The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

A police announcement suddenly sounded from outside. It was different from the other ones. It no longer sounded cordial and had a domineering tone to it. “This is the police. You are surrounded. You have already killed one person. Don’t make things worse!”

The moment that was said, Wang Dayou yelled out in panic, “That man is dead?”

His thoughts of releasing his hostages were instantly quelled. He shouted. “I didn’t kill… I didn’t! I really didn’t want to kill anyone…” At this point, Wang Dayou cried, but as he cried, he stared intently at Xia Jili and company. He knew very well that this was the only chip he had. Once they were released, he would only be met with endless disaster, starting with prison. Once he was doomed, his family would be doomed too.

Wang Dayou paced around inside, mumbling. Fangzheng listened by the side and gradually, he understood the situation.

The matter was simple. Wang Dayou had worked two years at Xia Jili’s construction site. He had scrimped and saved so that he could rush back after receiving his payment to treat his son with good food, buy new clothes for his wife, and build a clean and brightly lit house. Unfortunately, Xia Jili suffered cash flow problems and was unable to disburse all the salaries he owed. This had been dragging out for more than half a year already!

Wang Dayou wasn’t that anxious in the beginning. Like other workers, they protested with banners and complained to the government. But in recent times, he had received a phone call from his wife that his son had fainted and was sent to the hospital. After a check up, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and they were in urgent need of money!

With this shocking news, Wang Dayou turned anxious, but he was only a worker. His friends were the same as him. Even if they wished to help him, they didn’t have the money to.

After thinking about it many times over, Wang Dayou felt that the only solution was to seek out the boss for the money. However, he was just an ordinary, puny worker. Faced with the rich and powerful boss high above him, he wasn’t confident. He was even a little scared… He was afraid that the boss had bodyguards around him and would beat him the moment he approached him. He was afraid the boss would be like an evil bad guy from the novels, sending him to jail by pulling the strings he had with officials. He was afraid of many things.

To embolden himself, Wang Dayou found a nail gun and modified it using a method he had researched a long time ago, turning it into quite a powerful gun. He believed that he wouldn’t end up being beaten with this thing in hand. He could scare and frighten others with it. Perhaps, he could get his money back with just a couple of threats.

With this in mind, Wang Dayou had gone looking for Xia Jili, but it ended up developing into his present situation…

“Delaying money that can be used to save a life. It’s no wonder this guy came to you with a weapon.” Fangzheng looked at Xia Jili and shook his head.

Xia Jili was also repeatedly explaining himself to Wang Dayou. The company had cash flow problems, and he too was out of money. He didn’t have a solution either. Fangzheng knew that Xia Jili wasn’t lying from the way he presented himself. This matter could be said to be a mishmash of coincidences that created a huge farce. Yet, for this farce, a salesperson had been hit, turning it into a tragedy. Furthermore, it was a tragedy for which there was no immediate solution!

Fangzheng did have divine powers, and he could take Wang Dayou away and even help him get back his money. But what after that? Fangzheng could only help him once. Once he was gone, Wang Dayou would still have to face punishment from the law. He could be charged for manslaughter and armed robbery! That would be terrible.

At the same time, there was the innocent salesperson whose situation was unknown who also needed his help. But if Fangzheng were to leave, what would he do about the hostage situation?

Just as Fangzheng was feeling stumped…

Wang Dayou suddenly shouted, “I… I want to meet a reporter.”

“Meet a reporter?” Xia Jili was taken aback momentarily before his eyes lit up. He knew very well that agitating Wang Dayou was useless at the moment. The best solution to the present situation was to help Wang Dayou clear his name. Once that burden was lifted off his chest, he would release them, and they would be safe.

With this in mind, Xia Jili said, “There’s quite a huge commotion out there. I’m sure there are reporters outside. If you really wish to meet a reporter, you can negotiate with the police. Let them allow a few reporters in for an interview. Also, it’s best to have a live broadcast. This way, it can prevent them from editing things out. When the time comes, I’ll help explain things for you.”

Wang Dayou looked at Xia Jili, stunned. He thought to himself, “Since when were you so kind-hearted?” But he shook his head and said, “Just speak the truth.”

Xia Jili smiled ruefully. “Alright.”

With this in mind, Wang Dayou got a piece of paper and wrote down his request of meeting a reporter.

When Fangzheng saw this, he narrowed his eyes and suddenly spoke out. “Amitabha.”

“Who is it!” The Buddhist proclamation left everyone shuddering in unison. Almost all of them shouted at the same time.

Then, they saw a small door by the side open. Through it came a monk with fair skin and a genial look. Standing there, he looked like he was glowing. It comforted everyone who saw him greatly.

Wang Dayou pointed the nail gun at Fangzheng and asked, “Who… Who are you?”

Fangzheng already knew that Wang Dayou was a good person deep down. As long as he wasn’t agitated, causing a misfire, there was no danger. Hence he smiled. “This Penniless Monk is Fangzheng. Patron, don’t be alarmed. This Penniless Monk has seen everything that happened. If the reporter comes, This Penniless Monk is willing to testify for you!”

“What’s that place?” Wang Dayou pointed to the small room from which Fangzheng walked out as he asked warily.

Fangzheng knew that Wang Dayou was still quite clever, so he was afraid Fangzheng was a policeman who had sneaked in. Hence he said, “Patron, you can take a look for yourself.”

Wang Dayou shifted over and peeked in. It was a black room without any windows or underground basements, nor were there any ventilation holes. It would even be hard for rats to enter! There were a few big boxes that seemed to contain miscellaneous items. It’s likely a storeroom. Wang Dayou heaved a sigh of relief when he thought of that. However, he was puzzled. He had checked all the rooms previously, so why didn’t he notice this storeroom before?

Of course, this thought quickly dispersed because Fangzheng spoke up again.

“Patron, you wish to find a reporter?” Fangzheng asked.

For some reason, Wang Dayou’s fury was unconsciously tempered when facing the monk. It was as though he felt a little more at ease when seeing the monk. Unknowingly, he felt like trusting him.

He did not know that in his anxiety, he had been in a situation of trusting no one around him. He didn’t even trust the police he usually trusted the most and instead thought of them as a threat. However, Fangzheng as a monk was the kind of person that was usually harmless no matter the situation. Now, with Wang Dayou helpless and panicking, he was in desperate need for a straw to clutch at. Fangzheng’s appearance, together with the augmentation of the White Lunar Monk Robe, allowed him to close in on Wang Dayou’s heart. As such, Wang Dayou didn’t produce any agitated reactions. Instead, he nodded. “Yes, I need a reporter. I want to explain this matter to everyone. I don’t want to face the police outside alone. I… I don’t dare to.”