Chapter 9

The young man who was following Zhan Yi seemed to have noticed his displeasure and turned to say very sincerely, "Sir, please don't let the secular scenes here blind your eyes. Our Jinguang Temple's high monks are genuine. You'll know it's worth more than the price after meeting them."

"Uh... Okay, let's go in quickly. Do I need to prepare anything else to meet your high monks?" Zhan Yi didn't expect the young man to introduce the high monks like goods. Although his tone was sincere, it still made him look down on the so-called high monks even more.

"You don't need to prepare anything. As long as you pay a thousand yuan for the consultation fee, I can arrange it for you. I guarantee you will get a thorough understanding of your past and present, and all the disasters in your life will be resolved." The young man shook his head forcefully and said casually.

"What? A thousand yuan, that's so expensive. I think I won't ask about my future. I'll just take a walk around the temple." Zhan Yi was stunned for a moment, then, while suppressing the urge to punch the young man in the face, he pretended to be indifferent.

Cheater, definitely a cheater. He had grown up listening to his grandfather tell fortunes, knowing that it was three parts true and seven parts false. According to his grandfather, unless one was a true expert in the art of divination, ordinary fortune-tellers only knew about the five elements and directions, and whether one had good luck or wealth. Changing one's destiny or fortune was impossible. Moreover, his grandfather had also made a lot of money by exploiting people's desire to know their fate, so Zhan Yi didn't believe in expensive fortune-telling at all.

"Sir, don't refuse so quickly. Come on, let's talk as we walk. Actually, I have the authority to give you a discount. How about 888 yuan? 888, it means prosperity, how auspicious is that?" The young man, seeing Zhan Yi reject without thinking, realized he might have asked for too much and immediately changed to a more conciliatory tone.

"Then 88.8 yuan would be even better. I think I'll pass on the consultation." Zhan Yi followed the young man into the temple, feeling regretful. Why did he buy the ticket from him? A hundred yuan was wasted, even though the money came from Xuan Ming without much effort, it still hurt him, who was used to living a poor life.

"Sir, that's not right. As the saying goes, sincerity brings miracles. How can you show your sincerity with just over eighty yuan? But seeing your sincerity, let's both make a compromise. 698 yuan, this is the biggest discount I can give. 698 not only brings you wealth but also long-term success. What do you think?" The young man was still a bit reluctant and gritted his teeth to say.

Zhan Yi didn't expect to encounter such an extreme person. If he hadn't known about these things since childhood, he might have been deceived. However, now he wouldn't follow him to meet any high monk for six or seven hundred yuan, which was enough for him to stay in a hotel for half a month. But he didn't immediately refuse, as he had already bought the ticket and wanted to at least tour the temple. So he just smiled lightly, "Let's talk about it later. Let's visit the temple first."

"Sure, sir, rest assured. You'll soon see how magnificent and grand our temple is. Let me tell you, our temple has a thousand-year history..." The young man, thinking Zhan Yi was interested, nodded vigorously and started to talk non-stop.

As Zhan Yi listened to him exaggerate more and more, he felt a strong sense of discomfort, as if the young man was telling a myth, making it seem like the temple was the birthplace of a true Buddha. He couldn't help but feel a strong sense of frustration.

However, the scenery of Jinguang Temple was indeed very beautiful, especially the huge Buddha statues in the Great Hall, including the Buddha of the Western Paradise, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Maitreya, Arhats, and Venerables, all with solemn and dignified appearances. Accompanied by the chanting from the nearby courtyard, it made one feel as if they were really in the Western Paradise.

After about twenty minutes, the two walked to a corner at the back of the temple. Zhan Yi noticed that this place was different from the others, very quiet, with no tourists except for a Zen room surrounded by pine trees. The young man also stopped, staring straight at the Zen room without further explanation, his face showing a look of deep respect.

This made Zhan Yi puzzled, and he also looked up at the Zen room. The Zen room was about a hundred square meters, with a completely ancient architectural style. A plaque hung on the front door, with the two large characters 'Xian Yun' (Leisurely Cloud) written in a flowing and spiritual style, giving one a very strange feeling, as if they had really turned into a cloud and forgotten all their worries.

After looking for a while, the young man pulled him and shook him a few times, "Sir, don't be dazed. What do you think? Are you moved by the special atmosphere here? Let me tell you, the high monk I mentioned lives inside. If you're willing to pay 698 yuan for the consultation fee, I can arrange it for you."

