This ancient temple looks very old.
From the outside, the vermilion gate and the surrounding wall are slightly dark in color. There are dozens of stone steps in front of the gate, all of which are swept very clean.
Qin Zhao stood at the foot of the stone steps, looking at the monk from afar, making sure that he was indeed talking to him.
Old friend?
Has he been here before?
Or maybe... the little fish has been here before?
Qin Zhao suddenly remembered that when Fang Tianying mentioned the origin of the koi to them, he did say that the fish was once raised by a senior monk in a temple.
Could it be this ancient temple?
Qin Zhao's eyes dimmed slightly, and after a brief hesitation, he stepped onto the stone steps.
No matter whether the old friend the monk was talking about was him or Xiaoyu, he had to go in and find out.
Qin Zhao was invited into the ancient temple by the monk.
While this ancient temple may appear unassuming from the outside, its interior is exceptionally well-appointed. Beyond the vermilion gate lies a spacious courtyard. In the center stands a tall incense burner, flanked by immaculately maintained corridors and bell and drum towers.
The monk's Buddhist name is Jingchen. He looks to be about the same age as Qin Zhao, but he is already the abbot of this temple.
As he led Qin Zhao inside, he introduced the ancient temple to him.
This ancient temple, called Yunguan Temple, was built by a previous dynasty and dates back over 600 years. Its location is remote, deep in the mountains, and it used to attract few pilgrims. Most of the visitors came from nearby villages and towns to pay their respects, or to entertain passing travelers.
Jingchen led them to a side courtyard, clasped his hands together, and said, "The temple's vegetarian meal time has passed. I will ask the kitchen to prepare some more food for you. In this ancient mountain temple, the food is simple, so please don't mind."
Qin Zhao returned the greeting and said, "I dare not. Thank you for your help, Master."
Just as Jingchen was about to leave, Qin Zhao stopped him again, "There's one thing I'm not sure about. Your Master just mentioned an old friend coming here. I wonder what that means."
Jingchen just smiled and nodded, saying, "Your heart is as clear as a mirror, so why ask so many questions?"
"...Please take a short rest. I will be back soon."
Qin Zhao couldn't get anything out of the monk, so he had to give up.
Just as he was about to enter the yard, the fish basket in his hand moved slightly. He lowered his head and met a pair of round, clear eyes.
The little koi fish wagged its tail and spoke in human language: "We've already entered the temple? Why didn't you wake me up?"
In this case, wouldn't he only be able to maintain his fish body while in the temple?
Qin Zhao had originally planned to wait for him to wake up and transform back into human form before entering the temple, but he hadn't expected the abbot to arrive so quickly. Qin Zhao explained what had just happened to Jing Li, who tilted his head.
"Old friend?" asked the little koi. "Have you been here before?"
Qin Zhao shook his head. He had no memory of having been here before.
"I think he is referring to you." Qin Zhao said.
"I?"
Jing Li looked around, and strangely enough, he did feel that this place looked familiar.
Could this really be the place where the original little fish once lived?
Jing Li said, "Let's go in and take a look."
Qin Zhao walked into the yard.
This is an independent courtyard with a quiet and unique environment. A little monk of seven or eight years old is sweeping the floor in a corner of the courtyard.
Opposite the courtyard gate is the main house. The main house is very large and slightly higher than the several side rooms next to it. The eaves are covered with glazed tiles, which looks magnificent.
There is a lotus pond in the center of the yard. Even though it is winter now, the lotus leaves in the pond are still lush.
In the center of the lotus pond, a lotus slowly blooms, but its shape is different from that of ordinary lotus flowers.
Qin Zhao walked to the edge of the lotus pond. A little koi fish poked its head out of the basket and examined the oddly shaped lotus. Just then, a childish voice rang out from behind them: "This is a twin lotus."
Jing Li was so scared that he quickly shrank back into the fish basket. Qin Zhao turned around and saw the little monk who was sweeping the floor not far away coming over.
The young monk clasped his hands together and bowed to Qin Zhao, saying, "You must be the distinguished guest that Master mentioned. I have cleaned the room. You may go in and rest."
Qin Zhao asked, "Lotus blossoms from June to August, and it's still mid-February. Why are they blooming now?"
"Donor, you may not know that the lotus flowers in this lotus pond bloom all year round, which is quite mysterious."
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