Free Web NovelChapter 1452: Chapter 124 Empty Gate Seeking Home
Jiang Wang had already been gone for a long time.
In the dilapidated temple of Three Treasures Mountain, Monk Jing Li sat quietly in meditation.
Monks are those who leave home, but if they never had a "home," where do they "leave" from?
Under the ancient lights of Buddha statues, practitioners seek to avoid the world. But if they have never been in the world, what is there to avoid?
From as far back as he can remember, he did not know what family was, never having seen his parents. It was Ku Jue who raised him.
Some young novitiates miss their parents and cry their eyes out.
He doesn’t know what he misses.
He lives in this so-called impure world, with nothing he can entrust his "longing" to.
Growing up amidst the sound of sacred chanting, rolling among piles of Buddha Scriptures, growing up with the sound of bells. Sometimes he also wonders, "What is ’home’?"
Why do we have to "leave," and why is it said to be hard to part with? ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
His master said, being together is their family.
So he understood; he found it hard to part.
Thus, he is a little monk seeking "home" within the Empty Gate.
His world is simple, and here is his home.
His master says Jiang Wang is his little junior, so he gains another family member.
This is such a joyful thing.
So, every time he sees Jiang Wang, he is very happy.
He is very joyful and hopes the little junior is just as happy.
But today he just learned that the little junior is not happy. The little junior carries such a weight and has reached this point step by step.
He loves sleeping so much; he doesn’t know the feeling of never being able to sleep. Nor does he know that closing his eyes brings nightmares of blood and fire.
At this moment, he sat alone on the wooden bed, thinking of his little junior, feeling very sad.
"Jing Li! Jing Li! Jing Li! Jing..."
The thunderous voice sounded as if it stole souls, stopped only when it reached the room.
The skeletal-looking Ku Bing, like a sharply defined stone, landed in front of Jing Li, glanced at the pitiful little monk, his tone unconsciously softened but still like a roar: "Why don’t you answer when called?"
"Uncle Master." Jing Li stood up obediently and saluted: "I didn’t have time to answer before you..."
"Forget it, forget it." Ku Bing waved his hand: "Contact your master for me, I need to talk to him."
His voice was like a war drum, causing the room to buzz.
"Ah?" Jing Li stood still with an innocent face: "I can’t reach him?"
The next moment his ear was pulled, Ku Bing grabbed him and said: "Learned to lie, have you? If I hadn’t overheard you chatting earlier, I might have believed you!"
Jing Li, despite the pain in his ear, angrily said: "Uncle Master! How can you eavesdrop on our conversation?!"
"Stop the nonsense!" Ku Bing knew he misspoke but forcibly changed the subject to maintain his elder’s authority, his voice blasting in Jing Li’s ear: "Hurry up and contact your master!"
"I won’t!" Jing Li stubbornly rebelled.
Ku Bing glared, raised his hand, and Jing Li quickly shrank his neck.
"Alright, alright."
The master often said a good monk does not suffer immediate losses. Jing Li, always obedient, naturally carried out this principle.
"Have your disciple Jing Chen wait!"
While lifting the bedboard, he grumbled unwillingly: "Can’t you contact him from the monastery?"
Ku Bing impatiently replied: "Why so much talk? Isn’t it because your master ignores us?"
"Ha, so that’s it?"
Jing Li suddenly became happy, feeling his master had already stood up for him.
He still performed the Dharma Seal, channeling power into the Array Pattern, summoning the Circular Light Mirror.
Though the main Array Pattern of this "Circular Light Mirror" was carved on the back of the bedboard, the energy supporting its operation involved the entire temple. Of course, the core part was still the power left by Ku Jue.
After a while, Ku Jue responded to the call, appeared in the Circular Light Mirror, and said: "Fighting for so long? Just mess around a bit, really break your little junior and you’ll pay... Ku Bing, you old bald donkey?!"
His gaze fell on Ku Bing, who immediately intended to cut off the Circular Light Mirror.
Ku Bing pre-emptively shouted: "The abbot brother has words for you!"
Ku Jue rolled his eyes: "The abbot brother’s Heart Voice Secret Art is unparalleled. Do they need a sickly thing like you to pass messages?"
Ku Bing suppressed his anger: "Didn’t you cut off the heart voice?"
"Oh, is that right." Ku Jue, unfazed by being exposed, nonchalantly said: "Then what do you want with me, can’t continue at the Dragon Subduing Hall?"
"I said it’s the senior brother looking for you!"
"Then damn it, hurry up and say why you’re looking for me?" Ku Jue shouted back: "You think it’s easy for my apprentice to maintain the Circular Light Mirror?"
"Senior brother wants you to come back!" Ku Bing spoke quickly.
"What?" Ku Jue asked from the other side.
Ku Bing slowed down his speech, enunciating each word: "Senior, brother, wants, you, to, come, back!"
"Speak louder!" Ku Jue shouted.
"Come back if you want! I’ve said what I needed to say!" Ku Bing, frustrated, started to leave.
Ku Jue quickly signaled with his eyes to Jing Li.
Understanding his master, Jing Li wailed: "Master, please come back! I miss you so much!"
"Good disciple, don’t cry, don’t cry." Ku Jue hastily comforted: "Ahem, alright, for your sake, I’ll reluctantly agree... Ku Bing!"
Ku Bing, who had reached the door, stopped and impatiently said: "I heard!"
"But I can’t come back now, let’s talk later. I still have to help my beloved disciple cover up!" Ku Jue added.
"You get fat and start panting, huh? You think your endless nonsense, truly think the Hanging Monastery is begging..."
Ku Bing turned back in a rage, but the Circular Light Mirror had already dispersed... Ku Jue never intended to listen to what he said after that.
He wanted to roar, to shout, to hit someone.
A surge of anger stuck in his heart, with no place to vent.
Finally, he glanced at Jing Li, ultimately unable to take his anger out on him, flung his sleeves, stepped out the door, grumbling: "Things are in chaos, no discipline! Can this be forgiven?"
Jing Li watched as Uncle Master Ku Bing walked away, then patted his chest to alleviate his tension.
As for what Uncle Master Ku Bing said about discipline or what should not be forgiven...
He was actually a bit puzzled too.
Leaving the Mountain Gate is such a serious matter, even he knows it can’t be taken lightly.
Why can his master be so willful, and why would Abbot Master actively persuade him to return?
But as clever as he is, he quickly found the answer—his master, being the most revered monk in the entire Hanging Monastery, is undoubtedly the best choice for the next abbot, so how could he not be forgiven?
If something were to happen to Abbot Master... would the Hanging Monastery not need an abbot in the future?
At this thought, Jing Li hurriedly spat: "Ah, such a sin, I’m not cursing Abbot Master."
Putting his palms together, he muttered: "Om, Mani Padme Hum, Maha Mani, Mantra Vah!"
After reciting this purification mantra, he contentedly put the wooden bed back in place and lay down on it.
Too tired today, better get some sleep...
