A Clash of Gods - Chapter 123

Chapter 123 You Are Not My Opponent
Yang Ning suddenly got angry, and Zhenming was stunned for a while. Then he said, “Ning, they are our senior fellow apprentices. Since they said that we can cultivate our minds if we eat less, they must be reasonable. Why do you get mad?”

Yang Ning responded crossly, “Little monk, are you foolish? He just bullies you as you are young. Do you really think what they said makes sense?”

“Amitabha.” Zhenming hurriedly put his palms together. “Ning, you can’t say something improper.”

He was only thirteen or fourteen years old, but he behaved like an adult. However, Yang Ning felt strange as he heard that the little monk called him junior fellow apprentice. He asked, “By the way, what is this peak’s name?”

“The top of the Tianbao Peak,” Zhenming told Yang Ning everything he knew. “The three peaks of Purple Mountain, Beigao Peak, Xiaomao Peak and Tianbao Peak are like a penholder…”

Yang Ning raised his hand and stopped him. “You don’t need to explain so clearly. I ask you. Are there only you and me left in this courtyard?”

“Master is not here, so only we two are left indeed,” Zhenming answered.

“What does the morning bell mean as you mentioned?” Yang Ning raised his hand and pointed outside. “Do you mean the big stupid bell by the cliff?”

Zhenming could do nothing to this new junior fellow apprentice, who spoke with no scruple. He had to advise, “Ning, you need to be careful when you speak in the temple. It would be fine if only you and me are here, but if others in the temple hear that, you would be sent to Master Jingneng.”

“Master Jingneng?”

Zhenming replied, “Master Jingneng is the head in the Commandment Hall and manages the commandments in the Temple of Great Light. Anybody who offends the rules in the temple would be sent to the Commandment Hall and punished there.”

Yang Ning responded, “We are talking here, and nobody would hear us. Don’t talk about anything irrelevant. What does the morning bell mean?”

“Oh, there is one huge bell on each of the three peaks on Purple Mountain. The morning bell is on this peak and would be rung at 3:15 every day. Hearing the morning bell, all people in the temple would get up and chant scriptures.” Zhenming explained, “When the bell on the Xiaomao Peak rings, we have to chant scriptures at noon. When the bell on the Beigao Peak rings, we would chant scriptures in the evening. At 21:15, the three bells ring at the same time, and we should put out the candles and go to bed.”

Yang Ning asked with displeasure, “So you ring the bell for the first time in the morning and last time at night every day, but you eat so little? Didn’t you say that your master is one of the thirteen monks in the Temple of Great Light? He must be in a high position in the temple, right?”

Zhenming replied in a hurry, “All people in the temple respect Master.”

Yang Ning asked, “I am confused. Why didn’t such an eminent monk go to a better place? Why did he choose here? I can see that you are thin and weak, and you must be unable to ring the huge bell outside. It must be that your master rings the bell early in the morning and late at night every day. Is he willing to do such a job?”

Zhenming shook his head. “I can ring the bell by myself since I was eight years old. I ring it in the morning and at night.”

Yang Ning was stunned and involuntarily looked Zhenming up and down. This little monk had beautiful brows and bright eyes and looked thin. He could hardly believe that such a weak monk could ring that huge bell.

But this little monk looked honest and didn’t seem to brag.

“That’s great.” Yang Ning sighed with relief. “I am just worried that if I stay here and your master is not here, they would tell me to ring the bell every day.”

Zhenming asked in surprise, “Are you unwilling to?”

Yang Ning responded, “Of course. Right. So you never left the Temple of Great Light since you were eight years old? You ring the bell twice every day. What if you are not here?”

Zhenming answered, “It’s great as long as I stay here. I don’t need to go anywhere else.”

Yang Ning thought this little monk was pure, but he stayed here all the time for so many years. Wasn’t he afraid that he would get sick with boredom? Yang Ning would never be like that.

Zhenming stated seriously, “Ning, before Master left, he told me that after you woke up, I could teach you Purity Scripture. How are you feeling now? If it’s okay with you, I will start to teach you the formula of Purity Scripture today.”

“Purity Scripture?” Yang Ning was confused. “What’s that? Is it Buddhist Scripture?”

Zhenming nodded. “When I was six years old, Master taught me the formula of Purity Scripture. That’s the first Buddhist Scripture I know.”

Yang Ning frowned. “I don’t want to be a monk, and I don’t need to learn Buddhist Scriptures.”

“Ning, no way. Since Master told me, I need to do as he said.” Zhenming was quite serious. “I can see that you can eat and walk and meet the requirement as Master said. It’s almost time to chant scriptures at noon…” Before he finished his words, Yang Ning heard the deep rings.

The rings were low and deep and resounded among the quiet mountains. Although they were on the Tianbao Peak, they could still hear clearly.

After eight rings in succession, Zhenming instantly stood up and turned around, walking out. “Ning, it’s time to chant scriptures at noon. Let’s…” He looked back, to see that Yang Ning didn’t move, so he was astonished and asked, “Ning, why don’t you get up?”

