The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Red Boy’s face sank when he heard that. As he looked back at Monkey, who appeared like a meditating old monk, Monkey suddenly revealed a sinister smile. That scoundrelly look made Red Boy wish he could give him a slap and let him know who the king of the mountains was! Unfortunately, with Fangzheng around, he did not dare do so. He bitterly looked at Fangzheng. “Master, then… Then I want a bed that’s just as nice.”

Fangzheng smiled. “Look at you. Don’t worry. Your bed won’t be any worse. Go fetch some water. The Buddha Vat is almost out of water.”

Red Boy was immediately overjoyed when he heard Fangzheng’s confirmation. He frolicked down the mountain with two large water buckets.

When Red Boy returned up the mountain, Fangzheng could no longer be seen in the backyard. All he saw was Monkey sitting there, who said indifferently, “Don’t bother looking for him. Master has gone to the bamboo forest to hide from the heat. Your bed is ready, and it’s in the kitchen.”

“Really!?” Red Boy turned delighted immediately as he charged into the kitchen. Monkey shot a glance at Red Boy’s back while smiling furtively.

Then…

“Master! How can you do this! I’ll fight you to the death!” Red Boy charged out the next moment as he ran straight into the bamboo forest while howling.

Almost at the same moment, the backdoor opened as Fangzheng walked in with the Buddha Beads in hand. He said with a smile, “My dear disciple, what did you shout just now? You want to fight me to the death?”

When Red Boy saw the cunning smile on Fangzheng’s face, his heart skipped a beat as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva. “Master, you must be imagining things. How could I possibly say something like that? I said… I would fight to the death for you. Amitabha. It can only be that way.”

Fangzheng smiled with satisfaction when he saw Red Boy’s reaction. “That’s more like it. Speak, what is it?”

Red Boy rushed to the kitchen and pointed at an extra-large crib hanging from the roof beam. He said aggrieved, “Master, this is the bed you made for me? What happened to the bed we were talking about? I’m already more than a thousand years old, and you want to make me sleep in that?” Red Boy ground his teeth loudly when he broached the saddening topic.

Fangzheng put his hands to his back as he looked at the crib, nodding. “It’s indeed a little small. Do you want me to make it bigger?”

“The size isn’t the problem! I’m an adult! I want to sleep in a bed, not a crib!” Red Boy cried out aggrieved.

“Oh, you are an adult,” said Fangzheng.

“Yes, an absolute adult. It’s just that my body grows slow,” said Red Boy firmly as he patted his tiny chest.

“Since you are an adult, you should do more of the work in the monastery in the future―”

“Master!” Red Boy exclaimed and cut Fangzheng off.

“What?” asked Fangzheng adorably.

Red Boy said in all seriousness, “We demons are still toddlers at a thousand years old. I think I should go according to the standards of demons.”

Fangzheng looked at the crib. “What about the crib?”

“Oh, it’s a little small…” Red Boy still felt indignant.

“Is that so? Then throw it to the side and use it as timber for the fire. I’ll make a bigger one for you.” As Fangzheng spoke, he took down the crib and threw it into the yard. In fact, the crib was in no way bad. Not only did it have the trademark patterns of the Frost Bamboo’s grain, but Fangzheng had also carefully carved some scripture on it. Although it was not particularly luxurious, each word had been written with the Dragon Buddha Epithet, making it look grand. Anyone who slept in it would have a good night’s rest. Their sleep would be uninterrupted and pleasant. However, Fangzheng realized that although the crib was just nice in size for Red Boy, it was still a little too small if you took into account his habit of tossing around in the bed…

“Alright, wait a bit. I’ll go pick some good bamboo.” With that said, Fangzheng walked out.

Red Boy chased after him and tugged at his sleeve. Like a kitten, he looked pitifully at Fangzheng. “Master, can’t I sleep in a bed?”

Fangzheng looked up into the sky and sighed. “Then, do you think Monkey is more suited to sleep in a crib?”

Red Boy was taken aback. He had no idea what Fangzheng meant as he went back to the yard at a loss. He sat down with an angry grunt.

Monkey, who was memorizing the Buddhist scriptures, looked up and said, “Junior Brother, why do you wish to sleep in a bed so much? Do you know that for that huge bed of mine, subtracting the time Master spent skiving and reciting scriptures, he did not even take an hour to complete it. As for your crib, he took a good hour. Moreover, the amount of effort he spent on your crib is much more than he did on my bed.”

Red Boy was taken aback. Usually, he took about twenty minutes to draw water, but this time, his mind had been on his bed, so he had deliberately slowed down. He had wished to see the final product the moment he was back; therefore, he had taken note of the time and only returned a bit over one hour later. Indeed, the bed was done by that time, and there was also a crib. Back then, all he did was fume without actually thinking things through.

On second thought… He ran over to the crib and looked at the scriptures that looked full of grandeur. It was as though Fangzheng’s shadow could be seen in every word, each one of them smiling at him! The smile was very genial and warm, like the sunlight of the morning sun. He felt warm and comfortable when he saw the scriptures.

“These scriptures were written by Master and carved out. You always think Master isn’t nice to you, but in fact, Master is the nicest to you. He brought you down the mountain the most number of times. Although he makes you fetch water and cook, you are always the one who eats the most when it comes to something delicious.” When Monkey said that, he patted Red Boy on the shoulder. “Our monastery is too small, and our kitchen is even smaller. A huge pot, the kitchen utensils, and the timber take up most of the space. Putting a bed in there is already the limit… Of course, if you insist on sleeping on a bed, I can sleep in the crib. However, the crib is indeed a little small. Although if it’s placed on the ground, I guess I can make do with it as well―”

“Who wants to switch with you? Stop dreaming!” said Red Boy suddenly as he glared at Monkey. Then, he hugged his crib like it was his treasure. He ran into the kitchen and hung it up. Jumping up, he entered the crib and lied down. Its size was perfect! It was indeed made specially for him!

Frost Bamboo was cooling to begin with, and as Red Boy lay in his crib, allowing it to rock, a gentle wind would ensue, bringing the coolness of the Frost Bamboo to him. Instantly, the summer heat was greatly dissipated. It felt awesome!

Monkey slumped beside the crib and asked, “Junior Brother, don’t you hate it?”

“I hate it! But I don’t like to waste!” Red Boy jumped out of the crib as he shook his head. “Master is still as scammy as ever. However, wastage is an abhorrent act. I can’t be as scammy as he is. Therefore, I will make do with this crib.”

WIth that said, Red Boy ran off to seek out Fangzheng.

Monkey chuckled when he saw this.

When Red Boy left, Lone Wolf crawled out of his kennel and shook his head, saying, “Actually, Junior Brother is quite adorable. He is just very stubborn.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Senior Brother, are you sure you do not want to change your kennel? A bed made of Frost Bamboo is very cooling and comfortable. If your home were made of Frost Bamboo, you wouldn’t need to hang out your tongue all day,” said Monkey.

Lone Wolf rolled his eyes at Monkey. “No! I’d rather die than change! What’s wrong with hanging out my tongue? My dad hung out his tongue to lower his temperature back then too, as did my mom, my grandfather, and my great-grandfather! My ancestors did it all the same, so it naturally has to pass down when it’s my turn. Alright, I’m going to cool down under a tree instead of speaking to you.”