CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 62: DONOR, YOU ARE ATTACHED

"Benefactor, you are attached to forms."

This phrase makes sense, as it’s a common way for the Buddhist Sect to enlighten people.

"Life is but a fleeting dream."

This one’s fine too; although it’s quite overused, it is indeed a Zen saying.

As for the last sentence.

"If you’re not convinced, just do it, don’t overthink."

This doesn’t sound like something a high monk would say.

Zhang Ze was taken aback, and when he turned around, he found that the little monk’s figure was no longer visible.

Qingqing had long disappeared into the crowd.

Even though the words seemed illogical and awkward to hear, Zhang Ze felt they made a lot of sense.

The little monk wasn’t wrong.

If you’re not convinced, just do it. Why hesitate? That woman definitely has issues.

If there’s a problem, arrest her. Eliminating demons and defending the Tao is our duty.

However, our Sword Sect requires evidence to arrest someone, and evidence naturally has to be obtained by insiders.

Finding a secluded place, Zhang Ze took out his Sound Transmission Jade and found Song Qingpao’s piece.

"Qingpao, I have a task for you..."

After instructing Song Qingpao, Zhang Ze was still contemplating the four words "if you’re not convinced, just do it."

"Could that little monk be the reincarnation of the Bag Arhat?"

Earlier this year, the Buddhist Sect found their Bag Arhat’s reincarnated spirit child.

Maitreya, truly Maitreya, manifests in countless forms, always showing people yet remaining unrecognized.

To cultivate the Tao Fruit, the Bag Arhat and his disciples were traveling through the Four Continents, experiencing the mundane world. It was said they were currently in the land of Cyan Thorn.

Zhang Ze thought about it and found this assumption too far-fetched. That little monk stumbled even when reciting Buddhist Scriptures. How could he be a ten-life reincarnated Arhat of the Buddhist Sect?

It was probably a coincidence.

However, the phrase "life is but a fleeting dream" did point out the key to Aunt Niao’s mysterious disappearance.

"I’ll go back and find my junior sister first; we still need to wait some time for Song Qingpao’s news."

...

Feeling enlightened, Zhang Ze hummed a little tune as he returned to the inn, ignoring the proprietress’s resentful gaze.

Sitting opposite Chen Qin, he took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and said.

"Regarding Aunt Niao’s matter, I have some guesses."

"Some things need to be verified. Junior sister, accompany me for a trip."

"Come."

Having said that, he took Chen Qin’s hand and walked out.

"Aren’t we waiting for Lily?" Chen Qin asked.

Zhang Ze glanced at Li Yueqi.

Female Hero Li agreed readily.

"Hei Qu, you wait here, don’t move, we’ll be back soon."

Hei Qu: "..."

"Wait on your own, dumb dog."

The Spiritual Snake Qinghe coiled around Li Yueqi, flicking its tongue at Hei Qu.

...

Cold City, at the city gate.

Lily was wearing a bamboo hat, cloaked, weaving through the crowd like a field mouse.

Stopping people occasionally to ask for the address of the Fox Butterfly Restaurant.

She was cautious, like a thief.

The little Fuji was somewhat puzzled.

"What are you afraid of? With me here, what are you afraid of?"

Under the hat, the little Fuji swung on Lily’s hair like a swing.

"You don’t understand, the Jianghu is treacherous, especially when I carry important treasures. It’s only natural to be cautious."

"Besides, I truly feel there’s a sense of danger in Cold City."

"Oh," it’s unclear if the little Fuji understood, but she continued swinging on the swing.

...

Outside Cold City, Five Rams Slope.

A large and a small monk walked northward along the foot of the mountain, one behind the other.

The Grand Monk, carrying a large bundle, walked behind, occasionally correcting the small monk’s misrecited passages.

"Master, after reciting it for several lifetimes, how can you still get this passage wrong?"

"Buddhist Techniques are profound; every recitation brings new insights. I’ve taught you this principle for many lifetimes, how can you still not understand?"

"Disciple is dull."

"Forget it, forget it." The little monk stopped, patted Qingqing’s head, looked up at the sun, "Hungry, let’s eat first."

The two sat by the roadside. Just as the small monk received the pancake handed over by the Grand Monk, his hand trembled, and the pancake fell to the ground.

"What’s the matter, Master?" asked the Grand Monk.

"It might be that my great calamity is approaching. No matter, let’s eat first." The little monk picked up the pancake, blew on it, then tore half and stuffed it into his mouth.

