Chapter 32: Lei Yin Temple Dispels Doubts

  Mount Emei is known as a famous Buddhist mountain, and with the year-round mist and drizzle, it has an even more mysterious color.

  On this day, a group of more than ten horsemen came down from the mountain. The two men at the front were wearing white round-necked robes, while the knights behind them all wore black lapel robes, which looked distinct from afar.

  "Second Master, I think we should find a temple to take shelter in for now. This rain won't be stopping anytime soon." Linglong's face was covered with rainwater, which trickled down her cheeks and over her lips, leaving a salty taste behind.

  "Hmm, it seems like we can't find a way down today. This rain is endless!" Fang Yiai also felt helpless about the weather on Mount Emei. The rain was just too heavy. "Uncle Hu, let's not go back to Emei Town today. Let's just find a temple on the mountain and make do for the night!"

  "Alright, young master, let's go to Lei Yin Temple, it's just nearby," Qin Hu said and led the way towards Lei Yin Temple. Fang Yi'ai and the others followed on horseback. Lei Yin Temple was a small temple, and the little monk who was on duty saw Fang Yi'ai and his group from afar. Seeing their fierce appearance, the little monk thought they were bandits.

  "The abbot, something's wrong! A group of bad people has come from outside!" the little monk said breathlessly.

  "The law is strict, don't talk nonsense. This Mount Emei is a sacred place of Buddhism, how can there be evil people? Don't panic, take me out to see now!" The Abbot Master said with furrowed eyebrows.

  "Yes" Fa Yan felt wronged, that group of people riding horses, all wearing black clothes, looked like they were not good people. When Fangzhang and Fa Yan arrived at the main hall, they saw a dozen young men holding horses standing under the eaves of the main hall. Fangzhang joined his hands together and said with a kind face: "Respected donors, I am Monk Kongzheng, the abbot of this temple, what brings you here?"

  "Master Kongzheng, I'm disturbing you." Fang Yiai handed the reins to Qin Hu and smiled as he bowed to Master Kongzheng. "I am Fang Yiai, and due to my ignorance of the weather here, I was trapped on the mountain by the heavy rain. I wanted to take shelter in your temple until the rain stops, and then we will leave immediately!"

  "Hehe, Master Fang is joking. Being considerate of others is what monks should do. It's just that our small temple is a bit simple and may not be able to provide the best hospitality, so I hope you all won't mind!" Kongzheng Master saw that Fang Yiai spoke very sincerely, not like he was lying, and put his heart at ease. In the end, he also gave Faying a stern look, hinting that he shouldn't speak randomly in the future.

  "Master, you're being too polite! Fang isn't that kind of pampered person. A broken house, a bowl of plain water, and two steamed buns are enough for him!"

  "The young master Fang is indeed carefree, I was worrying too much." Master Kongzheng smiled kindly and made arrangements for Fang Yiai and the others. Perhaps Master Kongzheng had already seen through Linglong's disguise as a man and naturally arranged for her to share a room with Fang Yiai. As soon as they entered the room, Fang Yiai set up a brazier and quickly dried their clothes by the fire.

  Linglong put on her robe and started to style her hair. Since there was no copper mirror, Linglong couldn't get it right. Fang Yiai chuckled and sat down beside the bed, saying: "Hehe, let me help you!" After that, Fang Yiai helped Linglong tie up her hair and then put a hat on her head.

  Linglong felt very happy, and every time Fang Yili helped her comb her hair, she thought she was the happiest woman in the world.

  Kongzheng Master sat in the Zen room with a kind smile, and Fang Yai Pan sat opposite him with his hands clasped together, smiling: "Master, thank you so much this time. Otherwise, I and my followers would have been washed away by this heavy rain!"

  "Haha, Lord Fang is being polite. By the way, Lord Fang, you shouldn't be a local, I heard your accent sounds like it's from Chang'an!"

  "The master is indeed formidable! No wonder we've come all the way from Chang'an!"

  "Oh? Lord Fang, this Mount Emei in Chang'an is not exactly close by. Judging from your attire, you should be a young master from a wealthy family. What brings you to Mount Emei? As far as I know, it's not the best time for traveling now!"

  "The master is right, Fang Mou didn't come to play, but to find someone! To be honest, Fang Mou and his followers have been wandering around Mount Emei for several days, but still haven't found that person!"

  "So that's the case, Master Fang doesn't know who you're looking for. If it's convenient, Master Fang can tell me and maybe I can help Master Fang!" Master Kongzheng smiled benevolently.

  "The master smiled and said, 'This is not something that can't be seen or talked about. The person I'm looking for is a doctor in his fifties, people call him Dr. Sun, the divine doctor. Have you heard of him?"

  "Sun Shen Nong? Is that Sun Simiao, Sun Daozhang that Fang Gongzi spoke of?" asked Kong Zheng Da Shi with some surprise.

