roccoschili Chapter 1645 This humble monk has never heard of such a thing.
Chapter 1645 This humble monk has never heard of such a thing.
The carriage eventually came to a stop on a desolate palace road.
Li Changde said with a half-smile, “Master Xingchen, we’ve arrived. Get out of the car!”
Master Xingchen alighted from the carriage, his gaze sweeping across the unfamiliar palace road. He looked at Li Changde, clasped his hands together, and asked, "Eunuch Li, may I ask where His Majesty is waiting for this humble monk?"
Li Changde knew that Master Xingchen could never go back. At this moment, he was too lazy to continue with the pretense of politeness with a lewd monk, and simply waved his hand and said, "His Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state, how could he have time to see you now?"
"take away!"
"Yes!"
The guards behind Li Changde immediately stepped forward and took Master Xingchen into custody.
Master Xingchen had already anticipated this, but a look of doubt still appeared on his face. He frowned slightly and asked, "Eunuch Li, what is the meaning of this?"
Li Changde didn't want to waste any more words with him and went straight to the secret room.
The guards escorted Master Xingchen along.
After passing through a narrow corridor and descending a set of stone steps, the light suddenly dimmed.
The air is even more damp.
Finally, the group stopped in front of a heavy iron gate.
There is a lock on the door.
A guard stepped forward and unlocked the iron lock with a key.
With a piercing creak, the iron gate was slowly pushed open.
In a corner of the secret room, two blurry figures were huddled together.
Master Xingchen paused at the doorway.
Even though the room was dimly lit.
Even though the two women were emaciated and in a sorry state, he still recognized them...
One of them heard the noise and struggled to lift his head.
When she saw Master Xingchen, her beautiful eyes were filled with deep-seated hatred!
Even though he was mentally prepared, seeing Chu Shuxian and Feng Xuran in this situation still made Master Xingchen's pupils shrink slightly, and his mind was shaken!
Li Changde didn't miss the fleeting look of horror in Master Xingchen's eyes, and sneered, "These two... I suppose Master Xingchen recognizes them too. Perhaps you can explain some old matters more clearly in person."
After he finished speaking, the secret room fell into a deathly silence...
Chu Shuxian stared intently at the familiar figure at the door, her chest heaving violently!
Her chapped lips trembled, but she couldn't make a sound for a moment.
Consort Feng glanced at Master Xingchen, then at Chu Shuxian, and finally fixed her gaze on Master Xingchen's face.
This handsome face, which she had once been so infatuated with, now seemed completely unfamiliar and repulsive!
She suddenly covered her mouth, her stomach churning.
Master Xingchen stood at the doorway, took a slow breath, suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart, and looked at the door with a compassionate and puzzled expression.
It looked like a chance encounter with old friends, but it was puzzling how they had ended up in this state.
“Benefactor Chu, Benefactor Feng.”
Master Xingchen asked in a gentle voice, "What are you two doing here?"
Even at a time like this, this swindler is still putting on an act!
Everything they suffered was thanks to him!
"Awaken the Dust—!!!"
Chu Shuxian roared and struggled to pounce, but was stopped by the chains binding her. She could only stretch out her withered hand in vain: "You hypocrite! You lecherous monk! You beast!"
"You still have the nerve to ask us why we're here?!"
"Look at me! And look at her! You've ruined us!"
Consort Feng also broke down and cried out, "Xingchen! You have deceived us so cruelly!"
"You said you were only interested in me... that it was Buddha's guidance... but it was all a lie! It was all a charade!"
"You said the same things to her...you said the same things to her, didn't you?!"
The two women's desperate accusations and cries echoed in the secluded room, filled with despair and pain.
Master Xingchen stood still, his white robes still pristine, his face remaining serene.
Faced with accusations that could have cemented his place in the annals of shame, Master Xingchen merely frowned slightly, his compassionate eyes filled with bewilderment.
It seems like they really can't understand what Chu Shuxian and Consort Feng's foul language is all about.
"Amitabha!"
Master Xingchen turned his gaze to Li Changde, put his hands together, and asked in confusion, "Eunuch Li, I have indeed seen these two female benefactors at Fatu Temple. They are both devout Buddhists."
"I have met them several times and have explained Buddhist principles to them. However, apart from the bond of incense offering, I have not crossed any lines with them."
"I wonder what misfortune they have suffered that has caused them to have such a deep misunderstanding of this humble monk, and to utter such appalling words?"
He spoke frankly and openly, attributing everything to a misunderstanding.
Such a detached and composed demeanor would have made Li Changde wonder if he had wronged him if he hadn't already known his background.
"A misunderstanding?! Hahaha...a misunderstanding?!"
Chu Shuxian laughed shrilly, as if she had heard an absurd joke, tears and snot streaming down her face: "Xingchen! Look me in the eyes!"
"How did you hold me in your arms in the bamboo grove behind Chengxin Pavilion and tell me that I was your only solace in this mortal world?"
"You gave me those Buddhist scriptures that you transcribed yourself, saying that every stroke was imbued with your longing and blessings for me!"
"And the child I once carried in my womb..."
"Is all of this a misunderstanding?!"
Lady Feng burst into tears, crying out, "Me too!"
"You said I played the guqin well, that the sound of the guqin is like my heart, pure and flawless..."
"In the Buddhist shrine in my backyard, you claimed to be 'helping me resolve my inner conflicts'... You know exactly what you did to me!"
"Is this also a misunderstanding?!"
"Did we force you to 'accidentally' run into us?!"
The two women eagerly recounted the details that had once captivated them but now caused them unbearable pain.
The time, the place, the tokens, the whispers... every single detail is as clear as yesterday.
However, Master Xingchen listened quietly, his face expressionless, as if showing pity for those who were still deluded: "What the two female benefactors have said is something this humble monk has never heard before."
"I suppose you are in a difficult situation and your minds are in turmoil, so you have mistakenly attributed some unfounded thoughts or rumors that you have heard from somewhere to me."
“This humble monk is a person outside the secular world, who upholds the precepts and practices cultivation. He would never do such a thing that violates the rules and desecrates the Buddha’s teachings.”
“There must be something fishy going on here, or someone is maliciously framing us to ruin the reputation of Buddhism.”
This ability to distort the truth with such composure even impressed Li Changde, who was used to seeing all sorts of people. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly: What a thick skin!
Li Changde knew that dealing with this hypocrite, who wore a cloak of sainthood and possessed an extremely strong mental fortitude, was not something that could be completely broken down by the accusations of two emotionally distraught women.
Li Changde stepped forward, his gaze sharp as he looked directly at Master Xingchen, and slowly said, "Master keeps saying that these things are misunderstandings and framing, but I have a question that I would like to ask you."