We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 185: Buddha in the Heart

Two months later, Xiao Mo arrived at a city.

This city was located not far from Kongnian Temple and was named Kongnian City.

As the name suggested, it was an affiliated town of Kongnian Temple.

Just after entering Kongnian City, Xiao Mo wondered if he had entered another world.

Walking on the streets of Kongnian City, whether at wine stalls or meat shops, he could see Buddha statues placed in every household.

The faint scent of incense merged into the breeze within the city.

Everyone looked very peaceful.

In the other cities Xiao Mo had visited, he could more or less sense wariness between people.

He would even occasionally see thieves stealing things, neighbors cursing and fighting each other, and so forth.

In short, there was heavy baleful qi but in this city, everyone was harmonious and happy.
However, what surprised Xiao Mo was that in a city affiliated with Kongnian Temple, there were actually brothels!

The women from these brothels solicited customers on the roadside, and when they saw monks from Kongnian Temple passing by, they would even try to pull them in but from what Xiao Mo observed, not a single monk had entered.

These monks would just smile and then quickly dodge away.

”Boss, isnʼt Kongnian City affiliated with Kongnian Temple? Having wine and meat is one thing, but they actually allow brothels in the city?” Xiao Mo sat down with Jiang Xin at a tea stall and asked the tea stall owner.

”Hahahaha,” the tea stall owner laughed.

”Young man, youʼre from out of town, arenʼt you? Previously, this town was called Lamplight City and didnʼt belong to Kongnian Temple.

Later, due to some incidents, a high monk from Kongnian Temple saved the life of Lamplight Cityʼs old city lord, so he voluntarily affiliated with Kongnian Temple, and the name was changed to Kongnian City.

Although Kongnian Temple nominally has direct authority over Kongnian City, in reality, Kongnian Temple doesnʼt interfere with any of Kongnian Cityʼs affairs at all.

We people of Kongnian City naturally live however we should live, and Kongnian Temple hasnʼt forced us to believe in Buddhism.

As for the Buddha statues you see in every household, they were all voluntarily obtained by the cityʼs people.

Because the monks from Kongnian Temple often come down the mountain to help us subdue demons and eliminate evil.

For weddings, funerals, ceremonies, and even treating illnesses, the monks from Kongnian Temple will also help.

Over time, everyone naturally placed Buddha statues in their homes.”

”I see.” Xiao Mo nodded. ”It seems Kongnian Temple has quite a good reputation.”

”Naturally, itʼs extremely good.” The tea stall owner smiled. ”They even help us cultivate farmland and build water conservancy projects.”

Xiao Mo nodded, took a sip of tea, and said nothing, just glanced at Jiang Xin.

Jiang Xin understood Xiao Moʼs meaning. She nodded, indicating that everything the other person said was true.

After leaving the tea stall, Xiao Mo asked quite a few more people of Kongnian City.

Everyone had a good impression of the monks from Kongnian Temple.

The people of Kongnian City all felt that Kongnian Temple was very good, and being able to live here under the protection of Kongnian Temple was their good fortune.

Xue Kui had also said that Kongnian Temple was quite good.

With both sources confirming this, Xiao Mo felt much more at ease about Kongnian Temple.

After paying for the tea, Xiao Mo continued toward Kongnian Mountain where Kongnian Temple was located, bringing Jiang Xin with him.

Along the way, Xiao Mo encountered many people going to Kongnian Temple to worship Buddha.

In less than half an hour, the two of them arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Xiao Mo raised his head and looked at the mountain peak above, where Buddhist essence was rich and auspicious clouds drifted in layers.

If this wasnʼt false pretense, then it could only mean there were indeed many enlightened high monks on the mountain.

”Letʼs go, Ah Xin. Weʼre going up the mountain,” Xiao Mo said.

”Mm.” Jiang Xin nodded and happily followed Xiao Mo up the mountain.

In a courtyard of Kongnian Temple, Abbot Xu Jing was sitting before a Buddha statue, striking a wooden fish while chanting sutras.

As he chanted, Xu Jing seemed to sense something and slowly opened his eyes.

He fingered the prayer beads in his hand, as if calculating something.

Finally, Xu Jing stood up, walked out of the courtyard, and headed toward the front hall of Kongnian Temple, which was where the pilgrims worshipped Buddha.

”Abbot.”

”Abbot.”

”Greetings to Master Xu Jing.”

The monks of Kongnian Temple and the pilgrims all pressed their palms together in greeting when they saw the abbot arrive.

Xu Jing nodded to each person, then continued walking toward the main gate of Kongnian Temple.

”Abbot Master Uncle, why have you come to the front hall?” A monk named Wu Guang stepped forward and asked curiously.

Xu Jing stroked his beard and smiled, ”Today distinguished guests are coming. This old monk naturally must go to receive them, and cannot be negligent toward them.”

”Distinguished guests?” Wu Guang was stunned for a moment, wondering which high monk was coming.

After all, anyone who could make Abbot Master Uncle personally go to greet them must have quite high status.

”Would you like to come with me to receive them?” Xu Jing asked Wu Guang.

”Yes, Abbot Master Uncle.”

Wu Guang pressed his palms together in salute and followed behind the abbot.

The two came to the entrance of the main hall and gazed toward the mountain stairs in the distance.

About half an incense stickʼs time later, a small boy who appeared to be fourteen or fifteen years old but clearly had a bone age of only eleven, accompanied by a little girl, gradually walked over.

Wu Guang furrowed his brow.

This little boy was young but filled with baleful qi, making even himself feel uncomfortable.

Before Wu Guang could react, he saw Abbot Master Uncle step forward and press his palms together in salute, ”This old monk is Xu Jing, abbot of Kongnian Temple. Greetings to both benefactors.”

Xiao Mo looked at this kind-faced old monk with some surprise and returned the greeting, ”The abbot knew we two would come?”

”Hehehehe.” Xu Jing smiled. ”This old monk also has some proficiency in divination arts. Today when this old monk was chanting sutras and reciting Buddhaʼs name, I had a feeling, so I performed some divination and learned that distinguished guests would come.”

”Then Master should know what my purpose in coming is?”

”I should know,” Xu Jing nodded.

”Then Mo wonʼt beat around the bush with Master. I wonder if Master Xu Jing would be willing to accept Ah Xin as a disciple?” Xiao Mo asked directly.

Hearing Xiao Moʼs words, Wu Guang nearby showed a flash of surprise.

What was this little boy saying?

Never mind whether he knew that Abbot Master Uncle had never taken disciples, in this world, there had never been a precedent of women cultivating Buddhism.

Wu Guang looked toward Abbot Master Uncle, only to see Abbot Master Uncle turn his head and look at the little girl beside Xiao Mo with a smile.

Jiang Xin also looked directly into Xu Jingʼs eyes.

The little girl, who was originally somewhat shy around strangers, showed a hint of curiosity when looking at this abbot of Kongnian Temple.

”The same piece of stone, some people see it as just a stone. But some people see it as a lion. Some people see it as a drunken reclining woman. Still others see it as a crocodile by the river.”

Xu Jing looked at Jiang Xin kindly.

”Little girl, you can read the hearts of all people under heaven. So what do you see in my heart?”

Jiang Xin tilted her little head slightly and slowly spoke, ”I see that in Grandfatherʼs heart, there is a Buddha.”

”Hahahaha.”

Xu Jing pressed his palms together and laughed.

”Excellent.”