moonlit night

After the [-]th peak apprenticeship session, according to the established procedures, it was time for the best of the new batch of disciples from each peak to speak on stage.

Yue Qingchen naturally has nothing to worry about this kind of thing, anyway, Luo Qingluan has been in the limelight as a lady, and she can take this opportunity to compete with her sisters and brothers from other aristocratic families , let her make troubles on her own.

But obviously not everyone is as open-minded and big-hearted as he is, who is indifferent to his apprentices.

"Xiaoping, are you all ready?" The woman in a green skirt with a light veil gently touched the two little buns neatly tied up by the children beside her, and asked softly.

"Mmm! Master! I...I'm not nervous!" Mu Nianping tightly held the densely packed tissue paper in his hand, and replied crisply while reciting in a low voice, "Sister Qingluan from the Luo family and I have an appointment. Well, let's go together later, Auntie told me to work hard and not be worse than her!"

"Xiaoping is the best!" Ning Yuanmei smiled softly, "Don't be nervous later, just relax."

After she finished speaking, she inadvertently raised her drooping hair, her eyes paused as she swept across an area of ​​the rally, and then she withdrew suspiciously.

"The little Ping is waiting for my sister here. As a teacher, I still have some matters to discuss with the master of the Buddhist temple, so I will go there first." Ning Yuanmei touched Mu Nianping's bun head comfortingly, and then walked lightly towards the other side. On the one hand, he walked to the place where Buddhist practitioners gathered.

She stopped in front of a monk in gray robe who was sitting quietly drinking tea at the table, clasped her hands together, leaned over and smiled slightly:

"Master Compassionate, how have you been lately after a long absence?"

The master put his palms together and saluted, with a peaceful expression on his face, he also calmly said: "I'm fine, I'll be remembered by the benefactor of Lao Ning."

The disciples in the nearby temple hurriedly stood up to make room for Ning Yuanmei.

"Thank you, little master." After Ning Yuanmei thanked softly, she took the opportunity to sit down on the vacant seat next to Minsheng, checked his pulse with one hand, and then she felt relieved: "Master's cold illness is indeed gone. many."

"Thanks to Benefactor Ning's prescription, this old man's illness is what it is today," Minsheng sighed, "It's just my junior brother, alas."

"Master Wuwang didn't come?" Ning Yuanmei frowned slightly, showing worry, "Could it be..."

"I let him stay in the temple to recuperate in peace." Minsheng put down the teacup in his hand and waved his hands, "It's just going on like this, it's not a long-term solution after all."

"If we can find the ten-thousand-year-old red pear tree that gave birth to the tree spirit, things may have a certain turning point, but," Ning Yuanmei changed the subject, "I will be free some other day. Treat it."

"I have Lao Ning benefactor," Minsheng nodded lightly, showing compassion and concern, "Ning benefactor is a bodhisattva, and what he has thought about for many years will surely come true. As for the person that benefactor gave to the old monk two years ago The leather painting is indeed a bit strange, the old man has put it in the Wanfu Hall, and we can check it out when the benefactor comes to the temple next time."

"Okay, thank you Master in advance."

The early morning light sprinkled on the stone tablet in front of the Buddhist temple, making the three characters of the reclining temple, which was originally unpretentious, also bloom some gorgeous light in the morning light.

In the early morning, few people came to worship the Buddha, and because of the emptiness overnight, the air in the temple was particularly moist and fresh. Even walking in the forest covered with morning dew, one could smell the dampness and vitality that belonged only to the morning.

The little monk Wangyou who was assigned to sweep the steps in front of the temple gate early in the morning yawned sleepily, held the temple gate and dejectedly took the key to the side door from the previous group of senior brothers, and fought with his eyelids while listening to what the senior brothers said. The old-fashioned instructions such as "pay attention to visitor registration, pay attention to cleaning, and do not eat if you don't clean up", then in the sympathetic eyes of the young monk in the front class, he picked up the big broom placed by the door and opened the door that had been closed all night. Zhu Hong walked out the side door, stretching her waist.

"Broom, broom, why can't you move yourself?" He shrugged his eyes and walked down the steps, muttering to himself while sweeping the ground with his head down, "Why can other brothers and sisters follow the uncles and uncles?" I went to Kunwu Mountain to play, and I will stay in this extremely boring place to do these extremely boring jobs! Oh, why does Master stay here? If Master’s illness recovers, I can also go out to play with Master Already!"

Wangyou was only focused on sweeping the stone steps, but didn't notice that under the hundreds of steps, there was a small black shadow slowly moving up silently, until someone approached and was about to bump into him. Only then did he let out an exclamation, and hurriedly raised his head, sizing up the man in horror.

He looks like a half-grown boy, his whole body is tightly wrapped in gray linen clothes, his face is wrapped with rags a few times, only a pair of black and white watery eyes are exposed, blinking flickeringly, very charming Spirituality and spirituality.

"You kid, who are you?" Wangyou tightly held the only broom that could be used as a weapon in his hand, looking carefully at him, "What's the point of coming here?"

"My cat is gone," the visitor wiped away his tears and said in a low voice, his voice seemed to have a strong nasal sound after sobbing, "it is not good, it ran away to the temple, little master, can I come in?" Temple to look for it?"

"Your cat?" Wangyou rubbed his bald head and thought for a moment, then pinched his chin and frowned, "What does it look like?"

"The whole body is black, and the four small claws are snow-white," the boy said hurriedly, describing it with gestures, "about this big."

"I haven't seen it before." Wangyou continued to think hard, "When did you lose it?"

