The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Han Xiaomi nodded and said excitedly, “Big Brother, can you teach me?”

“Of course I can, but this has to be a little secret between the two of us. You can’t tell this to anyone,” said Fangzheng.

Han Xiaomi nodded and said, “Yes, yes. This is a secret between two baldies.”

Upon hearing the commotion over there, Lu Shuangshuang asked worriedly, “Xiaomi, what are you doing?”

Han Xiaomi said with a smile, “I’m playing with Big Brother.”

Han Xiaoguo quickly interrupted and led Lu Shuangshuang away.

Han Xiaomi was like a little pixie as she furtively asked, “Big Brother Master, how can you become so powerful?”

Fangzheng flipped over his hand and produced the Minor Rejuvenation Pill. He said, “After eating this sweet, you will become strong. Xiaomi, do you want to eat it?”

Although Han Xiaomi was clever, she was still a child. Filled with curiosity, she nodded incessantly and said, “Yes, yes, yes!”

Fangzheng said, “Open your mouth. Let me give it to you.”

Han Xiaomi opened her mouth wide and Fangzheng popped the pill into Han Xiaomi’s mouth. The Minor Rejuvenation Pill melted upon entering her mouth, and it tasted rather good.

After Han Xiaomi finished eating it, she smacked her lips and said, “It’s so delicious! After I fell sick, Mommy and the big sisters in white haven’t allowed me to eat anything. Actually, I want to eat all the kinds of food that look so nice. They smell so nice.”

When Fangzheng heard that, his heart was pricked. He rubbed Xiaomi’s head and said, “You will be able to eat it from now on.”

“Really?” asked Han Xiaomi.

Fangzheng nodded and said, “Of course. It’s because you are a little baldy. After eating big baldy’s divine pill, you will obviously become powerful. However, you must remember that this is a secret between us. You cannot tell anyone, including Mommy and Daddy.”

Han Xiaomi nodded incessantly and even solemnly stretched out her pinky finger, saying, “Pinky promise!”

Fangzheng hooked his pinky with Han Xiaomi’s. The two smiled at each other before laughing as if they were thieves.

At that moment, Fangzheng carried Han Xiaomi and came to Lu Shuangshuang and Han Xiaoguo. He handed Han Xiaomi over to Han Xiaoguo, before holding his palms together and saying, “Amitabha. Patron, please remember what you promised This Penniless Monk. This Penniless Monk will not be disturbing your family any further.”

Han Xiaoguo looked suspiciously at Fangzheng but was ignored by him. However, when Fangzheng walked past Han Xiaoguo, he whispered, “Be a good man.”

Han Xiaoguo looked at the happy Han Xiaomi and was completely puzzled. She was treated so quickly? Didn’t he need to do acupuncture or some transference of powers? Why did it feel like he had not done a thing? Could the monk have cheated him?

Although he was doubtful, Han Xiaoguo did not mention it. Lu Shuangshuang was suspicious to begin with. However, with her daughter back, she was at ease again. Furthermore, with the adorable Han Xiaoguo, the family had a happy time chatting and laughing. It made Han Xiaoguo forget everything.

Time flies by so quickly when you are enjoying yourself.

Ten minutes quickly passed as the main door opened. Chief Zhang led his men in.

Although Han Xiaoguo was extremely reluctant, he followed Chief Zhang out the door. While avoiding Han Xiaomi, Chief Zhang handcuffed Han Xiaoguo and got his men to lead him away first.

Following that, he arranged for someone to carry Han Xiaomi down the mountain.

Before leaving, Chief Zhang came to Fangzheng, who had returned to the entrance.

“Master, thank you so much for resolving this matter,” said Chief Zhang.

“Amitabha. This Penniless Monk did not do a thing. Patron Han is a good person innately. What he did was truly out of helplessness. Patron, if he truly has the intention to repent, why don’t you try helping him. There’s no need to let him go scot free. He has to bear the burden of his sins, but This Penniless Monk hopes that you will help him get a just ruling, even if it’s the death sentence,” said Fangzheng.

Chief Zhang was surprised before he said with a smile, “Even monks concern themselves with the secular world?”

“No, but you do, don’t you?” Fangzheng blinked his eyes at Chief Zhang.

Chief Zhang roared with laughter as he said, “You are indeed different from those pedantic monks. Don’t worry, I’ll enforce the laws impartially. Goodbye!”

“Patron, take care.” After Fangzheng sent Chief Zhang off, he closed the temple’s doors.

The bustling temple turned quiet once again. Fangzheng felt a little unaccustomed to it. At that moment, Lone Wolf, who was becoming stronger, came back. He had pushed the door open and wanted to drink water upon entry. Fangzheng looked at the water in his water vat and realized that there wasn’t a lot left.

Then, he hung the water buckets on Lone Wolf and dragged the lazy-bones down the mountain to fetch water.

“System, doesn’t this count as saving a person? Why isn’t there a prize?” With the matter settled, Fangzheng’s thoughts once again returned to the problem of a reward.

“Ding! The medicine’s effects have yet to fully initiate. Wait patiently,” said the System.

“Alright, then what about Han Xiaoguo? Isn’t it considered as me proselytizing him to do good? Didn’t I complete the mission of making him repent and turn for the better?” asked Fangzheng.

“Ding! Since the prize has not been awarded, it means it hasn’t been completed. Changing a person is not as simple as you imagine. If not, the merit earned would not be that great,” said the System.

Fangzheng smiled wryly. Indeed! He had thought too simply of the matter.

However, he didn’t mind if there was nothing. He was rather fond of Xiaomi. It would be a great pity if such an adorable little angel were to die!

Therefore, Fangzheng was still in a rather good mood. He went down the mountain to fetch water and have his meal. He read Buddhist scriptures and had a carefree day.

Down the mountain, Han Xiaoguo led the police to where he hid the money he robbed. Then, he was imprisoned where he waited for the verdict. However, he was not feeling happy. He even felt repressed. He had no idea if his daughter had been cured or not. Although he had great hopes on the mountain, he knew very well that the higher the hopes, the greater the disappointment. He could not feel at ease without the final outcome on the matter.

Thankfully, Chief Zhang guaranteed him that Lu Shuangshuang would visit him.

Lu Shuangshuang also agreed to his request that Xiaomi would get a body check up after returning to the hospital despite finding it a little out of the blue.

Meanwhile, all of that seemed to have nothing to do with Fangzheng.

While Fangzheng was reading Buddhist scriptures on the Internet, he encountered a problem.

“System, Buddhism terms ‘greed, aversion, delusion, pride, and doubt’ as the Five Defilements. Greed refers to any form of greedy attachment to a sensory object, or the five desires of riches, sex, fame, food, and sleep.”

“Aversion refers to generating furious and abominated thoughts against entities one loves and is attached to.”

“Delusion refers to having confused thoughts and lacking intelligence. For example, one does not understand the ‘karma of the three lives’, that everyone has Buddha nature in them, or that all things arise from causes and conditions. The intelligence talked about in Buddhism does not refer to the smartness typically referred to by the ordinary world, but it is about the Buddhist truth of understanding karma, the heart, and the Dharma. If one doesn’t understand it, one would be deemed as ignorant and lacking intelligence.”

“Pride refers to belittling everything, having no respect for anyone, thinking highly of oneself and believing oneself as capable.”

“Doubt refers to the lack of trust in everyone and everything. Wild conjectures are the cause of troubles of the living, and the cause of negative karma. For example, those that doubt that people have Buddha in them, doubt the reasons behind Buddhism, and cannot accept love and peaceful coexistence, etc.”