The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Panda Novel

“Was it a dream?” Fangzheng asked out loud, but the System did not respond, leaving him perplexed. He had a feeling like he had learned something but also had the feeling like he had not learned anything. The feeling was quite profound and could not be easily explained.

“Woo!” when Lone Wolf saw Fangzheng wake up, he whimpered worriedly.

Fangzheng waved his hand and said, “It’s fine. Don’t worry. Alright, it’s not early. Time to sleep.”

With that said, Fangzheng flipped around and continued sleeping.

That night, snow descended. It was the first snowfall of winter.

At daybreak, Fangzheng stretched his lazy back before sitting up. He felt invigorated and extremely comfortable!

When he walked out, he was met with a gust of cold wind which was mixed with the scent of snowflakes. It was a refreshing but chilly feeling that felt extremely rejuvenating!

Squinting his eyes, he walked into the yard which was completely covered in snow. The thought of entering winter overnight was fascinating. There were icicles hanging down from the trees, and there were thick layers of snow on the rooftop. There was a crunching sound as he walked through the courtyard that felt exceptionally soothing.

However, Fangzheng quickly turned vexed. He definitely could not leave the yard covered in snow. It was difficult to walk through, so it was necessary for him to sweep the snow away. Therefore, Fangzheng found an old broom and began sweeping. Lone Wolf lodged his snout into the ground, dragging out a long trench through the snow. Eventually however, he only managed to remove the tiny bit of snow on his snout! Well, this was also considered work, right?

When Fangzheng saw him in that state, he could not help but tie a wooden plank to Lone Wolf’s chest. That way, Lone Wolf would sweep through the snow as he walked, greatly enhancing his efficiency.

Lone Wolf gave a plaintive look at Fangzheng. He was only having fun playing with the snow. Was there a need to force labor on him?

Fangzheng ignored him and simply cleared a path from his quarters to the bathroom and kitchen before he quickly made breakfast.

Having his meals and sweeping away the snow became his two main goals of the day. After busying himself for more than an hour, he managed to pile the snow in the backyard. His inner child reared its head as he began to make a huge snowman. He used some dirt to make its eyes and stuck a wooden stick into the snowman. A two-meter-tall snowman appeared.

Fangzheng swept out a path in the courtyard, with the rest of the snow left for other purposes.

After cleaning the temple hall, Fangzheng was free once again. He snapped his finger and said with a smile, “The Dragon Buddha Epistle is said to be able to suppress the heavens. I wonder what sort of text I will be able to write now.”

After Fangzheng finished saying that, he took out a wooden pole and stood in front of the snow. With a deep breath, he used the pole as a brush and the ground as paper to begin writing!

He held his breath and focused, momentarily entering an ethereal state. He did not immediately write with his wooden pole as though he was preparing for something…

“Is this really One Finger Temple? Monkey, are you sure you didn’t lie to me? This is really killing me!” A middle-aged man climbed up the mountain while out of breath. He sat on the ground and refused to get up.

Beside him was Monkey who was covered in sweat. He said with a wry smile, “Lie to you? What would I gain from lying to you? I’m telling you, you better mind your manners when you see Master. He saved my life and if you show no respect, don’t blame me for rewarding you with a slap.”

“Fine, fine. Cut the crap. I’m here mainly for the interesting news. Monkey, are you sure the rumors are true? That Han Xiaoguo really surrendered himself because of the persuasion from the monk residing here? This monk is more impressive than the police?” asked the middle-aged man.

Monkey said, “Hmph, Old Wu, it’s only because you know me. If others were to ask me, I would definitely not even tell them. Others might not believe it, but I do! Fatty also believes it!”

“Fine, I’ll know when I see him in person later. Let’s go.” Old Wu climbed up and walked toward the temple with Monkey.

Fangzheng did not sweep the ground outside the temple. It would have been fine if it didn’t snow on the mountain but once it snowed, it would be covered in large snowflakes, and the ground would accumulate thick layers of snow. As the duo walked, their feet would sink in, so they trudged through the snow before coming to the temple’s entrance. The two of them were so exhausted that they felt enervated.

Thankfully, Fangzheng had swept away the snow by the entrance. The two pulled their legs out of the shell of snow and finally landed on flat ground. Instantly, they felt like they were flying! It was light and exhilarating!

“You don’t say. This temple might not be big, but it does have its charm on this lone mountain. Every blade of grass and every tree seem to have their order. It’s as if it melts you into nature. It’s really nice.” Old Wu was a professional video journalist, so he was better at appreciating beauty than Monkey and company. He could instantly tell what was extraordinary about the temple.

Monkey was befuddled from hearing this, but there was one thing he was certain of. The temple indeed exuded a comfortable feeling. It did not appear jarring like a man-made construction at all.

The temple’s main door was opened. When the duo entered, they saw Fangzheng stand in the snow with a wooden pole.

Just as Old Wu wanted to speak, Monkey immediately covered Old Wu’s mouth, signaling him to remain silent. Monkey always believed that Fangzheng was a worldly monk that had reclused himself. He was someone who was extremely skilled in martial arts and extremely mysterious. Now, with Fangzheng in a trance-like state, Monkey instinctively believed that something major would happen.

Old Wu was also an experienced person. Seeing Fangzheng stand there like a statue with a wooden pole in his hand as if it were a brush, he immediately understood something. He took out his camera and first gave Fangzheng a close-up shot!

In the shot, Fangzheng was dressed in white robes that rivaled the snow. A fluttering, free and easy, and exquisite disposition leaped out and when Fangzheng focused his eyes, it pulled at the heartstrings of Old Wu. He could not help but say, “Such focused eyes definitely will result in great text! I just wonder how skilled he is. However, he doesn’t even look twenty. Such an age will probably mean he is still lacking as he lacks the accumulation of experience. However, if he maintains this level of seriousness, it’s hard to tell what he can amount to.”

At that moment, Fangzheng moved!

Instantly, Monkey and Old Wu seemed to see a dragon appear above the snow. The wooden pole in Fangzheng’s hand was like a straight brush as it drew on the canvas that was the land. The brush twirled like a dragon or snake, sending snowflakes flying! His speed was extremely fast, but there was a particular rhythm contained within. Despite the snow flying, it did not sully the canvas!

More fascinating was that as Fangzheng was stepping on the snow, the footprints he left behind did not sully the text but instead naturally become a part of the words! It made the text appear beyond perfection! It did not affect the completeness of the text.

“This- This- The wooden pole is a brush, his feet are also brushes! With the three brushes landing at the same time, he has written this text in a way where every part complements the other. It’s like a dragon twirling!” Old Wu’s eyes nearly popped out. He subconsciously kept pressing down on his camera button as he did a burst of shots!

Monkey could not appreciate calligraphy but as a layman, he enjoyed the show. He felt as if Fangzheng’s feet were afloat, and his body seemed as strong and vigorous as a wyrm. His clothes fluttered, while the light of Buddha radiated from him. A strong sense of pugilistic air came inundating him! He was so excited that his face flushed red! He knew that this was what he wanted. This was what he pursued!

Meanwhile Fangzheng did not know that guests had come. At that moment, he was highly focused, and there was only the text in his mind! It was the complete text of the ‘Diamond Sutra’ that he had searched on the Internet!

“Thus I have heard, at one time the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove of the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Solitary together with a gathering of great bhiksus, twelve hundred fifty in all. At that time, at meal time, the World Honored One put on his robe…” In the beginning, Fangzheng used the wooden pole as brush and his feet to complement the pole. Finally, his entire being seemed to have become a brush. He quickly wrote out text after text on the canvas that lay between the heavens and earth!

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