Chapter 366 There's a Bloody Smell

After a short rest, the group went up the mountain.

Sheng Sheng thought she should give Xie Yun-yang some time to adjust, so she gently woke him up when the carriage was halfway up the mountain.

"Brother, wake up, we're almost at Putuo Temple."

Xie Yunyang wasn't sleeping deeply; she woke up after being called twice.

He rubbed his temples to quickly wake himself from his drowsiness, his voice still a little hoarse: "Sheng Sheng, what time is it now?"

"It's around 1-3 PM now, brother. We're already halfway up Mount Putuo, and we'll be at Putuo Temple soon."

Sheng Sheng poured him a cup of tea to moisten his mouth. After Xie Yunxiang had calmed himself down for a while and returned to his normal state, she finally asked him a question.

“Brother, we were so caught up in our own enthusiasm that we didn’t consider Grandmother’s feelings. Mount Putuo is a Buddhist site, and we didn’t write to Grandmother beforehand to explain. Isn’t it a bit inappropriate for us to come uninvited? Will Grandmother be angry?”

"No, not at all," Xie Yun said with a smile.

Seeing that the little girl couldn't hide her anxiety, he patted her head reassuringly.

"Although my grandmother is usually very strict with us and rarely smiles, she often has a stern face, and even my most mischievous fifth brother is afraid of her. But in reality, my grandmother is only like that on the surface. In fact, she has never deliberately made things difficult for us younger generation or shown any prejudice. She treats everyone equally."

Occasional punishments were only when someone had genuinely done something wrong. The fifth brother feared his grandmother simply because she frequently prayed to Buddha, and when she had a stern face, she exuded an aura of solemnity and authority. He simply didn't dare to act out his little temper in front of her.

Xie Yunyang glanced at the stone lying in front of her, looking at the scenery with a tiger-like face, and joked, "Have you forgotten about Xiaobai? Xiaobai's mother's mother was the first cat that the Empress Dowager raised. The Empress Dowager is a cat lover, so she might really like this 'big cat' we brought?"

"Really?"

Sheng Sheng was somewhat skeptical.

Grandmother was old, and I thought it would be good enough if she didn't faint from fright when she saw the stone. I didn't even plan to bring the stone to anyone, let alone expect her to like it.

"Just kidding." Xie Yunyang chuckled as he saw the little dumpling seriously pondering the matter. "Grandmother is getting old, so it's best not to scare her. But it's true that Grandmother loves cats. She's been in seclusion at Putuo Temple for a long time, and she must miss Xiaobai very much. Xiaobai is close to you, and Grandmother might be a little nicer to you because of that. If you're worried about Grandmother or feel uncomfortable, you can take this opportunity to start a conversation about Xiaobai."

Sheng Sheng carefully wrote it down: "Okay! Sheng Sheng remembers."

After Xie Yun-yang's words, Sheng Sheng felt a little more confident.

From his words, Sheng Sheng has tentatively summarized the following points about this imperial grandmother whom he has never met:

He has a serious appearance and exudes an air of authority.

A person with a fair and impartial heart.

Cold on the outside but warm on the inside; a Buddhist and a cat lover.

Despite having some confidence, this was still the first time Sheng Sheng had met an elder of this generation, and the former Empress Dowager who had once ruled the world. She couldn't help but feel nervous.

Therefore, when the carriage stopped at the entrance of Putuo Temple, just as Zijuan found the young monk who was sweeping the entrance and explained the situation, Shengsheng simply pulled Yanhu out of the carriage and took a walk to the side.

They ostensibly wanted to "walk the dog," but in reality, they were just using the opportunity to move around a bit to relieve their inner tension.

Just as Sheng Sheng led Yan Hu around the carriage twice, Zi Juan came over and said, "Miss, that young monk said that the Empress Dowager is currently discussing scriptures with Abbot Huihai of Putuo Temple in the meditation room. The young monk asked us to wait here for a moment while he went in to ask for instructions."

"Okay, then we'll wait here."

She relayed her words to Xie Yun in the carriage and invited him to get off and walk around together.

"Brother, let's come down and wait together. Look at these trees, they're so unique!"

Xie Yun looked in the direction she was pointing, smiled, and didn't refuse.

Xie Yunyang stood beside her and explained, "This is a Bodhi tree. There are usually these trees near temples because people consider it a 'sacred tree' in Buddhism."

The Bodhi tree is a sacred tree in Buddhism, with broad, heart-shaped leaves and thick, tall branches.

It was precisely because of those heart-shaped leaves that Sheng Sheng found this tree so peculiar.

The brother and sister were visiting Putuo Temple for the first time. As they climbed the mountain, they felt a special sense of tranquility about Putuo Mountain. When they arrived at the entrance of Putuo Temple, that tranquility became even more intense and pervasive.

This is probably because it is a sacred Buddhist site.

Even Xie Yun-shang found it somewhat novel.

The brother and sister remained silent, curiously admiring the scenery at the entrance of Putuo Temple while waiting quietly.

A short while later, the cleaning and sweeping staff who had just entered the temple came out.

The young monk, who looked like a kind person and appeared to be no more than ten years old, knew they were members of the royal family, yet he did not show any timidity. Instead, he spoke to them with composure and grace, saying, "Please wait a moment, esteemed guests. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager said that she is currently engaged in a crucial discussion of scriptures with Master Huihai and it is truly inconvenient to interrupt. Once the discussion is over, she would like to invite Your Highnesses to meet in the meditation room. I hope you will not take offense."

Xie Yun hurriedly said, "We are juniors, and the Empress Dowager is our elder. It is only right for juniors to wait for their elders. Moreover, we did not inform her of our trip in advance, so we were presumptuous."

"Please come inside with me, and I will take you to wait in the temple."

"Alright," Xie Yun said. "By the way, we have something very important in our carriage, and it's not convenient to disclose. I wonder if there's a place to park our carriage at Putuo Temple?"

"some."

After telling Ta Ying and Zhui Feng where to park the carriage, the young monk led the group into a courtyard and said, "The lotus pond on the west side of the courtyard is in full bloom. If you find the wait boring, you can go to the pond to admire the lotus flowers. It's cool there and close to the meditation room, so I can find you two in time later."

"Thank you, young master."

After the young monk left, the group sat and waited in the pavilion in the courtyard.

Sheng Sheng was quietly admiring the lotus flowers beside Xie Yunyang at first. Just as she found the most beautiful little lotus flower in the pond, Yan Hu suddenly nudged Sheng Sheng's leg.

"There was a faint smell of blood in the sound."

Sheng Sheng paused slightly, then asked him with some surprise, "Here?"

Putuo Temple is a place where Buddha's light shines everywhere, so how could there be a smell of blood?

Yan Hu sniffed carefully, a little uncertain: "The smell is very faint, it shouldn't be from here, it's probably coming from nearby."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Sheng's first reaction was to go and find out what was going on.