The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Another police car slowed down as one of its windows was lowered. A policeman narrowed his eyes as he shone his torchlight at the electric pole. Then he said angrily, “Are you sick? Your hands are on the outer side, right where the knot is. Can’t you loosen it yourself and walk off? You even called the police? Why don’t you just die!”

Fang Kui said bitterly, “I also wish to leave, but I don’t dare to!”

“Why?” the policeman asked with a frown.

“The living Buddha told me to tie myself to the electric pole and await punishment. So I tied myself here and waited. Let’s not talk about that. It’s really cold. I’ve broken a few bones. Quick, save me,” Fang Kui said.

“Living Buddha… Why don’t you say it was Gautama? Old Zhou, I think this guy is nuts. Why don’t we leave? There’s someone being pursued awaiting our rescue. There’s no need for us to waste time on this nut case.”

The driving Old Zhou lowered his head to glance at Fang Kui before nodding. “Let’s go. We don’t have time for him on such a cold winter day.”

“Don’t leave! I’m speaking the truth!” Fang Kui turned anxious when he realized that the police were planning on ignoring him.

“I’d be an idiot to believe you! Let’s go!” Old Zhou said and was about to drive off.

Upon seeing this, Fang Kui hurriedly undid the rope around him and ran in front of the police car. He spread his arms open and got in the way of the police car. He yelled, “What kind of police are you? Why are you turning a blind eye to my predicament!?”

“Get lost! I’m telling you that we have an important mission. If you hold us up, just the crime of disrupting public service will be enough to put you in custody until after the new year!” Old Zhou shouted.

Fang Kui suddenly came to a realization as he hurriedly shouted. “Right, I almost forgot! I have to tell you I’m a dog thief. All the dogs in the surrounding villages have been stolen by me! I suddenly came to my senses after meeting the living Buddha and decided to surrender myself! Please arrest me.”

With that said, Fang Kui raised his arms and waited.

“Dog thief?” Old Zhou and the other policeman were somewhat dumbfounded. Dog thieves were always a headache for the police. Were the things stolen very precious? They were precious sentimentally, but financially, they were of little worth… Yet dog thieves came and went like the wind. They committed their crimes very quickly ,and there weren’t any witnesses most of the time. Arresting them wasn’t a simple task. At the very least, a visit needed to be made to seek out eyewitnesses or to seek out other clues… After all that was done, it would often be fruitless work that couldn’t even be reported to the higher-ups.

However, every bit counted! With something like that falling into their laps, the two policemen finally became energized.

Old Liu, who was the first to speak to Fang Kui, got out and shouted. “Freeze, don’t move!”

“Bro, stop kidding me. I’m not moving!” Fang Kui said with a look of innocence.

“Raise your hands!” Old Zhou shouted at the same time.

Fang Kui looked helplessly at Old Zhou. “I’ve been raising them this entire time…”

“Hehe, so you’re quite the slippery one, huh? Quickly arrest him. We still need to rescue someone after this,” Old Zhou said to Old Liu.

Old Liu was about to make the arrest when Fang Kui suddenly turned and ran!

“Darn kid, where are you running?” Old Liu was infuriated. Didn’t you say that you were surrendering? Why are you running? Fang Kui’s running caught him by surprise.

To his surprise, though, he saw Fang Kui run to the electric pole and hurriedly pick up the rope. As he tied himself up, he said, “I nearly forgot that the living Buddha told me to tie myself up. If I were to be arrested by you just like that, wouldn’t that be in violation of what the living Buddha ordered? I wouldn’t be able to take the blame. Hold on a second. I’ll tie myself up so that you can arrest me.”

Old Liu looked at Fang Kui like he was a retard. Then he rolled his eyes and walked forward before pressing him to the ground. Cuffing him and ignoring what he shouted, Old Liu stuffed him into the police car. Old Zhou then stepped down on the accelerator and left.

The police cars circled around the village once and called the number which had made the police report, but the phone was switched off. They were anxious, but they could do nothing…

As Fang Kui listened in on the conversation between Old Zhou and Old Liu, he understood something. He weakly asked, “Are you trying to look for a woman named Xu Xun?”

“How do you know?” Old Zhou and Old Liu asked in agitation.

“Eh, I’d like to say that you can stop looking for her. The ones who kidnapped her were me and another man. That guy has been sent to hell by the living Buddha. I’ve already been arrested by you. That woman has run up the mountain to thank the living Buddha,” Fang Kui said with a look of innocence.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier!” Old Zhou was infuriated, yearning to give him a slap. All this time, he had been burning with anxiety, circling the village so late into the night!

“None of you asked…” Fang Kui said, aggrieved.

“Wait a moment. You keep mentioning some living Buddha. Now you’re even talking about Hell? Are you fabricating some story?” Old Zhou asked suspiciously.

“Oh man! Dear officer, I know it sounds rather crazy when I say it out loud, but it’s the truth! Right, when you came, didn’t you look up at Mt. One Finger? Didn’t you see the huge Bodhisattva on it? Forget it, from the look in your eyes, I can see you didn’t. Don’t worry, you can just go up the mountain to take a look. After all, the person you wish to rescue is up there as well. You will understand everything once you meet her and ask,” Fang Kui said. To be honest, Fang Kui was very puzzled as well. In the past, he would feel afraid meeting the police, but today was different. He actually found them endearing! In the past, he wouldn’t say a word unless the police threw the evidence on the table. Now, he couldn’t wait to spill the beans and was only afraid that they wouldn’t believe him!

But on second thought, the scene of Zheng Yuan being thrown into hell still sent him shuddering, so he knew what he was afraid of. Who wouldn’t be afraid after seeing hell? Although he hadn’t stepped inside, just seeing the evil ghost on the door was enough to scare the daylights out of him. He would rather die than go in there! With the knowledge that hell really exists, he wished to redeem himself of his sins, so that he wouldn’t need to suffer for them after his death.

The police didn’t know what Fang Kui was thinking. With him admitting to everything so easily, they were a little unconvinced.

At this moment, there was a blaring police siren. Following that, a police car led the way followed by a black sedan car. Behind it was another police car, and its sirens were blaring as well.

However, the village’s roads weren’t wide. The cars had to stop immediately upon encountering each other.

“Which station are you from? Forget it. You are to assist in our investigations. Lead us up the mountain!” A man rapped on Old Zhou’s window.

Old Zhou was just about to ask, “Why should we?”

But the person showed his documentation before he could, shutting him up. Old Zhou immediately said politely, “We shall abide by the arrangements of the force!”

Once the car started, Old Liu asked, “Old Zhou, did you see what documentation it was?”

“Leaders from the county. They aren’t to be messed with. Let’s follow them,” Old Zhou said.

“Then what about me? I have a broken rib. I can’t climb up the mountain,” Fang Kui said immediately.

“From how deftly you tied the rope, we know you won’t die. Even if you die, we’ll consider it as you having surrendered,” Old Liu said.