Chapter 109: Maitreya Sect

Chapter 109: The Maitreya Sect

Yue Hongling was fuming with rage.

She muttered to herself, "Zhao Changhe, you scoundrel. It's been months, and now you're spending the night in a brothel. Fine, but why does the mention of me make you so excited and randy?!"

Wait, wasn't there something off about this? Back when he stayed at her place, he had been truly respectful, doing everything to avoid making her uncomfortable. If he really had a secret crush on her, as others guessed, there were plenty of chances for him to tease her. With her tacitly playing along as the "captured wife," he could have at least called her "wife" in public, and she wouldn't have been able to make a scene.

But he never showed any sign...

Could it be that his hidden desires were buried so deep?

Or had he turned bad after a few months apart? Look at him now, visiting brothels. He used to be so honest.

But no matter how much she gritted her teeth, Yue Hongling truly wanted to see Zhao Changhe. Yangzhou felt shrouded in a strange, turbulent atmosphere, and it wasn't just about the Maitreya Sect. Did Zhao Changhe know something by coming here now?

You... if you really have a crush, just don't say it. I'll pretend not to know, and we can get along as usual...

Just as she was hesitating whether to go to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion to find Zhao Changhe, a monk rushed in to report: "Zhao Changhe is here. He says he's come to worship the Buddha."

The abbot wasn't surprised and chuckled, "Dongliu made it clear enough to him yesterday. We mean him well. If he has no objections, he'll naturally come to see us. After all, he doesn't have a very good inheritance and needs a strong backing. Invite him into the hall for a talk. Hmm, don't arrange anything messy for now. Let's talk first."

"Yes."

Yue Hongling soon saw Zhao Changhe, whom she hadn't seen for months, striding into the temple under the guidance of a monk.

She noticed that every time she saw Zhao Changhe, his demeanor had changed slightly.

When they first met in Zhao Cuo, he was still green and naive. At their reunion in Beimang, he was already the master of a mountain stronghold, rough and domineering, full of bandit spirit.

Now, after weathering the storms of the martial world and mingling with aristocratic families, his sharp edges had softened. He seemed more composed and restrained, as if blending in the scholarly air he had at the beginning. But the wildness remained, and his rebelliousness was unchanged. As he walked with a tiger's stride and a dragon's gait, Yue Hongling felt as if she were looking at a regional tyrant like Wan Tianxiong of the Cao Gang, dominating the southeast.

The trials of the martial world truly temper a person. In just half a year, he had grown into such a... well, a man who visits brothels.

As this thought crossed her mind, Zhao Changhe entered the hall. Seeing the empty hall with only the abbot and a few monks waiting, he seemed a bit surprised: "I thought this temple would be full of worshippers and monks. Or am I too early and haven't seen anyone?"

The abbot smiled and said, "Benefactor Zhao, you may not know, but we encourage our followers to practice at home. We don't have many monks. As for the worshippers, they leave after praying. Everyone has work to do."

Zhao Changhe's mind stirred. So that's why this temple is called White Lotus. The Maitreya Sect probably borrowed a lot from the White Lotus Sect's model. If it were pure Maitreya, which encourages killing, they wouldn't bother with such things.

But the White Lotus and Maitreya sects have always been closely related. This group might not know much about the so-called "previous era"; they're just borrowing the name and mixing things up.

Unfortunately, the history he learned in school had mostly been returned to the teacher. He didn't know much more than they did. It was a draw.

The abbot continued, "Benefactor, please sit."

Zhao Changhe sat on the cushion in front of him, and a monk brought tea. The atmosphere felt like a serious Zen consultation at a temple.

"May I ask the master's Dharma name?" Zhao Changhe inquired.

The abbot replied, "Fayuan. I am unknown, so you probably haven't heard of me. Before becoming the abbot here, I was a layman with the title Zhang Banfo. You might have heard that name."

Zhao Changhe seemed to recall something.

Back when the Four Symbols Sect tricked Han Wubing into looking at a sword, he had spent days searching for Chichi... Naturally, they had communicated. Han Wubing had mentioned that the Four Symbols Sect used the assassination of Zhang Banfo as a pretext, making him believe that inviting him to see the sword was to hire a killer, adding credibility.

That was just a random excuse the Four Symbols Sect made up. Han Wubing probably couldn't kill someone of that caliber. But the fact that they casually named him as an enemy showed that in Chichi's eyes, Zhang Banfo was a target marked for death. Any random name would do.

The head of the Maitreya Sect in an important region... This guy was probably still on Tang Wanzhuang's kill list. But most people didn't know he had changed his identity to become the real monk Fayuan. Only Zhao Changhe, as an "ally of the Maitreya Sect," had accidentally learned the truth.

"I think I've heard the name somewhere, but I can't recall clearly." Zhao Changhe gave a simple, honest smile. "I've only been in the martial world for a short time. I don't know many heroes."

Fayuan wasn't offended and laughed. "Precisely because you've only been in the martial world for a short time, the reputation you've built is all the more remarkable."

Zhao Changhe pretended to be angry. "Master, that's not kind. 'Bloodthirsty Shura'—what an awful title."

