novelraw Chapter 390: Actually, This Old Monk Came to Beg for Alms
Chapter 390: Actually, This Old Monk Came to Beg for Alms
“Who did you say Yu Zhao came back with?”
“It was the Abbot Jie Tan from the Harmony Sound Temple.”
Upon hearing the disciple’s report, Sect Master Ji Yuan stroked his chin, puzzled.
Why would Yu Zhao return to the Five Elements Dao Sect with Jie Tan, that old monk? Where was Qing Yan? Why wasn’t he here?
“Was it just the two of them?” Sect Master Ji Yuan couldn’t help but ask again.
The disciple nodded firmly. “Yes, Sect Master, Abbot Jie Tan and Senior Sister Yu are still waiting outside the mountain gate.”
Sect Master Ji Yuan snapped out of his thoughts. In a flash, he teleported to the mountain gate, where he indeed saw Yu Zhao and Abbot Jie Tan.
Quickening his pace to greet them, Ji Yuan’s amusement grew upon seeing their attire. “Jie Tan, Yu Zhao, what sort of trick are you two playing? Why are you dressed like this?”
Both Yu Zhao and Jie Tan were clad in plain gray robes, each holding a wooden alms bowl. Their entire appearance was austere, devoid of any ornamentation, and they seemed travel-worn and weary.
Unbothered by Ji Yuan’s teasing, Jie Tan pressed his palms together and bowed with a serene smile. Yu Zhao, following his lead, offered a bow as well without saying a word.Ji Yuan found their antics amusing and decided not to press them immediately. With a chuckle, he said, “It’s rare for you to visit the Five Elements Dao Sect, Jie Tan. Today, I must play the perfect host. Please, come in.”
The three entered the sect together. Within less than half an incense stick’s time, the entire sect knew that Yu Zhao had returned and had brought Jie Tan, the abbot of Harmony Sound Temple, with her.
The Main Hall
The three were seated, and Sect Master Ji Yuan was the first to speak. “Come on then, tell me what this is about. Don’t try to tell me you two just bumped into each other on the road.”
Jie Tan smiled faintly and gestured toward the wooden alms bowl on the table. “Ji Yuan, what do you see?”
Yu Zhao’s expression turned peculiar. Surely not… not this again.
Ji Yuan glanced at the bowl and replied casually, “It’s a wooden bowl. What of it?”
“Incorrect.” Jie Tan shook his head and held up the bowl. “This is destiny.”
Ji Yuan’s eyebrows furrowed. “Jie Tan, stop speaking in riddles! If you have something to say, spit it out, or leave!”
Ji Yuan wasn’t one to indulge Jie Tan’s cryptic games. The old monk’s habit of speaking half-truths was infuriating, and Ji Yuan preferred to be straightforward.
Jie Tan, however, was unperturbed. Extending the alms bowl forward, he said, “Actually, this old monk came to beg for alms.”
Ji Yuan slapped his thigh, finally feeling that things made sense. With a grand wave of his hand, he said generously, “How much do you need?”
This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. While the Seven Great Sects often appeared hostile in public, their private relationships were amicable. Ji Yuan, for instance, shared a deep friendship with Sect Leader Wu Sang of the Green Wood Sect and Sect Leader Chong Yang of the Heavenly Sword Sect, among others. The Harmony Sound Temple’s circumstances were familiar to him. If Jie Tan had come asking, Ji Yuan was naturally inclined to help.
Jie Tan cast a discreet glance at Yu Zhao and said slowly, “Ten spirit cores.”
Yu Zhao’s eyes widened slightly. Ji Yuan was so stunned he shot to his feet. “Ten spirit cores? Jie Tan, did I hear you wrong? Or have you lost your mind? That’s an outrageous demand!”
Yu Zhao coughed lightly. It was indeed excessive.
Jie Tan, unfazed, amended, “Alright, eight cores, but not a single one less.”
“Eight? You might as well just kill me!” Ji Yuan retorted, his exasperation palpable.
At this moment, Yu Zhao produced a jade slip etched with partial formation patterns and explained the divination that had led to their request.
Ji Yuan scanned the jade slip. From the array’s intricate structure, he immediately recognized that it was no ordinary formation.
After a prolonged silence, he asked, “How confident are you?”
Yu Zhao and Jie Tan answered in unison, “Ten percent.”
The two exchanged glances before reiterating, “Only ten percent.”
Or perhaps even less.
Ji Yuan rubbed his temples. He had suspected that Jie Tan’s visit would bring trouble. They weren’t here to beg for alms; they were practically robbing him!
Racking his brain, Ji Yuan considered how to scrape together eight spirit cores. Suddenly, a thought struck him. He turned to Jie Tan. “You’re asking me for eight cores. How many did you contribute?”
Jie Tan hesitated for a rare moment before holding up five fingers.
Ji Yuan laughed in exasperation. “You’re giving five and expecting me to provide eight? Do you take the Five Elements Dao Sect for a fool?”
Sensing that Ji Yuan was genuinely upset, Jie Tan quickly explained that the Harmony Sound Temple could only muster five spirit cores, reflecting their capabilities, while the Five Elements Dao Sect’s greater resources naturally meant they should shoulder more responsibility.
Ji Yuan wasn’t entirely convinced but chose not to argue further. Instead, he said, “I need to inventory our treasury. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”
“Very well.”
“Yu Zhao,” Ji Yuan added, “since you came back with Jie Tan, you’ll be responsible for hosting him. Any objections?”
“None.”
“Good. Off you go then.”
Once outside the main hall, Yu Zhao arranged accommodations for Jie Tan. Before she could visit Senior Sister Zhou Jin Yue, a stranger blocked her path.
Taking a closer look, Yu Zhao exclaimed, “Uncle Lou!”
Lou Yu Shan had returned to the sect, his beard now gone, his robes clean and pristine. He radiated a refined charm, so transformed that Yu Zhao didn’t recognize him at first glance.
Laughing heartily, Lou Yu Shan said, “Just the other day, Fan Yin and I were talking about you. And here you are! Come, come, Fan Yin has been eager to see you.”
Urged by Lou Yu Shan, Yu Zhao set aside her plans to meet Senior Sister Zhou and accompanied him to the Archive Pavilion.
The pavilion had undergone significant reform, displaying more techniques and easing restrictions. Consequently, more disciples frequented it.
As Yu Zhao and Lou Yu Shan walked, they greeted disciples passing by, nodding or smiling in acknowledgment. By the time Yu Zhao met Elder Gu, her face ached from smiling so much.
“Yu Zhao! Hahaha!” Elder Gu’s joy was palpable as his brows relaxed and he laughed heartily.
Perhaps it was the fulfillment of a long-held wish, but Elder Gu’s spirit seemed renewed, as though he had turned over a new leaf. While he had always treated Yu Zhao kindly, such open displays of emotion were rare; he had often been immersed in his scholarly pursuits. Now, however, his bright eyes and diminished weariness spoke of a revitalized man.
Recalling her first meeting with Elder Gu, Yu Zhao felt genuine happiness for him.
Elder Gu, too, was filled with emotion as he observed Yu Zhao. Once unable to discern her cultivation level, she now radiated confidence and achievement. When he had initially helped her, moved by her resemblance to his old friend Lou Lan Shan, he never imagined she would one day repay him by reuniting him with that friend.
Now, with her promise fulfilled and her path steady, Yu Zhao’s era had truly begun.