed cald down!

Xu Qing’s keen ears caught the monk’s muttering completely even from a distance.

As suspected, the monk knew sothing as he had guessed!

The crazy monk stretched out his oily hands, feeling around the horse for a while, then paused at the right rear haunch, exclaiming.

The horse’s hip had marks of being burned by Buddhist talismans, though washed deliberately, still retained the sll of incense and fire.

The monk leaned in to sniff the horse’s haunch, imdiately waving his hand in disgust, as if the sll was worse than his unwashed body of ten years.

"Oh no! Had I known, I wouldn’t have sought this connection..."

The monk murmured, yet the next mont turned cheerfully back.

"The benefactor’s horse is indeed excellent, clearly well-taken care of." The crazy monk still thought the Buddhist talisman had been removed by Xuan Yu, praising the horse’s health while his eyes couldn’t help but size up Xuan Yu.

"What does the elder an by this?" Xu Qing, who had taken things lightly, suddenly sat up, his gaze at the monk filled with caution.

"No need to fear , the little benefactor may not be an ordinary person, but their heart is purer than most. You see the flying bird and so many people here, yet only the little benefactor noticed it, showing the ditation nature in all things."

This statent made Xu Qing realize the monk had seen sothing special about Xuan Yu. Initially, he hadn’t felt much threat from the monk, but now it seed the monk had so abilities unknown to him.

Xu Qing carefully scrutinized the mannerless monk before him, suspecting he might have activated the Broad Eye Recognition among the Nine General Knowledges, granting him such insight. It couldn’t be ruled out that he practiced other techniques for discernnt and seeing through subtle energies.

But if one claid the monk was powerful, he couldn’t see through Xu Qing being the biggest anomaly at the tea stall.

Yet, if not powerful, he could still notice the unusualness in the girl protected by Xu Qing.

Considering prudence, Xu Qing decided to leave early, avoiding the bizarre monk in front of him.

At this mont, however, the monk beca quite anxious.

"Slow down, benefactor, slow down!"

The crazy monk grabbed the reins, blocking Xu Qing’s path, with a hint of flattery in his words:

"I, as a monk, don’t eat your food for nothing. Though I failed at horse appraisal, I do have other skills."

"Just a al and drink, I won’t demand repaynt. Just let pass, and it’s as if you did a good deed."

"Here’s the thing, I will share sixteen characters, after hearing them, I will not trouble the benefactor anymore."

Xu Qing paused, forcing himself to listen to what the monk babbled about.

He wanted to see what kind of dicine the monk was selling.

Then he heard the monk say, "The benefactor must rember—avoid temples, withdraw from shrines, clearing clouds, you can see the bright moon."

"Benefactor, your path is in that bright moon!"

Xu Qing, intrigued, asked, "What does this an?"

"Can’t be said, can’t be said, the benefactor just needs to rember these sixteen characters, one day they will co true, when the ti cos, please act according to these words, transforming misfortune into blessing, and overcoming dangers with auspicious outcos."

The crazy monk spoke, stretching out his muddy hand, trying to hold Xu Qing’s hand and pat his hand back. Xu Qing tugged the reins and moved the horse’s neck to block the monk’s filthy hand.

The monk wasn’t offended, instead began petting the horse’s mane, showing a significant degree of shalessness.

After finishing his prophetic speech, the crazy monk returned the empty wine jug and started singing folk tunes while heading toward Qianzhou Prefecture City.

Recalling the curse words from the Zen master Jinghai and combining them with the monk’s prophecy, Xu Qing realized the latter’s words seed more like a solution.

Could it be just as the crazy monk said, that there is a ’fate with the path’ awaiting him?

Considering this, Xu Qing increasingly felt the monk before him wasn’t ordinary.

"May I ask the elder’s honored na and Dharma na?"

Xu Qing called out from afar.

"I am Xin Yuan, the monk!"

Xin Yuan?

Xu Qing silently noted the na, leaving the matter of future encounters and potential situations to later determination.

...

Now speaking of Xu Qing, after Xin Yuan the monk departed, he traveled with Xuan Yu, hastening towards Cloud Dream Mountain.

Both the zombie and cat, now devoid of idle moods, no longer paused for the sights along the way, thus speeding their journey considerably.

Apart from stopping to feed and rest the horse, they moved continuously for two days.

On the third morning, amidst the misty thin fog, Xu Qing traveling along the mountain path unexpectedly spotted a temple ahead.