Fayuan clapped his hands and laughed. "I didn't know your preference. Please don't take offense. You know we mean well."

Well-intentioned, maybe not. It was just a byproduct of offending the Four Symbols Sect and the Blood God Sect. Zhao Changhe naturally wouldn't expose that. He smiled and said, "I never expected this, but I do seem to have quite a connection with your sect. As you know, I was originally a mountain dweller with no understanding of Buddhism. Since fate has brought us together, could the master enlighten me? Perhaps I am destined to be connected with the Buddha."

This sounded like he genuinely wanted to learn more and see if he could join. He was being very direct, almost without any preamble.

In fact, Fayuan and the others had always thought this was perfectly natural. The Maitreya Sect was a heretical cult, an enemy of the government. What did that matter to a wanted outlaw like Zhao Changhe? It would only make him more inclined to join.

Especially after he had gone through so much trouble to save the Cui family's daughter, only to be driven away by the Cui family as a bandit. If Fayuan were in Zhao Changhe's shoes, he would be furious. Someday, he would trample all those self-righteous aristocratic families underfoot, snatch Cui Yuanyang, and have his way with her. That should be Zhao Changhe's mindset. Why wait three years for the Human Ranking?

And among the rebel and demonic sects, he was a traitor to the Four Symbols Sect and the Blood God Sect...

Wasn't this a match made in heaven with the Maitreya Sect? What else could be? They had no reason to be wary of Zhao Changhe. He was a prime candidate for recruitment.

Even Yue Hongling, eavesdropping from the rafters, had a slight doubt. But trusting Zhao Changhe, she held back and continued listening. She felt that deep down, Zhao Changhe was just like her—seeming lawless but actually chivalrous and righteous. He shouldn't join an organization like the Maitreya Sect unless he was completely ignorant of what it was and was being deceived. If that were the case, she would need to find a chance to warn him.

Then Fayuan spoke: "Benefactor, you may have heard... Once, Buddhism flourished widely, and the Buddhist community was prosperous. But more than ten years ago, the current emperor carried out an unpopular campaign to suppress Buddhism. Within days, stupas were destroyed, temples were burned, and monks were forced to return to lay life, causing Buddhism to wither."

Zhao Changhe had read about this in books, but he had found it boring and didn't remember the details. Perhaps subconsciously, he thought it wasn't surprising that Xia Longyuan would suppress Buddhism.

So he asked, "But now temples are being built openly again, aren't they? It's just that they're not large. Traveling north and south, I haven't seen many temples, and I haven't heard of any strong martial arts schools belonging to Buddhism. Well, except for your sect, maybe."

Fayuan shook his head. "Since it was unpopular, it was hard to sustain. There was too much protest from the court and the public. The emperor couldn't go against everyone, so he gradually relaxed the restrictions, allowing Buddhism to revive. But before the revival, the Maitreya Sect had already been developing in secret for a long time."

Zhao Changhe said, "Because you used the guise of associations and practiced at home, making it harder to be targeted?"

"Exactly. But more importantly, we aligned with a prophecy."

"What prophecy?"

"Naturally, the prophecy of Maitreya descending to become the Buddha." Fayuan's expression turned solemn, showing his deep belief. "'The Buddha Shakyamuni has declined, and Maitreya Buddha shall rule the world.' This prophecy appeared before the emperor's suppression of Buddhism. His suppression only confirmed it. Our leader is the reincarnation of Maitreya from the previous era, come to lead us to the Great Vehicle."

The surrounding monks clasped their hands and chanted fervently.

Damn these heretical cults... Zhao Changhe was inwardly speechless. To him, this was completely unrelated. Even if it were related, it was just a coincidence. And if it weren't a coincidence, the one who made Shakyamuni decline was Xia Longyuan, who was even more impressive! But they could fanatically believe it was all about Maitreya. And they didn't seem stupid...

Of course, on the surface, he had to show great interest. "If that's the case, your leader might truly possess the secrets of the ancient era?"

"Indeed. All martial artists today seek the ancient past. Every sect claims to have ancient teachings, but only the Maitreya Sect holds the true secrets of the Buddha."

"What proof do you have?"

Fayuan smiled mysteriously. "For instance, the problem of your fixed meridians. No other sect has a solution, but we do."

Zhao Changhe's heart pounded violently. He unconsciously held his breath.

He never expected to hear about the problem that had plagued his entire martial arts journey here, and that there was a solution!

Even Yue Hongling silently cursed. She knew this was the most tempting thing for Zhao Changhe, more tempting than ten thousand fake Yue Honglings.

Seeing Zhao Changhe's expression, Fayuan smiled smugly and began to play hard to get. "Of course, this is not something just anyone can obtain. Benefactor Zhao, please go back first and study the Buddhist scriptures. Perhaps the position of a tenth-stage Bodhisattva will be yours."

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath to calm himself and said flatly, "I haven't read a single Buddhist scripture. How am I supposed to study them?"

Fayuan's smile grew more ambiguous. "The Buddha saves those who are destined. Since you are destined to be with us, we will naturally have someone teach you the scriptures. Perhaps you will also have a new surprise."