Chapter 239: The Desire Sect and the Form Sect
Zhang Qiming calmly drank his soup, ignoring the strange looks from the other people in the soup restaurant.
He had heard all kinds of comments about him being a busybody these past few days.
But he didn’t care.
Wouldn’t he be a fool if he did things that made him unhappy just because of other people’s opinions?
However, these past few days, he had also come to understand why no one in the Jianghu bothered with acts of chivalry.
Because it was useless.
He had dealt with a lot of matters while waiting for those baldies from the Golden Buddha Temple.
As a result, Picheng was still the same Picheng.
He was still the same him, but his enthusiasm had been dampened considerably.
A few days ago, he would stroll around the streets, intervening whenever he saw something that didn’t sit right with him.
Now, he only intervened if he happened to come across such situations.
The Jianghu was not only a cesspool but also a big dyeing vat.
After finishing his soup and flatbread and paying the bill, Zhang Qiming left the soup restaurant. He hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps when he saw an old man in front of him turn around and say, “Little brother, what a coincidence! We meet again!”
Zhang Qiming looked at the old man, who had been dressed in fine silk robes in the soup restaurant, and said, “Where’s the coincidence?”
“The coincidence lies with the Nangong family!” Nangong Di said. “I am Nangong Di, the City Lord of Picheng’s third uncle. I have a business proposition I’d like to discuss with you!”
“Could it be about killing the City Lord Nangong?” Zhang Qiming asked thoughtfully.
“What nonsense are you talking about!” Nangong Di raised his eyebrows and said, “My nephew, the City Lord, and I have a deep bond, with no grievances or grudges. Why would I kill him? Besides, with your meager skills, wanting to kill him is a joke!”
“Little do you know that strategy is also part of one’s skills!” Zhang Qiming said with a faint smile.
Nangong Di looked Zhang Qiming up and down. He had initially thought Zhang Qiming was a young man who loved to meddle in other people’s business, likely impulsive and reckless. He hadn’t expected…
“Then what’s your business proposition?” Zhang Qiming continued to ask.
“If I’m not mistaken, you must have something to do with the Golden Buddha Temple!” Nangong Di looked at Zhang Qiming and said tentatively.
Zhang Qiming was about to deny it, but then an idea struck him. He put his palms together and emitted Buddha’s Light, spouting nonsense, “Indeed! This poor monk is a member of the Form Sect of the Golden Buddha Temple, here to spread the Dharma from Yangzhou. The Golden Buddha Temple in Picheng belongs to the Desire Sect.”
The Buddha’s Light was something he had learned in passing while studying the Tathagata Forbidden Flame when he had nothing better to do these past few days.
He was still thinking about the commendation letter from the steel mill.
“Form Sect? Desire Sect?” Nangong Di asked, puzzled.
Zhang Qiming said without blinking, “Indeed, Benefactor, you may not know, but the Golden Buddha Temple has always been divided into the Desire Sect and the Form Sect since ancient times.”
“Hundreds of years ago, the Form Sect held the upper hand, advocating for equality among all living beings, without form or desire.”
“But about two hundred years ago, the Golden Buddha Temple was invaded by foreign enemies, and the sect’s vitality was severely damaged. However, the people of the Desire Sect were even more shameless. They sneak attacked our Form Sect members, forcing us to wander outside.”
“Now, now, our Form Sect has launched a reckoning against the Desire Sect. It’s not that we care, but we want to tell the world that we will take back what we have lost!”
Zhang Qiming spoke with great emotion, piecing together random bits from his junior high extracurricular reading, leaving Nangong Di utterly dumbfounded.
Desire Sect, Form Sect? So, those baldies at the Golden Buddha Temple were all about men and belonged to the Desire Sect? That made sense.
“What we have lost, we will take back!” It sounded so impressive!
And with such twists and turns, coupled with such grandeur, it couldn’t possibly be fake.
