The river wasn’t wide, and soon they arrived on the opposite bank.
Ban Yan Temple was built halfway up a mountain. Although it was only halfway, climbing it was still tiring due to the mountain’s height. Moreover, given that she hadn’t fully recovered her strength, Shang Ruyi was somewhat out of breath halfway up the climb.
Yu Wenye said, "Last time I came, I recall seeing a resting pavilion up ahead. Let’s rest there for a while."
Before long, they reached the pavilion. It was built on a giant rock protruding beside the mountain path, with a great view. However, it was already crowded at the moment. As they approached, they saw an elderly man with graying hair sitting in the pavilion’s center. Strangely, his hair was only about an inch long, and he wore a washed-out gray robe. He looked like a monk, yet not quite a monk.
Surrounding him were some mountain hunters and fishermen’s children, seemingly pestering him for stories.
The old man took a sip of warm wine from a gourd, his cheeks rosy, and his eyes even brighter. Stroking his beard, he said, "Alright, I’ll tell you another story. Once upon a time—"
The children asked, "How long ago?"
The old man thought for a moment, then smiled, "It was several years ago, or maybe more than ten years ago. Anyway, it was before any of you were born. A noble lady in the city fell seriously ill. Everyone thought she’d die, but suddenly, one day, she was completely cured."
The children curiously asked, "How did she get well?"
The old man said, "The family was puzzled too. After her recovery, the young lady behaved as if she were someone else, claiming she was not the daughter of this family but a snake catcher from outside the city. Last night, while catching a venomous snake, she accidentally fell off a cliff, and upon waking, she found herself in this young lady’s body."
The children were stupefied, their mouths agape. One asked, "What happened to the young lady then?"
The old man replied, "The snake catcher didn’t know either, and no one else knew. The family immediately sent people to investigate outside the city. They indeed found the snake catcher’s home, but his body had fallen off the cliff and been eaten by wild animals."
Everyone sighed repeatedly.
Someone asked, "So, what happened to the snake catcher inside the young lady’s body later?"
The old man said, "The family believed their daughter’s purity couldn’t be tarnished by a man occupying her body, so they nailed him into a coffin and suffocated him to death, preserving their daughter’s chastity."
The children sighed again, some clicking their tongues in amazement, while others said the story was unappealing and ran off in boredom.
However, as they ran off, the narrow mountain path caused them to bump into Shang Ruyi.
Yet Shang Ruyi stood there motionless, as if the story had left her dumbfounded. Beside her, Yu Wenye looked at her dazed expression and couldn’t help but softly ask, "What’s wrong?"
Shang Ruyi took a moment to snap back to reality, glanced at him, and gently shook her head, "It’s nothing."
Yu Wenye chuckled, "It’s just a story of spirit possession, and you’re scared?"
Shang Ruyi muttered, her eyes flickering slightly.
They entered the pavilion just as the old man stood up with a chuckle, "The story’s over, and it’s time for me to head home." Get full chapters from ɴovelfire.net
After saying this, he swayed and walked out.
As he passed by, Shang Ruyi nodded to him.
Yu Wenye took her hand, let her sit down, and glanced at the old man’s figure, "Do you know him?"
Shang Ruyi smiled, "Kids growing up in the Eastern Capital, if they’ve been to Ban Yan Temple, likely know him. He was originally a monk at Ban Yan Temple, but he loved meat and wine and violated the rules multiple times, so the abbot expelled him from the temple. Yet he couldn’t part with Buddha, so he often comes to the temple to chant and pray before going home to eat his meat and wine. Whenever he’s here, he tells stories to passing children. I’ve heard them before too."
Yu Wenye heard this and faintly smiled, "Loving meat and wine yet unwilling to part with Buddha truly shows the insatiable nature of the human heart."
For some reason, hearing this reminded Shang Ruyi of what he’d told her a few days ago—you can’t choose both, nor can you have everything.
Is this also a reflection of her unsatisfied heart?
This old man found a way to satisfy both, but could she find such a good solution?
Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but sigh.