Locust Tree Village

That night.

Fortune Tower.

A seat by the window.

A large basin of sauce-red, glistening pig knuckles steamed furiously.

Beside it stood several jars of strong liquor with their mud seals removed. The fragrance of alcohol mingled with the aroma of meat, making one's fingers itch to grab some in the night.

"Amitabha."

Bujie the monk intoned a Buddhist invocation, then reached straight out and grabbed the fattest knuckle. He did not even mind that it was hot, opening his mouth and taking a huge bite.

"Slurp—"

Oil ran down his mouth.

Chen Tong, sitting opposite him, rolled his eyes and lifted his bowl of liquor for a sip.

"I finally understand why Vajra Temple drove you out back then... If I were the abbot, I would have cleaned house long ago. How could I have allowed you to keep roaming the mortal world?"

"Not so, not so."

Bujie the monk chewed the skin noisily, his face solemn.

"Wine and meat pass through the intestines, while Buddha remains in the heart."

"Mortals only know how to cultivate the mouth instead of the heart. I am refining my heart amid the mortal world. The great wisdom in that is something you know nothing about."

Jiang Yuechu sat to one side, staring blankly at the liquor.

This stuff...

Was it really that good?

In her previous life, it was not as if she had never drunk alcohol, but she had only tried beer.

As for liquor like this, she felt like vomiting just from smelling it.

She truly could not understand how anyone could like this stuff...

She raised her head and glanced to the side.

Liu Ke was acting strangely today. He had been drinking his sorrows without pause, and she had no idea what could have him so troubled.

"What