The Old Monk

"Damn, why did that little thing look so tasty?" Zhang Chen returned to his bedroom. After covering himself, head and all, with the blanket, the first thing he thought about was food.

"What's wrong with me? In a situation like this, I should theoretically be scared shitless. Fine, I'm not scared, but I'm actually thinking about eating that thing. And why do I think something so disgusting would taste good?" Zhang Chen smacked his head hard, trying to stop himself from thinking about food. At the same time, he slowly lifted the blanket and cautiously poked his head out to inspect his bedroom. Finding nothing unusual, he shrank back under the covers.

"If everything just now was real, that little thing seemed really afraid of me. Why?" Zhang Chen replayed everything that had happened from the moment he left school until now.

"Wait. If what happened in my house was real, then did that man by the bridge really dig out my heart and put a black bead where it had been?"

The thought sent a chill down Zhang Chen's spine. He hurriedly pressed the index and middle fingers of his left hand against the artery in his right wrist. Ten seconds passed, and his face changed drastically. He could not feel a heartbeat in his right wrist at all.

"Did he really take my heart? I remember the heart is the center of blood circulation throughout the body. Without a heart, blood can't circulate at all. I may have coasted through school, but I know that much basic common sense. So am I using that black bead as a heart now?" Zhang Chen was on the verge of losing it. He simply could not bear everything that had happened in the past few hours.

"Whatever. I'm not dead anyway. Worst case, I die. And even if I die, I can become a ghost, so what the hell am I scared of? Tomorrow afternoon, I just won't go to the internet café with Er Wa and Tan Fei. I have to get to the bottom of this. Sleep first. I've got serious business tomorrow." Zhang Chen cleared his mind in an instant, buried his head under the covers, and fell asleep.

"Beep beep beep~ Beep beep beep~"

Zhang Chen habitually sat up in bed. It was 6:30, and the spring sky was still dark. Still shaken by what had happened in the middle of the night, he got dressed and slowly opened the door. After finding nothing unusual outside, he gently pushed open his parents' bedroom door. Seeing them asleep in bed, Zhang Chen let out a sigh of relief. Still, the cold aura around his father seemed even stronger than it had been when he went to sleep last night.

"Looks like Dad is the only one in the family affected by this thing. Why are Mom and I fine? I need to solve this fast. I remember that man in the black windbreaker told me to check out a temple. Guess I'll have to skip the internet café this afternoon, even if it kills me. Mom used to go to some place called Sanxue Temple whenever she had time. I'll go take a look after school."

With that thought, Zhang Chen headed off to wash up. After taking two steps, he arrived at the bathroom door.

"This is so damn annoying. Why would they build the sink and toilet in the same room? Once I make money, I'll definitely buy a house where they're separate. Fuck it. If that little thing comes out again, I'll eat it."

Thinking of that swollen baby made Zhang Chen's stomach growl again. He could only clutch his stomach with one hand and open the bathroom door with the other. The hellish scene from last night had vanished, replaced by the clean bathroom from before. Yet that bone-chilling cold remained. As Zhang Chen brushed his teeth, he kept staring at the toilet, constantly feeling that something would crawl out of it.

"Grrr." Just as he was about to finish brushing his teeth and washing his face, a noise came from Zhang Chen's stomach.

"At a time like this, you want me to take a dump? What if that little thing screws me up the ass? Forget it, I'll hold it and use the public restroom in the complex. I really have to solve this soon, or I'll have to run downstairs every time I need the toilet." Zhang Chen was both angry and afraid. He grabbed his stuff and headed downstairs toward school.

Zhang Chen chose to take that bridge. If the man in the black windbreaker was still by the bridge, he could try asking about what was happening at his house. After leaving the restroom, he felt much lighter, but the empty feeling in his stomach had grown even worse. Thinking about the intestine noodles outside the school gate, he pedaled furiously toward them.

In less than five minutes, Zhang Chen reached Jinshui Bridge. He did not see the man in the black windbreaker, but he did see police officers in blue uniforms. Since it was still early, aside from the police, there were only Zhang Chen and an old man in his seventies.

Zhang Chen naturally realized something had happened. He quickly put on the look of a curious, well-behaved student and ran over to a plain-looking police officer around thirty.

"Uncle, what happened here?"

"Nothing. Hurry up and get to school." Seeing Zhang Chen's school uniform, the officer gave him a perfunctory answer.

With no other choice, Zhang Chen decided to take a gamble. Putting on a thoughtful expression, he said, "Uncle, when I got home from evening self-study at ten last night, I saw a man in a black windbreaker standing motionlessly by the bridge. I thought he was a ghost. Did something happen to him?"

The officer's expression changed at once. He quickly turned around and quietly told Zhang Chen to speak with him somewhere else. The two went one after another beneath a streetlamp by the roadside.

