Even the Immortal Realm's Thoughts Are This Progressive

For the citizens of Donghai City, this inter-religious exchange forum had no impact on their lives at all, but it did bring them a bit of entertainment.

Although Donghai City wasn't large, it still had a population of over two million. With several hundred religious representatives here, they were hardly conspicuous. They were called religious representatives, but in reality, most of them were monks and Daoist priests, and those in the know naturally understood the reason why.

Thus, many people only realized such a conference was being held in Donghai City after seeing a viral post on their social media feed.

—Several hundred monks, all appearing together at Lingyou Zoo.

It was an exchange forum, after all, so it was common to visit local attractions in between discussions. Although the zoo wasn't historically old, it was booming in popularity recently. What's more, the co-organizer, Linshui Temple, and Lingyou Zoo had a relationship close enough to sell joint tickets.

The City TV Station and newspapers had all published news about the exchange forum, and had even sent reporters to follow and film subsequent activities, including their tours of scenic spots.

On the day the monks toured the zoo, some tourists had actually taken photos and posted them online, commenting that it was rather interesting—Lingyou had conquered the Daoists and was now set on conquering the monks.

Coincidentally, the provincial newspaper had also sent a reporter to cover the event, and one of them was the very same photojournalist who had shot "Taiji" last time.

This reporter captured a very Zen-like scene. In the new area of Lingyou Zoo, clumps of Purple Bamboo could be seen everywhere. When the monks needed to rest from their tour, they would sit on the ground.

The bamboo leaves swayed in the wind, and the monks sat cross-legged on the grass or by the stone paths, meditating or even chanting scriptures and doing their homework. They paid no mind to their surroundings, and the sight immediately brought two words to mind: tranquility.

Besides that, there were a few other interesting sets of photos. The monks, in groups of three or five, were observing the animals in the zoo. Outside the monkey mountain, a small monkey was even imitating the monks' actions, putting its palms together.

There was another picture of a monk in the lion and tiger enclosure, looking at a lion through the glass wall. The "Taiji" painting next to it was also in the frame, which was a rather interesting Easter egg.

Needless to say, the reporter's skills were top-notch, having won international awards. After this series of photos of the monks touring the zoo was released, it was reposted many times.

Netizens exclaimed that the feeling was captured perfectly. It was especially Zen-like, and the quality was like a blockbuster film. This was particularly true for the photo of the monks sitting cross-legged under the bamboo, which could inspire a whole drama in one's mind in minutes.

One picture showed a dozen or so monks pointing and talking about a red fox, as if they had never seen such an animal before, giving it a very slice-of-life feel.

Such a work seemed to fit everyone's image of Buddhism. Even on an officially organized tour, they could exude a sense of Zen. They were not detached from society, but they also weren't like many monks who go out to eat meat and drink after getting off work. Instead, it was:

"Wherever I go, that is the monastery."

—This atmosphere later provided the basis for a rumor that Lingyou's bamboo shoots could cure illnesses: It must be because this bamboo has been consecrated! Perhaps it was even consecrated by both the Daoists and the monks!

......

The actual situation.

A dozen or so high-ranking monks from various temples surrounded the red fox enclosure, pointing at him and chattering:

"This demon must have altered its original form. It can't possibly be this small."

"Judging by this demonic aura, it has lived for at least a hundred years."

"Fox spirits are the most cunning. The year before last, this humble monk caught one in Yedu City, but it actually managed to escape. Hah, how infuriating."

"Brother, you were too careless. What I usually do is this..."

The high-ranking monks happily discussed how to subdue demons.

Hu Dawei trembled in fear!

Why? He had already acknowledged a boss, so why was he still being intimidated by these monks?

Through the dense crowd of bald heads, Hu Dawei couldn't even see the Great Immortal Yousu. 'She must be eating nonchalantly or resting with her eyes closed. These monks are all treating her like an ordinary fox...'

On the other side, Duan Jiaze and the staff were handing out water to the monks sitting on the ground. In any case, someone else was footing the bill.

Among these monks, some could comprehend things, while those whose level was insufficient could not. To them, the Purple Bamboo was just like ordinary bamboo.

Duan Jiaze could even hear some old monks disappointedly scolding the disciples they had brought along for wasting a great opportunity and failing to comprehend anything. He could even summarize it for them: You're the worst class I've ever taught!

