The sun shines over the flowing river, and in the sparkling waves, water birds stand on the swaying reeds. The sound of tinkling bells can be heard, and they flap their wings in startle and fly across the water to the other side.
An old donkey with its mane shaking walked leisurely by carrying a bookshelf. A scholar in a blue shirt held a scroll in his hand and put it behind his back. As he walked, Hong Lian, humming a tune, walked up to him briskly, took his arm, and talked about Suzhou and Hangzhou that others had heard of.
"Sir, where are we really going? Where is the last formation in Hangzhou?"
"I don't know exactly where it is. It's probably near West Lake. We'll know when we get there."
"West Lake, it seems very beautiful, especially at this time of year."
"Has Hong Lian been there before?"
"No... I just heard people talking about the beautiful scenery of West Lake when I was singing before. I wanted to become a singer, so the troupe owner asked us to go to Hangzhou to sing..."
In the daylight, the woman who was originally jumping up and down in high spirits suddenly looked gloomy and stopped talking. Lu Liangsheng scratched her nose and softened his voice.
"It's not too late now, and I, along with Master, will accompany you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of West Lake."
Ya'er ah~~~
The old donkey that was chewing grass not far away raised its head and neighed twice in this direction, reminding Lu Liangsheng that it was still there. The scholar smiled and added, "Yes, there is also the old donkey!"
puff!
Nie Honglian looked at the young master, and the old donkey over there who was fanning his two long ears and rubbing his mouth, and laughed. The gloom just now suddenly dissipated, and dimples appeared on her cheeks. She didn't know whether she was glaring at the scholar or the old donkey over there, but now, seeing Lu Liangsheng being able to joke like this, the hidden worry in her heart was finally put to rest.
Amid the jingling of copper bells, the bookshelf swaying on the donkey's back opened a small door. The Toad Taoist silently puffed on his cigarette, exhaling puffs of smoke. He looked at the men and women talking and laughing on the side of the road, and thought of what his disciple said to the young Taoist under the tree that night. Some thoughts appeared in the Toad's eyes.
... Becoming an immortal together with Liang Sheng... is not appropriate.
How could I be the kind of person who would make friends with others... Monster
Hmm... It seems that there is not much to eat in heaven... There are so many rules, we can't roast a crane or catch a fish from the Yaochi Lake every day, right
Without human seasoning, I can’t cook well…
Tangled~~
Taoist Toad looked at the scenery of the river and sighed with some sadness. Soon, he tied the rope tightly and crossed the river with the old donkey. They continued along the official road heading north. At noon that day, the road seemed increasingly busy, with merchants and travelers coming and going. The teahouses with flags flying on the roadside were also crowded. Most of them were merchants who came to Hangzhou to do business and came to stop for a rest and ask others about the market conditions in the city.
It was almost March and the temperature in the south had warmed up noticeably. The breeze blew through the green willows by the roadside. Lu Liangsheng led the old donkey to the foot of the tree and sat on the bluestone. He took the water bag handed to him by Hong Lian, took a sip, and listened to the travelers coming in and out of the nearby teahouse chatting about all sorts of things. Occasionally, there would be one or two interesting stories.
"Have you heard that Jingci Temple is going to promote Buddhism and hold lectures?"
"I've heard some of it, but it seems that the monk who gave the lecture was not from Jingci Temple, but from Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang."
"Oh, this monk is incredible. He even came to Hangzhou to preach. Is he a great monk?"
"I don't know. I heard that he is a monk in his twenties, the abbot of Jinshan Temple. He seems to be from Wanfo Temple."
"So amazing? I happen to be staying in Hangzhou for a while, so I'll go and take a look."
Lu Liangsheng, who was sitting under the shade of a tree, raised his eyebrows. He actually took the three words "Wanfo Temple" to heart. It had been twenty years, and he didn't know how the great monk Fajing was doing now, and whether his Buddhist teachings had improved. It was just the right time for him to finish the last thing and go north along the Grand Canal to visit him at the Wanfo Temple as a farewell.
