Chapter 54: Chopped Chili Fish Head (Part Five)
A child of the Goryeo royal family?
Leng Yue froze for a moment, and the instant she processed this, she felt the urge to snatch the bun back from Wang Tuo.
Unfortunately, Wang Tuo had already reached his limit and was stuffing the bun into his mouth.
If there had been a crack in the ground, Leng Yue would have buried her head in it and refused to come out even if the sky fell.
The one silver lining was that she had noticed Jing Yi’s unusual frenzy when she kissed him—otherwise, she had originally intended to kiss more than just the parts of him above the neck.
Who asked his profile, focused on writing under the dim lamplight, to be so unbearably captivating…
While Leng Yue was mentally clawing at herself in frustration, Wang Tuo had already devoured the bun in a few quick bites. He sucked his fingers clean with lingering satisfaction, wiped his mouth, and rose from the meditation cushion. Tilting his sharply angular, gaunt face up to Leng Yue, who stood half a head taller, he asked with an overbearing tone, "Who are you?"
Leng Yue stared stiffly down at this rather frugally featured Goryeo prince, unsure how to respond.
She had never formally interacted with envoys from other countries. Given her position, she had no idea whether she should bow to someone of his status, or what kind of bow would be appropriate.
Fortunately, Jing Yi stood up and answered Wang Tuo.
"Amitābha… Benefactor, do not be rude."
Leng Yue initially thought Jing Yi was reminding her. She was about to kneel when she saw Jing Yi raise one hand in a prayer gesture while extending the other toward her, solemnly declaring to Wang Tuo, "This is the Goddess of Mercy, descended to the mortal realm."
Leng Yue’s knees went weak, and she nearly knelt to Jing Yi instead.
Even a cornered dog should pick a wall of reasonable height to jump over…
Dressed in her red martial arts attire, carrying a food box, having just leaped through the window and kissed the young monk senseless the moment she landed—what kind of Goddess of Mercy would do such a thing!
Wang Tuo’s gaze toward her was clearly filled with deep suspicion.
"The Goddess of Mercy?"
"Indeed…" Jing Yi deliberately softened his voice, speaking with even greater seriousness. "Benefactor, have you heard of the Child-Granting Goddess of Mercy?"
Wang Tuo nodded.
Jing Yi once again extended a hand toward Leng Yue with reverent humility. "This is the Food-Delivery Goddess of Mercy."
"…"
The corner of Leng Yue’s mouth twitched violently, but in the end, she couldn’t utter a single word. Her knowledge of Buddhist lore was superficial at best—who knew if there really was a Food-Delivery Goddess of Mercy?
Even if such a deity existed, the title didn’t sound particularly powerful.
Wang Tuo also paused, his expression genuinely bewildered. "Food-Delivery Goddess of Mercy?"
"Since you hail from Goryeo, it is natural you would not know," Jing Yi continued, ignoring Leng Yue’s visibly strained expression, his tone still humble and mysterious. "The Food-Delivery Goddess of Mercy is a deity who protects the Central Plains. Whenever our people, whether monastic or lay, sincerely pray to her in times of extreme hunger, she will manifest in person and bestow delicious food to satisfy their stomachs."
Leng Yue took several deep breaths, her face dark, to keep from punching Jing Yi.
Even with her limited understanding of Buddhism, she could tell by now that this "Food-Delivery Goddess of Mercy" was entirely Jing Yi’s fabrication.If the imperial court were truly blessed by such a pragmatically efficacious Bodhisattva, His Majesty wouldn't have been driven half to death with worry over the southern floods and famine these past two years.
She didn't mind temporarily playing the role of a Bodhisattva fabricated by Jing Yi's lies. After all, the closure of Anguo Temple had been decreed by imperial edict. If people discovered that a secular woman like her had defied the decree to sneak into the temple and even kissed a newly ordained monk, even Prince An would likely face repercussions.
However, Jing Yi's lie was simply too absurd...
Leng Yue glanced uneasily at Wang Tuo, her face darkening further.
The way Wang Tuo looked at her... his eyes were gleaming!
