dragon pen

After Zhu Jiuyin left, Shi Kong's life seemed to be restored to the simplicity it was at the beginning. He burned incense and recited Buddha's name every day, kept vigil under the lamp, and no one whispered these shocking words in his ears——

To him, the ten or so days he experienced before were like a dream that was gradually blurring. In that dream, he cried, laughed, and did many things that he had never even dared to think about... …

Well, no wonder people say that dreams are crazy.

Thinking of this, Shi Kong chuckled, and then calmly put down the wooden fish in his hand. He stood up and turned around to the door——when he turned around, he saw a young woman piously facing Shi Kong in front of the incense cauldron outside the door. The Buddha statue behind him knelt down... As if he was afraid of disturbing her, Shi Kong stopped, just leaned against the door and watched her quietly, until she carefully tiptoed and inserted the incense in her hand into the incense burner, turned and left ——

In this way, the last pilgrim of Anle Temple also left today.

Shi Kong stepped over the threshold to the door, picked up the bamboo broom leaning against the corner of the Buddhist hall, and first swept off the snow on the steps in front of the Buddhist hall—the bamboo broom made a rattling sound, and the snow dust , At this time, a wind suddenly rose behind Shi Kong, and there was a sound of footsteps approaching from a distance...

He froze for a moment, the originally calm heart beat faster in his heart, and when he raised his head and looked in the direction of the sound, there was an expectation in his eyes that he had never noticed before!However, after a while, he only saw a brother in ordinary monk robes and straw sandals walking towards him—at this moment, the man seemed to feel that his eyes suddenly stopped, and he looked up at him, He smiled and said, "Junior Brother Shi Kong? Why are you still here? Didn't you go for dinner?"

It's Brother Huineng.

Shi Kong paused: "I'm not hungry yet, let's sweep away the snow in front of this Buddhist hall first."

"There is no one, why sweep it..." Hui Neng approached, stood in front of Shi Kong and looked around, "Or are you waiting for someone?"

"Waiting for someone?" Shi Kong asked inexplicably, "Waiting for who?"

Hui Neng shrugged: "I don't know, I just looked at it, so I guessed."

"I have no one to wait for," Shi Kong smiled, "Brother, where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Oh, I made an appointment with Junior Brother Shi Yuan. I made an appointment to talk about Buddhism together tonight, but when the time came, I found that he was not in the meditation room. Did he forget the time when he meditated under the acacia tree in the backyard, and he is going to find him now..."

"..."

"what happened?"

"It's okay." Shi Kong said, "In such a cold day, there is snow under the acacia tree, Senior Brother Shi Yuan is not an ordinary person who can meditate there so much that he forgets the time..."

"Isn't it?"

Hui Neng responded perfunctorily, and the acquaintance didn't take Shi Kong's words to heart, and started to walk towards the backyard again - but before he took two steps, he was suddenly stopped by the young monk behind him. Probably because of his eagerness, there was still impatience in the corners of his eyes, and he asked Shikong, "What's the matter?"

The little monk holding the bamboo broom in both hands looked at him steadily. At this time, the sky was dark, and the expression of the little monk at this moment could not be seen clearly from Hui Neng's direction. He could only hear him say in a slightly cold tone: "Hui Hai Before Senior Brother left, I actually met him that night."

Hearing that name, Hui Neng shuddered instinctively, then as if he had realized something, he smiled tensely: "Have you seen him? Why did you suddenly mention this now—"

"Late at night that night, I couldn't fall asleep because of some trivial matters, so I simply wanted to get up and solve it in exchange for peace of mind. However, when I passed by the Buddhist hall, I heard Senior Brother Hui Hai who was watching the night alone in the Buddhist hall. Talking to people... Not long after, he came out of the Buddhist hall, and there was no one in the Buddhist hall except him."

A cool breeze blows.

Hui Neng shrank his neck subconsciously: "Did you read it wrong?"

"Later, Senior Brother Hui Hai went to the backyard and disappeared under the acacia tree, and no one came back after that." Shi Kong slightly clenched the bamboo broom in his hand, and his knuckles raised slightly because of this, "I found it under the acacia tree. His scattered Buddhas..."

"What are you talking about, when Hui Hai was cremated, the Buddha was clearly complete—"

"Master rearranged it. As for why the bracelet of Buddhist beads is a complete one hundred and eight, brother just needs to look down at the bracelet of Buddhist beads in his hand, and he can probably understand what Shi Kong is talking about..."

Hui Neng couldn't see Shi Kong clearly, but from Shi Kong's direction, he could easily see that Huineng's expression suddenly changed——

"what do you want to say in the end?!"

"After Senior Brother Hui Hai passed away, he used a dream to warn Shi Kong not to approach that acacia tree."

"..."

"The ten thousand schools of Buddhism are all my Buddhas. It has nothing to do with others which sect you believe in and which sect you practice." Shi Kong lowered his head and stared at the back of his hand. Lesson, if you go your own way regardless of your own life, Shi Kong will definitely... definitely..."

Shikong bit his lower lip after speaking halfway, he paused, and then suddenly said——

"Brother Huineng, there are monsters in the temple, be careful in everything."

After saying that, he closed his mouth, as if he didn't want to say another word... However, not far from him, Huineng's face was already extremely ugly, especially when Shi Kong said "there is a demon in the temple", he could use a ferocious expression. Let me describe it—the familiar face of the little monk was distorted due to anger. After listening to what Shi Kong said, he sneered and asked, "Is there a demon in the temple?"