“May I ask for Master’s Dharma name?” Nangong Di sensed the grit in Zhang Qiming’s voice as he spoke, and the inadvertently revealed Zhoutian realm martial artist’s aura made him regard Zhang Qiming with higher esteem.
This was the Jianghu.
The strong were respected.
✿✿✿
“This poor monk’s Dharma name is…” Zhang Qiming racked his brains, thinking back to his extracurricular reading, and blurted out, “Yideng.”
“Yideng? I know the generational names of the Golden Buddha Temple are all Guang, Guang, Fu, Hui, this Yi character…” Nangong Di felt that the Dharma name Yideng didn’t quite match the style of the Golden Buddha Temple.
Zhang Qiming quickly reacted and said with a straight face, “It’s normal for Benefactor not to know. Because in terms of seniority, this poor monk is of their grandfather’s generation, or even their ancestor’s generation.”
“Huh?” Nangong Di was taken aback.
“Our Form Sect of the Golden Buddha Temple has wandered outside and has fewer descendants, so isn’t it normal for our seniority to be higher than theirs?” Zhang Qiming explained.
Eldest grandson, youngest grandfather. This was how it usually worked in families.
Just like him, Nangong Di, ranked third, was decades older than his eldest nephew, yet decades younger than his eldest nephew’s father.
“That’s indeed true!” Nangong Di calculated and found it to be the case.
“Now, this poor monk, representing the Form Sect of the Golden Buddha Temple, has dealt with these unfilial grandsons in Picheng and is about to settle accounts with them one by one!” Zhang Qiming said with his palms together and a murderous aura emanating from him.
Anyone who saw Zhang Qiming at this moment would definitely say, “What a wicked monk!”
Nangong Di now completely believed Zhang Qiming’s words and said, “Master Yideng, what a coincidence! My business proposition happens to be related to the Golden Buddha Temple.”
“Hmm? Benefactor, please speak freely.” Zhang Qiming had a solemn expression, completely immersed in his role.
He was now the grandfather of those baldies from the Golden Buddha Temple, so he had to be composed and couldn’t laugh.
“Let’s go to the teahouse ahead and talk!” Nangong Di pointed to the teahouse not far away.
Having breakfast and then drinking tea when you have nothing to do, that’s what you call a comfortable life.
“Alright!”
When they arrived at the teahouse, the best private room on the highest floor with the best view was naturally reserved for Third Master.
After the hot water was served, Nangong Di took a sip of tea and said, “Now that the Golden Buddha Temple is empty, there’s no one in the city to collect alms. This business of alms collection is now vacant.”
There was only one Buddhist temple in the entire Picheng, the Golden Buddha Temple, and the only monks who collected alms were from that temple.
“Oh? Benefactor, what do you mean…” Zhang Qiming knew what Nangong Di was getting at, but he played dumb.
“For example, Master could take over this business from the City Lord. If Master is interested, you can recruit disciples widely and start collecting alms. If not, you can naturally subcontract it out to other temples!” Nangong Di said with a smile.
“Even if Master does nothing, it’s still a considerable income. Isn’t this a good deal?”
So he wanted me to be the general contractor!
Zhang Qiming understood in his heart but said, “Alas, an 80/20 split is really not profitable.”
“What 80/20 split? It’s a 90/10 split!” Nangong Di corrected.
“A 90/10 split is just working for the City Lord. This poor monk might as well collect alms myself and be self-sufficient!” Zhang Qiming shook his head and said.
Nangong Di said, “Master, you are mistaken. There’s a lot to be said for this kind of contracting. For example, Zhou Xian, who previously had the contract in Picheng, built a road and I don’t know how much money he made!”
“He is truly an idol for our generation!”
Zhang Qiming said, “May this poor monk ask, what was the fate of this Zhou Xian?”
“Oh, he earned too much and didn’t share enough with my nephew, so my nephew beat him to death!”
Deception, it was all deception!
