Chapter 224

On the second day after the beginning of winter, it began to rain.

It was the first big rain since autumn, falling into winter.

The mountains were shrouded in curtains of rain.

Yet Jiang Changtian still went out.

He brought a little bottle with him—his little girl wearing a black cloak and carrying a sword.

The little girl always said she wanted to roam the jianghu and right wrongs.

She had probably read too many storybooks.

Where does a woman relieve herself when wandering the jianghu?

Living on the road would ruin her skin, making it dark and weathered.

Walking so much would make her feet large and legs thick.

And with no fixed abode, she'd have to carry her own bags. Carrying luggage for a long time would broaden her shoulders and roughen her hands.

Female warriors often end up looking strong, dark, and coarse—more muscular than men, with an androgynous appearance.

They don't look very feminine at all.

But Jiang Changtian didn't say this to his daughter. People need to have dreams.

Let her enjoy her fantasy.

If she really wanted a jianghu, he could create one for her.

The rain stopped around noon.

But the roads were still very slippery.

Jiang Mianmian walked very carefully.

The soles of her shoes were too slippery at this time.

Jiang Mianmian was a bit worried about her father. Although sometimes her father looked so handsome that she forgot his age.

But considering ancient times, her father was solidly middle-aged to elderly.

Jiang Mianmian took a few steps and looked back, calling out: "Father, slow down."

"I'm fine, watch yourself."

Then Jiang Mianmian slipped with a whoosh and fell down.

She landed on her bottom in the mud.

The black mud was especially noticeable, but it didn't hurt.

Jiang Changtian picked up his daughter and said: "Watch where you're going, not your father."

"It doesn't hurt at all," Jiang Mianmian said with a laugh.

The Buddha is merciful, excellent, excellent!

Because of this, Commander Jiang was affectionately called "Old Demon Jiang" by the Buddhist community in Jingzhou.

The affectionate Commander Jiang brought his little daughter to a small temple in the mountains.

At the temple gate, they saw a tall man with long hair sweeping with a broom.

The area in front of the temple wasn't particularly large or small.

But after the start of winter, there were many fallen leaves.

After the rain, the ground was wet and the leaves stuck to the surface, making them very difficult to sweep away. The more you swept, the more they seemed to stick.

He kept sweeping one stroke at a time.

It seemed the goal wasn't important; the process was what mattered.

The sweeping monk's main focus was on sweeping beautifully, not necessarily on getting things clean.

The young monks at the temple heard someone had come and were about to go out to look, but when they saw Old Old Old Demon Jiang, they wished they could immediately close the temple gates and turn tail to run.

They went to report to the abbot.

But the abbot scolded them: "Others call him Old Demon Jiang, but since he came to Jingzhou, apart from Shangqiu Convent disappearing and the big monks at True Return Temple getting thinner, the common people have all gotten fatter. What does that have to do with small temples like us? We used to be oppressed by True Return Temple and Shangqiu Convent, barely seeming like proper temples. Now things are a bit better, we occasionally even get worshippers. It's much better than before. Would you rather eat greasy leftovers or clean food you made yourself?"

The abbot tidied his kasaya robe and went out to greet the visitors.

Jiang Changtian watched his elder brother in his faded old monk's robe, earnestly sweeping. He said, "Brother, I'm going to the capital. I came specially to say goodbye."

Jiang Huaisheng continued sweeping.

"Mother and Wan'er have already arrived. I heard Wan'er is even playing tricks, pretending to be a female immortal who can divine the future. Brother, you know how I despise supernatural nonsense. Don't worry, when I get to the capital, I'll teach her a good lesson for you."

Jiang Huaisheng kept on sweeping.

"I hear your wife has become Heir Apparent Han's concubine. Speaking of which, brother, you still owe your wife a divorce certificate. She needs to divorce you first before she can marry someone else. Marrying directly is certainly not right, even if he is the emperor's nephew. The emperor was wrong in this matter. When I get to the capital, if I have the chance, I'll definitely seek justice for you. But brother, you've become a monk now. Monks renounce all worldly ties. Have you written the divorce certificate? I can deliver it for you."

Jiang Huaisheng continued sweeping, vigorously sweeping at a leaf on the ground in front of him. He had swept so hard that the leaf was shredded by the bamboo broom bristles.

The abbot came out.

He was a thin old man.

"Evil entrust—"

Oh no, slip of the tongue.

"Amitabha Buddha."

"What brings Commander Jiang here?" the abbot asked respectfully.

"I came to visit my elder brother. He's become a monk at your temple, but there's one thing you've done poorly. Even if he's my elder brother, since he's become a monk he should look the part. Keeping his hair and beard is unseemly. The government has issued regulations forbidding temples from taking on lay disciples as affiliates to evade taxes."

"Yes, yes, yes. Layman Huaisheng has great potential for enlightenment. We've already chosen an auspicious date to give him the tonsure. We never affiliate lay disciples here. We pay taxes based on headcount and absolutely do not evade taxes."

Commander Jiang asked: "Which auspicious date?"

The abbot counted on his fingers and said: "Today."