Twenty-five Cloud Ginger

  Cheng Jun was taken aback, and a figure in a mirror flashed through his mind. He said, "So you are the Great Master of Wan Ma Temple?"

  The monk waved his hand and said, "Alas, it's really embarrassing to say. I also left from Wan Ma Temple many years ago, and when I came back, I couldn't even find the temple gate. If you know, please take me to Wan Ma Temple quietly, don't tell anyone that I got lost, I beg of you." He clasped his hands together and bowed repeatedly.

  Cheng Jun smiled and said, "Master, don't be polite. Taking you to the Wan Ma Temple is nothing, but I have a little friend who is the young master of the Wan Ma Temple, he has been waiting for you with bated breath."

  "That monk burst out laughing: 'Really? I've been gone for so many years, and my fellow disciples from back then are probably all gone by now. Who would still remember me? I thought I'd be a bother to people when I went back.'"

  Cheng Jun smiled and said, "How could that be?"

  That monk said: "When I was in the temple, not many people liked me. They said that monks do not follow the rules and regulations of Buddhism, and that we bring shame to the temple. But damn it, monks just eat some dog meat, but if you talk about following the rules, we actually commit fewer offenses than others. Especially that supervisor monk, he doesn't even follow the rule against eating meat, but he's got all sorts of evil intentions - he's committed every kind of offense. Damn it, not even a drop of wine or meat can pass through his gut without him knowing the Buddhist teachings, and yet he still can't achieve enlightenment in this lifetime. When I grow up and have the opportunity to enter the door of Buddhist practice, first I'll beat up that supervisor monk, then pack my bags and leave, and be gone."

  Cheng Jun looked at his oily face and knew that what he said was not false. In his past life, he had seen Buddhist monks who were not fake monks or real bandits, but high-ranking monks with great compassion and kindness. Even after thousands of years of cultivation, they could hardly avoid breaking the precept against killing. Therefore, it was natural for him to think that eating meat would not make a monk any worse. He just nodded and smiled, saying: "There are also annoying people everywhere."

  "That's right, isn't it? - When I first left the temple gate, I really thought that Wàn Mǎ Temple was a rotten temple, inhabited by a group of rotten people. I wouldn't come back again. Alas, after going out and taking a turn, I found that the world is indeed big, my grievances scattered outside, encountering the rolling wind, knife, and sword, even the energy of a child's tantrum couldn't compare. So, gradually, it wasn't on my mind anymore. These past few days, in my dreams, I suddenly returned to Wàn Mǎ Mountain, suddenly feeling some nostalgia, so I packed up my things and came back to take a look. Alas, everything has changed, people and objects are no longer the same, might as well just treat it as a memory. Who would have thought that after decades passed, even the road is unrecognizable? Haha."

  Cheng Jun smiled, this feeling of the boundless ocean and the changing landscape being just a dream he had also experienced before. Only, he had really returned to the past, not just reminiscing in his memories. From this point on, he could be considered truly fortunate.

  The monk said: "How is the Temple of Ten Thousand Horses now? It seems prosperous?"

  Cheng Jun Dao said, "I'm not familiar with Wan Ma Temple, I just have a friend there. In a while, I'll take you to see him and he will tell you everything." The situation at Wan Ma Temple was not good, but it wasn't suitable for Cheng Jun Dao to say such things. He only knew some superficial things and didn't need to be a messenger for this kind of unfortunate event. It would be better to let the little monk handle these internal temple affairs.

  The monk said: "That's right, let's go... Hey, wait a minute..." He suddenly reached out and patted his waist, taking out something.

  Cheng Jun glanced at his waist and thought to himself: Just now in the darkness I didn't see clearly, it turns out he actually has a Qiankun bag.

  The world's artifacts are as vast as the sea of smoke, but based on their effectiveness and functionality, they are divided into grades. Not counting the heavenly Dao treasures, from top to bottom, there are roughly nine grades. The Qiankun bag is a relatively special existence among them. As for the Qiankun bag, the precious ones can be heavenly Dao treasures, while the lowest ones are only inferior artifacts. However, regardless of their grade, refining them is extremely difficult, and they are in high demand, making them highly valuable. They have always been monopolized by the Daoist sects, and even scattered Daoist practitioners rarely possess them, let alone Buddhist monks. Only when a Buddhist monk reaches the "Six Consciousness" realm will they naturally possess the divine ability of "a mustard seed containing a universe". They wouldn't even bother with this small Qiankun bag. This monk having a Qiankun bag at his level is not to say that he's extremely wealthy, but at least he's not doing badly.

  The monk took out a set of green clothes and said, "Take off the clothes on your body and see what a mess they've become."

  Cheng Jun looked down and saw that his body was indeed stained with blood, which had seeped out when he made a blood sacrifice to the Ling Stone. His clothes were already soaked through. He thanked them for their kindness in giving him new clothes and changed into them. The original garment was a monk's robe, made of only one layer of fabric. Cheng Jun was already an accomplished Taoist practitioner, and even during his time with the theater troupe, he had been content to wear simple clothing. Now that he wore the monk's robe, except for it being a bit loose, he didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

  The monk said: "Let's go now." He stretched out his hand and picked up the Zen stick that was leaning on one side.

  Just as he was about to get up, he heard a rustling sound behind him, followed by another faint voice.

  "Wooo... Wooo..."

  In the dark of night, a faint sobbing sound, carried by the evening breeze, enters the ear, a low, continuous murmur.

