Chapter 26

Lu Zheng opened his mouth and asked a series of questions. The ascetic monk smiled and said, "You asked so many questions at once, which one should I answer first? It's getting dark, and there's a cave not far ahead. We can rest there for the night, and I'll tell you the story slowly, okay?"

Lu Zheng hurriedly replied, "Sure, sure. You also mentioned taking me to the other side of the fence to get treated. What kind of place is that? Tell me about it too."

Lu Zheng loved listening to stories the most. His favorite thing to do every day was to pester Tang Xiaojiu to tell him stories. Tang Xiaojiu was quick-witted and eloquent, and even a mundane piece of news could be told with great detail and interest. Now, this monk, who seemed like a celestial being, was going to tell a story, and Lu Zheng was naturally full of anticipation for how wonderful and interesting it would be.

The ascetic monk carried Lu Zheng and continued walking on the mountain for a while. Lu Zheng kept looking back at the place where Bright Moon Mountain had appeared. When the sun had just set behind the mountains, the two arrived at an open area on the mountain ridge. There were several large rocks piled up, forming a cave. Inside the cave, it was quite spacious, even with a bend that formed a small room, avoiding the direct wind. More surprisingly, there was a large flat stone, like a small stone table, with a grass mat in front of it, and the corner of the cave was piled with dry grass and firewood. Lu Zheng said, "Great monk, it looks like someone lives here. Let's find another place to rest!"

The ascetic monk smiled and said, "Hehe, that's not necessary. This mat was woven by me. If anyone lives here, it's me."

It turned out that this cave was formed by the ascetic monk piling up large rocks. Lu Zheng was surprised and asked, "Great monk, do you live here? Is this your home? It's not even as good as the city temple we live in. This mat is woven very nicely, but there's nothing around here. What do you eat?"

The ascetic monk said, "This is just a temporary resting place for me when I travel in the human world. It's not where I live. Eating and sleeping are attachments and sources of烦恼 (trouble), obstacles in cultivation. The Buddha's compassion has profound methods to overcome them."

Lu Zheng didn't understand and asked, "Great monk, do you mean you don't need to eat or sleep?"

The ascetic monk smiled and said, "You could say that."

Hearing this, Lu Zheng touched his stomach and said softly, "Oh, I see. You're really amazing." Suddenly, he saw a white steamed bun in front of him, which the ascetic monk had handed over. Lu Zheng was delighted, quickly took it, and took a bite. Then his face turned red, and he said embarrassedly, "Great monk, I still need to eat. I'm really sorry..."

Seeing his awkward expression, the ascetic monk couldn't help but smile. Lu Zheng, seeing him smile, also smiled and buried his head to eat the bun seriously, as if trying to hide his face with it.

After eating half a bun, Lu Zheng felt his stomach was full. His body was weak, and when he was hungry, he was very hungry, but after a few bites, he felt very full and couldn't eat any more. Although his limbs were better than before, a faint black aura appeared on his face, and his body became even thinner. After carefully putting the remaining half of the bun in his chest, he said to the ascetic monk, "Great monk, you've been carrying me for so long. You must be very tired. You should have a good rest first, and then you can tell me the story later."

The ascetic monk thought, "This child is really considerate, even worrying about me." He explained, "Little layman, you don't need to worry. I have been practicing asceticism since childhood, and my body is strong. Carrying you is like taking a walk, and I won't get tired."

While Lu Zheng was eating the bun, the ascetic monk had already laid out a bed of dry grass and started a bonfire with the firewood. He let Lu Zheng lie on the dry grass and sat on the mat by the fire, facing the entrance of the cave.

Seeing his sitting posture, with his back straight, left foot on the right foot, and right foot on the left foot, forming a perfect knot, illuminated by the fire, it looked solemn and inspiring.

The ascetic monk said, "Little layman, you asked many questions just now. Some I can answer immediately, like what a fence is and what Bright Moon Mountain is. But some I can't explain clearly now, like why Bright Moon Mountain suddenly disappeared. But you can find the answers yourself in the future. You should know that no matter what happens in this world or what principles there are, others can only tell you a little, and listening to others doesn't necessarily mean you truly understand. If you want to understand something, you must verify it yourself. Do you understand?"

Seeing Lu Zheng nod seriously, the ascetic monk smiled and said, "Hehe, you're a smart child. Monks tend to talk a lot, and I'm a bit verbose. Please don't mind. I'm not good at telling stories, and I don't know where to start. After some thought, since we're going to the other side of the fence, I'll tell you a story about the fence!"

Lu Zheng asked curiously, "Great monk, do you mean the fence that surrounds the vegetable garden?"

The ascetic monk smiled and said, "Yes, that kind of fence, but this fence isn't to keep cats and dogs from stepping on the seedlings or chickens and ducks from pecking at the leaves."

