Chapter 38: A Heart Untainted by Dust is Without Thought

Pinshu Pavilion, a secluded elegant room.

Ruan Guofan entered. Ding Suian rose and greeted him as Uncle. Just as he was about to report on the warehouse street incident, he noticed a woman following Ruan Guofan.

“This humble one, Miss Ye Han, greets Young Master.”

Her figure was graceful, adorned with a light crimson gauze outer robe over a moon-white hezi skirt. Three floral hairpins were affixed to her temples, her hair was styled in a ‘fallen horse’ bun, and a begonia flower Hanging pearl hairpin was obliquely inserted.

She wasn’t plump, but rather delicate and charming, her low-cut bustier subtly revealing a hint of snow-white skin.

As she spoke softly, a pair of enchanting fox eyes cast a fleeting glance, then gently lowered, overcome with shyness.

Pinshu Pavilion’s naming ability was still online. For the name ‘Night Contain,’ the refined might first think of water lilies that close at night and open during the day, while for the vulgar, what they might associate it with is hard to say.

The refined see refinement, the vulgar see vulgarity. Appreciated by both, that’s professionalism!

Is the old geezer testing me again?

Ding Suian looked at Ruan Guofan with innocent and clear eyes, “Uncle, this is…”

“You frequently visit Pinshu Pavilion. If you don’t have a favored lady, it will inevitably arouse suspicion. From now on, when you come, just look for Miss Ye Han. General intelligence can be relayed through her. I will have people spread rumors that Miss Ye Han is infatuated with you.”

“Ah?”

Meeting with Miss Ye Han is fine, but spreading rumors isn’t so good, is it?

After all, Ding Suian is still a pure and innocent young man. It would ruin his reputation and character!

Ruan Guofan guessed Ding Suian’s concerns, but only got half of it right, “‘Ah’ what? Young love is perfectly normal in the eyes of others. If you’re afraid Ruan Ruan will hear about it, I’ll explain it to you later.”

Uncle, that’s not it.

Ding Suian wanted to explain, but he opened his mouth and not a single word came out.

“You may leave.”

The strong-willed Ruan Guofan dismissed Ding Suian’s inexplicably acquired ‘rumored girlfriend,’ then said, “If you hadn’t come to find me, I would have looked for you tomorrow.”

“Does Uncle have something important?”

“Who was the monk who came with you just now?”

“Zhisheng from Shangling Temple.”

Ding Suian introduced him in detail, mentioning Zhisheng’s ability to read minds.

Ruan Guofan listened quietly, then nodded, “Mind-reading requires a monk in the Zen Concentration Realm to comprehend. I see that Zhisheng is only in his twenties, yet he has already Cultivated to the fourth realm of Buddhism, Zen Concentration. Remarkable!”

Buddhist Cultivation is divided into six realms: the sixth realm is Precepts, the fifth realm is Vajra, and the fourth realm is Zen Concentration. The Zen Concentration Realm can be simply understood as analogous to a Martial Artist’s Astral Realm.

At such an age, with such Cultivation, he is definitely a Buddhist talent.

“Uncle, I heard that monks in the Zen Concentration Realm are almost immune to any soul-controlling techniques, and even the State Religion’s Indoctrination Divine Ability doesn’t work on them.”

“Correct. Speaking of the State Religion, the matter I plan to discuss with you tomorrow is just about the State Religion.”

“Oh? Uncle, please elaborate.”

“Last night, The Du Brothers, Second Brother Du and Third Brother Du, quietly went to Tiandao Palace in the south of the city to visit the Vermilion Robe Patriarch.”

Cultivators of the State Religion are distinguished by the color of their robes: ordinary Cultivators wear green robes, a prefectural patriarch wears vermilion robes, and a provincial patriarch wears purple robes.

Yellow robes, the same color as the emperor, can only be used by the three great patriarchs of the State Religion, specially granted by His Majesty forty years ago after suppressing the Confucian Rebellion, as a sign of commendation.

Although patriarchs are not imperial officials, it is customary for them to be in charge of the propagation, fundraising, rites, and customs of a prefecture or province.

Common neighborhood disputes and illicit male-female conduct are often handled by the State Religion.

Even when the prefectural yamen adjudicates cases, the Vermilion Robe Patriarch often sits in to observe, to prevent conflicts between law and etiquette.

However, Madam Wu was devoted to Buddhism during her lifetime, and Prince Lanyangs Estate has always had little interaction with the State Religion, which is why the State Religion never inquired about her death.

At this sensitive time, when the imperial court is using the Prince’s Estate to reclaim the Du Family’s relatives’ encroached land, The Du Brothers’ sudden active approach to the Cultivators of the State Religion inevitably raises vigilance.

“Uncle, the sudden visit of Second Brother Du and Third Brother Du to the Vermilion Robe Patriarch, could it be related to the Prince’s Estate?” Ding Suian probed.

“I don’t know what exactly they discussed.” Ruan Guofan paused, then added, “I will have people keep an eye on The Du Brothers. Once there’s news, I’ll let you know. Be careful in your actions recently.”

…

Talking for so long amounted to saying nothing; I don’t know what the other party is planning, so how can I be careful?

Ding Suian pondered for a long time, then abruptly asked, “Uncle, are the imperial court and the State Religion on good terms?”

Ruan Guofan seemed surprised by his question, paused slightly, then smiled, “Yuanxi, why do you ask such an ignorant question? The State Religion first had the merit of quelling the Confucian Rebellion, and later assisted the imperial court in Indoctrinating the common people. His Majesty has always been exceptionally lenient towards the State Religion. The imperial court and the State Religion share weal and woe.”

