Fine food

Qu Zan had no interest in dual-body cultivation.

He seriously doubted that this kind of cultivation had any supernatural effects. It was nothing more than a fig leaf for the pursuit of pleasure.

Dual-body cultivation in Mìdì offered so-called Skillful Means.

Its purpose was to draw in aristocrats and wealthy merchant devotees.

It was like deceiving lower-class believers by saying that merely chanting Amitabha could avert disasters and resolve troubles, or that buying indulgences would get them into heaven. Such easy, pleasurable methods were the easiest way to attract believers.

The morals here were a mess. If he caught some filthy disease, he would have nowhere to seek redress.

Besides, Qu Zan had no money to spend here.

Qu Zan said, "This kind of dual-body cultivation violates the monastery's teachings and breaks the precepts."

At these words, the woman's face fell at once, and she turned and left.

Whether dual-body cultivation broke the precepts was not for Qu Zan to judge.

Those above might indulge in unbridled debauchery, but Qu Zan was only a low-ranking monk. All he could do was observe the precepts.

Others had backers and could run wild. Qu Zan did not.

If he broke a precept and someone made it into a serious ideological offense to target him, he might be expelled from the monastery outright.

Qu Zan turned and left.

"That Rusu made me skip dinner just for this."

His stomach growling with hunger, Qu Zan deeply regretted not having dinner at the dining hall.

He bought two boiled potatoes on the street and dipped them in salt. They had a flavor all their own. The goods sold here were considerably more expensive than at an ordinary market.

Qu Zan was only willing to spend enough for two boiled potatoes to stave off his hunger.

Even entering Jieyou Alley required paying a passage fee. Unwilling to waste it, Qu Zan continued wandering around.

He carefully examined each shop, looking for somewhere that sold alcohol. After searching Jieyou Alley for ages, he had indeed failed to find a single shop with anything to do with alcohol.

Even the few eateries selling foods such as thrice-pure meat had no alcohol for sale.

Sure enough, the prohibition on alcohol really is a major precept, Qu Zan thought.

Having found somewhere that sold alcohol, Qu Zan began looking for antique shops to see whether he could unearth anything good.

"Junior Brother Gyatso?" A male voice sounded behind him.

Qu Zan turned to see a delicate-featured young monk looking at him.

Qu Zan knew the young monk: Namkha, who studied Collected Topics with him in the small scripture hall.

Beside Namkha stood a lavishly dressed lady wearing a coral headdress and a brocade Tibetan robe. Two maids attended her closely. One look was enough to tell that she held high status.

The lady's face seemed somewhat familiar to Qu Zan.

There was also a young girl beside the lady. She was exceptionally beautiful, with skin as smooth and white as snow, striking, sculpted features, a high, straight nose, thick eyelashes, and sharp, radiant eyes and brows.

She wore a multilayered beaded headdress, with strands of colorful gemstones falling in separate sections from the crown of her head to either side.

Her long black hair was woven into fine braids hidden beneath the beads, and she wore a brightly colored brocade fur robe.

Glimpsing the lady's face, Qu Zan suddenly remembered. This was Madam Dzongben, Madam Yangjin, who had sought a son from the monastery's elder.

With her clothes on, I almost didn't recognize her.

"Senior Brother Namkha?" Qu Zan pressed his palms together, bowed, and lowered his head. Following etiquette, he also lowered his head in greeting to the noble lady and young miss.

In Mìdì, all monks were accorded religious respect.

Even someone of Madam Dzongben's exalted standing had to address ordained monks respectfully and could not treat them lightly.

Madam Dzongben and the young miss both nodded slightly and pressed their palms together.

"Namkha, who is this?" Madam Yangjin asked.

"This is my classmate from the scripture hall. His Dharma name is Gyatso!" Namkha said. "Gyatso, this is the mistress of my household and the young miss..."

The girl gave Qu Zan a slight nod and a polite smile.

Madam Yangjin looked Qu Zan over and said, "Our Namkha is quite proficient in scriptural studies. You are remarkable, actually defeating him and taking first place in the examination. Namkha, if you wish to follow the path of a Scholar Monk, you must study even harder from now on..."

"Yes, madam!" Namkha nodded obediently.

Qu Zan bowed. "This humble monk was merely fortunate."

Whenever he looked at Madam Yangjin, he felt rather awkward. He tried to avert his gaze and avoid looking at her.

They parted at a fork in the road, where Madam Yangjin went to buy a gold-thread tapestry.

Hearing that Qu Zan wanted to browse antique shops, Namkha insisted on showing him the way. The girl seemed uninterested in browsing a dull tapestry shop and went along to look around the antique shops too.

"Tuya, don't eat too many snacks," Madam Yangjin reminded her before they parted.

Tuya playfully stuck out her tongue.

"Little brother, let's go," Tuya said with a smile.

Namkha shook his head. "Miss, you shouldn't call me your little brother. Madam will be unhappy if she hears."

"What's wrong with it? We have the same father, so of course you're my little brother."

Namkha shook his head with a wry smile.

Qu Zan thought, It looks as though Namkha and Tuya share a father but have different mothers, and Namkha's mother probably has little standing. Namkha isn't entitled to call Madam Yangjin Mother.

Such situations were quite common in Mìdì: the master of a household could not control his lust, coupled with a household servant, and fathered a child.

In truth, such children had little more standing than serfs.

Namkha had even been sent to study at a monastery. Moreover, although Madam Yangjin was strict with him, she did not completely discard him like a worn-out shoe. This was already very good treatment.

As they passed a shop, Tuya bought three large pieces of rose and almond honey cake.

They each had one...

Thin, flaky pastry wrapped around honey and almonds, carrying the delicate fragrance of rosewater. It was a rare, exquisite sweet. Still somewhat hungry, Qu Zan was thoroughly satisfied with it.

That one piece of honey cake cost as much as a month's meals for Qu Zan.

After the honey cakes, she bought soft-rind cheese, fried rice balls, fruit pies... He had not expected this seemingly ethereal, refined girl to be such a little foodie.

Watching from beside her, Namkha kept shaking his head. He tried to remind her, only for Tuya to stop his mouth with a pie.

"Little Master Gyatso, I heard you defeated Chima in the scripture debate this time?" Tuya asked curiously.

"Mm!"

Tuya's eyes shifted, sparkling. "Chima is an utter egotist, but he's still very good at scripture debates. It's impressive that you could beat him. Was that really your first scripture debate?"

Qu Zan murmured his assent and accepted the willow-wood lamb skewer Tuya handed him. The roasting lamb sizzled with fat, and a handful of cumin sprinkled over it instantly released a rich aroma.

Getting to enjoy so many free snacks made today's outing worthwhile.

Qu Zan had initially wanted to refuse the snacks being thrust at him, but the food was all too delicious.

Namkha led Qu Zan across the street to a small alley. Hanging there was a finely crafted wooden sign, black with yellow lettering, listing the specialties: dzi beads, antique bronze statues of tutelary deities, old Thangkas, antique ornaments, antique scripture-printing blocks, heirloom bronze talisman plaques...

"The goods in this shop are fairly authentic, unlike the others, where ten out of ten pieces are fake," Namkha said quietly.

"What about this one?" Qu Zan asked with a smile.

"Probably five out of ten are fake," Namkha said quite sincerely. "Don't look at me like that. This is an antique shop. Having half the goods be genuine is already very conscientious."