The Old Monk's Attitude! (Seeking Collection)

Qin Zheng didn't delay any further.

He soon arrived at the dilapidated temple on the east side of the city, which was the residence of the old monk Chongming.

At this moment, there was the scent of smoke and cooking wafting from the temple, accompanied by a faint aroma of food.

As Qin Zheng stepped inside the temple, he saw a group of children sitting obediently and drinking porridge.

Beside the children, a gaunt woman sat somewhat hesitantly. Her eyes lit up when she saw Qin Zheng.

It seems she took my words to heart.

Qin Zheng thought to himself.

His gaze then shifted to the old monk Chongming, who was still cooking porridge by the fire.

The vegetables and rice were not plentiful, and meat was even rarer. The entire pot of porridge, while not as bland as water, was not thick either.

"Benefactor Qin, you've arrived."

Seeing Qin Zheng approach, the old monk Chongming looked up, clasped his hands together, and bowed.

Qin Zheng returned the bow, then walked to the old monk's side and asked, "Master, have you heard the rumors in the city?"

The old monk Chongming nodded and replied, "When I went out earlier today, I vaguely caught wind of some rumors."

"I was planning to leave the city anyway to investigate if these rumors are true."

"Rest assured, if this matter is true, I will certainly not stand idly by!"

The old monk's tone was filled with determination, yet his expression was incredibly calm, as if this was no difficult task for him.

Seeing this, Qin Zheng's slightly worried heart gradually relaxed.

In Black Goose City, based on Qin Zheng's current understanding, this old monk possessed the most unfathomable strength.

This was because Ji Changyin, Xu Weisai, and Shi Dian were all martial artists who had only broken through the third major hurdle in the Muscle-Refining Realm.

This gave Qin Zheng the impression that the peak of martial power in Black Goose City was the Muscle-Refining Realm.

As for the old monk before him, although Qin Zheng had never seen him make a move, he could sense from his demeanor and conversation that he was certainly no ordinary person.

Whether it was when discussing Shi Dian previously or when talking about the bandits outside the city now, he remained unfazed.

Therefore, if the old monk in front of him decided to intervene, the outcome might not be as dire as the rumors suggested.

The old monk's attitude put Qin Zheng's mind at ease.

He then looked at the porridge in the pot, thought for a moment, and took out a few taels of silver he had on him, handing them to the old monk Chongming.

"These children are still young; they need to eat some meat to supplement their nutrition. Please accept this money for now, Master."

Although the old monk was powerful, he didn't seem to know how to make a living. He was dressed in rags himself and lived in a dilapidated temple.

Now, he also had to manage the food for these children, which must be quite difficult.

Qin Zheng couldn't adopt stray children like the old monk, but when he encountered someone like the old monk, he could offer help to the best of his ability.

The old monk did not stand on ceremony. After accepting Qin Zheng's silver, he clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.

"Amitabha, Benefactor Qin has a heart of compassion. I thank you!"

Qin Zheng waved his hand dismissively, signaling that no formal greeting was necessary.

He was currently not lacking in money, having obtained a considerable amount after killing Wei Feng and Shi Dian with the help of the Golden Cicada Gang.

If he hadn't only brought a few taels of silver with him, he could have given more.

After all, Shi Dian alone had provided him with two thousand taels in bank notes.

However, thinking about the scene when he arrived today, Qin Zheng still reminded him, "Master, rumors are spreading throughout the city, and many people are hoarding food.

If you don't go buy some grain now, I'm afraid the price of grain will rise later, or it will be difficult to buy even with money."

The old monk Chongming nodded and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Benefactor. I will go out to purchase some provisions shortly."

"Benefactor Qin, you've come at a good time. Why not have a bowl of this plain porridge?"

Qin Zheng nodded, and just as he was about to happily accept, he saw the old monk's gaze shift towards the direction of the temple's main entrance.

Qin Zheng blinked in surprise, then his ears twitched as if he sensed something. He also looked in the direction of the entrance.

After achieving minor success in the Great Sun Golden Cicada Skill, his five senses, especially his hearing, had greatly improved.

