Mingsheng was softhearted and already had a good impression of Hu Xiaotian. Hearing him speak with such feeling, he believed him. After some thought, he finally nodded. "Very well! I'll take you there. But once you arrive, you mustn't linger. Find the statue, offer your incense, and leave immediately."
When Hu Xiaotian heard Mingsheng agree, he nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, Senior Brother Mingsheng. You're helping me out like this-there's no way your brother here would cause you any trouble."
Hearing that streetwise manner creep back into his speech, Mingsheng did not know whether to laugh or cry. He led Hu Xiaotian toward Cloudsplit Valley. They had spent six hours in the Merit Hall without even stopping for lunch, and both were hungry now. Mingsheng asked Hu Xiaotian to wait a moment and soon returned with several steamed buns.
They each ate a few buns and drank some water, making do with that for lunch. After a brief rest, they set off for Cloudsplit Valley.
Mingsheng led Hu Xiaotian around the temple's main hall, choosing secluded paths with as little foot traffic as possible. After all, Hu Xiaotian was not a member of the temple. If they encountered an elder making his rounds, it would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble. Only after walking for over two hours did they reach the Cloudsplit Valley the old monk had mentioned.
Despite its name, Cloudsplit Valley was really just a mountain hollow overgrown with weeds. The rain had still not fallen, even though it was past noon, and the weather was oppressively hot and humid. The monk responsible for guarding the valley had disappeared somewhere to escape the heat.
Mingsheng and Hu Xiaotian hurried into the valley, following the winding mountain path downward. Numerous broken steles and Buddha statues lay piled along both sides of