Chapter 411 - 411 Strange Monk
Hearing this, Lin Tianyou involuntarily furrowed his brows, fell silent for a moment, and said, "There are many possible causes for your condition, but based on a surface examination, I cannot determine the specific reason. If you have time, you might want to go to a hospital for a comprehensive examination, especially of the left lumbar and thoracic regions, which should lead to a diagnosis!"
"Oh," Old Fifth Yang nodded, then suddenly asked, "So… is my condition serious?"
Lin Tianyou hesitated for a bit, then shook his head and said, "It's not serious."
"That's good to hear." Old Fifth Yang rolled up his sleeve, gestured with a wave of his hand, and said, "Come on, come on, guys, let's go out and sit."
Under Old Fifth Yang's lead, everyone drove to a dilapidated little shop in the North District of the County City. The shop was small, but there were quite a few people inside, which showed that the business was indeed booming.
Old Fifth Yang must have been a regular here; as soon as he got out of the car, the shop owner came out to meet him and arranged a table for him.
The shop was really small inside, and most of the tables were set up outside. Ye Qing and the others also sat outside, surrounded by men drinking and chatting.
"Young Master Xu, Divine Doctor Lin, I guess you haven't been to this kind of place before?" Old Fifth Yang looked around and said, "Although it's a bit noisy, it feels closer to life here. Personally, I think it's much better than those daily delicacies of mountains and seas."
"This place is pretty good," Xu Changzhi looked around with curiosity and said, "Honestly, I've never been to this kind of place before, but it seems fun."
"As long as you find it fun," Old Fifth Yang laughed and gave instructions to the owner, ordering all his specialty dishes.
Old Fifth Yang was extremely well-known in Jiuchuan County, and even before he became wealthy, he had a good relationship with this owner. He still often came to help the business, and the owner could not speak highly enough of him, giving priority to arranging a table of dishes for Old Fifth Yang's group.
Old Fifth Yang handed out chopsticks to everyone and waved his hands, saying, "Alright, everyone, don't be shy, let's start."
As everyone picked up their chopsticks and was about to start eating, a bald monk covered in grease stains approached. He was holding a broken Buddhist bowl and had a giggling smile on his face. His monk robes seemed unwashed for a considerable time, emitting a foul, sour smell. Drops of hair still clung to his bald head, appearing as if he had forgotten to shave them off while cutting his hair himself in front of a mirror. All in all, this person seemed more like a beggar than a monk.
The monk was now standing next to Ye Qing, extending his Buddhist bowl toward him without saying a word as if Ye Qing owed him money.
"What the hell is going on?" Old Fifth Yang's eyes widened and he said, "I've seen beggars, but what… what is this situation?"
Smelling the sour stench from the monk, Xu Changzhi and the two girls next to him frowned and subconsciously moved aside to avoid the monk's odor. Even Lin Tianyou quietly waved his hand near his nose and mouth, trying to disperse the smell.
Ye Qing, however, made no move. He picked up a plate of green tofu vegetables that had just been served, and was about to pour it into the monk's Buddhist bowl. But the monk shook his head, indicating he didn't want the green tofu vegetables. Ye Qing put down the green tofu vegetables and picked up a plate of cabbage, but the monk still refused it.
"Hey, you're pretty picky!" Old Fifth Yang couldn't help but say, "Hey, are you begging here? It's not about what you want to eat, but what we give you, that you should eat, understand?"
"Fifth Brother, don't say that," Ye Qing waved his hand at Old Fifth Yang, expressing that although the monk was somewhat aggressive, Ye Qing was not at all impatient. After all, by the looks of it, the monk was just a pitiful person.
The monk didn't even glance at Old Fifth Yang but just pushed his Buddhist bowl towards Ye Qing. Ye Qing selected a few more vegetarian dishes, but the monk still shook his head, apparently uninterested in those dishes.
This irritated even Xu Changzhi, who had never seen such a picky beggar or such a demanding monk.
Ye Qing remained calm and asked, "These are the only vegetables available. If there's something specific you'd like to eat, you can tell me, and I'll ask them to cook it for you."
The monk shook his head and suddenly walked to the table, placed his Buddhist bowl down, sat directly down, and grabbed a roast chicken that had just been served, immediately starting to gnaw on it.
Everyone at the table was stunned as the monk, with his dirty black hands, held the roast chicken, further smudging it with grease, which was disgusting to watch. After nibbling the roast chicken for a bit, as if not liking it, he directly tossed it back, grabbed a pork knuckle from another plate, and started tearing and nibbling it. But he didn't eat much of the pork knuckle either, and threw it back, starting to grab other dishes. Under the dumbfounded gaze of everyone, he went through almost all the meat dishes on the table, with no regard for the people around him. His soup-stained hands kept flinging around, splashing everyone with greasy soup.
Old Fifth Yang couldn't help but say, "Hey, dead Baldie, are you looking for trouble?"
