Chang'an City.
Today is the beginning of spring, and it is drizzling. The street vendors set up shop, and the flower girl came back from outside the city with a lot of fresh flowers covered with early dew.
Ruyi Tower is especially lively today, not because some girl wants to dance, nor because some young man has taken a fancy to the girls here, but because an uninvited guest has come to the tower.
Liu Zhuiyi, who had just returned from Fengyang River, brought the carp she had caught early in the morning to the kitchen and went to watch the fun. The young lady, who had just woken up, yawned and walked out, bumping into Liu Zhuiyi who was running around, and screamed in a shrill voice. When she saw that it was Liu Zhuiyi, she picked up the Xiuyun gauze that Mr. Zhou had given her yesterday and scolded her: "Girl Liu, where are you running to in men's clothes again? Be careful, don't scratch my skirt."
Liu Zhuiyi apologized repeatedly and said, "Sister Nian, I heard that a little monk came to the building to beg for alms. Do you want to go and see the fun?"
"What's so good about the little monk? Just give him some vegetarian food and send him away." Although Miss Nian complained, she still followed Liu Zhuiyi into the hall.
There stood a monk with a crew cut in the hall, about sixteen years old. He held a pottery bowl in one hand and a string of sandalwood Buddhist beads in the other. On his back was a guqin wrapped in black cloth. He was dressed in rags and wore a pair of weathered straw sandals. However, the monk was handsome and polite to the girls in the building. No one chased him away, but gathered around him to secretly glance at him, and laughed from time to time.
The little monk appeared in Ruyi Tower for a reason. He was the first person to enter the city today and had not eaten for several days. He saw an old man in the city and asked him for alms. The old man, who was probably confused because he had not slept well, pointed to Ruyi Tower not far away and said, "If you want to beg for alms, go to Ruyi Tower. It opens the earliest."
So the little monk simply came to Ruyi Tower.
Liu Zhuiyi sat on the pavilion, looking at him through the wooden railings, and found it extremely funny.
The little monk kept performing the one-handed salute, and his expression gradually became embarrassed.
Finally, one of the girls couldn't help herself and asked with a smile: "Little monk, where are you from? Are you here to watch the sisters dance?"
Upon hearing this, the young monk immediately bowed and said, "I have traveled all over the world and come here to beg for alms."
"Begging for alms?" The girl couldn't help laughing, her voice was like a silver bell, making the little monk a little embarrassed. The girl teased him again: "I wonder if you want to beg for worldly favors... or for love?"
The girls burst into good-natured laughter, the tone of their voices was so varied that the little monk blushed.
Liu Zhuiyi rolled her eyes at the ignorant woman downstairs, ran to the kitchen and fished out a live carp. She held the carp tightly and ran down from the building, shouting in a hoarse voice: "Come on, come on, sisters, make way, don't dirty your clothes." Hearing Liu Zhuiyi's voice, the girls in the hall consciously stepped back three steps.
Liu Zhuiyi threw the carp into the little monk's pottery bowl, patted the water off his palms, and said with a smile: "Little monk, I give it to you. You can decide whether to roast or grill it."
Who would turn fish into meat for a monk? Liu Zhuiyi's teasing was too blatant. Everyone in Ruyi Tower was watching the monk's reaction, waiting for him to blush again and make another joke. Anyway, Ruyi Tower hadn't had such fun for a long time.
The young monk looked at the carp still struggling in the bowl, bowed to Liu Zhuiyi and said, "Thank you, donor." After that, he turned and left.
Miss Nian was watching this upstairs and said, "He's not really going to roast or grill it, is he? All of you, step back. Don't bully a monk like this."
Miss Nian was the most authoritative person in Ruyi Tower. No one dared to disobey her when she spoke. The girls dispersed with complaints in their voices, but Liu Zhuiyi was still standing in the hall, looking thoughtful. After a while, she shook her hair and ran out quickly.
After the young monk got a live fish, he did not roast or grill it, but went to a clean stream outside the city and released the carp in the bowl.
“Amitabha, little guy, I won’t eat you. Go away.” Just as the little monk finished speaking, his stomach growled.
What a bad time to be hungry, he sighed.
Liu Zhuiyi, who was hiding in the distance, looked at the little monk and sighed, "What a dull little monk."
The young monk stood up and dusted off his old clothes. His stomach growled again. He leaned over and scooped up some stream water to drink, hoping to fill his stomach, but his stomach growled even more.
It doesn’t matter, I did a good deed today, Buddha will protect me from starvation, the little monk comforted himself.
After thinking this, his stomach rebelled even more. The little monk hurriedly chanted "Amitabha Buddha", his mind was not disturbed, and diverting his attention was a good method. He used this for nearly ten years.
Liu Zhuiyi thought the little monk was interesting, and came up with a plan to torment him again.
When night fell, the little monk found a dilapidated temple and built a fire. He had not been able to obtain any merit today and would have to go hungry again. It seemed that the Buddha was not in the mood to bless him for the time being.
The little monk leaned against a wooden table, his hands in his lap, licking his lips. There were some strange bird calls outside the temple, so he wrapped his clothes tightly and blocked his ears with two pieces of cloth.
