The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Beard came forward. “Don’t worry, they wouldn’t dare come again. If they do, I’ll beat them up.”

Fangzheng pressed his palms together, “Patron Beard, do make sure to repent. If you remain impenitent, all of you will share the outcome of that quintet.”

Beard was a little taken aback. Miao Long and company only had their knives broken. What sort of outcome was that? Beard did not place too much weight on what he stated but he did not dare oppose Fangzheng. He had broken knives with his bare hands and appeared invulnerable. He was simply terrifying. He quickly bade farewell and left.

Everything was over after Beard and company left. Fangzheng bade the villagers farewell as well.

Jing Yan finally revealed her identity and guaranteed that the matter would be exposed. She also promised that she would seek out the strength of society and help the village. The villagers were extremely grateful as they sent Fangzheng and Jing Yan out the village. Especially the young girl, Niuniu. She stuffed a paper crane she personally made into Fangzheng’s hands, hoping that it could bring him good luck.

Fangzheng carefully stored it away, boarded the car, and left. However, he did not notice a flash of redness in a distant shaking tree.

“Master, may I ask you a question?” Jing Yan could not help but ask.

Fangzheng noticed that she had been hesitant the entire journey. He also heaved a sigh of relief when he noticed that she was finally posing her question. If not, he would feel terrible for Jing Yan.

“Master, I saw that video of you crossing the river on a reed. Did you really cross the river on a reed?”

Fangzheng smiled, “What do you think?”

“It’s true! Right?” asked Jing Yan.

Fangzheng laughed and said nothing.

Jing Yan’s heart quivered. It was a tacit acknowledgment! She continued, “Master, the video of you crossing the river on a reed has spread. Many people are talking about you. The main theories are that you were doing street magic or trying to sensationalize something. Should I help you clear the air?”

Fangzheng decisively shook his head when he heard that. What a joke! Why should this matter be explained? He did want to become famous but if he became famous through such means, it would only mean trouble. Furthermore, if the matter was not well explained, the situation would only worsen. People might not believe him and more explanation would only lead to greater denunciation. He did not wish for people to form expeditions to scale his mountain to curse at him. How would he persevere through such days? “Patron, thank you for your good intentions. There’s no need for you to clarify the matter. What do their own conclusions have to do with This Penniless Monk?”

Jing Yan was taken aback. She had once thought that Fangzheng was taking an opportunity to sensationalize things to become famous on the Internet through the calligraphy competition. Now it did not appear so. He was truly a master that did not pursue fame or profit! She felt even more respect for him.

Jing Yan posed another question. “Master, will those blondies really not harass the villagers again?”

“Amitabha, don’t worry. It’s unlikely they will have the strength to harass the villagers again.” Fangzheng’s smiled and his eyes had a sinister glint to them.

The duo only exchanged a few words throughout the trip. They arrived at Mt. One Finger by noon. Jing Yan, who wanted to visit the monastery, had to leave because of a phone call.

Fangzheng returned alone and before he entered the monastery, he saw a white figure pounce on him. Fangzheng said with a smile, “You rascal. Your ears sure are sharp.” As he spoke, he hugged Lone Wolf that had leaped at him. A tiny figure popped up from Lone Wolf’s head and grabbed Fangzheng’s clothes to climb on his shoulder. It pulled at Fangzheng’s ears and squeaked as though it was saying something.

Fangzheng laughed, “Enough, enough. There aren’t any gifts. It’s already good that This Penniless Monk can return without getting lost. There aren’t any gifts.”

Lone Wolf flicked his tail and left when he heard that there were no gifts!

The squirrel tugged at Fangzheng’s ear before jumping on Lone Wolf’s back. He left as well!

When Fangzheng saw this, he was taken aback. Finally, he laughed, “These two rascals… are infuriating!”

After returning to One Finger Monastery, Fangzheng took a deep breath. He put down his empty traveling bag and looked up into the sky. “The powers of Heaven are immense. How can you be spared for such heinous sins?” With the augmentation of Guan Yin…

“Brother Long, are we just going to let this matter rest?” In a large farmyard on the outskirts of Baiyun County city, Miao Long and company were sitting on a brick bed. They became even more furious as they recalled the day’s events.

“We are no match for that monk. We shall put that on hold for now. But Beard is just too much. We used to drink frequently but he even helped an outsider today! This matter is not over yet! And those villagers. If they were obedient, would we have been reduced to such an abject state? We were humiliated…” Miao Long was peeved as he finished a cup of beer on the table.

When the beer reached his stomach, he suddenly cried out. “Aiyah! Ouch!”

As he yelled, Miao Long stumbled to the ground. He held his stomach and cried out in pain.

It gave the other blondies a fright. All of them were dumbfounded. One of them asked, “Brother Long, what’s wrong with you?”

“My stomach… there’s something growing in my stomach. It hurts… It really f**king hurts! Send me to the hospital!” Miao Long was in such great pain that his face was contorted.

The other four did not dare delay a moment longer. They lifted him up. But suddenly, all four of them felt their stomachs turn cold. Immediately, all of them felt an excruciating pain inundate them. The four slumped to the ground with a cry as they yelled while holding their stomachs.

The five wailed so loudly that the dogs in the yard were stirred. They began barking. Instantly, it caused quite a din, eventually attracting the attention of others. The passers-by were given a fright when they saw them writhing in pain. They quickly called for an ambulance and before long, the five of them were sent to Baiyun County Hospital.

“What the heck is this?!” exclaimed a doctor in shock as he looked at the object in the ultrasound.

“Dr. Luo, that looks like a knife.” Another doctor was dumbfounded as well.

“It does look like a knife. The shape is identical. Furthermore, the knife is even growing. From the preliminary examinations, the men are having symptoms identical to pregnancy. But it is ridiculous. Can a person become pregnant with a knife? What sort of knife is so impressive that it can impregnate them?” asked Dr. Luo.

The other doctor shook his head…

“What? We are pregnant? Pregnant with a knife?” When Miao Long saw the results, he was dumbfounded.

“It’s genuine. It is a knife. The ultrasound picture is here. Sir, decide on what you would like to do next. Do you want to give birth to it or…” Dr. Luo shrugged. He gave Miao Long and the other four blondies a knowing gaze.

Miao Long instantly yelled, “F**k giving birth! Abort it! I want an abortion!”

“Sir, I have to inform you that our doctors are all excellent but no one has ever done a knife abortion. Therefore there will be some risk involved. You will have to bear the risk,” said Dr. Luo.

“Risk? How risky is it?” asked Miao Long.

“Your life is in danger. From the looks of it, the knife is constantly growing at quite an alarming rate. Strangely, the knife is only slicing your innards, giving you pain. But it’s not fatal. However, it is connected to many of your nerves. If we were to do the operation, you might be able to abort it if you are lucky. If your luck is bad, you might be paralyzed. And if your luck is even worse…”