Free Web NovelChapter 51: Chapter 46: 3 Years of Shifting Affairs, 1 Fateful Transformation
He performed Charitable Giving for three consecutive days.
If he didn’t exercise regularly, Xu Lei definitely wouldn’t have been able to handle it.
Fortunately, besides his daily exercises, he had nothing else to attend to.
So he could just barely manage.
Of course, he was forty-one years old, after all.
He wasn’t as full of vigor as he once was.
Thus, after one session of Charitable Giving,
Xu Lei held Wei Qingning close and whispered tenderly to her.
After all, Wei Qingning didn’t want any more children.
In her daily life, in front of the world, she still had to be Wei Qingning.
Many of the Wei Family’s affairs required her to personally negotiate and handle them.
Back then, for her first child, she had hidden away to carry the baby to term and give birth.
Although the Wei Family’s businesses were not significantly affected,
some of the elders in the family still had their opinions.
Besides, the child Wei Qingning had given birth to was a boy.
So she was now content.
She didn’t want to go through the hardship of childbirth again.
She felt that one child was enough.
She had done enough for herself.
And in the eyes of the world, Wei Qingning had four children borne by Zhang Xiaomai and Shang Rou.
Therefore, Wei Qingning only came seeking the carnal pleasure of Charitable Giving.
As for the son she had given birth to, he was naturally being raised under the Wei Family’s name.
To Shang Rou, the story was that he was actually the illegitimate son of Wei Qingning’s deceased father.
Because the child was brought home when he was around two years old,
Shang Rou couldn’t tell exactly when the child was born.
He did look like he could be the old master’s illegitimate son.
Of course, the child’s final identity was still as Wei Qingning’s son.
And he was raised under the name of Shang Rou, the main wife, making him a legitimate young master of the Wei Family.
This was because Wei Qingning told Shang Rou that she didn’t want him to live with the title of her father’s illegitimate son.
Shang Rou naturally agreed.
"For the past three years, my Wei Family has been thriving. Everything has been going very well."
Afterward, Wei Qingning kissed Xu Lei and said, "I was originally thinking, if possible, of having a daughter.
But the world is in chaos now.
Warlords are carving up the land.
I don’t know if Anqing Prefecture will be affected by the flames of war in the future.
If I were pregnant then, it would be very inconvenient to get around.
I can only give up on the idea."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei felt Wei Qingning’s smooth, tender skin and said, "Benefactor Qingning’s concerns are valid. Let’s wait until these chaotic times have passed to discuss it further."
「The next day.」
Wei Qingning slept in Xu Lei’s arms at the temple for a night.
After requesting another session of Charitable Giving in the morning, she put her Jade Pendant back on and went down the mountain.
「Three days later.」
Luckily, during these three days, Liang Fangying and Zhao Xiaocha hadn’t come to request Charitable Giving.
Otherwise, Xu Lei felt he really wouldn’t have been able to handle it.
He wasn’t a young man anymore, after all.
Of course, after three days, his stamina had fully recovered.
As it happened, Zhao Xiaocha arrived that day.
"The world has become chaotic, so I’ve come to visit the Divine Monk."
Zhao Xiaocha said, "I might not be able to come so often after this."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei nodded. "Indeed, safety comes first. Benefactor, please follow this humble monk."
They entered the Almsgiving Room.
The two embraced again.
"Sister Fangying said she wouldn’t be coming."
At that moment, Zhao Xiaocha said, "But she asked me to tell the Divine Monk to please take good care of yourself."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei said, "Both of you benefactors are very thoughtful."
Liang Fangying’s situation, after all, was different from Zhao Xiaocha’s.
So besides seeking a child, Liang Fangying didn’t frequent the temple.
"Today, Xiaocha gets the Divine Monk all to herself."
Zhao Xiaocha then said, "How about this, Divine Monk, you bestow Sister Fangying’s share of karmic blessing upon Xiaocha as well? Today, I’m requesting a double portion of Charitable Giving!"
"That is not impossible."
Xu Lei nodded, then growled in a low voice, "Amitabha Buddha."
「Another half month passed.」
In that half-month, it was said that Anqing Prefecture City was also plagued by frequent turmoil.
Zhao Xiaocha didn’t come to Anchan Temple much anymore.
This was because she wasn’t from a prominent family, after all.
She didn’t have many guards to escort her, so it was inconvenient to come to the temple.
Plus, she was now nearly forty and no longer wanted to have children.
Every time she came, it was purely to seek the carnal pleasure of Charitable Giving.
There was no real necessity to it.
Since it was inconvenient, she temporarily stopped coming.