Leng Yue felt like crying.
There might be some truth to the rumors that Goguryeo envoys were starved before their audience with the emperor. The mere mention of food seemed to transform them into walking stomachs.
"Then..." Wang Tuo stared wide-eyed at Leng Yue for a moment before suddenly remembering something. His gaze sharpened as he turned to Jing Yi, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, making the latter's scalp prickle.
"Why did the Food-Delivery Goddess of Mercy kiss you?"
"She..." Jing Yi silently recited a Buddhist invocation before steeling himself to continue whispering, "She wasn't actually kissing this humble monk... It's just that she has an elder sister known as the Qi-Delivery Goddess of Mercy, who channels vital energy to heal the injured and ill in the Central Plains, even reviving the dead and regenerating flesh. When her sister is busy, she occasionally helps deliver vital energy... This humble monk was gravely injured recently and was saved by this Bodhisattva."
As he spoke, Jing Yi solemnly pressed his palms together and bowed toward Leng Yue in sincere gratitude.
His expression, voice, and posture were so genuinely reverent that Leng Yue was momentarily stunned. She suddenly recalled how he had meticulously thanked her for every bit of care during his high fever when he couldn't keep down food or water. Her heart ached sharply, and she instinctively reached out to straighten his posture, a faint smile touching her lips. "This is what a Bodhisattva ought to do."
"..."
Since this had nothing to do with food, Wang Tuo sobered up slightly, his sparse eyebrows furrowing with skepticism.
"Amitabha, those who have left the household do not speak falsehoods..." Noting Wang Tuo's lingering clarity, Jing Yi lowered his voice further, appearing utterly solemn in the dim lamplight of the deep night. "You have been here all along, Benefactor. Did you see how she entered?"
Although Leng Yue's lightness skill wasn't as refined as Jing Yi's, to ordinary people, her movements appeared as seamless as appearing and vanishing without a trace.
Wang Tuo froze, silently studying Leng Yue for a long while.
Under his intense gaze, Leng Yue half-wondered if a golden halo had materialized behind her head. She held her breath, not daring to exhale for what felt like an eternity.
The two remained locked in their staring contest until Wang Tuo suddenly bent his knees and performed a deep kowtow before Leng Yue.
"Wang Tuo of Goguryeo pays respects to the Bodhisattva!"
Jing Yi and Leng Yue simultaneously released long sighs of relief.
The Buddha is merciful...
Jing Yi quickly shoved the food container into Leng Yue's hands, then frantically gestured toward Wang Tuo—who remained respectfully kneeling with his head bowed—urging her to strike while the iron was hot.
Leng Yue clutched the container, thinking hard but failing to recall the proper words a Bodhisattva should use to excuse a mortal from formalities. Giving up, she simply said nothing, grabbed Wang Tuo's slender arm, hauled him upright by force, and stuffed the entire food container into his paper-thin embrace."You..." Leng Yue forced a beatific smile and mustered the courage to affectionately pat Wang Tuo's head. "You look hungrier than him. You eat first."
This food container was brought from the residence. Jing Yi was picky with food, and any cook from their household could single-handedly run a restaurant. Thus, even though the meal contained no meat, its aroma remained enticing.
Wang Tuo hugged the food container, swallowing hard twice, then pressed his lips together and handed it back to Leng Yue.
"I don't want food..." After returning the container to Leng Yue, Wang Tuo knelt properly on the ground again. Lifting his thin face that looked utterly pitiful, he gazed at Leng Yue with devout eyes. "Bodhisattva, I want true qi."
"...!"
Leng Yue shifted a step, subtly blocking Jing Yi who currently looked very much like he wanted to kill Wang Tuo. She carefully examined Wang Tuo. "Are you injured? Or ill?"
No matter how easily fooled this person might be, he was ultimately the biological son of the King of Goryeo. Now that he had suddenly left the entire Goryeo envoy at the guesthouse and secluded himself in this strictly disciplined, plain Anguo Temple, Leng Yue had pondered all day at home and finally understood what Prince An was worried about.