Jishan had also come to Donghai personally. At this moment, he said sorrowfully to Duan Jiaze, "Mr. Duan, is there truly not a single fated one among them?"

Duan Jiaze said apologetically, "There really isn't, Abbot. I'm sorry, but this isn't something I can decide."

He said the same thing to every monk from every temple who came to him.

Jishan secretly glanced at Duan Jiaze. Others might believe it, but he didn't. If this young Director Duan really had no influence, why would that Great Virtuous One choose to live here? And why would Linshui Temple be selling joint tickets?

'No matter how long I meditate here, it's not as good as building a good relationship with young Director Duan.'

After thinking for a long while, Jishan suddenly said, "I wonder if your zoo accepts fostering?"

Duan Jiaze asked, confused, "Fostering what?"

Jishan said with a smile, "When a famous Buddhist temple from Siam Country visited Wuliang Temple, they gave many gifts, including a white Asian elephant, which has been raised in the temple ever since. However, we are not professionals, after all. We hope to entrust it to the zoo for lifelong care, so that it can be properly looked after and have a better environment."

A permit was required to raise protected animals, even if it was a gift from an exchange. Wuliang Temple had applied for a permit and even hired people specifically to care for it, so the issue of whether there were professionals among the monks didn't exist. But there was no need to say this out loud; he was just looking for an excuse.

Duan Jiaze: "!!"

How could he refuse this? The Asian elephant was a first-class protected animal. If he accepted it, the mission would be complete. It was called lifelong fostering, but it was basically a transfer of ownership.

This Asian elephant was not only a rare white one, but also a religious gift from another country, carrying special significance. It would definitely be a major highlight, something impossible to obtain from any breeding center.

Legend has it that the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva rode a white, six-tusked elephant. Elephants possess great strength yet are very gentle, which secretly corresponds to the Bodhisattva's compassion and power. In ancient times, Siam Country highly revered white elephants, viewing them as sacred creatures.

Jishan was fostering the elephant at Lingyou, ostensibly for the elephant's well-being, which was a well-founded reason. In reality, he could also use this opportunity to build a connection with Lingyou, and in the future, he could say he was coming to see the elephant...

Even if Yousu hadn't prompted him, Duan Jiaze would have agreed in a heartbeat. 'Let the monks come. They can't find Luya anyway. They're just mooching off the bamboo for a while, and they don't even eat the bamboo shoots. They're basically giving Lingyou free ticket revenue.'

"Abbot, you've already toured the zoo and know our conditions, so I won't say more. Thank you for your trust. Let's discuss the details..." Duan Jiaze immediately settled the matter.

Jishan chuckled and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Duan Jiaze to the office building for a detailed discussion.

The other monks watched Jishan with envy, jealousy, and hate. In fact, the monks from every monastery were currently pondering how to find excuses to visit frequently after the forum ended.

They just weren't as quick-witted as Jishan. In fact, some of them also had monkeys or lions in their temples. Some, like Wuliang Temple, had permits, while others did not.

It was so infuriating. Why did this Great Virtuous One choose to live in Donghai City? Of all places, Donghai City. If it were anywhere else, it would be easy for them to establish a presence. At worst, they could just open a Buddhist academy here.

But now, they didn't know if Linshui Temple would agree, or what kind of conditions they would propose.

......

Duan Jiaze led Jishan to the reception room in the office building, sat him down, and brewed him a cup of tea.

Jishan stared curiously at two dents on the floor, one large and one small. The floor tiles were shattered in a spiderweb pattern.

Seeing his gaze, Duan Jiaze gave a dry laugh and explained, "It was broken by accident."

Jishan said thoughtfully, "It must have been something heavy."

Duan Jiaze and Jishan had a detailed discussion about bringing the white elephant over. His new park area had an enclosure suitable for a white elephant. If he really got a white elephant, Duan Jiaze wanted to hire two more zookeepers specifically to care for it.

Jishan also seemed to mention casually that he could contact the media to report on this matter.

After they finished talking, Jishan asked, seemingly shyly, "I wonder if I could come often in the future to visit the white elephant?"

Duan Jiaze nodded. "Of course you can. I'll go speak with Daoist Zhou about it."

"Then does Director Duan know if the brothers from other monasteries can come to Donghai in the future?" Jishan asked.

Duan Jiaze: "This, well, I'm not sure. It's not for me to decide..."