"Brother, can you stop talking about money? It ruins the mood. Do you know how vulgar it makes you look in such a place? Do you know how disrespectful it is to the Buddha? Do you know how harmful such behavior is to society...?" Zhan Yi's good mood was completely ruined by the young man's words. He couldn't help but burst into a lecture, talking about social reality, moral construction, life ideals, and Buddhist faith, making the young man sweat and stare in shock.

"Sir, I'm wrong, please stop. Even if you don't want the consultation, you don't have to make me feel worthless. Do you know I'm doing this for your own good?" The young man, seeing Zhan Yi's righteous and endless lecture, finally reacted, his face showing extreme pain before quickly interrupting Zhan Yi.

"Ah... How can you not understand what I'm saying? How can you not admit your mistakes? Can you do this to society? To the Buddhas here? To your own conscience?..." Zhan Yi didn't expect the young man to argue back, feeling his lecture wasn't strong enough, and continued to sigh deeply.

"Stop, sir, if you don't want the consultation, that's fine. Let's tour other places quickly." The young man, hearing Zhan Yi about to start again, finally showed a look of fear, gritted his teeth, and said firmly.

Zhan Yi, seeing the young man's desperate expression, finally nodded lightly, "Okay, I was thinking of staying a bit longer."

The young man rolled his eyes irritably and ignored him. The two were about to leave when they suddenly heard a deep and resonant voice from the Zen room, "Young layman, please wait. This poor monk has been waiting for you for a long time."

The two stopped in their tracks and turned to look at the Zen room. The door opened, and a young novice monk, about thirteen or fourteen years old, slowly walked out and approached them, saying to the young man, "Junior brother, Master invites Layman Zhan to the Zen room for a talk."

Zhan Yi was slightly stunned by the novice monk's words, looking at him closely. The novice monk had rosy lips and white teeth, looking very innocent, but he couldn't understand why he called the young man "junior brother." Were they in on the same scam, trying to trick his money?

However, he soon realized something was off. He hadn't told the young man his name, so how did the novice monk know he was surnamed Zhan?

The young man, hearing the novice monk's words, blushed slightly and laughed awkwardly, "Hehe, senior brother, I was actually thinking of letting Layman Zhan go in."

This made Zhan Yi even more puzzled. The young man knew his surname, and everything seemed strange. Did their master really predict he would come here and specially sent the young man to find him? But why did the young man ask for money?

The more he thought, the more confused he became. He finally couldn't help but turn to the young man and ask, "Brother, what's going on? How did you know I'm surnamed Zhan?"

"Hehe, sir, don't be surprised. We not only know you're surnamed Zhan, but we also know your name is Zhan Yi. I was specially sent by Master to meet you on the mountain today," the young man said with a mysterious smile.

"Damn, then why did you ask for money? That's too much," Zhan Yi said, realizing his guess was correct. Although it was unbelievable, he knew he might have encountered a true hermit.

"Well... It's about making a living. Please understand. Please, Layman Zhan, let's go to the Zen room. Master has been waiting for you for a long time," the young man paused, seemingly surprised by Zhan Yi's exposure, and quickly changed the subject.

"Ah... Do you think you're doing right by your Master? By me? You're not a child anymore..." Zhan Yi didn't object but continued to lecture the young man as they walked to the Zen room.

His expression of saving all beings, combined with his passionate tone, was truly moving. The young man and the novice monk, pale-faced, didn't even try to stop him and hurriedly ran into the Zen room.

Zhan Yi, who was in the middle of his lecture, felt a bit disappointed seeing them run so fast, "Hey, don't run. That's immoral and irresponsible..."

He hurried after them, and a moment later, they entered the Zen room. He was about to continue his lecture, but when he saw the old monk sitting on a cushion at the entrance, his words stopped.

The old monk was extraordinary. His snow-white eyebrows were several inches long, hanging down to his mouth. His bald head had nine incense burn marks, faintly glowing with a golden light. His closed eyes, combined with his full face, gave him the appearance of a true high monk.

But what surprised Zhan Yi the most was not the old monk's appearance. What surprised him the most was the purple wooden fish in the old monk's hand. As he gently tapped it, the sound seemed to penetrate his mind, making him feel calm and as if he had entered the world of the Buddha.