After Li Molin, Liu Li, and the other two demons left Magpie Bridge Town, a tall, thin monk in gray robes arrived in the town in the afternoon.
At that time, the people in the town were still working in the fields. A few boys greeted the little monk, and the town mayor, who was a little further away, responded and walked over with a smile.
"What brings you here at this hour, young master?" the town mayor joked. "You're not here for the Qixi Festival, are you?"
Shi Chan shook his head and smiled, "This benefactor is joking. When I passed through the small town next door, I heard that there was a temple dedicated to a holy monk here. As a monk, it is only natural that I should burn incense at every temple, worship Buddha at every temple, and sweep every pagoda. So I came here specifically to offer incense at the temple."
The town mayor was filled with respect and said, "Young master, you are very kind. Please, I will take you there."
Shi Chan smiled and said, "Thank you, benefactor."
As the town mayor walked along, he asked with a smile, "I haven't asked the young monk's Dharma name yet. Which Buddhist temple is he a disciple of?"
Shi Chan replied, "This humble monk is a disciple of Bodhi Temple, and my Dharma name is Shi Chan."
"Bodhi Temple!" The town mayor exclaimed with increasing respect and envy, "I've heard that Bodhi Temple is one of the three great Buddhist temples in the Central Plains. The disciples there are all highly accomplished, so the Buddhas enshrined there are naturally very efficacious. I've always wanted to go to the temple to offer incense, but the journey is too long, so I've had to postpone my trip again and again. Alas."
Shi Chan smiled and said, "Benefactor, there is no need to feel regret. As long as you have Buddha in your heart, it is the same wherever you offer incense."
The town mayor nodded, put his hands together, and chanted a Buddhist prayer, saying, "Amitabha."
Then, Shi Chan chanted a Buddhist prayer and said with a smile, "Amitabha."
The two walked along the small roads in the town and soon arrived at the Holy Monk Temple.
Upon seeing the statue of the holy monk in the hall, Shi Chan asked in bewilderment, "This humble monk is dull-witted, but I do not know which Buddha this statue represents?"
The town mayor smiled and shook his head, saying, "This is not a Buddha statue, but a stone statue of a holy monk who saved the entire town hundreds of years ago. The people of the town built this temple because they were grateful for the holy monk's kindness. In the hearts of the people of Queqiao Town, the holy monk is the Buddha."
“Is that so?” Shi Chan nodded. He walked to the offering table, took out three thin incense sticks, lit them on the candle flame, and then respectfully placed the incense sticks into the incense burner. He then walked back, knelt down on the prayer mat in the center, closed his eyes, and devoutly chanted something in a low voice.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and saw the smiling monk statue. His vision went black for a moment, and then a series of images flashed before his eyes. The images were so fast that Shi Chan could not see anything clearly. In a blurry glance, he saw a gray-robed monk standing smiling in front of a dense forest, his gentle gaze watching a little white fox hop and skip into the forest.
Just as the scene faded away, Shi Chan seemed to see the gray-robed monk wave his hand and send out a wisp of ethereal golden light that landed on the white fox.
The scene then completely vanished, and in his hazy state, Shi Chan heard a voice speaking intermittently: "The fox's fate is fraught with hardship... it may die young... truly pitiful... I wish to... exchange it for... half a lifetime of peace and well-being..."
"Little Master!" The town mayor, seeing that Shi Chan's eyes were closed, his brows were furrowed, and his body was swaying and almost falling to the ground, hurriedly knelt down to support Shi Chan and asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Little Master?"
Shi Chan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze blank, and he hesitated before saying, "This humble monk... is fine."
In the time it took to say just that one sentence, Shi Chan had completely forgotten everything he had seen and heard. He only felt a little dizzy and weak. He looked up at the monk's statue, at his gentle eyebrows and smiling face, and suddenly felt very familiar with this monk, as if he were an old friend.
After a moment of silence, Shi Chan stood up with the help of the town mayor. He shook his head and said embarrassedly, "I am truly sorry that I have been so disrespectful in front of the statue of the Holy Monk."
The town mayor suddenly chuckled and shook his head, saying, "What's so rude about this, little monk? Master, you don't know, a few days ago some guests came to town, and one of the girls came to this holy monk's temple and, for some reason, tried to climb onto the offering table, saying she wanted to talk to the holy monk..."
As he spoke, the town mayor's face turned pale, and he still looked somewhat shaken. He said, "This old man couldn't stop that girl no matter what he did, and she almost desecrated the statue of the holy monk! My sins, my sins."
"Young lady?" Shi Chan asked, puzzled. "Why is that young lady behaving so strangely?"
"Who knows?" the mayor sighed. "Listening to what that girl said, it was as if she had seen a holy monk. It was really strange... Speaking of strange, the clothes those people were wearing were also very strange. They didn't look like ordinary people at all, especially that girl. Her clothes couldn't even cover half of her arms and calves. I wonder where that kind of fashion is from..."
Shi Chan paused for a moment, then asked, "Was that girl born with fox-like eyes, and was she holding a tabby cat in her arms?"
"Yes..." the town mayor asked in confusion, "How did you know, Master? Do you know that girl?"
Shi Chan smiled gently, his eyebrows curving upwards. "Yes, that young lady is named Liuli, and she is a very kind girl."
The mayor nodded in agreement, saying, "She is kind, but her behavior is not like that of an ordinary girl."
"Yes," Shi Chan replied with a smile, "Now that incense has been offered, this humble monk should take his leave. Thank you for your help, benefactor."
"You're too kind, young master," the town mayor said with a smile. "It's getting late. Why don't you rest in town for the night before you leave?"
"No need," Shi Chan shook his head and said, "There is war in many places at this time, and I have to rush to other places to see if I can help the suffering people. I will take my leave now."
The town mayor, filled with respect, said, "Young master, you are so compassionate at such a young age; you will surely achieve great things in the future!"
"Mayor, you flatter me." Shi Chan smiled and took his leave, glancing up at the monk statue on the high platform before turning and walking out.
After seeing Master Shi Chan off at the temple, the town mayor returned and busied himself inside. His movements were exceptionally respectful, reflecting his deep reverence for the holy monk on the high platform.
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