Chapter 38

At the time, the ascetic monk did not answer Mr. Yue's question, but after hearing Mr. Yue's words, he began to reflect on his path of asceticism. Later, he wandered through the world, experiencing and understanding the human condition, and ultimately realized that what is called suffering and joy does not originate from one's own heart. To regard suffering as suffering and joy as joy is attachment; to be able to perceive the suffering of all beings and to save them from suffering is the original intention of the Buddha in manifesting himself to save the world. The bodhi mind that can perceive the suffering of all beings is the true mind of enlightenment!

Thus, the ascetic monk traveled through the world for many years, truly understanding the meaning of the suffering of all beings, not by merely observing the various forms of suffering in the world, but by observing the world and examining his own heart, deeply perceiving the bodhi in his heart.

And the reason he did not allow Lu Zheng to practice for revenge was also out of this heart. To seek a path of practice for the sake of revenge, with revenge as the starting point of practice, would only lead to a path that ends in revenge!

The two drank another round of tea. The ascetic monk bowed to Mr. Yue and said, "I have come this time with a request for Mr. Yue. As you have seen, the child I brought has been poisoned by a venomous snake demon, and the poison is deep. I am ashamed to admit that I am unable to save him. I hope Mr. Yue can lend a hand and save the child."

Mr. Yue frowned and said, "No wonder, I noticed the child's features were weak, but his senses were unusually sharp. His sight and hearing, among other senses, were lost and then regained, indicating that he was poisoned by a cold poison that invaded his organs, causing the vital energy of his organs to disperse due to the poison, leading to physical decline and forcing him to respond to the world with his heart. At this time, illusions are likely to arise, and I imagine the child has already triggered a minor supernatural power. However, this will only lead to a more rapid depletion of his vital energy, and over time, he will inevitably die from the dispersion of his vital energy. But the child is still lively, so I assume you, the monk, have used your own vital energy to protect his heart, thus saving his life. Your selfless dedication to saving others is truly admirable!"

The ascetic monk, feeling both admiration and joy, said, "Mr. Yue, your insight is like a beacon! To be honest, the child was poisoned because of me..." He then detailed the incident at the Green Dragon Temple where the snake demon attacked, and concluded with self-reproach, "If I had been more cautious, the demon would not have had the chance to deceive me... By the way, the reason the child did not die was not because I used my true essence to protect him, but because he had a protective talisman that not only resisted the poison but also emitted vital energy to nourish his body." He then described in detail how the jade pendant emitted a white light to protect Lu Zheng's heart.

Mr. Yue was quite surprised upon hearing this and said, "I see, the monk's compassion makes him vulnerable to being exploited, but there's no need to blame yourself. The world is unpredictable, and for such a talisman to end up with a little beggar is truly remarkable."

The ascetic monk said, "I have also inquired, and according to Lu Zheng, it was left to him by his parents. However, he is an orphan, raised by an old beggar since childhood, and does not know who his biological parents are. I sensed that the protective talisman still retains a divine spirit, but I did not privately examine it or inform Lu Zheng."

After a long pause, he continued, "The monk is upright and did not privately activate the spirit, but to be honest, even if you used your powers to activate it, you would not be able to read any information."

The ascetic monk was surprised and asked, "Why is that? Does Mr. Yue know this talisman?"

Mr. Yue shook his head, still deep in thought, and said, "There are various protective talismans in the cultivation world, but according to the monk's description, this one can autonomously sense and protect the heart, and emit vital energy, indicating that it can assist in the circulation of vital energy throughout the body. It must be a talisman that combines body and mind."

The ascetic monk was confused, "A talisman that combines body and mind?"

Mr. Yue smiled and said, "The monk, being in the Buddhist order, focuses on cultivating the Vajra powers passed down by the elders and is not very familiar with the art of talisman making. A talisman that combines body and mind is one that is fused with the owner's essence blood during its creation. After that, the talisman and the person are inseparable, their vital energies coexist, and they nourish each other. As the owner's cultivation improves, the talisman becomes an extension of the body and mind, adapting to changes in the body and mind. At the highest level, it can even be used to cultivate a quasi-embodiment."

The ascetic monk asked, "A quasi-embodiment? This is the first I've heard of it."

Mr. Yue said, "It is similar to the responsive embodiment in your Buddhist order, but with a different subtlety and a bit of cleverness. Speaking of which, what does the child's protective talisman look like?"

The ascetic monk said, "It is a jade pendant, with six dragons circling it..." As he spoke, he used his mind power to visualize the jade pendant for Mr. Yue.

Mr. Yue, upon seeing the visualization of the jade pendant, his face suddenly changed, and he quickly stood up, drawing a circle in the air with his finger. As soon as his finger fell, the circle emitted a golden light, like a bronze mirror hanging in the air, projecting the image of Lu Zheng, with the little girl named Xin'er beside him, standing in front of a sea of flowers.

In the golden light mirror, Lu Zheng did not have the jade pendant visible, but it was hidden close to his skin. Mr. Yue, upon seeing this, burst into laughter, a sense of satisfaction evident in his laughter, and the entire Two Worlds Mountain trembled with his laughter.

Then, with a wave of his sleeve, the golden light disappeared, and the mirror image vanished. With a clear laugh, his figure became a translucent shadow, flickering in and out of existence, as if about to disappear, but with a slight tremor, he reappeared in the same spot, muttering to himself, "No rush, no rush, hahaha!" His actions were tinged with a touch of madness.

The ascetic monk, seeing the excitement and enthusiasm in Mr. Yue's eyes, was amazed, having never seen Mr. Yue act this way before. He couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Yue, do you know the origin of this jade pendant?"

