If she hadn't smelled the sandalwood incense emanating from him and noticed the golden lotus pattern on his white robe, Shen Qingmang wouldn't have thought of him as the Buddhist disciple Lian Tai. She'd always imagined monks to be bald, but Lian Tai not only had a head of thick black hair that would make office workers jealous, but also let it hang loose, which seemed very unethical in ancient times.
After all, here, both men and women would tie their hair, and even if they didn't put it in a bun, they would at most let it down halfway. Hao Xin's hair-tying skills were even better than the women's. Shen Qingmang had seen him several times, with a comb in his mouth, straightening Si Rong's hair, which had become messy due to her playing.
But she quickly shifted her gaze from the other man's head and bowed. "I've long heard that the Buddha's mind is as pure as ice and snow, but I've lived in the Bodhi Hall and have never had the opportunity to meet him. I'm so happy to have the honor of meeting him today."
Lian Tai chanted a Buddhist name and bowed her head slightly. "Master Qiongju, you are too kind. You are also a person of pure wisdom and wisdom."
"My Taichu sect is also warm and hospitable. If you are interested, you may come to Taichu for a visit. Qiongju will certainly make a bed for you."
We finally got a living teaching material. This is a great opportunity for the disciples to gain a deeper understanding of the Bodhi Hall.
Lian Tai agreed politely. Shen Qingmang said nothing more and left. He had originally planned to go directly back to Liupingyuan, but halfway there, he changed his feet and went to find Qi Yao with the communication jade pendant.
"So you went to Miaoran early in the morning to question her?" Qi Yao listened to Shen Qingmang's account of what had just happened and clapped his hands. "You really misunderstood, Junior Sister. 'Chunlouduan' is the best wine for banquets at Chaohua Palace. Miaoran admires you so much that she used it to entertain you."
"But the effect of this wine is too..." Shen Qingmang frowned.
"The customs of the Chaohua Palace differ from those of our Taichu Sect. They are known for their unrestrained and unconcerned attitude. To them, 'Spring Leak Shortness' isn't harmful, but rather a nourishing tonic. So if you invited those two young men to drink, they would definitely drink, and they wouldn't misunderstand you for your actions. Even if they have feelings for you, it's their problem, not your fault."
"That's good." Shen Qingmang rubbed his eyebrows and breathed a sigh of relief.
"But... since you said your drinking symptoms were just a thirst for knowledge, and the two young men later left, why did you get angry at Miao Ran?" Qi Yao asked curiously, "Didn't you ask your disciples to be careful with their words and actions yesterday? You yourself are definitely not an impulsive person."
"I'm fine, but..."
"Who made my calm junior sister lose her composure?"
The voices of Shen Qingmang and Qi Yao sounded at the same time. When she heard what the third senior sister said, she almost bit her tongue.
"No, nothing." She corrected herself.
Qi Yao, however, refused to let her go. "Miao Ran told me you weren't someone who'd be bothered by emotions. She treated you to Chun Lou Chuan yesterday out of respect for you as a distinguished guest, and probably also because she knew you wouldn't get into trouble if you drank. I kept asking her for wine, but she refused, saying I'd get into trouble if I drank Chun Lou Chuan in Chao Hua Palace. So who was it that accidentally drank the wine and caused trouble for you?"
"Senior Sister, I still have half a jar of Spring Leak Short..."
Before Shen Qingmang finished speaking, Qi Yao's eyes lit up. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Good Junior Sister, I won't ask anymore. You can definitely handle it yourself anyway. Can you share the wine with me?"
"No." Shen Qingmang smiled and said, "I'm also afraid that Senior Sister will lose control after drinking, which will have a bad impact."
"Tsk... I'm about to get married, what else do you worry about me?" Qi Yao blinked and teased, "Do you think I'd tease you when I'm drunk?"
"I'm not afraid of that, but I'm afraid your young master will be jealous." Shen Qingmang said calmly.
"No, he went to help my brother chase away his romantic interests. This little blockhead finally thought of trying to please his brother-in-law."
"What does it matter whether he is pleasing or not? Even if Second Senior Brother doesn't like him, won't you get married? Master tried to stop you back then, but weren't you still determined to..." Shen Qingmang stopped talking halfway when he suddenly remembered that the young man Qi Yao had been thinking about marrying was no longer the one she was about to get married now, so he stopped talking awkwardly.
Qi Yao, however, didn't take it seriously. "Master thought he could persuade me back then, but hasn't he given up now? No one can influence the decision I make."
Shen Qingmang hesitated to speak. Qi Yao looked at her expression and raised her chin with a finger. "What's wrong, Junior Sister? Is there anything you can't tell me? If you can share a glass of wine with me, I will tell you everything I know."
She smiled and slapped her hand away. "Then I have to ask you, back then you vowed to marry someone so-and-so, and you said your love was stronger than gold. Now that you've changed your partner, can you guarantee that you'll stay with him until the end?"
"No." Qi Yao answered decisively.
Shen Qingmang was stunned. "Then you still..."
"Because this is the most important promise I can make." Qi Yao said, "My love for Cheng Tan was genuine back then, and I wanted to marry him sincerely. But before we got married, something happened that made our love no longer the same, so I just let it go. Now I can't guarantee that the love between Cheng Luan and I will never fade, but I am willing to make that assumption."
"But this is most likely unrealistic. Maybe your love will fade away after many years and you will separate again." Shen Qingmang said seriously.
"Then let's part ways amicably." Qi Yao shrugged. "No one can predict what will happen in the future. Even the monks of the Fangyuan Sect can only see roughly. The only thing I can grasp is the present. Since I am willing to stay with him forever, getting married is the best way to show my determination."
Shen Qingmang seemed to be lost in thought.
"Qingmang, I know you're cautious." Qi Yao held her hand. "But life doesn't require constant caution. Looking at you and Senior Brother, I always feel like you're living a very tiring life. Even though still waters run deep is the norm in life, there should be occasional ripples. Otherwise, it becomes a stagnant pool, where even fish and shrimp won't want to live. How about trying to indulge yourself a little? For example, sharing a jar of good wine with your Senior Sister..."
"Alright, alright, I'll give it to you." Shen Qingmang took out the wine jar from his sleeve and handed it to Qi Yao. "Drink it slowly by yourself, I won't accompany you."
She stood up, thinking about what she had just said, and said, "Oh, right, Senior Sister mentioned the Fang Yuan Sect. I haven't met any monks from the Fang Yuan Sect yet. Senior Sister has friends all over the world, and even Buddhist disciples from the Bodhi Hall came to congratulate her. So, have anyone from the Fang Yuan Sect been invited to the wedding banquet?"
"Lian Tai was just looking for an excuse to see Miao Ran openly. I can't say I'm close to the Bodhi Palace. I do have a good friend in the Fang Yuan Sect, their leader's daughter, Yang Zhidu. Zhidu is a kind and wonderful person. If I had the chance, I would really like to introduce her to you, but unfortunately she couldn't make it this time."
"Why?" Shen Qingmang asked calmly.
"She said she had a fortune-teller before she left, and it was something like 'A Hidden Dragon Should Not Be Used.' She went on to explain a lot, but I didn't understand it either. The gist of it was that she wasn't fit to go out."
Shen Qingmang's eyelids twitched.
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