Lu Qing asked, puzzled, "Why?"
"Abbot, are you afraid these female ghosts will harm you? It's alright, I'll take them in and send them to the underworld!"
Lu Qing was about to make a move when Hui Yi stopped him:
"Amitabha Buddha, young benefactor, you mustn't!"
"Why?" Lu Qing asked, her face full of questions.
Huiyi: "These women were innocent. The cannibalistic world of the past caused them great suffering, which is why they are like this now."
“They have harmed people. If they were to go to the underworld now, they would never be able to be reincarnated. This humble monk will stay here and use his own body to eliminate their malevolence.”
"When they return to the underworld, they can atone for their sins and be reincarnated."
Before Hui could finish speaking and before Lu Qing could react, the female ghosts angrily shouted:
"You stinking monk, who wants your pity!"
"Yes! We're fine as we are now, why would we want to be reincarnated?"
"You stinking monk, if you're really so kind, then take off your robe and let us eat you up!"
"Exactly! If we drain your life force, we might be able to leave this place!"
"..."
The female ghosts chattered incessantly, giving Lu Qing a headache.
"Shut up!"
With a wave of his hand, Lu Qing sealed the female ghosts away instantly.
“Abbot, the malevolent energy here is so strong. If it weren’t for this robe protecting you, you would have become a dead soul under their control long ago. These evil spirits have their own karma, so why should you interfere with their karma!”
Lu Qing's words did not shake Huiyi in the slightest.
He softly uttered "Amitabha," then closed his eyes and began chanting scriptures.
Lu Qing couldn't help but rub his forehead. How could this monk be so stubborn!
If reciting scriptures for a few days really worked, Lu Qing would let it go. But these female ghosts were too malevolent; even if he recited scriptures for a lifetime, he wouldn't be able to completely purify them.
"Abbot, do you really intend to chant sutras until you die?"
Huiyi did not answer, and Lu Qing continued on his own:
"Have you ever thought about what would happen if these female ghosts weren't purified after you died? Would they continue to harm people?"
Huiyi finally opened his eyes and answered:
"I will chant the sutras tirelessly, without sleep or rest. If I am unable to finish before I die, then my bones will become a seal, imprisoning them here for eternity until they turn to good!"
"No sleep or rest? Can you handle it?" Lu Qing scoffed.
Huiyi took out a snow-white stone from his robe:
"This is a calming stone; it will ensure that this humble monk never needs to rest!"
Lu Qing's eyes lit up when he saw the Heart-Soothing Stone:
"This thing is on you! It seems Uncle Wenqu wasn't lying to me!"
"Abbot, can I discuss something with you?" Lu Qing said with a grin.
Hui looked at Lu Qing with a puzzled expression.
Lu Qing: "Give me this calming stone, and I'll help you purify these female ghosts, how about it?"
"You can purify them?" Hui looked surprised, then shook her head:
"This is my karma, young benefactor. You need not trouble yourself with this. If you want this calming stone, please wait a while. I cannot live for more than a few years."
Lu Qing: "But my CET-4 certificate won't last more than a few years!"
University is only four years long. After passing the CET-4, she still has to take the CET-6. She doesn't have that much time to wait.
Lu Qing reluctantly took a white porcelain bottle out of her bag:
"This is a crystal vase. My third senior brother gave it to me. It's very rare; it's the only one I have."
"Put these female ghosts into a cleansing bottle. After a while, their malevolent energy will be purified, and then I'll send them to the underworld. What do you think?"
Huiyi: "Is this really true?"
Lu Qing: "Would I lie to you?"
Huiyi finally stood up and slowly bowed to Lu Qing:
"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk thanks you on behalf of these women!"
Lu Qing pouted and shoved the glass bottle into his hand:
"Hurry up, I'm afraid I'll regret it later."
Lu Qing had very few magical artifacts that he had purified, and the glass bottle was the most powerful among them. It was engraved with many arrays and was extremely difficult to fire.
Most importantly, this thing can only be used once.
Lu Qing could have purified them herself using the purification array, but the array takes too much time, and she has to go back to school tomorrow, so she can't afford to be late.
There was no other way but to give up this treasure.
Huiyi gave the Heart-Suppressing Stone to Lu Qing as promised, and Lu Qing then helped him collect all the female ghosts into the Glass Bottle.
The female ghost roared in despair, "No! I don't want to be purified!"
"Shut up! This is not your choice!"
With a stern face, Lu Qing pulled out the female ghosts one by one and stuffed them into the bottle.
Suddenly, a slight pain came from her fingertips, causing Lu Qing to frown.
Looking down, she saw nothing on her fingertips, not even a bead of blood, so she didn't pay any attention.
The female ghost disappeared, and the sky around them brightened.
The dilapidated courtyard was covered in mud, and a gust of wind made the roof sway precariously.
A brick fell down, and Lu Qing happened to be standing underneath it.
"careful!"
Huiyi grabbed Lu Qing by the collar and lifted her up like a chick to dodge.
Before Lu Qing could react to the collapse of the building, Hui Yi had already carried her out.
It was only then that Lu Qing realized that the abbot was not as weak as he had seemed.
"Amitabha Buddha, young benefactor, are you alright?"
Lu Qing shook her head blankly: "It's nothing."
Gu Xicheng and Jueming rushed over.
"Qingqing, how are you?"
Lu Qing shook his head and took out the Heart-Suppressing Stone to show Gu Xicheng:
"I got the Heart-Soothing Stone, but it cost me a crystal bottle in the process, which is quite painful."
"It's good that you got it!" Gu Xicheng said with a smile.
Beside him, Jueming couldn't help but sob as soon as he saw Huiyi:
"Master, your disciple has finally found you!"
Huiyi sighed helplessly:
"Jueming, thank you for your hard work!"
Lu Qing looked at them, and only then did she truly see Huiyi's appearance; he was indeed a handsome monk.
Although Huiyi was the master, he looked much younger than Jueming.
Huiyi seemed a little uncomfortable, perhaps because Lu Qing's scrutinizing gaze was too obvious:
"Why do you look at this humble monk like that, young benefactor?"
"It's nothing, I just think you're too young. The abbots I've seen are all in their fifties or sixties, old men with white hair, it's just a bit strange," Lu Qing said with a smile.
Jueming explained with some pride:
“Don’t let my master’s youth fool you; he has been cultivating since birth.”
"The old abbot said that Master was born with a Buddha's heart, so he was qualified to be the abbot before he was forty years old."
Lu Qing nodded: "He has a natural heart of Buddha, no wonder he can sacrifice himself for others... no! For ghosts!"
"Thank you very much for today, young benefactor!"
Huiyi and Jueming thanked Lu Qing again.
"It's alright, it's alright! You gave me the Heart-Soothing Stone too, so we're even."
“Esteemed guests, it is already noon. Why don’t you come back to the temple with us for a vegetarian meal?” Jueming warmly invited.
Lu Qing was also hungry, so he agreed.
But she regretted it when she saw the bowls of vegetarian noodles that were served.
Vegetarian cabbage noodles, braised eggplant, cucumber salad, stir-fried greens...
Lu Qing couldn't tell whether he was eating vegetarian food or a low-fat meal.
"They're all vegetarian!" Lu Qing said with a bitter face.
Huiyi: "Monks are not allowed to eat meat, so I'm sorry to trouble you, young benefactor."
"I feel so wronged! I feel so incredibly wronged!" Lu Qing sobbed as she slurped her noodles.
Although it was vegetarian, it tasted alright, so Lu Qing ate some and headed straight to a nearby restaurant as soon as he left the temple.
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