Chapter 81: The Monk is Not for the Harvest
The woman seemed unaware of the approaching monk, Huo Yuanzhen, as she entered the Wanfo Tower. She quietly stood before the Guanyin statue on the first floor, waiting for the people ahead of her to finish offering incense.
Huo Yuanzhen, though he shouldn't have followed her, couldn't shake the feeling that this woman had ulterior motives. Having served as abbot for several months, his experience told him that this woman did not seem like one who came to worship Buddha.
Thus, he followed her into the tower and observed the worshippers offering their incense.
After a while, it was finally the woman's turn.
The woman took the two incense sticks handed to her by a chubby girl beside her, lit them in front of the Buddha, and clasped her hands in prayer.
"Lady Mo Lan prays to the Bodhisattva, may Brother A Niu return from the frontier soon, unharmed, safe. Mo Lan has waited too long for him."
As she spoke, the woman, named Mo Lan, lowered her head, her expression tinged with sadness.
The chubby girl beside her couldn't bear to see this, saying, "Miss, you should stop asking. The people at the frontier have said that Brother A Niu has died in battle."
"No! He hasn't died. I dreamed of him last night. In the dream, he told me he'd return soon, and he'd marry me. He'll come back, I know it!" Mo Lan shook her head, not believing the chubby girl's words.
"Miss, please, stop saying that. Don't you know? Every time I see you like this, my heart breaks, just like it does for Master and Madam."
The chubby girl wiped her eyes, as if tears were about to spill.
Mo Lan forced a bitter smile. "Don't worry about me. Brother A Niu loves me. I believe the strength of his love will bring him home to see his beloved Lan Mei."
"To seek a priceless treasure is easy, but to find a true lover is rare. This lady's heart is indeed rooted in love." Huo Yuanzhen finally spoke up.
Mo Lan turned her gaze toward him. Her large eyes, filled with tears, seemed on the verge of overflowing, but she held them back and nodded gratefully, then turned away.
The chubby girl looked at Huo Yuanzhen with scrutiny, then said, "Monk, what do you know? Though Brother A Niu loves Miss, his family is poor, and he's the only child. He went to fight in the war. Miss has waited so long, but even if he returns, he'll only bring more hardship. Our family does not approve of this match."
"Love is love, and love and affection are inseparable. All emotions in this world can be called love; it is a force. This lady, Miss, has already planted love so deeply that no matter what you do, it will be in vain." Huo Yuanzhen said, his tone steady.
Mo Lan, hearing Huo Yuanzhen's words, turned back and nodded firmly. "Master, you speak the truth. But they can't understand."
The chubby girl scrutinized Huo Yuanzhen for a moment, then said to Mo Lan, "Miss, don't you think this monk looks a little like Brother A Niu?"
Mo Lan looked Huo Yuanzhen up and down, and the more she looked, the more amazed she seemed. Finally, she stood up slowly, walking toward him. Unconsciously, she reached out, as if wanting to touch his cheek.
As she reached out, she said, "Brother A Niu, why did you become a monk? If Xiao Wei hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have recognized you. Why did you do this? Don't you still want your Lan Mei? They said you died, but I know you didn't. Don't become a monk, come back with me. Come home, and marry me."
As she spoke, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, streaming down like a waterfall.
When her hand almost touched his cheek, Huo Yuanzhen took a step back.
That step, though, was extremely difficult. If it had been any other man, he might have said, "I'll just comfort this sorrowful woman, let her not be too heartbroken," while secretly harboring impure thoughts.
But Huo Yuanzhen did not. With great resolve, he stepped back and exhaled, saying, "Lady, I believe you have mistaken me for someone else."
Mo Lan's eyes flashed with surprise, but she soon returned to her normal state, tears still clouding her vision as she spoke. "Brother A Niu, why won't you recognize me? Lan Lan knows that you are troubled by so many suitors, but I never accepted them! My heart is with you. Can't you feel it?"
"I cannot feel it!" Huo Yuanzhen replied firmly, truly feeling nothing.
"Let me see where you live, alright? There are too many people here, they're all looking at us."
Huo Yuanzhen glanced back, and sure enough, more incense-offering pilgrims were entering. Though he was at peace with himself, he still didn't want to make things uncomfortable, so after a moment's thought, he nodded and walked out of the Wanfo Tower with Mo Lan and Xiao Wei.
As they walked, the monk Yi Yin suddenly appeared.