The girls next to Xu Changzhi screamed and backed away. This time, even Lin Tianyou furrowed his brows and said, "Is this still a monk? Since when do monks eat meat?"
Among them all, only Ye Qing was quite calm. He waved his hand to Old Fifth Yang and said to the monk, "Master, if there's anything you'd like to eat, just let me know, and I'll have the kitchen make it for you."
The monk didn't speak but grabbed a wine cup nearby, drank all the wine in one gulp, and then waved to Ye Qing, signaling him to fill the cup.
Ye Qing took the wine bottle, filled the cup to the brim, as if he were entertaining a guest.
"Hey, Ye Zi, I don't oppose your charity, but you have to see the situation clearly," Old Fifth Yang said. "Is this what you call charity? Look at him, a complete Wine and Meat Monk—is this what a monk should be? What you're giving him doesn't count as charity at all; it's plain robbery!"
"Fifth Brother, don't be angry," Ye Qing stood up and said, "How about you guys set up another table, and I'll take care of this master first?"
"Damn, I really don't know what to say to you!" Old Fifth Yang helplessly shook his head, stood up, and signaled Xu Changzhi, Lin Tianyou, and the others to prepare to leave. At that moment, the monk suddenly lifted his head and stared straight at Old Fifth Yang.
The monk's eyes seemed to possess magic power. Old Fifth Yang, caught in his gaze, felt somewhat flustered and hurriedly looked away, saying, "Hey, what do you want to do?"
"Amitabha." The monk brought his hands together and uttered a Buddhist chant. However, looking at his grease-covered body and oily mouth, where was the semblance of a monk?
"What does he want to do?" Xu Changzhi asked Ye Qing in astonishment.
Lin Tianyou was also utterly baffled. This monk was too strange, wasn't he? It was his first time encountering such a monk!
"Buddhist Sect emphasizes cause and effect, all affairs have their causes and effects, gains and losses," the monk looked at everyone and said, "I'll eat your meal and give you a few words in return."
"What do you want to say?" Old Fifth Yang asked impatiently.
The monk pointed a finger at Old Fifth Yang and said, "You won't live past three years!"
His words stunned everyone. Old Fifth Yang was also taken aback and then burst into rage, slamming the table and shouting, "Damn it, are you seeking death? You're the one who won't live past three years! No, you won't even survive tonight. If you really piss me off, don't think about escaping Jiuchuan County."
The monk ignored Old Fifth Yang and only looked towards Xu Changzhi, saying, "Lacking in ambition, achieving nothing."
Xu Changzhi also got angry at once—no wonder, suddenly a mad monk appeared, pointing at his nose and saying that he had no ambition and would achieve nothing in life. Such words would anger anyone!
"Mad monk, watch your words!" Xu Changzhi warned sternly.
The monk had already turned towards Lin Tianyou, looked him up and down, nodded, and said, "Aiming to heal the world, compassionate at heart. Form more good relationships, and your life will be smooth!"
Lin Tianyou smiled lightly and said, "Are you predicting my fortune? Sorry, I'm an atheist; I don't believe in these things."
The monk didn't pay him any attention and instead turned towards Ye Qing, saying, "Great benevolence and courage, great wisdom and daring. A life of trials, a fate full of hardships. If not a hero, then a formidable leader."
Everyone was taken aback, looking at Ye Qing, then at the monk. Especially Old Fifth Yang and Xu Changzhi, who had been berated by the monk—now, with the monk giving such high praise to Ye Qing, it made the two of them feel quite awkward.
Old Fifth Yang waved his hand and said, "Hey, monk, your words rhyme well enough, but are they of any use? We're not fools; these tricks don't work on us. Go where you please and stop disrupting our meal here."
The monk still ignored Old Fifth Yang and just quietly looked at Ye Qing, saying, "Hero or formidable leader, it's just a thought apart. Take care!"
After talking, the monk turned around, grabbed the Buddhist bowl from the table, and strode off. The people at the table watched the monk's receding figure in total astonishment; the whole sequence felt just like a dream. The monk appeared suddenly, did strange things, and left just as abruptly, making everyone wonder if it had all been an illusion.
"Damn, which psychiatric hospital didn't lock up properly and let this madman out!" Old Fifth Yang was the first to gesture dismissively, saying, "Come, sit down, I'll have them prepare another table. Damn it, his disruption means this table's meal is spoiled."
"This isn't a monk at all!" Xu Changzhi sat down indignantly and said, "Since when do monks eat meat and drink wine? I think he's just here to swindle a meal. Look, he ate all our food. It would be fine if he just ate, but this is such a waste, it's infuriating!"
Old Fifth Yang looked at Xu Changzhi and said, "Should I find a few people to follow him and see if he really is a monk?"
"No need," Ye Qing waved his hand dismissively and said, "We can't eat at this table, let's switch to another one, it's not worth getting upset over this little thing."
(Recommending a friend's book "Martial Town Qiankun," those who are interested can check it out.)