However, blocking the ears cannot block the nose, let alone the heart and appetite. When the little monk was about to fall asleep, he suddenly smelled a fragrance. Although he had never eaten meat, he had smelled the aroma of meat and immediately recognized it as the aroma of barbecue.
As the little monk smelled the smell, his saliva began to flow. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and his consciousness became clear again.
Someone is having a barbecue.
"Amitabha, someone is killing people, what a sin." The little monk sighed and chanted, while getting up and walking towards the smell. He swore to the Buddha that he was just going to take a look and would never be tempted by the barbecue.
The one grilling the meat was Liu Zhuiyi, who had given him the live fish today. She was still dressed as a man, and the little monk didn't recognize her as a girl.
Liu Zhuiyi sniffed the barbecue exaggeratedly, tore off a piece of leg meat and took a bite, exclaiming: "It smells so good, it's a delicacy!"
The young monk swallowed his saliva and bowed, "Donor...donor, I am honored. Do you have any vegetarian food? I haven't eaten for three days. Please be kind to me."
Liu Zhuiyi pretended to rummage in his bag, took out a bun and handed it to the little monk.
The young monk wanted to take it but stopped.
"It's vegetarian, stuffed with cabbage." Liu Zhuiyi said.
The little monk felt relieved, took the bun respectfully with both hands and started to eat it. As soon as the bun entered his mouth, the little monk felt something was wrong and spat it out repeatedly. He broke the bun open and saw that it was cabbage with meat!
"Donor, you!" The little monk blushed with anger, "Donor, how could you deceive me? This is clearly cabbage with meat filling!"
Liu Zhuiyi glanced at him and shirked responsibility, "Yes, it's cabbage stuffing with some meat. You took it before I finished speaking. You little monk are so impatient, and you blame me?"
The little monk was so anxious that he didn't know what to do. He simply sat down cross-legged, rubbed the Buddhist beads in his hand, closed his eyes and chanted: "Namo Amitabha, Namo Amitabha, Namo Amitabha..."
Liu Zhuiyi laughed a little wildly. She held back her voice and asked, "Little monk, what's your name?"
The young monk stopped chanting and said aggrievedly, "I am just a humble monk." Then he continued chanting.
"Stop chanting, Buddha can't hear you." Liu Zhuiyi said with a smile.
"Buddha can hear it!" Bian Zhener retorted, and then continued to recite.
Liu Zhuiyi frowned. What a stubborn little monk! She was too lazy to tease him anymore. If he started crying, she wouldn't be able to stop him. Liu Zhuiyi took out three cakes from her bag, put them in front of Bian Zhen'er, and left stealthily.
When Bian Zhener finished reciting the sutra and opened his eyes, Liu Zhuiyi had disappeared. He shouted in confusion: "Donor? Donor? Strange, where did you go?" No matter what, he went back to the temple to sleep. Just as Bian Zhener was about to get up, he saw the cake on the ground. He quickly picked it up, broke it open and smelled it. There was sugar inside.
It seems that the Buddha has returned his mind to blessing him. Bian Zhener was in a good mood, biting the sugar cake in big mouthfuls. Now, he can finally have a good sleep.
The next day, the sky cleared up a bit. The spring rain yesterday moistened everything. The willow trees at the bridgehead had sprouted new buds. The sun rose in the east, making the water in the Feng River sparkle.
Liu Zhuiyi was sending the caught fish to Ruyi Tower, but was stopped halfway by a bearded man and his men, who said that they had caught the fish from the Yun family's territory but had not paid him.
Liu Zhuiyi threw the fish basket to the ground, put his hands on his waist and said fiercely: "I have been fishing here for five years, and I have never heard that this Feng River belongs to your Yun family!"
"Our Second Young Master Yun bought this place yesterday, is that not okay?" the bearded man shouted.
Liu Zhuiyi spread out one hand and said, "Okay, I'll buy it. Let me see the deed."
"How can I show you the Yun family's land deed, you little brat!" the bearded man glared.
"If you don't show me the deed, I'll continue fishing!" Liu Zhuiyi picked up the fish basket and prepared to leave.
The bearded man hurriedly ordered: "Catch this guy, and these fish, these fish belong to Second Young Master Yun, take them all back to the Yun family!"
The bearded man's men rushed forward and grabbed Liu Zhuiyi's hands, holding her down so that she could not move. The bearded man happily picked up the fish basket and even weighed it.
Liu Zhuiyi raised his leg and kicked the bearded man wildly, shouting, "You bad guy! Put down my fish basket!"
The bearded man tilted his head, pointed at her nose, and said, "How dare you scold me?"
Liu Zhuiyi stretched his neck and wanted to bite the bearded man's hand, and said fiercely: "What's wrong with scolding you? That's what I eat. If you don't want me to catch fish, show me the land deed! If you have the guts, show it to me!"
The bearded man was already over thirty years old, but he was suddenly scolded by the teenager in front of him. His beard trembled on his chin, and he pointed at Liu Zhuiyi and shouted: "You...what did you scold me for?"
Liu Zhuiyi was so angry that he yelled, "Are you still deaf?"
"I..." The bearded man clenched his fists, and finally raised his hand, wanting to beat her up.
