Transformation (Part 3)
He Shu suddenly raised his head and looked straight at Qingshan who was walking beside him. A trace of disbelief and shock flashed in his eyes. He murmured softly as if he was afraid of disturbing something:
"Qingshan... do you think... could it be her? Could it be Haruhi... is she back?"
"I have no idea."
Qingshan met his gaze that was eager for an answer and shook his head slightly, his expression calm but equally cautious.
He was silent for a moment, lowered his eyelashes, as if recalling something, and then said slowly:
"Before Master left, he seemed to have a premonition of this. He specifically told me that if I ever encounter a mystery that's hard to comprehend, or if I have doubts that I can't resolve on my own, I can take these questions to Dingyun Temple and seek the guidance of Abbot Chengguan."
As he spoke, he changed Jin Wu, who was now in his arms, into a more comfortable position, holding her steadily with one arm, letting the furry little head rest comfortably in the warm crook of his neck.
The free hand took He Shu's wrist and walked out of the yard with him.
"Since Jin Wu's transformation has been confirmed, and the strange behavior of this peach tree... perhaps it's not accidental... then let's go to Dingyun Temple together. Perhaps there, we can find some answers."
"good!"
He Shu nodded vigorously, suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and followed Qingshan's steps.
However, before he had taken a few steps, he seemed to step on something, staggered, and almost fell forward.
"Hey, hey—"
A slightly dull yet strangely familiar cry of pain came from underground.
He Shu was startled by the sudden sound and subconsciously grabbed Qingshan's sleeve, and the two of them retreated several steps.
He instinctively stood in front of Qingshan and Jinwu, staring vigilantly at the mound of earth that had just tripped him.
I saw that the slightly raised area began to wriggle strangely, and the soil on the surface slid down.
Not long after, there was a light "puff" sound, and a burst of white smoke with an earthy smell suddenly spread out. In the smoke, a round figure slowly walked out, rubbing his lower back as he walked.
"Young donor, your steps are quite heavy..."
The figure continued to speak, his tone slow but full of energy, with a hint of exaggerated complaints.
"You almost broke my old bones!"
The smoke gradually dissipated, and He Shu listened to the unique accent and immediately realized:
"Master Chengguan! Why are you here? How did you... come out from here?"
His voice was filled with undisguised surprise, and he hurried forward two steps to greet her.
"Qingshan and I were just about to look for you... Your appearance today... was truly... unique..."
Looking at the other party crawling out from the ground, He Shu didn't know how to describe it for a moment.
The fog completely dissipated, and Chengguan's figure appeared clearly along with his laughter, but he was not wearing a monk's robe today. Instead, he was wearing a half-new, half-worn khaki cloth shirt.
On his originally bald head, a head of gray silver hair grew, which was casually tied into a small bun and held on the back of his head like an old naughty boy. It swayed gently with his movements. Combined with his round figure and rosy face, he looked a bit like a local gentry.
"You, little crane, have been frantically circling around in the mountains. The spiritual energy is fluctuating like the beating of a drum. As the land of Luzhu Mountain, how could I not feel it?"
Chengguan chuckled, patted the grass and dirt on his robe, and said with understanding in his tone.
He Shu heard this and immediately showed a bit of embarrassment on his face:
"Well... there really is something going on. I was anxious, and I'm truly sorry if I disturbed your meditation."
He looked at Chengguan, who looked completely different from his usual solemn appearance. He couldn't help but stop and tilt his head to look up and down at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in front of him. He frowned in confusion and continued to ask:
"But... Master, why are you dressed like this today? Your hair has grown out, and you've taken off your robes... Are you... going to return to secular life?"
"Little Donor He is joking."
Chengguan was amused by his straightforward guess. Although his clothes had changed, he still habitually put his hands together and performed a Buddhist salute. However, this look added a bit of incongruous humor to his manner.
"I simply followed the will of Heaven and passed away. What you see now is me shedding my Buddhist trappings and returning to my true self—this is the Earth God of this place."
"Nirvana?"
He Shu withdrew his gaze and repeated the word in a low voice. Suddenly, he thought of something and felt a sense of melancholy. He lowered his head and muttered to himself,
"Xuan Tongzi has passed away, and now you too...why are you leaving one after another..."
He raised his head again and asked reluctantly:
"Host, are you leaving Luzhu Mountain too?"
"Hahaha... Young benefactor, are you reluctant to leave me?"
Chengguan, with his round belly, took two steps closer to Heshu, and said with a kind and teasing tone,
"How could I forget? I'm the legitimate Earth God of Luzhu Mountain. I'm bound by the mountains and rivers, and Lingshu is here. Where can I go? I can't leave even if I want to!"
