The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

“Yes,” said the System.

“Why? This point of view is clearly wrong. It’s an outcome caused by being overly benevolent. It’s in no way worse than evil people,” Fangzheng frowned.

“But, that is truly benevolence. The kindness that comes from a person’s heart cannot be denied. However, this kindness is only a minor show of good and cannot be compared to a major show of good.”

Fangzheng nodded but did not agree with the System’s explanation. Evil caused by benevolence was fake benevolence. What different was it from committing evil? If the benevolence brought evil results, what meaning was there to the benevolence?

Meanwhile in Europe.

“David is dead?” Luca and Smith exchanged looks and saw the shock in each other’s eyes!

“Luca, I suddenly feel like you’re a lucky guy.”

Luca nodded. “Yea, at least I’m still alive. I was not sent to face God by this Chinese dude.”

Smith grinned. “Then, want to treat me to drinks to celebrate the fact that you’re still alive?”

“I don’t mind if you don’t mind getting your ass handed to you.” Luca glared at Smith in annoyance. He had already lost money and now he was being fleeced. He changed topics, “Smith, do you still want to continue with this ransomware business?”

Smith decisively shook his head, “Of course… not! I think it’s best I stick to my old job, a computer technician. Look man, it’s such a noble profession. What about you?”

“I wish to visit China but I haven’t planned the trip. I wish to meet the asshole that destroyed my computer. Well… I might not beat him in technical skills but I should be able to throw a punch in reality. My ten thousand Euros cannot go unavenged…” Luca looked at his baby, deep in tears.

Smith laughed.

At the same time, Fangzheng’s merit points increased silently.

“To kill is not to kill, not killing is to kill.” Fangzheng mumbled as he posted this sentence on the Buddhist discussion boards. He logged out. All he wanted to do was to express his himself, not debate it with others.

After putting away his cell phone, he began sweeping the temple hall. After sweeping the fallen leaves for three consecutive days, Monkey’s temperament clearly turned for the better. He no longer did things in an irascible or haphazard manner. Fangzheng nodded his head in approval but did not say a word. The fallen leaves were left to Monkey to sweep while the temple hall remained his and Squirrel’s job. As for Lone Wolf, he was still the main force when it came to drawing water.

Lone Wolf had his unique style of drawing water. He would carry two water buckets on his back and stand under the fountain source to collect it. He would always end up drenched. He was not particularly happy about that part.

At noon, Speedy Delivery’s Hu Tan arrived. He came, placed the package down and left without a word after Fangzheng signed. He was full of zeal and energy.

Fangzheng pressed his palms together as he looked at Hu Tan’s back. He gave a Buddhist proclamation as a way to bid him farewell. Fangzheng laughed when he opened the package.

“Squirrel, you have a gift!” Fangzheng shouted. Squirrel instantly ran out of his nest. When he turned his head, his eyes lit up immediately. He leaped in joy.

“This is a new home that Patron Ma Juan is giving to you. What do you think? You like it?” Fangzheng raised a meter-tall squirrel mansion up and grinned.

Squirrel did a somersault but as he was too fat, he planted himself into the ground.

Monkey, who was sweeping the floor, grabbed Squirrel’s tail and safely placed him back on the ground. He rapped Squirrel on the head as though he was reprimanding him for being too rash.

Fangzheng could not help but smile. The most rash of them all was now reprimanding others for being rash.

The new squirrel house had three floors. From the interior construction, it was made according to a human’s requirements. It had a devilish facetiousness. There were beds, sofa, a model television, and a spiral staircase. There was a balcony behind the house with a huge running wheel attached to it. As Fangzheng installed the new house for Squirrel, he sighed. Even a human was inferior to a rodent… He had never lived in such a luxurious and modern villa but Squirrel had beat him to it.

After installing Squirrel’s new house, Fangzheng took a picture and sent it to Ma Juan. After all, she had given it out of good will. He needed to thank her.

Since Ma Juan was offline, Fangzheng put away his cell phone and beckoned for Lone Wolf to take a stroll.

Squirrel was reeling in excitement over his new home so he could not be bothered with Fangzheng. Monkey had to stay behind to sweep the fallen leaves in order to have lunch.

Once he was out the door, Fangzheng saw a few visitors approaching. But judging from the situation, it did not appear optimistic.

There were five people and all of them had savage looks on their faces. Three were men and two were women. The women leading the way looked incensed.

Fangzheng was puzzled. He had not done anything bad, did he?

As Fangzheng pondered, the five arrived by his door. The moment the woman leading the pack saw Fangzheng, she rebuked him, “Fangzheng, I know you. You are the abbot of this monastery, right?”

Fangzheng pressed his palms together. “Amitabha. It is This Penniless Monk. Patron, is there something wrong?”

“You cheat! I’m going to beat your ass, Bald Donkey!” With that said, the woman began swinging a punch. The three men behind her also started cursing. One of them had sprawling hair as he cussed, “What a crappy monastery. It is not efficacious at all. All it does is bluff and deceive! I’m definitely going to wreck this crappy temple today!”

Fangzheng frowned as a wolf head popped out. It bared its white fangs that looked as sharp as blades. Its body was as large as a ox and its ferocious look made the savage-looking people retreat in fear.

The woman who nearly attacked exclaimed, “Fangzheng, what are you doing? I’m telling you, battery is against the law. Allowing your dog to bite someone is against the law!”

Fangzheng was instantly rendered speechless. This person was truly engaging in double standards. If Lone Wolf had not been fiercer than them, they would have attacked him. Wouldn’t that be against the law?

Fangzheng pressed his palms together. “Amitabha. Patrons, this is a wild wolf that has been on the news. This Penniless Monk cannot fully control it. It’s best you remain cordial. Please do not alarm him for This Penniless Monk cannot ascertain the outcomes.”

“You…” The group of people had their tongues tied in anger. They were villagers from a nearby village and were not considered strangers. They had often heard of Fangzheng in the past. All they knew was that he was a young monk that did not have much of a temper and was easily bullied.

But the situation they were facing was not what they expected! The monk might be easily bullied but the wolf wasn’t!

“Sis, what do we do?” asked a confused youth.

“What do we do? If you can beat the wolf, we can then beat him to vent our anger,” said Huang Lanlan.

The youth showed them a bitter smile. “I’m not its match.”

Huang Lanlan rolled her eyes at him and pointed at Fangzheng. “Fangzheng, don’t be disgruntled. Didn’t you say that your monastery is efficacious? Doesn’t it accede to any request? Why didn’t I get a child when I prayed for one? Is this discrimination against me? Or are you telling me that there’s some secret method you are hiding from me?”

Huang Lanlan’s goal here was not to beat Fangzheng or smash the monastery but to get the secret methods. She had failed at becoming pregnant despite so many successful cases before her. She did not believe that they had succeeded because they had prayed to Buddha but because of a secret method.