Chapter 168 - 119: Hu Zi Hit Really Hard!

Chapter 168: Chapter 119: Hu Zi Hit Really Hard!

"Brother!!"

A child about Hu Zi’s age suddenly popped out. The kid looked incredibly mischievous, his big, round eyes flashing with a wicked glint from time to time. He looked exactly like that child actor from Zeng Anmin’s past life... Hao something-Wen, wasn’t it? He was cut from the exact same cloth as that kid in the sunglasses.

"This is my younger brother, Liu Hao," Liu Xian quickly introduced him to Zeng Anmin with a chuckle. Then, his face darkened as he barked at the boy, "Bow to our esteemed guest first! Have you forgotten everything I taught you?"

"Oh?" Liu Hao’s small eyes darted around. He looked up at Zeng Anmin with a beaming smile. "Mister, you look so handsome!!"

Zeng Anmin stared expressionlessly at the boy named Liu Hao.

He thought, "So it was you, right? You’re the one who egged Hu Zi on to hit the monk’s head with a Wooden Sword? If you hadn’t instigated him, no matter how shiny or perfectly shaped that monk’s head was, my Hu Zi would never have done it! Well, unless hitting it actually rang as loud as a brass gong!"

In truth, Zeng Anmin felt that if a head as round and shiny as a lightbulb were placed right in front of him, even he might not be able to resist the urge to tap it and see if it made a sound.

He prayed silently, "Ouch... Sorry, Buddha, your disciple meant no offense. Amitabha, please forgive your disciple..."

"Your younger brother and my Hu Zi share quite a connection. They’re classmates, in fact," Zeng Anmin said, glancing at Liu Xian.

Liu Xian’s eyes immediately lit up. "That’s wonderful! It brings us even closer!"

Zeng Anmin’s lips twitched. "He instigated my nephew to hit a monk’s head. I’ve already punished my nephew for it."

Uh...

Hearing Zeng Anmin’s accusatory tone, Liu Xian’s face turned a shade of green with anger. He barked at the boy, "Are you out of your mind?!"

"You’re Hu Zi’s uncle?!" Unexpectedly, the boy looked up, blinking as he scrutinized Zeng Anmin. "You don’t look as fierce and wicked as Hu Zi said... You’re clearly so handsome. Why did Hu Zi say you were like a demon who held his head down to make him copy texts, starving him, and forbidding him from sleeping..."

"Mmph... mmph..."

He tried to say more, but Liu Xian swiftly slapped a hand over his mouth. Covering Liu Hao’s mouth, Liu Xian looked at Zeng Anmin with a dry smile. "It’s just a child speaking nonsense... Brother Quan Fu, please don’t be angry..."

By this point, Zeng Anmin’s face had completely darkened.

He thought, "Hu Zi, oh, Hu Zi! I treat you so well, and this is how you talk about me in front of your classmates, huh! Very well then."

Fa’an Temple.

It was the grandest temple in the capital, situated behind Xuanwu Street. An endless stream of pilgrims came and went every day.

When the Great Saint Dynasty was first established, Fa’an Temple was merely a rundown little shrine. But with the enthronement of each successive emperor, the temple would undergo extensive renovations. Over the course of seven hundred years, Fa’an Temple had grown into the premier temple of the Great Saint Dynasty, serving as an incredibly secure stronghold for the Buddhist Sect in the capital.

"Uncle." Hu Zi lay timidly against Zeng Anmin’s shoulder. "Can we not go..."

Zeng Anmin glanced at the boy in his arms and sneered. "We don’t have to go. You can just copy your texts another two hundred times..."

Before he could even finish, Hu Zi shrank back in fear. Last night, after his uncle came home, he had yanked him out of a deep sleep and given him a spanking without any explanation! Then, he had punished him by making him copy texts two hundred times... Now, the mere mention of the word "copy" made Hu Zi’s body reflexively want to bolt.

It was too terrifying. His uncle was simply too terrifying. Right now, Zeng Anmin’s voice sounded to him like the whispers of a demon.

"Stop dawdling and let’s go." Zeng Anmin cast him a sidelong glance, took his little hand, and led him toward the main gates of Fa’an Temple.

"Wait for me!" Dachun called out, holding a pile of unidentifiable objects in his hands as he smiled foolishly behind them.

After the trio entered Fa’an Temple, Zeng Anmin bowed slightly to an old monk near the entrance. "Amitabha. May I ask if Master Yingchen is in the temple?"

The old monk’s eyes were somewhat cloudy. Hearing the question, he pondered for a moment before sizing Zeng Anmin up and down. "He is in the main hall. May I know why the benefactor is looking for him?"

Zeng Anmin smiled sheepishly. He pointed to Hu Zi in his arms and said, "A few days ago, this child of mine was a bit ignorant..."

It was an embarrassing explanation to voice aloud.

Sure enough, the old monk’s mouth twitched at Zeng Anmin’s words. He glanced at the timid Hu Zi, genuinely unable to associate the adorable, jade-like little boy in front of him with the little rascal who had raised a Wooden Sword and fiercely whacked Yingchen on the head.

Seeing the old monk remain silent, Zeng Anmin took the hint perfectly. With a smile, he pulled two silver notes from his robe and slipped them into the nearby Merit Box.

"It was a terrible sin. I hope the Buddha can forgive us."

The old monk sighed softly. "Follow me."

Before long, Zeng Anmin followed the old monk into a room.

CREAK.

As the door opened, Zeng Anmin blinked at the small figure sitting on a prayer mat with his back facing them. Even from behind, a vivid red mark was glaringly obvious on the boy’s shiny, bald head...

Zeng Anmin winced inwardly. He thought, "How hard did he hit him?!"

Zeng Anmin shot a fierce glare at Hu Zi.

"Yingchen, a benefactor has come to see you," the old monk sighed softly.

Hearing this, the small figure slowly turned around, revealing a rather small face. From the looks of it, Yingchen was just a young monk of about twelve or thirteen. However, his calm eyes were noticeably clearer and more serene than those of an ordinary person.

GASP!

The moment the young monk Yingchen laid eyes on Hu Zi in Zeng Anmin’s arms, his serene expression instantly shattered into pure terror.