Green Mountain

Under the porridge shed.

Wang Daosheng was distributing porridge to the disaster victims.

Zhang Zhuo took a ceramic bowl and stretched it out brashly in front of Wang Daosheng.

Wang Daosheng calmly glanced at him and silently filled the bowl with a wooden ladle.

Zhang Zhuo tilted his head back and gulped down the thin porridge, then wiped his beard with the sleeve of his red official robe.

He carelessly tossed the ceramic bowl onto the green brick stove and curiously asked, "Didn’t you take my daughter to Lu Hun Manor for an educational trip? How did you end up here in the porridge shed? I heard that people from both Dao Courts of Huangshan Mountain and Laojun Mountain, as well as the high monks from Yuanjue Temple and Tuoluo Temple, have all arrived, and there are very exciting Debating Scriptures events every day. Why are you wasting time here with them?"

While continuing to serve porridge to the disaster victims, Wang Daosheng casually replied, "Life itself is the best scripture. Initially, the principles of scripture written by the sages were all learned from life. Instead of following the sages in books to study these principles, it’s better to learn directly from life, which gets straight to the core meaning."

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard. "If only you spoke less of such heretical statements, Official Hu wouldn’t always be hard on you. A person should conceal his sharpness when necessary. We, as students, shouldn’t always go against our own master."

Wang Daosheng responded lightly, "Now you’re preaching to me in reverse."

Zhang Zhuo chuckled and nodded towards Chen Ji, "What do you think of that young man?"

Wang Daosheng replied calmly, "Why do you ask that?"