After resting for a while, all the things he had seen and heard were no longer very attractive to Lu Liangsheng. He put away his water bag and set off again, but he did not go to Hangzhou city.
Going along the road outside, you can occasionally see gardens and manors in the surrounding fields and countryside, as well as undulating hills covered with lush green tea trees. Standing on the top of the hill, you can see city buildings in the distance standing within the long city walls, stretching out one after another.
In the midst of the hustle and bustle, two heavy and distant bell tones were occasionally heard, ringing in the distance. It was the West Lake where Lu Liangsheng was going. It rained a lot in the south, and it was misty in the south of the Yangtze River. He walked to the pavilion on the mountain, overlooking the treasure mountain and the lake. Raindrops hit the lotus leaves, and a long bridge extended across the lake, like a beautiful scroll painting of the south of the Yangtze River.
Dong~~Dong~~
The sound of bells echoed in the misty drizzle. Lu Liangsheng and Hong Lian were walking along the bank of the West Lake. While the girl was looking around, he pinched the spell and slowly looked along the array center marked in "Boundless Mountains and Seas". On the southwest bank of the lake, there was dense forest and on the top of the hill, a tall tower could be seen standing in the water vapor. With the light of magic gathered in his eyes, he could see wisps of spiritual energy curling around the tower.
“Sure enough, it’s here.”
"Sir, what's here?" Hong Lian looked around and ran over. Following the scholar's gaze, she also saw the tall tower. Suddenly, she raised her sleeves to cover her face and turned to the side. "Sir, that pagoda is so scary. It makes me feel uncomfortable."
"Then stay nearby and look after Old Donkey and Master. I'll go over and see if the center of the formation is under the tower."
Lu Liangsheng gave a few instructions, and while no one was paying attention in the drizzle, he stepped on the lotus leaves in the lake and floated to the southwest shore of the lake like a dragonfly. He walked through the woods and saw the outline of the tower base. He walked around half a circle and came to the wide Baiyan Square in the middle. The tower was octagonal, with five floors, and was more than thirty feet high. It had green tiles and white walls, and bronze wind chimes under the eaves and corners, making it look graceful and elegant.
"Nice tower!"
"Amitabha, do you think this tower is good too, young master?"
As Lu Liangsheng was looking at the towering giant pagoda and exclaiming in admiration, a monk in a cassock slowly came up from the bluestone steps below, held up his Dharma seal, came to the front of the bronze tripod, and bowed towards the tall pagoda.
"The spring rain is a little chilly. The young master has come from afar to see the pagoda, which shows his sincerity in worshipping Buddha."
Lu Liangsheng knew that someone was coming, but he didn't feel anything when he heard the sudden words. He turned around and looked at the monk. He had a slightly bronze complexion, was handsome and heroic, and had a strong and upright figure. This was rare among monks, so he couldn't help but smile.
"The master sincerely worships Buddha, but others may not come here to worship Buddha. In my eyes, the pagoda is just a scenery. People who read books still like things in books."
His current level of cultivation is rarely seen in the world. In the eyes of the monk in front of him or ordinary people, he is the same, just an ordinary scholar.
The monk over there lowered his head with his seal vertical, probably disagreeing with what the scholar said. He wanted to argue, so he slowly came up holding his robe.
"Donor, you spoke too early. Books have thousands of good words, and Buddha has thousands of good teachings. There is no difference between looking at books and looking at Buddha..."
As he was speaking, a monk in blue clothes came quickly over from below, interrupted him, then ran closer and whispered something in his ear. The monk smiled, saluted Lu Liangsheng, turned around and walked away quickly.
However, Lu Liangsheng vaguely heard the blue-robed monk calling him "Fahai" and "Abbot". He chuckled, flicked his sleeves, rolled them behind him, and looked at the figure leaving among the dense branches below.
"The little novice monk back then has grown up to this size."