The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Awoo!

Dog whimpering was heard and after a while, Dopey ran all the way back as it hugged the girl’s thigh tightly. It sat there, whimpering in aggrievement as it looked towards the woods.

After a while, Lone Wolf scampered back.

The girl looked at Dopey and then into the distance. No injuries… The girl patted Dopey on the head and said, “You silly dog. He didn’t do anything to you. Why are you afraid of him?”

Dopey continued hugging the girl’s thigh tightly as it sat there, refusing to proceed or stand up.

When the girl saw how scared Dopey was, she knew that things weren’t that simple. She said angrily, “Monk, what did your dog do to mine?”

Fangzheng shrugged and said, “Amitabha. Patron, this… You will have to ask the dogs. Why are you asking This Penniless Monk? This Penniless Monk didn’t follow them either.” Fangzheng looked at the girl with aggrievement.

The girl was taken aback and on second thought, that did seem to be the case. She frowned and said, “My name isn’t patron. My name is Zhang Huihui. Regardless of what you say, your dog bullied mine. As his owner, you bear responsibility. It’s not difficult to apologize, right?”

Little Seven facepalmed and said, “Sis, let the dogs deal with their dog matters. Why are you barging into it?”

“Scram. Which side are you on? Why are you at odds with me on everything? How can our hero dog, Dopey, be left aggrieved for no reason?” Zhang Huihui stood akimbo as she glared at Fangzheng fiercely.

Exasperated, Fangzheng looked at Lone Wolf who whispered, “Don’t worry. There’s no evidence. I used the Kanchō ¹ taught to me by Junior Brother. Although I don’t have fingers, my claws are quite formidable as well. Of course, if Dopey dares become touchy with me, I’m sure you’ll see something.”

Fangzheng really wanted to slap him twice when he heard that. This a**hole was indeed someone who refused to be placed at a disadvantage. Just after being viewed in contempt by the girl, he lured her dog over to do a Kanchō. It really was a case of… A dog taking after its owner!

However, Fangzheng knew that it was Lone Wolf’s fault. Dopey wasn’t sentient like Lone Wolf, so to end up being beaten just because she viewed him in contempt was going overboard. Therefore Fangzheng pressed his palms together and said, “Amitabha. Indeed, it was This Penniless Monk’s fault. This Penniless Monk shall apologize on his behalf. Sorry.”

Zhang Huihui was instantly stunned. From her point of view, the dog wasn’t injured and just as Little Seven said, without deaths or injuries, dog owners shouldn’t really barge into such dog matters. She had said it in passing due to her temper. She was stirring up trouble for the sake of doing so, but she never expected Fangzheng to really apologize.

Looking at Fangzheng’s amiable look, Zhang Huihui’s fury suddenly dissipated greatly for some baffling reason. After she calmed down, she thought through the situation and blushed slightly. Then, Zhang Huihui clenched her teeth and bent her back, saying, “Sorry, Little Monk. I… recently encountered too many frustrating matters, so I’m randomly flaring up.”

When Fangzheng heard that, he shook his head and said, “This Penniless Monk is fine. As a man, Little Seven gives in to you. So as another man, it’s nothing for This Penniless Monk to provide you relief for your frustrations.”

When Little Seven heard that, he stroked his chin in thought. “A man. Providing you relief. Master, why does this line sound familiar?”

Fangzheng was taken aback. How so?

Zhang Huihui slapped Little Seven on the head as she said embarrassed, “You silly child, what are you thinking? Let’s walk the dog!”

Then, Little Seven sadly brought Dopey away.

Zhang Huihui came to Fangzheng’s side and said with a bitter smile, “Little Monk, let me apologize to you regarding the previous matter again. I…”

“Patron, there’s no need. With your sincerity present, there’s no need for words.” Fangzheng could also tell that although Zhang Huihui dressed in a rather refined manner, she was a hot-tempered person. She ignored everything when she flared up, but when she calmed down, she could distinguish right from wrong. In short, Zhang Huihui was not a bad person. She was just a little silly. Yes, this kind of owner owns that kind of dog. It’s no wonder she enjoyed taking care of huskies.

“Ha… Little Monk, nice. Let me formally introduce myself. I’m Zhang Huihui.” Zhang Huihui was indeed quite a character. Her temper was like a storm which was followed by clear skies once things were over.

Fangzheng said, “This Penniless Monk’s Dharma name is Fangzheng.”

“Fangzheng… Square and proper. That’s a nice name.” Zhang Huihui smiled. “By the way, are you from a nearby monastery?”

Fangzheng shook his head. “This Penniless Monk hails from Black River City.”

“Oh, that’s pretty far,” said Zhang Huihui.

As the two walked and chatted, Fangzheng asked Zhang Huihui about matters regarding the area, hoping to find his mission’s target. In the end, Zhang Huihui prattled on without answering his questions. Instead, while walking, it appeared as though people of all ages and sexes knew her from the way they were greeting her. And having vented her anger on Fangzheng, she faced everyone with a smile. Fangzheng even believed that he was suffering from bad luck. Why did he get the short end of the stick?

After walking for more than twenty minutes, Dopey, who didn’t have much of a memory, came close to Lone Wolf again. This time, Lone Wolf didn’t retaliate and instead played with her. The two silly dogs instantly became quite a spectacle in the park.

The two silly dogs ran around with their tongues flailing and from time to time, they would stand on their hind legs like they were building a dog pyramid. Fangzheng, Zhang Huihui, and Little Seven laughed with their backs bent over.

After rejecting Zhang Huihui’s invitation, he sent off Zhang Huihui and Little Seven as he continued staying by the river side with Lone Wolf. He believed that the target would definitely appear here. At the very least, there should be some clues. Yet he didn’t seem to see any target the entire morning.

Meanwhile, Zhang Huihui was on her way home with Little Seven.

Little Seven was gesturing in excitement. “Sis, Jingfa is so awesome! He’s so cool! This is the first time I’m seeing such a huge dog who’s so gentle! More importantly, he’s smarter than our Dopey. It’s like he can understand us…”

Having listened to him rave the entire way, Zhang Huihui finally lost her patience and struck Little Seven. “No matter how awesome he is, he’s not comparable to our Dopey! Dopey has saved a life before.”

Little Seven was instantly left for a loss for words. He followed Zhang Huihui as he rubbed his nose, muttering to himself. “If someone were in need of rescue, wouldn’t Jingfa save them? Probably…”

Zhang Huihui shook her head in resignation and said, “Brat, stop letting your thoughts wander. Not every dog has the intelligence and courage needed. Let’s go. Dopey, home time! Dopey! Come back. Don’t go through the garbage!

“Dopey, you went in the wrong direction! That’s not our house!

“Dopey… Dopey!”

Zhang Huihui’s angry and helpless cries sounded through the estate, along with Little Seven’s laughter.

At noon, Fangzheng and Lone Wolf ate a little as they continued waiting.

And finally…