Chapter 185 Xiangguo Temple, the high monk who saw through her rebirth.
The next morning, as dawn broke.
After Lu Zhaoruo finished getting ready, she led Sun Jing out to Xiangguo Temple.
Although Xiao Yeming had meticulously ruled out all possibilities yesterday, stating that there was no deceased general who matched the image in her dream, the obsession she felt, drawn by the dream, had not dissipated.
She still wanted to go to the Stele Forest of Xiangguo Temple to see for herself, hoping that those cold stone carvings might hold a clue that had been overlooked by the military records.
As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I was taken aback.
In the morning mist, Xiao Yeming was squatting on the ground with his back to her, carefully teasing Abao, who was curled up on the stone steps, with his fingertips.
Ah Bao squinted comfortably, making gurgling sounds in his throat.
Xiao Yeming's shoulders and back were relaxed, and a rare, unguarded, gentle smile appeared on his profile, revealing a youthful brightness.
The sound of footsteps startled him.
Xiao Yeming turned around abruptly and saw that it was Lu Zhaoruo. The smile on his lips instantly froze.
He hurriedly got up, his movements so fast that they startled A Bao. He subconsciously raised his hand to straighten his already neat cuffs, his ears turning slightly red, his gaze wandering, unsure of where to look.
Lu Zhaoruo took in his embarrassed state, smiled gently, and asked, "General Xiao, what brings you here?"
"Mrs. Lu... Madam Lu."
His voice was a little hoarse, “Mother… Mother instructed me to… accompany my wife to Xiangguo Temple.”
Lu Zhaoruo paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping over his taut jawline and reddened ears, and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, General Xiao."
Xiao Yeming breathed a sigh of relief, then hurriedly said, "The journey is not far. I have prepared a carriage, and I will drive it myself."
After saying that, he glanced at Sun Jing behind Lu Zhaoruo and said, "Sun Jing may stay in the mansion to rest today."
Upon hearing this, Sun Jing did not respond immediately, but instead turned his gaze to Lu Zhaoruo, waiting for her instructions.
Lu Zhaoruo nodded slightly to Sun Jing: "Sun Jing, you may stay."
"Yes, boss."
Sun Jing clasped his hands in agreement.
Xiao Yeming stepped aside to lead the way: "Please, my lady."
In the dim light of dawn, he walked ahead with his back straight, his steps deliberately steady and solemn.
Lu Zhaoruo followed slowly behind, watching the man who could command thousands of troops with composure, now so nervous about walking with her that he was almost moving his hands and feet in unison. A smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.
This appearance is... quite interesting.
Sun Jing stood still and did not leave immediately.
My gaze silently followed the figures that walked away, one in front and one behind.
Xiao Yeming stood tall and straight, deliberately slowing his pace to accommodate her.
Lu Zhaoruo's skirt swayed slightly as she calmly followed behind.
Their shadows were elongated in the morning light, occasionally overlapping briefly as their steps crossed, before quickly separating again.
He only turned and left after the two figures disappeared around the corner, his back looking particularly lonely in the empty courtyard.
The Xiangguo Temple Stele Forest still echoes with the melodious sound of the morning bell.
Lu Zhaoruo and Xiao Yeming stood side by side in front of a solemn stone tablet, their eyes scanning line by line the characters engraved with the names of the loyal souls.
However, even as the sun rose higher, they still couldn't find a single clue that matched their dream.
Could it be... that it really is General Xiao?
Lu Zhaoruo felt a sudden tightness in her chest.
If it is true that the deceased General Xiao is appearing in her dreams every night, kneeling before her, it is utterly horrifying, both in terms of reason and emotion.
Xiao Yeming, standing to the side, was also filled with turbulent emotions.
Could it really be her father? But why would her father perform such a grand ceremony for Sister Lu?
Could it be...?
An absurd thought emerged: Did Father harbor ulterior motives towards Sister Lu before his death?
The thought made his throat feel dry and inexplicably irritable.
