The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

When Wanderer Tranquil heard that, her eyes gradually lit up. Then, she raised her hands and bowed at Fangzheng. “I’ve learned something. This Penniless Priest was too caught up with the superficialities.”

“Perfected One, This Penniless Monk can tell that you have strong societal influence. In fact, your influence is akin to a divine power to the ordinary man. For example, the invitation letter to this summit. It is not something This Penniless Monk could obtain, yet it was easily obtained by you. Another example…”

“This Penniless Priest gets it.” Wanderer Tranquil cut Fangzheng off.

Fangzheng chuckled. She was a smart, perceptive person who didn’t need deeper explanations.

Wanderer Tranquil looked at the moon and said, “Having figured it out, even the moon looks beautiful.”

At this moment, a fair hair extended in front of Wanderer Tranquil. It was holding up the withered twig with the confused worm beside it. A gentle voice sounded in her ear. “Try blowing at it again.”

Wanderer Tranquil was taken aback as she rolled her eyes at him. However, this flirtatious gesture was enough to make the monk blush. This was the first time Fangzheng was seeing Wanderer Tranquil produce the look of a young girl. It was as though this fairy had turned into a common maiden. Her beauty was heart-stirring.

However, everyone liked beauty. Fangzheng didn’t mind having his heart stirred, nor did he have any other thoughts. Instead, he openly appreciated her beauty. If there wasn’t a single thing, where would dust alight? What was there to be afraid of? He faced it frankly as he smiled like a sage.

Wanderer Tranquil was taken aback when she saw Fangzheng’s pure eyes. This was the first time in her life she saw someone so openly and fearlessly watch her with pure appreciation without any frivolity.

Wanderer Tranquil smiled and turned to blow at the twig and worm on Fangzheng’s palm.

The worm seemed to be alarmed as it squirmed back into the withered twig.

Wanderer Tranquil waited for a moment and realized there was nothing. “That’s it?”

“That’s right. You called it out, so you naturally have to send it back home. This is the conditioned Dharma.” Fangzheng chuckled and placed the twig back into a flower pot.

Wanderer Tranquil was instantly rendered speechless.

Just as Wanderer Tranquil was about to leave, she heard something from the flower pot. Looking down, she saw the twig suddenly moving. She thought, “Is the worm coming out again?”

As expected, the worm crawled out, looking a little unwilling to do so. Just as Wanderer Tranquil was feeling puzzled, she saw the twig move again. Following that, its outer skin suffused with a green color as sprouts emerged. The twig quickly grew and as it became taller and taller, the sprouts turned into green leaves, and a flower bloomed!

It was a pot of marigold!

The golden marigold flower held its head high, appearing especially proud and beautiful under the moonlight.

Upon seeing this, Wanderer Tranquil was instantly dumbfounded and at a loss for words. Only after a while did she look at Fangzheng.

Fangzheng smiled slightly as he pressed his palms together and said, “Divine powers.”

Wanderer Tranquil smiled as she returned the bow. “Thank you for answering This Penniless Priest’s question.” Just as she said, Fangzheng’s answer had resolved the puzzlement in her, because she had still been confused about the existence of divine powers.

Yet now, all her confusion vanished the instant the marigold bloomed.

The cathartic feeling made her find the world beautiful. Even the air felt free.

The two didn’t have any intention of returning to the banquet hall. Instead, they walked alongside each other and took the stairs to the top floor. This was also the level where the Dharma Characteristics Monastery was. Standing there, they looked down upon Hoàn Kiếm Lake, feeling refreshed in an atypical sense.

They exchanged their encounters after their previous parting and discussed their insights into the world. They enjoyed each other’s company as they chatted and eventually sat on the ground with their backs against the railings. They chatted while they gazed at the moon, and at that moment, they didn’t have the air of a fairy and a living Buddha. They looked like two kids chatting with pure innocence.

As for downstairs…

“Will it appear impolite when the owner realizes that we aren’t around?” Fangzheng asked.

“It’s fine. He’s the husband of my maternal aunt. He wouldn’t dare say a thing if I didn’t show up. Otherwise, my grandfather would beat him up!” Wanderer Tranquil said with a laugh, colored with the attitude of a little girl.

Fangzheng was immediately enlightened. It was no wonder she received such treatment. It’s because they were family! In that case, Fangzheng could completely relax. He didn’t need to worry about affecting Wanderer Tranquil’s reputation. He’d rather keep chatting on the top since he didn’t like the gathering that seemed to be fraught with business deals.

Meanwhile, in the banquet hall.

The businessmen, political figures, and religious figures were having discussions with attendants fluttering about. It was a rather bustling scene.

At this moment, the stage suddenly lit up. Everyone looked over and instantly fell silent. They knew that the star of the show had arrived. The host was there! Many businessmen and political figures looked at the stage with anticipation.

A middle-aged man slowly walked over. Everyone laughed when they saw this.

The man wore a cut western suit. He didn’t look too old, perhaps in his forties or fifties. He looked genial, but there was also a dominating look to him.

“Grandpa, who is that? He seems to be some big shot,” Xiaoxun asked with a whisper.

Chen Daoyuan replied softly, “He is the organizer of this summit. He’s the family head of the most powerful family in Vietnam, the Nguyen family. He might be young, but he’s a formidable person. Be it in politics or business, he has great influence in Vietnam. Some people say that the Nguyen family is the one truly running Vietnam. Of course, that’s a little exaggerated. However, this rumor also indirectly showcases the Nguyen family’s strength.”

Upon hearing that, Chen Xiaoxun was taken aback. “The Nguyen family? Another Nguyen family? Those bunch of hooligans from before were also from the Nguyen family, right?”

“Ah, this might be something you don’t know. Forty percent of the people in Vietnam are surnamed Nguyen! This Nguyen family isn’t the same one. The difference between the two is akin to the difference between us and Abbot Fangzheng. Other than the same surname, there’s no other connection between them,” Chen Daoyuan said.

Chen Xiaoxun widened her mouth. “That… That’s way too magical, right? How fertile were the Nguyen ancestors? Forty percent of the country shares the same surname… Impressive!”

Chen Daoyuan laughed. “Don’t make ridiculous guesses. Ask if you are unsure. Otherwise, read more. You’d be laughed at if you said this to others.”

“Grandpa, then tell me the reason.” Chen Xiaoxun was truly intrigued.

With the Nguyen family head beginning his speech and it consisting mostly of pleasantries with nothing of importance, he decided to educate Chen Xiaoxun. He whispered. “Before the Song dynasty, Vietnam was under Chinese rule, so it’s naturally related to China.

“During a rebellion during the Tang dynasty, many people fled to Sichuan province. Later, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period followed, making things unsafe. People fled to the land that we now call Vietnam. Among them was a group of people surnamed Nguyen.”