The setting sun appeared after the rain clouds, shining on the foothills
The drizzling spring rain finally stopped after reaching Qingzhou.
As dusk approached, the number of pilgrims at the small market at the foot of Wanfo Mountain gradually decreased, and many nearby villagers began to pack up their stalls and go back. Lu Liangsheng was leading his old donkey, dressed lightly and simply. No one came to sell incense, money and paper. He walked up the blue brick path through the forest, passing several groups of pilgrims coming down the mountain, and the evening bell rang one after another.
Walking across the iron chain suspension bridge, I met a young monk carrying water and bowed to him.
"Young Master, please walk a little slower!"
The young monk carrying the empty bucket saw that it was a scholar, so he quickly lowered his head, put down his load, and clasped his hands together in greeting: "Amitabha, benefactor, is there anything I can do for you?"
"Is that so? May I ask if Master Fajing is still practicing in the temple?"
The little monk looked at Lu Liangsheng in front of him, nodded, turned sideways and said softly:
"My dear donor, Master Fajing is in the temple. If you want to see him, I can pass the message on his behalf."
"No, I know the way."
As he said that, Lu Liangsheng thanked him, walked to the gravel road, looked at the towering pines on both sides of the mountain gate, bowed towards the mountain gate, and then walked to the monk standing at the door to explain his purpose. The latter also had some impression of Lu Liangsheng.
"So it's Donor Lu. Uncle Master said that Donor Lu can come and go freely in the temple."
This Dharma Pure Land... actually makes me special.
Lu Liangsheng smiled and left the old donkey at the horse-stopping stone outside the mountain gate. He then asked the monk in charge of receiving guests to help add some fodder. He also threw seven or eight cents into the merit box, so that neither of them owed the other anything.
The voice of the Toad Taoist came from the bookshelf: "Liangsheng, go in by yourself. I don't like this place."
"Well, Master, take a nap first."
Soon, the scholar walked into the temple. The bronze tripod in front of the Heavenly King Hall was still emitting smoke, and the monks coming and going were sweeping up the mess left by the pilgrims. Lu Liangsheng smiled and nodded at the monk who was coming, then turned and took the path he had walked before and came to the Arhat Hall in the side yard. From afar, he saw a fat monk sitting cross-legged under an ancient pine tree.
"Master Fa Jing, you knew I was coming."
Lu Liangsheng walked over and casually bowed. The two of them had a deep friendship, so there was no need for formalities. He found a cushion opposite the fat monk and sat down cross-legged. The latter slowly opened his eyes on his big round face, a gleam of majestic light flashed in his eyes, but he stretched out his hands.
"Bring it..."
"Take it?" Lu Liangsheng wanted to say that the monk's eyes were shining, which meant that he was making great progress in Buddhism, but he was confused by this: "Master Fajing, what do you want me to take?"
Opposite him, a fat figure and thick lips squeezed out two simple words.
"Food."
Well…
Lu Liangsheng speechlessly took out a remaining biscuit from his sleeve pocket and handed it over to the fat monk. He watched as the fat monk took it without hesitation, crumpled it into a ball and stuffed it directly into his mouth, chewed it casually twice and swallowed it.
"Anything else?"
“No… no more.”
This was the first time Lu Liangsheng had seen this way of eating. He patted his sleeves to indicate that there was really not even a single piece left.
"Master Fajing, did you not eat vegetarian food?"
“I ate… but not much.”
After hearing this, Lu Liangsheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He thought that his cultivation had improved when he saw the fat monk's eyes were full of lust just now, but he didn't expect that he was just hungry.
At this time, a tender child's voice suddenly came from the side of the ancient pine tree. Next to the thick tree trunk, a little bald head appeared. He was about one year old and wore a very small monk's robe. He stumbled over holding on to the tree roots and grabbed the monk Fajing who was sitting cross-legged. His little face was smiling, revealing two baby teeth.
Hehe... Aba... Yeah...
The delicate little hands patted Fajing's monk robe, and he uttered unclear words, saliva flowing down his chin. He tilted his head and looked curiously at the scholar opposite.
"This little monk..."
Lu Liangsheng could see that this child was close to Fajing, but according to their seniority, this shouldn't be the case. Over there, Monk Fajing grabbed the sleeve of the little monk and wiped the saliva off his mouth, then held him in his arms.
"This is my poor, monk brother. I found it at the foot of the mountain last year. I like it very much. It seems to have the root of Buddha in its nature. So I asked the abbot to accept a disciple on my behalf. The generation is named Fa, Fahai. If you accept one more person, I will have less vegetarian food. I am hungry now, so I am reaching out to you."
