“Master, Master, a word in private, if you will.”
As soon as they reached the mountaintop, Luo Xingchen found a master who looked every bit like a true enlightened monk.
“This lay brother, this humble monk conducts himself openly and honestly. Under this broad daylight, what is there that cannot be said in public?”
The master’s face was the very picture of righteousness.
“I can pay extra.”
“Ahem. Well, I do see that you and I share a karmic connection. I suppose I can make an exception and hear what you need.”
The moment he heard the words “pay extra,” the master’s expression shifted. He quickly schooled his features back to that righteous look, but he agreed to Luo Xingchen’s request for a private word.
The two of them snuck off to a spot a good distance away from Xia Xi and the others.
“What’s he doing?”
“No idea.”
“Should you keep an eye on him?”
“He’s an adult now. He needs to learn to take responsibility for himself. Just let him do his own thing.”
“True. So, shall we head straight to the wishing tree?”
“Sure.”
The four of them watched Luo Xingchen leave the group without the slightest intention of going after him.
They’d all come up the mountain with their own thoughts in mind, and none of them really had anything to do with Luo Xingchen anyway. Besides, it was broad daylight—it wasn’t like a grown man could just get kidnapped, right? So they let him be.
…
“Master, do you believe there are ghosts in this world?”
The master raised an eyebrow at the question.
“This humble monk naturally believes in the existence of spirits. After all, I follow the Buddha—and if the Buddha exists, then naturally there must be some demons and ghosts as well. Has this lay brother encountered something supernatural?”
Seeing that the master believed in ghosts and spirits, Luo Xingchen’s face lit up with joy.
Even this master acknowledged the existence of ghosts—so his sister must have definitely run into one last night!
He was so smart. Now he could help his sister eliminate another hidden danger~
“Master, do you have any items that can prevent possession by ghosts? Talismans, accessories—anything works.”
Prevent possession?
Had this young man been watching too many movies? In real life, there was no such thing as possession. Someone was probably just putting on a spooky act and had scared him half to death, which was why he was asking for this sort of thing.
Though the master himself didn’t really believe in supernatural events, when it came to items that warded off ghosts, he certainly had some.
“Lay brother, I’m only bringing these out because I see you as a kindred spirit. Don’t go spreading this around everywhere.”
The master carefully pulled a talisman from his robes. On it were scribbles drawn in some unknown red liquid. He also produced a small golden bead.
“Don’t worry, Master. I know how to keep my mouth shut.”
“Good.”
The master glanced around to make sure none of his fellow monks had seen him, then continued speaking to Luo Xingchen.
“This is a demon-expelling talisman I personally drew. Any ghost or spirit that comes within its vicinity will be obliterated on the spot.”
He held out the yellow talisman paper for Luo Xingchen to see, but didn’t hand it over.
Luo Xingchen reached for it, but came up empty-handed.
“Lay brother, since you and I share a karmic connection, I’ll let this talisman go for just 999.”
“Deal.”
Luo Xingchen didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his phone and scanned the payment code for 999 yuan.
To him, a few hundred bucks was pocket change.
Getting a demon-expelling talisman for a few hundred—what a steal!
“And Master, what about this little bead…?”
The master smiled mysteriously and held the bead up to the sunlight. The golden sphere glittered brilliantly, almost dazzlingly bright.
“This is a Buddhist relic—formed from the cremation remains of a great monk. It’s only because I’ve practiced so diligently that I came to possess one. Since you have a need, I am naturally willing to part with it and gift it to you.”
“That’s fantastic! Then—”
Hearing the master was willing to gift it, Luo Xingchen grinned and reached out to take it.
“Ah, but lay brother, you should still offer a token of appreciation. This is the law of karma—if you accept my kindness for nothing, you may encounter some misfortune later on to balance the scales.”
At that, Luo Xingchen understood exactly what the master wanted. He pulled out his phone again and generously scanned another ten thousand yuan.
A relic formed from a great monk’s remains had to be more valuable than a talisman paper, right? Paying the price of ten talismans to settle this karmic debt should be more than enough.
The master tossed the bead to Luo Xingchen and turned to leave, as if he’d fulfilled some purpose and settled some karmic debt, so he had no reason to linger any longer.
Little did he know, the face turned away from Luo Xingchen was practically splitting with glee.
It had been ages since he’d run into a sucker this loaded. Ten thousand yuan—his monthly salary as a monk here was only two or three thousand!
Watching the master hurry away, Luo Xingchen sighed with admiration: “Truly a master of masters—doing good deeds and leaving without a trace. Not a trace of greed~”
…
On the other side.
Xia Xi and the other three arrived at the wishing tree.
The place was crowded with people of all ages—young and old alike.
Most of the elderly were there to pray for their children’s marriage prospects or for grandchildren. The younger ones mostly came in groups, with only a few loners, likely all here seeking love.
“What are you planning to write?”
Luo Xinyu handed Xia Xi a wish slip.
“Not telling you.”
“Hmph. Fine then—I won’t tell you either!”
Their little exchange was noticed by Rikka Tachibana, who’d been watching them closely.
She didn’t quite get it. Why did Xia Xi—big, tall, and sturdy as he looked—talk to the young lady like a spoiled little girl?
Were people really into this kind of Contrast play these days?
“Hey, Rikka, what are you spacing out for? I’ve already written mine. Once you’re done, we can hang them up together.”
Mirai Kawahara nudged Rikka in the side with her elbow.
“Oh, oh—I’ll write mine right now.”
〈I hope Xiaochuan and I can be best friends forever.〉
“What the heck did you write!”
Mirai Kawahara’s ears flushed a little.
“We’re already best friends, aren’t we? And you still have to make a wish—that means you don’t trust me!”
“Of course not~ I’m just doing my part to make our friendship even stronger!”
“You always have so many excuses.”
After the two of them hung up their wish slips, they headed back toward Xia Xi and the others.
Mirai was curious what the two lovebirds—who weren’t even officially together yet—would wish for.
Unfortunately, both of them were shielding their slips so tightly that there was no chance of seeing what was written on them.
They’d only known each other for less than a day, so it wasn’t like they could just demand to see each other’s wish slips.
But though they couldn’t look directly, well… once they hung their slips up on the tree, and she just happened to walk past, and just happened to catch a glimpse—that was perfectly normal, right?
What “Xia Xi” wrote: I hope I can live in Xia Xi’s heart forever.
What “Luo Xinyu” wrote: I hope Xinyu and all the other girls connected to me can stay safe and sound.
Mirai Kawahara: “?”
Wait—what was up with these two wish slips?
Had they written them out in advance and then swapped them to hang up? Why were both slips written from their own perspectives?
So weird.
