Chapter 229: Anshan Temple

The Southern Border, Tianming City, Anshan Temple.

Worshippers streamed in endlessly, the air thick with curling incense smoke.

“Sister Min’er, why are there so many people at the temple today?”

The speaker was a short-haired young man in a Tang suit, holding an Oil Paper Umbrella.

Evil Qilin.

Ever since the Dream Island incident, he had been hiding in the suburbs of Tianming City, at the foot of Hengshan Temple’s mountain.

The woman standing beside him was holding a child. She had a pretty face and was dressed in a casual white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans.

The collar of her shirt was a bit stretched out and the cuffs were frayed, but she was tidy and clean.

“Today is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s birthday.”

Liu Min glanced at the sea of vendors down the mountain.

“Hengshan Temple mainly worships Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. There’s a festival today, and the temple is even offering free vegetarian meals.”

Evil Qilin murmured to himself,

“Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s birthday… is it the thirtieth of the seventh month already?”

Of all the figures in the Buddhist Sect’s lore, his favorite was undoubtedly Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

As long as Hell is not empty, I will not become a Buddha.

Evil Qilin felt that such a great and profound vow was what he truly admired.

But…

‘How could Hell ever be empty?’

‘Just like this Human World… how could it ever become a paradise for all?’

As Evil Qilin thought of this, a hint of melancholy clouded his eyes.

Liu Min caught the dejection in his eyes and said with a warm smile,

“I’m getting more and more curious about who you are.”

Evil Qilin paused for a moment.

“What?”

“You love visiting temples so much, and you even get sad for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.”

Liu Min added,

“You’re also a vegetarian. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were a monk.”

Evil Qilin pressed his lips together, put his palms together, and gave a slight bow.

“I’ve been a bother to you these past few days.”

Liu Min waved her hand, grinning.

“Don’t say that. You paid me a lot of money—more than I make in a whole year as a waitress.”

“Still, it must be inconvenient having me here, since you’re a woman living alone,” Evil Qilin said apologetically. “I’ll leave in a day or two.”

Liu Min rolled her eyes at him.

“I’m a widow with a child in tow; I don’t have the luxury of being picky. As long as you don’t mind my son being noisy, it’s fine.”

Half a month ago, she had run into this young man at her doorstep.

He said he wanted to stay for a while and offered a large sum of money.

Liu Min saw his handsome features and gentle, refined way of speaking, and her wariness lessened.

Most importantly, Evil Qilin had given her one hundred thousand yuan in one go—her entire annual salary as a waitress.

A woman raising a child alone in such a remote place had a tight budget.

Money isn’t everything, but you can’t get anywhere without it.

For the first few days, she remained on guard.

A strange man had moved into her home. Sure, he was a handsome young man… but they were living in the middle of nowhere. Anyone would be cautious.

It wasn’t until the day Evil Qilin saved her son from the Poison Fang of a venomous snake that she finally let her guard down completely.

But her curiosity remained.

He only ate vegetarian food, would just stare into space when he had nothing to do, greeted everyone with a Buddhist gesture, and spent a long time at Hengshan Temple every day.

Liu Min didn’t mind Evil Qilin’s temple visits.

After all, she also liked to go up the mountain to pray to Buddha when she had free time.

“I have a surprise for you.”

Liu Min said mysteriously, “It’s a gift for saving my son.”

Evil Qilin was taken aback.

“A gift?”

Liu Min smiled.

“You love the Buddhist Dharma so much, so you should listen to something profound. Master Jing He of Anshan Temple is giving a lecture today. I spoke to a young monk, and he saved us a seat in the front.”

Liu Min often volunteered at the temple, so she was familiar with some of the monks there.

A touched expression appeared on Evil Qilin’s face.

Regardless of whether Master Jing He’s lecture was truly profound, this was the first time he had ever received a gift.

Ever since Evil Gold Treasure sent him to a temple to steal the Grand Zen Master’s Prayer Beads, his life had been one of slaughter and scheming.

This was the first time he had felt such warmth since leaving his master.

“Thank you,” Evil Qilin said earnestly.

***

The Scripture School was bustling with people.

Even the area outside the doors was packed.

Liu Min grabbed Evil Qilin’s wrist with one hand and held her child with the other, continuously squeezing through the gaps in the crowd.

The little boy in her arms grew impatient from being squeezed and began to whimper and squirm.

She spotted a young monk darting through the crowd and immediately craned her neck to shout,

“Little Kong Dang! Over here! I’m here!”

The young monk deftly slipped through a gap in the crowd, grabbed Liu Min’s arm, and pulled her out of the sea of people.

He walked quickly, his lowered voice filled with a hint of pride, as if seeking credit.

“You have no idea how much trouble I went through to save this spot for you. A lot of wealthy patrons offered me money, but I didn’t let them have it!”