Jishan nodded. Regardless of whether they could come or not, he had seized the first opportunity, and had done so openly and honorably.

Jishan chatted with Duan Jiaze for a while longer, added him on WeChat, and then left.

......

That evening, after the monks reluctantly left, Duan Jiaze asked Yousu what to do again.

After visiting, the monks were not satisfied. They wanted to come again in the future, and their desire was even stronger. If Linshui Temple continued to block them, they would probably start a fight. Zhou Xintang of Linshui Temple was very troubled now, looking eagerly to Lingyou for a solution.

But Duan Jiaze couldn't think of a reasonable solution either, so he pinned his hopes on Yousu and the others.

Just as Yousu was about to speak, she was interrupted by Luya. "Why do you keep asking her? That damn fox only knows how to seek advantages for herself. Think for yourself!"

Yousu glanced at Luya without a word, but her expression was clearly dismissive.

Duan Jiaze was sullen. 'Is even this not okay?' he thought. 'The last person who got this kind of treatment was an emperor.'

Bai Suzhen also said with a smile, "The Zoo Director can indeed share his own opinion."

After a period of learning, Duan Jiaze had no problem with things like introducing new animals, dealing with relevant departments, and managing promotional plans. But when it came to scheming like this, he was not adept, and would always ask for Yousu's and Bai Suzhen's advice.

Since even Bai Suzhen said so, Duan Jiaze had no choice but to pitifully rack his brains. "I'm not very good at this... Let me think..."

......

As Duan Jiaze was thinking, Luya pulled two feathers out of his pocket, tossed them to Duan Jiaze, and said awkwardly, "...Today's."

Duan Jiaze: "............"

Duan Jiaze had been receiving the monks all day and had no time to go to Luya's enclosure. He hadn't expected Luya to actually pick up the feathers himself and bring them to him.

Wouldn't you say that's touching?

Duan Jiaze held the feathers and respectfully put them in his pocket, saying, "Thank you, Daoist Lord."

Only then did he realize that everyone else was looking at them strangely.

Duan Jiaze: "...What is it?"

Yousu said weirdly, "Daoist Lord, you're giving feathers to the Zoo Director?"

One look at her expression and he knew what she was thinking. Duan Jiaze broke into a sweat. "It's a misunderstanding. The Daoist Lord bestowed them upon me because I want to save up enough for a pillow. The Daoist Lord happens to shed a few feathers occasionally, it has no special meaning."

Luya also put on an air of having a clear conscience. "Right, they're useless to me, so I'm bestowing them upon him."

'Like hell!' everyone thought. 'Then why don't you bestow them upon us?'

To make an analogy, among humans, this was a bit like an ancient woman giving a lock of her hair to someone. Birds use feathers to attract mates and line their nests. Moreover, the feathers of a Three-legged Golden Crow contained a certain amount of Essence of Solar Fire, making them extraordinarily significant.

Even if they insisted there was no special meaning, to be able to give this kind of thing away, they must be very close friends, right?

The others were either sharp-witted or somewhat cunning. Only Xiao Qing was a bit too straightforward, saying, "Really? It looks suspicious to me. Hasn't the Daoist Lord always been without a Daoist companion?"

Luya: "..."

Duan Jiaze: "..."

Duan Jiaze said with a hint of sorrowful indignation, "How come the thoughts of you people from the Immortal Realm are also this progressive? The moment you see a fallen feather, you immediately think of all the feathers on the body, then immediately of courtship, then immediately of a Daoist companion, then immediately of homosexuality, then immediately of bestiality..."

Everyone: "............"

Xiao Qing was also extremely ashamed, feeling as if his soul was being interrogated. He admitted his mistake, "I was wrong. I just felt that, although the Daoist Lord usually curses and swears, he's actually pretty tight with the Zoo Director..."

This time, he didn't dare say anything about Daoist companions. The others were even less likely to say anything, lest they be accused by Duan Jiaze of having minds full of garbage.

Luya, his face green, said, "Who's tight with him!"

Duan Jiaze said faintly, "So you admit to the cursing and swearing..."

Luya: "..."

Everyone: "..."

The scene once again fell into an awkward silence. After a good while, Yousu finally broke the silence and asked, "Has the Zoo Director thought of a solution?"

Duan Jiaze said hesitantly, "I have a bit of an idea. I'll explain it, and if there are any problems, feel free to point them out."

