The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

“For any Dao if someone can understand it, be it in the Heavenly Courts or in Mount Numinous, there will definitely be a spot reserved for them. For instance, the Star Lord of Fire and Star Lord of Water respectively figured out the Dao of Fire and the Dao of Water, giving them the ability to control fire and water. However, telling you all of this is useless. Because in this world, the Dao is hidden deeply and not obvious at all. Therefore, this world doesn’t have any gods or demons, only ordinary people. Yet you were able to sense the existence of the Dao partially because of the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall. In the future, when your Buddhist Dharma improves, or maybe when the Ten Thousand Buddha Hall is leveled up again, you might figure out something and become the Buddha of this world. Who knows?” said Red Boy.

Upon hearing that, Fangzheng felt a little thrilled. If he could become Buddha, wouldn’t that mean he could renounce asceticism early? Then, he could be a carefree immortal. That wasn’t too bad…

“Stop dreaming. Without the necessary ability or state of mind at a sufficiently high level, you will not become Buddha no matter how potent your divine powers are. Otherwise, wouldn’t all those demons have become Buddha by now? Having the strength without a heart of good, wrecking havoc, would make you a demonic fiend and not a Buddha. If you wish to renounce asceticism, you have to become a true Buddha,” said the System.

Upon hearing that, Fangzheng immediately wore a bitter look. Indeed, there were no shortcuts. The road ahead of him was a long one, and he could only clench his teeth and forge on!

Although he felt pissed, he soon stopped thinking of it. After all, attempting to cultivate to Buddhahood on Earth was harder than ascending to heaven. He did not wish to lose himself to such pointless ideas.

Meanwhile, a group of people were driving on the road that led to Mt. One Finger.

“Jing Yuhang, you didn’t contact Sis?” Seated in the passenger seat, Jing Yulong exclaimed.

Jing Yuhang said, “It’s not like we didn’t try calling. Who knows what Sis is busy with. Her phone is constantly busy, and the call doesn’t go through. She’s likely doing her rounds taking interviews. After all, being a reporter is busy work.”

Jing Yulong nodded and said, “I really can’t figure out why Sis wants to be a reporter. She is the most beloved granddaughter of the Patriarch. If she really wishes to be in media, can’t she just set up her own company?”

“Sis has always had a different way of thinking from us from a young age. She got a bunch of economic diplomas only to be a reporter. How many times has the Patriarch fumed over this? Is there any use? He still gets someone to watch over her in secret and take care of her. Forget it, let’s not talk about this. I’ve already made the call and informed her. In a way, we did say hi. She probably won’t find fault with us later,” said Jing Yuhang.

Jing Yulong nodded.

Before long, the few cars arrived at the base of Mt. One Finger.

“Lin Tai, the huge bell you mentioned is on this mountain?” Lin Tiancheng looked up at the mountain as infinite puzzlement filled his brows. He was not Lin Tai who didn’t think things through before doing them. Could this steep peak which reached into the clouds have a huge bell? He was very doubtful.

Jing Yuhang held his hands on his head and looked up at the peak. “This mountain trail is steep. Machines can’t go up. Is there really a bell as Brother Lin said? That bell should be hundreds of tons heavy, right? How can such a huge bell be carried up via human strength?”

Jing Yuhang did not say it directly, but everyone knew that he was expressing his doubts.

Lin Tai also knew that. His reputation wasn’t too great, so most people wouldn’t believe what he said. Therefore, he looked towards Song Tianqiao.

Song Tianqiao smiled and said, “Young Master Jing, I had the same doubts as you in the past, but it’s pointless to say anything now. You will know when you see it for yourself.”

Jing Yuhang and Lin Tiancheng were distrustful of Lin Tai, but they still believed Song Tianqiao.

Therefore, the group began going up the mountain.

On the way, Lin Tai secretly asked Lin Tiancheng, “Dad, why did you get him here? That bell is priceless, so why can’t we just take it for ourselves?”

Lin Tiancheng shot a glance at Lin Tai and asked, “Whose bell is it?”

“Fangzheng’s. Sigh, he’s a poor monk. The bell being in his hands is a waste of such a priceless treasure. Besides, can he stop us if we want it?” Lin Tai said in utmost confidence.

Lin Tiancheng asked, “Why can’t Fangzheng stop us?”

“He is a poor monk. He has no money and no power. He’s akin to an ant in front of us, and we can trample over him easily. Won’t the bell be ours if we just use a few tricks?” said Lin Tai.

“Then, how does our family compare to the Jing family?” asked Lin Tiancheng.

Lin Tai was stunned.

Lin Tiancheng patted Lin Tai and said, “Fangzheng is an ant in your eyes, but wouldn’t our Lin family be ants in the eyes of the Jing family? If this bell is really as good and expensive as you say, why did Song Tianqiao tell you this news and not try to get it for himself? Just as you said, if he didn’t tell you, you might imagine that there’s someone powerful behind this bell and you wouldn’t think of touching the bell. Then, he would have plenty of time to get the bell. He doesn’t take action because he’s smart. He’s afraid that without the necessary appetite for something this huge, it would only burst his stomach!

“Therefore, he told you the news. That way, regardless whether you obtain the bell or not, we owe him one. That is worth more than money. In the future, he can benefit from us greatly.

“Similarly, in Gulin province, our Lin family doesn’t have the appetite for such a huge bell. The only one that can swallow it down is a massive family like the Jing family! The Jing family patriarch is holding his eightieth birthday at the end of the year. The Jing family members are scouring the entire nation to find treasures to gift him.

“Similarly, we who want to succeed by building ties with the Jings need to put in a lot of effort to leave a good impression on them so that we can have a deeper partnership with them. Now, this bell would be the best gift. If Jing Yuhang obtains the bell and gifts it to Patriarch Jing, he will naturally learn that we were involved when he asks in joy.

“We don’t need a lot. Just a cursory mention from him would allow our company to easily have deals with the Jing family’s businesses! To put it bluntly, the excess that falls through the gaps of the Jing family’s businesses are enough for us to make loads!

“Little Tai, the business world is like a battleground. Thinking before acting is the way to protect and develop yourself. Any businessman’s success isn’t a result of driving a sports car and hitting on chicks or bragging in front of a table of delicacies. I wish that you can learn to think about things carefully and calm down. Learn something useful.”

When he said this, Lin Tiancheng looked at Lin Tai, who wore a blank expression, and shook his head. He truly felt helpless with regards to this son of his. Compared to Lin Tai, Lin Xi was more suitable for managing the company, but Lin Xi was ultimately a girl…

Lin Tiancheng was filled with envy when he observed Song Tianqiao as he chatted with Jing Yuhang and Jing Yulong about antiques and architecture. What was a family clan? It was definitely not as simple as having one skillful person. Having just one was a matter of good luck. Instead, a strong family was one which always had suitable heirs who could continue the family clan’s enterprise. Even if they didn’t forge new paths, they could at least preserve their existing estate, in wait for the next heir who could forge new paths.

But in front of him…

Although Lin Tai didn’t fully understand, he got it a little. The Lin family could not afford to offend the Jing family. Even though Jing Yuhang wasn’t from the direct lineage of the Jing family, they still needed to pander to him and try their best to cling onto the Jing family through him. With this in mind, Lin Tai felt a little pissed. He was already rich, so why did he need to live such an aggrieved existence?