He laughed heartily, and when he saw the snowball in Qingshan's arms with its emerald cat eyes staring at him curiously, a glint of understanding flashed in his eyes, and he sneered.
"I see... the little fellow Xuan Tongzi had mysteriously told me to keep an eye on before, was you."
As he spoke, he naturally took the confused child from Qingshan's arms.
Strangely enough, as soon as Jin Wu entered his arms, the pair of furry ears that disappeared after the transformation appeared and shook restlessly above his head.
Chengguan was immediately amused and could not help laughing:
"Hey, look, the little ears are showing. What's wrong? Are you afraid of me?"
He weighed the little guy in his arms, a look of surprise on his face:
"You're so heavy! It seems your two brothers have been feeding you a lot of good things, raising you to be so strong. No wonder... you were able to transform so quickly even though the opportunity hasn't arrived yet..."
As soon as the words fell, He Shu, unable to suppress his worry, spoke hastily, his tone filled with anxiety:
"Yes, Master Chengguan! Jin Wu's transformation came so suddenly, without any warning! We were completely unprepared. Will this cause any problems? Will it damage its foundation?"
He approached worriedly and carefully pinched Jin Wu's unconsciously shaking little hand.
"And these past few days, it has indeed shown some symptoms of lethargy, lethargy, and lack of appetite... We—"
Before he could finish his words, Chengguan beside him suddenly hugged Jin Wu, turned around and walked to the stone bench in the yard and sat down.
The playful expression on his face gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful and solemn look, his eyes fixed intently on the innocent face of the child in his arms.
"Oh, I'm still a step late..."
When He Shu saw this, his heart skipped a beat and he quickly stopped talking, not daring to disturb her anymore.
He took Qingshan's hand, and they followed together, standing on either side of Chengguan. He lowered his voice deliberately, and asked worriedly:
"Host... what's going on? Is there really something wrong?"
Chengguan didn't answer immediately, but simply shook his head. He extended his right hand, placed his index and middle fingers together, and a soft, pure golden light quietly gathered at his fingertips.
His expression became serious, and he moved his fingers to form a seal. The golden light flowed out from his fingertips like a living firefly, and with a "whoosh", it lightly penetrated into Jin Wu's forehead.
The little ball, which was twisting curiously in Chengguan's arms, suddenly froze when touched by the golden light, and then became quiet in an instant.
Then, the smooth skin on its face and arms began to slowly grow fine and soft orange hairs at a speed visible to the naked eye. Within just a few breaths, it covered its entire body, and it was about to completely return to its original form.
At this moment, Chengguan quickly retracted his finger, and the golden light dissipated.
“Meow…”
The little guy in his arms let out a soft moan as if waking up from a dream. The fur that had just appeared on his body faded away like the tide, and his skin became smooth again. Even his restless ears and tail were retracted, and he turned back into the delicate appearance of a human child, but his eyes became more confused.
"well……"
Chengguan then breathed a long sigh of relief. He stood up, picked up Jin Wu, who was yawning in his arms, and handed her back to Qingshan who had been waiting quietly beside him.
"This little fellow... is truly blessed with a long life and great fortune..."
He Shu's heart leaped into his throat upon hearing this. He couldn't help but reach out and gently wipe away the small beads of sweat that had formed on Jin Wu's forehead due to the sudden change. Worry was almost overflowing from his eyes.
"What do you mean by that, host?"
Qingshan took the sleepy little Jinwu steadily, then looked up and asked seriously.
Chengguan glanced at the two people who were so nervous that they almost held their breath, and couldn't help laughing. He shook his head:
"Don't worry, don't worry. Look how scared you two are. Relax a little. It's not a life-threatening disaster."
After a pause, he put his hands behind his back and walked to the peach tree in full bloom. He looked up, seemingly casually admiring the unseasonable yet incredibly gorgeous clouds, and slowly explained:
"The root cause...it's just that this little fellow hasn't had his chance yet, and his foundation is still shallow. According to normal cultivation, he shouldn't be able to transform now...Could it be that you've been so worried about him that you've fed him too much warming and nourishing spiritual herbs and elixir? Little donor He, the principle of too much is as bad as too little, you've practiced for so long, don't you understand that?"
Chengguan turned his head and looked at Heshu.
"Although what you fed me is not a great panacea, and the spiritual energy contained in it is shallow and mild for a true practitioner, it can still withstand the accumulation of time."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
