The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Fangzheng gave Lone Wolf a look of doubt and asked, “Don’t your kind like to eat… that kind of thing?”

“That’s dogs you’re talking about! I’m a wolf! A wolf!” Lone Wolf gave Fangzheng an aggrieved look as he stared at him.

Fangzheng patted his head and said, “I would have forgotten it if you hadn’t mentioned it. You’re a wolf, not a dog… Nothing like a doppy husky.”

With that said, Fangzheng walked towards Keke and Zhang Huixin, leaving Lone Wolf, who was looking at him with resentment, in his spot.

As Fangzheng walked, he did some tiny changes to his Door to Hell divine power. He made the rate at which time passed in the Door to Hell the same as in reality.

In the past, Fangzheng had entered as well, so he usually sped up time. A thousand years in the Door to Hell would be an instant outside. But this time, Fangzheng didn’t have the time to waste on Song Bin. He decided to throw Song Bin into the Door to Hell for a day while he led a quiet day.

In order not to frighten Keke and Zhang Huixin, Fangzheng had placed the two of them in a dream. They hadn’t seen the scene and instead, they only saw the men scuttle away after feeling an inexplicable fear towards Fangzheng. Keke clapped in delight when she saw this, despite not knowing how Fangzheng had scared off the heinous baddies.

With their moods spoiled, the trio decided to return. Back home, Keke held Fangzheng’s hand and got him to tell her stories.

“Uh, Keke, shouldn’t Mommy be the one telling you stories?” Fangzheng looked at Keke, who slumped over his legs like a kitten as he asked, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Keke shook her head. “I’ve heard all of Mommy’s stories. There’s nothing new. Daddy, you haven’t told me stories yet. So it’s your turn.”

Could Fangzheng reject her? Obviously not. Hence Fangzheng thought for a moment and began recounting some interesting stories from his childhood, as well as stories of the animals on Mt. One Finger. As expected, the little girl listened in relish, and without realizing it, Keke fell asleep on Fangzheng’s legs.

Fangzheng gently petted Keke and carried her to the room where he placed her in bed. He whispered to her. “Sleep. Once you wake up, all your illnesses will be gone, and your misery will end.”

As he spoke, Fangzheng condensed a Qi needle and began helping Keke attenuate the blockages in her body. At the same time, he used his Qi to help Keke regulate her meridians, vessels, and activated cells. By the time he treated all the latent medical problems Keke had, it was already late into the night.

“Master, are you going to treat Patron Zhang?” Lone Wolf asked out of curiosity.

Fangzheng nodded and said, “Yes. Stay here and watch Keke. I’ll be treating Patron Zhang.”

“Alright.” Lone Wolf lay beside Keke although he didn’t know what he was supposed to be watching out for… Could someone climb in through the windows?

Fangzheng entered the room, and Zhang Huixin immediately woke up when she heard the sound. She asked, “Abbot Fangzheng?”

Fangzheng pressed his palms together and said, “Amitabha. It’s This Penniless Monk.”

“Abbot Fangzheng, is there a reason why you aren’t sleeping this late into the night?”

Zhang Huixin asked out of curiosity.

“Patron, do you still remember what This Penniless Monk said to you before?”

“What?” Zhang Huixin was surprised.

Fangzheng could only repeat himself. “This Penniless Monk can treat medical conditions. Patron, This Penniless Monk can treat your condition.”

“What!?” Zhang Huixin had naturally treated what he said earlier as the claim of a charlatan, and she thought nothing of it. After a day’s interaction, she had already confirmed that Fangzheng wasn’t a bad person. So now, what he said was naturally worth something. Zhang Huixin nervously asked, “Really?”

Fangzheng said, “Of course. Patron, your condition might be a tough problem for others, but it’s very simple for This Penniless Monk. This Penniless Monk happens to have a medical technique that can treat both your legs and eyes. If you are agreeable to it, This Penniless Monk can start treating you now.”

“This… Can you really treat my eyes and legs?” Zhang Huixin asked incredulously. She subconsciously wanted to cry, for she felt she owed Keke too much because of her eyes and legs. She wished to recover even in her dreams, but what Fangzheng said sounded too surreal. She felt as though she were in a dream. Hence, Zhang Huixin kept pinching herself, but the pain left her grimacing as it should. She finally confirmed that she wasn’t dreaming.

Fangzheng smiled. “Patron, this isn’t a dream. Sit properly. Close your eyes and do not move. This Penniless Monk will first restore your vision before treating your legs.”

Upon hearing that Fangzheng was about to start, Zhang Huixin felt even more excited. She couldn’t repress the anxiety in her heart as she sat by the bedside. She closed her eyes and waited silently. At the same time, she felt Fangzheng press one hand on her head before a cool feeling penetrated her head. It was a little chilly and a little itchy. However, she didn’t believe that it was a result of Fangzheng. She wrote it off as an illusion that was the result of her anxiety. She asked softly, “Abbot Fangzheng, will it hurt?”

But Fangzheng didn’t say a word.

After waiting for a while, Zhang Huixin realized that Fangzheng’s hand had switched to another spot. She couldn’t help but ask, “Abbot Fangzheng, have you begun?”

Fangzheng said with a smile, “Patron, won’t you know if you open your eyes?”

Zhang Huixin was taken aback. Open her eyes? But she wouldn’t be able to see anything, would she? Just as this thought came to her, she opened her eyes. In an instant, Zhang Huixin felt that there was darkness before her eyes. Yet amid the darkness, there was a white figure standing before her. Although it was a little hazy, Zhang Huixin knew that she could see! At that instant, Zhang Huixin’s tears flowed out uncontrollably. People who had never been blind could never understand just how precious their eyes were. The joy of recovering something lost filled Zhang Huixin’s chest. She couldn’t help but burst out into tears like a child.

Fangzheng didn’t stop her. Instead, he allowed her to cry as much as she wanted. This family had collapsed because of her, and Keke had suffered tremendously as a result. But Fangzheng knew that Zhang Huixin similarly couldn’t withstand this torment that felt worse than death! Alive, she was a burden on her daughter; yet she worried what would happen to her daughter if she died. She had to struggle to choose between life and death on a daily basis, a pain no one could understand. However, Fangzheng could feel that this feeling was more painful than death.

Now, Zhang Huixin could finally see hope. The pain she had repressed in her heart all these years seemed to erupt like a torrential flood. She wasn’t just crying, but this was a way for her to vent and release all her built-up pain. Only when the pain was gone could there be room for happiness and bliss.

Zhang Huixin cried for half an hour before calming down. And the only thing Fangzheng could do was stand by the side. There was nothing else he could do. Zhang Huixin’s family was just too poor, to the point that they didn’t even have tissue paper. He couldn’t hand her one even if he wanted to. Besides, he had no experience with dealing with a woman’s crying. All he could do was to bite the bullet and silently stand there…

Thankfully Keke, who had been treated by Fangzheng of all her latent illnesses, was in an ethereal state of self-repair. She slept very soundly and wasn’t awakened. Otherwise, Fangzheng would likely have to face the mother-and-daughter duo’s crying. Just the thought of that scene left his scalp tingling.