Chapter 1459: Bald Donkey, Take This!

Chen Chen Guanlou offered his thanks.

Wang Fei was overjoyed, and led Chen Chen Guanlou away.

And donated a large sum of incense oil money.

Worthy of a Wang Fu — even the incense oil money starts in the thousands!

The guest-receiving monk immediately grinned so wide his teeth showed but his eyes vanished! That eager, fawning manner — being a monk is a waste of his talents. He ought to go to the palace and be a Eunuch!

Burning incense definitely calls for a vegetarian meal!

Stay in the side room and wait for the meal to be served.

Chen Chen Guanlou asked casually, "Does Wang Fei believe that bald donkey?"

"No wild talk! Master Zhitong is a Gao Seng who has attained the Dao, a man of true ability, certainly not the sort who chases fame and reputation. You're young and lack a sense of reverence — that is not good. The master's appraisal cannot be wrong. When he says 'very good,' it must be exceedingly good."

Chen Chen Guanlou gave a light cough, as if accepting the lesson.

"May I ask Wang Fei, what cultivation level is Master Zhitong?"

"Cultivation level — you mean martial arts?"

"Yes!"

"Master Zhitong should not be a martial artist; I've never heard that he practices the martial arts!"

Impossible!

Chen Chen Guanlou did not believe a single word.

His eyes were his ruler!

If that bald donkey Zhitong was not a martial artist — not a Grandmaster-level martial artist — he would twist his own head off and kick it like a ball!

That bald donkey had hidden it far too thoroughly.

"Does Wang Fei remember when Master Zhitong came to Zhenjiang Temple, and when he became abbot?"

Wang Fei carefully recalled, then asked the nanny attending her, before saying, "About a dozen or so years ago, certainly not twenty — roughly seventeen or eighteen years, I should think. He came here to preach the scriptures, and everyone was thoroughly convinced. Later he stayed on at Zhenjiang Temple. Zhenjiang Temple became famous because of him! After the previous abbot passed away, Master Zhitong became the new abbot without any surprise!"

"Wang Fei means that before Master Zhitong arrived, Zhenjiang Temple was just an ordinary little temple, with no reputation and no thriving incense business."

"Of course! Without Master Zhitong, Zhenjiang Temple would not enjoy its present prosperity! With him as abbot, everyone — including the Wang Fu — has no objections!"

Zhenjiang Temple lay within the fief of Lu Wang's Wang Fu, so monks and Taoists naturally fell under the Wang Fu's jurisdiction!

"Is his fortune-telling truly accurate?"

"Of course! You heard his appraisal of you yourself. Do you think it makes sense?"

The two words "very good," broadly speaking, meant everything was good — good fate, good luck, good health, wishes fulfilled…

Looking back over all those years, Chen Chen Guanlou admitted his experiences truly lived up to the words "very good." But this "very good," on first hearing, really did carry the suspicion of being a swindle.

When he himself swindled people, he also liked to use especially beautiful, exaggerated, dazzling words — to paint a cake for them!

When it came to the art of painting cakes, in his view, that bald donkey Zhitong was not even his equal.

At least he would patiently analyze the pros and cons for people.

That bald donkey Zhitong was purely perfunctory — in other words, he loved to put on an act!

He detested people who put on acts the most.

Of those who truly could be called "accurate," Chen Chen Guanlou only acknowledged the Anping Wang! At their very first meeting, he had not yet said a word, yet the other had seen straight through his essence — endlessly!

That bald donkey Zhitong was nothing more than a swindler relying on outward packaging, yet Wang Fei believed him.

Wang Fei's belief was the best advertisement of all.

If even Wang Fei believed that bald donkey Zhitong, how could others not believe? Even if they did not believe, they would not say so, lest they offend the Wang Fu and bring trouble upon themselves.

"I feel he's like a swindler!"

"Watch your words!" Wang Fei said very sternly. "No wild talk! Master Zhitong is a true Gao Seng who has attained the Dao. Without his guidance, the Wang Fu would not have its heir. Do you understand?"

Chen Chen Guanlou suddenly understood!

That bald donkey Zhitong had some skill — he had successfully struck at the heart of Wang Fei's concerns.