Wei Qingning also didn’t come often. Because the world had changed and no one could be sure what would happen next, she was busy arranging the Wei Family’s various affairs.
However, Zhang Xiaomai and Shang Rou still came occasionally.
Of course, the two of them didn’t come together.
They basically staggered their visits.
「On this day.」
Shang Rou came again.
"Divine Monk, the Wei Mansion would like to invite you to the residence to perform rituals for ten-odd days. I wonder if that would be possible?"
She said, "The road between the city and the temple isn’t very safe these days.
Every time I come to pray for a son, I have to bring a large retinue.
It feels a bit too conspicuous.
And I still feel it isn’t very safe.
I’ve heard that several groups of mountain bandits have gathered outside the city.
The Government Soldiers were dispatched to eliminate them.
But they still managed to escape into the mountain forests.
Xiaorou really wants another son.
If the chaotic times arrive first, and I were to accidentally lose my life in the turmoil...
...it would be the regret of my lifetime.
Brother Qingning has also agreed.
In fact, it was Brother Qingning who suggested it.
He said you could move into the mansion and pretend to be performing rituals for the household.
Privately, you could continue to perform Charitable Giving for Xiaorou and little sister Xiaoai.
What do you think?
I beg the Divine Monk to grant my request." freeweɓnøvel.com
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei thought for a moment and said, "Since the benefactor’s desire for a son is so urgent...
...then for this humble monk to refuse would be to lose my sense of compassion.
My Buddha is merciful. Let us depart, then."
"Really?"
Shang Rou said, "That’s wonderful! Thank you, Divine Monk, for granting my wish."
「By that evening.」
Xu Lei had already come down from the mountain.
He was now staying at the Wei Mansion,
pretending to be performing rituals and praying for blessings for the Wei Mansion.
In any case, it was all just an act.
After being a Monk for so many years, Xu Lei was quite skilled at keeping up appearances.
「That night.」
As Concubine Ping, Zhang Xiaomai was tactful enough to yield, letting Shang Rou, the main wife, be the first to receive Charitable Giving.
Thus, in the dead of night,
Xu Lei and Shang Rou embraced on the bed in a room within a secret chamber of the Wei Mansion.
"Divine Monk!" Shang Rou gasped.
"Amitabha Buddha," Xu Lei growled in a low voice.
「An hour later.」
Xu Lei and Shang Rou lay in a calm embrace, illuminated by the dim light of a Luminous Pearl.
"Divine Monk, actually, my older brother sent a letter!"
Just then, Shang Rou suddenly said, "He said... he has joined the rebellion!
He went south all those years ago!
He went into the mountains and became a bandit.
With his skills, he gradually became the second-in-command.
In the past two years, there have been severe droughts across the land, but those parasites of the Da Yu Dynasty are still lining their own pockets, plundering the common folk, oppressing the people, and treating human lives as if they were worthless.
The people’s resentment is boiling over!
He and his brothers in the mountain stronghold have raised the banner of rebellion!
Now, they’ve already carved out their own territory!
And he’s now the second-in-command of his faction!
He said that in a few months, he might lead the rebel army to attack our Anqing!
He told me to prepare early!
When the time comes, he’ll get me, Brother Qingning, and the others out of the city first.
Then he’ll attack Anqing Prefecture.
I haven’t told Brother Qingning yet. Tell me, should I?"
Xu Lei was inwardly startled.
’I can’t believe it. That brawny, scarred young man I met once, Shang Yin, has actually rebelled!’
’And now he’s the second-in-command of one of the factions!’
’But on second thought, it’s understandable.’
’After all, this is an age of cold weapons.’
’Cultivators like Hui Ming wouldn’t get involved in vying for worldly dominion.’
’Therefore, a big, tall man like Shang Yin, with diligent training, would be stronger than most people!’
’A person like that would naturally thrive among bandits, like a fish in water!’
’Fierce generals in Earth’s history, like Lü Bu, were all massive men!’
’In this era of dynastic change, these chaotic times, this should be the stage for ferocious and valiant men like them!’
’Shang Yin rising with the tide now is a classic case of the times creating the hero.’
’Of course, many people are skilled fighters, but if they were to actually try and rebel, they wouldn’t necessarily succeed.’
’It’s not easy to achieve real results.’
Xu Lei hadn’t expected that Shang Yin could actually pull it off.
Of course, though Xu Lei was inwardly surprised, as a Divine Monk, his expression remained perfectly calm.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Thus, Xu Lei simply said, "When this humble monk met him briefly at the Wei Mansion back then, I could already tell.
Benefactor Shang Yin has an extraordinary bearing. He is no fish in a small pond!
Now, three years have passed.
As expected, he has transformed into a dragon at the first sign of a storm!"
