The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

With that said, Monk called out to Glasses, and they went to look for timber. Xunzi planned on bringing Wei Yaqin to find a spot to hide from the wind and set up a temporary camp.

Unfortunately, finding a suitable camping ground on the pitch-black mountain was extremely difficult. It was even harder for Monk and Glasses to find dry timber under the snow… After quite a search, the two returned empty-handed. All Xunzi found was a huge boulder which they hid behind where the wind was a little weaker. However, it did not reduce the cold. The four trembled as they huddled together.

“We can’t continue like this. We are about to die. We need to think of a way to leave,” Wei Yaqin said.

“Leave? I wish to leave too. Maybe a ghost will point out the correct direction for us once we’re dead,” Monk said.

At that moment, a voice sounded to their right. “Follow me!”

“Who is it!?” The few of them jumped in fright, especially Monk. He had just mentioned ghosts, and now a young-sounding voice with a dark, creepy tone to it suddenly sounded. Monk felt his hair stand on its end.

Xunzi, Glasses, and Wei Yaqin had similar reactions. They looked around in horror, hoping to find the source of the voice. However, all they saw were either trees or rocks. Other than that there was only snow being swept up by strong gales. Their vision didn’t extend beyond twenty meters, and all that lay in front of them was the same white swath.

Glasses gulped his saliva and said, “That… was a hallucination, right?”

Just as he finished his sentence, the young voice sounded again. “I’m here! I’ll bring you guys out!”

Only then did they realize that the voice came from behind them! Furthermore, the voice didn’t sound like an adult’s at all. It was more like a two or three-year-old child that had just learned how to speak. It sounded pleasant, though, and it was very tender. It would have garnered a smile anywhere else, making them run over to hug the owner of the voice. But in this place…

Where were they? They were deep in the mountains, a primordial forest, a snow wasteland where stormy winds surged wantonly! The few of them adults were about to die. How could there be a child in such an environment? The cuter the child’s voice sounded, the colder the quartet felt. They subconsciously shrank their necks and fell silent, afraid that they would be eaten by the monster or ghost in the forest.

As they were hesitating, they didn’t realize that on a tree not far from them was a rotund little fellow. He wore an adorable look and mumbled to himself. “Is my Chinese that bad? Why don’t they seem to understand me? Should I call out another time?”

Therefore, Squirrel called out again. “Turn around! I’ll lead you out!”

“Holy sh*t! I can’t take it!” Monk was already pale from fright. He turned and began running.

When Xunzi saw this, he pulled Wei Yaqin together with Glasses and ran too! Wei Yaqin had previously saved their lives, so they naturally didn’t want to abandon her.

The moment the quartet ran, Squirrel turned anxious. What were they doing? Did they not understand human speak? Well, even though it was a squirrel speaking. But why did they run away when he called them over?

Not understanding their behaviour, Squirrel chased after them from behind, jumping across trees, shouting as he ran. “Don’t run! That’s the inner mountain. You will only get more lost if you run there! Slow down! Slow down!”

“Mommy! It’s chasing after us!” Monk was truly scared out of his wits. He turned his head a few times, but saw nothing. Yet the voice seemed to be just meters behind him. That feeling was as though a ghost was clinging onto him. He wailed out in fright and didn’t dare stop.

The other three were the same. They could understand it if the thing chasing after them was a wolf. But right on their tails was a child they couldn’t see or touch. It creeped them out, and with their most primal fears dug up, they released all their potential! They ran extremely fast even on the snow.

As they ran, Glasses shouted. “I know what’s behind us!”

“What is it?” Xunzi asked.

Glasses said, “Have you read ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas?’ It mentions: ‘A voice like a baby’s, the appetite of a cannibal!’ Anything that cries out like a baby is a man-eating demon! Run, the demon is about to catch up to us!”

After hearing Glasses, the few of them felt even more afraid. In the past, they would definitely not have believed in the existence of demons in this world. But the situation they were in was simply inexplicable by common sense. They had to believe it even if they didn’t wish to.

While Xunzi and company were running frantically, Squirrel was about to flare up on the trees. He cursed. “This bunch of idiots. The more I tell them to slow down, the faster they go!”

By this time, Red Boy had brought Fangzheng over. Upon seeing the scene below, Fangzheng, Red Boy, and Monkey exchanged looks. Was Squirrel actually trying to rescue them or cause trouble? Also, since when was he so frightening and monstrous? He actually made them run so frantically they didn’t have the courage to turn back!

But soon, the few of them understood from watching, and they could not help but laugh.

Red Boy asked, “Master, what do we do?”

Fangzheng thought and laughed. “How could it be easy for them to leave after going so deep into the mountains? Tell Jingkuan to do this…”

And so, Red Boy quickly transmitted the information to Squirrel.

The moment Squirrel heard Fangzheng’s idea, his eyes lit up. However, he was immediately stumped. He whispered. “Junior Brother, I don’t really know how to scare people. You used to be a demon king. Tell me, how should I act to appear like a demon?”

Red Boy passed the message to Fangzheng, only to have him laugh. “Does he need to act? Just let him say whatever he wants. As for the rest, you can aid him as you wish. You are the expert.”

Red Boy immediately replied, but afraid that Squirrel would be unsure of what to say, he added. “Choose the most ferocious and ruthless things to say you can imagine. Say out all the things you find most scary and frightening!”

Squirrel chuckled. He was given free reign? It was easy then! Squirrel sped up and jumped over the tree above the group of people. He ran ahead of them and shouted. “Halt!”

When Monk and company heard that, they realized that the monster was in front of them! Monk instantly jumped in fright as he hurriedly stopped and turned tail.

Xunzi and company weren’t slow to react either. They even turned around and ran away before him!

Squirrel didn’t know how to act as a demon, nor had anyone ever taught him. So he began making up things on his own. He guessed that demons were definitely frightening, so he absolutely had to sound ruthless. As an idea came to him, he used what he thought to be the most domineering and ruthless words, shouting the following; “Still trying to run? Run and I’ll steal all your pine nuts! Your dinner will be halved!”

The moment that was said, Fangzheng facepalmed. This child… Although everyone knew that his stomach wasn’t small, it was really the case that all he could think about was food!

However, what surprised Fangzheng was that Squirrel shouting something that made no sense whatsoever actually made the few people run even more frantically as their faces showed even more fear!

Fangzheng carefully listened and was instantly amused.

He heard Glasses make a smart-arse comment. “Run! The monster is about to eat us!”

Wei Yaqin said, “Why do I think this monster is quite amenable?”

Glasses exclaimed. “You should read more when you have nothing to do. Back when demons wanted to eat Tripiṭaka, they said all sorts of nice things to trick him into their caves! He’s definitely just acting adorable and cute now, but once we slow down, he will grab each and every one of us before swallowing us!”