bdsm-fiction Chapter 44 Monks on the Mountain Trail
Chapter 44 Monks on the Mountain Trail
……
On the mountain trail, a group of illusory yellow-robed monks and elderly women chanting Buddhist prayers interspersed among each other, reciting the Jataka tale of the Dragon King at their own unique frequencies, like some kind of eerie ceremonial guard, surrounding Li Jiu.
They moved at a seemingly slow yet rapid pace, leaving afterimages in the mist, as if pushing him upwards along the path...
In a daze, Li Jiu felt that the chanting was like a cold tide, trying to seep into his body little by little.
His lips involuntarily parted slightly, and a few obscure Sanskrit syllables began to emerge unconsciously from his throat…
Even more terrifying, his legs began to feel strangely weak, as if they had lost the support of his bones...
No, not soft, but—he looked down at his legs and then felt a chill drift across the top of his head!
His lower body legs twisted and contorted, like two boneless, grayish-white snakes writhing, swaying, and undulating, propelling him forward like supple springs!
I……?
I……?!
I……!!!
Extreme fear struck his heart like a jab, but under such stimulation, his reason, on the verge of collapse, forcibly broke through a layer of cognitive fog!
His fragmented understanding was instantly filled in, and the chilling warnings in the Fulong Mountain Scenic Area Visitor Rules exploded in his mind like thunder!
All the monks within the scenic area reside in the Jiding Temple at the summit. They leave the temple at specific times, but will absolutely not encounter you on the hiking trails.
The monks of Jiding Temple will absolutely not encounter you on the hiking trails!
Thinking of this, Li Jiu became very alert and wanted to focus all his attention on what was going on with these yellow-robed monks. Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine and then remembered the next rule!
If you encounter monks during your hike, please ignore them.
[Especially when you find them in areas outside the hiking trails.]
Ignore!
Yes!
Ignore it!!
What should I do then...?!
Li Jiu's brain was working at full speed!
The rules only said to ignore monks, not to ignore the old ladies chanting Buddhist prayers. So... Li Jiu didn't know where to look. When he had nothing else to look at, he secretly glanced at an old lady next to him.
I stared at him for less than two seconds.
The old woman, whose face was originally blurred and shrouded in mist, suddenly turned her head.
A kind smile suddenly appeared on the old woman's previously expressionless face, and the hazy mist on her face instantly dissipated, revealing a clear image of Grandma Li Jiu!
Amidst the lengthy chanting, an extremely abrupt call rang out, tinged with a heavy local accent:
"For a long time..."
"For a long time..."
Li Jiu felt a chill run down his spine and quickly closed his eyes.
Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap...
His body was trembling uncontrollably, and his scalp felt numb as if someone was scratching it with their claws, as if they wanted to scratch his scalp to pieces and scrape his skull open!
I've had a burst of inspiration?!
Li Jiu was so terrified that he dared not look again!
He couldn't care less about anything else. He suddenly closed his eyes tightly, his body stiffened, and his teeth clenched so hard they made a grinding sound.
He kept repeating to himself, "I won't encounter any monks on the hiking trail... I won't encounter any monks on the hiking trail... I won't encounter any monks on the hiking trail..."
He took slow, deep breaths, trying to expel the fear with each exhale.
Time seemed to freeze, leaving only his heart pounding wildly in his chest.
After an unknown amount of time, until the tingling sensation on his scalp finally subsided like a receding tide, Li Jiu cautiously opened his eyes.
But the silhouettes of the yellow-robed monks and elderly women chanting Buddhist prayers who surrounded him and shoved him had vanished without a trace, yet a thin layer of grayish-white mist still lingered around him.
Goosebumps rose on his arms. How come this burst of inspiration never ends?
Why does it seem to last longer than it should at times like this?
Tired, destroy it.
He shuddered, and when he looked up, he found the mountain path ahead completely empty.
Tang Mubai, who was supposed to be walking ahead of him, disappeared.
Not only did Tang Mubai disappear, but Li Weiwei and Zhang Fanjie also vanished.
It was as if he were the only person left in the world, isolated by this eerie fog on the mountain trail.
Li Jiu sighed softly. Before he could react, the mountain wind began to stir again, rustling the withered vines and old trees, as if someone were shaking off yellow sand in the wind...
Soon, a murmured sound rose in the wind—the gentle chanting of scriptures.
The chanting came with the wind, moved with the wind, and drifted and swirled in the wind, making it impossible for Li Jiu to discern its origin.
【…】
【「पर्वतोमयरदमनसंबन्धी, विहरेनिर्वरणधर्मो "गूढः"
(The mountain bears the karmic bond of subduing delusion, the temple houses the Dharma of Nirvana, the dragon hides here, and delusion is locked on the peak.)
Although the yellow-robed monks were gone, the chanting of sutras could still be heard. However, this time it seemed that it was not the Jataka tale of the dragon.
Or perhaps it was a part of the Jataka tales that he had never heard of?
【「सर्वपर्वतजलर्षसरः, अविद्य भूतरः, सर्वेमरयरूपर्
(All mountain demons, water monsters, and evil spirits are part of Maya's illusory net.)
【…】
Li Jiu smiled.
It turns out that people can actually laugh when they're speechless.
Not only did I have a burst of inspiration while hiking, but I also got to listen to sermons for free.
Not only are the sutras offered for free, but they're also collecting scripture fragments.
