Ye Qingyun was not quite sure whether the Song father and son had attained enlightenment.
But he knew his little life should count as saved.
"Mm, good that you've attained enlightenment."
Ye Qingyun nodded as he spoke.
At that moment, the Song father and son truly looked like disciples who had entered the Buddhist fold, their faces full of devotion.
Even their gazes toward Ye Qingyun held the reverence one showed a god.
"Master, we truly committed far too many sins before."
"Yes, Master, please give us more guidance."
"Master, why don't we take you as our teacher?"
"Master, why aren't you saying anything?"
The Song father and son crowded around Ye Qingyun, calling him Master with every breath.
They left Ye Qingyun at something of a loss.
"There's no need to take disciples. You need only remember my words and recite the Heart Sutra every day. Your karmic obstacles will naturally fade away."
Ye Qingyun spoke with a serene expression.
"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"
Father and son bowed repeatedly.
"Then this humble monk... ah, no, I'll take my leave."
"We'll see you off, Master!"
"Nonsense! We should escort the Master all the way back to Floating Cloud Mountain!"
Ye Qingyun: "..."
And so.
The Song father and son respectfully escorted Ye Qingyun back to Floating Cloud Mountain.
Along the way, they kept asking Ye Qingyun about Buddhist teachings.
What the hell did Ye Qingyun know about Buddhist teachings?
He could only make things up with that mouth of his, saying a few things that sounded plausible but were not.
As far as Ye Qingyun was concerned, wasn't Buddhism just about saying vague things that sounded plausible but were not?
When they reached Floating Cloud Mountain, Ye Qingyun waved at the Song father and son.
"Go back. Remember to recite more Buddhist scriptures and do more good deeds."
"We shall remember your teachings, Master!"
Father and son bowed in unison.
"Mm, farewell."
Ye Qingyun headed up the mountain.
The Song father and son returned to the Song residence brimming with joy.
That very night, the Song father and son set up a Buddhist shrine in their residence.
They even had someone specially craft a golden Buddha statue, and the statue's face was Ye Qingyun's.
They were outright enshrining Ye Qingyun as a Buddha.
Had Ye Qingyun known, he would probably have spat blood from anger on the spot.
The Song father and son recited the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra in the shrine all night long, their chanting echoing throughout the Song Clan residence.
Such devotion.
The next day.
Although the Song father and son had not slept all night, their minds felt clear, and they felt a sense of ease unlike anything they had ever experienced.
"Father, I feel so good."
"Son, so do I."
Father and son exchanged a smile.
To dissolve their own karmic obstacles, the Song father and son decided to do as Ye Qingyun had said and perform more good deeds.
They went out with the Song Clan's martial artists.
They would see where their good deeds were needed.
When the common folk around them saw the Song Clan coming, they hurried into hiding, not daring to go anywhere near them.
Seeing this, the Song father and son felt deeply ashamed.
"It seems we truly did too many evil deeds before."
Father and son resolved to turn over a new leaf and never do another evil deed, however small.
"Father, look at that old woman. Isn't she trying to cross the river?"
Song Chenglong pointed at an old woman standing beside the river not far away.
Song Xiaotian looked, and his eyes immediately lit up.
"That's right, son. That old woman is indeed trying to cross the river. Hurry and give her a hand."
"Sure!"
Song Chenglong hurried over to the riverbank.
"Ma'am, you want to cross the river, right? Don't worry. I'll help you."
His face full of enthusiasm, Song Chenglong gave her no chance to object before hoisting her onto his shoulder, then circulating Spiritual Qi beneath his feet and striding across the water.
In just a few moments.
He had reached the opposite bank.
After setting down the bewildered old woman, Song Chenglong even straightened her clothes for her.
"Ma'am, no need to thank me. It's what I should do."
Song Chenglong waved and strode away.
"Ah, doing good deeds feels amazing!"
Song Chenglong brimmed with pride, as though his whole being had been elevated.
Only then did the old woman recover her senses.
"That damned bastard! I only just crossed the river, so why did he carry me right back?"
The old woman launched into a torrent of curses.
The Song father and son continued searching for their next target for a good deed.
Soon, they spotted several children playing together.
They were all only seven or eight years old, chasing and tussling around a well, having a wonderful time.
"Father, look! Those children are playing beside a well. It's too dangerous. What if they fall in?"
Song Chenglong spoke with a worried expression.
Song Xiaotian nodded repeatedly.
"You're right. It's far too dangerous. We must help these poor children."
With that, Song Xiaotian walked over.
"Children, step back for a moment."
Song Xiaotian spoke with a kindly expression.
The children did not understand, but seeing Song Xiaotian's fine clothes and the strange smile on his face, they immediately grew frightened and scattered.
"These children really are adorable."
Song Xiaotian smiled, then circulated his Spiritual Qi.
Rumble!!!
A large mass of earth nearby immediately rose into the air.
Song Xiaotian waved his arm, and the earth filled the well before him right up.
"Mm, now the children won't have to worry about falling into the well while they play."
Song Xiaotian turned and left, thoroughly satisfied.
"Another good deed done. If the Master knew, he would surely praise the two of us."
Not long afterward, some men from the village came over with buckets to draw water.
Then they took a look.
The well had been filled in.
"Who the hell filled in our village's well?"
"That's downright rotten!"
"They deserve to be struck by lightning!"
Several days later.
Word of the Song father and son doing good deeds everywhere had spread.
But whenever the common folk saw the Song father and son coming out to do good deeds, they hid even faster than before.
It could truly be said that wherever they went, not even a chicken dared stay behind.
Watching the common folk flee in panic, the Song father and son found it very strange.
"Why does it seem like we're even less welcome than before?"
Song Xiaotian was baffled.
Song Chenglong frowned. "It must be because we haven't done enough good deeds. We should step up the effort."
"You're right, son. Step up the effort!"
That day, Ye Qingyun was laying out sweet potato slices to dry.
There were not many, but Ye Qingyun had grown and harvested them all himself.
Not far away, someone came running over in a panic.
"Hmm?"
Ye Qingyun could not help looking over.
The person was filthy and disheveled, a beggar.
But he was not Guo Xiaoyun, whom Ye Qingyun knew.
"Are you Ye Qingyun?"
The beggar did not look very old either, only a little over ten, and asked breathlessly as soon as he arrived.
"I am. Who are you?"
Ye Qingyun asked in puzzlement.
The beggar caught his breath, his face full of anxiety.
"Something's happened to Guo Xiaoyun."
Ye Qingyun's expression changed.
"What happened to him?"
"Last night, someone in black grabbed Guo Xiaoyun and took him away."
Ye Qingyun's heart gave a jolt.
Could Guo Xiaoyun have run into the evil cultivators Bai Suyi mentioned?
"Do you know where he was taken?"
Ye Yun hurriedly asked.
"I don't know, but the person in black went east."