Chapter 12

After a long silence, Lu Zheng did not speak. The ascetic monk knew he was feeling bad and sat cross-legged beside him, also remaining silent.

Suddenly, Lu Zheng spoke up, "Are you the ascetic monk under the tree at Qinglong Temple?"

The ascetic monk replied, "Yes, you were unconscious all along. How did you know my identity?"

Lu Zheng said, "I heard you call me 'little layman' and refer to yourself as 'poor monk.' Mingkong mentioned that a traveling ascetic monk said there was a demon in Qinglong Temple. I thought about it and figured it must be you!"

The ascetic monk was slightly surprised. Although the child was sad and flustered, his thoughts were clear and meticulous, quickly guessing his identity. He nodded and said, "Unfortunately, I was too late and still let the demon harm a life. I was also careless and failed to stop the demon from taking your companion. I am truly ashamed. In fact..." He then recounted the events of that night and the entire story.

It turned out that over ten days ago, the ascetic monk had accidentally encountered the snake demon harming people and absorbing their essence. He tried to subdue the demon but was moved by the demon's sincere pleas for mercy. The demon claimed it was a creature that had become enlightened in the wild and was new to the human world, not understanding the ways of the world. It had now realized its mistake and begged the ascetic monk to spare its life.

The ascetic monk, moved by its sincere words, scolded it and let it go. However, he soon heard that the demon was causing trouble again. He tracked it to Qinglong Temple, where the demon hid inside. The ascetic monk followed and warned everyone, but encountered the temple's supervisor, Puguang, who thought he was there to deceive and extort money. Despite his efforts, he was obstructed... He then detailed how he tried to subdue the snake demon that night, but the demon unexpectedly escaped and took Tang Xiaojiu away.

The ascetic monk, who had achieved great cultivation and was humble and gentle, did not even put on an air of seniority in front of a half-grown youth like Lu Zheng, let alone the demeanor of a transcendent sage. He expressed deep regret for not being able to stop the demon from taking Tang Xiaojiu.

Lu Zheng listened intently. When he heard that Tang Xiaojiu was only taken by the demon and not killed, he was filled with hope and quickly asked, "Does that mean Brother Jiu might still be alive?"

He hoped the ascetic monk would immediately say yes, but the ascetic monk sighed and said, "I hope so too, but based on the demon's injuries, it needed to absorb the essence of a child to recover its strength." He then explained the habits of demons like the snake demon and how they absorb human essence to replenish their energy.

Lu Zheng had held a glimmer of hope, but as the ascetic monk's deductions unfolded, his heart grew colder. Recalling how Tang Xiaojiu's arms were broken before being taken, he bit his lip so hard that it bled.

When the ascetic monk finished his story, he expected Lu Zheng to cry uncontrollably, but the child remained silent, staring at the campfire. The ascetic monk also fell silent. For a moment, the only sound was the crackling of the fire.

After a long silence, the ascetic monk was about to offer some comfort when Lu Zheng straightened his body, identified the ascetic monk's position, and bowed, saying, "Great monk, thank you for saving my life. Your great kindness will always be remembered by Lu Zheng."

The ascetic monk quickly supported him, saying, "Little layman, there's no need for such formality. I am truly ashamed."

Lu Zheng, feeling a bit embarrassed, said, "I am truly sorry, great monk. I suspected you were a child trafficker and wrongly accused you of poisoning me, making me unable to see or hear clearly. Please forgive me."

Lu Zheng's tone was calm, as if nothing had happened, which surprised the ascetic monk. He didn't expect this gentle and weak child to have such thoughts, suspecting him of being a trafficker. He asked, "Why did you think I was a trafficker?"

Lu Zheng lowered his head slightly, his face flushing, and said, "I've seen many child traffickers since I was young. They usually drug the children to make them unconscious, then blindfold them and sell them far away so they can't find their way home. When I woke up and found I couldn't move, couldn't see, and couldn't hear, I didn't know who you were, so I thought... Great monk, I was wrong."

The ascetic monk, hearing this, clasped his hands and recited, "Amitabha!" Although he had traveled the world many times, he never imagined such things existed. Thinking of the plight of the trafficked children, he felt a deep sense of compassion.

Lu Zheng, sensing the ascetic monk's silence, felt reassured. The monk didn't get angry at being called a trafficker, which made him think the monk was a good person. He felt relieved.

The ascetic monk sighed and asked, "Little layman, are you not angry that I couldn't save your companion?"

When the ascetic monk said this, Lu Zheng could no longer avoid the issue. The monk's explanation made him accept that Tang Xiaojiu had indeed been taken by the demon. The thing he least wanted to believe had to be accepted, and a wave of bitterness welled up in his heart, making him want to cry uncontrollably, to cry until the sky darkened, to forget everything, and not to think about Brother Jiu's death.

He remained silent for a while, his lips trembling, and finally said, "If the great monk could have saved him, you would have. Besides, you saved my life, and I am grateful. How can I blame you? Brother Jiu said that as beggars, we rely on others for survival. When someone gives us food, it's a kindness, and when they don't, it's only natural. We have no right to resent them. With no family, why should anyone take care of us?"

