Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 13

On the way back to the Public Security Bureau, Lin Zhong asks about the situation of the master and disciple.

The old monk’s Dharma name is Jikong. He lives in a small temple, and twenty-three years ago, after his master passed away, his senior brother took over the position of abbot. Jikong then chose the path of rigorous practice and seeking enlightenment.

The young boy with him is not a true monk. Although the old monk calls him “disciple,” he has not yet given him a scar. He always says that Chunming has no fate with the Buddha.

Chunming is the Dharma name Jikong has given to his little disciple. The boy has asked for this name, wanting to leave behind his secular identity.

The master and disciple have relied on each other for six or seven years, living an extremely frugal life.

Every time they arrive in a new place, Jikong takes Chunming to the local temple, where they stay and exchange Buddhist teachings with the monks. However, many temples have been demolished in the past, and although some have been rebuilt in recent years, temples are not always available.

As a result, Jikong and Chunming often have to sleep outdoors. When they can’t find vegetarian food, they survive on rainwater and wild grass.

Their means of travel are simple—by foot. Over the years, they have worn through countless pairs of straw sandals, and their feet are covered with thick calluses.

Jikong is not bothered by such a humble life. When he decides to pursue asceticism, he has already let go of material desires. Physical suffering is just part of his spiritual refinement.

However, the old monk has never expected his young disciple to stay with him for all these years.

When Jikong first rescues the child, he considers sending him to an orphanage or a temple with more resources. But the boy is stubborn, only wanting to learn Buddhism with him.

Jikong tries to make him leave, but in the end, it is he who is worn down by the boy’s determination.

Still, Jikong hasn’t given up on the idea of sending his apprentice away. He continues to insist that Chunming’s fate is not tied to the Buddha.

Lin Zhong, upon learning that the master and disciple have no place to stay, kindly takes them to a guesthouse near the Public Security Bureau. He arranges for them to have a clean and tidy double room and even makes sure they have a midnight snack.

Though the meal is just simple vegetable noodles, the master and disciple, who haven’t eaten since noon, devour it gratefully.

“Turn left at the end of the hall, and you’ll find the water room,” Lin Zhong explains. “There are two hot water kettles in there. You can use them to wash your face and body. It’s a bit late now, but otherwise, I would’ve taken you to the bathhouse.”

Lin Zhong is a considerate man, sharing useful information with them.

“There’s someone on duty at the front desk on the first floor. If you need anything, just ask the staff to call me. This guesthouse is run by our Public Security Bureau, so if you mention my name, everyone will know who you are. By the way, aren’t you going to Lady Hua’s house early tomorrow morning? It’s a bit far, so I can drive you there in the morning.”

The case is resolved, but writing up the report—especially concerning the cause of death for Wang Youyou and the others—is tricky. It won’t do to simply say they died because of a female ghost’s revenge. Lin Zhong hopes that by driving the old monk to Lady Hua’s house the next day, he can avoid dealing with this difficult task.

“Master, it’s getting late. I won’t disturb you further. You should rest.”

It is almost 1 a.m. now, and Lin Zhong needs to get up early to head to the countryside. He tactfully excuses himself, closing the door behind him as he leaves.

After Lin Zhong leaves, the young monk, Chunming, begins to get busy.

He puts the bags away in the cabinet, then goes to the water room to fetch two kettles of hot water.

In the bathroom, there are two basins. The larger one is labeled “footbath.” Chunming cleans the basin, fills it with some cold water, and then adds hot water. Testing the temperature with his fingers, he deems it just right. He then goes to the old monk and begins soaking his feet.

The old monk has suffered an injury in his youth and cannot bend at the waist. When Chunming discovers this, he begins washing his master’s feet.

“Chunming, you still can’t overcome the barrier in your heart. Have you really thought it through? Do you truly want to walk the path of hard practice like your master?”

The boy pauses.

“Today, we are fortunate to meet two Taoist masters. But if we encounter another group of out-of-control ghosts, will you dare to charge in with your rosary?”

Jikong looks at his well-behaved disciple and sighs.

When they pass through Chunming’s hometown, Jikong senses the eerie presence of ghosts. He rushes to the center of this spiritual disturbance only to find that the boy’s family has been slaughtered by the ghosts.

Not all evil spirits are like Yu Caifeng, who has become an evil spirit due to unresolved resentment from her life.

Some evil spirits were not good people in their previous lives. Afraid of punishment after death, they evade the ghost messenger’s pursuit. The sins they committed during their lives become nourishment for them after death, making these ghosts far more wicked than Yu Caifeng.

The ghosts that kill Chunming’s family are such spirits.