"stop!"
A voice rebuked the bearded man and everyone turned to look and saw a young monk in tattered clothes.
Liu Zhuiyi seemed to have seen a savior and hurriedly shouted, "Little monk, save me!"
Bian Zhener sighed and walked over quickly. Liu Zhuiyi looked at him happily, with an expression that said, "My acquaintance is here, so wait for your death." However, Bian Zhener did not save Liu Zhuiyi. He took the fish basket off the bearded man's back with great distress, and released the fish while blaming them: "Amitabha, there are so many of you, why do you have to pick on a few fish?"
The expression on Liu Zhuiyi's face instantly turned into embarrassment. She lowered her head in annoyance. She shouldn't have counted on this little monk.
After Bian Zhen'er released all the fish, he walked back to the bearded man, pointed at Liu Zhuiyi, and said, "Okay, benefactor, now, please release my friend."
"Who are you?" The bearded man looked Bian Zhen'er up and down, and seeing that he looked weak and handsome, and had no special abilities, he looked at him with disdain.
Bian Zhener explained politely: "I am the friend of this donor. My friend did something wrong, so I apologized on her behalf."
"It's not my fault, little monk." Liu Zhuiyi struggled, "I have been fishing in Feng River for more than ten years, and no one has ever said that I can't fish in this river. But this bearded man said that this river was bought by their Yun family, and he refused to show me the deed. I think something is wrong. This bearded man even used brute force to deal with me. Little monk, look at me, I am so weak, what can I do to them?"
Liu Zhuiyi blinked at Bian Zhen'er and acted pitiful. Bian Zhen'er thought for a moment and felt that what she said made sense, so she looked at the bearded man and said, "Benefactor bearded man, fishing is my friend's livelihood. If Fenghe River is privately owned by your Yun family, then please show the relevant contracts and certificates. It is really unacceptable for you to be so rude to my friend. Ah, and if there is a dispute, it should be resolved by the government, not privately. God is watching over what you do, Amitabha."
The bearded man was stunned when he heard this. His subordinate, the scarred man, looked at him sideways and asked in a rough voice, "Brother, what should we do?"
"What else can we do? Capture them both!" The bearded man gave the order. Liu Zhuiyi was grabbed by the shoulders and taken to one side by two men. Scarface walked over and wanted to subdue Bian Zhener, but the strange thing was that no matter how Scarface tried to pull Bian Zhener, Bian Zhener just stood straight and Scarface could do nothing to him.
Scarface surrounded Bian Zhen'er, hugged and carried him, but Bian Zhen'er didn't move at all.
The bearded man walked over and stared at Bian Zhen'er as if he had seen a monster, and said, "This is strange, how can you, a thin little monk, have so much strength?" As he said this, the bearded man got into a horse stance and was about to carry Bian Zhen'er up.
Bian Zhener remained calm, the big bearded man wrapped around his waist, his face reddened. Bian Zhener sighed softly, sucked in his lower abdomen, and then exhaled violently. An invisible force pushed the big bearded man away, and the big bearded man sat on the ground, the cobblestones hurting his butt.
Seeing the beard's embarrassed look, his men couldn't help but laugh secretly. The beard was humiliated and stood up again with a stick, eager to fight with Bian Zhen'er.
Seeing this, Liu Zhuiyi warned, "Little monk, this guy is ruthless, you have to be careful!"
Bian Zhen'er was calm and composed all the time. He didn't dodge when the stick was swung down at his forehead. Liu Zhuiyi screamed in shock, but saw the stick stopped in front of Bian Zhen'er's forehead, only an inch away.
The bearded man tried his best to hit the stick, but it wouldn't go down. There was a red light on Bian Zhen'er's forehead, like a force protecting him, and the bearded man's strength was no match for that force.
The bearded man was unwilling to admit defeat. He gritted his teeth and insisted on hitting Bian Zhen'er on the forehead with the stick. The veins on his hands bulged.
Bian Zhener closed his eyes, shook his head and said, "Donor, why are you so persistent? Amitabha."
After saying that, Bian Zhener suddenly opened his eyes, and a force expanded outward from his body. His tattered robes were blown high up, and the bearded man was caught off guard and bounced back, and his body fell heavily on the river bank.
Everyone was terrified. The bearded man fell by the river, with the back of his head hitting a rock. He whimpered a few times, then closed his eyes and lost consciousness.
The bearded men mistook Bian Zhen'er for a demon and fled in terror. Liu Zhuiyi was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth.
Bian Zhener walked up to the bearded man, clasped his hands together in greeting, and tried to pick him up to check his condition. But as soon as Bian Zhener's hand passed through the back of the bearded man's head, he felt a sticky liquid.
Bian Zhen'er was shocked and quickly pulled out his hand to look, only to see that it was covered with scarlet blood.
Liu Zhuiyi ran over and saw this scene. He sniffed the bearded man's breath and listened to his heartbeat.
"Little monk, you...you...you killed someone." Liu Zhuiyi pointed at the bearded man who had lost his breath and heartbeat on the ground, and looked at Bian Zhener tremblingly.
