Chapter 111: Chapter 111: The Monk in White

Xia Wenjin stopped and turned her head, only to see a monk in white standing under a tree. He appeared to be in his sixties, with white eyebrows and a white beard, a kind and gentle demeanor. If not for the bald head, he could have stepped out of a painting as the Longevity Immortal.

Xia Wenjin said, “Master, a person detached from worldly affairs, also appreciates the scenery?”

The old monk in white slightly raised his white eyebrows, seemingly smiling, yet his dignified and compassionate appearance made him look all the more kind as he said, “The secular world makes no distinctions between inside and outside, nor does the mundane differentiate between high and low. The wind on the face is felt, the moonlight is seen, it happens naturally without preconceived notions!”

Xia Wenjin raised an eyebrow, her eyes like stars became even brighter. She blinked and said, “I’ve heard that in Buddhism, form is emptiness, and emptiness is form; everything is emptiness. Where is the scenery?”

The old monk in white smiled gently and said, “Since everything is emptiness, appreciating is not appreciating; not appreciating is appreciating, why hold onto notions?”

Xia Wenjin pouted and snorted lightly, “Sophistry!”

The old monk in white smiled like the World Honored One holding a flower, unfathomable. But Xia Wenjin was no Kasyapa. Her eyes turned, and she said, “What the Master said is true. The moon is bright, and the wind is clear, just right for moon gazing. I won’t disturb the Master’s elegance.” Saying this, she also performed a monk’s gesture of respect.

The old monk in white returned the gesture with one hand and said, “Benefactor, please feel free!”

Xia Wenjin’s eyes flashed, and suddenly she reached out, grabbing the hand of the old monk in white with a shout, “You deceitful trickster, I’ve finally found you!”

The old monk in white was startled and looked confused: “What do you mean, Benefactor?”

Xia Wenjin squinted at him and said, “Don’t pretend, you fake monk, you can’t fool me!”

The old monk in white widened his eyes and said, “What makes the Benefactor say that I am a fake monk? I have long been devoted to Buddha with all my heart, practicing Buddhist Law without ever daring to slack off. It’s highly improper for the Benefactor to accuse people without reason!” He tried to take his hand back, but Xia Wenjin held it tightly, and he couldn’t free it.

“Devoted to Buddhist Law for decades?” Xia Wenjin sneered and inquired, “Let me ask you, how old are you this year?”

The old monk in white replied, “If counting by secular years, I went into monastic life at the age of four, which has been sixty years, so I am now sixty-four!”

“Sixty-four, indeed! You think I would believe that?”

The old monk in white smiled wryly, “Why be unreasonable, Benefactor? My face has many wrinkles, and my eyebrows are white. How can it be false?”

Xia Wenjin suddenly smiled broadly and said, “The big monk is right, with many wrinkles and white eyebrows, it does look like you’re quite old.”

The old monk in white looked at Xia Wenjin with tolerant eyes, not taking offense, his gaze still full of compassion. In a gentle voice, he said, “Now, would the Benefactor kindly release my hand?”

Xia Wenjin said, “The moonlight is too bright!”

The old monk in white knitted his eyebrows slightly and asked, puzzled, “What does letting go of my hand have to do with the moonlight being too bright, Benefactor?”

Xia Wenjin raised his hand up before his face, smiling slyly, and said, “See for yourself!”

The old monk in white curiously asked, “What is it?”

Xia Wenjin’s smile was radiant, her voice soft and sweet, “Can’t you see it?”

Her smile was bright and beautiful, but her eyes seemed to absorb the time from the sky, shining like stars, as if they could see into one’s heart. The old monk in white shook his head.

Xia Wenjin put on a stern face and said, “Why are you pretending in front of me? A sixty-year-old monk with many wrinkles, white eyebrows, and beard, yet your hands are so smooth. You tell me, do these hands look like they belong to someone over sixty years old?”

The old monk in white froze, looked at his hands, and suddenly his face fell, sighing, “Such a mistake! How could these hands give me away?”

The dignified and kind appearance of the high monk quickly vanished with that single sentence.

Xia Wenjin released his hand, snorting, “So you’re the trickster claiming to come from the Bodhi Temple, right?”

The monk in white said, “That’s right, I– ahem, I am indeed from the Bodhi Temple, but why call me a trickster?”

Xia Wenjin said, “Pretending to be sixty when you’re a young man, isn’t that deceitful? I bet you’re not a high monk from Bodhi Temple but a charlatan!”

The monk almost jumped up: “Benefactor, you can’t just say whatever you want. I truly am from the Bodhi Temple!”

“Still acting!”

The monk’s eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings before he turned back to Xia Wenjin with a grin, “How about we talk somewhere else?”

Xia Wenjin eyed him cautiously, “What, intending to silence me?”

The monk took a step back, visibly startled, “What are you talking about, Benefactor? Monks are compassionate, not murderous!” He chuckled awkwardly and looked around again, whispering like a guilty thief, “This isn’t the place to be overheard. If someone hears us, how can I stay around here?”

“We can talk elsewhere, but can you remove that disguise and show me your real face?” Although Xia Wenjin knew the person before her was young, facing an old monk with white eyebrows and beard felt uncomfortable.

The monk readily agreed, “Sure, let’s go to the rooftop over there!”

As he spoke, he moved quickly ahead, almost as if to shake her off. Then, she watched him climb to the roof like a monkey, his hands and feet agile. He even turned back to smile at Xia Wenjin, “Can you get up here? Need a hand?”

Xia Wenjin snorted proudly. The height was a bit challenging but not too steep for her to manage. Her main concern was him escaping.

Once Xia Wenjin reached the rooftop, the monk was still there, walking steadily before flipping himself to a corner’s edge.

Only after following him did Xia Wenjin realize this was a great spot, offering a wide view where anyone within ten zhang could be seen clearly. The best part was the angle between the two roofs allowed them to see the people below without being seen.

It seemed the monk genuinely wanted a good talk, or perhaps intended to continue deceiving, and thus needed to placate the person who discovered his secret, Xia Wenjin.

Xia Wenjin found a spot to sit openly and said, “Can we talk now?”

The monk said, “I am Kong Chan, what should I call you, Benefactor?”

Xia Wenjin rolled her eyes, “Drop the formalities, tell the truth!”

The dharma name “Kong Chan” surely belonged to some noted high monk from Bodhi Temple, but this man was merely a trickster.

The monk sighed and said, “Alright, I’m not really a monk! I was once a disciple in the secular world. Back then, my dharma name was indeed Kong Chan, but my real name is Mo Qingfeng.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep