Chapter 75: We Monks Do Not Eat Beef

The two monks heard every word the waiter had said.

Wuzhen smiled and said:

“Master, will you just let him be?”

Jingchen smiled faintly:

“Let him be.”

Jingchen looked at his long-unseen disciple:

“Since Wuzhen stole my Golden Circlet, it has been almost a year, hasn’t it? Why suddenly reach out to your master again? Have you suddenly come to enlightenment?”

Jingchen glanced at Wuzhen’s bundle:

“But I see that in your bundle, it seems my Golden Circlet is not there?”

Wuzhen bowed:

“Master’s Golden Circlet has already been placed on a worthy one, now contributing to the world.”

Jingchen showed a surprised expression:

“Oh? I wonder where the Golden Circlet is being used?”

As they exchanged a few words, the waiter brought up the tea with a grin, his attitude now completely different from just moments ago when he had delayed half a day before serving:

“Masters, your tea is here. Please enjoy. Your food will be served shortly.”

Jingchen accepted the tea, smiling politely to the waiter, before turning back to Wuzhen.

Wuzhen said:

“Master’s Golden Circlet now rests upon the head of a Black Bear of the Profound Rank. That bear once delighted in devouring young boys and girls. Under the guidance of the Golden Circlet, it has already awakened and entered the gate of my Buddha.”

“Compared to the Golden Circlet gathering dust in White Horse Temple, I believe now it can at least be counted as fulfilling a portion of its merit.”

Jingchen nodded in understanding:

“Since Wuzhen says so, then the Golden Circlet has not been wasted. But I wonder, where does Wuzhen cultivate now?”

Wuzhen poured tea for Jingchen and himself:

“In that bear’s Mountain God Temple.”

“After the bear entered my Buddha’s gate, it wished to atone for its past sins of devouring children. So I transformed its Mountain God Temple into a Child-Giving Temple, to aid every pair of loving couples who suffer from regret.”

Jingchen nodded with satisfaction:

“Good.”

“It seems, although Wuzhen left for many years, you have not forgotten White Horse Temple’s principle of ‘spreading small love into the world.’”

Wuzhen bowed again:

“Master’s years of teaching, Wuzhen dares not forget.”

Jingchen took a sip of the tea Wuzhen poured for him and casually set his cup upon the table:

“Yet, if Wuzhen spreads small love, why suddenly contact your master?”

In Jingchen’s cup, ripples spread across the surface of the tea.

Wuzhen’s expression remained calm as a still pond, as if he had not noticed the ripples in the cup. He said slowly:

“After the bear took refuge in Buddha, it felt its past sins weighed heavily upon it. Thus, it wished to contribute merit to the world. It once confided to me that deep within Yongzhou, there lies a Purple Crystal Dragon Ore.”

Jingchen raised his eyes with interest:

“Purple Crystal Dragon Ore, hm, indeed a fine thing. If used properly, it could help many restless souls. But I wonder, how large is this Purple Crystal Dragon Ore? If it is a small vein, it might not benefit enough people.”

Wuzhen said:

“A range ten li long, all in purple.”

“Pa!”

The teacup before Jingchen suddenly shattered, tea spilling across the table, with a few drops splattering onto Wuzhen’s robe.

Wuzhen still showed no expression.

He simply used his monk’s robe to sweep the shards of the shattered cup to the floor:

“This teacup seems to have been used for many years. It suddenly broke without cause. Later I should tell the innkeeper. Luckily, Master was not harmed while drinking, otherwise this disciple would feel distressed.”

Jingchen watched as Wuzhen swept away the fragments.

He no longer had time to keep up appearances, his eyes locked firmly upon his disciple:

“Monks do not speak lies?”

Wuzhen smiled faintly:

“Monks do not speak lies.”

“Huu—”

Jingchen exhaled deeply, regaining his calm:

“A ten-li Purple Crystal Vein, if it benefits humankind, would indeed be a great merit. Why does Wuzhen not hurry to act, but instead sends word to me? Could it be some difficulty?”

Wuzhen said calmly:

“Master is perceptive. This disciple, like you, hopes to spread merit to the world as soon as possible.”

“Unfortunately, upon that ten li of purple, there roams a ferocious tiger. It alone occupies the purple vein, unwilling to let the merit be shared with others.”

Jingchen’s gaze tightened:

“That tiger, does it have a name?”

Wuzhen said:

“Within a thousand li, demonic beasts call it Mountain Lord.”

“This disciple wrote to Master, hoping to join hands with you, capture the tiger, and spread the merit of the ten li vein to the people.”

Jingchen’s face grew taut. After long contemplation, he nodded:

“Good.”

“Since Wuzhen has such a great wish, as your master, I naturally will lend a hand.”

“Spreading merit should not be delayed. Let us depart at once.”

As the two monks rose, the waiter carried food before them:

“Masters, here is your meal!”

“Huh? Are you leaving already?”

Seeing the two monks preparing to leave without paying, the waiter’s expression immediately darkened:

“Masters, you haven’t paid yet. Since you’re leaving, then settle the bill first. Not expensive—ten taels of silver.”

Jingchen glanced at the food placed before him:

A white-cut chicken, two plates of beef, and five catties of white wine...

At a glance, the quality of these things was worth far less than ten taels.

Jingchen raised his eyes to the waiter, smiling faintly:

“Does the innkeeper not know, we monks do not eat beef?”

The waiter sneered:

“Don’t monks also say you can’t waste food?”

“Anyway, I’ve already brought it out. Even if you don’t eat, you’ll still pay up.”

The waiter clapped his hands, and instantly two burly men with bulging muscles stood behind him, glaring fiercely at the monks.

Wuzhen looked at his master:

“Master, what the innkeeper says is true. Wasting food is not the way of monks.”

Jingchen nodded in agreement:

“Wuzhen is correct.”

“Heh heh.”

The waiter crossed his arms and chuckled smugly, winking at his partners:

See? I told you these monks would cough up obediently.

Jingchen looked at the waiter:

“Since wasting food is unwise, and we monks do not eat meat, let the innkeeper eat this food himself.”

Before the waiter and the two burly men could react, they suddenly felt their bodies bound, unable to move.

At the same time, their outer trousers and underclothes were yanked down by some unseen force.

The white-cut chicken, the two plates of beef, and the five catties of wine all floated up, each one aiming directly at the innkeeper’s and the burly men’s lower openings.

Their eyes filled with terror as they watched the food draw close, twisting desperately to move their backsides away—yet in vain.

“Pop—”

The food the waiter had served forced its way inside, and under their horrified gazes, came crawling out from their mouths.

Looking at the mangled food, Jingchen shook his head regretfully:

“Three benefactors, wasting food is unwise. Why have you not finished the food you so carefully prepared? Let this poor monk assist you once more.”

With that, the three dishes changed direction, now aiming for their mouths.

The waiter, his backside burning from the wine, now saw the white-cut chicken—stained yellow and white from the burly man’s mouth—drawing near. He thrashed wildly:

“No, no, don’t come closer! I won’t charge you anymore, just let me go! Please, I beg you!”

But as the waiter pleaded, and as the other guests of Copper Gong Inn fled in panic after witnessing the scene, Jingchen and Wuzhen’s eyes glimmered with eerie light:

“No, benefactors, wasting food is unacceptable. It harms merit. Let this poor monk help you.”

“Fear not. Once you finish every bite, I will naturally release you.”

Thus, amid their endless pleas, the food that had crawled from another’s mouth was forced back into their own...