Everyone nodded, looking as if they were all ears.

Afraid he wouldn't be able to explain it clearly, Duan Jiaze even got a notebook and wrote down a few words with a pen. He said meekly, "I borrowed from Yousu and Sister Bai's previous ideas. We'll have these monasteries put up billboards and play promotional videos for us. I know some monasteries are also tourist destinations, or are in big cities, so these are especially important.

"But our small zoo alone certainly can't attract many out-of-town tourists. So, we also need to get the Municipal Tourism Bureau to cooperate, using those billboards to promote the entire Donghai City. A while ago, our aerial video was very popular, and it seems the city is also interested in developing itself into a tourist city.

"At the same time, through this advertising, we can also shape Lingyou into a signature attraction, creating the impression for out-of-town tourists that a trip to Donghai must include a visit to Lingyou. This way, we'll have more resources to develop, not limited to just local residents.

"In exchange, we also have to negotiate with Linshui Temple about the issue of monks coming to Donghai City. In order not to affect the harmony between both sides, I think we can let these monasteries send people in rotation and in batches to volunteer at Lingyou. To avoid suspicion, they can't wear monastic robes, can't proselytize, and are not allowed to leave the Lingyou grounds at will.

"That's roughly it..."

After Duan Jiaze finished, he found everyone staring at him without a word. He felt a little flustered, his confidence wavering. He scratched his head and said, "Why isn't anyone talking? Oh right, there's another question I'm not sure about. Do you think it's a bit too much to not pay these monks a salary?"

Everyone said in unison, "No!!"

Bai Suzhen said with a grin, "The Zoo Director has indeed improved greatly. Your considerations are very thorough."

Yousu also clapped and said, "Not bad, very suitable. You've covered all the bases."

This method wasn't the crude kind that forced each monastery to donate a million. However, the indirect benefits might be worth more than a million. It was very beneficial for Lingyou's development, and no one lost out. Even Linshui Temple would see increased revenue due to more tourists.

Having the monks come over to work for free, they could at least meditate under the bamboo every day. They themselves were willing, and since they were all from the cultivation world, there was no need to worry about exposing anything. Besides, with their level of skill, even if they found out that the animals by day turned into people at night, they would only assume they were demons subdued by the Great Virtuous One, just like Hu Dawei.

Even the most cynical Luya nodded in approval.

......

By the time the inter-religious exchange forum concluded, the terms of the exchange had also been settled.

Linshui Temple agreed without much reluctance, considering there was no negative impact on them and there was potential for profit.

The Municipal Tourism Bureau was delighted. Getting large billboards and promotional videos set up for free in over a hundred cities, including many popular tourist cities and attractions—forget the cost, this was like the joint tickets for Linshui Temple and Lingyou. Some of these advertising spots couldn't be bought even with money.

The monks were also delighted. Just by helping with an advertisement, they could send people over for long-term stays. Everyone had experienced cultivating here—the effects were outstanding. There was also a slim chance of receiving guidance from the Great Virtuous One. Doing a bit of work was nothing; monks had chores to do in their own temples too.

Although only one person could go at a time for now, and they had to be in batches with the larger temples going first, there were only three batches in total, with around forty people per batch. It was a one-year rotation, so their turn would come quickly—the several hundred people this time meant that more than one monk had come from each temple.

Because Wuliang Temple had "fostered" the white elephant, the Zoo Director was very happy, so he gave them two extra spots. The others had no complaints.

The most delighted of all was Duan Jiaze. Free advertising and free labor! And these monks even had to pay him for living expenses.

The monks would officially report for duty next month. During this time, the various monasteries would probably fight amongst themselves over the selection of candidates. Lingyou wouldn't accept those who were too old, and there was no need for them to come anyway. They would basically choose the most promising candidates in the prime of their lives.

With so many people, it was impossible for them all to live in the vacant enclosures long-term. So Duan Jiaze planned to use some of the living expenses to rent housing in a nearby village. Since many young people had gone to the city to work, accommodating these few dozen people was not a problem.

He had a lot of dealings with the village because of land leases, and had just recently rented land for the aquarium. Therefore, the already-low rent was made even cheaper for him.

And then there was the kindest Abbot Jishan of Wuliang Temple, who had given him an Asian elephant of great significance. Duan Jiaze was overjoyed.

Please, let more bargains like this come his way!