Chapter 27 Seeking Lotus
Jiang Fei only brought Jiutao with her and climbed up the stairs to Jinglian Temple. It was already dark.
There are dormitories in the nunnery for pilgrims to rest. The weather is hot at this time of year, so fewer people go up the mountain. There are few people living in the entire side yard, and it is very quiet.
The next morning, just as it was getting light, Jiang Fei got up and washed.
When I opened the window, I saw mist swirling in the mountains and could faintly hear the sound of chanting coming from afar.
Jiu Tao asked sleepily, "Miss, are you going to ask for help from Lian so early in the morning?"
"The early bird catches the worm." Jiang Fei said, "You don't have to go. Qiu Lian brought a maid with her, which seems insincere."
"Oh." Jiu Tao squinted her eyes and said, "Then I'll wait for the young lady to come back and have vegetarian food."
Jiang Fei put on her coat and said, "You don't have to wait for me. It's not easy to ask for Lian. How can it be so fast? It will definitely take some time."
Jiutao was still asleep, so she said "Oh" and threw off the quilt before falling back asleep.
When I walked out of the dormitory, I could clearly feel that the weather today was much cooler than yesterday.
The mountains were shrouded in thick fog, and the clouds were extremely low, like a gray-blue veil covering the dark green mountains, which seemed to be a sign that it was about to rain.
When Jiang Fei arrived in front of the hall, she saw a nun who was about sixty years old sweeping the steps.
The nun had a kind face and raised her palm to salute Jiang Fei, "Amitabha, why are you here to burn incense so early?"
Jiang Fei bowed respectfully, "Good morning, Master. I came here to ask for a pure lotus."
The nun looked at her carefully and said, "The Pure Lotus was cultivated by the lay Buddhist Qinglian. She never gives it away easily. I'm afraid the donor will be disappointed."
It is not easy to ask for lotus, this is something Jiang Fei has known for a long time.
"The nun only said that she wouldn't give it away easily, not that she wouldn't give it to anyone. Perhaps the nun and I are destined to be together."
The nun pondered for a moment, then clasped her hands together and said, "Your words are quite reasonable. It is I who have become obsessed with appearances. In that case, I will take you to see the lay Buddhist Qinglian. However, the lay Buddhist has a very indifferent nature. Whether you can obtain the Pure Lotus depends entirely on your affinity with the Buddha."
Jiang Fei was delighted and bowed quickly, "Thank you for your help, Master."
Jiang Fei followed the nun through several courtyards. The further they went, the quieter the environment became.
There are green bamboos with dew hanging on them on both sides of the bluestone road. After turning a cave door, the view in front of you suddenly opens up.
There was only a simple thatched house built by the water, and a pond of lotus in front of the house had not yet bloomed.
In front of the thatched hut, a tall figure was kneeling on the bluestone slabs.
The man was wearing a dark brocade robe, and his hair was still stained with crystal morning dew. He must have been kneeling there since night.
It’s Pei Jing!
Jiang Fei suddenly stopped and subconsciously hid behind the wall.
I had planned everything, but I never expected to meet Pei Jing here.
What was he doing here? He was kneeling there, could it be that he was also begging for Lian?
The nun and Jiang Fei were equally shocked, as if they had not expected someone to arrive first.
She clasped her hands together and said apologetically, "There are already pilgrims here. Please wait here for a while."
After saying that, he walked over quickly.
Jiang Fei didn't dare to look, for fear of being discovered by Pei Jing by accident. She could only hear the nun's voice.
"Please go back, benefactor. Master Qinglian will not see you."
Jiang Fei secretly worried for the nun. That was Pei Jing, the King of Zhaoning, who would kill people if he disagreed with her. Jiang Fei was really afraid that Pei Jing would pick up a knife and kill people if he was unhappy.
Pei Jing glanced towards the cave entrance and saw a small piece of skirt in the corner. It seemed to be a female pilgrim.
He stood up without saying a word, took a deep look at the window of the hut, and walked towards the deeper part of the forest.
After waiting for a long time, Jiang Fei did not hear Pei Jing's voice, but instead heard footsteps approaching.
