Volume 3 Can You Hold On? Chapter 32 Three People

  Thinking that such a woman originally belonged to oneself, as long as one makes a little effort, even with a slight push, one can get close to her and then easily capture her kind and gentle heart.

  Xu Xian had never been without a hint of regret in his heart!

  But more of it is relaxed, not because he was loyal to Pan Yu, but because Mingyu finally handed over Cai Fengqing to him, which has already shown his attitude, and this is also the concept of this era. And his personality has never thought about insisting on some modern thinking.

  But there are some things he can't give up on his own respect for the people he likes.

  Whether this fondness is the deep love for Mingyu or the simple infatuation with Cai Feng, there should be a basic respect that includes sincerity and understanding, sincerely expressing one's own feelings and understanding the other's choices.

  If a so-called good person doesn't even have the most basic respect for others, but only insists on their own so-called justice, then even if they're not a hypocrite, they're just wielding the sword of justice to impose another form of tyranny on others, committing cruel acts in the name of justice.

  So he gave Cai Feng the quiet she wanted to play with and didn't want to use any tricks on this woman in front of him.

  If there were no emotional ties, even if it was destined to repay kindness and grudges, she wouldn't have been hurt that deeply!

  Bai Suzhen's heart ached slightly, yet deeply. It was as if she had lost something extremely important, but couldn't quite recall what it was. A faint thought occurred to her: Had he already gotten married?

  It's not surprising that a young man becomes famous and wealthy, and it's not surprising that he gets married either! However, considering the good intentions of repaying kindness, there seems to be some conflict. Alas, what can be done about this?

  Xiao Qing was also fiddling with her hem, wondering what she was thinking about. The three of them were each lost in their own thoughts, and the cabin suddenly became quiet.

  At this time, the boat arrived at Yongding Gate. The boatman shouted "Mr. Xu, we've arrived!" and woke up the people in the cabin. Mr. Xu smiled and said: "Miss Bai, Miss Qing, goodbye for now." After thinking for a moment, he also gave his home address and said: "If you have some free time, come visit me sometime!"

  Bai Suzhen smiled and said "I will definitely visit your mansion and pay respects to your honorable wife!"

  Xiao Qing was in a daze, and she was pushed by someone who said: "Xiaoqing, Mr. Xu is leaving!"

  "Goodbye, Master Xu! Have a safe journey!"

  Xu Xian got out of the cabin, and both girls came to see him off. Xu Xian patted his body, but suddenly remembered that he hadn't brought any money, and had let Ao Li take it all to squander.

  Bai Suzhen saw him embarrassed and hastily said in a low voice "Qing Er!"

  Xiao Qing spread her hands and said, "We didn't bring any silver with us when we came out!" Xiao Qing had naturally been cleaned out by Xu Xianluo, while Bai Suzhen hadn't left the mountain for long and didn't use money in her daily life, so she wouldn't have brought any silver. The golden hairpin on her head was worth some money, although it was a pity to part with it, there was no other choice, they could redeem it back another day.

  That old man was also a clever one; seeing the expressions of the three men, he naturally understood what was going on and smiled:

  "No need for you to worry about it, old man. This time I'm just repaying your kindness, how could I dare accept more money? And these two young ladies' fares are also waived."

  Xu Xiandao said, "How can this be? You wait here, I'll go back and get the money for you. If not, we can meet again next time!" The boatman had been carrying a few people through the wind and rain for so long, it was nothing like the yachts of later generations that could just start the engine and go. It was all relying on human power. He was already exhausted and drenched in sweat!

  The old man rubbed his hands and said, "No need, no need, but there's one thing on my mind that I'd like to..."

  Xu Xian smiled and said, "Just tell me what you want!"

  The old man also smiled and said, "I've heard that your poetry is good. Can you give me a line or two? I'll consider it as the fare for the boat!"

  Xiao Qing smiled and said, "Old man, can you recognize characters? Do you still want someone to compose poetry for you?" Bai Suzhen also showed a curious expression.

  The old man smiled and said, "I, Lao Han, can't recognize a single character in a big basket, but I've noticed that the wine houses by West Lake have more customers if they have poems or lyrics left behind by famous people. I think if we could also leave a poem by Mr. Xu on our boat, maybe we'll get more business too."

  Bai Suzhen smiled and said "Old man is really attentive!" Then she looked at Xu Xian with her big eyes, curious about what this talented person would do.

  The old man touched his head and said, "I don't know if it's okay!" He didn't understand the art of calligraphy and painting, and he didn't dare to say that Xu Xian's ink treasure was now worth a thousand dollars per word. Selling one word for ten or eight taels was no problem, let alone writing a special poem. If he knew, he wouldn't dare make such a request either.

  Xu Xian also smiled and said "This is okay too, just think about it!"

  Bai Suzhen feared he would be troubled and said, "This good poem is probably not easy to think of. Since Master Xu lives in Hangzhou, why don't we give it to him next time we meet?"

