The high-speed train sped into the mountains, and the sky outside the window gradually darkened. The journey from Huadu to Caidu by high-speed train takes nearly 10 hours, and we arrived in Caidu in the early hours of August 26th.
Wang Yao, being an immortal, did not feel tired. Moreover, with the prospect of completing the widower's mission in sight, he couldn't help but feel excited. He checked the map of Caidu at the high-speed rail station, confirmed the direction of Xiangyun City, and then simply set off for Xiangyun City under the cover of night.
I figured I'd walk until morning, when buses would start running again, then I'd take one. Xiangyun City is a county-level city under Caidu, and it's not actually that far from Caidu; there are bus routes connecting them.
As dawn broke, Wang Yao was already quite close to Xiangyun City. He saw a flat road under his feet, and on both sides, separated by lush green fields, were rolling mountains. On the mountains, amidst the white clouds, stood temples.
Yellow walls and black tiles, the chanting of monks during morning prayers drifted from afar, and colorful prayer flags fluttered in the distance. Further on, the streetlights on both sides were replaced with lotus-shaped ones, and sculptures of Arhats and Bodhisattvas stood intermittently along the roadside. As he walked, Wang Yao couldn't help but wonder if he had entered a lotus Buddhist kingdom.
"Buddhist vegetarian meals, starting from ten yuan per person."
"A Buddhist delicacy, made with ingredients personally blessed by eminent monks of Qifeng Temple. Eating it once will bring you a month of health and freedom from illness."
"Buddhist incense offerings, lotus flower offerings, blessed by eminent monks, high quality and low price."
...
The posters displayed outside the shops on both sides of the road all exuded the atmosphere of a Buddhist country. Wang Yao had not done any research beforehand and had no idea that Xiangyun City was actually a Buddhist holy site. He found it fascinating and decided not to take the bus, walking around and looking around.
Not only are there temples in the distant mountains and shops nearby, but even the pedestrians on the road are often dressed as monks, with shaved heads, wearing monk robes and cloth shoes, hurrying back and forth.
"Esteemed benefactor, is this your first time visiting Xiangyun?" Wang Yao was walking forward, looking around, when suddenly a bald man with a monk's mark stopped in front of him. Wang Yao was startled and almost bumped into the monk.
"Uh...is there something you need?" Wang Yao quickly stopped, noticing that this person was also dressed in monk's robes, and wondered how he had attracted the monk's attention.
"I see that you look worried and are covered in dust, so you must have come from afar. I also see that you look around frequently as you walk, so you must be unfamiliar with this place. Therefore, I apologize for disturbing you. I am Hui Shuo, a wandering monk from Lingguang Temple. Is there something you wish to ask the Bodhisattva for?"
The monk greeted Wang Yao with a kind smile, clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and spoke in broken Mandarin.
"No, I'm just here to find someone." Wang Yao quickly shook his head to clear himself of any involvement. If Lu Xian found out that he, an immortal, had come to worship the Bodhisattva, he would most likely lose merit.
"It's alright, it's alright. Whether you seek help from someone or pray to Buddha, the principle is the same," the monk said with a smile, his expression unchanged. "This humble monk comes from Lingguang Temple. You probably don't know Lingguang Temple, do you? It's an inconspicuous little temple nestled in the valley of Lianye Mountain..."
"This humble monk has made a great vow to descend the mountain and travel throughout the human realm, spreading the Dharma far and wide. As the saying goes, the Dharma is transmitted through spiritual resonance, and the Buddha guides those with affinity. I have only just descended the mountain when I met you, benefactor. Not only did I meet you, but I also feel that you and I have a connection. Therefore, I will bestow upon you a great opportunity..."
"This humble monk brought out two hundred Buddha amulets from the temple, which have been worshipped and offered incense before the Buddha for over a hundred years. I intend to give them to those who are destined to receive them. The significance of this first amulet is extraordinary, firstly because it has been imbued with the fragrance of incense for the longest time..."
As Wang Yao listened to Hui Shuo's rambling, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that he had encountered a swindler. Several lines of identity information were clearly displayed next to Hui Shuo's bald head.
"Liang Hui said that he was from Lianyeshan, Xiangyun City, Caidu. He made a living by farming. Because of his impoverished life, he decided to build a temple to get rich. Personality: Determined, persistent, and imaginative. Hobbies: Visiting temples and chatting with monks. Dream: To build Lingguang Temple and become its abbot."
"...This first Buddhist amulet of mine is just like the first bell to ring in the temple for the New Year and the first incense to be lit, they are all..." Hui Shuo was unaware that Wang Yao had seen right through him, and he was still rambling on and on.
“You’re not a real monk, just a farmer, right? Wanting to build a temple and become its abbot is a very lofty ideal. I hope you continue to persevere and don’t give up. I have other matters to attend to; go find someone else.” Wang Yao saw through Hui Shuo’s identity with a single sentence and turned to leave.
He knew that Hui Shuo had said so much, most likely trying to sell him that Buddha amulet that was like the first bell and the first incense of the new year. Actually, if the price wasn't too high, he could buy one and wear it. After all that talking, he had to pay for it, right?
But as an immortal, it's not convenient for me to worship Buddha. Besides, this is clearly fake. How could a fake monk who makes a living by farming have such a magical Buddha amulet? Furthermore, I am a civilized person from Huadu. Encouraging fraud is not a civilized act.
When Hui Shuo heard Wang Yao casually reveal his identity, his eyes widened in shock. He stood there speechless, watching Wang Yao walk away, not knowing how to respond for a moment. After a long while, when Wang Yao's figure had disappeared from sight, Hui Shuo slapped his thigh and came back to his senses.
This… this guy doesn’t sound like a local at all, so how does he know so much about my affairs? He even knows about my secret dream of building Lingguang Temple and becoming its abbot? This… I haven’t told anyone about this, how does he know?
Could it be? Hui Shuo recalled that he had only silently recited his dream a few times when visiting his parents' graves, hoping that his parents could bless him so that his wishes would come true.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