Bian Zhener's face showed a trace of panic. He said, "Impossible. This amount of strength is not enough to kill him."
"But there are stones here." Liu Zhuiyi glanced at the sharp stones on the ground, his voice trembling.
Bian Zhener fell to one side and looked at his hands in a daze.
How could he kill someone? He was a monk, and killing someone was against the Buddhist precepts. Neither the master nor the Buddha would forgive him.
Seeing that Bian Zhen'er was in a trance, Liu Zhuiyi shook him and called out, "Little monk?"
"You said he is from the Yun family, right?" Bian Zhener quickly came to her senses and said calmly.
Liu Zhuiyi didn't know what Bian Zhen'er was going to do, so he could only answer obediently, "Yes."
Bian Zhener immediately stood up and walked towards Chang'an City.
"Little monk, where are you going?" Liu Zhuiyi asked.
"Go and plead guilty." Bian Zhener said, looking straight ahead with extraordinary determination.
Liu Zhuiyi hurried over, grabbed Bian Zhener's arm, and said, "You'll die if you go. Don't you know that killing someone means paying with your life?"
"I'll pay with my life. I killed someone, so I deserve to pay with my life. Please let me go, little donor." Bian Zhener said stubbornly.
"You little monk are really stupid!" Liu Zhuiyi refused to let go, saying, "How can you die like this? Besides, you accidentally killed someone because you were trying to save me, so I am also responsible. I can't just watch you die."
Bian Zhen'er's eyes were red, and he said, "But the Buddha will not forgive me."
"Buddha will forgive you." Liu Zhuiyi held Bian Zhen'er's hand under his armpit, fearing that he would run away, and said, "Come with me."
Liu Zhuiyi took Bian Zhener to an abandoned temple.
Although this temple is abandoned, it is clean. When Liu Zhuiyi doesn't want to stay in Ruyi Tower, she will live here. It is quiet and free here. She cleans it up by herself and almost regards it as her own territory.
Liu Zhuiyi pressed Bian Zhen'er on the cushion and said, "Just talk to the Buddha here. I tell you, although I am from Ruyi Tower, I have lived here longer than in Ruyi Tower. Every time I ask the Buddha for something, it will come true in the end. So, the Buddha here is the most efficacious. If he forgives you, he will shed a tear from his left eye. If he does not forgive you, he will shed a tear from his right eye." Liu Zhuiyi was very sincere in his words.
Bian Zhener asked half-doubtfully, "Is it really that accurate?"
"Really, I swear on the happiness of the rest of my life!" Liu Zhuiyi said firmly.
When Bian Zhener saw that Liu Zhuiyi had sworn, he nodded, then closed his eyes and chanted to the Buddha.
Liu Zhuiyi breathed a sigh of relief and left. She found a shovel outside the temple, ran to the Fengyang River, dug a hole, and buried Big Beard in it. Finally, Liu Zhuiyi knelt in front of Big Beard's grave and said, "Big Beard, I will come here to burn incense for you every year in the future. Please don't turn into a ghost and come to find me." After that, she kowtowed three times and turned back to the temple.
It was already dark at this time, and the cries of unknown animals could be heard all around, which made Liu Zhuiyi feel creepy.
The moon was hanging high in the night sky, and thin clouds were surrounding it, making the moonlight even dimmer. Liu Zhuiyi shrugged her shoulders and looked around, fearing that a bearded scoundrel would jump out of the woods and drag her down to the underworld.
Just where Liu Zhuiyi left, the moonlight shone on the loose soil on the lonely grave, and a hand suddenly stretched out from the mud.
Liu Zhuiyi quickened his pace and ran back to the temple. Bian Zhener was still chanting, and Liu Zhuiyi went around the Buddha statue, climbed up the statue, and poured the water in the bamboo tube into the left eye of the Buddha statue.
Liu Zhuiyi returned to Bian Zhen'er without anyone noticing, and knelt beside him to imitate Bian Zhen'er in chanting. After a while, Bian Zhen'er finished chanting and opened his eyes, and indeed found that a tear was falling from the Buddha's left eye.
"Did the Buddha really shed tears?" Bian Zhen'er refused to believe it.
Liu Zhuiyi rolled his eyes and said, "Perhaps the Buddha feels that this matter is not entirely your fault."
Bian Zhener frowned slightly and said, "But even if the Buddha doesn't blame me entirely, I will blame myself. When my master was alive, he told me not to get close to women and evil people, but now I am close to evil people and I have killed someone."
"You did this to save me. Besides, you did it by mistake, so it's understandable." Liu Zhuiyi said.
Bian Zhener sighed like an old man. He stood up from the mat, clasped his hands together and said, "I'm sorry."
Liu Zhuiyi wanted to persuade them to do something, but suddenly heard a commotion outside. Then, the door of the temple was kicked open, and the second young master of the Yun family appeared in the temple with a group of people in a menacing manner.
Liu Zhuiyi rushed in front of Bian Zhener, opened his hands and asked fiercely: "What are you doing?"
The scarred man stood behind Second Young Master Yun. He pointed at Bian Zhen'er and complained, "Second Young Master, it was that monk who killed Brother Hu. I and my brothers can testify to this."