Yang Ning raised his hand. “You go to chant scriptures. I am not a monk and don’t need to do that.” He pointed to the food on the table. “Since you don’t eat, I will finish all. Little monk, leave me alone.”

Zhenming walked over and looked at Yang Ning. “Ning, you can’t eat anything when we are chanting scriptures at noon. Don’t you know this rule in the temple? Hmm, you just came to the mountain and don’t know. It’s my fault. But I will teach you the rules gradually. Don’t need to worry.” Seeing that Yang Ning ignored him and reached out his hand to grab the chopsticks, he raised his arm and grasped Yang Ning’s wrist, saying seriously, “Ning, I have told you the rules in the temple. Why do you make a mistake while you know it?”

Yang Ning furrowed his brows. “Zhenming, little brother, you can’t understand what I said because you stay here every day?” He raised his other hand and pointed at his mouth. “Look at my lips. I don’t want to learn and I am not a monk in the Temple of Great Light, so I don’t need to follow the rules in your temple.”

Zhenming shook his head. “Anybody who has come up the mountain and entered the temple needs to follow the rules. This is what Master Jingneng told us in person. As long as you break any rule in the temple, you should be sent to the Commandment Hall and be punished. Before Master left, he said that you just came and don’t know many rules, so I don’t need to be too harsh on you or send you to the Commandment Hall, but…you must learn Purity Scripture.”

“Cut the crap.” A little monk set rules on him, so Yang Ning certainly didn’t care, and he even felt annoyed. He raised his hand and shook off Zhenming’s hand which grabbed his wrist. “Little monk, nobody in this temple can discipline me. Bloke, you want to set rules on me? Get out…” Then he tried to grab the chopsticks again, but before he touched them, his wrist was grasped by Zhenming once more.

Yang Ning’s face fell and he expressed furiously, “Little monk, what are you going to do? I tell you. I am not good-tempered. You are young, but I won’t show mercy.”

“You need to chant scriptures.” Zhenming stared at Yang Ning’s eyes and didn’t give in. “Otherwise, I have to drag you out.”

“Yoho, you talk big.” Yang Ning laughed. “Do you mean that you will fight against me?”

He just thought that this little monk didn’t know the immensity of the universe.

Although Yang Ning wouldn’t look down upon this little monk, he was only more than ten years old and thin. After all, Yang Ning was an elite after being trained specially, and even three or five burly guys couldn’t take advantage when getting close to him, let alone one little monk.

Zhenming stopped talking and put forth strength on his hand, trying to grab Yang Ning. Yang Ning’s hands trembled, and he couldn’t shake off Zhenming’s hand this time, but the little monk exerted more strength. He was young, but he had much strength. Yang Ning just felt his wrist was grabbed tightly, so he became angry. “Little monk, don’t offend me anymore. I will turn against you. I will count down. Will you let me go?”

“Ning, will you chant scriptures?” The little monk Zhenming asked, “If you refuse to chant scriptures, I have to do as Master ordered and punish you.”

Hearing that, Yang Ning laughed automatically. “Punish me? You punish me? Little monk, did you say something wrong? Aha… Come on. I am going to see how you will punish me.” He blinked twice and continued evilly, “I like people to punish me. I can’t wait to. Come on…”

Before he finished his words, he felt his arm tight. Then he felt that his body flew up. Before he reacted, he flew out with a bang and fell on the ground outside the door.

It happened all of a sudden, and Yang Ning wasn’t prepared. After he fell, he felt the pain all over his body and was shocked. He looked up and saw Zhenming standing at the door. With his palms put together, he asked with apology, “Ning, I have put forth too much strength. Are you okay?”

Yang Ning got up. He was thrown away suddenly and didn’t even understand how the little monk threw him out. And he doubted why this monk had such a capability.

He sneered and looked around, asking coldly, “Which master is here? Why don’t you show up?”

He didn’t believe that such a little monk could throw him out and just thought that somebody played tricks in secret, but there was no answer.

“Ning, nobody else is here.” Zhenming looked sincere. “If anybody gets close within three hundred steps, I must be able to find.”

Yang Ning opened his mouth but couldn’t speak a word.

Zhenming walked two steps forward and came to Yang Ning. “Ning, can you start to chant scriptures now? You can’t delay too long.”

Yang Ning rolled his eyes and nodded. “In this case, I will learn from you.”

Zhenming showed a smile. “Ning, rest assured. I will teach you as Master told me to.” He walked out of the courtyard. When he took only two steps, Yang Ning followed him like a ferocious wolf. With one hand on Zhenming’s shoulder, he sneered. “Little monk, you dare to beat me? You just court death.” He raised his leg to kick Zhenming and just wanted the monk to fall, so that he would wipe out a humiliation.

Before he kicked the monk, he saw that Zhenming jumped up high briskly like clouds. He rolled backward and came to Yang Ning’s back. Then he brought Yang Ning’s arm to the back. Soon Yang Ning felt his waist was numb, and he seemed to be knocked by a knee. Later his legs softened, and he sat on the ground.

Zhenming put his palms together. “Ning, you…seem to be weak in fighting, and you are not my opponent.”

Yang Ning almost spat blood.