"Little brother, please give me a detailed account of exactly what happened when you passed this bridge last night." After saying that, the officer took a pen and a sticky note from his breast pocket.

"When I got onto the bridge, it was around 10:10. The streetlights on the bridge were broken, so I didn't notice the man in the black windbreaker at first. I only saw someone standing by the bridge after I'd ridden halfway across. He scared the hell out of me, so I didn't stop. I crossed the bridge and went home." Naturally, Zhang Chen did not mention his conversation with the man, the man jumping into the river, or himself jumping in to save him. It was not that he could not say it, but the officer would think he was messing with him, and then he would have no chance to get any information.

"Mm. Was that man standing on the inside or outside of the bridge railing?" the officer continued asking.

"Let me think... um... he should have been on the inside. Yes, the inside." Caught off guard by the question, Zhang Chen hurriedly gave a vague answer.

The officer did not take Zhang Chen too seriously. After clarifying the situation, he turned to leave.

"Wait, Uncle. What happened to that man in black?" Seeing the officer about to leave, Zhang Chen immediately asked.

"He drowned." Not wanting to waste words, the officer tossed out those three words and left.

Zhang Chen stood there, stunned.

"That man in the black windbreaker wasn't a ghost? He really did commit suicide? Then how did I get back onto the bridge from the water?" Zhang Chen stood there in a daze for quite a while before hurriedly asking, "Uncle, was it suicide?"

"Preliminarily, we believe it was suicide, but we can't rule out homicide. You're just a kid, so stop asking questions and get to school." After helplessly answering Zhang Chen's question, the officer waved him away.

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Zhang Chen did not linger and headed straight for school. Auntie's Intestine Noodles by the school gate was his favorite. Starving, Zhang Chen ordered a large bowl as soon as he arrived. After taking a few bites, he even let out a satisfied burp. He patted his belly, only to feel hungry again, despite clearly feeling that his stomach was full. To put it simply, his body was satisfied, but his mind was not.

The classroom was already filled with the sound of students reading aloud in the morning. Zhang Chen wanted to join the ranks of those top students and make his parents proud. But whenever he picked up a textbook, an intensely uncomfortable feeling came over him. Just looking at it made him restless, much less reading it aloud.

At that moment, two figures darted in from the classroom door and appeared before Zhang Chen. Wang Ban Hua, who was reading attentively on his right, shifted her chair farther away. Naturally, the two were Er Wa and Tan Fei.

"Brother Chen, how late were you playing with Lu Ba last night?" Tan Fei asked with a lewd grin spread across his fleshy face.

"Playing with your brother-in-law. I didn't get home until ten last night, while you two ran off first." Zhang Chen was used to it and could not be bothered to argue with this shameless fat guy.

"Oh, we were thinking about going online this afternoon, so Er Wa and I went back early to rest. We discussed it already—each of us will chip in one yuan to buy you a can of cola to calm your nerves." As Tan Fei spoke, he kept patting Zhang Chen on the shoulder. It was disgusting. Er Wa, meanwhile, stood beside them without saying a word, apparently enjoying their bickering.

Normally, Zhang Chen would have messed around with his two friends for a while. But now, with his hands clasped beneath his chin, he thought, I'd better not tell them about what happened last night. Tan Fei definitely won't believe me, and even if Er Wa believes me, he probably can't help much. It wouldn't be good if I dragged them into this. I should handle it myself.

"I have something to do this afternoon. You two go without me," Zhang Chen suddenly said.

"Chen, there's actually a day when you're not going to the internet café? You trying to fool your older brother?" Before Tan Fei could speak, Er Wa spoke first.

Zhang Chen knew the two would not let it go easily, so he could only shake his head and say, "Sigh, I want to go too, but my dad got sick and was hospitalized last night. My mom has the night shift today, so she asked me to stay with him."

"Fine, then. We'll call you over the weekend." The two knew Zhang Chen's internet addiction was no less serious than theirs. Besides, since it involved family, there was nothing more to say.

After seeing the two return to their seats, Zhang Chen said nothing further and began considering his plans for the afternoon.

Time passed quickly when he was just coasting through class, and soon it was time for school to end in the afternoon.

"Riiing~~~~~" The dismissal bell rang. Er Wa and Tan Fei each patted Zhang Chen on the shoulder, then ran out of the classroom like madmen. Zhang Chen slowly packed his schoolbag like a good student. The poor student who would normally be the first to rush out of the classroom was actually carefully packing his bag. Even Wang Ban Hua beside him was dumbfounded, glancing at Zhang Chen from time to time. When Zhang Chen noticed her surprised gaze, a fantasy arose in his mind.

If I quit gaming and study hard, could I get together with Wang Ban Hua? What if... After Zhang Chen finished fantasizing, he realized the person he had been staring at was already gone. He smiled to himself, scratched his head, slung his schoolbag over his shoulder, and left the classroom.