  The monk and Cheng Jun turned their heads at the same time, staring in the direction of the sound. Cheng Jun listened carefully with his ear tilted to one side, and all he could hear was that the mournful voice had a familiar tone to it.

  Suddenly, the monk's Zen stick struck the ground once, and he shouted violently: "You wicked demon, you have a big nerve! The monk just now recited your cultivation is not easy, did not drive you to death, let you go a way of life. You should know the severity, why not escape obediently, but instead turned back again?

  That woman's crying voice was unrelenting, as she trembled and said: "You, great master, are so ignorant! How can you arbitrarily decide that I'm a monster? If I were really a monster, I wouldn't have had time to hide from you, how could I have come here on purpose? There is an injustice in my heart, and I only hope someone will do me justice. Seeing that you, great monk, are a powerful master, I came to request your help. Who would have thought that you wouldn't say a word, and instead drove me away? If I die with resentment, the Buddha will ultimately blame it on you."

  The monk heard this and was slightly moved, but still said: "Humans and demons have different paths. Demons have their own logic, humans have their own logic, I, a monk, cannot interfere with the affairs of your demon kind, you should leave quickly."

  The woman's voice said: "This is not a demon affair, but a human affair. Someone is about to be killed by the Demon King, please Master go and rescue him."

  The monk said: "Is there such a thing? Where is that person?"

  The woman said: "Now it's Zi Yun Guan."

  Cheng Jun heard this and suddenly felt a stir in his heart, tentatively asking: "Miss Song?"

  The woman's voice suddenly paused, and after a while, she trembled and said: "Do you know me?"

  Cheng Jun Dao said: "If you are the original wife of Yue Hua Dao, Song Dao You, I have heard of it. Perhaps that day when I was with Cong He, it was also you. I've heard that you're a human body, why did I see you as a demon body twice?"

  Yue Hua Dao Ren's wife, Chong He had mentioned before, was the daughter of a hermit from Ji Shan. She had a deep affection for Yue Hua Dao Ren, which was undoubtedly human. On the other hand, Cheng Jun had once seen a mysterious girl in the snowy forest, who suddenly disappeared without a trace. At that time, Cheng Jun realized that the girl was a demon, and she silently transformed into her true form and slipped away. Although he was somewhat puzzled, he didn't investigate further. Today, when they met again, it was she who pulled herself out to walk in the snowy ground, both times they met were so abrupt and without explanation.

  However, Cheng Jun remembered that the last time he saw her, Song's true form was not a snake, but a squirrel. How could that monk say she was a snake spirit?

  The woman's voice paused for a moment, then said softly: "It's me. Daoist friend is indeed perceptive. I didn't want to say it clearly at first, but since you already know, I'll just say it. I am Song Yunjiang, the original wife of Yue Hua. I'm not a bad person, but now I'm trapped in the Purple Cloud Temple and can't come out. Luckily, I have a special skill that allows me to temporarily separate a wisp of my soul and attach it to an animal's body. As long as there are some spiritual animals, they can be transformed into a split body, which looks like a human but has a demonic nature. However, this magic cannot last long, and the last time we parted hastily was because the time limit of the magic had been reached."

  Cheng Jun Dao said, "So that's how it is. This magic is really extraordinary. This time I thank my fellow Taoist for bringing me out of the stone cave." No wonder she could find him in such a secluded place, where can't a snake get in?

  The woman said, "I inadvertently saw you in the stone cave, and your appearance was quite terrifying... I thought you had contracted some kind of strange illness or gone mad from meditation, so I brought you out to seek treatment. Now it seems that I was the one who was mistaken."

  Cheng Jun Dao said: "Thank you for your concern, fellow Taoist. Are you in a predicament now? If there's anything you need from me, please speak freely."

  The big monk listened and said: "If you are indeed a fellow practitioner, having difficulties is nothing to worry about. We will help if we can."

  "That's great! I...I'm really at my wit's end, about to lose all hope! In the Purple Cloud Temple, there is a wicked and evil mastermind, he..." The voice suddenly stopped abruptly, with the last word "he" trailing off into a long, drawn-out tone that disappeared into thin air.

  The monk and Cheng Jun exchanged a glance, and Cheng said: "Song Daoyou, Song Daoyou?"

  For a long time, there was complete silence.

  The monk walked forward, parted the grass with his hands following the sound, and looked carefully for a while, saying: "It's useless."

  Cheng Jun followed the past and indeed saw a small snake lying on the ground, its body dry and lifeless. He pinched it and said: "This is exhausting its vitality and spiritual energy, dying from exhaustion. It seems that this magical technique consumes a lot for the host."

  The monk said, "Although it's like this, the monk has never heard of such a magical technique. This technique is very convenient and should have many wonderful uses. She can actually use it, especially since her cultivation shouldn't be high."

  Cheng Jun nodded and said, "I haven't heard of it either. This should be her innate talent." Chong had mentioned before that Song Miss's cultivation was not high, but she was born with the ability to communicate with wild beasts. Presumably this magical technique was derived from her innate talent, otherwise such a miraculous technique similar to the Split Body Technique would not have been possible even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, let alone Song Miss whose cultivation seemed to be below Cheng Jun's at present. At least in his past life, Cheng Jun had never heard of any low-level techniques like this one.

  "That monk suddenly said: 'She didn't finish speaking and it's already too late, do you know what happened to her?'"

  Cheng Jun Dao said: "I roughly know a thing or two, and maybe I can guess a few points."

  The monk said, "You tell me, damn it, I just can't stand unfair things, and they're all headless. If I don't figure out the reason, the monk won't be able to sleep for a few days."