Prince An wasn't worried that Wang Tuo would cause trouble in the temple - he was worried someone might try to do something to Wang Tuo.
If something happened to a Goryeo prince in a Han Chinese temple with only Han Buddhist monks, regardless of whether Goryeo dared to mobilize troops against the court, the court would be at fault first. Compensation would be inevitable, and they certainly couldn't avoid trouble lasting anywhere from over a decade to several decades.
Leng Yue had taken the risk to come here - bringing food for Jing Yi was secondary; reminding him about this matter was her main purpose. Now, suddenly questioned like this by Wang Tuo, she couldn't help but tense up.
Hearing Leng Yue's words, Wang Tuo shook his head repeatedly. In his anxiety, his already poor Chinese became even less coherent. "I don't want, want Porcelain King... no, Porcelain King wants, Porcelain King wants true qi."
Leng Yue was slightly taken aback and glanced back at Jing Yi, who also looked somewhat stunned.
"The Porcelain King you mentioned - is it the capital's Porcelain King Zhang Laowu who died in this temple recently?"
Wang Tuo nodded repeatedly, his eyes unconsciously reddening. His still somewhat youthful voice carried a sob. "He is great master, very precious. He deserves to live."
Leng Yue swayed deeply.
"...Deserves to live?"
Jing Yi sighed silently and quietly explained from behind Leng Yue, "He means he should live."
"..."
Leng Yue slowly regulated her breathing, taking her time to calm her twitching lips before speaking gently, "He died by crashing into a coffin himself. He didn't want to live, so no deity or bodhisattva could save him."
In his anxiety, Wang Tuo blurted out a phrase in Goryeo.
Jing Yi only understood a little Goryeo, but this particular phrase contained just one simple word that he happened to know.
Jing Yi said softly to Leng Yue, "He said, no."
Leng Yue was slightly puzzled. No? No to what?
Wang Tuo bit his lip for a while, forcibly holding back the tears welling in his eyes, before looking solemnly at Leng Yue and saying, "He not himself die, is others die."
"You mean... he was killed by someone else?"
Wang Tuo nodded vigorously. The motion was too abrupt, causing the tears he'd been holding back to suddenly roll down.Leng Yue turned her head and met Jing Yi's gaze, both equally astonished.
They had their suspicions about the peculiar circumstances surrounding Zhang Lao Wu's death, as Prince An wouldn't conceal things from them without reason. But how could Wang Tuo, a Goryeo prince who had only arrived in the capital a few days ago, know about it?
By the time Leng Yue turned back, Wang Tuo had already wiped away the tears that had accidentally rolled down, but his small eyes still glistened with moisture. Seeing this stirred a pang of pity in Leng Yue's heart, and she couldn't help but take a handkerchief from her sleeve and offer it to Wang Tuo.
It was only after extending her hand to Wang Tuo that Leng Yue suddenly wondered: Does Guanyin Bodhisattva use handkerchiefs?
Before she could ponder this question further, Wang Tuo, with a flustered and honored expression, reverently accepted the handkerchief with both hands. He bowed his head in thanks, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately couldn't bring himself to use it on his face, carefully tucking it into his chest instead.
Jing Yi suddenly felt a strong urge to kick Wang Tuo all the way back to Goryeo—of course, only after snatching back his wife's handkerchief.
Standing behind Leng Yue, she didn't notice the sour expression that had twisted Jing Yi's handsome face. She only looked at Wang Tuo, whose gaze grew increasingly devout, and asked as calmly as she could, "How did you know?"
Wang Tuo pouted, his voice tinged with a faint sob, carrying a note of sorrow. "He promised... when I came to the capital, he would take me as his disciple."
Jing Yi tried hard to hold back but failed.
"Take... take you as his disciple? Amitabha, may blessings abound..."
Wang Tuo stared straight at Leng Yue, ignoring him entirely.
Leng Yue struggled to keep a straight face and maintain a steady tone. "He was in the capital, and you were in Goryeo. How could he have promised you that?"
"When I was young, he was in Goryeo."
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