The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Panda Novel

Although Xunzi, Glasses, and Monk were doubtful, they still nodded subconsciously.

Yao Zhen asked in surprise, “A huge white wolf?” She clearly remembered that there was a huge white wolf by the monk’s side when he appeared.

Wei Yaqin nodded and said, “Yeah. We were attacked by a pack of wolves. At that critical moment, the white wolf appeared and held back the pack of wolves. We’ve no idea if it was deliberate or a coincidence.”

Yao Zhen squinted her eyes and whispered. “It has to have been…” She didn’t say the word ‘deliberate’ out loud, afraid that she wouldn’t be able to explain it even if she did.

“Has to have been what?” Glasses asked.

Yao Zhen shook her head and didn’t say a thing.

Following that, Xunzi and company mentioned their encounter with the demon. Back when they were in the forest, they were completely gripped by fear, but now that they thought of it, it had been all thanks to the demon that they managed to run in the correct direction, hadn’t it? As such, the demon had indeed helped them! As for the demon’s identity, they were adamant that it was a demon. After all, the source of the child-like voice had obviously been at arms length from them, but they had failed to see any person. It was impossible for an ordinary person to accomplish that.

As they listened to each other’s fantastic encounters, the atmosphere among the few of them gradually turned for the better.

The group discussed in a lively manner, talking about a white-robed monk at times before switching to the huge white wolf at others.

After a while, the door opened, and the woman who had come in earlier carried a big pot of hot soup noodles in. As she placed it on the table, she said with a smile, “Are you talking about Abbot Fangzheng and his disciple, Jingfa?”

“No?” He Haijiang subconsciously replied.

The woman was taken aback as she smiled. “I heard you guys talking about a white-robed monk and a huge white wolf, so I imagined that you guys were talking about Abbot Fangzheng and his white wolf disciple, Jingfa, from Mt. One Finger.”

The moment they heard that, Xunzi and company were stunned. Only then did they recall that the monk on Mt. One Finger kept a huge white wolf! It was there on the Internet, but their imaginations had leaned towards fantasy, making them forget about this tidbit completely. With this in mind, everyone exchanged gazes and saw the shock and desire to figure out what had happened in each other’s eyes.

“Sister, can we go up the mountain now?” Xunzi sat up eagerly. He scooped up some noodles and planned to swallow it down to warm himself.

The woman nodded and said, “It’s possible, but there’s a blizzard, so going up the mountain is risky.”

The moment they heard that it was risky, the few of them shivered subconsciously. They had nearly lost their lives by writing off Mother Nature and rashly entering the mountains! This was still fresh on their minds, and they still felt a lingering fear. As such, none of them had the courage to head up the mountains. It was especially so for He Haijiang. The others had either suffered from the cold or encountered wolves, but he had seen a cliff crumble and fallen off it! The horror planted in him was the deepest. Besides, with all his injuries, he couldn’t even walk, let alone head up the mountain.

The woman continued. “If you really wish to head up the mountain, wait until the weather clears up. Your field of vision will be better, and it will be safer.”

Everyone subconsciously nodded to express their comprehension.

At that moment, the door opened again. The captain of the rescue team, Meng Qingrui, came in with two policemen.

“Ladies and gentlemen, are you well-rested now?” Meng Qingrui asked with a chuckle.

The few of them nodded subconsciously.

The policeman by Meng Qingrui’s side said sternly, “Since all of you are well-rested, we’ll need you at the station. In accordance with the latest regulations, all losses that resulted in the rescue operation will be borne by you.”

“What?” He Haijiang was shocked when he heard that. They had to bear the costs? How much money was that? He turned frantic as he exclaimed. “Isn’t the rescue team providing free rescue? Isn’t it paid by the country? You are gorging us! Besides, it’s free in other countries!”

Upon hearing He Haijiang, Meng Qingrui’s expression turned nasty. He had heard about the dismaying words He Haijiang had spoken to Old Luo and company. He hated him terribly, but considering how he was just an oversized brat, all he did was frown.

The policeman by the side shook his head and said, “In the future, prepare things more carefully. Be it overseas or locally, if you had taken normal, legal, and regular paths on an adventure, all rescue costs would be free. However, you didn’t make an application or provide the path you would be taking beforehand. You did nothing right and caused all sorts of trouble. Thus, the outcome and financial losses should all be borne by you. To search for the few of you, we mobilized the police, armed police, firefighters from the county city—a total of more than a hundred people. We also mobilized a rescue helicopter. During the collapse of the cliff, people nearly died…”

Upon hearing that someone nearly died, everyone subconsciously cast their gaze to He Haijiang and Cheng Mujie. The two didn’t dare to look others in the eye. While they were panicking, there was also regret in their eyes.

Especially He Haijiang felt regret. He still remembered clearly that just as he had said that the rescue team wasn’t putting itself in any danger, the cliff collapsed. The heavens had informed him through reality that the rescue team members were using their lives to save them! The shock in his heart had remained without dispersing. After thinking of this He Haijiang, whose initial reaction was to argue, shut up. He whispered. “I’ll pay however much is needed.”

Cheng Mujie was originally going to berate him, but when she saw him lower his head, she didn’t continue.

Xunzi, Glasses, Wei Yaqin, Monk, and Yao Zhen all nodded in admission of their guilt. They had been saved by the rescue team, so paying up was only right. Besides, they were not lacking in money. Furthermore, having survived such a harrowing experience, they no longer treasured money that much.

However, after this matter, the few of them finally understood something. Everything had rules. Acting freely in violation of the rules wasn’t seeking freedom, but nothing but courting death! Everything had its boundaries and rules. Freedom was forever relative, never absolute.

After the two policemen reprimanded them, they were transferred to a county city hospital.

Fangzheng learned about all of this from Wang Yougui. All he did was chuckle without comment after hearing the turn of events.

After hanging up the phone, Fangzheng sat by the door. The goose feather-sized snow had turned into scattered snowflakes that filled the sky. The wind came to a still, and the snowflakes fluttered above the Heavenly Dragon Pond. The reflections they cast upon the pond danced like pixies in between heaven and earth. It was a spectacular sight.

One Finger Monastery also seemed to change costumes again as a result of the snow. Its originally bright colors seemed to change into a snowy-white skin, blending in with the snow that filled the area.

From afar, the entire Mt. One Finger was white. This time, it wasn’t clouds or fog it was covered in, but pure whiteness. The cleanliness made it seem like a paradise that was beyond the mortal realm.

Fangzheng narrowed his eyes as he thought, “System Bro, I’d like to draw a prize!”

“Ding! You are finally willing to draw a prize? But you did amass quite a bit of merit this time. You should be able to draw something good,” the System said with a laugh.

Fangzheng smiled. “Then let’s do it!”

“Alright!”