Chapter 153: 150 The Benevolent Venerable

On the way to Modu University by car, Chen Xiaolin found a topic to discuss so as not to let the atmosphere become too stifling.

"Master Li, come to think of it, who was the deity you offered tributes to when you set up the altar at the amusement park that day? It didn't feel like any well-known deity." Chen Xiaolin asked casually.

Li Duojin immediately put on a pious expression and introduced with sincere enthusiasm: "It is indeed not one known to the masses. To be precise, apart from a very few individuals, no one in this world knows or remembers her existence."

"So, who is she?"

"Cannot remember, must not remember; this is the result of her deliberate doing, but you may call her the Venerable." Li Duojin sighed and said, "I only know that a scripture passed down through generations of my ancestors evaluates that Bodhisattva thus: 'As peaceful and unmoving as the great earth, as deep and secret in meditation as a hidden treasury.'"

"Bodhisattva, Venerable? What does that sentence in the scripture you just mentioned mean?" Chen Xiaolin only felt it was mysterious and asked with some curiosity.

So, was the deity Li Duojin believed in merely a secular faith, or was it a supernatural "life" that, like those Alien Gods, truly existed but was bizarre and unpredictable?

If it were the latter, what could be the purpose behind this ability to deliberately prevent people from remembering her?

If people are not allowed to remember her existence, could anyone continue to believe in her?

Chen Xiaolin swept a strange glance at Li Duojin, as if she could not understand how Li Duojin's ancestors had managed to pass down this strange faith.

Regarding Chen Xiaolin's inquiry, Li Duojin shook his head: "I don't know, but as I understand it, the Venerable possesses great vows and superhuman concentration, with wisdom that is unfathomable. It is a pity that no one can remember her stories, which also makes it impossible for us to fully comprehend the meaning of that sentence."

"Mysterious." Chen Xiaolin commented on this. Although she had a moment of suspicion that Li Duojin was trying to fool her, seeing a person who seemed to have even deceived himself, with piety and regret overflowing in his expression, she knew that even the most brilliant actor could not perform such a sense of reality.

Hearing Chen Xiaolin's words, Li Duojin was not annoyed; instead, he smiled: "You might not believe what I say, but what I want to say is that she is a truly great existence."

"Is she terrifying?"

"The Venerable is never angry; she is very kind."

"How do you know?"

"I have communicated with her and heard some stories from her."

"Didn't you just say that no one can remember her stories?"

"Hmm, to be precise, no one can remember them completely. If I were to retell it, you might find the story somewhat inexplicable, but based on my impression of that story, it is quite simple to tell." Li Duojin scratched his head and said, "Once, a person stumbled into the Venerable's Holy Temple. This person was likely kind-hearted; he pleaded with the Venerable to extend the life of a servant of his who was about to pass away, believing his servant was a very good person who should not leave this world so easily. The Venerable was absorbed in chanting and did not respond immediately. That person was hot-tempered and actually reached out and slapped the Venerable."

Chen Xiaolin: "……Did this person die?"

"It happened in ancient times; that person would certainly be dead by now." Li Duojin laughed, "However, the Venerable, who had been interrupted, woke up and smiled as she extended a finger, pointing it lightly at him. Immediately after, that person woke up from his dream. Upon waking, he discovered that his servant, who had been critically ill, was suddenly full of vitality. Only then did he realize that the Venerable had responded to him and extended the servant's life."

"Hiss…… Is she that benevolent? She didn't even get angry at that?" Chen Xiaolin was shocked; this was more than just benevolence, it was as if she had no temper at all.

However, Li Duojin's next sentence made it impossible for Chen Xiaolin to fathom the meaning of the word "benevolent."

"Yes, afterwards that servant indeed did good deeds for a long time. It turned out that the meaning of the Venerable extending one finger was to increase that servant's lifespan by one ji, which is twelve years. Even though that hot-tempered guy later saw his family fortune decline, his only heir born to his wife and concubines died at the age of twelve, leaving him without a successor, and even later when the hot-tempered guy could no longer afford the servant's wages, that kind servant never left their family..."

Listening to the story, Chen Xiaolin fell silent.

That Venerable was definitely angry, right?

"So damn benevolent." Chen Xiaolin said fiercely.

"Yes, returning evil with virtue, it is truly worthy of praise." Li Duojin remarked with emotion.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaolin remained silent for a long time afterward and leaned a little closer to the window.

Forty-five minutes later, the two arrived at Modu University, where Wang Zijing was studying.

Wang Zijing herself was standing at the university gate, quietly waiting for their arrival.

The moment she saw Wang Zijing, Chen Xiaolin clearly felt that Wang Zijing and Wang Kuishan were father and daughter.

Although Wang Zijing was a tall and quite beautiful female college student, and her father Wang Kuishan looked rustic and ordinary, their appearances were completely worlds apart, but the self-deprecating demeanor they inadvertently revealed when facing others seemed to have been carved from the same mold.

Facing the exquisitely made-up and glamorous reporter Chen Xiaolin, and the handsome, kind, and gentle Master Li Duojin, Wang Zijing appeared somewhat reserved. As the three sat at a table, Wang Zijing, who was actually taller than Li Duojin, appeared even smaller than Chen Xiaolin, humbly hanging her head.

Although Chen Xiaolin hoped that the other party would not need to be so cautious with her, it was a pity that this did not provide much encouragement to the other party.

Helpless, Chen Xiaolin could only change the subject to the other party's father, Wang Kuishan, and told her what she knew about what had happened to him.

Upon learning that her father was in danger and might be involved in an Abnormal incident involving human lives, Wang Zijing's small face turned pale, and she became even more worried about her father.

"No, my dad would absolutely never do those things." Wang Zijing shook her head, hoping the two would believe her, looking at them with hopeful eyes.

Li Duojin said: "To prove your father's innocence and to protect his safety, we want to know about your father, especially things from the last few days. When he spoke to you on the phone, what did he say to you?"

His gentle tone and soft gaze made Wang Zijing relax a little. Facing their questioning, Wang Zijing bit her lip, her eyes struggling for a moment, and she slowly opened her mouth: "My dad transferred a sum of money to me, told me to take good care of the people at home, and then told me never to look for him again."

"Did you ask him why you couldn't look for him?" Chen Xiaolin asked curiously.

"I asked, but he didn't answer me; he just hung up the phone. After that, I could never get through to his phone again, and I couldn't contact him." Wang Zijing covered her head in some pain, "What kind of trouble has my dad gotten into? Please help my dad, will you?"