"Nan'er has been lying here for quite some time now, why hasn't she woken up yet? Didn't you go to the Holy Church to beg for help today? What did you say?"
"Oh, this..."
"Tell me quickly!"
“Nan’er is bewitched. The master said that only by sending her to the temple can the curse be lifted.”
"Then, what if you get better..."
"Even if I recover, I can't come back."
"What! This is going to kill me!"
...
Who is speaking? Who is Nan'er? Where am I?
Lu Zhaozhao had a splitting headache. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt incredibly heavy, and her body seemed to be imprisoned, unable to move.
She heard the voices of a man and a woman echoing in her ears. At first, the woman was unwilling to let the person named Nan'er leave home, but the man told her that this would take Nan'er's life. The woman was heartbroken and cried for a long time before finally agreeing.
Then, she seemed to be lifted up and placed in a square place, where she was then rocked. After an unknown amount of time, the commotion stopped, and she was put down. A dense cacophony of sounds filled her ears, but she couldn't understand them.
A whiff of sandalwood incense wafted into her nose, and gradually, the fragrance grew stronger, making her feel a little coughy.
And she did cough it up.
The moment the sound was uttered, all the previous constraints seemed to fall away, and the eyes suddenly opened, revealing a sea of prayer flags.
Where is this place?
Alarm bells rang in Lu Zhaozhao's mind, and she subconsciously tried to grip the sword beside her, but found nothing.
There's nowhere to lean on!
With no powerful weapons at hand and all the results of years of cultivation completely gone, this was an ordinary body, nothing more.
Someone peeked out and looked at her.
It was a little monk dressed in yellow robes.
Seeing that she was awake, his eyes crinkled with joy, and he shouted, "Master! Master! She's awake!"
Each shout was louder than the last, making Lu Zhaozhao's ears ring.
But perhaps it was the loud shout that stimulated her, because at least her previously weak body regained some strength.
She forced herself to sit up, but it was such a simple movement that it was incredibly difficult for her extremely weak body. She gasped for breath several times before she could slowly move to her feet.
"Hey, why did you sit up? You're still not fully recovered!"
The clear but loud voice rang out again, and the little monk turned back. Seeing the patient torturing himself like this, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
Lu Zhaozhao rubbed her aching ear, not really wanting to pay him any attention.
But the young monk seemed to be a kind-hearted person. He rushed towards Lu Zhaozhao, helped her straighten up, and placed several soft pillows behind her.
Lu Zhaozhao opened her mouth, but found her throat dry and unable to make a sound.
The little monk paused for a moment, patted his bald head, ran to the table, poured a glass of water, and handed it to her.
Lu Zhaozhao smiled and nodded at him, took a sip of water to moisten her throat, and coughed twice.
"Thank you, young master."
His voice was hoarse, but at least he could make a sound.
"You are right, benefactor." The little monk scratched his head sheepishly, a blush spreading from his ears to his neck.
Lu Zhaozhao was surprised that he was so shy, and smiled gently.
"Young master, could you tell me where this place is, and why I am here?"
"Huh? You don't remember?"
The little monk's eyes widened in shock.
Lu Zhaozhao thought for a moment and nodded at him.
This terrified the young monk. Before he could even close his gaping mouth, he hurriedly ran out again, shouting, "Master—something terrible has happened—"
"Hey, little master—"
Lu Zhaozhao tried to stop him, but he was running too fast.
Not long after, the young monk led an old monk in.
"Master, Master, has she gone mad?"
The young monk tugged at the old monk's robe, his face filled with unease.
You're the one who's stupid!
Lu Zhaozhao laughed in exasperation, but she still composed herself and curiously sized up the elderly monk.
He looked very old, his face etched with the marks of time, and his eyes were calm and deep, as if they had seen through all things in the world.
He looked at Lu Zhaozhao, his eyes seemingly piercing through her skin and reaching deep into her heart.
Lu Zhaozhao blinked, avoiding eye contact.
He didn't mind, put his hands together and bowed to Lu Zhaozhao, speaking in a calm and collected voice.
"I heard that you suffered from memory loss after waking up. I wonder how much of it you have retained?"
Lu Zhaozhao kept her head down, lost in thought for a long time, without saying a word.
"Do you still remember your name, and do you remember your family and friends?"
Lu Zhaozhao shook her head.
The old man in front of her sighed softly, murmured "Amitabha," and looked at her with pity.
“Forgetting the mortal world may also be a kind of fate. My Buddhist name is Huizhen, and this is the name of my stubborn disciple Liaochen,” said Master Huizhen.
Lu Zhaozhao clasped her hands together and bowed to them. The little monk Liaochen, who had been so lively just moments before, was now behaving very well by his master's side and returned the greeting, though his big eyes darted around.
Master Huizhen felt somewhat guilty: "The benefactor entered the temple to exorcise evil spirits half a month ago. Now the evil spirits have been completely eliminated, but there was still some damage. It was truly my fault."
“Master, you saved me from dire straits. I am deeply grateful, but now that I have forgotten everything, I have no way to repay you.”
“You are kind-hearted, but your constitution is special, and it may not be suitable for you to leave the Buddhist order before adulthood. Your mother has entrusted you to this place. The nunnery is located behind the mountain, and Abbess Jingwen will be there shortly.”
Master Huizhen smiled, his stern face instantly softening into a kind expression, and he continued:
"Since you have forgotten your own name, consider it a severance of your ties to the mortal world."
Lu Zhaozhao responded softly and bowed her head reverently: "In that case, please bestow a name upon me, Master."
"Your secular name is Dai Nan; how about taking the name Guan Nan?"
I observe that the name in the Ksitigarbha Sutra is indeed an excellent one for the beings of Jambudvipa, but—
"If you want to sever ties with worldly affairs, why..."
Lu Zhaozhao was somewhat confused, but Master Huizhen smiled and said, "Everything in this world is governed by fate. The fact that you called out this word in your dream suggests that there is a deep connection between you and it."
Lu Zhaozhao nodded and thanked her.
There were two knocks on the door, and then a nun dressed in a dark blue robe walked in.
This must be Abbess Jingwen.
As soon as she entered, she greeted Master Huizhen and the young monk Liaochen, then looked at Lu Zhaozhao.
Master Jingwen was very beautiful. Time seemed to have left few traces on her face, only adding a touch of calm and serenity.
Her smile was gentle, and she nodded to Lu Zhaozhao without any aggression, making it easy for people to feel good about her.
It seems I'll have to stay here for a while.
Lu Zhaozhao felt bitter, but there was nothing she could do.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com