"Hey!"
Xiao Ran and Golden Toad Son exchanged a glance, then smiled in mutual understanding.
Golden Toad Son pointed at Lu Da. "You're not as dumb as you look, big monk."
Lu Da had effectively made an advance offer. If Xiao Ran accepted the sutra, then when bidding began, Lu Da and Xiao Ran would be on the same side.
Even if Golden Toad Son and Wu Man wanted to bid, they'd be bidding against Xiao Ran, while Lu Da could sit back and reap the benefits.
No matter how high the bidding went in the end, he wouldn't lose out.
That big monk really was clever.
"Fine, I'll take it. I promise you won't be disappointed."
After getting Xiao Ran's promise, Lu Da's spirits lifted. He called out to Wu Man, "Cook, when's dinner? My stomach's already growling."
Wu Man glanced up at Lu Da. "What are you yelling for? Just wait. Good things take time."
But Lu Da couldn't wait any longer. He went over to Wu Man and leaned toward the pot. "Give me a sip of broth to whet my appetite."
"Get out of here. Stop getting in the way—the broth isn't ready yet!"
Wu Man shoved Lu Da aside, and the two started pushing each other around.
Leaving Wu Man and Lu Da aside, Xiao Ran cradled the sutra and studied it closely.
Xiao Ran sat cross-legged, running his fingertips over the yellowed pages of the Maha Miscellaneous Sutra.
The methods described in the scripture were completely at odds with orthodox Buddhist teachings. They transformed countless stray thoughts into a single thought: that thought was the self, and that thought was the Tathagata.
It really was a heretical path. Buddhism discarded stray thoughts to preserve the true self, but this sutra did the exact opposite,