The Dramatic Crown Princess Wants to Poison Me!

Chapter 132: Chapter 132: The Rise of Shian Temple

Ever since the prayer for a child proved successful, the news spread far and wide, drawing many women seeking children to the mountain to pray and make vows.

The Bodhisattva displayed divine efficacy, and people came with hope; if they sincerely recited scriptures in the temple for a night, eight or nine out of ten times, their wishes were granted.

The incense money sent by families blessed with children was generous, and the incense offerings at Shian Temple became more abundant. Over five years, the temple expanded three times, and now it is a grand scale, with buildings clustered together, and the entire mountain is essentially under Shian Temple’s domain.

Master Ming Qing rose from a regular monk to the position of Chief Master.

Xia Wenjin curiously asked, ”Is Master Ming Qing handling all the affairs in the temple? What about the Abbott?”

The monk replied, ”The Abbott reveres the practice of asceticism; the harder the circumstances, the more he loves it, believing it is the true path to enlightenment. Now that the incense offerings are flourishing and there’s plenty of incense money, the Abbott actually dislikes it, saying it has lost the purity of the Buddhist Sect.”

Xia Wenjin asked, ”The Abbott dislikes it, but does Master Ming Qing continue with his own ways?”

The monk said, ”Master Ming Qing believes self-cultivation is one form of practice, but enlightening others is also practice. The ultimate goal of Buddhist Law is to save people. Now that there is the ability to save others, focusing on self-cultivation and suffering is selfish. Neither of the two masters could persuade the other, so they often argued about this. In the past two years, Master Ming Cheng has stopped trying to convince him, mostly retreating to a cave on the left peak, surviving on one meal every three days, and frequently staying in retreat for two to three months.”

Xia Wenjin couldn’t help but feel more admiration for Master Ming Cheng, who was so thin he was just skin and bones.

For someone in poverty, maintaining virtue and engaging in ascetic practice is nothing unusual. But what is remarkable is that despite the temple’s prosperity, he still adheres to ascetic practice, unaffected by worldliness and undazzled by opulence, clinging to the duties of a Suffer Zen monk.

From this conversation, it would seem that now Abbot Ming Cheng is merely a nominal Abbott.

All temple affairs are managed by Chief Ming Qing.

Sang Xuewei, having listened for a while, said with a sneer, ”Is Master Ming Cheng foolish? Clearly, he has food, drink, and a Zen Temple residence, yet he chooses to live in a cave and starves himself like this?”

The monk gave Sang Xuewei an angry look. Sang Xuewei pointed at him and said, ”Monks should abandon greed, anger, and ignorance. You, young monk, clearly have much to learn.”

The monk was taken aback, withdrew his anger, made a hand gesture of respect towards Xia Wenjin, and then turned away.

Sang Xuewei shouted, ”Stop right there! I still have questions for you!”

Xia Wenjin, speechless, said, ”Miss Sang, this is a sacred place of the Buddhist Sect, don’t shout so loudly!”

Sang Xuewei rolled her eyes, didn’t care about the departing monk, but instead started pacing around Xia Wenjin, her eyes flashing as she examined Xia Wenjin up and down.

She was two years older than Xia Wenjin and dressed as a woman, fully showing off the advantages of a woman’s figure. Her appearance was charmingly beautiful, which made Xia Wenjin take a deep look at her.

Sang Xuewei caught this gaze and said, ”What are you looking at?”

Xia Wenjin slowly replied, ”Miss Sang’s figure is truly wonderful!”

Sang Xuewei was taken aback, looked down at herself, and then her face showed a hint of color. But she quickly put on an angry face: ”Well, you little brat, are you taking advantage of me?”

Xia Wenjin looked innocent, his gemstone-like eyes focused on her, pure and clear, as if unsullied by any impurity, and said, ”Isn’t looking beautiful meant for people to see? Is this considered taking advantage?”

Being complimented as beautiful once again made Sang Xuewei extremely happy.

However, just as her smile was blossoming, she remembered that this young boy before her was the boy her beloved liked, and the two had kissed in front of her, which caused her smile to vanish, replaced by an expression of hostility and ridicule at the corner of her mouth: ”True, and I’m a woman. You’re not as beautiful as I am, nor do you have my figure, why are you with Huang Zheng?”

Xia Wenjin: ”...”

She sighed and said, ”So you don’t understand?”

”Understand what?” Sang Xuewei’s eyes swept over Xia Wenjin again, full of disdain.

Xia Wenjin said dreamily, ”Do you know why Huang Zheng prefers a man over you?”

Sang Xuewei’s eyes suddenly widened: ”Why?”

Xia Wenjin said, ”Let me tell you a story!”

Sang Xuewei wanted to say who cares about your story, but she estimated he was going to say something important, so she hurriedly shut up and put on a serious look to listen.

Xia Wenjin then slowly began her story: ”On Yinghua Mountain lived many people, but the most popular was a pig. That pig was very adorable but had a fatal weakness; it loved to ask why. One day, it died...”

Sang Xuewei was surprised, ”Why?”

Xia Wenjin smiled and said nothing.

Sang Xuewei realized and pointed at her, ”Alright, you’re calling me a pig?”

Xia Wenjin seriously said, ”I didn’t call you a pig; I haven’t finished my story yet. Why did the most adorable and popular pig suddenly die, aren’t you curious?”

Sang Xuewei thought it was true, and quickly asked, ”Right, why?”

Xia Wenjin looked at her and smiled.

Sang Xuewei’s face turned red, and she yelled, ”I knew you had bad intentions, purposely leading me to say this word!”

Xia Wenjin spread her hands, shook her head, and sighed, ”I initially didn’t know why Huang Zheng didn’t like you, but now I do.”

”Why?”

Xia Wenjin couldn’t help but laugh.

Sang Xuewei was taken aback, reacted again, her face blushing, and angrily said, ”Oh, you’re teasing me, aren’t you?”

Xia Wenjin shook her head smilingly, then said in seriousness, ”No!”

Sang Xuewei originally wanted to hit him, but the boy in front of her was too good-looking, seemed harmless, and his smile was innocent and pure. Even when serious, he appeared somewhat charmingly cute. She grudgingly said, ”I warn you, Huang Zheng is mine, you’re not permitted to have ideas about him, stay away from him in the future!”

Xia Wenjin shrugged her shoulders, she would stay away from him without being told.

Her current position was clear; she’s a Jianghu woman, preferring the free-spirited lifestyle of Jianghu and the open sea. Though Xia Wenjin doesn’t know Huangfu Jingchen’s identity, considering his demeanor and behavior, it’s easy to guess his background is not simple.

Lived a complex life in the past, this lifetime she wants to live simply.

Sang Xuewei, seeing her not opposing, felt better, glanced her over again, and couldn’t help asking, ”Why does Huang Zheng like you then? You’re a man!”

Xia Wenjin’s lips formed a slight smile, her expression still pure and innocent: ”Probably because... I’m smart?”

Sang Xuewei annoyingly said, ”Can’t you speak properly?”

Previously setting a trap to insult her, now changing tactics to boast, truly shameless!

Xia Wenjin didn’t have the interest to tease the young lady, saying casually, ”The ceremony is already over, why aren’t you leaving? Planning to steal Huang Zheng then go?”