90,000 Years of Longevity

At the monastery, on the empty square, a cool breeze blew lightly.

"How young is it for you and Abbot Taishang?" Ye Bei said calmly after hearing the question from Yi Deng.

Master Yi Deng pondered for a few seconds, "I am 120 years old this year, and my master lived nearly 200 years. If we go further, it would be more than three hundred years ago. At that time, it was another dynasty."

After saying this, Master Yi Deng couldn't help being stunned.

Then he raised his head and looked at Ye Bei seriously.

Three hundred years... this was not three days or three hundred days.

If the young man in front of him was really as his master said... wasn't that a real god?

"Three hundred years ago? At that time, I came here once. If I'm correct, the Abbot at that time named Yong Xing, also had a certain reputation in that dynasty. The emperor also came here several times." Ye Bei answered without much thought lightly.

After Yi Deng heard this, his eyes lit up, "Ancestor, how long have you lived?"

"I don't know." Ye Bei shook his head, but he also had another answer: endless years.

For Ye Bei, time had no concept or meaning anymore.

"Then... Ancestor, if you come this time, besides taking that thing, what else is there?" Yi Deng thought for a while and wanted to continue asking.

Ye Bei said, "Go to Lingshan Temple and meet another old friend who is still alive."

"You mean... Master Wood Spirit – Mu Ling?" Yi Deng exclaimed.

Lingshan Temple was hidden deep in the mountains.

Only if Yi Deng led the way could anyone get in.

For such a long time, there were too few people who could get in and the amount could be counted with one hand.

Moreover, even Yi Deng himself had never seen the master of Lingshan Temple... every time he took someone there, the monk in front of the temple led him and then asked him to return.

"Mu Ling? Then that's it." Ye Bei moved the corner of his mouth and slowly nodded.

Then Ye Deng pondered for a while before saying, "Then, Ancestor, if possible, can I also go to see Master Mu Ling? I have not seen him even once, let alone know what he looks like! Every time people he met came out, they kept silent every time, and no one knew what was going on inside."

"Good!" Ye Bei agreed casually.

"Thank you, thank you, Ancestor!" Yi Deng said again and again. Not only did he see Ye Bei today, but he was also about to see the legendary Master Wood Spirit, so he was naturally delighted and very excited.

When the two were talking, a young monk came over.

"Master Abbot, the food is ready, you can ask this...this Ancestor, to eat together." The monk whispered, but when he called Ye Bei as Ancestor, he still had some reluctance and couldn't really put down his posture.

"Okay!" Yi Deng nodded. Then bent over, respectfully facing Ye Bei and said, "Ancestor, please move to the living room, and when you finish eating, Ye Deng will bring you that thing, and then go to Lingshan Temple."

Ye Bei said nothing. He just gently glanced at Yi Deng.

The latter somehow had cold sweat all over his forehead.

...

The living room was where the monks of Soaring Cloud Temple ate.

But this place was not opened to outsiders. 

The decoration inside was quite simple. Looking at it, there were only two neat rows of ancient wooden tables.

And those wooden tables were all of a certain age.

Some wooden tables were dark.

On some wooden tables, there were many cracks.

At first glance, this was really shabby.

However, if one stayed and inspected carefully... he would find that this place was light and elegant. Every layout was reasonable and concealed, and there was a sense of purity and detachment from the world.

"Ancestor, please take your seat." After entering this hall, Ye Deng said respectfully, "It's rather shabby here, please don't blame the junior"

After he said this, the monks in the temple also brought in the food from the back kitchen.

The food of Buddhism was very simple.

White steamed buns.

Porridge.

Stir-fried vegetables.

A serving of pickles.

When these were brought in, the monks slowly put them neatly on the ancient wooden tables.

No more, no less, plus Ye Bei, just 50 people.

When all this was set, the monks had found their positions one after another.

They stood sincerely with their hands together as they recited Buddhist scriptures in their mouths.

The whole scene seemed extremely solemn.

Usually, monks ate meals like this, but today, there was a distinguished guest, so their way of chanting was the greatest etiquette.

"En." As for Ye Bei, he was not very interested in some Buddhist rules. 

When the Buddhist scriptures continued to sound in the hall, he found an empty seat in the living room and sat down at random.

When the monks who were reciting Buddhist scriptures saw this, they frowned slightly and felt unhappy, but they did not dare to talk nonsense.

When Master Yi Deng saw this, he was taken aback for a moment, and then he suddenly realized that he too looked serious and waved his hands at the many monks, "Okay, everyone stops."

"Yes!"

All the monks stopped.

Then looked towards Master Yi Deng. 

Many monks secretly thought: Master Abbot might be angry, that kid, since he first came, he has been disrespectful to the temple, and now he ignores etiquette and sits down without permission. This does not put us in his eyes at all.

But when this idea just appeared in the minds of many monks, the next words of Master Abbot almost made them all fall to the ground.

"It's the real big etiquette that does not stick to the trivialities. Everyone listens carefully. The Ancestor is telling us that this kind of customary etiquette should be avoided. Sit down and start eating!" When speaking, his voice was very serious.

Puff, puff…

When some monks heard it, they almost squirted out blood.

It was they who thought that things were unreasonable instead...

No politeness, was the true way of politeness instead?

This was just a forced explanation. 

However, even if they were depressed one by one, they did not dare to talk nonsense at this time.

"Yes! Ancestor is indeed a man of great wisdom! This disciple has been taught." The monks gritted their teeth and squeezed out such a sentence in unison.

Then they found their own seats and sat down, but when looking at the food on the table, they all had no appetite and no one moved their hands.

In contrast, Ye Bei sat at a table casually as if there was no one in this parlor.

Then he stretched out his white fingers and put them on the table.

Every movement of his was very slow, but every movement was extremely delicate and full of noble aura.

"The rules are pretty good, but I don't know the taste, or if it's not the same as before..."

After a long time, Ye Bei said softly.

When these words fell, Master Yi Deng felt something was wrong, and some cold sweat leaked out on his forehead, but he couldn't understand what was going on.

But when Ye Bei finished speaking, the thoughts in his mind drifted away...