The ascetic monk nodded in approval, "I have seen many people in this world complain that others don't give them more, making it hard to be a good person. I didn't expect you to understand such things at your young age. Truly remarkable, truly remarkable. What a pity, what a pity!" The first two "remarkable" were praise for Lu Zheng, while the last two "pity" were for Tang Xiaojiu. Hearing that Tang Xiaojiu could teach such wisdom, he regretted not saving him.

Lu Zheng, hearing this, thought of Tang Xiaojiu, his heart tightening. After a long silence, he suddenly looked up and asked, "Great monk, what kind of demon was it? Does it have a name? What does it look like?"

The ascetic monk, seeing him silent for a long time, knew he was thinking about his companion. He didn't want his words to make Lu Zheng more sad, feeling even more guilty. Hearing the question, he guessed Lu Zheng's intention and tried to dissuade him, "Do you want revenge? That's a highly cultivated snake demon. Even if we don't consider its magical powers, how can a child like you fight it? Besides, you are still poisoned. It's more important to treat your injuries first. We can talk about other things later."

Lu Zheng bit his lip but didn't speak, only looking at the ascetic monk with a pleading gaze. The ascetic monk, surprised by the child's quiet determination, sighed, "Foolish child." He then recited a Buddhist chant, "Calm your mind, and I will show you the demon's appearance."

Lu Zheng thought the ascetic monk might have drawn a picture of the demon, but he couldn't see clearly, fearing he wouldn't recognize it. However, before the ascetic monk finished speaking, Lu Zheng's vision went dark, and then a bright light flashed in his mind. He suddenly saw a figure with a gaunt face, sinister eyes, and two sharp fangs, giving off a sense of malice and cruelty.

Lu Zheng immediately understood that this was the demon that had killed Tang Xiaojiu. Recalling the ascetic monk's words about it being a snake demon, the appearance fit perfectly. Anger surged within him, and he clenched his teeth, memorizing the demon's appearance, imprinting it in his heart.

Suddenly, the light vanished, and the image disappeared. Lu Zheng recalled the demon's appearance as if it were a memory, not something he had seen with his eyes.

The ascetic monk explained, "This is one of the six supernatural powers of Buddhism, the ability to read minds. I can imprint my thoughts into your mind. You can hear me clearly because I am using this power. The image that appeared in your mind is the demon I saw. It is the snake demon. It has already formed a demon pearl and can transform into a human form, so it likely has a name, but I don't know what it is."

Lu Zheng, lost in thought, clenched his fists, holding the jade pendant in his hand. The ascetic monk, without using his mind-reading power, could see his thoughts and tried to comfort him, "Little layman, don't be too sad. Death is irreversible, and everything has a cause and effect. Take care of yourself."

Lu Zheng, hearing this, looked up, his eyes distant but firm, and said with determination, "Great monk, since you can show me the demon's appearance, can you also show me how Brother Jiu was killed that night?"

The ascetic monk was taken aback, never expecting the child to make such a request. He feared that seeing Tang Xiaojiu's broken arms would cause Lu Zheng to become emotionally overwhelmed, worsening his poisoning. He was about to refuse but saw the unusual determination in Lu Zheng's eyes, despite his trembling voice. He sighed and used his mind-reading power.

Lu Zheng saw a scene in his mind: Tang Xiaojiu was held under the demon's arm, his left arm broken first, the demon laughing wildly, then his right arm broken, Tang Xiaojiu's screams filling his heart. As the demon carried him away, Lu Zheng clearly saw Tang Xiaojiu look at him, then shed a tear.

When he saw Tang Xiaojiu look at him and shed that tear, the tear seemed to fill his entire heart through the ascetic monk's mind-reading power. For a moment, his heart was overwhelmed by the tear.

The ascetic monk saw Lu Zheng faint again and quickly stopped the power, checking on him. He found that the negative energy in Lu Zheng's body was spreading due to his emotional state, but the jade pendant on his chest suddenly emitted a bright light, enveloping his entire body.

For a moment, the battlefield was Lu Zheng's body, with the white light and the negative energy fighting each other. The ascetic monk watched the struggle, not daring to intervene. Fortunately, the white light protected his heart, preventing the negative energy from invading, temporarily saving his life. He felt relieved, thinking that the jade pendant was extraordinary and could sustain him until he reached a certain person. Once there, the child might have a greater destiny.

Thinking about this, he looked at the jade pendant, which continued to emit light, and wondered, "I wonder who his parents are, to have such a mystical protective talisman. How did he end up as a beggar? Or did he find it by chance? How strange! Perhaps this child has a deep connection to the cultivation world. I'll have to wait until he wakes up to find out."

The child had fainted twice due to his companion's death, showing a deep bond that was truly touching. The ascetic monk sighed, "Separation and loss are the sufferings of impermanence. Well, well!"

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