Mr. Yue, with a full smile, did not immediately answer. He simultaneously reached into the air with both hands, pulling out a wine bottle with his right hand and a wine cup with his left. He poured himself a drink, slammed the cup on the table, and burst into laughter again. Then he said to the ascetic monk, "The monk, this child will stay at the Sun and Moon Hut. Don't worry, I will definitely cure him. He won't die, how could he die, hahaha!"

Before Lu Zheng could react, the little girl had already pulled him out, almost causing him to stumble. He didn't have time to say anything to the ascetic monk before the little girl had already pulled him across the wooden bridge to a large garden.

The garden was filled with various flowers, blooming in a riot of colors, each vying for attention, and emitting a fragrant aroma that attracted many colorful butterflies, which danced around the petals. Lu Zheng, with wide eyes, had never seen such a variety of flowers or such unique butterflies, which were completely different from what he had seen before.

In a moment, the little girl took out a bamboo pole and excitedly said to Lu Zheng, "Big brother, help me catch the butterfly king!" Her eyes, when she smiled, looked like two tiny crescent moons.

Lu Zheng took a step back, and at that moment, he saw the little girl's face. Just that glance made him freeze, as if all the flowers in the garden had lost their color, and the world was reduced to the pink figure before him. He stared at the little girl, asking, "Are you a fairy?"

The little girl blinked, leaned in, and looked at him from side to side, tilting her head and said, "I'm not a fairy, I'm Xin'er." Her voice was also dazed, mimicking Lu Zheng's tone, but her voice was naturally a hundred times more beautiful, or perhaps a thousand times more beautiful to Lu Zheng.

Seeing her mimic him, Lu Zheng blushed, scratching his head, not knowing what to do, but feeling as if he had gained a precious treasure, firmly remembering her name. He thought to himself, "You're not a fairy, but how can you be so adorable!" Of course, he didn't dare say it out loud.

The little girl, seeing him standing there dazed, pushed the bamboo pole into his hand and said, "Big brother, don't daydream, help me catch the butterfly king! I've been copying characters for a long time, and it's rare for you to come. Uncle Yue let me out to play, and I'm grateful to you." She shook her arms and wrists, as if to relieve the soreness.

Lu Zheng, dazed, found her arm-shaking as beautiful as a butterfly's graceful flight. He took the bamboo pole, and in a daze, replied, "Okay."

The little girl, seeing his dazed look, as if he were still half-asleep, playfully waved her hand in front of his face. Lu Zheng, embarrassed, pinched his thigh, his face already flushed.

The top of the bamboo pole was split, with a crossbar and a silk bag attached, forming a net, finely crafted for catching butterflies. Lu Zheng waved it a few times, finding it very handy. He had previously caught butterflies and dragonflies by sneaking up and grabbing them with his hands, but he had never used such a net, though he had seen some wealthy children use them, so he wouldn't be clumsy in front of this fairy-like little sister.

Before him was a sea of flowers, with various insects flying about, mostly butterflies of all sizes, some pure white, some pitch black, and many with unique patterns and colors, fluttering among the flowers. Among them was the largest, with a variety of colors, majestic antennae, and wings several times the size of ordinary butterflies, with patterns like eyes, very vivid, which must be the butterfly king the little girl mentioned.

Lu Zheng, not daring to call her name, waited quietly for her to look over, then pointed to the large butterfly and asked, "Is it that one?"

To his surprise, the little girl shook her head and looked around, suddenly her eyes lit up, and she pulled on Lu Zheng's clothes, pointing to a flower and softly said, "Big brother, it's there, on that golden Potala flower."

Lu Zheng focused and saw that the flower she pointed to was as large as a human face, with layers of petals overlapping, a golden color he had never seen before. The stem was thin and black, with no green leaves, and the golden flower bloomed on the black stem, the black and gold contrasting beautifully. However, there was no butterfly king on the flower.

Lu Zheng, afraid he was seeing things, rubbed his eyes, but still saw nothing. He didn't dare ask and moved closer to look, but still saw nothing, feeling a bit anxious, silently cursing himself for being stupid, and glancing back at the little girl. The little girl was tightly clenching her fists, clearly both nervous and excited, her eyes fixed on the flower, and she whispered, "Big brother, be careful, don't hurt the butterfly king or the golden Potala flower, or we'll be scolded by the teacher."

Her serious face made Lu Zheng find her even more adorable, thinking that the teacher must be an ugly person to scold her. Hearing her use "we," he felt a warmth in his heart, feeling closer to her, and resolved to catch the butterfly king to make her happy.

Thus, he carefully searched the flower for the butterfly king, but saw no butterflies, bees, or any insects. Feeling the little girl's expectations, he became anxious, his palms sweating, and the various butterflies flying around made him dizzy. In a moment of inspiration, Lu Zheng decided to cover the entire flower with the net, thinking that even if he couldn't see it, the butterfly would be trapped. He slowly turned the bamboo pole, aiming it at the golden Potala flower.

At that moment, the petals of the golden Potala flower seemed to tremble slightly. Lu Zheng looked closely and saw a pale green line slowly moving in the center of the flower, among the petals and the stamens.

It turned out to be a butterfly the size of a fingernail, entirely golden, the same color as the petals, with a pale green line on its back. It had been hiding in the stamens, which is why Lu Zheng couldn't see it. This movement revealed its presence.

Lu Zheng was surprised, thinking, "So small, how can it be called the butterfly king? It's truly strange, but if the little girl says it's the butterfly king, it must be." He quietly extended the