"Venerable One, thank you for answering my questions. By the way, the bell by the door is very special. Which owner donated it? I can tell that someone put in a lot of effort, "said Uncle Da with a smile.
Fangzheng looked at Uncle Da's sincere look, but his eyes were filled with a hypocritical smile. He smiled. "It's an old item. I didn't take it out in the past and only recently hung it up."
Fangzheng could not lie, but it was not a problem for him to say something ambiguous. The bell was indeed an old item. It would be an old item even if placed on Mount Numinous. However, he had left out a few words.
Uncle Da's eyes lit up. If it wasn't an antique, it wouldn't be cheap either. If it was an antique, it would be priceless! Uncle Da's breathing clearly sped up as he asked, "Old item? How old is it? "
"Amitabha. This Penniless Monk does not know either. However, it should be a few centuries old."
"A few centuries!?" Zhang Zi and Ying Zi exclaimed in unison, attracting the displeased looks of a few devotees. A monastery was a place of tranquility. This was not only because Bodhisattva or monks enjoyed tranquility. The devotees who came similarly pursued tranquility. If it was chaotic, what was the point of coming to a monastery? They might as well go to the market. Maintaining silence in a monastery was the most basic quality. Therefore, the few of them were viciously looked down upon.
Uncle Da glared at the two, causing them to grinn and fall silent.
Uncle Da said, "That's really old. Venerable One, thank you for answering our questions. I'll offer some incense, so there's no need to trouble you.
Fangzheng nodded and sat under the bodhi tree again. He began reading the Buddhist scriptures in silence.
Uncle Da led Zhang Zi, Ying Zi, and Mute into the temple hall. Each of them took three high incense sticks and offered them.
When they were out the monastery, Zhang Zi asked perplexed, "Uncle Da, we don't believe in this either. Why are we offering incense? Furthermore, we are offering high incense sticks. Isn't that too extravagant? "
"What do you know? It's true that Uncle Da doesn't believe in Buddhism, but since we are about to offend him, we should at least give him some benefits, right? It can be considered as an apology in advance, "said Uncle Da lightly.
Zhang Zi was taken aback before he said in delight, "Uncle Da, are you implying …"
"How boring! Let's go! "Uncle Da suddenly interrupted Zhang Zi as he strode off.
Only then did Zhang Zi snap out of his daze. He looked warily in the direction of the monastery. After confirming that no one had noticed them, he followed Uncle Da's footsteps and quickly left.
However, Zhang Ziguang was looking behind him and not at his feet …
At Zhang Zi's feet, a chubby squirrel was sitting there, eating a bamboo shoot with relish. After Uncle Da and company left, he immediately ran to Fangzheng's shoulder and said, "Master, I have a nagging feeling that these people aren't good people. They're also secretive with their words. They definitely don't have good intentions. "
Fangzheng put down the Buddhist scriptures and smiled. "Oh? What did they say to make you think so? "
Then, Squirrel imitated the conversation of a few people.
Fangzheng frowned slightly before letting out a long sigh. "It's a blessing, not a curse. It's a curse …"
"How is it?" Squirrel asked curiously.
Fangzheng said meaningfully, "If you don't court death, you won't die."
At the same time, Uncle Da led his men down the mountain. Nowadays, One Finger Village's agricola shops were located one after another. As business improved, not only did they provide meals, but they also provided lodging.
Therefore, Uncle Da and company found a rather honest family in the village. There was even a signboard hanging on the door that said it was a model soldier.
"Uncle Da, why do you keep looking at the boss?" Zhang Zi asked perplexed.
"This guy doesn't look like a model soldier no matter how I look at him. Zhang Zi, get someone to ask what kind of person this Boss Song is. Could the signboard outside be fake? It's best for us to stay in an honest person's house. It's less troublesome and less troublesome, "said Uncle Da.
Zhang Zi nodded and immediately left. After a while, he returned.
"Uncle Da, I asked. This Boss Song is really a model soldier. He volunteers every day and is especially nice," said Zhang Zi.
"Alright, that's good." Uncle Da nodded. However, he had a nagging feeling that something was amiss. Having traveled extensively, he had never seen a model soldier who wore a hat askew and looked like a loafer. Finally, he consoled himself. "Perhaps I'm overthinking things."
Late into the night, the few of them finished their meal. Uncle Da said, "Make preparations. We will enter the mountain tomorrow morning."
"Uncle Da, we are entering the mountain just like that? Are we not going to care about what's in One Finger Monastery? "asked Ying Zi curiously.
Uncle Da shook his head. "That thing has an owner. It can't run away. We can go there anytime. But it's different in the mountains. It's ownerless. If we are late, who knows if someone might beat us to it. Ask Boss Song if anyone in the village has entered the mountain before. We need a guide. You can discuss the price with him. "
"Alright." Zhang Zi immediately left.
"What? You want to enter Mt. Tongtian? "Dog Song nearly dropped his hat when he heard that.
"Why? Is Mt. Tongtian very dangerous? "asked Zhang Zi.
"If this were in the past, it would indeed be dangerous. Mt. Tongtian is famous for having many wild boars. They have coarse skin and thick flesh. They run all over the mountain. A wild boar that weighs hundreds of kilograms can charge at you. Think about it. Isn't it scary? "asked Dog Song.
"There are that many wild boars?" Zhang Zi jumped in fright. The most ferocious beast in the northeast was the wild boar. Encountering a wolf on the mountain was better than encountering a wild boar.
"Don't be agitated. It's different from before. I have no idea what's up with those wild boars. After causing a ruckus down the mountain, they would run in circles when they see people. They wouldn't even meet them. However, there are quite a number of wolves, bears, and venomous snakes on the mountain. Most importantly, Mt. Tongtian has never been developed. There are only a few narrow, winding paths left behind by everyone. It's very difficult to traverse. By the way, why are you going up the mountain? Apart from wild vegetables and mountain delicacies, there's nothing else, "asked Dog Song out of curiosity.
"We are all city dwellers. We just want to enter the primordial forest to experience the aura of nature. By the way, Boss Song, can you find us a suitable guide? "asked Zhang Zi.
"Finding a guide is simple. I'll find one for you. However, the price … You also know that our village does rural tourism. If we leave for a day, we will lose quite a bit. "Dog Song was ultimately a sly fox.
Zhang Zi smiled. "Don't worry. You will be paid for."
Only then did Dog Song nod and leave.
When Dog Song left, he felt that something was amiss. It wasn't like he had never seen city dwellers enter the mountain, but few were like these people. They were capable and did things quickly. More importantly, they were carrying a lot of things. Their bulging bags did not look light.
"Forget it. What they want to do has nothing to do with me. I'll just contact a guide for them. "Dog Song shook his head and couldn't be bothered to think further.
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