Chapter 162: Buddhist Disciple 22 (Arc End)

Many new families moved to the foot of the Little West Mountain, surrounding the vast medicinal fields, and built a new village.

Perhaps in a hundred years, this new village would become a small town.

People firmly believed that as long as they lived around the West Mountain Temple, they would enjoy health and longevity. Because of this, more and more families relocated nearby.

Even though many people still showed signs of illness with their waxy, yellowish faces, their spirits were high, and their eyes were full of hope for the future.

Qian often played and patrolled around the medicinal fields. The chickens and ducks raised by the nearby families sometimes crossed the field embankments and small streams to forage for food by the medicinal fields.

Whenever Qian saw a large flock of chickens and ducks coming to the fields to search for food, she would rush over to chase them away, preventing them from eating the herbs planted in the fields.

A group of children would follow her, imitating her actions. The chickens would cluck in alarm and hurriedly flee, flapping their wings to fly over the nearby stream, which was more than a meter wide. The ducks, waddling along, quacked as they followed the chickens across the stream.

The land of Wanxi County was filled with many small streams, and the area around Little West Mountain had a complex water system. As more people settled in, there were more chickens, ducks, and geese being raised. Qian often found eggs hidden in grass nests along the embankments.

To the children, this was like a treasure hunt. Once she found an egg, Qian would eagerly continue the game, searching for more every day.

Free-range poultry would lay their eggs in difficult-to-find places and wouldn’t incubate them. If left unfound for too long, the eggs would spoil.

Qian would search every day and, once she found eggs, she would deliver them to the nearby families who raised chickens, ducks, and geese.

At first, the families were hesitant to accept them, but over time, they got used to it and began accepting most of the eggs. They would leave one or two eggs as a gift for Qian as thanks and payment. Of course, to them, it was an offering for the “little immortal child.”

Today’s reward was two eggs with green shells. Qian didn’t recognize what kind of eggs these were, as it was the first time she had found such a color. Holding one in each hand, she ran up the long steps to the West Mountain Temple, eager to share them with her father.

Halfway up the steps, she saw Mingzhen sweeping the stairs with a large broom. Qian immediately ran up and hugged his leg.

Mingzhen: “…”

Though he didn’t say a word, one could tell from the look in her eyes what she meant.

After a brief pause, Mingzhen lifted the broom with one hand and picked Qian up with the other, swiftly climbing the steps and placing her on the highest step.

“You’re still small, so I’ll carry you up. Next year, when you’ve grown a year older, I won’t carry you anymore!” Mingzhen emphasized.

In a family where everyone spoiled the children, he stubbornly wanted to teach her discipline.

Qian giggled and replied, “Heehee.”

She held the two eggs to her chest and ran into the temple, passing the grand hall filled with incense offerings, and went to the back courtyard.

She peeked into the meditation room and called, “Father!”

Not seeing anyone, she ran to the kitchen and called again, “Father!”

Venerable Master Yinhe, who was busy starting a fire with wood shavings, didn’t lift his head and said, “Back courtyard.”

So, Qian ran to the back, where she saw a small wooden cart, brand new, obviously just completed.

Since leaving Bodhi Mountain, Qian hadn’t ridden a small wooden cart for a while. Seeing it now, she immediately turned toward the cart, hopped on, and pedaled a few times, stuffing the two green-shelled eggs into her pockets. The pockets bulged out, and she held onto the handles, riding the cart to the back courtyard gate.

Beyond the courtyard was an open space at the back of the West Mountain Temple, where rhythmic “thump, thump” sounds could be heard. It was Wuxin, leveling the land and laying down bricks.

“Father! Mingzhen made me a new cart!” Qian got off the cart and tried to drag it over the threshold.

Wuxin smiled and said, “Yes, once I finish leveling this area and laying the bricks, you’ll be able to ride your cart here.”

The West Mountain Temple wasn’t very large, unlike Bodhi Mountain, where there wasn’t a suitable place to ride a cart.

Qian dragged the small wooden cart to his side and showed him the green-shelled eggs she had found. Children always liked to share their discoveries, even if those things didn’t seem particularly special to adults. But when they saw the joy in the child’s eyes, they could find joy in it too.

After telling him about her find, Qian started helping with the bricks. She dragged small bricks over to Wuxin’s side and squatted down to watch him lay them one by one.

Once the bricks were in place, they began planting trees nearby.

“When the trees grow tall, they’ll give you shade.”

Qian stood next to the small tree and measured with her hands, “But it grows so slowly.”

Wuxin brushed the dirt off her pants and said, “It will have a chance to shade you in the future.”

Qian rode the cart in a circle on the newly laid brick surface. Wuxin stood by the small tree, watching her. When she stopped and waved to him from a short distance while holding onto the cart, she called out, “Father, push me!”

That evening, Qian sat next to Wuxin for the evening sutra, watching the stars.

She had already gotten used to not being able to touch those stars. Before closing her eyes, she continued murmuring.

“The lady from the village gave me tofu pudding today, it was sweet. I want to drink it again tomorrow.”

“She has persimmons at her house. She said we can eat them soon. Can I eat them, Father?”

“Venerable Master Yinhe said he’ll steam cakes for me, with five different colors…”

“Thump.” The sound of the wooden fish echoed once more, and Qian’s words gradually turned into murmurs before fading into silence.

Wuxin noticed something different tonight. Apart from a few stars that were subtly connected to Qian, new stars appeared from distant worlds.

The cold blue was wrapped around an orange-red flame—a cold yet fiery star.

Qian also “saw” it. A dazzling star appeared in the colorful starry sky and began to fall toward her.

It was a shooting star!