  "What? Master knows where Sun Simiao is now?" Fang Yiai took a look at Kong Zheng's expression and knew he must know Sun Simiao, so she asked anxiously.

  "Ah, Lord Fang, I didn't expect you to be looking for Master Sun," said Kong Zheng Da Shi stroking his beard benevolently. "Master Sun arrived at Mount Emei ten days ago, and I met him once. When we spoke, he mentioned going to Tianchi Peak because there's a herb he wants that can be found there. I think Master Sun must have been staying at Tianchi Peak all this time."

  "What? Master, are you mistaken? Can people live on Tianchi Peak?"

  "Fang Gongzi, you don't know this, but on the top of Tianchi Peak, there is a cave called Wugui Cave. I think Sun Daozhang must be living there!"

  After hearing the words of Kong Zheng, Fang Yi'ai had a bitter smile on his face. No wonder he couldn't find Sun Simiao for so many days. It turned out that this old divine doctor was living on Tianchi Peak. If he hadn't met Kong Zheng, he might not have found Sun Simiao even if he searched for another ten days.

  "Master, I really want to thank you this time. If it wasn't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to find Sun Daochang even if I ran my legs off." Fang Yi'ai thanked him sincerely.

  Master Kong smiled and waved his hand, "House Master, no need to be like this. I think this is fate. The heavens and earth are always nurturing countless causes and effects. Sometimes good and bad have no distinction, it's just a matter of judgment in one's heart. A single thought can make one a Buddha or a demon."

  "Thank you, Master, for your teachings. I think I should also thank this heavy rain. Just now, I was still complaining that the rain had hindered my actions, but now I have to thank it for bringing me to Lei Yin Temple!" Fang Yi'ai now truly felt a sense of enlightenment. It turned out that many things in life were indeed so wonderful and mysterious.

  "Fang Gongzi, I can see that you are a person with great wisdom. You can understand my words, which is also your destiny. I think you will definitely achieve great things in the future." Master Kongzheng smiled and nodded his head.

  After leaving Kongzheng Master's Zen room, Linglong pulled the sleeve of Fang Yiai and asked in confusion: "Second Young Master, what did Master Kongzheng mean by what he said to you just now? I didn't understand it."

  "Linglong, actually Master Kongzheng just now saw that I had worries on my mind, so he took the opportunity to enlighten me a bit. He wanted me to give up the obsession in my heart, some things you can't rush no matter how anxious you are. Just like this time, we've been searching for so long and couldn't get any news about Sun Daochang, but because of this rain, we easily found out where he was.

  Fang Yiai slowly explained while holding Linglong's hand, "Other things are the same, what is destined to happen will always happen, every event needs a catalyst. Overly obsessing over something will only make one lose their rationality. This is what Buddhism calls 'a thought becomes a demon, a thought becomes Buddha', people succeed because of their obsessions, but also fall because of them!"

  "It's so complicated, I really didn't think that Master Kongzheng's short sentence would have so much truth to it. Second Young Master, do you still have any attachments now?" Linglong understood that Fang Yizhong had never put down the matter of Tongfeng Valley in his heart, and he was always thinking about how to find Houlingshen, because he wanted to kill him.

  "Of course, I still have a preoccupation with it, but my mindset has changed now. I won't be so impatient anymore, and I'll wait slowly. I believe that one day, the Monkey Spirit will make its move again. Just like this rain, what's meant to come will always come, and when the time comes, everything will fall into place." Fang Yi'ai smiled lightly, he had truly come to understand now that he knew nothing about the Monkey Spirit, not even where to start investigating, so being impatient would only make him lose his judgment, and was of no use at all.

  "Second Master, I think Master Kongzheng was right, you are indeed a wise and intelligent person!"

  The rain outside was still falling continuously, but Linglong's heart was incredibly bright, because the second young master finally had a smile again, the humorous and witty second young master she loved had returned.

  The rain stopped, and Fang Yiai and others spent a night at Leiyin Temple. The next morning, Fang Yiai bid farewell to Kongzheng Dashi, but before leaving, he secretly left 50 taels of silver with Linglong.

  "Master Fangzhang, just now when I was cleaning up the room of young master Fang, I found fifty taels of silver!" said a monk named Faci, holding the silver.

  "Fa Cai, at that time when you found the silver, did you find anything else? For example, a package or something?"

  "The abbot had nothing at all, only fifty taels of silver, which were hidden under his quilt!"

  "Haha, I see. This is the incense money left for us by Master Fang." Master Kongzheng smiled warmly, but sighed inwardly, why did Master Fang have to do this?

  "Uncle Hu, let's head back to Emei Town first and leave the horses at the inn. Then we'll hike up the mountain!" Fang Yiai thought about the towering Tianchi Peak reaching into the clouds and resolutely abandoned the idea of riding horses. Riding horses up Tianchi Peak? That was a joke!

  Mount Emei after the rain, everywhere is full of vitality, everything is so refreshing!