Chapter 39

Chapter 39

...

Qingyuan Temple.

The bodhisattva statue sculpted in gold had dimples on its cheeks, its Buddha eyes full of compassion.

The hundred-year-old temple had prospering incense.

Upon entering the temple, the summer heat all disappeared.

The irritability on people's bodies also dissipated as they stepped into the temple.

The Old Lady was a devout incense customer of the temple, generous with her donations, giving a lot every time she came.

The one welcoming her was a steady middle-aged monk.

The monk spoke eloquently, with Zen in his words, making the Old Lady's expression even more gentle.

Jiang Wan also listened attentively.

When entering a temple, they naturally had to burn incense and worship Buddha first.

Jiang Wan and her grandmother washed their hands and faces, then went before Buddha.

The Old Lady had a special cushion for sitting.

Despite her young age, Jiang Wan performed admirably, extremely devout.

The large Buddha looked at this grandmother and granddaughter pair with eyes full of compassion, very intimate.

The Old Lady held an eighteen bead rosary, silently reciting Buddhist scriptures.

The golden bodhisattva statue towered high.

The green-clad young maiden was gentle and graceful.

The Buddha stood tall like a mountain.

The maiden knelt calmly.

Incense smoke curled before Buddha.

The maiden sincerely chanted scriptures.

The maiden's voice was gentle and pleasant, very melodious.

The bodhisattva listened with a full smile.

Jiang Wan worshipped with utmost devotion, for there were also some mysteries in her heart.

She only felt at ease when chanting scriptures.

She gazed at the large Buddha, when suddenly, the image of the infant in the peddler's arms from before popped up in her mind.

That infant seemed to be looking at her, eyes brimming with tears.

She suddenly recalled.

She had seen her before.

When she went to see Jiang Yu, she glanced at the wooden basin beside her, which held a baby. The baby's swaddling clothes were patched together, and the baby was very pale.

She didn't look further, subconsciously feeling the baby probably wouldn't live long.

She thought back to that scene again, remembering that when the woman was kowtowing, there were coarse cloths sticking out from behind her basket, like Jiang Yu's clothes.

She paled in shock.

Her straight back nearly collapsed onto the kneeling cushion.

She tightly shut her eyes, not daring to look into Buddha's eyes.

She repeatedly chanted scripture verse, voice urgent and intermittent.

After chanting the Buddhist scriptures three times, she opened her eyes again to look at the Buddha before her.

The smiling Buddha suddenly transformed into that baby's appearance, tears brimming in the laughing Buddha's eyes.

The tear drops were heavy as if about to crash onto her head.

Jiang Wan was sweating at her forehead.

She continued chanting scriptures.

"All appearances are illusions; If a bodhisattva has any perception of self, human, sentient being, or life span, they cannot be called a bodhisattva. All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, bubbles, dew, or lightning flashes — thus they should be contemplated..."

She repeatedly recited this.

She knelt before Buddha, sincerely praying for the bodhisattva to bless Jiang Yu and her little sister to be safe. She didn't mean it, she simply didn't notice. Perhaps this was fate, truly difficult to change.

To teach the baby bunnies a lesson before stepping in.

Seeing people charge from the woods, Juan’er grabbed her pole, shielding her family.

The little peddler endured the pain to stand, drawing out a blade-tipped staff from his goods, ready to thrust.

In a flash, the couple took on fierce stances, relying on each other.

Standing there, no one knew who were the robbers.

Jiang Feng heard the familiar cries and lost his mind.

He rushed ahead first.

Seeing the baby in the basket was Mianmian, his spear pried open the other two baskets, finding Little Jiang Yu in one.

Jiang Feng's face paled, eyes bloodshot staring at the peddlers.

Though a dwarf, the peddler was very strong, thick arms and sturdy legs, seeming highly explosive. The woman's arms were twice thicker than Gou Zi’s.

Lying in the basket, Jiang Mianmian gaped, forgetting to cry. She didn't expect her brother's business scope to be so wide, besides soliciting girls, there was even highway robbery...

She didn't know whether to cry, laugh, or cheer.

"You're a kidnapper, we're reporting you to the officials!" shouted a teenager, his legs shaking as he walked at the back. He was also holding a spear, but could only use it as a walking stick to stop himself from falling in an undignified manner.

The bandits behind laughed. Report to officials? Catch who?

Jiang Feng was furious, looking at Little Jiang Yu curled up in a basket, usually so talkative but now treated like goods, thrown in a basket.

Looking at the crying Mantou, she had been wailing loudly earlier, but stopped crying when she saw him, eyes still filled with tears. She recognized her brother, she could recognize him.

Jiang Feng's usual personality was to let others take the lead while he picked up the pieces behind.

So the group respected Gou Zi, but still felt they had a good relationship with Jiang Feng.

"No need to report to officials, slave traders shall be executed by strangulation, those who witness it can kill on sight," Jiang Feng shouted, spear in hand as he charged forward.

The teenagers followed to charge with him.

The three lagging behind charged in with eyes closed.

There were six of them, but only two kidnappers who were exceptionally vicious.

At first contact, Gou Zi was kicked flying while Mantou's face was slashed open with flesh and blood spurting out.

They had been in fights before, but never killed anyone.

Neither had Jiang Feng.

He had never killed anyone before.

But his spear steadily stabbed into the peddler's body.

Pulling it out brought out blood and flesh.

Stabbing it in again, then pulling it out again.

"Spurt, spurt," in a steady beat.

At first he was unfamiliar, not used to the sensation of the spear tip piercing through clothes then into flesh, through bone.

Slowly he adapted.

He had hunted before.

Used wooden spears, with sharp wooden tips.

With every stab, fresh blood would spurt out.

He would also get injured, but the opponent was worse off.

His arm was heavily struck by the woman's rod, seemingly feeling the sensation of fractured bone.

Yet he firmly held up the spear, stabbing, stabbing, stabbing.

By the end, he was shouting, "Can't kill people, I can't kill people, I can't kill people!"

The little peddler and woman lay on the ground, bodies filled with holes still bleeding out, but not dead. It was as if this spear-wielding youth knew medical acupoints, every stab pierced so deep, yet if he was the slightest bit off they would have died hundreds of times over.

Yet the youth still held the spear, stabbing in and out of their bodies...

Lying on the ground were five teenagers.

The four bandits in the dense woods were shocked into standing up.

A clear, piercing cry alerted the maddened Jiang Feng still maniacally wielding the spear.

Jiang Feng threw down the spear and vigorously rubbed his blood-soaked hands on the green grass nearby to wipe them clean, before going over to hug up the wailing baby.

"Brother's here, brother's here, don't be afraid, don't be afraid."