The second young master Yun had sharp eyebrows and star-like eyes, fair and smooth skin, eyes like stars, and lips like cherry blossoms. Liu Zhuiyi had heard of his reputation. He was the most handsome man in Chang'an City. He was a playboy with a beautiful body but no brains.
"Did you kill my men?" Young Master Yun asked in a stern manner.
Bian Zhen'er was about to speak, but was stopped by Liu Zhuiyi. Liu Zhuiyi crossed his arms and said in a rough voice: "Come to me if you have anything to say!"
A sound of contempt came out of Yun Yao's nostrils. He stretched out his hand and grabbed Liu Zhuiyi's head, and said arrogantly: "Little guy, don't try to stop a chariot with your arms. Just step aside and don't hinder your brother from catching people."
Yun Yao was extremely strong, and Liu Zhuiyi was unable to move as his head was held down.
Seeing Liu Zhuiyi's helpless appearance, Yun Yao relaxed a little , then looked up at Bian Zhener and ordered, "Catch this little monk for me."
Taking advantage of this distraction, Liu Zhuiyi suddenly grabbed Yun Yao's hand and held him hostage. For a moment, all his men were so scared that they dared not move.
Liu Zhuiyi shouted loudly: "The second young master of the Yun family is notorious. He has been in brothels for many years, but his kung fu is just so-so. Because of this, he almost pissed off his father to death. Second young master, try to see if you can break free from me." Her last sentence was extremely threatening.
Yun Yao, who knew the current situation, was a hero. He hurriedly said, "Two heroes, let's talk it over. Don't move! Don't move!"
Liu Zhuiyi raised his thick eyebrows and said to Bian Zhener, "Little monk, you go first. There is a back door behind the Buddha statue."
Bian Zhen'er was worried and warned, "Little donor, don't hurt anyone."
"I got it. Stop talking nonsense and let's go!" Liu Zhuiyi urged.
Bian Zhener obediently walked around the Buddha statue and actually discovered that there was an exit behind the statue.
Bian Zhener pushed open the disguised door and shouted, "Little donor, I'm out!"
Liu Zhuiyi held Yun Yao hostage and retreated, pointing at Yun Yao's men as he retreated, saying, "Don't come over here. If you come over here, I will kill your young master and make you fail to complete your mission."
"Don't come over, don't come over." Yun Yao was dragged back tremblingly by Liu Zhuiyi.
After Liu Zhuiyi went out, she picked up a rope by the door. She handed the rope to Bian Zhener, took Yun Yao and walked a long distance away. Then she tore open her skirt, blocked Yun Yao's mouth, and tied Yun Yao to the tree with a rope.
Liu Zhuiyi was afraid that Yun Yao would run away, so he tied the rope very tightly, making Yun Yao whimper.
"That's all right now." Liu Zhuiyi tied the rope into a knot, clapped her hands, walked in front of Yun Yao, gently fanned Yun Yao's cheek with her palm, and said arrogantly, "Second Young Master Yun, remember, my name is 'your dad'. The big bearded man was indeed killed by the little monk, but the big bearded man did the wrong thing first, and the little monk accidentally killed him in order to save me. It was not intentional. So you have to promise me that you won't make things difficult for the little monk and me from now on. If you agree, nod your head. If you don't agree, I will cut you." As she said that, she swung her empty fist towards Yun Yao's crotch.
Yun Yao was so scared that his legs tightened and he nodded quickly.
Liu Zhuiyi nodded with satisfaction and said, "That's good to say. Big Beard is buried on the bank of Fengyang River. Go and see it when you have time." After saying that, she wanted to leave, but she stopped immediately, holding her chin in thought.
Yun Yao looked at Liu Zhuiyi in confusion. Liu Zhuiyi reached out his hand to Yun Yao's waist with a sly smile and took out the purse from his clothes. Liu Zhuiyi threw the purse into the air, caught it , and said with a smile: "Little monk, let's go."
Bian Zhener bowed to Yun Yao and followed Liu Zhuiyi's steps and left.
Not long after Liu Zhuiyi and Bian Zhener left, Yun Yao's men came over. When they saw their master, they quickly apologized and untied the rope for Yun Yao. Yun Yao pulled the cloth out of his mouth and looked in the direction where Liu Zhuiyi and Bian Zhener left.
"Second Young Master, are you still chasing?" asked Scarface.
"Chase, of course. But you don't have to go, I will go alone." Yun Yao's eyes were filled with ambiguous colors, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.
Scarface said in embarrassment: "Second Young Master, we are worried about you going alone. This... this old master is also worried."
"Oh." Yun Yao pretended to understand and asked, "Do you mean to block my way?"
"No, no, I dare not. I dare not." Scarface bowed his head.
Yun Yao crossed his arms over his chest, and thought of the two soft lumps he felt on his back when Liu Zhuiyi had held him hostage, and he couldn't help but smile.
Then he said, "Go back and take good care of the bearded man. He was lucky this time and managed to survive. But since that little monk has touched my people, I will never let him go."
"But Second Young Master, the master asked us to keep a close eye on you." Scarface hesitated, afraid that he would accidentally anger Yun Yao.