He didn't even consider the age difference between General Xiao and Lu Zhaoruo.
At this moment, an old monk with kind eyes and wearing an old kasaya slowly walked over.
His gaze swept over Xiao Yeming, and when it finally landed on Lu Zhaoruo's face, a hint of surprise flashed deep in his eyes, as if he could see through her current appearance and glimpse a kind of soul light that should not exist in this world.
Lu Zhaoruo was slightly moved by that gaze, feeling as if there was a clear light in the old monk's eyes that could illuminate people's hearts.
She stepped forward as if possessed, put her hands together, bowed respectfully, and said, "This faithful woman, Lu, greets the Master."
Seeing this, Xiao Yeming solemnly introduced, "Madam Lu, this is Abbot Huiming of Xiangguo Temple. The Master is profound in Buddhist teachings and of high moral character, and is a leading figure among Buddhist monks in the capital."
Master Huiming returned the greeting with his hands clasped together. His gaze lingered on Lu Zhaoruo's face for a moment before he slowly spoke, his voice aged yet gentle: "Amitabha, greetings, laywoman. This old monk observes that your aura is pure and clear, yet... there seems to be an unresolved connection, like a thread, lingering and refusing to leave. May I ask what you seek in visiting our temple today?"
Lu Zhaoruo felt a slight stirring in her heart upon hearing Master Huiming's inquiry.
She paused for a moment, then turned her gaze to the distant forest of steles, and said softly, "To be honest, Master, I have been troubled by a dream lately."
She paused, then continued, "In my dream, a blizzard raged, and the wilderness was desolate. A general, around forty years old and dressed in gilded fish-scale armor, was kneeling and kowtowing as he approached the believer. His appearance was sorrowful, his will resolute, as if he had a thousand unfinished words to say... Every time I wake up from this dream, my heart is filled with unease."
She turned her gaze back to Master Huiming, her eyes filled with confusion: "I am completely baffled by this dream, and I do not know the meaning of this dream, nor do I know who the general in the dream is. I hope that the Master will have mercy and enlighten me."
Master Huiming listened quietly, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were in meditation, or perhaps observing the wind and snow in the dream.
After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as deep as an ancient well, and looked at Lu Zhaoruo: "Amitabha, this dream of the female layperson is not caused by external disturbances, but is a reflection of her own mind."
His gaze was deep, as if he had already glimpsed the root of the dream: "The biting wind and snow in the dream, so cold and desolate, is not a celestial phenomenon, but the deepest fear and chill in your heart, the female lay Buddhist, a manifestation of an unresolved experience of your own."
Then, he changed the subject slightly: "And the general in gilded armor, kneeling and crawling, his sorrow and determination are another heavy cause and effect entangled in past lives. His persistent thoughts, like resentment and longing, transcend time and space, attaching to the layman's unresolved knot in his heart. Only when the two intertwine can this phenomenon be revealed."
At this point, Master Huiming's gaze seemed to sweep over Xiao Yeming beside him, and he continued, "Instead of being obsessed with finding out who the general is, why not first look at yourself? Is there a past event, like wind and snow, that still chills your heart? And look around you, is there anyone who is carrying an unspeakable heavy burden of guilt because of this past event?"
Having said that, he chanted a Buddhist prayer softly and said no more.
The words, like the evening drum and the morning bell, echoed in the silent forest of steles.
Immediately, the master turned and drifted away.
Lu Zhaoruo stood there, stunned, her face slightly pale.
"The deepest fear and chill in my heart..."
She kept repeating those words in her mind, and the night in her past life when she died alone in the woodshed amidst the wind and snow instantly appeared clearly before her eyes, and the biting cold seemed to seep into her limbs and bones once again.
The master saw through her true nature at a glance.
The words "those around me are burdened with emotional debts" struck my mind like a bolt of lightning!
Her heart trembled, and she couldn't help but think of the villain who had tainted her innocence and ruined her life.
Who else but him would feel such deep guilt towards her?
Could his obsession be so strong that he can pursue his reborn self?
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