This scene caused the old monk Chongming to glance sideways, his gaze showing a hint of surprise.

Not long after, Xu Weisai, clad in a black robe and with a long saber at his waist, appeared within their line of sight.

"He's here so soon?"

Qin Zheng raised an eyebrow, his heart growing slightly serious.

Xu Weisai also raised an eyebrow upon seeing Qin Zheng, appearing somewhat surprised.

However, his gaze then swept past Qin Zheng and landed on the old monk beside him.

"May I ask if this is Master Chongming?"

He stepped forward, cupped his fists, and bowed to the old monk.

"I dare not accept such praise; my Dharma name is indeed Chongming," the old monk replied, returning the bow before shaking his head and speaking calmly.

Xu Weisai, however, paid no mind to this. His gaze swept over Qin Zheng and the group of children behind him.

He spoke, "I am Xu Weisai from the yamen. I wish to speak with Master in private. I hope Master will grant me this small favor."

His words made no mention of Qin Zheng.

The old monk nodded upon hearing this, glanced at Qin Zheng, and then stepped out, leaving the dilapidated temple with Xu Weisai.

Although Qin Zheng was ignored, he didn't mind. This was precisely what he wanted.

While Xu Weisai had taken the credit, he hadn't forgotten to investigate the truth of the matter.

Since he had come directly to the temple to find the old monk Chongming, he had likely discovered that the old monk had appeared at the scene that day and suspected him of taking action.

It was good that he hadn't thought of Qin Zheng.

Qin Zheng nodded, satisfied with this outcome.

This way, the suspicion on him was completely cleared.

As long as the old monk Chongming didn't betray him and reveal the truth that he had killed Shi Dian, this matter would be over.

"That... sir. Was the person just now Bailiff Xu from the yamen?"

At this moment, the woman who had been sitting nervously behind them stepped forward and anxiously asked Qin Zheng.

Qin Zheng nodded in response. "He is indeed Bailiff Xu."

He turned his head to look at the woman.

Before the execution ground, he had only noticed that she was somewhat pretty.

Now, upon closer inspection, he realized the woman's figure was quite exceptional.

He sighed inwardly.

As the saying goes, beautiful women bring disaster.

Although this woman's appearance was only passable, her figure was truly outstanding.

If her family was well-off, it would be fine, but if she came from a poor family and caught the eye of a wealthy young master, it would inevitably lead to a tragic outcome.

"The three people from this morning, they were your brothers, weren't they?" Qin Zheng asked.

As soon as he said this, the woman immediately began to cry again, intermittently pouring out her story to Qin Zheng.

And events unfolded as Qin Zheng had guessed.

The woman's name was Qi Yan, and the three people who were beheaded today were her three brothers.

Her family was poor, and her parents had died early. Her three brothers had raised her.

A few days ago, while buying groceries, she was unintentionally spotted by the youngest son of the Second Boss of the Canoe Gang. He had her kidnapped and tried to force himself upon her.

Her three brothers were furious when they found out. Taking advantage of the fact that the young master was alone, they bound him and beat him severely.

While they had vented their anger, they had also lost their lives.

After listening, Qin Zheng sighed and could only say, "For now, stay with Master Chongming. We'll see if there's a chance to leave Black Goose City in the future."

Qi Yan nodded through her sobs, and the children beside them gathered around to comfort her.

Although the children were young, as street urchins, they had learned to be sensible early on.

Qin Zheng watched the scene in silence.

A moment later, the old monk returned alone, his expression slightly heavy.

"Master, what happened?" Qin Zheng asked curiously.

"Don't worry, Benefactor Qin. Benefactor Xu didn't ask much. He only asked this humble monk not to reveal that I killed Shi Dian and to help him conceal it."

"Shi Dian was killed by you, Benefactor, not me. Naturally, I won't reveal anything."

After these two sentences, Qin Zheng was completely relieved.

However, if it were that simple, why would the old monk Chongming look so somber?

This was the first time Qin Zheng had seen such an expression on his face.

But since the old monk didn't say anything further, Qin Zheng didn't ask more.

His already slightly relaxed heart tensed up again.