"Last night," the young man wiped away his tears again, "it ran so fast that when I chased here from the mountain, the gate of the temple was already closed, so I had to go home first and look for it the next day. Auntie scolded me last night, saying that if I can’t find it, I won’t be allowed to go home for dinner.”

"Are you a child at the foot of the mountain?" Wangyou's eyes lit up. He was an abandoned baby. He was abandoned at the gate of the temple when he was born. He grew up with Master Wuwang in the temple since he was a child. He has never experienced life at the foot of the mountain. Everything outside the temple was extra curious, "What's your name? Is it fun to go down the mountain?"

"My name is Shaluo," the young man said in a low voice, sniffling, "Have you ever been to the bottom of the mountain?"

"No," Wangyou shook his head, shivering, "Sara? I've only heard of Rakshasa. Buddhist scriptures say that Rakshasa is a cannibal ghost woman, and that she is blue-faced and fangs, with a bloody mouth. An evil spirit that eats human flesh and drinks human blood! It's very scary! Why do you have this name?"

"When I was born, the fortune-teller said that I was born with evil spirits, and I would not live long." The young man glanced at him, snotted his nose and laughed, "My parents were afraid that I would not live long, so they made a fuss out of my name." , Rakshasa, it’s an evil ghost, it will scare away those little ghosts who seduce me, but it’s too dark to be used directly, so it’s called the other way around.”

"Oh, that's it." Wangyou seemed to understand, enviously said: "Your parents are so kind to you, they must love you like a sweetheart."

After speaking, he looked at the sky, and hurriedly beckoned: "Go in quickly, before my shift is over, you sneak in, find your cat and then sneak out, don't be discovered by anyone!"

"Little master, I'm too stupid and timid, and I'm afraid that people will find out if I don't pay attention." The young man shuddered, but said timidly, "Little master, it's so cold, can you put your clothes on?" Lend me that monk's robe?"

"No problem!" Wangyou was so dazed by the young man's yelling at the little master, he agreed, and then he tore off the monk robe he was wearing to keep out the cold and handed it to the young man, pretending to be arrogant: "Take it and wear it. Any time is fine."

"Thank you, little master!" Shaluo obediently reached out to take the clothes, but the moment his fingers touched them, he suddenly shivered and retracted his hands, and the monk clothes fell to the ground.

"What's the matter with you?" Wangyou scratched his head, bent down to pick up the clothes, patted the dust on them, and asked puzzled.

"My hand was scratched by the cat yesterday, and it's still bleeding this morning." The boy put his hands behind his back, lowered his head and mumbled, as if he was enduring some great pain.

"That's terrible, your cat is too naughty!" Wangyou said in surprise, "The scratches need to be healed properly, come on, I'll help you put on your clothes first, you go to the temple to scratch it Come out, and hurry home!"

After speaking, he put the monk's robe on the young man, and wrapped it tightly, trying to make the young man warmer.

He was so focused on wrapping his clothes that he ignored the strange light that flashed in the boy's eyes that were staring at him intently.

"Okay," Wangyou wrapped up his clothes, and didn't care that he was only wearing a thin jacket in the cold wind, clapping his hands, "It's not cold, is it?"

"Little master, you're so kind!" The young man smiled sweetly, "I promise I won't be discovered! I'll return the clothes to you as soon as I come out!"

After speaking, he hurriedly slipped in through the open side door.

Wangyou looked back blankly for a long time, until he could no longer see it, and then suddenly remembered that he hadn't finished the work he should do.He hastily picked up the broom and continued to sweep the floor, but he was still thinking about the boy who was looking for the cat.

"It would be great if I could make friends with him," he murmured, "I really want to see the world under the mountain."

However, until Wangyou swept the steps in front of the temple twice, and when the next group of brothers finished hiding and felt sorry for not taking the initiative to hand over to him, he never saw the boy named Shaluo bouncing around with the cat in his arms from the side door. jump out.

"Junior Brother, have you seen a cat?" When handing the broom to Wang Le, Wang You pretended to ask casually, "The whole body is black except for the white paws."

"No." Wang Le shook his head innocently, "Master's medicine is ready, senior brother, please send it there."

"Okay." Wangyou nodded, then raised his legs and walked towards the pharmacy.

When he walked around a red pear tree that was said to have a lifespan of thousands of years and approached the monk's room where Master Wuwang lived, he suddenly found that a blue monk's robe was hanging on the pear tree. On a thick branch, it is constantly fluttering in the wind.

It turned out to be the clothes he lent to the boy before!

Wangyou was startled, he suddenly remembered what he had solemnly told him when his master gave him the clothes at the ceremony before, saying that the clothes had the Diamond Sutra copied by himself on the clothes, which had the effect of warding off evil spirits and exorcising ghosts. , together with the Buddha Light of the Temple Protector, has protected the temple from evil spirits for generations. It must never leave the body easily, let alone lend it to people outside the temple.

Now, now, Wangyou's mind was in a mess, he hurried to the master's door and knocked hurriedly, but no one answered after knocking for a long time, the little monk's brow was covered with sweat.

"Master, this disciple has offended you!" He shouted loudly, and then suddenly pushed open the door, but was immediately startled by the scene in front of him, the medicine bowl in his hand fell to the ground with a clang, and the bitter brown medicine instantly spilled on the ground .

Wangyou took a few steps back in disbelief, then turned around and quickly ran out of the courtyard.

However, before he could take a few steps, he collided with a person who was running towards him. The person stepped back panting, and then said in a hurry: "It's not good, the Hall of Wanfu is on fire! Uncle Wuwang Woolen cloth?"