Yun Yao frowned, and indeed he was getting impatient. He said, "Do you think I am a child? Do I need you to watch over me? Take out all the money you have and get out of here!"
This young master likes to kick people when he gets angry. Scarface and the others instinctively took a few steps back, hurriedly took out their purses from their pockets, and handed them to Yun Yao respectfully.
Yun Yao took the purse, weighed it in his hand, and left without looking back.
Scarface and his men stood there in confusion, and after a long while they looked at each other at a loss. This time, they would be punished by the old man again when they returned.
It was midnight, and the sky was covered with dark clouds. Liu Zhuiyi and Bian Zhen'er slid down a slope onto the road under the moonlight, and the two walked one after the other toward the outside of Chang'an City.
"Hey, little monk, wait for me." Liu Zhuiyi patted the mud on his butt, trotted behind Bian Zhener, and nervously pulled the corner of his clothes.
She was afraid of the dark, so she didn't dare to go too far away from Bian Zhener.
It was quiet all around, with the sound of insects chirping in the bushes, and their light footsteps were particularly obvious in the night. Liu Zhuiyi looked around while dragging Bian Zhen'er.
Bian Zhener said something out of the blue that frightened Liu Zhuiyi so much that he shivered.
"Little donor, is the Second Young Master Yun okay?"
Liu Zhuiyi patted his chest and said to calm down: "Don't worry, his people will find him."
"That's good. This matter has implicated you, the young donor. Bian Zhen'er feels extremely sorry." Bian Zhen'er said, turning around and bowing to Liu Zhuiyi.
Liu Zhuiyi was quite generous. She waved her hand and said, "It doesn't matter if I'm involved or not. Originally, this matter was caused by me. Oh, by the way, little monk, don't call me little donor. It's weird. I have a name. My name is Liu Zhuiyi, the Zhuiyi in 'This feeling can be turned into a memory'." Liu Zhuiyi emphasized the last few words and looked at Bian Zhener with a smile.
Bian Zhener bowed again and said, "Mr. Liu."
"Ah..." Liu Zhuiyi was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She touched her long hair, looked down at the men's clothes on her body, and laughed foolishly.
It turned out that the little monk had always thought of her as a man.
Then, she would just make the best of it. Liu Zhuiyi pointed at a big tree behind Bian Zhener and said, "Little monk, Yun Yao and the others will definitely not be able to catch up. Let's take a rest first before continuing on our journey, shall we?"
Bian Zhener turned his head to look at the big tree behind him and said, "Okay."
He walked under the tree and sat against it, and Liu Zhuiyi sat beside him.
Liu Zhuiyi looked at Bian Zhen'er who was resting with his eyes closed and couldn't help asking, "Little monk, I saw you carrying this zither when I was in Ruyi Tower. Is it important to you? You even carry it with you when you sleep."
Bian Zhener opened his eyes and said, "This is the only thing my master left me, so it is naturally important."
Liu Zhuiyi scratched his head and asked again: "Little monk, where are you from? What are you doing in Chang'an?"
Bian Zhen'er didn't want to answer. She closed her eyes and said in a voice filled with sleepiness, "I came from all over the world and I will go to all over the world."
Seeing that Bian Zhen'er didn't want to answer the question, Liu Zhuiyi stopped asking. She hugged her arms and leaned against the tree, but she felt uncomfortable all over. She looked up at Bian Zhen'er's handsome face, pursed her lips and leaned closer to him, and then leaned closer.
Only when her head could rest comfortably on Bian Zhener's shoulder did she fall into a deep sleep peacefully.
At noon the next day, a few birds chirped and landed on Bian Zhener's arm.
Bian Zhener was awakened and opened his eyes.
He and Liu Zhuiyi had found themselves sleeping on the floor in their clothes, with the floor as their bed. Liu Zhuiyi was resting her head on his chest with one leg resting on his waist.
"Such an indecent sleeping posture, fortunately you are a man."
Bian Zhener sighed, moved Liu Zhuiyi's feet away, then carefully took off the outermost layer of her clothes and used it as a pillow for Liu Zhuiyi.
Then he got up and went looking for food.
When Liu Zhuiyi woke up, Bian Zhen'er had not come back yet. She mistakenly thought that Bian Zhen'er had left, and could not help but get up and shout Bian Zhen'er's name everywhere.
Bian Zhen'er, who was picking wild fruits, heard Liu Zhuiyi's voice, wrapped the wild fruits in his pocket, and walked over slowly: "Donor Liu, are you awake?"
When Liu Zhuiyi saw Bian Zhen'er, he rushed over angrily, put his hands on his hips and accused her, "Where have you been? I thought you left. I'm telling you, we are on the same boat now. You can't leave me alone."
Bian Zhener looked at the aggressive Liu Zhuiyi without saying a word. He took out a wild fruit from his pocket, wiped it on his clothes, and handed it to Liu Zhuiyi.
Liu Zhuiyi was stunned and stared at the fruit in Bian Zhener's hand in a daze.
After a while, she took the fruit from his hand, took a bite, and it tasted sweet, and her heart felt sweet too.
Bian Zhen'er said: "Don't worry, I won't leave. You helped me, I helped you, we are friends."
