Chapter 353 - 352
Dabao was clever, for he had learned from Chen Afu and others about the relation between the woman and his mother. He wisely remarked, "An oil-paper umbrella, however sturdy, is made of paper after all. It would definitely be punctured by the bird droppings, falling on her."
The little girl wrinkled her nose and commented with a note of distaste, "That bad princess smells awful."
Chen Afu quietly corrected her, "Call her a bad woman, never a bad princess."
The little girl nodded obediently and repeated, "That bad woman smells awful."
Having heard about this unusual event, everyone in the temple came out to spectate. Monks clasped their hands together, chanting Buddhist scriptures. Some pilgrims even knelt and bowed towards the flock of birds, exclaiming "The Bird Fairy has arrived".
Chen Afu and others walked up to Monk Wu Zhi’s Zen room, noticing that the mystery of the "Bird Pot Lid" continued to hover over the main hall.
All the guards entering the temple were prohibited from carrying weapons. Thus, they had not brought any bows and arrows and were helpless against the birds. Rong Zhao was confined waiting within the main hall until the flock dispersed.
Of course, even if they had brought bows and arrows, the monks of Lingyin Temple would not have allowed them to kill within the temple.
After entering the Zen room, the two children were led by Gui Er, the young monk, to the right room to have some snacks. At first, the children refused, but upon Chen Afu’s nod, they reluctantly agreed to go.
Chen Afu was invited by Gui Yi to the left room, filled with stacks of food boxes against the wall, and a few more on the bed. These were the snacks that Chen Afu had brought for the senior monk.