Chapter 95: A Matter to Discuss, the Guest at the Table (1/2)

The Buddhist monks from the Fahua Zen Monastery walked towards Ye Qingning, their faces overflowing with excitement.

The leading monk joined his palms together, bowed slightly, and greeted Ye Qingning with respect.

“Lady Ye, I greet you. I am Kongming, the abbot of Fahua Zen Monastery. It is truly my honor to see the long-lost ancient Buddhist artifact, the Brahma Sound Bell.”

“I wonder what your name is, Lady Ye? Could we have a private conversation in a separate room?”

In the Yi Zi Square, there were private rooms specially designed for distinguished guests to negotiate deals.

After all, the treasures obtained from the source stones may not necessarily belong to the person who opened them, so many people exchanged items or sold them in exchange for spirit stones.

Ye Qingning, aware of the plot, knew the true meaning behind Kongming’s invitation.

She also joined her palms together in greeting and said, “I am Ye, and it is an honor to meet you, Master Kongming. Please, lead the way.”

Seeing Ye Qingning walk with the monk towards the private room, Si Qian and the others excitedly pulled on Li Taihang’s sleeve.

“Did you hear that? Those monks are from the Fahua Zen Monastery! I thought they were just ordinary monks!”

“What’s strange is that the Fahua Zen Monastery is a holy site for Buddhism, and their monks are usually detached from worldly matters, never mingling in the mundane world. The Buddhist sect also has strict rules; how could they come to Yi Zi Square? Isn’t gambling stones part of the gamble?”

Si Qian’s words left Li Taihang and the others speechless.

Li Taihang shook his head and said, “I don’t care whether these monks have broken their vows or not, I just want to know what they want to discuss with Ye Shimei.”

Qi Feifan chuckled lightly and replied, “What else could they talk about? The Brahma Sound Bell has been a Buddhist treasure since ancient times. Naturally, they want to acquire it for the Buddhist sect.”

Song Ziyan nodded in agreement, lowering his voice, “I think Ye Shimei might as well sell the Brahma Sound Bell to them. Look at the way everyone is looking at it. There’s greed in their eyes.”

“If Ye Shimei leaves with the Brahma Sound Bell, she’ll definitely be targeted. We’re no match for these people; our strength is several realms behind them.”

“But if it’s in their hands, no one would dare to act recklessly. Once the Brahma Sound Bell is placed in the Buddhist temple, various cultivators will have the chance to listen to it, which will benefit many. It’s truly a meritorious act.”

Li Taihang stroked his chin and said, “That may be the case, but the Brahma Sound Bell is Ye Shimei’s destiny. No one has the right to make decisions for her. Let’s wait and see what she decides after she comes out.”

“If she doesn’t want to sell it to these bald monks, I’ll protect her to the end!”

“Exactly, if Ye Shimei doesn’t want to sell, we’ll make sure nothing happens to her!” Si Qian remembered how Ye Qingning had diverted the Black-winged Griffin to protect her when they left. If anyone tried to harm her, she wouldn’t stand by!

Qi Feifan also stopped acting nonchalantly. As their senior, if he had led them out of Penglai, he had to ensure everyone’s safety.

He might not be able to fight them, but his parents certainly could.

Sometimes, when you can’t fight yourself, you have to rely on your parents.

Yi Jiazi, unflustered in the face of trouble, took out his turtle shell and copper coins, deciding to do a divination to calm his nerves.

While they were talking, Ye Qingning had already entered the private room with Master Kongming.

After Kongming had her sit down, he personally poured her a cup of tea and looked at her expectantly.

“Lady Ye, would it be possible for me to take a closer look at the Brahma Sound Bell?”

Ye Qingning nodded, took the Brahma Sound Bell out from her sleeve, and placed it in front of Kongming.

---

Chapter 95: A Matter to Discuss, the Guest at the Table (2/2)

“Thank you, Lady Ye,” Kongming said gratefully, with the other monks following suit, thanking her in unison.

They closely examined the Brahma Sound Bell. Joining their palms together in reverence, they spoke solemnly, “Amitabha, this is indeed the long-lost Brahma Sound Bell.”

“Today, the abbot sent me not to gamble on stones, but because of a vision he had in a dream last night, where he received a divine hint that a person connected to Buddhism would appear with this item.”

“He also told me that this person possesses something very important to our Fahua Zen Monastery, something that would greatly benefit our temple.”

“Seeing the Brahma Sound Bell before me, I realized that the person the abbot mentioned was Lady Ye.”

“Monks do not lie. The Brahma Sound Bell is crucial to our temple. It is a treasure of our Buddhist sect, and I have an unseemly request. I humbly ask Lady Ye to part with it and allow us to purchase it. We are willing to offer a generous price.”

“I see that Lady Ye is fated with Buddhism. If you assist us in spreading our Buddhist teachings, our temple will establish a good relationship with you. We will forever remember this great favor.”

“Furthermore, this special jade token was given to me by the abbot when I left the temple today. He asked me to present it to the person with the Brahma Sound Bell.”

“Holding this token, you may enter and leave our temple freely. Should you ever need our help, Fahua Zen Monastery will offer our full support.”

Ye Qingning’s gaze fell on the jade token in Kongming’s hand.

The translucent jade token was intricately engraved with Buddhist symbols, and in the center were the ancient characters for “Fahua Zen Monastery.” The token emitted a faint, holy glow, giving it an air of sanctity.

She now understood why in her past life, Ye Hanyue had sold the Brahma Sound Bell to Fahua Zen Monastery.

The conditions offered were indeed tempting. Who wouldn’t want to be a guest at Fahua Zen Monastery?

In the previous timeline, although Ye Hanyue was allowed to freely enter the monastery to listen to Master Kongming’s teachings, she never received the temple’s commitment to fully support her.

This time, the offer was even better.

Though the Brahma Sound Bell was a great treasure, with so many powerful figures eyeing it, she couldn’t be sure she could bring it back to Penglai.

Moreover, the Brahma Sound Bell was indeed a treasure of Buddhism. If she kept it, she would undoubtedly attract the attention of many monks.

After some contemplation, she made up her mind.

“Since the Brahma Sound Bell is a Buddhist treasure, I am more than willing to offer it to your temple. It is an honor to form a connection with Fahua Zen Monastery.”

“However, there is no need to pay a high price. Master Kongming, you are devoted to cultivating Buddhism, and your compassion for all beings is admirable. How can I profit from your temple’s spirit stones?”

Kongming’s expression filled with gratitude as he joined his palms together.

“Lady Ye, you have a kind heart and the compassion of a Bodhisattva. On behalf of Fahua Zen Monastery, I thank you for your generosity.”

“Your kindness will never be forgotten. Should you ever face difficulties in the future, you may come to Fahua Zen Monastery to find me. I will do everything in my power to assist you.”

After speaking, Kongming handed Ye Qingning a mustard-seed bag containing spirit stones and a jade token.

Although Ye Qingning had declined to sell the Brahma Sound Bell for a high price, Kongming still insisted on giving her the spirit stones as a token of gratitude. Fahua Zen Monastery never took anything for free, especially a Buddhist treasure.

Wealth was but an external thing, and no amount of money could compare to the value of the Brahma Sound Bell.

“Please, Lady Ye, do not refuse. No amount of wealth can compare to the favor you’ve bestowed upon us today,” Kongming said solemnly, his hands pressed together.

Ye Qingning wasn’t one to be overly polite. Since he insisted, she accepted the spirit stones and jade token.

“Master Kongming, you are too kind. In that case, I will accept the spirit stones and jade token. I will certainly come to visit Fahua Zen Monastery with the jade token at a later date.”