"Prince, please!"
At the abbot's address, Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou, who had been sitting upright on their meditation cushions, hastily dropped to their knees and bowed low, not daring to glance at Duan Hongzhuo.
Duan Hongzhuo swept his gaze over the two figures prostrated on the floor, a faint trace of displeasure flickering in his eyes.
Merely hearing his title had frightened them to this extent. What virtue or ability did these two possess to have earned the abbot's favor?
Perhaps someone had been mistaken about them?
Duan Hongzhuo's gaze remained fixed on the two figures, and he said nothing.
Since he did not speak, Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou could only remain kneeling, utterly motionless.
The stove beside them, still heating the tea, had gone unattended for so long that the water finally boiled over.
Scalding tea gushed from the teapot's spout and fell onto the fiercely burning charcoal, sending up wisps of white vapor.
Before long, the fire actually went out.
Without the stove's warmth, a chill gradually crept into the meditation chamber.
Duan Hongzhuo glanced up at the daylight filtering through the window lattice and pressed his lips together before saying, "It seems I have come at the wrong time."
With that, he strode out of the meditation chamber.
At the corner, Duan Hongzhuo stopped and told the subordinate following him, "Investigate those two thoroughly. Find out where they came from, and report back at once."
The man left to carry out his orders.
After Duan Hongzhuo departed, the abbot looked at the stove, now giving off only a few lingering wisps of smoke, and sighed softly.
"Indeed, I have fallen prey to attachment."
He turned his gaze to Jiang Zhizhou and Yang Qing. "I had intended to invite you both to savor the tea together,