Fahai
This Buddhist name is quite majestic. The "Hai" at the end was probably given to Fajing because of his master.
While Lu Liangsheng was thinking, the fat monk sitting cross-legged opposite him patted little Fahai's butt and let him play nearby by himself. Looking at the small figure lying on the tree roots, Fajing turned around and bowed to the Buddha with his vertical seal.
"Lu Dao, my friend, you came to Wanfu Temple to visit me, is there anything else you want?"
"Come by and have a look, and have a vegetarian meal."
Hearing this, the fat monk's eyes widened and he quickly waved his hands and shook his head, making the copper ring on his right ear ring.
"Not right... Not right... Come and eat, I have no more food."
Immediately, the two looked at each other for a moment and laughed out loud, which made Fahai, who was climbing over and over on the tree roots, curiously stretch his neck and look over with his big eyes blinking. He didn't understand what they were laughing at, so he subconsciously lowered his head to look at his crotch, touched it with his hand, and felt that he hadn't urinated, so he continued to climb with a smile.
After a while, the two men calmed down from their laughter and chatter. Lu Liangsheng then talked about his plan to go out to sea, and how he hoped that Monk Fajing would come down the mountain more often and walk around in the secular world when he had time.
"I have adopted more than 200 orphans in the Wanshou Temple in Chang'an, and taught them some Taoist methods and experience in exorcising demons, hoping that they can travel the world in the future and find out about the fragments of the demon star. Master, please come down the mountain when you have time and help take care of them. If you encounter a demon possessed by the demon star, it would be even better if you can subdue it while you are at it."
"A monk should do something for the people." Fa Jing did not refuse, but looked at the scholar: "Then, Brother Lu, why are you going overseas?"
"For a sacred artifact."
Lu Liangsheng sat cross-legged under the ancient pine tree, feeling a little relaxed. He smiled and told the other party about the Kongtong Seal, and also had his own guesses.
"I heard that the Kongtong Seal can stabilize the fate of a country. The fragments of the evil star that caused the chaos in that country must have collided with it. Perhaps this seal can eliminate the fragments that are scattered across the states. Although the rumors are vague, I still want to give it a try."
Monk Fajing bent his knees, frowned, and looked at the scholar opposite him. After thinking for a moment, he cast his gaze over to the little Fahai who had climbed over the tree root and sat down unsteadily.
"Daoyou Lu, you have been working hard for the sake of heaven and the people, and I, a poor monk, cannot lag behind. When you can walk steadily, I will go down the mountain and walk."
"Thank you Master Fajing for your help."
Lu Liangsheng cupped his hands and said with a smile.
The fat monk over there smiled and didn't say anything else. The two of them sat under a tree and talked about spiritual practice. Before they knew it, it was getting late. Lu Liangsheng took the reluctant Toad Taoist and stayed overnight in the Wanfo Temple.
Afterwards, when the sky was getting light, the scholar said goodbye to Fajing and did not delay any further, rushing all the way to Penglai, the easternmost city of Qingzhou, close to the sea.
Ooooooooo~~~
It was almost noon. Lu Liangsheng pulled the old donkey up a cliff. Looking ahead, he saw flocks of white birds flying across the sky. His vision was dominated by the vast expanse of blue that connected the ends of heaven and earth. The waves swept over the reefs, rolling up white waves.
Lu Liangsheng took out the map paper and his eyes extended along the right side of the cliff. Penglai was on the other side.
…
The sun rises above the clouds.
The rammed earth city walls have a faint smell of the sea. This small city by the sea is not poor. There are many merchants coming and going to sell sea fish. Among them are many scholars and monks who yearn for things related to immortals. After all, this city has the same name as the fairy mountain Penglai. According to legend, Xu Fu sailed out to sea from here.
It was like a busy market outside the city. Four scholars carrying bookshelves on their backs, looking around, squeezed through the noisy vendors and walked towards the not-so-lofty city wall.
“… This is Penglai. I never thought that my four brothers would be sent to such a place.”
"Your Majesty has shown mercy by not killing us, but it is quite comfortable to take a boat ride down the river."
"Don't be discouraged, brothers. Managing a ship is a good job. I heard it's very lucrative."
"You are useless. The four of us are handsome and talented. How can we stay in a small and lucrative job?"
"… but he can marry a wife and buy a house."
"That makes sense! That makes sense!"
The four of them walked into the small county, carrying bookshelves on their backs, gesticulating, and chattering.