The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

With this in mind, Fangzheng asked, “System Bro, how much merit is needed to bless City-Toppling Beauty and Li Xueying each?”

“Blessing City-Toppling Beauty requires 700 merit points, while blessing Li Xueying requires 300 merit points.”

“That much?” Fangzheng jumped in fright. If he recalled correctly, all he needed to bless two children the last time was 200 points!

“The requirements for a blessing become higher according to the target’s influence. Blessing people who are influential will result in great karmic change. So naturally, more merit points are needed to do so. As a non-human object, blessing City-Toppling Beauty should be easier than blessing humans, but its influence is even greater and more far-reaching instead! Bessing it is therefore naturally more expensive. Think carefully before you decide on the blessing.”

Fangzheng felt his heart wince from hearing that. However, after thinking of what City-Toppling Beauty represented, he said through clenched teeth, “BlessCity-Toppling Beauty !”

“Beginning to bless City-Toppling Beauty . Merit transfer will begun. Before the transfer is complete, reciting as many scriptures as possible will increase the magnitude and strength of the blessing and its effects!”

“What?” Fangzheng was planning on washing his hands of the matter and hiding in a corner to cry over his lost merit. Now, not only could he not hide in a corner, he had to watch as his merit departed from him point after point! Furthermore, he had to recite scriptures at the same time! And he needed to do so as fast as possible for maximum effect! Was this a test on his vocal abilities?

“Merit deduction beginning in 3, 2―”

“Wait, that’s too fast! Amitabha, Buddha, %$#T%#” Fangzheng did not even have the chance to grumble or prepare. Once ‘1’ was announced, he quickly started reciting! As for what he was reciting, it was naturally the Diamond Sutra. He had memorized it from a young age and was very familiar with it.

“Remember, the greater the variety, the better the blessings.”

Fangzheng cursed inwardly. “This isn’t giving blessings, is it? This is just meant to torture me, right? You are forcing me to recite different kinds of scriptures? Isn’t this student harassment? What a scam!”

However, Fangzheng immediately drove away his unnecessary thoughts and became serene and calm. He calmly began reciting the scriptures in prayer.

Fangzheng had read quite a number of scriptures, and he had memorized quite a few too. However, he was unable to rattle them off at high speeds. Therefore, Fangzheng chose the few scriptures he was most familiar with and repeated them infinitely.

At that moment, Monkey heard scriptures being recited in the hall suddenly and turned his head to look. It was nothing strange for Fangzheng to be reciting scriptures, but something seemed amiss today. Fangzheng’s recitals in the past had a cadence to them, and his voice was usually melodious like he was singing Buddhistic music.

But today, why was he rattling off like a machine gun? Was he mad?

Monkey was puzzled while Red Boy, Lone Wolf, and Squirrel were attracted over too. The four disciples exchanged looks before Squirrel said, “What’s wrong with Master? It’s like he’s chasing after a train.”

“Perhaps he has gone mad,” said Red Boy.

Lone Wolf said, “Should I wake Master up?”

With that said, there was a rustling sound around him as everyone who had been standing by his side hid far away. Red Boy said in all seriousness, “I think you can give it a try.”

Squirrel looked up into the sky and said in apparent casualness, “I think you can too. Senior Brother, go for it.”

Lone Wolf frowned and looked at Monkey who had thrown his broom away and picked up a metal shovel, asking, “Junior Brother, what are you doing?”

“I’m going to dig a hole for you in the mountains. Later, I’ll create a tombstone,” said Monkey in all seriousness.

A cloud immediately hung over Lone Wolf’s head. F**k, they were all scumbags! He had only been making a passing remark. Who would dare disturb Fangzheng at this moment in time? Wouldn’t that be asking for trouble?

And so the disciples sat by the door and watched Fangzheng silently.

“Look, Master’s bald head is sweating,” said Squirrel with a little worry.

“He’s really sweating. It’s almost like he’s sweating oil,” muttered Lone Wolf.

“Master seems really nervous,” said Red Boy.

“Should we help him wipe his sweat?”

“I think he should drink more water. Look, he’s splattered his saliva all over…”

…

His disciples’ murmurs landed in Fangzheng’s ears and sent his thoughts into disarray. He tried his best to recall and recite the sutras, but his disciples’ words were like irritating flies, buzzing around him. Fangzheng fumed inwardly. “Wait until I’m done with the recital! Sweating? Sweating oil? I’ll let you know what it means to sweat oil…”

However, he soon saw the huge clock that was counting down in his mind. He immediately wiped those thoughts from his mind and sped up his reciting. He could not care about anything. Any distraction was a waste!

Simultaneously, Fangzheng kept a mental note. The countdown expended a merit point every minute. That meant that he had to recite scriptures for 700 minutes! In hours, that equalled more than ten hours! Fangzheng immediately felt like crying. Blessing something was not easy. It was basically a huge trap!

Noon.

“Master is still reciting the scriptures?” asked Red Boy after making lunch.

Lone Wolf, who was slumped to the side, yawned and nodded weakly. This was the first time he was seeing Fangzheng so obsessed with reciting scriptures. He had gone on for an hour already.

Evening.

“Master is still reciting?” asked Red Boy as he squatted underneath the bodhi tree with a bowl in his hands.

Lone Wolf ate from his own bowl as he looked at Fangzheng. Nodding, he said, “Master loves reciting. He hasn’t even drunk any water.”

When Fangzheng caught a whiff of the rice fragrance from outside, it made his stomach groan in hunger. He really wished to slap his disciples. Did they think he was not hungry enough? Also, who was it that was smacking his lips so loudly!?

After Lone Wolf, Monkey, Red Boy, and Squirrel confirmed that Fangzheng was not eating dinner, they left to do whatever they wanted to do. They believed that Fangzheng had his reasons for not eating.

Late at night, Lone Wolf was sleeping when he heard someone in the kitchen. His ears pricked up as he looked up at the kitchen. He discovered a figure moving in it. There was someone there!

“There’s a thief so late at night?” Lone Wolf frowned. Red Boy and Monkey were sleeping in the kitchen. Why were the two of them not making a single sound? Had something bad happened? Lone Wolf stealthily crept towards the door and peeked in. He saw a white-robed monk sitting by the stove, chomping down on rice. The speed at which he ate and the size of his open mouth made him resemble a reincarnated hungry ghost!

Monkey sat on the bed while Red Boy slumped in his crib weakly. While yawning, he smacked his lips and asked, “Master, aren’t you way too hungry? People in the know would know that you didn’t eat for a day, but those not in the know would believe that you have not eaten for a year. If you were hungry, why didn’t you join us in our meals? Is reciting scriptures that fun?”

Fangzheng grunted. What else he could say? Giving blessings was a trap, but how was he to explain that?

“Ding! Now you know how hard it is to give blessings. Did you think it would be so simple? Having everything with a thought? Without paying a price, how can there be anything in return?” commented the System.

Fangzheng grunted and continued eating. He could not be bothered to speak or waste his time on the System.