Chapter 38: Chapter 36: Hui Ming Flees, Spirit Monsters Rampage in the Prefecture City

"Amitabha Buddha."

Hui Ming also looked at Xu Lei and said, "Master, you exaggerate. There are many monks at Longyuan Temple who train as diligently as I do.

It is you, Master, who indulges in the temptations of the flesh.

Speaking of which, Master, when exactly is your venerable teacher coming to find you?

We’ve been in this Prefecture City for a month now.

I haven’t seen you do anything but eat, drink, make merry, and indulge in carnal pleasures.

And this is with them all knowing you are a Monk.

Conduct like this could tarnish the reputation of the Buddhist Sect and your own good name.

This journey is different from your time at the temple as Zen Master Bu Zhong.

As Zen Master Bu Zhong, you were accumulating merit.

Besides, the world didn’t know you were indulging with women."

"Regarding the first thing you mentioned, nephew, my venerable teacher only appeared to me in a dream. He said he would come for me, but I don’t know when that will be."

Xu Lei also smiled. "All I can do is wait here. In any case, my master said he will come for me when the time is right.

If you’ve grown impatient following me around, nephew...

...you can return to the temple on your own.

As for the second thing you said...

...are you saying you want me to be like you, nephew? To stay away from women and be devoted to the Buddha?

Fine, but only if you teach me your Extraordinary Skill!

I promise I will be absolutely devoted to the Buddha!

I’ll cast all thoughts of women from my mind.

How about it?"

"What Extraordinary Skill?"

Hui Ming placed his palms together, lowered his gaze, and chanted, "Amitabha Buddha. Master Wu Tan, your imagination is running wild."

"You were the one who made that bandit’s head explode that day, weren’t you?"

But Xu Lei continued, "Hui Ming, my dear nephew, we’ve known each other for nearly twenty years.

Do you really think you haven’t revealed a single flaw in front of me?

That day, when we were surrounded by bandits, a mysterious power—an Extraordinary Power—annihilated the one who didn’t believe in the Divine Buddha.

How could some mysterious, Extraordinary being have just happened to show up and help us?

The one who acted must have been one of us.

I know it wasn’t me.

After a month of probing and elimination...

...you’re the only one I can’t see through.

If it wasn’t you, who was it?"

Hui Ming lifted his gaze.

"Amitabha Buddha."

But then he lowered his eyes again and chanted, "Master Wu Tan, I am just an ordinary Monk.

Perhaps it was some mysterious being passing by who saw we were in danger and decided to intervene?"

"Then why did it happen right after that bandit uttered those disrespectful words about me, a Divine Monk?"

Xu Lei said, "To strike at such a perfect moment?

Making all the other bandits think I was truly an Enlightened Monk with Magical Power and Divine Power, so scared that they prostrated themselves on the ground?"

Hui Ming once again chanted, "Amitabha Buddha..."

But before he could say more...

"A monk does not tell lies!"

Xu Lei said, "Hui Ming, my nephew, you’re always accusing me of breaking my vows.

But what about you? Do you not care about the vow against false speech?

If you lie to me, haven’t you also broken that vow?

How does that make you any different from me?

Since we’re both vow-breakers...

...it’s just the pot calling the kettle black!

At most, you’ve only broken the vow of speech.

Meanwhile, I’ve broken the vows against alcohol, meat, and lust, among others.

But in the end, we are both monks who have broken our vows!

There’s no difference!"

"Amitabha Buddha."

Hui Ming said, "Master Wu Tan, you are the one who has broken the vows. Do not drag me into this. I have never broken any vow."

"Excellent."

Xu Lei smiled. "Then let me ask you, nephew Hui Ming, was it you who made the bandit’s head explode that day?

Yes or no, answer me! Do you dare to say it wasn’t you?"

Hui Ming was helpless.

He could only turn his back on Xu Lei.

"Amitabha Buddha."

In the end, he just uttered the chant.

His principles were clear: he would not tell a lie.

But if he didn’t want to tell the truth, he would choose to say nothing at all.

’I really love Hui Ming in this moment!’ Xu Lei thought.

’Of course, not in a romantic or lustful way.

Or rather, it wasn’t Hui Ming himself that he loved.

It was people like Hui Ming—people with strong principles.

"Your silence is its own answer."

Xu Lei smiled. "So it really was you that day.

Nephew, you really possess Extraordinary Power?

So why are you so determined to hide it?

Why are you unwilling to reveal your extraordinary nature?

Even keeping it from me, your master, who has lived with you for nearly twenty years?

Wait, since you possess Extraordinary Power...

...then Senior Brother Wu Gui must have it too, right?

At Longyuan Temple, Senior Brother Qi De is actually a bit more normal.

He even gave in and ate meat with me once.

The other monks at the temple, to varying degrees, were also willing to accept my arrangements for Charitable Giving to the female Devotees who came seeking children.

But you and Senior Brother Wu Gui never were.

The two of you are terrifyingly self-disciplined.

And your relationship with the Head Temple is even better than Senior Brother Qi De’s. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Also, and this is the most important point, the person at the temple you respect and fear the most is Senior Brother Wu Gui!

With Senior Brother Qi De, you’re mostly just respectful.

But it’s different with Wu Gui.

And you are someone who possesses Extraordinary Power.

By that logic, Senior Brother Wu Gui must be one too.

Right?

And another thing—we three first met in Physician Lu’s courtyard all those years ago.

You and I were about the same age!

Senior Brother Wu Gui was older than me!

But now, after all these years...

...I look about the same age as Senior Brother Wu Gui!

And you look so much younger than me!

So why, when you clearly possess an Extraordinary Skill...

...are you unwilling to pass it on to others, not even to the other monks in our own temple?

You won’t even teach me?

Is it because you discovered I don’t have the talent for your kind of Extraordinary Skill?

Or is it something else?

So, all these years, you two—two true Divine Monks who really possess Extraordinary Power—

...have just been watching me, a fake Divine Monk...

...putting on an act all around Longyuan?