Back then, perhaps Wang Fei had not yet made her final decision on whether to fight to the death. At the crucial moment, that bald donkey Zhitong was like a ray of wisdom, giving Wang Fei a new line of thought — and so the heir was born!

How interesting!

"Does Wang Ye believe him?"

"Wang Ye does not believe in Buddhism, only in the Taoist school!"

The implication was that Lu Wang had never had dealings with that bald donkey Zhitong.

"Does the heir believe?"

"Naturally he does. Chen Guanlou, you may not believe, but this Wang Fei hopes you can respect Master Zhitong!"

"Wang Fei may rest assured, I will certainly respect him."

After the vegetarian meal, they set off back to the Wang Fu.

That night, Chen Chen Guanlou disguised himself, slipped into Zhenjiang Temple, and headed straight for the side room where that bald donkey Zhitong rested.

"Since young friend has come, why not show yourself. There is no need to hide your head and show your tail."

"The master is indeed a Gao Seng, with profound cultivation — admirable. I wonder if anyone within Zhenjiang Temple knows the master is a Grandmaster! A Grandmaster — what profound cultivation. Why does the master conceal his name and hide in this little Zhenjiang Temple? Could it be the master has committed some offense?"

Chen Chen Guanlou stepped out from the darkness.

"Young friend Chen's nighttime visit — this poor monk welcomes it! This poor monk has never concealed his name, nor committed any offense. Young friend Chen has misunderstood!"

The Monk Zhitong sat cross-legged on the bed, a string of prayer beads in his hands, eyes closed, sutras on his lips.

Chen Chen Guanlou immediately felt a touch of regret — the disguise had been purely superfluous. No matter how exquisite the disguise, before a Grandmaster there was nowhere to hide. A Grandmaster did not look at the surface when reading a person, but saw straight through to the essence in a single glance. Every person had a unique aura; once that aura was locked on, no matter how the outward appearance changed, one could be seen through at a glance.

He stood at the doorway, neither approaching nor retreating.

"The master is truly a Grandmaster?"

"Amitabha. My meager cultivation is not worth mentioning. Young friend comes late at night — could it be out of curiosity as to why this poor monk resides at Zhenjiang Temple? Given young friend's own experiences, you should understand that every person has their own Dao. This place is this poor monk's Dao!"

"Does your Dao include the Wang Fu?"

Monk Zhitong said directly, "In this poor monk's eyes, there is no Wang Fu, only people!"

"Are you toying with the Wang Fu? Would you harm the Wang Fu?"

Monk Zhitong suddenly opened his eyes and finally deigned to look squarely at Chen Chen Guanlou. "Young Friend Chen is overthinking. This poor monk has no grudge or grievance with the Wang Fu—where would any toying or harming come from? That son of yours is a man of good fortune."

"Can you really read faces and tell fortunes?" Chen Chen Guanlou did not believe it.

"A man of the cloth does not speak falsehoods. This poor monk cannot read faces, but this poor monk can see through the workings of fate!"

Nonsense!

Chen Chen Guanlou did not believe a single word.

"May I ask, Master, before coming here, where did you lodge and cultivate? Which temple are you from? Perhaps, if I have a free day another time, I might pay you a visit."

"Amitabha. Young Friend still does not trust this poor monk."

Chen Chen Guanlou gave a cold, mirthless laugh.

You bald donkey with no traceable background, go on fooling ordinary people if you like. To think you could fool him—impossible.

He had spent many years in the Heaven Prison and had seen tens of thousands of demons and monsters. Those of the bald-donkey Zhitong type were few, but not nonexistent. Putting on a show to swindle people, refusing to reveal one's background—there had to be something shady behind it! A mysterious origin was all the more suspicious!

"You can't even explain your own background, so how can I trust you?"

Monk Zhitong's face showed compassion, his eyes held a smile. "Young Friend Chen himself cannot clearly explain his own background, so why must you track down mine?"

Chen Chen Guanlou frowned deeply. "My background is crystal clear—how could it be unclear?"

"Really?" Monk Zhitong still wore that compassionate look. "When this poor monk says he can see a person's fate, it is no empty boast. What your true background is, you know perfectly well in your heart. You carry a strange treasure within you—that is your reliance!"