After a fierce battle, Jikong finally destroys the evil ghost. It is perhaps because he has witnessed his family being devoured by the malevolent spirit that Chunming’s hatred and fear of ghosts begin.

Chunming quickly learns everything the old monk teaches him, but when faced with an evil spirit, his mind goes blank.

“Chunming, I once told you that the reason I chose the path of hard practice was not only to seek the true Buddha in my training but also to find someone.” Jikong looks down, only seeing the back of his apprentice’s head. He knows Chunming is starting to withdraw again, but this time, he can’t take him along. “That person is my senior brother. When your master passed away, he left behind three Buddhist treasures. One is a relic of a high monk in your uncle’s possession, another is the Golden Lotus Buddha in my hand. However, combined, these two items pale in comparison to the final one: the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra Beads. These treasures have been passed down through generations of masters. But my senior brother resented the master for passing the position of abbot to my second senior brother. When your master passed away, he stole the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra Beads. When I left the temple, the master entrusted me with the Golden Lotus Buddha, hoping that I would find my defected senior brother and retrieve the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra Beads.”

As Jikong recalls the past, his expression turns melancholy.

“A few days ago, I finally received news of him. This time, I will go to confront him and ask for the Buddha treasure back. I don’t know whether I’ll be able to return, so I can’t take you with me.”

Jikong is far more talented and diligent than his senior brother, but he hasn’t seen him in over twenty years. He can’t predict what other experiences his senior brother might have had. Furthermore, his senior brother holds the Six-Character Mantra Beads, and Jikong can’t be sure of defeating him.

Thus, he can’t take Chunming with him—he isn’t capable of looking after the boy in such a dangerous situation.

“Tomorrow, I’ll shamelessly ask Lady Hua to take care of you on my behalf. If I survive, I’ll return to find you and ask again if you’re willing to return to the temple with me. If I die, your uncle will send a monk from the Hua family to find you. At that time, he’ll arrange whatever choice you wish to make.”

Jikong feels that this might be fate, that it has brought him to meet Hua Yingpo and her husband today. Chunming’s obsession with learning to exorcise demons, whether through Taoism or Buddhism, has been clear. When Jikong accepts him as a disciple, he has already foreseen that the boy has not yet severed his earthly ties and has no true affinity with the Buddha.

Unlike Buddhism, Taoism doesn’t require disciples to sever their earthly connections, which happens to align with the hexagram Jikong has predicted for his apprentice. Perhaps it is destined that they have met Hua Yingpo and her husband today.

Once Jikong confronts his defecting senior brother and settles things, he will return to the temple and immerse himself in the cycle of life and death. If Chunming still wishes to follow him, he will formally accept him as a disciple, shave his head, and give him the scar of the precepts.

Nothing is fixed. If Chunming’s heart for the Buddha is truly unwavering, the Buddha will surely welcome another believer.

The young monk, knowing he can’t help much and will only become a burden to his master during battle, refrains from insisting on leaving with him. However, he fears that the Benefactor Hua, who has only met him once, might not be willing to take him in. Chunming, not wanting to trouble his master, has already begun thinking about which temple he could stay in while his master is away.

That night, there is no more conversation. The master and disciple, both exhausted from their travels, quickly fall asleep.

“Lady Hua, Master Sheng.”

Jikong and his apprentice get out of the police car and walk into the Hua family’s yard, offering a Buddhist gesture of respect to the couple, who are watering vegetables.

The police car’s arrival in the village attracts a lot of attention. Many villagers look toward the Hua family, and when they see two monks getting out of the car, their curiosity grows.

However, the villagers don’t overthink it. The old monk appears quite impressive, and his friendly demeanor toward Lady Hua suggests that Lady Hua’s influence has reached the monk community, making her seem like a very powerful figure.

Everyone feels proud that such a remarkable person has come to their village.

“Master Jikong.” Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun have learned the monks’ names the night before.

“Two Taoist friends, may I speak with you for a moment?” The old monk smiles warmly. After the events they shared the previous night, Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun have formed a positive impression of him and agree to speak with him.

Jikong briefly explains his intentions. “At most, three months. During this period, I ask you both to look after my disciple. Here are his living expenses. If I don’t return in three months, my senior brother will send someone to retrieve Chunming.”

Jikong pulls out a stack of coins from his pocket. Unfortunately, as a poor old monk, he has emptied his family’s savings and only has a little more than 100 yuan. Even this money has been saved by selling straw sandals along the way.

The old monk thinks back, perhaps sensing that this day might come.

The amount is barely enough to cover the living expenses for a growing child over three months.

Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun feel a bit embarrassed. They don’t really want to take in a stranger’s child, but the old monk has left a very good impression on them the previous night, making it difficult to refuse.