Liu Min grinned and patted his shaved head.

“Aww, thank you so much. I’ll bring you some tasty treats next time.”

After seating Liu Min and Evil Qilin on small stools, the young monk hurried away.

About ten minutes later, the hall quieted down.

A monk wearing a kasaya slowly walked to the cattail cushion at the very front and sat down, facing the worshippers.

This plump monk was fair-skinned, with a face as round as the full moon. He wore an expression of profound compassion, giving him the air of an enlightened master.

This was Master Jing He.

“Mortals are ignorant.” Master Jing He’s voice was unhurried, as if he were coaxing a group of disobedient children.

“The best way to embody wisdom is through kindness.”

“Kindness can make you smarter?”

Liu Min whispered to Evil Qilin, hoisting up the child who was slipping down in her arms. Her face was full of doubt.

“Is that for real?”

Evil Qilin was silent for a moment.

“It’s true.”

Seeing the confused looks on the worshippers’ faces, an almost imperceptible smile touched the corners of Master Jing He’s mouth.

He enjoyed this feeling: dispelling the doubts of all living beings, watching them lift their heads from their confusion as if a lamp had suddenly been lit in the darkness.

He continued his lecture.

“Buddha was once traveling through the heavens with his disciples when he suddenly gestured for them to look down. Peering through the clouds, the disciples saw a courtyard where a woman sat, breastfeeding the child in her arms.”

The Scripture School fell silent as everyone pricked up their ears.

“A mosquito bit her, and she raised her hand and swatted it dead. A stray dog came begging for food, so she grabbed a stick and broke its leg. The dog ran off, howling in pain.”

Master Jing He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd again. Seeing them all engrossed in the story, the curve of his lips widened slightly.

“Buddha pointed at the woman and said, ‘Mortals do not understand reincarnation and cannot see their past and future lives.’ The disciples were confused. So Buddha explained—”

His voice suddenly dropped, as if sharing a great secret.

“‘That mosquito was the reincarnation of the woman’s mother. That stray dog was the reincarnation of the woman’s father. And the baby in her arms was the reincarnation of the enemy who had murdered her parents.'”

A wave of low gasps swept through the Scripture School.

A meaningful smile played on Master Jing He’s lips.

“If this woman knew the truth, imagine her endless regret. We common people do not possess the wisdom of Buddha, so we should hold compassion in our hearts. Giving that mosquito a mouthful of blood, offering that stray dog a bite of food—that could be considered repaying the grace of being raised.”

Understanding dawned on the crowd.

Some looked thoughtful, some sighed and shook their heads, and others put their palms together and softly chanted Buddhist scriptures.

Master Jing He sat upright on his cushion, an inscrutable smile on his face, enjoying this moment of silence and admiration.

Liu Min leaned close to Evil Qilin and whispered,

“What do you think? Isn’t this Master Jing He amazing?”

Evil Qilin nodded slightly, his tone filled with sincere admiration.

“The original point of this Buddhist Family story is to illustrate the six paths of reincarnation, but Master Jing He was able to see the wisdom of compassion within it. That’s very impressive.”

Liu Min was delighted.

She had been afraid he wouldn’t like the gift she had given him.

The little boy in her arms, probably unable to understand these profound principles, couldn’t help but open his mouth and let out a big yawn.

The sound wasn’t loud, but in the quiet Scripture School, it was exceptionally clear.

Master Jing He’s gaze swept over, a flicker of displeasure flashing through his eyes.

The look was fleeting, but he still frowned slightly and said in a veiled tone,

“It is said that when Buddha preached the Dharma, even jackals, tigers, leopards, venomous snakes, and strange insects would listen quietly. The Buddha’s teachings are of course wonderful beyond words, but perhaps it also speaks to the spiritual intelligence of all living beings. Alas, some mortals in this world are born without the root of wisdom, just like…”

Master Jing He looked at the small child in Liu Min’s arms.

“This child.”

Everyone turned to look, their eyes locking onto the little boy with a mixture of surprise and pity.

‘How pitiful, to have no root of wisdom.’

Liu Min’s face instantly flushed red.

Not from shame, but from anger!

‘Even jackals, tigers, and leopards can have a root of wisdom, but you say my child doesn’t? Are you saying my child is worse than a wild beast?’

But Liu Min wasn’t good with words, and with so many people staring, she became too flustered to think of a rebuttal. She couldn’t even manage to curse him out.

Evil Qilin narrowed his eyes.

‘He’s a monk who can chant scriptures, but that’s all he can do.’

He placed a hand on Liu Min’s knee to soothe her and said softly,

“It’s not that the child has no root of wisdom. It’s that your lecture is so incoherent, even I want to yawn.”