Chapter 260: Ten Years of No See
The vegetarian chicken and buns in Wuzhen's hands fell to the ground. The buns rolled around and were covered with dust.
Wu Zhen's wrist was pinched and a circle of red marks appeared. He withdrew his hand in fear.
"Master, Master!" Wuzhen turned his head and called.
The accompanying palace servants saw that the old Taoist priest was rude and raised their whips to hit him again, but were stopped by Ming Deng.
"Wait a minute." Mingdeng also got off the carriage.
He stood beside Wuzhen, put one hand on Wuzhen to comfort him, and took the old Taoist's hand away with the other hand.
"Amitabha. Taoist Priest, I, your humble disciple, have good intentions. I wonder if I have offended you in any way."
The old Taoist priest was thin, but he was holding Wuzhen with great strength.
Ming Deng seemed to raise his hand gently and moved the old Taoist's hand away.
The old Taoist looked at the bright lamp, then at Wuzhen, a hint of doubt appeared in his cloudy eyes, and then he said in a hoarse voice:
"I'm sorry, I was so hungry and dizzy that I recognized the wrong person."
After saying this, the old Taoist priest squatted down and picked up the buns and vegetarian chicken on the ground.
I don’t mind if it gets dusty, I just pat it, wipe it off, and put it in my mouth.
Mingdeng and Wuzhen returned to the carriage, which went further and further on the dirt road towards the city gate.
Wuzhen rubbed his wrist, feeling apprehensive:
"Master, the way that Taoist priest looked at me just now was so scary. I wonder if he mistook me for his enemy."
Ming Deng shook his head. "Master told you there are many bad people out there, some even eat children. You must wear the beads Master gave you to ward off bad luck. You were in the carriage just now and didn't even notice the beads had fallen off."
Mingdeng spread out his palm, and in the palm of his hand was a crystal white bead with a broken red string strung on it.
Wu Zhen touched his neck and finally realized what was happening.
Mingdeng helped Wuzhen put the beads back on.
Wuzhen has been wearing this bead since he was a child.
This bead is different from the ones the Queen and the Prince got. Wuzhen's bead has always been white, smooth and shiny, and has not turned black over the years.
It is a real relic.
Wuzhen put on the beads, leaned against the window and looked back, and saw that the Taoist priest's figure was still at the other end of the road, shrunk into a small dot.
"Master, why aren't Taoist priests in the Taoist temple? There's food, drink, and incense in the Taoist temple. The Taoist priest just now was very hungry, and when people are hungry, their tempers are bad."
Ming Deng: "Perhaps that Taoist priest is traveling around the world. In the world of martial arts, one doesn't rely on offerings, but on real skills and old friends."
"Amitabha!" Wu Zhen clasped his hands together and said kindly, "That Taoist priest doesn't seem to have much ability. I hope to meet him soon."
Ming Deng was silent for a moment, and then said:
"Wuzhen, please be quiet when you enter the palace."
Wuzhen: "Oh, okay, Master."
The carriage drove into the Chang'an city gate.
The destitute old Taoist priest was still sitting by the dirt road, eating up the vegetarian chicken and buns with relish.
The cloth towel that the young monk did not take away was also used by the old Taoist priest to wipe his mouth.
"Burp." The old Taoist priest burped.
He stood up and walked forward.
This road leads to Chang'an, but he does not plan to enter Chang'an. When he reaches the front, he will bypass the city of Chang'an.
There are too many acquaintances and too many old stories in Chang'an City.
He doesn't want to go back, and he shouldn't go back.
It has been more than ten years since I last left Chang'an.
He was once very famous in Chang'an, but later he traveled around the world and became more and more miserable, and he could not even afford to eat.
Right now, the last thing he wanted was to run into an old acquaintance.
Firstly, it's embarrassing, and secondly, it will most likely cause trouble.
The old Taoist priest deliberately made himself look disheveled so that anyone who saw him would want to stay away from him.
There is a small puddle ahead.
The old Taoist priest walked to the edge of the puddle and looked in the light, and saw a ghostly shadow.
He was very satisfied, even if his biological mother came she would not recognize him.
“Gee! Gee!”
“Whoa—”
There was a sound of horse hooves and wheels.
The old Taoist priest just raised his head from the puddle and saw a group of people dressed as guards surrounding him.
A richly dressed man with an arrogant look walked out of the carriage surrounded by guards.