Lu Zheng asked, "Then what is it for?"

"For what?" The ascetic monk thought for a moment, considering how to phrase it, and then said, "Well, with this fence, there is a human world!"

Lu Zheng was puzzled and said, "Does that mean without the fence, there would be no human world? But I've never heard of any fence, and no one has ever mentioned it. The old man with the white beard at the private school next to the city temple never talked about any fence, and I've heard many stories from the storyteller, but none of them mentioned a fence!"

The ascetic monk said, "Little layman, the fence I'm talking about isn't made of bamboo or wooden stakes. This fence separates two worlds!"

Lu Zheng asked, "Two worlds? Which two worlds?"

The ascetic monk said, "One is the human world you come from, and the other is the cultivation world where I'm taking you!"

Lu Zheng asked, "Why use a fence to separate two worlds?"

The ascetic monk asked, "Before you met the snake demon at Green Dragon Temple, had you ever seen a demon? Not just a snake demon, have you ever seen any demons? When you wander in the market, do you ever see a demon walking towards you?"

Lu Zheng was stunned, scratched his head, and said, "No, I've only heard stories. Brother Jiu said they were just to scare children, but I never thought there were really demons that eat people!" At this point, a light bulb went off in Lu Zheng's head, and he exclaimed happily, "I get it! Great monk, the demons come from the cultivation world, and the fence is to prevent them from eating people. So without the fence, there would be no human world!"

The ascetic monk praised, "Little layman, you are indeed smart."

Lu Zheng said embarrassedly, "Great monk, you're teasing me. If I couldn't guess by now, I'd be too stupid. If Brother Jiu were here, he would have guessed it long ago. I'm not as smart as him."

The ascetic monk shook his head and said, "The mantras I taught you, you can recite them perfectly without any mistakes. How can you say you're not smart?"

Lu Zheng said, "I just have a good memory, but my brain is slow. Whenever there's something that requires thinking, Brother Jiu always handles it. I'm not as smart as him."

The ascetic monk said, "No, no, having a good memory is being smart. If a person can't remember things, how can they think deeply and make the right choices? It's just that you've been taken care of by Brother Jiu for a long time, and you've never faced things on your own, so you lack experience and confidence."

These words hit the weak point in Lu Zheng's character. Lu Zheng was gentle and weak, but deep down, he had a stubborn side. He had long been used to hiding behind Tang Xiaojiu, but he wasn't without the courage to take responsibility.

The ascetic monk continued, "As you guessed, besides humans, there are countless demons in this world. They live in the cultivation world. Because of the fence, it's hard for them to enter the human world, allowing people to live in peace. And the origin of this fence..."

Lu Zheng suddenly interrupted, "Countless demons? Great monk, I want to ask first, where do the demons in this world come from?"

The ascetic monk didn't get angry at his interruption and pointed at his nose, asking, "Then where do you come from?"

Lu Zheng was stunned and then lowered his head, saying, "Me? I came out of a stone."

The ascetic monk was surprised, not expecting such an answer, and said, "Out of a stone? How is that possible! I meant your parents." He knew Lu Zheng was a beggar but didn't know he had been abandoned by his parents.

Lu Zheng subconsciously held the jade pendant at his chest. Strangely, whenever Lu Zheng was unconscious or asleep, the jade pendant would emit a white light, but when he was awake, it was plain and unremarkable. Holding the pendant, Lu Zheng's expression suddenly turned cold. He stared at the fire, the flames dancing in his pupils, and said indifferently, "I don't know. I was left on the roadside."

The ascetic monk, who wanted to inquire about the origin of the jade pendant, seized the opportunity and asked, "Is this jade pendant something you've always carried with you?"

Lu Zheng's hand holding the pendant tightened unconsciously, clutching it. He looked at the ascetic monk and then took the pendant out of his chest, holding it in front of him, and said, "Great monk, you asked about this jade pendant. Do you recognize it?"

The ascetic monk shook his head and said, "I don't recognize it. But you must keep this jade pendant well and never lose it. It's the way for you to find your parents in the future."

Lu Zheng had hoped that the great monk, with his great abilities, might know the origin of the jade pendant. Disappointed, he said, "Grandpa Lu, who raised me, also said this. He said this jade pendant was the only thing with me when he found me, and it's the proof for me to recognize my parents in the future."

The ascetic monk said the jade pendant was a "way" but not a "proof." Seeing Lu Zheng's misunderstanding, he didn't explain further. But he also realized that Lu Zheng knew nothing about the jade pendant. Seeing his dejected expression, he consoled him, "Everything is a matter of cause and effect. There is always a reason for everything. You don't need to be too attached. Little layman, you have great blessings and will surely reunite with your parents one day... As for your question about where demons come from, they come from the same place as humans."