And the monk has presented a reasonable concern—what if, after three months, no one comes to take the child? Would they have to raise him indefinitely?

“If you’re worried, I can leave you the location of the temple and my senior brother’s contact information,” Jikong continues kindly, and he doesn’t seem to be lying.

Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun, both seasoned at reading people, can tell the old monk is honest. “We’ll look after him for three months,” they agree.

The couple feels they have no real loss in doing so. Not only has the monk shown genuine respect and kindness, but the living expenses are also covered. Besides, the couple hopes to maintain a good relationship with him; if their daughter faces any trouble, they could call on the old monk for help in return.

“I thank you both sincerely,” Jikong says, then adds shamelessly, “But I have one more request.” Having settled the most pressing concern, the old monk asks, “I wonder if you could sell me a few more of those talismans from last night?”

Jikong lacks absolute confidence in facing the senior brother he hasn’t seen in decades, but the talismans Hua Yingpo and her husband used give him some hope. These talismans are different from ordinary Taoist artifacts; even without knowing the Taoist methods, he can still use them. If he can acquire a few, Jikong feels his chances of victory will increase significantly.

“My apprentice has a string of sandalwood Buddhist beads with the Great Compassion Mantra. It’s a protective artifact and very valuable. Even in the hands of someone unaware of its worth, the century-old sandalwood beads with the Great Compassion Mantra could fetch a good price. If I don’t return in time to pay for these talismans, this string of Buddhist beads will belong to you both.”

The old monk thinks that the talismans must be worth a lot, but he isn’t sure how many sandalwood Buddhist beads they could be traded for.

“Fifty-one thunder talismans, fifty-one stop talismans, and thirty-one exorcism talismans.”

The couple doesn’t have a large number of talismans on hand, and since the old monk is going into a confrontation, they decide the peace talismans and soul-suppressing talismans should not be used.

Because they know the true value of these talismans, the couple raises the price nearly tenfold. However, they aren’t sure whether selling so many talismans will have any impact on their daughter’s health. If the old monk turns out to be dangerous, they might hesitate to sell them.

“Benefactor, you are too kind!”

Jikong is deeply moved, bowing respectfully to them. Even if the price has an additional zero, these talismans would still attract attention from people within the Xuanmen.

In Jikong’s view, the couple is essentially giving him these treasures for free.

Seeing his deep gratitude, Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun realize they have likely underpriced them. Reflecting on the stack of talisman paper they sold for only a few yuan earlier, they feel a pang of regret.

But the words have been spoken, and there is no taking them back. The old monk leaves with ten thunder talismans and five stop talismans, leaving his apprentice in the care of the Hua family.

Lin Zhong, who has accompanied the old monk, shamelessly spends fifty yuan to buy two peace talismans from Hua Yingpo, intending to give one to his mother and the other to his daughter. He has hoped to ask for more, but since Sheng Baobao only has five talismans available, Hua Yingpo and Sheng Wukun are reluctant to let their daughter use them anytime soon. Hua Yingpo feels deeply saddened to sell two talismans to Lin Zhong for such a low price.

Upon returning to the Public Security Bureau, Lin Zhong, holding his two talismans, instantly becomes the center of attention. Even the director doesn’t receive as much discussion as he does.

Everyone regrets not knowing someone like Lady Hua before her retirement. They now fully believe in Lady Hua’s abilities. Lin Zhong is no longer just holding a piece of talisman paper—he is holding a second life.

After school, Jiang Runzhu declines the invitation from her classmates to go home together and secretly slips into a public telephone booth.

She spends her small amount of private money to call the Public Security Bureau.

“Hello, I’d like to report Hua Yingpo from Xiaoyanggang. This woman is defrauding people under the guise of feudal superstition. The talismans I bought for more than ten yuan are fake and useless.”

Jiang Runzhu covers the microphone with a handkerchief to disguise her voice. She even pinches her throat to make it sound less like a child’s voice.

“Are you talking about Lady Hua from Xiaoyanggang? Do you have the talisman paper drawn by Lady Hua?” The operator on the other end of the line sounds excited. Who in the Public Security Bureau doesn’t know Lady Hua? In fact, Lady Hua’s talisman paper is like a Kelly bag from Hermès—everyone wants it, and even if you have the money, you still can’t get it. “How many do you have? I’ll pay double!”

Realizing this statement isn’t quite right, she quickly adds, “I’m collecting evidence. Don’t worry, I’ll help you test the efficacy of these spells.”

With an angry “bang,” Jiang Runzhu slams down the receiver.

She doesn’t have any talismans. She is just trying to create trouble for Hua Yingpo.

How can such a superstitious person sneak into the public service? Thinking about all the money she has spent on the phone call, Jiang Runzhu is on the verge of tears.