Unfortunately, this smile was the same as the clerk's—both carried a hint of hypocrisy and mockery.
"As the Buddha said, 'If I do not enter hell, who will?' You are all suffering amid this mortal world. Though this old monk has already escaped the bitter sea, I cannot bear it in my heart, and so I must come to save you and bring you ashore!"
"Yes, yes, Master is merciful. It is only because Changsheng Town has Little Gold Temple, and an otherworldly master such as yourself, that we can live in peace. Those demons and monsters would never dare disturb us!" The clerk had always been smooth-tongued, but now his words flowed out like lotus blossoms from his mouth, leaving Xiao Hua utterly dumbfounded.
"Master must be thirsty. Please..." Another clerk hurriedly bowed. "Please honor our humble shop with your presence and have some tea!"
"This..." Zen Master Mingyue revealed a troubled expression. "This old monk still needs to hurry to..."
Yet before the monk could finish, an equally plump shopkeeper rushed out of the general store and cried, "Zen Master, Zen Master, please come quickly! Last month, when I went to Little Gold Temple to worship the Buddha, I never had the chance to receive your guidance. Now that you have come, you must linger at my humble shop for a while! I have newly arrived Daughter Tea from Nüwa Country, picked by the mouths of maidens not yet sixteen—it is this year's fresh tea, perfectly befitting an otherworldly master like yourself! And I have already prepared everything for next month's trip to Little Gold Temple to fulfill my vow..."
Faced with the general store owner's enthusiasm, Zen Master Mingyue was helpless. Those fat hands clutched his monk's robe, and he could not break free. He could only