Liu Zhuiyi felt guilty for his rashness just now, and at this moment his voice changed and he said gently, "I'm sorry, little monk."
"No need to say sorry. Is the fruit sweet?" Seeing Liu Zhuiyi eating the fruit with relish, Bian Zhener took one out to taste as well.
"Sweet." Liu Zhuiyi nodded, then she thought of something and asked, "Little monk, how old are you this year?"
Bian Zhen'er thought for a moment and said, "According to the birthday my master gave me in the past, this year I am sixteen."
"I am one year older than you." Liu Zhuiyi said, "So I am your sister... uh... brother in the future, you have to listen to me in everything. I still have money, so I won't starve in the short term." As he said that, Liu Zhuiyi took out Yun Yao's purse and shook it in front of Bian Zhener.
Bian Zhener smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Brother Liu."
Liu Zhuiyi was chewing a fruit, and when she heard Bian Zhener calling her like that, her face flushed and she turned away and laughed secretly.
This little monk is really interesting.
After enjoying their "breakfast", Bian Zhen'er and Liu Zhuiyi went to a market.
This place is 5,000 meters away from Chang'an City. Liu Zhuiyi used Yun Yao's money to buy two horses and prepared some dry food and clothes. She counted the silver coins in her hands and said, "Little monk, we don't have much money left. We can only last for ten days at most. With the dry food we have, we can last for half a month. We have to think of some way to make money."
Bian Zhener frowned and said, "I only know how to play the piano."
"I know a little bit of Kung Fu, and I also learned from the sisters in Ruyi Tower... um, ha, those are all done by girls. Little monk, if I steal the silver bags of those dude boys, will you look down on me?" Liu Zhuiyi tilted his head and looked at Bian Zhener, and added, "I mean when I have no other choice."
Bian Zhen'er was a little embarrassed. What should he do? His master said that stealing was a serious crime and could not be done. But he was a monk and Liu Zhuiyi was a layman. How could he stop Liu Zhuiyi from doing anything? Forget it... Bian Zhen'er sighed and said, "I will just pretend that I saw nothing."
"Little monk, you are so nice!" Liu Zhuiyi jumped up excitedly and gave Bian Zhener a hug on the spot. Passersby looked over and looked at the strange behavior of the two "men" in front of them in confusion. Liu Zhuiyi leaned over and said, "Go away, what are you looking at? Haven't you seen such a handsome little monk?"
The thin-skinned Bian Zhen'er felt a little embarrassed after hearing what Liu Zhuiyi said. Without saying a word, he had to follow Liu Zhuiyi. When he was hungry, he would eat whatever she ate.
Finally, Liu Zhuiyi took Bian Zhener on horseback and left the market.
As soon as the two left, Yun Yao appeared at the market.
Yun Yao was a man who would not stop causing trouble. He walked on the street with his sleeves thrown behind his back. When he saw a pretty girl, he would smile at her, causing the girls to avoid him.
"Hey, hey, hey." Yun Yao pulled the citizens who were walking in the streets carrying candied haws and asked, "Have you seen a little monk? There is a little boy following him."
How could a small candied haws seller dare to cause trouble? He quickly said, "No, no."
Yun Yao grabbed his shoulder and asked a few more people, but still to no avail.
Just when he was worrying, his eyes rolled, he touched his purse, and an idea came to him.
Yun Yao threw a few copper coins to the noodle stall owner, then climbed onto the table, stood tall, took out a few coins from his purse, and shouted, "Come on, come on, all over here!"
Citizens came following the sound and stood below pointing at him.
Yun Yao tossed the silver in his hand and said, "My fellow villagers, I have lost contact with two friends and am trying to find out their whereabouts. If anyone knows their whereabouts, please let me know. Although the silver in my hand is not a token of respect, it is also a token of my heart. One of the two friends is a young monk and the other is my younger brother. Both are very handsome."
It is always easier to talk with money. As soon as Yun Yao finished speaking, a citizen shouted, "I know, I know! I have seen those two people. I saw them at the horse market. They bought two horses and went south."
Yun Yao smiled and said, "Thank you for telling me, brother!"
As he said that, he jumped off the table and put the silver coins into the hands of the citizens. The citizens were delighted as they counted the silver coins, while Yun Yao left with satisfaction that his "plan had succeeded".
However, Yun Yao has always been conceited. When he was scheming against others, he didn't know that someone was also scheming against him.
As the saying goes, if you have money, don't show it to others to avoid disaster. Yun Yao used silver to trick people just now, and he was targeted by bandits in the nearby mountains, but he didn't know it at all.
Bian Zhener and Liu Zhuiyi walked for several hundred meters and came to a place with beautiful scenery.
Liu Zhuiyi saw a clear lake in the lush greenery, so he stopped his horse, turned around and said to Bian Zhener, "Little monk, I'm going to wash my face. You rest here for a while."
"Okay." Bian Zhener replied.
Liu Zhuiyi jumped off the horse, tied the reins to a tree, and walked deeper into Pinghu Lake. Bian Zhener watched her back gradually disappear among the branches and leaves.
The air here is very good, with the scent of moist grass and trees, and the green trees provide shade. Bian Zhener sat on the ground and prepared to recite the sutra.