  The old man hastily said: "It's alright, it's alright. Even if there isn't any, it doesn't matter. I was just having a sudden strange idea and made an unreasonable request. If the official doesn't blame me, that would be my good fortune."

  Xu Xian smiled and said, "Thank you two for thinking of me. However, I do have a poem here, let me recite it to you. If you think it's good, I'll go back and write it down to give to the old man."

  The poem was mostly forced by circumstances on weekdays, and it was inevitable to do so. Today, the attitude of the two people made Xu Xian feel that he could not refuse.

  Bai Suzhen first lowered her head to avoid his gaze, and then curiously looked at what he would say. She had not been in Hangzhou for long, and had been staying in the Qi Wang Fu, so it was only today that she heard the name Xu Xian, who seemed to be a famous talented young man in Hangzhou!

  Xu Xian then recited:

  "A fishing rod in the wind and moon, a raincoat in the misty rain, home is west of the Fishing Platform. The fish seller fears being near the city gate, how can he bear to come, deep in the red dust."

  The tide rises with a mighty roar, the tide falls with a gentle song. People mistakenly compare me to Yan Guang, but I am just an unknown fisherman."

  After finishing the recitation, he asked: "How do you think this poem is, old man?" However, his eyes turned to Bai Suzhen, thinking: Why did you sink so deeply into this red dust again?

  The old man listened and nodded, half-understanding, but felt a liking in his heart, especially the last four words "nameless fishing father", which seemed to be himself back then. He hurriedly said: "Good good, Mr. Xu's poem is very fitting!"

  This poem was later written out by Xu Xian, and the old man asked someone to engrave it on the boat. As a result, he attracted a lot of business. When the boat rotted away, this plank was specially engraved and passed down to future generations, known as "Xianyin Kezhou Ci". It was sold at an added price, claiming to be the most expensive ship fee in history. However, later scholars often debated what "Yanguang" referred to without coming to a conclusion.

  Bai Suzhen's eyes sparkled, this poem is indeed excellent, living up to the reputation of a talented scholar. In this mundane world, achieving wealth and honor should be no problem. However, she heard more in the poem. Could it be that Master Xu has a mind to renounce the world and follow Fa Hai to cultivate with all his heart?

  Isn't that sentence "Qing Ken Dao Hong Chen Shen Chu" exactly the sentiment of a cultivator? But his gaze also implies some kind of warning, making me feel somewhat perplexed. Does he know something?

  He suddenly made her feel mysterious and unpredictable.

  Xu Xian saw her thoughtful appearance, bowed his head again, and turned to walk out of the cabin. At this time, the spring rain was like fog and gauze, fine as cow hair, and very comfortable.

  Xu Xian was shocked in his heart, because an old monk wearing a gray cassock, with eyebrows like snow, was smiling and looking at himself. It wasn't Fahai, who else could it be? Xu Xian stood there stupidly, calling out in distress, this was truly the gathering of the eight sufferings of human life. Turning his head, he saw that the woman was about to leave the cabin to see him off, so Xu Xian quickly patted his head and said: "Ah, my things are gone!" He hastily turned around and went back into the cabin.

  Bai Suzhen was just about to lift the curtain to see him off, but suddenly felt her hand being grasped by him, her face turned red, and when she looked up, she saw him making a tense expression at her, before he let out a sigh of relief and retreated back into his cabin. Xiao Qing, however, didn't have such a good temper, and immediately said: "Young Master Xu, we've only met a few times, what's the meaning of you grabbing my mistress' hand?"

  Bai Suzhen's face turned even redder, and she hastily withdrew her hand.

  Xu Xian smiled apologetically, but then Fa Hai let out a loud roar: "Shi Se, come out here!" How dare he flirt with a respectable woman right in front of me?

  Bai Suzhen suddenly realized that he was afraid of being seen by his master. But as for his Buddhist name, she couldn't help but find it a bit ridiculous!

  Xu Xian's face turned pale and he walked out with a humiliated expression. Standing at the bow of the boat, he said in a loud voice, "Master, how did you come here!"

  Fa Hai angrily said "I didn't come in vain, thanks to me giving you this Dharma name 'Release Color', you actually dare to be so presumptuous!"

  "Didn't you say that form is emptiness, emptiness is form, and that's the very form?"

  Fa Hai's face stiffened, and he grew even angrier, saying "You can't even let go of feminine charm, yet you speak of 'form is emptiness'! How dare you not come down!" If it were someone else, that would be one thing, but this was his most favored disciple - truly, he couldn't help but be angry.

  Xu Xian jumped off the boat, but his heart was relieved. At least he didn't let these two meet. It's best to let her secretly repay her own kindness and then leave. That would be the best outcome. In this situation, even if the three of them joined forces, they probably wouldn't be a match for their master. If he took out the golden alms bowl given by the Buddha, they wouldn't even have the power to fight back.

  Xu Xian invited him saying "Master, come and sit in my humble abode for a while!"

