The old monk was extremely reluctant to leave. He had spent most of his life here. He couldn't bear to part with even a single blade of grass or a single tree. But... the divination showed that only a female war goddess from another world could save the ancient temple from its peril, and save him from his own.
Xiaoman: "If you follow others, you'll be a high monk, an honored guest. If you follow me, you'll only be an ordinary person. Because, here, I just want to be an ordinary person."
“An ordinary person? Forget it.” The old monk looked at Xiaoman and said, “You were a prince in your past life, but you can be an ordinary person in this life. As a monk, what is there for me to be attached to?”
"Have you thought it through?"
"I've thought it through. Hmm... how should I address you from now on?"
"My surname is Wang, and my given name is Xiaoman. You can just call me Xiaoman. What about you?"
The old monk thought for a moment and said, "I want to be called Shang An."
"Okay, Uncle Shang."
"Just call me Lao Shang."
“Here, I am not a prince.”
"Alright." Old Shang looked at Xiaoman: "I... I have something else I'm sorry to say."
"explain."
“I originally had five monks. Knowing that the ancient temple would face a calamity in a few years, I made them return to secular life. Those who did not want to return to secular life were sent to other temples. However, I have an old friend who has no children. A few years ago, when things were chaotic outside, he came to the mountains to seek refuge with me. This time, I think... I want to bring him along as well.”
Xiaoman frowned: "The two of you together are too conspicuous. Your leaving shows you don't want to get involved in the affairs of those important people, right? If you take him with you, those important people will find you very soon. Or..." Xiaoman paused and looked at Lao Shang: "You want to take him to live in seclusion in the deep mountains?"
"The truly wise live in seclusion in the city. My old friend is a recluse and doesn't like to socialize. As soon as he arrived, I let him stay in the backyard. Not to mention those important people, even my apprentices have never seen him."
If that's the case, then there's no problem.
After Xiaoman agreed, Lao Shang went inside and called her out. "Lao Guo, this is Xiaoman. From now on, we'll follow her."
Old Guo glanced at Xiaoman.
Xiaoman smiled.
Old Guo nodded.
Old Guo nodded, and Old Shang breathed a sigh of relief. If Old Guo hadn't been willing, he really wouldn't have known what to do with him.
Xiaoman: "Uncle Shang, since you know where I came from, do you know if the original Wang Xiaoman has been reincarnated?"
"She was unwilling to be reincarnated."
Xiaoman frowned: "She still can't let go?"
"Um."
"Could you please summon her? I'd like to try and persuade her."
"Can."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"What do you need? I'll go buy it."
Old Shang: "I have everything."
When will the summons be issued?
"Let me calculate." Old Shang closed his eyes and calculated: "The night after tomorrow is the most suitable."
"Okay." Xiaoman saw that neither Lao Shang nor Lao Guo seemed to know how to cook, and she didn't have much food with her. Lao Shang didn't eat meat either. "I'll go down the mountain to buy some food."
Old Shang: "No need, there's food at the temple."
"Then I'll go for a walk in the mountains and come back the day after tomorrow. You two pack your things."
"good."
Xiaoman looked at Lao Shang and said, "Don't touch anything others know about, and you can't take everything others don't know about." Lao Shang has been the abbot for so many years; it's impossible that he hasn't kept anything secret. "If you take everything, others will immediately know that you left voluntarily."
"Do you want people to misunderstand and think I was kidnapped?"
Xiaoman smiled and said, "If we don't touch anything and leave them a few things we've kept, they won't know whether you've gone on a journey, gone into seclusion, gone with some noble person, or been kidnapped. That way, even if they want to find you, they won't know where to look. If they search in all four directions, it will be time-consuming and laborious, and they might not even find you. That way, they might just give up."
Xiaoman stopped and looked at Lao Shang: "If I set up a formation outside the temple, they would know at a glance that you don't want to see them."
Old Shang looked around and said, "I just can't bear to leave this ancient temple. It not only has Buddha statues, but also a lot of Buddhist scriptures."
Xiaoman: "You have to let go when it's time to let go. Maybe if you let go, they'll be fine."
Old Shang's eyes lit up immediately: "What do you mean?"
"This ancient temple is hidden deep in the mountains, and those who come here to worship Buddha are all people who have Buddha in their hearts. If they have Buddha in their hearts, how could they be disrespectful to the Buddha statue?"
"What about those scriptures?"
“I told you, the most valuable thing here isn’t these golden Buddhas, it’s you. What they’re looking for isn’t these Buddha statues, it’s you. You’re not here, and they don’t know where you went. If they’ve taken your things and you come back, how can they have the nerve to come looking for you again? Even if they do come, they’ll have to return what they took.”
"What if...they don't return it?"
Xiaoman looked at Lao Shang and asked, "In your heart, what is the difference between a golden Buddha and a clay Buddha?"
Old Shang paused for a moment, then said, "I was attached to appearances. A golden Buddha and a clay Buddha are both Buddhas."
Xiaoman: "Buddha resides in the heart. If Buddha is in your heart, the world is a temple, and all things are Buddha statues."
"A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study."
Xiaoman smiled and asked, "In what capacity do you want to follow me?"
Old Shang: "A fake monk who cheats and swindles everywhere."
Xiaoman looked at Lao Guo: "Where is he?"
"beggar."
Xiaoman raised an eyebrow: "You've already thought this through?"
"Um."
Aren't you afraid I won't agree?
Old Shang smiled and said, "Don't worry. In the past, the prince had more than a thousand men under his command."
“Here, I am not a prince.”
“Here, though you are not a prince, your soul is that of a prince. I also have some skills, so you should take me in.”
Xiaoman smiled and said, "You're more than just a little bit capable."
Old Shang smiled.
After Xiaoman took Xiaohei into the mountains, Lao Shang and Lao Guo began to pack up.
On the third day, Xiaoman returned with Xiaohei. Xiaohei had a basket on its back, filled with medicinal herbs.
Old Shang was surprised: "You can also harvest herbs?"
Xiaoman took the basket off Xiaohei's back: "Hmm."
Old Shang glanced at the medicinal herbs, then at Xiaoman. He felt no more reluctance. If a prince could go up the mountain to gather herbs, what could he possibly be unable to let go of?
That night, Old Shang tried several times but failed to summon the original owner.
Xiaoman looked around. After all, this was a temple: "Is she afraid to come?"
"No. Although this is a temple, she is not an evil spirit. Even if I summon her, she will still dare to come."
Xiaoman frowned: "Then why didn't she come?"
"Let me think..." Old Shang slapped his forehead: "Oh dear! How could I forget about Xiao Hei? It's a warhorse, it followed you into battle in your past life, it's full of fierce aura. With it here, of course that girl wouldn't dare to come."
"Then I'll let Xiao Hei go out."
"good."
Should I go out?
"No need. Your body belongs to her now, she's not afraid of you."
After Xiao Hei left, the original owner's soul arrived shortly afterward.
Old Shang looked at Xiaoman: "She's here. What do you want to say to her?"
Where is she?
Old Shang pointed ahead: "There."
Xiaoman looked at that spot and said, "Those two people won't have a good life. You should reincarnate."
Old Shang: "She doesn't want to."
Xiaoman frowned: "Do you want to see what will happen to Liu Cheng?"
Old Shang: "She said yes."
Xiaoman looked at Lao Shang: "Do you have any way to persuade her?"
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