Suddenly, Liu Zhuiyi's voice came from the bushes again: "Little monk, I'm going to the toilet, please don't come over."
Bian Zhener opened his eyes and said helplessly: "I won't go over."
Liu Zhuiyi was relieved, but she was not going to the toilet. When she came to the lake, she scooped up some water to wash her face. She saw that her reflection in the water was very dirty, so she decided to untie her hair and wash it.
Bian Zhen'er recited the Meditation Sutra for a while and suddenly felt thirsty. Seeing that Liu Zhuiyi had not returned yet, he stood up, took the water bag from the saddle, and wanted to go to the lake to get some clean water.
In order to avoid running into Liu Zhuiyi, Bian Zhener deliberately walked to the other side. The lake water here was very clean and clear, and you could see the bluestones and fish and shrimps at the bottom of the lake. Bian Zhener rolled up his sleeves, used a water bag to swing the lake water, and then poured some water into the bag.
At this moment, a clear sound of splashing water came from among the grass leaves. Bian Zhener frowned, wondering, wasn't Liu Zhuiyi going to the toilet? Why was there a splashing sound? Could it be that she had finished going to the toilet and was washing her hands?
Bian Zhener looked at the water bag in his hand and was a little dazed for a moment.
However, after a while, there was still the sound of splashing water, which did not sound like washing hands at all. Bian Zhener was full of doubts and could not help but pull aside the grass leaves and follow the sound.
The light gradually brightened. Bian Zhen'er slowly raised her head from the grass and saw Liu Zhuiyi's back. She was sitting by the lake with her long hair hanging in the water. She bowed and poured water on her hair. She looked gentle and playful, not like a man at all!
No, isn't she originally a man?
Bian Zhen'er was so surprised that he lost his balance and fell down by the lake.
Hearing the noise, Liu Zhuiyi turned his head hurriedly and said in surprise, "Little monk!"
She stood up quickly, but because of an unexpected situation, she slipped and fell into the lake. Liu Zhuiyi half-sticked out of the lake, wiped the water off his face, stared at Bian Zhener and scolded: "Little monk, didn't I tell you not to come over?"
Bian Zhen'er looked at Liu Zhuiyi, whose figure was more prominent because of her wet body, and felt wronged and angry. He turned his head and asked, "Since you are a girl, why did you come to deceive me?"
Liu Zhuiyi climbed up from the lake, put his hands on his hips and looked at Bian Zhener, saying: "I never said that I was a man. You misunderstood. How could I have deceived you?"
Bian Zhen'er was stunned, recalling the scene of their first meeting. It turned out that he had mistaken the woman in front of him for a man.
"It's your attire that has caused me to misunderstand." Bian Zhener shielded his sight with his hands, refusing to look at anything inappropriate.
Liu Zhuiyi walked over, patted Bian Zhener's arm with his palm, and said, "Alright, stop blocking me. Now that you know, I won't hide it anymore. I am indeed a girl, but other than that, I haven't hidden anything else from you."
"That won't work either!" Bian Zhen'er stood up, wanting to win back the game with confidence, but when she saw Liu Zhuiyi's face, she turned her head away and said, "You are a woman, and I am a monk. We can't go the same way."
Liu Zhuiyi, with water droplets all over her body, looked surprisingly beautiful. Before, Bian Zhener had always thought that she was a boy, so he didn't pay much attention to her appearance. But now, Liu Zhuiyi had almond eyes, thick eyebrows, and cheeks like peach petals in March. When she was angry, she frowned and pursed her lips, which made her look cute and lovely. He, a little monk, felt his heart pounding.
Liu Zhuiyi was not going to fall for Bian Zhener's tricks and said, "That won't do. You promised me before that you would not leave me. If you break your promise, the Buddha will punish you. Besides, although we didn't share life and death, we did share hardships, right? At least we slept together for one night, didn't we?"
Hearing this, Bian Zhen'er's cheeks turned redder. He turned sideways to Liu Zhuiyi, hunched over, and said, "In short, I can't go on the road with Miss Liu. Master said that in this world, the only things that cannot be touched are evil desires and women! Miss Liu, you should go! No... no, no, I should go!" He spoke incoherently, and he didn't even know what he was saying, so he ran away in the grass alone.
"Hey! Little monk!" Seeing this, Liu Zhuiyi hurriedly chased after him, but after running out from the dense grass, there was no trace of Bian Zhener.
The two horses were still tied to the tree, but Liu Zhuiyi was the only one left.
"You stinky monk, don't let me catch you!" Liu Zhuiyi stomped his feet in anger, feeling aggrieved and his nose sour.
It was quiet all around, with only the chirping of unknown birds coming from among the leaves.
Liu Zhuiyi turned back and led the two horses in her hands. She didn't know where to go, let alone where to find Bian Zhener, so she had to look in the direction where Bian Zhener had just left in the grass.
"You little monk who deserves a beating, if I find you, I will skin you alive! That's not enough, I want you to wash horses for a month, pick up horse manure for a month, and pick fruits for me for a month!" Liu Zhuiyi cursed as he walked, hating Bian Zhener in his heart.