Chapter 3: Mother and Son Separated, Learning Martial Arts in a Mountain Temple (Part 1) Flying Pavilion Web

  Lin Guodong's words were not yet finished, Fang Zhang nodded and looked at Lin Aofeng standing beside Cheng Xue Mei, waving his hand to interrupt: "This child has a full heavenly court, a square earthly grid. A look of great wealth and nobility. However, what a pity, what a pity!"

  "Why is the abbot so worried?! Could something terrible happen to my son?!" As soon as Lin Guodong's words fell, a small monk knocked on the door and walked in, quickly walking to the abbot's side and whispering a few sentences into his ear.

  Hui Neng furrowed his brow, sizing up Lin Ao Feng unceasingly. He thought to himself: "Why did Master Hui De choose this child as his successor?"

  "Master Fangzhang, what's wrong?!" Hearing Lin Guo's call, Master Hui Neng sighed and said: "Lin donor, I don't know if you can let your son stay in my temple for four years?"

  "Master Fangzhang, why do you want my son to stay in the temple for four years?!" Cheng Xue Mei immediately panicked when she heard that she had to be separated from her son and tightly hugged him into her arms. Lin Guodong calmed down, hesitated for a moment, looked at Master Fangzhang and asked: "Master, can you tell me the reason?"

  "Amitabha!" Master Hui Neng recited a Buddha's name and said, "I just said that this child has too much evil energy. I want to let him stay in the temple for four years to use Buddhist teachings to resolve his evil energy. Otherwise, this child will be followed by bloody disasters throughout his life."

  "What?!". Cheng Xue Mei heard the abbot's words, and tears immediately fell. Most mothers in the world are great, they all hope their children live a peaceful life. At this moment, Cheng Xue Mei was no exception. As a modern woman, although she didn't believe in superstitions about ghosts and gods, facing the possible misfortune her son might encounter, Cheng Xue Mei was afraid.

  Lin Aofeng's bright and spirited little eyes kept sizing up the old monk sitting not far away, thinking to himself: "This damned bald donkey only knows how to deceive people. He's made my mother cry, just wait and see how I'll deal with him later!" Having made up his mind, Lin Aofeng very obediently leaned against his mother's side and softly comforted her: "Mother, don't cry! If you keep crying, you won't be pretty anymore!"

  At this time, Fang Zhang's voice rang out again: "Lin Shizhu, Lao Na is considering everything for your son..."

  "Master, let me and my wife discuss this matter. After all, our child is still young and has never left our side since birth." Lin Guodong interrupted before Fangzhang could finish speaking.

  "Amitabha Buddha, well done! The abbot joined his palms together with one hand and called out a Buddhist mantra, saying: "In that case, I won't force the issue. You two discuss it thoroughly, husband and wife. I'll await the good news once again."

  As she walked out of the Zen room, Cheng Xue Mei tightly hugged her son and wept: "Zi Liang, Feng Er is my heart's flesh and blood. You promised me not to agree with Master Hui Neng, leave our son here."

  Listening to his wife's sobbing, Lin Guodong's heart felt like it was being pricked by needles. He stretched out his hand and pulled his wife and son into his arms, saying: "How could I bear to leave Feng'er here?! But you just heard what Master Hui Neng said, the evil energy on Feng'er's body is too heavy..."

  "I won't listen! I won't listen! You just want to separate me from my son!" Suddenly, Cheng Xue Mei was like a mother tiger protecting her cub, hugging her son and breaking free from her husband's arms. In a hysterical tone, she shouted: "Lin Guo Dong, you listen to me! If you dare to leave our son here, I will divorce you immediately and take him back to my parents' home!" After saying that, Cheng Xue Mei hugged her son and ran out of the temple.

  "Snow plum..." Lin Guodong sighed as he watched his wife leave, then turned and walked into the Zen room, saying: "Master Hui Neng, I'm sorry! Your good intentions are appreciated!" Next, Lin Guodong pulled out a checkbook, quickly filled in the numbers and signed it, handing it to Master Hui Neng, saying: "This is some incense money, please accept it as a token of my sincerity."

  "Amitabha, excellent! Lin Shizhu, if Madam understands, our Dayun Temple welcomes you anytime!" Putting away the check, Master Hui Neng personally escorted Lin Guodong out of the Zen room.

  As Lin Guodong and his family of three walked away, Hui Neng let out a sigh and was about to turn back to the Chan room when he suddenly felt a figure flash by his side. He quickly raised his head and saw his younger brother, Hui De, and asked with a bitter smile: "Hui De, how did you get here?"

  Hui De cupped his hands and bowed: "Elder brother, younger brother knows you have many questions to ask me, so younger brother has come uninvited!"

  "Amitabha! Young master, since you're here, please come in!" Master Hui Neng and Master Hui De walked into the meditation room one after the other. After they sat down, Master Hui Neng asked: "Young master, although Lin's son is still young, he has a strong evil aura about him. You chose him as your disciple, won't...

