Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The temple was located on the summit of one of Hejian County’s mountains. 999 winding steps were carved from the foot of the mountain all the way up to the temple. Jiang Pengji saw devout worshippers holding baskets of candles and other offerings on her trek up.
Jiang Pengji was not superstitious, but she could appreciate the scenery as she hiked up the mountain. It was a sight to behold. Water streamed through the brooks, and old trees reached for the skies. The sky got brighter with the morning sun, and the mist covering the mountains was bathed in a reddish glow. With the faint chanting and bell tolls, the scenery brought peace to everyone who saw its beauty. Even Jiang Pengji, who did not believe in gods or demons, felt more relaxed.
The rhythmic sounds of her wooden clogs striking against the stone steps was soothing to her ears, too.
Liu She was wearing a brand-new navy blue outfit. The size fitted him much better, but the robes showed how emaciated he had become.
Each strand of his black hair had been carefully combed back in an updo. He had cleaned his face and looked more refreshed. His nails had been carefully trimmed, and he had perfumed himself with incense. He wore a solemn expression that showed how important it was for him to fulfill his wife’s vows.
Jiang Pengji carried a basket that the head servant had packed. In it were some slender sticks of incense, candles, lamp oil, paper money, and fruits for the offering. She secretly calculated the basket’s weight and noticed that it was off. There was probably some real money in the basket as well.
“Your two brothers passed away prematurely due to illness. Your mother, Gu Min, climbed these steps and prayed her way to the temple, earnestly requesting that the gods have pity...”
Even with their leisurely pace and Liu She’s even breathing, it was obvious that his body was still weak from the fever. They had only climbed the first third of the mountain when sweat began to break out on his forehead. He had taken medicine the night before, and his fever had broken, but his body had yet to fully recover. His lips were pale.
“Father, didn’t you say that mother was frail? Why did you let her come? She should have gone to the physician to get better instead of praying to the gods.” Jiang Pengji did not understand why Liu Lanting’s mother had been so superstitious.
“Indeed. Physicians are trained to cure most illnesses. What would praying to the gods do? If prayers helped, your two brothers would still be alive. Gu Min was never the superstitious type. But... When you’re stuck in a corner, you’d even seek help from demons. As long as there’s a glimmer of hope, you would reach out and grasp on tightly,” Liu She said, seemingly lost in a memory.
Gu Min had said a prayer for every step leading up to the temple, yet that did not save the two boys. The loss of her children had resulted in the decline of her health... How was that not a punishment to him?
Liu She had not been able to convince his wife to stop. All he could do was stay by her side. He hated that he did not know anything about medicine; he hated that he could not cure her illness.
“Thankfully, you’re still alive. We’re here today to fulfill the vow. I hope your mother and brothers can see this. Pray that they watch over your health and happiness.”
Jiang Pengji was silent as she held onto the basket. She was not Liu Lanting. “Father, you know that I am not...”
“Heh, you are the daughter Gu Min always wanted... Don’t think too much about it.” Liu She seemed to have understood something, and he now took two steps at a time as though it were effortless. “As long as you’re alive and healthy, she will feel at ease in the other world.”
Jiang Pengji watched Liu She’s back. She did not understand what was going on, but she had a feeling his words had an underlying meaning.
Liu She, Jiang Pengji, and the old head servant had started the trek up to the temple before the sun rose. By the time the sun was high in the sky, the trio, with aching feet, finally reached the summit and the temple.
The temple was surrounded by a verdant forest. Flowers and vines clustered around the fading walls of the temple, and the dark blue of the central pillar prevented the temple from looking ancient and dusty. The temple bathed in the warm glow of the sun’s rays as the sounds of birds and temple bells resounded in the forest.
The temple was not large, and it stood on the top of the mountain. It looked like it was watching over the world.
“This temple was built before the Sixteen Kingdoms when Buddhism was flourishing, and there were many other temples...” Liu She explained briefly as he brought Jiang Pengji into the temple’s main hall. Then he bowed to a middle-aged monk. “Is Great Master Liaochen around?”
The monk returned the bow. He wore grey robes, and his appearance was humble and pious. “The Great Master is already waiting for you two in the side hall’s meditation room. Please follow me.”
Already bored, Jiang Pengji observed her surroundings. The main hall was filled with quite a number of worshippers of all ages and genders, making the old temple look lively. While she was lost in her thoughts, she heard Liu She calling for her.
After passing through a veranda, Jiang Pengji found herself in front of a meditation room. Before she even stepped foot into the room, she heard an old monk speaking to Liu She.
“It has been seven years. I trust you have been well since we parted?”
“All is well,” Liu She replied blandly.
“If you have resentment in your heart, presumably you would not be well.”
Jiang Pengji smirked inwardly. The old monk’s words were provocative.
“Since you are aware of everything, why are you even asking?” Liu She’s tone was filled with resentment.
When Jiang Pengji entered the room, the old monk asked, “This girl is the daughter of you and your late wife?” He lifted his head to look at her before hurriedly bowing back down. His fingers sped up over the prayer beads. “Buddhism is a place of quiet. Why have you come?”
Jiang Pengji didn’t understand the situation, though she felt a slight chill in her heart. It was as though the monk had been seen right through her, and she was displeased.
The stream had started early in the morning, so most of the viewers joined just in time to see this exchange. One of the viewers made a comment.
Feiqiu Qiyu Huanying Nin: “Lemme tell ya: As a time-traveler, there will be universal laws. One of those laws says that there will always be an evil monk!”
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what the universal laws were, but she agreed that the monk in front of her was definitely evil.
“Of course I’m here with my father to fulfill the vow. Why else would I waste my time and effort climbing a mountain to come here? I could be sleeping in in this excellent weather,” Jiang Pengji replied with bewilderment. She sat down on the praying mat next to Liu She.
Her words were disrespectful, but the prestigious monk was not angry. Instead, he gave her a benevolent smile.
“Fragile yet destructive. A glimpse of supremacy. Massacred many, yet going too far is just as bad as not going far enough,” the old monk said calmly. “When this young master stepped into the temple, we were stifled with the stench of blood. If vicious tendencies rubbed off on the temple steps, perhaps...”