According to Zhang Chen's mother, Sanxue Temple had existed long before the county town was founded. Many residents over fifty visited Sanxue Temple every year to burn incense, worship Buddha, and pray for peace in the coming year. Mother Zhang believed deeply in Sanxue Temple. Over the years, she had drawn no fewer than ten fortune sticks for Zhang Chen there.

Zhang Chen rode his bike and soon arrived at the foot of the mountain where the temple stood. After five minutes on the mountain path, he saw the temple gate, with the three words "Sanxue Temple" written above it. Perhaps because it was already late, there was no one at the entrance, and the gate was only slightly open.

He first poked his head in for a look. There was no one in the courtyard, and it was very quiet. Yet the ground was spotless, without a single fallen leaf. Someone had clearly swept it recently. Zhang Chen gently pushed open the gate and stepped into the courtyard. A gust of wind blew over him. Though he had rushed here in a heavy mood, his heart immediately calmed, and his whole body felt much more comfortable.

"This place really is unusual. But where did all the monks go? Did they go down the mountain for dinner and karaoke?"

Zhang Chen took two steps forward and examined the Great Hero Hall before him. The instant he stepped inside, he felt as though someone was watching him. He looked around but found nothing strange. Not bothering with it any longer, Zhang Chen walked before the Buddha statue, knelt on both knees, and bowed repeatedly.

"Young benefactor, you are truly no ordinary person." A voice came from behind Zhang Chen. Startled, he quickly turned around and saw an old monk with a white beard holding a bamboo broom.

"Master, I saw no one in Sanxue Temple, so I came in without permission. Please forgive me." Zhang Chen hurriedly stood and spoke respectfully.

"A temple belongs to everyone under heaven. There is nothing to forgive. Did you sense something, young benefactor?" the old monk asked.

"Master, when I entered this Great Hero Hall, I felt as if someone was watching me. The feeling was faint, appearing and disappearing," Zhang Chen answered honestly.

"Young benefactor, do you know why, among all the temples throughout the country, there are tales of Buddha appearing in every region?" the old monk asked again.

"Please enlighten me, Master."

"After every temple is built, many Buddhist disciples hold ceremonies and chant scriptures before the Buddha statue in the Great Hero Hall. This is called consecration. Then a fragment of Buddha's consciousness attaches itself to the statue. Only a consecrated temple can be considered a true temple." The old monk looked toward the Buddha statue as he spoke.

"Master, are you saying Buddha is watching me?" Having experienced so many strange things, Zhang Chen readily believed in Buddha's existence. He also turned to look at the statue.

"Buddha watches everyone. It is only that you, young benefactor, sensed Buddha's gaze. That is why this old monk says you are no ordinary person." The old monk seemed to mean more than he said, but Zhang Chen did not pay much attention to it.

"Master, I actually have a favor to ask. I wonder whether you can believe me." Zhang Chen was just about to explain.

"Go on."

"It happened like this..." Zhang Chen told him everything about the bathroom in his home, but did not mention what had happened on the bridge.

"Master, do you think I'm talking nonsense?" Zhang Chen asked awkwardly after finishing.

"As long as you believe something exists, then it exists. How can it be called nonsense?" The old monk stroked his beard.

"Then, Master, can you help me get rid of the unclean thing in my house?" Zhang Chen asked urgently.

"I am merely an ordinary mortal and cannot be of much help. Young benefactor, do you know why this temple is called Sanxue Temple? Buddhism has three studies. The first is discipline, using precepts to stop evil and cultivate good. The second is concentration, using stillness to calm the heart. The third is wisdom, using insight to shatter delusion and realize the Way. I said from the beginning that you are no ordinary person. If you understand this old monk's words, you will surely be able to turn danger into safety yourself. Furthermore, the thing you described is most likely a resentful ghost formed from hatred. If you can find its source and sever its resentment, it will naturally dissipate." The old monk smiled.

"I can solve it myself? But..." Seeing that the old monk was unwilling to help, Zhang Chen grew anxious. Just as he was about to continue, the old monk interrupted him.

"There is no need to say more. Since you entered the hall with such sincerity and worshipped Buddha devoutly, I will give you this peace talisman. It can only ease matters for a time. The rest depends on you, young benefactor. It is late. You should hurry home." As he spoke, the old monk took a yellow talisman paper and a small pouch from inside his robe. He folded the paper, put it into the pouch, and handed it to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen scratched his head again. He accepted the pouch and placed it in his schoolbag. He did not insist, merely saying, "Thank you, Master." After bowing, he left. Halfway out, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask.

"Master, I still don't know your name."

"This old monk has only a Dharma name: Puhu." A voice came from within the hall.

Zhang Chen nodded and left the temple.