Chapter 118: Little Gu Fell Asleep, So I Came to See You
There weren’t many members of Safeguard Temple whose passing could be considered parinirvana. The asking monk’s face turned pale at the announcement because he hadn’t heard of any of the high-level monks taking ill.
The managing monk only added, “Everything will have junior master overseeing things. You and I shouldn’t be too talkative.”
A few monks carried a silver-plated lotus seat big enough for a man to sit in out of the inner hall. One of them loosened their grip and sent the seat clanging on the ground, the loud echoing sending tremors through the hearts of the other monks. For a moment, no one could react.
Monk Beiji was standing in the courtyard of the kitchens when the young monk carrying the wooden tray walked past him. “Come here,” he called out.
The little monk didn’t dare to raise his head as he stood in front of Beiji. Because he was gripping the tray so tightly, his hands shook. Beiji picked up the soup on the plate and gave it an experimental sniff. The scent of medicine was still present, but far lighter than he expected. Still, he replaced the bowl and told the little monk, “Go on.”
The little monk assented before catching up to his companion with the jade tray. Both of them left shoulder to shoulder. Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao was standing atop the roof of the kitchens. She was originally planning to follow Wen Fenglin’s lackey to track down the scum male who had been her emperor consort in the last life. But she lost patience after seeing him stop to talk with other monks and simply leaped over the walls and left the courtyard.
In the courtyard, Beiji informed the old monk in front of him, “You didn’t add much medicine, but that’ll only increase Cheng Guan’s suffering. If I was him, I wouldn’t be thanking you.”
This old monk looked emaciated and withered, with a white beard and none of the usual amiability of old men. Hearing Beiji’s words, he knitted his brows. This wasn’t the first time he’d prepared a fatal soup, so how could he have skimped on the drugs?
Before he could answer, Beiji went on, “Let’s go to the junior master’s place. He hasn’t eaten all day, so you should coax him a bit.”
The old monk nodded before they left the kitchens. Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao followed the little monk with the wooden tray until they reached a courtyard adorend with flowing water and rockery. Quite a few moth orchids flourished in the garden and this was the prime blooming seasons. Even someone with no aesthetic sense like Yu Xiaoxiao could feel relaxed and happy by the view. The little monk went to the veranda before knocking on the closed doors.
A little child’s cries followed the sound of the knocks.
“Wang Yue, don’t cry.”
“Master!”
Yu Xiaoxiao had no idea who the crying boy was, but she did recognize the other voice as State Preceptor Cheng Guan’s. Who knew she’d find him while trying to track down Wen Fenglin?
“State Preceptor,” the little monk muttered by the door. “May this monk enter?”
“Come in,” Cheng Guan replied.
The little monk assented before preparing to push open the door.
“I’ll do it,” Yu Xiaoxiao said as she landed and snatched the tray. Even as a cultivator, the young monk was terrified by a sudden person appearing behind his back. He froze by the door, afraid to move a muscle.
Yu Xiaoxiao was completely oblivious to his shock and stepped inside while holding the tray with one hand. “State Preceptor, I’m Yu Xiao–no, I’m Yu Linglong, ah.”
Cheng Guan had already changed into new clothes in preparation for his death and was equally shocked as the little monk to see her appear. Yu Xiaoxiao approached him and placed the tray on the table. “State Preceptor, you still haven’t eaten when it’s so late?”
State Preceptor Cheng Guan thought fast before hiding his surprise. Smiling, he said, “Why has the princess come?”
“Urk,” Yu Xiaoxiao was hard-pressed to make up nonsense, so she thought a while before replying, “I’m just here to stroll around.”
Was there anyone who went for a stroll at a Buddhist temple in the middle of the night?
Even the little monk and Wang Yue found this unbelievable. Her lying skills are too shabby!
Yu Xiaoxiao looked at the tear-streaked Wang Yue. She had a special fondness for children, so she asked him, “Why did you cry yourself to this state? Have you done something wrong? Hurt someone’s life?”
Wang Yue shook his head while gaping. He didn’t understand why the princess thought he’d killed someone just because he was crying.
Yu Xiaoxiao said, “If no lives were lost, then it’s not a big problem. Fix your mistakes and you’ll be a good kid from here on.”
Wang Yue looked at his master as his sadness immediately evaporated. Her Royal Highness isn’t an idiot, right?
Cheng Guan said, “Princess, you’ve seen the letter this monk has sent you?”
“What letter?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked. Since she was all but illiterate in this world, sending her letters would be a waste of time.
Hearing this, Cheng Guan demurred, “Nothing, princess. It’s getting late, you should return to Royal Son-in-Law’s side.”
Yu Xiaoxiao sat down at Cheng Guan’s table without a care in the world. “Oh, Little Gu’s sleeping, so I came to see you. State Preceptor, you’re not eating?”
Little Gu’s sleeping, so I came to see you. Cheng Guan couldn’t help but feel that her words sounded off. Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao took advantage of his immobility to grab a meatbun. Cheng Guan hardly had time to stop her.
However, Yu Xiaoxiao was disappointed by the fact that this wasn’t a meatbun at all. Chewing on a mouthful of mushrooms and vegetables, she complained, “Why isn’t there meat? State Preceptor, humans have to eat meat, ah. You’re not some rabbit.”
Cheng Guan didn’t get to reply before Wang Yue cut in, “My master is a monk, so how could he eat meat?”
Oh, right. Yu Xiaoxiao remembered that monks didn’t eat meat. However, she still rolled her eyes at Wang Yue while considering Cheng Guan before her. He doesn’t know how the plot works. So what if the State Preceptor’s a monk? In the end, he still ended up as the cruel female emperor’s lover.
“Cheng Guan,” two monks called from outside before stepping into the room. One of them pushed the delivery monk aside before he asked, “You still haven’t eaten yet?”
The other monk spotted Yu Xiaoxiao and said, “Your Royal Highness is here too?”
Yu Xiaoxiao turned to look at them and tagged the duo as Wen Fenglin’s followers. In a low voice, Cheng Guan said, “It’s not like I have anywhere else to do. Are you two worried?”
One of the monks strode right in and gave Cheng Guan an icy stare. “Junior master’s already being lenient by treating you like this.”
Cheng Guan looked at the soup before him and broke into a bitter smile. To not let too many people know that he was dying as a traitor was indeed a form of mercy. Still, dying in front of Princess Linglong wasn’t something he wanted, either.
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