End of the Zi hour.

Ding Suian walked out of the elegant room. Outside, besides a helper standing guard, Miss Ye Han, whom he had just briefly met, was also quietly waiting.

“This humble one will see Young Master out.”

Miss Ye Han’s head was slightly bowed. Above the hint of snow-white skin, a section of her delicate collarbone was revealed, as if trying to hide yet still exposed.

At this moment, Ding Suian was not in the mood for flirting, and simply said, “Where is the Great Master who came with me?”

“This humble one will lead the way for Young Master.”

Miss Ye Han raised her arm to gesture, walking half a step ahead, leading Ding Suian away from the secluded elegant room.

On the way to find Zhisheng, they had to pass through the bustling main hall. To complete the task Ruan Guofan had assigned and to cover up Ding Suian’s true purpose for repeatedly appearing at Pinshu Pavilion, Miss Ye Han obediently linked her arm with Ding Suian’s, her head resting slightly on his shoulder.

As they passed through the main hall, it fell silent.

Countless gazes converged from all directions.

Miss Ye Han’s pretty face flushed with a perfectly timed, subtle blush.

Discussions erupted in the hall.

“Isn’t Miss Ye Han a chaste courtesan kept by Pinshu Pavilion? Was she ‘combed’ tonight?”

“Whose Young Master is this?”

Second floor, elegant room.

Ding Suian pushed open the door and couldn’t help but stare blankly at the scene inside for two breaths.

Zhisheng sat in the center of the main seat, with two Jie’er on either side. One was holding wine and urging him to drink.

As for Zhisheng, he was clutching a chicken leg, desperately trying to stuff it into his mouth. But because his head was being held by the Jie’er, his wide-open mouth couldn’t reach the chicken leg.

“Great Master, don’t just eat meat, come and taste this humble one’s…”

At the stroke of the Chou hour.

Shouzhen Lane, usually filled with nightly revelry, gradually quieted down.

Ding Suian walked ahead, unable to resist turning back and saying, “You look so honest, but you’re a pervert too!”

Two steps behind him, Zhisheng’s face was serene, “Without a mind to oppose, one faces; a heart untainted by dust is without thought. All phenomena in the Mortal World are also a form of tempering.”

Debating with a monk was asking for trouble.

But Ding Suian seized on the point of him eating meat and retorted, “Even if you say a thousand things, you broke the meat precept tonight!”

“Amitabha, This poor monk upholds the precept of not speaking falsely, not the meat precept. It was Benefactor Ding who said This poor monk’s night blindness required meat. In This poor monk’s eyes, meat and vegetarian food are both for filling the stomach; eating meat is only for treating illness.”

“Heh~”

Ding Suian sneered, mocking, “What about the female Bodhisattvas?”

“Amitabha, the female Bodhisattvas are fragrant and soft, but they talked a bit too much, delaying This poor monk from eating meat.”

“Didn’t you feel anything?”

“Heat, and even lustful thoughts arose. I silently recited the ‘Vimalakirti Sutra’ to suppress the mental delusion. It seems This poor monk still needs more tempering in the Mortal World…”

“Your ‘tempering in the Mortal World’ cost me thirty taels of silver!”

“Amitabha.”

Zhisheng softly chanted a Buddhist name, then thought for a moment, took off the gray-white string of beads hanging on his thumb, and presented it with both hands, “This is This poor monk’s Magical Artifact. Holding these beads and silently reciting the’Shurangama Mantra for Protection’ will ward off all evil. This poor monk and Benefactor Ding are fated, so I shall gift it to Benefactor.”

Buddhism does not speak of transactions. Zhisheng’s ‘gift’ of the beads was actually to compensate Ding Suian for his monetary loss.

Ding Suian took it, unable to discern anything special about this string of Bodhi beads. But Zhisheng was a high monk in the Buddhist Zen Concentration Realm, so the value of his personal Magical Artifact should at least exceed thirty taels, right?

At least it wasn’t the attitude of freeloading.

Compared to those old schemers in the West Yamen, Zhisheng was much more agreeable.

Recalling the conversation in the secluded elegant room earlier, Ruan Guofan mentioned the State Religion but didn’t provide any useful information.

He didn’t know if he truly hadn’t grasped the specific situation, or if some things were inconvenient to say.

In short, it gave him a feeling that the waters were very deep.

“Zhisheng, the matter of exploring warehouse street tonight, for now, do not speak of it to anyone other than you and me.”

“This poor monk promises Benefactor Ding.”

“So readily?” Ding Suian was very surprised and asked curiously, “Since you uphold the precept of not speaking falsely and cannot lie, if others ask where you went tonight, what will you say?”

“If someone asks, This poor monk will say, ‘This humble monk promised Benefactor Ding not to tell others.'”

…

Ding Suian said with emotion, “Don’t you get tired of only telling the truth your whole life?”

Zhisheng, however, retorted, “Benefactor, how can telling the truth be tiring?”

“That’s true, lying is tiring. One lie requires countless other lies to cover it up.”

“Amitabha, if that is the case, why do people insist on telling so many lies?”

“Perhaps everyone has unavoidable difficulties.”

“Does Benefactor Ding often lie?”

“Me? I never lie, that’s my bottom line as a person!”

“But Benefactor Ding’s words sound very much like a lie.”

“Uh, ha ha ha.” Seeing that some esteemed readers have mentioned the slow plot progression, I’ll do three updates a day for the next two days, finishing the transitional chapters early and entering the subsequent major storyline as soon as possible.

Today, two chapters at dawn, one chapter at noon.