In recent days, Yi Yin had been staying in the back mountains with Elder Monk Ming Xin, collecting various plants and grinding them into a paste, mixing in other substances. Huo Yuanzhen didn't know exactly what he was doing, but he had never expected Yi Yin to show up today at this moment, just as he was with Mo Lan.
Yi Yin's eyes lingered on Mo Lan for a moment, a glint of greed flashing in them. Huo Yuanzhen frowned inwardly. Yi Yin had been a monk for many years, older than him, yet how could he still display such behavior? Was it his personal flaw, or was it simply the level of South Shaolin's monks?
"Yi Jie, where are you going?" Huo Yuanzhen asked.
Yi Yin struck a proud posture before Mo Lan and said, "This lady is deeply heartbroken. I'll take her to rest."
"Ah, heartbroken, is it?" Yi Yin found a reason to keep his eyes on Mo Lan, inspecting her from top to bottom. He nodded, "Hmm, indeed, she looks frail. She needs help to walk."
"It's because Lan Lan is sick that she can't walk quickly. But if Brother A Niu could help me, I'd feel much better," Mo Lan added.
"Brother A Niu?" Yi Yin raised an eyebrow, looking at Huo Yuanzhen in surprise.
Huo Yuanzhen smiled and said, "This is a long story. It's not convenient to explain here."
"Who's Brother A Niu or not, even if it were really him, it's none of your business," Huo Yuanzhen thought. He was too lazy to argue further. "Let them think whatever they want."
Yi Yin raised his voice, saying, "Yi Jie, I'm not saying you're in the wrong, but if you know her, why pretend not to? You're the abbot now, but has that made you forget your roots? In my view, you only have two choices: either support her, and don't let her down, or keep your abbot title and ignore everything else."
"I'll stick to being the abbot," Huo Yuanzhen replied.
"Then you're heartless! Even if you've entered the empty gate, Buddha didn't ask you to harden your heart. Yi Jie, I'm so disappointed in you. Never mind, if you refuse, no one can force you. But, lady, if you don't mind, I'll help you. Where do you live? I can escort you."
Mo Lan glared at Yi Yin with distaste, thinking to herself, "What is this bald monk trying to do?" But her expression softened, and she shook her head, her tears scattering. She said, "Thank you, master, but I only want Brother A Niu to help me. I'm so tired, I can't walk anymore. Brother A Niu, could you carry me, please?"
Just moments ago, she had asked for help walking, and now she wanted to be carried.
Yi Yin, rejected again, grew increasingly frustrated. He pressed Huo Yuanzhen further, "You're so cold-blooded! She's asking for a little help, but you refuse? Do you really care about your position as abbot so much? Hmph, I've misjudged you."
Huo Yuanzhen glanced at the pitying Mo Lan, then back at his irritating monk brother. He suddenly nodded, saying, "Fine, Lady Mo Lan, I'll carry you to the mountain gate. After that, you'll have to walk the rest yourself. How does that sound?"
"Thank you, Brother A Niu! I knew you wouldn't let me walk alone!" Mo Lan cheered, her face lighting up despite the lingering tears. Her joy was so infectious that it made the moment feel almost like a great deed.
The chubby girl, Xiao Wei, watched with a small smile on her face. "Now that you've carried her, do you think you'll ever put her down?"
As Huo Yuanzhen crouched slightly, Mo Lan leapt onto his back, pressing her soft, delicate chest tightly against his back. Her body shifted restlessly, making Yi Yin seethe with jealousy.
"Let's go!" Huo Yuanzhen set off, feeling the warmth of her body against him. Her long, slender legs clung to his waist, and her chest pressed against him, making his heart race.
Mo Lan's white arms wrapped around his neck, and her other hand, either intentionally or not, rested against his chest. Her finger playfully traced circles on his chest.
"Lady, please don't move around." Huo Yuanzhen couldn't help but swallow hard, his mind torn by the temptation. This enchantress was trying to drag him down to hell!
"Please, A Niu, do a magic trick for me."
"I don't know any magic tricks."
"Please, you can do it. I've heard you tell the story of the Journey to the West. I love the Monkey King. I believe you can do it."
"Lady, you flatter me. I don't have such great skills."
"Yes, you do! I'm staying at the inn at the foot of the mountain. Take me back and show me the golden cudgel, please?"
Huo Yuanzhen felt a surge of heat in his chest, chanting a Buddhist mantra in his mind. He thought, this woman's charms are truly formidable, but I must resist.
However, as he glanced at her again, he responded, "Lady, it's a pity, I'm not a farmer, and you are not in the harvest season. I am not Qingming, and you are not He Tu. The only thing a monk abstains from is desire. Your efforts are futile."