  Fa Hai seemed to have sensed something and said, "You haven't even apologized to the other party yet, how can you say you want to leave?" A voice came from inside the boat, saying: "The female donor in the cabin, I, an old monk, am incompetent in teaching, my inferior disciple has offended the two of you, please come out and see!"

  At this time, in the cabin, Xia Qing saw Bai Suzhen like facing a great enemy, holding her breath and not speaking, whispering "Sister, I've seen this monk before, he doesn't seem to be very formidable, shouldn't be able to see through us"

  Although the voice was lowered, it couldn't escape Fahai's ears. Although there were no key words, Fahai could naturally hear a lot of clues with his wisdom.

  Fa Hai said, "Please ask the two donors to come out and see!" This voice was spoken with the power of thunder, adding a few more points of majesty.

  Bai Suzhen sighed softly: Whether it's good fortune or bad luck, bad luck can't be avoided. What is destined to come will always come.

  She got up and walked out of the cabin, bowed and said "Little, woman Bai Su Zhen has seen the old Zen master!" Then she went ashore and said to the boatman "Old man, we'll get off here, you can hurry along now!" As the saying goes, when gods fight, mortals suffer, let's just let them go first!

  Huang Gong responded with a sound, and after Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing got off the boat, he rowed away, but couldn't figure out what was going on. However, thinking that it's better not to interfere in other people's family matters.

  Fa Hai finally understood where his intense anger came from. At this moment, seeing Bai Suzhen was like meeting an old enemy, and his eyes turned red with rage. But he managed to hold himself back with his Buddhist cultivation, closing his eyes and silently reciting a Buddha's name.

  "Namo Amitabha!" The sound of this Buddha's name was extremely low, but it came out like thunder, vast and inexplicable.

  Bai Suzhen's heart skipped a beat. This monk's current cultivation was too high, and as a human cultivator, he was naturally stronger than a demon cultivator. Even if she had consumed his 600-year-old spiritual elixir, she might not be his match. Before she realized it, Xiao Qing covered her head and said, "Sister, my head hurts so much!"

  Bai Suzhen shouted: "Monk, shut up!" But in her heart she was secretly worried. Now that Fahai had seen through her disguise and revealed her true form to Xu Xian, how could this debt be repaid? She herself could leave whenever she wanted, but Qing'er probably couldn't escape - what should be done then?

  Xu Xian hastily pulled Fa Hai's sleeve and said "Master, let's go!" but he was like a mountain rock, unmoving.

  Fa Hai turned his head and looked deeply at Xu Xian, then turned his head to look at Bai Suzhen. Where was there still not understanding the truth? All the gratitude and resentment, right and wrong, had finally come to an end. He said with a sigh, "Master, I was mistaken about you. You were not infatuated with lust, but lust came to tempt you instead. This was indeed a cause planted in the past, and now it is unavoidable!"

  Fa Hai said: "Bai Suzhen, let's settle our feud today!" He also knew that the White Snake was not easy to deal with. Today, he didn't bring the Golden Lotus down the mountain, and he was afraid he couldn't keep her here. Moreover, although the Golden Lotus had great power, he didn't dare use it arbitrarily.

  When Master gave me the golden alms bowl, he specifically warned me not to use it recklessly, only to capture evil demons. But Bai Suzhen has done no evil, if I insist on using the alms bowl, I'm afraid Master will blame me.

  Everyone had something to consider, and the scene was momentarily frozen.

  Xu Xian suddenly asked: "Master, do you have a feud with Miss Bai?" This was obviously a rhetorical question, but it had to be asked.

  Several people cast their eyes on Xu Xian's face, and Bai Suzhen felt bitter in her heart. He always wanted to help his master, but if he came to help his master fight against her, what could she do?

  This grudge has entangled them to such an extent that even she feels a little bewildered.

  Fa Hai replied, "A deep-seated hatred!" Six hundred years of Taoist practice, six hundred years of fleeting time, six hundred years of resentment.

  Xu Xian said: "Master wants his disciples to put down greed, anger and delusion. Why not put it down now?" However, he also knew that it was almost impossible for Fa Hai to put down this grudge with just words.

  Fa Hai frowned and said, "The cause and effect of this matter, I will explain to you another day. Just remember that where there is a cause, there cannot be no effect! And I have one word for you to remember."

  "What?"

  Fa Hai gritted his teeth and said, "A man who can swallow any insult is a dead man!"

  Xu Xian was speechless, and glanced at Bai Suzhen, seeing that she was looking at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes. He said, "Master, what if I take on this cause and effect?"

  Bai Suzhen exclaimed: "F, Master Xu!"

  Don't talk nonsense!

  Xu Xian said, "The disciple is not speaking nonsense. If you can let go of this grudge, no matter what the disciple will be willing to try!" He could see that Fa Hai was still quite pleased with himself and wouldn't have any excessive demands, only afraid he would say that...

  Fahai narrowed his eyes and said, "If I wanted you to become a monk and take refuge in Buddhism, would you be willing?"