The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

However…

Splash!

A basin of water was poured down on Wang Laosi, and he immediately opened his eyes. He cursed angrily. “Who was that? Do you have a death wish!? Ah… Master, you haven’t left?”

Wang Laosi blew his top quickly, but he calmed down even quicker. When he saw the baldie in front of him, he immediately felt a pain worse than death! It had been five days and five nights without any break in between that they had been playing. He had been gambling all this while, so much that he felt like vomiting just from seeing poker cards! He also wished to vomit when he saw white paper slips! He also wanted to vomit when he saw words! He even felt like vomiting when seeing his own name! He had already forgotten how many times he had written an IOU or the numbers on them. Anyway, it was a massive number, an infinitely massive number… Thinking of his infinite debt, Wang Laosi’s mind nearly crumbled. How was he to live on?

However there was a more realistic problem in front of him. Wang Laosi looked bitterly at Fangzheng, no longer having the domineering might of a vicious wolf as he had in the past. Instead he looked like a mongrel. He looked pitifully at Fangzheng.”Master, what else do you want? I give up, okay? I admit defeat, can’t I?”

“Amitabha. Patron, This Penniless Monk still hasn’t had enough. So shall we continue?” Fangzheng chuckled.

Wang Laosi rolled his eyes and fainted when he heard that.

“Patron Zheng, please give a hand.”

Zheng Jiaxing had already run out. Shortly after, another basin of water came splashing over.

Splash!

“Master, do you really want to continue? Aren’t you tired?” asked Wang Laosi through choking sobs.

“Yes, but it’s addictive. It feels better the more games are played. Come on, let’s continue. Don’t stop now.”

Fangzheng’s eyes were filled with excitement. He was almost just short of the line: ‘GO! GO! GO! Fire in the hole!’

Meanwhile Long Face, Fierce Face, Wang Qingzhi, as well as Liu Laosan, who was so tired that he could not even straighten his back, were all awakened by Zheng Jiaxing. The group looked at Fangzheng with the wish to just die.

“Since everyone is awake, let’s continue.”

“Master, wasn’t it said that we just need to pay up if we stop playing with you? Why don’t we do this. I won’t play anymore. I’ll pay, alright?” Long Face was the first to capitulate.

“Sure, but how much money is this… It’s at least a few centillion, right? Do you want to return it now, or later?”

Pfft!

Long Face nearly vomited blood. A few centillion? Return now or later? F**k, he wouldn’t even be able to repay it in his next life, alright?

Zheng Jiaxing added, “It’s all written in black and white. If you aren’t repaying it, wait to have your houses raided clean. Of course, if you continue gambling with Master, there will be no need to pay it off.”

“I’ll continue, I’ll continue alright?” Long Face exclaimed with a sobbing tone. He dared to act scoundrelly in front of others, but the monk in front of him was too odd. He didn’t dare to do so!

Wang Laosi, Wang Qingzhi, Fierce Face, and Liu Laosan decisively chose to shut up after seeing Long Face’s tragic outcome. They continued playing!

An hour later, all of them began to be hit by a wave of drowsiness again. There was nothing they could do about it. It had been days, and they had yet to sleep. Every time they fell asleep, they would be rudely awakened. The torture was worse than death.

Half a day later…

“I quit!” Fierce Face suddenly jumped up and yelled. Then he plopped his knees to the ground in front of Fangzheng and wailed loudly. “Master, I quit. Let me off. I feel disgusted just seeing cards. My mind is delirious, and I feel like I’m almost about to die. Master, I really can’t continue. I beg you!”

Long Face also knelt to the ground and pleaded. “Master, I don’t want to continue either. Any more and I’ll die. Boohoo!” The fellow wept right there and then.

Wang Qingzhi also pleaded amid tears. Liu Laosan kowtowed again and again as he exclaimed, “Master, I’m a croupier. Just let me go. All of you gamble sitting down, but I deal the cards standing up. it’s been days. My back is about to break, and my legs are almost gone. If this continues, I’ll die!”

Wang Laosi lowered his head without saying a word. Compared to others, he placed great emphasis on his reputation. He knew that if he knelt down, he would lose all his reputation and that there was no way for him to hold down the fort in the future, but…

Fangzheng ignored the kneeling ones and looked straight at Wang Laosi. “Amitabha, it seems Patron prefers gambling the most. Come, let’s continue.”

Upon seeing Fangzheng pick up the cards himself and begin shuffling the deck, Wang Laosi lost his final resistance. His legs went limp as he knelt down! He really wanted to vomit from seeing the cards!

“Master, Bro, Lord! Let us off. I will not gamble again, alright? I will not set up any more gambling dens. I promise to turn over a new leaf and be a good man!”

“Us too. We will definitely turn over a new leaf and never gamble again!” exclaimed Wang Qingzhi.

Fangzheng remained silent. All he did was look at the few of them with a smile. All of them kept guaranteeing him for half an hour before stopping. All of them looked pitifully at Fangzheng as they awaited his final judgment.

Fangzheng spoke up slowly, “Then how do we settle Zheng Jiaxing’s debt?”

“It’s gone! It’s completely written off!” Wang Laosi answered instantly!

An onlooker suddenly said, “I know of a few people who got scammed by them and ended up ruining their family. One of the families had three people die. Another family had the gambler hang himself. His wife left him, and the child was thrown to a grandparent to take care of. Two days ago, the grandparent passed away, and now the child is taken care of by his aunt. There are still a few families who are ridden in debt. They are leading quite tragic days.”

Wang Laosi immediately shot a fierce glance at the man when he heard that, but with a cold snort from Fangzheng, all of Wang Laosi’s fierceness vanished. He had been completely subdued by the terrifying monk.

Fangzheng originally believed that Wang Laosi was only involved in Zheng Jiaxing’s ordeal, but he never expected the bastard to have done so many conscienceless deeds! A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he said, “What about those people?”

“I’ll return the money to them!”

“Return? Do you have money to return to them?”

Wang Laosi was stunned. Only then did he recall that all his money had been won by Fangzheng. He did not have a single cent left and had an astronomical debt. How was he to return it?

“Even if money can be returned, human life cannot be returned. The sins you committed ultimately need to be repaid.”

Wang Laosi fell silent.

Wang Qingzhi and company also remained silent. Fangzheng’s words made them understand that the matter they were facing would not easily pass.

Fangzheng patted the gambling table and said, “Let’s just continue gambling.”

“Master, I’ll lodge a police report! I’ll testify! I’ll testify against Wang Laosi. I know all the sordid deeds that this bastard did, and I have proof. I can expose it in my testimony!” Wang Qingzhi shouted suddenly. He really had no wish to continue. He would die if he continued.

With Wang Qingzhi making the suggestion, Fierce Face also exclaimed, “I can testify as well!”

“Me too!” Long Face and Liu Laosan followed. Everyone kicks a man who is down, and rats leave a sinking ship. Against a godly monk, they didn’t care about anything.

Wang Laosi closed his eyes in despair. He knew he was finished! Finally, Wang Laosi sighed. “Master, I’m willing to surrender myself. I’ll settle everything I did in the past, alright?”