Bro, does that mean I'll become a Buddha the moment I collect all the fragments of the Jataka Tales?
I climbed a mountain, and then I became a Buddha, okay?
Li Jiuxiao is going to die.
But he suddenly realized that the sound seemed more like the chanting of sutras coming from the White Dragon Pool.
Could it be related to that stone Buddha head?
Almost instantly, Li Jiu felt a strong urge to turn around and look at Bailongtan, but this time his mind was quite clear. He immediately restrained himself when he thought of the saying, "If you hear calling or chanting during the mountain climbing process, please do not respond, and do not try to find the source of the calling."
He didn't act rashly, but stood there with his eyes closed, slowly relaxing and emptying his mind. Gradually, the chanting finally faded away...
Li Jiu let out a long sigh of relief and slowly opened his eyes.
Good news, the fog has finally cleared up and everything is back to normal.
The bad news was that he realized he had somehow walked to the edge of the hiking trail, and if it weren't for the safety railing around the trail, he would have already lost his footing and tumbled down.
And the direction he was facing was...
White Dragon Pool!
"hiss--"
He took a deep breath.
Looking out over Bailongtan, the surface of the pool shimmered, as if countless eyes were winking at him on the water.
Fuck!
This White Dragon Pool is absolutely terrifying!!
Li Jiu glanced at Zhenyue Pavilion at the pass and quickly rushed forward.
Even after returning from the layers, he still couldn't understand what had caused his inspiration to strike.
Logically speaking, this kind of thing definitely needs some kind of opportunity. If there is no miracle at all and it just happens to him without any warning, even someone with a strong heart wouldn't be able to take it!
Moreover, he couldn't help but think of the Chinese textbook's description of the gardens in S City as having a "changing scenery with every step." Could it be this kind of "changing scenery with every step"?
What's even more terrifying is that this transformation, which felt like stepping into a completely different world, didn't make him feel out of place at all, as if he was meant to exist in that world.
He took a deep breath and sent a message to Professor He:
[Li Jiu: Professor, I just had a burst of inspiration, and I think I saw some kind of phantom from the other world...]
He hesitated for a moment, then sent the message:
[Li Jiu: What I saw this time wasn't a swarm of snakes, but a group of monks in yellow robes, and some elderly women in traditional local clothing... I saw them chanting sutras as they walked up Fulong Mountain...]
After sending the message, he put away his phone and quickened his pace toward Zhenyue Pavilion.
When Li Jiu arrived at Zhenyue Pavilion, Tang Mubai couldn't help but exclaim, "Old Li, why did you take so long to come up?"
Li Jiu shrugged: "You might not believe it, but I just had a burst of inspiration and went to another layer..."
Li Jiu made no attempt to hide anything about his "teammates," continuing, "However, I can't be sure if I traveled through time like a camera or a pen tip..."
It was a really strange experience.
If we're talking about perceptual penetration, he wouldn't have been able to attract the old lady's attention;
If it were a person who infiltrated the area, it's impossible that he would only have directed the old woman's attention.
So this is really weird.
Fortunately, he himself was not seriously injured.
Upon hearing Li Jiu's words, Lin Weiwei and Zhang Fanjie, who had plenty of experience with Tang Mubai's "crying wolf" tactic, simply said "Oh" and looked away.
"No, Old Li had a burst of inspiration, and you guys just said 'Oh' and that was it?" Tang Mubai's eyes widened.
Zhang Fanjie slightly parted her lips, revealing a look of disdain: "What, how about I sing you 'Only You'?"
"If you want to sing your heart out, I'm all ears..."
"Get out!" Lin Weiwei snapped.
Li Jiu's expression was serious: "I'm not joking, I'm serious."
He genuinely wanted to get some advice from Lin Weiwei.
"real?"
"Old Tang can scare you all he wants, but why would I scare you for no reason?" Li Jiu was speechless. Old Tang was really something else, single-handedly lowering his Sesame Credit score.
"Oh?! Well, I can still sing a song!" Zhang Fanjie was flexible and adaptable.
Lin Weiwei also quickly came over.
Li Jiu waved his hands repeatedly: "Put only you aside for now, let me sit down and talk to you."
"Don't play it! I want to hear her sing!" Tang Mubai barked.
Li Jiu's face darkened, unsure whether Tang Mubai was being sarcastic or if his IQ had suddenly dropped: "I meant don't sing yet... never mind, let me come over first."
As he spoke, he walked towards Zhenyue Pavilion.
This Zhenyue Pavilion is an octagonal, double-eaved stone pavilion, a common sight in historical sites. The pillars of the pavilion are inscribed with Sanskrit characters, and the top is topped with a bronze Pulao statue, giving it an antique feel.
Before entering, he mentally reviewed the rules:
There are many viewing pavilions along the hiking trail for tourists to rest. Some of these pavilions have stone steps that extend into areas outside the hiking trail. Please do not walk down these steps out of curiosity or other reasons.
If a companion starts walking down the stone steps, please call them back before they disappear from your sight.
Never chase after him, especially once he has already gone out of your sight.
Some viewing pavilions have corresponding rules. Please read them carefully before entering to rest, or choose not to enter that viewing pavilion.
Note: If you spot a snake near the viewing pavilion, even just one, please leave the pavilion immediately.
There were no rules or notices posted in front of the Zhenyue Pavilion, so Li Jiu sat down after confirming the information.