"Donor, you can come out now."
Jiang Fei breathed a sigh of relief and walked through the cave entrance, but Pei Jing was no longer there.
It seems that the Buddhist place of meditation still has a certain binding force on Pei Jing. At least Jiang Fei can't think of a second place where he can kneel properly.
The nun walked to the thatched cottage and said, "Laywoman Qinglian, there is a female donor who wants to ask for lotus. She mentioned the Buddhist connection, and I thought it made sense, so I brought her here."
After the donor finished speaking, he left, leaving Jiang Fei standing there alone.
Pei Jing had been kneeling there since nightfall. Even though his heart was so sincere, Master Qinglian refused to see him. I was afraid he would need some time to be tempered.
Jiang Fei thought for a while, lifted her skirt and knelt down where Pei Jing had knelt before.
After a while, the window creaked.
Jiang Fei looked up and was stunned.
She had never seen such a beautiful woman before; even the heroine Wei Ciying in the book could not compare to her.
The woman in the window was about thirty years old and was wearing a monk's robe. However, she was different from other nuns in that she had hair, probably because she practiced with her hair intact.
Jiang Fei stared blankly. Mr. Qinglian gently pushed open the window, and his pair of autumn-water eyes stared at Jiang Fei quietly. Although he was wearing plain clothes, it couldn't hide his elegant and extraordinary temperament.
"Female donor, what are you kneeling here for?" Her voice was as clear and melodious as a mountain spring.
Jiang Fei finally came to her senses and kowtowed quickly, "I'm here to ask for help from Lian."
"No need to kneel down to ask for lotus."
Jiang Fei was startled. "I saw that the male donor also knelt for a long time, and I thought..."
Mr. Qinglian's eyes moved slightly, and he turned to look at the mountains in the distance.
The drizzle was as fine as silk, and the distant mountains were blurred into light ink in the rain and mist, immersing the layered mountains into a hazy scroll of ink painting.
She looked at him like this for a long time, and just when Jiang Fei thought he was silently ordering her to leave, Master Qinglian finally spoke.
"There are three things I won't give as gifts of lotus." The lay Buddhist Qinglian gently stroked the window frame with her bare hands. "I won't give to those without affinity, I won't give to those without heart, and I won't give to those without sincerity."
Jiang Fei rested his forehead against the cold stone slab and said, "Disciple is willing to kneel for three full days to prove his sincerity."
The layman suddenly chuckled, "You have a sincere heart, but it's a pity that you are not destined to have this lotus."
Jiang Fei's heart tightened, "Please explain clearly, Master."
"You have too many obsessions in your heart. You are not someone Jinglian should entrust to others."
The rain began to fall heavily, wetting Jiang Fei's eyelashes.
She pressed on unwillingly, "But I'm not asking for myself, and the person I'm entrusting this to isn't me."
"Then why do you ask for Lian?"
"It's Princess Anping." Jiang Fei calmed down. "The princess lost her beloved son, and I want to help her overcome this disaster."
Mr. Qinglian frowned, seeming unhappy.
After a moment, she whispered, "Your obsession is too deep. This lotus is not meant for you. You seek the lotus for others, but you don't realize that you are the one who needs salvation the most..."
The windows and doors were closed, and the unfinished words disappeared in the drizzle.
Jiang Fei knelt there, looked at the closed window and thought for a while, then stood up and walked back the way he came.
When the lay Buddhist said that she was too obsessed, was he referring to her obsession to complete the mission? Or was he referring to something else?
The rain suddenly became heavy, and Jiang Fei hurried back.
After running for a while, she realized something was wrong. She had clearly passed a small bamboo path on the way here, but when she returned, she walked for a long time and didn't see it.
She turned back the way she came. The rain was getting heavier, the leaves were rustling, and the surrounding scenery became blurred and unfamiliar in the rain.
Jiang Fei's pace became faster and faster.
Gradually, a strange feeling came over me, as if countless pairs of eyes were watching me from the dark.
Amid the sound of rain and footsteps, there was also a slight rustling sound, as if a wild beast lurking in the forest was stepping on the fallen leaves, waiting for its opportunity to move.
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