The old Taoist priest's heart skipped a beat and he pretended not to know her.
"Who are you and why are you blocking my way?"
He Tingfang half-smiled and bowed to the old Taoist priest, saying quietly:
"Master Qingyang, it's been ten years since we last met. I hope you are doing well."
Old Taoist Priest: I saw a ghost!
…
East Palace.
Falling cherry blossoms cannot blow through the tightly closed palace door.
Ever since the prince fell into the water and fell ill, the doors and windows of the palace have always been closed, for fear that the prince would catch a cold again.
Even in the daytime, the hall was somewhat gloomy.
When the Queen Mother walked into the hall, she smelled the heavy atmosphere and couldn't help but frown.
On the bed, Murong Zhen looked pale and drowsy.
Hearing the announcement that the Queen Mother had arrived, he tried to get up, but as expected, she stopped him:
"Zhen'er is ill, so there's no need to be so polite. How are you feeling today?"
Murong Zhen sat up, his face pale and sallow:
"Grandma, my head still hurts."
Murong Zhen was not lying, it really hurt.
In order to avoid spring hunting and studying, he deliberately dragged Ning An into the water. After the fever subsided, he pretended to be sick and lay in bed every day.
Because Ning An once said that she wanted to compete with him in the hunting ground this year to let her father see what it means for a woman to defeat a man.
Ning An said it casually, but Murong Zhen took it to heart and pretended to be sick.
After the spring hunt, he gradually "recovered".
His headaches used to only occur occasionally, and although they made him irritable, the pain was short-lived.
But after lying in bed pretending to be sick for so long, the headache became more and more obvious, sometimes lasting all day or all night.
It was as if there was a worm in his brain constantly eating away at his flesh and blood.
He was horrified to find that he had gone from pretending to be sick to actually being sick.
The Queen Mother looked at Murong Zhen's frail appearance. Although she felt distressed, she was more angry and helpless at his lack of fighting spirit.
"Zhen'er, I have invited Master Mingdeng from Ciguang Temple to see you today. After the master examines you, perhaps your symptoms will be cured."
Murong Zhen: "My grandson is unfilial and has caused my grandmother so much trouble."
Before the grandfather and grandson exchanged a few words, Master Mingdeng arrived with the palace servants leading the way, followed by Wuzhen with his lips tightly pursed.
Ming Deng greeted the Queen Mother and the Crown Prince, then frowned and said:
"The evil spirit in the East Palace is very strong. I need to chant scriptures in the palace to dispel the evil spirits."
After hearing what Ming Deng said, the Queen Mother felt even more that the dampness in the palace was unbearable.
"Thank you, Master."
Mingdeng and Wuzhen walked around the inner and outer halls of the East Palace, chanting scriptures as they went.
Wuzhen was holding an ash jar in his hand and following behind to scatter the ashes.
Wuzhen quietly asked his master why he had to scatter ashes. He had never seen anyone else scatter ashes during a ritual.
Master said, "This will make it seem mysterious and special. They will feel reassured and feel that we have done something."
Wuzhen didn't quite understand, but he spread the ashes very carefully and evenly.
The East Palace is not small. By the time the master and the other two finished their work, half a day had passed.
Ming Deng finally took away the amulet he had given to the prince:
"This amulet has been tainted by evil spirits. I must take it back to the temple and cleanse it of all the evil spirits before returning it to the prince."
The Queen Mother naturally agreed and only asked:
"Master, I have performed a ritual today. In your opinion, how long will it take for the prince to recover?"
Master Mingdeng: "About three days."
The Queen Mother nodded happily, but she was still worried:
"Master, may I ask why the others are safe while only the Crown Prince is being harassed?"
Master Mingdeng: "Amitabha, every evil cause will have its consequences, and the evil spirit will seek retribution. The prince is still young and cannot resist."
Where there is evil cause, there is evil consequence.
The Queen Mother choked, thinking of what the Emperor and the Queen had done:
"Will this resentful evil spirit return?"
Master Ming Deng: "The resentful energy is like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea; it will inevitably return, and it will only grow thicker and thicker."
The Queen Mother: "Master, is there any way to eliminate it?"
Master Ming Deng said: "To eliminate this threat, we should summon three thousand monks to gather in the palace and perform rituals together. This may dispel the darkness and eliminate the worries."
"Three thousand monks entering the palace?" The Queen Mother was surprised.
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