  "Big Brother!" Hui De interrupted, "Little Brother, I have a premonition that I will pass away in three years. Although there are many disciples at Dai Yun Temple, none of them meet my requirements. This child has a deep and heavy aura, but his fate is upright and can suppress the evil energy. Moreover, I have a feeling that soon, the land of China will fall into chaos again, and when that time comes, the world will be in great turmoil. I hope this child can use the martial arts I teach him to subdue demons and monsters, and do something for the country."

  Huìnéng Fāngzhàng sank into thought for a moment, then said: "Alright! Since you've already spoken to this extent, I won't say any more. Whether or not this child is truly connected to you will depend on fate!"

  Lin Aofeng, although mentally mature, still had a child's body. On the way home, Lin Aofeng fell asleep in his mother's arms. Cheng Xue Mei looked at her child and suddenly asked: "Zi Liang, do you want to leave your son in the temple?"

  Lin Guodong was taken aback and asked: "Xue'er, why did you ask this question?!"

  Cheng Xue Mei sighed and said, "We've been married for so many years, we're very familiar with each other's personalities. I'm not sure what you're thinking, but the intention behind your actions is very clear to me."

  Lin Guodong let out a helpless bitter laugh and said, "Looks like I couldn't hide it from you after all." Lin Guodong told the driver to stop the car and said, "Let's get off and take a walk!" Cheng Xue Mei hesitated for a moment, then carried her son and followed Lin Guodong out of the car.

  After walking for over ten minutes, Lin Guodong brought Cheng Xue Mei to a small stream. Looking at the clear stream, Lin Guodong calmed down and turned his head to glance at his sleeping son in Cheng's arms, saying: "Nowadays, warlords are rising everywhere, fighting is all about money. Our Lin family is a prominent family in Fujian, many warlords have their eyes on us. I'm not worried about anything else, just that those warlords might harm our son. Although the surface of Daiyun Temple doesn't seem impressive, its abbot Hui Neng's junior fellow apprentice Hui De is actually the successor of the Southern Shaolin lineage."

  By now, Cheng Xue Mei had understood Lin Guo Dong's idea. She hesitated for a moment before interrupting: "Really want to leave the child in the temple for four years?!"

  Lin Guodong replied: "The four-year period was not set by me, but by Master Hui Neng. However, I think it's okay to come and see my son every now and then!"

  Cheng Xue Mei looked down at her sleeping son, dazed for a moment, gritted her teeth and said: "You are the child's father, you decide!" After that, Cheng Xue Mei carried the child and turned to walk towards the sedan parked not far away.

  An hour passed in the blink of an eye, and Lin Guodong walked into Daiyun Temple with his wife and son. The little monk who had just greeted Lin Guodong's family of three was stunned to see them return again, and then walked over to pay respects: "Lin donor!"

  Lín Guódòng asked: "Where is Master Huìnéng?!"

  Xiaoyi replied: "Donor, Fangzhang is in the Chan room, please follow me!"

  "Knock knock knock!" Xia Shami knocked on the door of the Zen room and called out, "Master, Lin Shi Zhu has arrived!"

  "Please come in, Master Lin!" Upon hearing the abbot's voice, Lin Guodong led his wife and son into the Zen room.

  "Master!" Lin Guodong bowed to Master Hui Neng. Master Hui Neng smiled and asked Lin Guodong, "Have you figured it out, Mr. Lin?" Lin Guodong glanced at his wife and nodded, saying, "Master, I have no problem leaving my son in the temple for four years. However, my wife wants to visit our son once a month, is that acceptable?"

  "Amitabha! Master Hui Neng paused for a moment, then said: "Life is like a dream! Four years are just a fleeting moment of a firefly's life. Why must you cling to worldly attachments? Why not let your son use these four years to cultivate his character and nurture his nature?"

  Thinking of being separated from her son for four years, and not being able to see her own son during these four years, Cheng Xue Mei's heart suddenly became like a knife cut, becoming somewhat bloody. Master Hui Neng sighed and said: "Female donor, only by letting go can one gain. A brief separation is for the sake of future reunions. Why be so attached to what's in front of you?"

  Cheng Xue Mei, who had been silent all along, suddenly burst out in anger upon hearing Master Hui Neng's words: "You're a monk born to parents but not raised by them! Do you understand the feelings of being a mother?! Oh right, you've all renounced worldly attachments. If you've all renounced it, why are you still alive? Why don't you just die?! And yet you have the nerve to separate me from my son for four whole years! It's not four hours, nor four minutes, nor even four seconds!"

  Lin Guodong's expression changed to one of surprise as he looked at his normally wise and reasonable wife, whose face now showed an incredulous expression. The abbot Hui Neng's complexion also changed several times before quickly recovering its usual calmness, and he sighed: "Lady donor, we take a step back, visiting the child once a month is absolutely impossible, but I can promise you, to let you see him once a year."

  "Daughter, why are you crying?! Who bullied you?!" Just then, Lin Ao Feng woke up and looked at his tear-stained mother, curiously asking. Cheng Xue Mei tightly hugged her son and said: "Feng Er is good, no one bullied Mom!"

  "Feng'er!" Lin Guodong took his son from his wife and said, "Feng'er, there are some things at home, Mom and Dad want to leave you in the temple for a while."