"..."

"Buddhism is pure, in front of the Buddha, Master's magic power is so strong, I don't believe there is any monster who dares to come to Anle Temple to make trouble!" Huineng said coldly, "There are monsters in the temple, and the younger brother kept saying 'Buddhism ten thousand sects, It's all my Buddha', who are you taunting here with a twisted face? Not only are you taunting me, you're even throwing a smear of dirty water at Senior Brother Shi Yuan!"

"I didn't, I just want to remind Brother Huineng not to walk with demons..."

"Walking with demons? I think Junior Brother Shikong should look at himself in a mirror before saying this—do you know what the senior brothers in the temple said about you recently? Everyone said that you got involved with that wandering monk of unknown origin." , only know how to have fun, not only drink heavily and relapse, but also stay out all night, get drunk and pretend to be crazy in the Buddhist hall!"

Shi Kong was slightly startled, his lowered eyelashes trembled slightly, he raised his head and looked at Huineng in shock—at this moment, the latter seemed to be unable to control himself, and the more he spoke, "Master saw you chanting scriptures and chanting Buddha in the past. Ordinary thing, just turn a blind eye and close your eyes, you'd be good, and teach your brother a lesson - in your eyes, there is still dignity, inferiority, good and evil? Today is me, tomorrow will you teach your master a lesson? gone?"

"I didn't, so stop talking."

"Look at yourself. After the wandering monk left, you not only didn't think about it seriously, you seemed to have lost your soul all day long. You were knocking on wooden fish in the Buddhist hall and chanting scriptures, but you didn't know where your heart drifted to— —”

"I told you to stop talking!"

The little monk suddenly raised his voice, interrupting the chattering Huineng. The latter was taken aback, as if he had never seen the person in front of him speak to others in such a strong tone, and subconsciously closed his mouth!

... Then he seemed to feel that he couldn't hold back his face by being bluffed by younger generations like him. He snorted coldly, made a disdainful expression of "I'm too lazy to talk nonsense with you", shook his sleeves, turned around and went to the backyard without looking back to walk...

Leaving the little monk alone in place.

The lamps in the Buddhist hall projected, stretching his lonely figure very long——

【Are you waiting for someone? 】

【Everyone says that you got mixed up with that wandering monk of unknown origin and only know how to have fun...】

[Look at yourself, after the wandering monk left, not only did you not think about it seriously, but you seemed to have lost your soul all day long, knocking on wooden fish in the Buddhist hall and chanting scriptures, but your heart has long since drifted away... ...]

"..."

Putting the bamboo broom back to the original dark place behind the door, the little monk rolled up his sleeves and stood alone in front of the Buddhist hall in a daze for a while, until the cold wind blew his body almost to the point of freezing, and then he moved a little He moved, and muttered "I'm not waiting for anyone" as if talking to himself, then he turned around and took two steps in the direction of Monk Yuanhai's meditation room——

At this time, he hesitated and turned his head to look in the direction of the backyard.Pausing for a while, it seemed that some determination had been made in those black pupils... He quickened his pace and walked towards Monk Yuanhai's meditation room.

……

at the same time.

Huineng, who just had a fight with Shi Kong, has already come to the backyard quickly. There is no one in the backyard, only the green acacia stands in the courtyard. The ground is covered with white snow. But there is no trace of snow falling on the ground, as if someone wiped the leaves carefully one by one every day, and it seems that the tree is alive, and can shake off the snow by itself...

Huineng stepped into the backyard, and the anger in the eyes that had been blazing just now was instantly extinguished, replaced by uncontrollable excitement and anticipation——

"Junior Brother Shi Yuan..."

He lowered his voice.

There was no one under the tree, and no one responded.

He seemed to be unable to restrain himself, so he took the initiative to come under the tree. He had just stood still when he suddenly heard the branches trembling above his head. A handsome young monk with a calm face leaned out from the bushes. He glanced under the tree. Huineng who was standing was a little indifferent: "Didn't I tell you to come back at night?"

"The moon is already rising, why isn't it night!" Hui Neng said, seeming a little nervous, "I came early? Why don't I go back now? Come back later?"

A series of questions, but Shi Yuan didn't answer, he just stared at Huineng calmly for a while, and after a while he said calmly: "Forget it."

He stretched out a hand to Hui Neng: "Come up."

Hui Neng showed a joyful expression.

He also stretched out his hand—the young monk on the tree at this time seemed to have great strength, and easily pulled Huineng, who was about the same size as himself, and injured the tree. When Huineng rose to a certain level, he stretched out another one. Arms, wrapped around his waist, half pulled and half hugged him to the strong branch...

His arms are really strong and powerful.

Hui Neng sighed in his heart——

Just like the strong branches of this acacia tree.

At this time, Huineng entered the part covered by the branches, and directly stretched out his hand to hug Shi Yuan's neck intimately. When he raised his head slightly, the tip of his nose touched the latter's chin, and he sighed.

"What's wrong?" Shi Yuan asked.

"Waiting for a long time?" Hui Neng rubbed Shi Yuan's intimately with the tip of his nose, and the latter pulled away calmly. It's all snowing."

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand to sweep away the white mass on Shiyuan's right shoulder.

White snow dust floated up.

At this time, above their heads, probably because of the wind, the canopy of the acacia tree was shaking slightly, and the snow on the canopy on the right suddenly flew away, as if someone had brushed them off with their hands...