The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

At that moment the driver shouted, “Please move back. There are more seats at the back.”

However the granny remained unmoved. All she did was stare at Fangzheng, unwilling to move a single step.

Fangzheng felt unnerved from the glaring as he fidgeted in his seat. He found it weird, and worst of all, the granny got her grandson to come over as well. Both of them stared at Fangzheng silently as though their eyes were saying: Let’s see how thick-skinned you are. Are you not going to give up your seat?

Finally, Fangzheng shook his head helplessly and got up. “Amitabha. Patron, take this seat.”

It was only then that the granny sat down smugly. Fangzheng gave an exasperated smile as he stood by the side. As for the seats at the back, Fangzheng found them too far. Besides, he wasn’t tired, so he did not mind standing.

At that moment, the granny whispered to her grandson, “Grandson, see that? If he had had the guts to not give up his seat, he would have been drowned by my spit!”

The grandson looked embarrassed at the granny and whispered, “Granny, that’s not very good, right?”

“What’s not good about it? I’m telling you that when you enter society, you must learn how to use your advantages or you will suffer.” The granny educated the child.

“Granny… This is different. It’s not nice when others see us do this.”

“What’s different? There’s nothing nice or not nice. All you need is to benefit yourself and ignore what others have to say. It’s not like they know who you are.” The granny impatiently educated her life philosophy to her grandson.

Fangzheng shook his head when he heard that. This was terrible education. It was practically ruining the child!

At that moment, the bus reached the next station. A woman beside Fangzheng got off and since there were no elderly on board, Fangzheng took the seat. He looked at the scenery outside as his mood gradually turned for the better…

However…

Fangzheng suddenly realized that there was a shadow in the glass window’s reflection! The shadow was like a ghost standing beside him!

Fangzheng turned his head and was given a fright! The granny who had just taken his seat was there again! It was still the same motionless pose with that straight, undeviating stare as though she was glaring at an enemy who had killed her father.

Fangzheng looked at the seat which the elderly woman had previously taken. Nicely done! Her grandson was sitting there!

Fangzheng finally understood that the granny found him an easy target for bullying! She was bent on bullying him, giving him no chance to sit. She wanted to occupy both seats before she was happy!

Fangzheng felt extremely depressed, but he knew better than to hold it against her. It was just a seat, and he could easily give it up. Since she was so shameless, why would it matter with him giving it up? Face was worth more than a seat, right?

Fangzheng gave up his seat once again as the granny sat down smugly. Why did this scene look so familiar!?

Fangzheng decided to give up on the thought of sitting and planned on standing. He wanted to avoid another repeat or he would truly be disgusted.

At that moment, Ouyang Fenghua called out, “Venerable One, why don’t you take my seat?”

Fangzheng shook his head decisively. What a joke. He was a man, so how could he let a girl give up her seat for him? He was not an old man in his eighties…

Red Boy looked at Fangzheng, ran over and pulled Fangzheng over. “Master, take a seat. We will sit in the back.”

“Really?” asked Fangzheng.

Red Boy nodded his head in affirmation. “It seems rather fun in the back. I want to take a look there.”

Ouyang Fenghua said, “Venerable One, why don’t you just sit here?”

Only then did Fangzheng take the seat. When he sat down, he saw Ouyang Fenghua lift Red Boy and tip her head up while giving him a smug look. She walked to the granny’s grandson and did not say a word. Similarly, the eyes from the adult-child pair glared intently at the granny’s grandson.

The grandson immediately felt the discomfort Fangzheng had felt previously. It left him in tenterhooks, but the child had no intention to give up his seat. He looked out the bus and feigned ignorance.

At that moment, it was unknown if the driver did it on purpose, but a familiar voice sounded in the bus: “Please give up your seat to the elderly, the disabled or child-carrying commuters…”

At that instant, the grandson’s face blushed red. He immediately stood up and gave up his seat. Ouyang Fenghua and Red Boy gave a smug look at the granny before taking the seat. They did not forget to give Fangzheng a look which celebrated their success. Fangzheng was instantly left exasperated. The duo had actually sought revenge for him! He only had one thing he wanted to say: “Amitabha! This Penniless Monk loves it!”

The granny was peeved. She had snatched the seat with her own abilities, but the seat had been snatched away by others through their own abilities as well. Were this people gearing for a fight? But after some thought, she did not do a thing. She alighted at the next stop with her grandson.

Ouyang Fenghua turned her head and said to Fangzheng, “Venerable One, to deal with evil, you need to use evil means. By being nice to her, she thought you were an easy target for bullying. If you give reign to such people, it would indirectly be committing a sin.”

Red Boy was also puzzled. Fangzheng was not someone who would willingly suffer. Why was there no reaction from him? Was he that easily bullied by a granny? He asked out of curiosity, “Master, weren’t you being too nice? You were being bullied so badly, and you took it all in?”

Fangzheng could not reach Red Boy, but he would have given him a slap if he could. What the hell was he saying? Was Fangzheng such a petty person? Was he? Was he? Oh!?

Thump!

“Aiyah!” The granny who had just alighted the bus had slammed into an electric pole while walking briskly. She sat on the ground, hugging her head. It looked painful…

Fangzheng watched this scene and pressed his palms together before silently reciting, “Amitabha!” Then, he secretly dispelled his Inner Lion Seal…

Nothing that happened in the shopping district had anything to do with Fangzheng. Ouyang Fenghua brought Red Boy to different shops as she selected child clothing for him. Fangzheng followed behind as he carefreely looked around. Finally Fangzheng found a spot and looked up into the sky.

Not long later, Ouyang Fenghua walked over after buying three ice-cream sticks. When she saw Fangzheng staring at the sky, she asked baffled, “Venerable One, what are you doing?”

“It’s hot.”

“The weather is indeed hot. We’ve bought the clothes. Let’s go. We can still make it if we rush for the bus. I estimate we will only reach Songwu County at night.”

Fangzheng nodded before shooting a glance over. There were long, fair legs everywhere across the streets. He sighed inwardly. “Renounce asceticism… Renounce asceticism! It’s so difficult!”

The journey back was simple and relaxing. They did not encounter any unhappy matters. When they reached Black Mountain City, Ouyang Fenghua invited Fangzheng to her place, but he rejected her. After being away from One Finger Monastery for so long, and having been tormented by Sunglow Monastery’s vegetarian meals, he yearned even in his dreams to return home! He no longer had any intention to loiter outside.

After sending Ouyang Fenghua home, Fangzheng planned on finding an uninhabited spot from where Red Boy could bring him flying back to Mt. One Finger. It would also save him on transportation costs.