The Grand Monk was not as nonchalant.

"Master, we’ve reincarnated anew, and our cultivation is only at Foundation Establishment. We only have our mouths to plead, and we almost died in those previous small calamities. If the great calamity comes... perhaps we should return to the Buddhist Sect."

"No worries, no worries, let’s eat first. Great calamities cannot be dodged; dodging means certain death."

"Also, today I met an extraordinary person; I enlightened him, forming a good bond. Perhaps the method to break through the calamity lies with this person."

"Oh." The Grand Monk took a bite of his pancake but remained worried, "What did you say to him, Master?"

"If you’re not convinced, just do it," the little monk said boldly.

The Grand Monk shrank his neck, "You said the same to enlighten me back then, and then I got disarmed."

The little monk suddenly got a bit angry seeing the Grand Monk’s timid look.

"Why are you so cowardly now? Back when you were the Supreme of the Demon Path, were is the courage you had when striking my bald head with a machete?"

"What does it say in that book... ’Taoist Path to Heaven’?"

"Repentance weakens you by three parts, Master," replied the Grand Monk.

"Right, you have to toughen up, my disciple."

"Remember, if you’re not convinced, just do it."

"Recall the death-defying, reckless spirit of the Demon Path from back then."

The Grand Monk shook his head like a rattle-drum.

"No recollections. Back then, dying recklessly meant I died in vain. If I lived that way, wasn’t reincarnating for nothing?"

"Moreover, I’m reformed and renewed, as the Buddhist Technique says..."

"... Forget it, forget it, eat first." The little monk stuffed the remaining half pancake into the Grand Monk’s mouth, blocking the Buddhist Scripture.

"Oh."

...

Zhang Ze and Li Yueqi exited from the south gate of Cold City, while Chen Qin went out through the north gate alone to Five Rams Slope.

Zhang Ze asked Li Yueqi to use an Escape Technique to take him to a small town several miles away.

Without Hei Qu, they used the Spiritual Snake Qinghe’s Clear Wind Technique instead.

Zhang Ze only felt a gentle breeze pass by, and when he could see clearly, the two had already arrived at the town’s entrance.

"To the tea house," Zhang Ze said.

After squeezing through the crowd to a tea house, both Zhang Ze and Li Yueqi happened to arrive during break time.

A few apprentices with brass basins took a break to collect rewards, while the storyteller Mr. Wei, with a small teapot in his mouth, leaned back with his eyes closed behind the table.

Zhang Ze wasted no time and slapped a silver ingot in front of Mr. Wei.

This sound was more pleasing than the waking wood. Mr. Wei’s squinted eyes opened a bit, and after seeing it was silver, he immediately assumed a different demeanor.

His entire demeanor turned immortal-like, straightening himself upright, but his hand was not clean, reaching out to pocket the silver.

Zhang Ze cleared his throat, knocked on the table, and the silver ingot flew into Mr. Wei’s hand by itself.

Having witnessed Zhang Ze’s display of Divine Techniques, Mr. Wei’s immortal-like demeanor instantly vanished, reverting to a savvy, shrewd appearance.

"Forgive me, Immortal, little did I realize your esteemed presence today. What command do the two of you bring?"

"I have a question; have you ever heard of Cold City’s Five Rams Slope?" Zhang Ze tossed another silver ingot over.

These storytellers are well-informed; around Cold City, this Wei Mr. knows everything.

"I’ve heard, I’ve heard."

"Five miles north of Cold City, Five Rams Slope — there are numerous large mansion gates, eight Fairies reside within..."

Zhang Ze interrupted Mr. Wei’s narration, taking out a Sound Transmission Jade to contact Chen Qin.

"Junior sister, where are you?"

"At Five Rams Slope, isn’t that where you sent me?"

"Junior sister, do you still remember why we came to Cold City?"

"We accepted the sect’s mission to explore the Cold City Secret Realm, what’s wrong, senior brother?"

As Zhang Ze expected, Chen Qin had already forgotten about Aunt Niao’s predicament.

Li Yueqi, hearing Chen Qin’s words, looked bewildered.

"Huh?"

At this moment, the system also activated.

[Side Quest, Cold City Mystery, Task Progress 60%]

[Key Clue Discovered]

[Stage Reward Issued]

Although the system displayed the presence of the [Cold City Mystery] quest just yesterday, Zhang Ze felt like it had been ages since.