Qian forgot that she was sitting on the cushion. In her mind, she unconsciously stood up, drawn by an inexplicable force, and leapt toward the falling star until it landed in her arms. She tightly grasped it.

The outer layer was ice blue, cold to the touch but soft, and inside, an orange flame flickered, incredibly beautiful.

Qian suddenly opened her eyes, her face still holding a surprised smile. She opened her mouth and exclaimed, “Father! Father! I caught a shooting star! Look… huh?”

“Where is my star?” She searched her palm, flipping it over and over, but couldn’t find the beautiful star.

Wuxin had stopped striking the wooden fish. In his eyes, it seemed as though another subtle karmic thread had appeared, linking to Qian. If it wasn’t captured immediately, it would soon vanish.

When Qian, disappointed from not finding the star, pouted as if about to cry, Wuxin held her small hand and said, “The star you caught is right here.”

Qian focused her gaze and found that her hand was empty.

At that moment, Wuxin extended his finger and traced a line in her palm.

A warm sensation suddenly appeared in her hand. Qian moved her fingers, drawn in by Wuxin’s actions.

“I know, this is a protective talisman!”

“Right, this is the talisman I’m giving to Qian. Whenever you’re scared or sad, hold it tightly.”

Wuxin wrapped her hand in his own, and golden light overflowed from their hands.

Qian looked at her hand in astonishment, her body shaking with excitement as she asked, “What is this? What is it?”

Wuxin didn’t answer. Instead, he asked her, “Child, have you been happy during your time with me?”

Qian answered loudly, “Happy!”

Wuxin smiled in satisfaction and nodded, saying, “Then that’s enough.”

“May you continue to live happily in the future.”

He slowly released her hand, and the golden light enveloped Qian’s figure.

That night, people nearby saw faint golden light emanating from the West Mountain Temple. Later, people would spread the rumor that the little immortal child beside the Bodhisattva had returned to the heavens.

After the golden light faded, Venerable Master Yinhe stood at the door and asked, “You’re sending her off already?”

“When the time comes, keeping her here would serve no purpose.” Wuxin sat on the cushion without turning around.

“Well, gatherings and partings are sometimes inevitable.” Venerable Master Yinhe, holding a bowl of steaming five-colored cakes, turned and walked toward the kitchen.

Mingzhen hurried over, his expression downcast. “Is Qian leaving already? She hasn’t even ridden the small cart I made for her yet. Shibo specially paved such a large area on the back mountain…”

He was still young, not as calm as the two elders. Even though he had known from Shibo that Qian might leave at any time, facing the departure still made him reluctant to accept.

Even Mingde, usually simple-minded, cried for several days when he didn’t see his familiar playmate.

Qian had left, but they remained at the West Mountain Temple.

Venerable Master Yinhe spent every day with Mingde in the medicinal fields below the mountain, planting herbs. Mingzhen tidied and cleaned the temple, occasionally watching the little attendant next to the Demon-subduing Bodhisattva in the main hall, brushing off the dust on its body.

Wuxin meditated on his cushion for half a month, finally emerging and returning to his old self.

At first, the people coming to offer incense at the temple would ask about Qian, but over time, fewer people remembered her. The pale, sickly people gradually disappeared, and after more than ten years, the area around West Mountain Temple was no longer as desolate as before.

Mingde had grown into a tall, sturdy martial monk, wearing a sweat cloth around his neck while working in the fields. He liked children, and every year, the local children grew up, but new ones would always be born, gathering around him to play.

This year, Venerable Master Yinhe returned to Bodhi Mountain, and Wuxin also left the West Mountain Temple.

Wuxin went to the Demon Realm, which had been in turmoil for many years. The position of Demon Lord was contested by the Heavenly Demon Clan, but no one had yet emerged to rule the realm.

In the Demon Realm, he met a young boy named Huai You Nong. The last time they met, the boy was still in swaddling clothes.

He still remembered the farewell when Qian clung to him, refusing to let go, crying for a long time.

The red-haired, golden-eyed boy was covered in blood. He wasn’t strong yet, but his eyes burned with fierce ambition, desire, and a thirst for life.

He looked vicious, but when Wuxin remembered the time when Qian held him and called him “Little Hong,” a smile suddenly appeared in his eyes.

If Qian had grown up, she would have been the same age as him now.

“I can save you, but I need you to make a promise. One day, when you become Demon Lord, you must never let the Demonic Race invade the Mortal Realm.”

The fierce and ragged boy, who had lost his mother and been alone for a long time, showed no doubt in his future as the ruler of the Demon Realm. He gritted his teeth, rose to his feet, and supported his unstable body.

“Alright! I promise you!”

…

Wuxin returned to the West Mountain Temple. Over the following years, he occasionally stayed at the temple, sometimes leaving to travel, and he also returned to Bodhi Mountain.

Many years passed, and he saw the child again.

Though she looked different, the way she was crouched and digging by the field embankment was so familiar. There had been countless times in the past when she played there, suddenly looking up and calling for him.

When she looked over, Wuxin waved to her, “Qian, come to me.”

Her life was so vibrant, but in Wuxin’s eyes, it felt like a fleeting moment, like an incense stick that was about to burn out.

She came and went, and finally, Huai You Nong returned, holding the child’s lifeless body.

The blood-scented Demon Lord stepped onto the steps, approaching him, and handed over the child’s body.

“The Demon Realm… there is no good place to bury her. I want to ask the Buddhist Disciple to find a place for her. If possible, bury her here. She seemed to like this place when I brought her here last time.”

Wuxin took the small, soft body of the child and looked at the Demon Lord before him.

“This place decays, while another will bring new life. Don’t be sad. Wait patiently for the future.”

(Arc End)