547 The Little Town on Wa Mountain (2/2)

The only exception was the Yuelun Kingdom. It was close to the Xuankong Temple, the Unknown Place of the Buddhism Sect in the depths of the Wilderness. As such, the Yuelun Kingdom had been heavily influenced by the Buddhism Sect and cultivating in Buddhism was widespread. The country was described as one that had 72 temples in the misty rain.

However, the 72 monasteries in the misty rain could not defeat an old temple renowned from east to west. This temple was the most famous temple in the Yuelun Kingdom, be it the importance it had to the Buddhism sect or its place in the hearts of believers.

This was the Lanke Temple.

The Lanke Temple was on Wa Mountain.

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The history of the Lanke Temple was extremely long. According to historical records, just after the completion of the West-Hill Divine Palace, trees had fallen in the depths of the verdant Wa Mountains, inaccessible to people. Pavilions sprung up and a temple was built.

In the rumors of the cultivation community, the Lanke Temple was a Front Gate left behind by the Xuankong Temple, an Unknown Place. The relation was like that of the West-Hill Divine Palace and the Zhishou Abbey; being as such, it was highly respected. No one dared to violate the foreboding Front Gate without reason.

History and legends had created the unique status of the Lanke Temple. Over the past few years, many tragic, solemn and legendary stories were staged in this ancient temple. And because of this temple, the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival became the most important festival in the world. And popular debates in the last decades had also happened here.

It was not yet time for the actual Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival. The Tang diplomatic envoy had yet to arrive, but it was already very lively at the Wa Mountain. Various flags hung from the second floor of homes lining both sides of the bluestone streets. The colors of the flags were dull and were mostly in black and white. but it was unknown whether they were a metaphor for the popular game of chess in the area, or due to the true reason behind the festival, which was a ritual to release souls in the Underworld.

Not even the ordinary monks in the Lanke Temple or the residents of the little town who had lived here for over ten generations would remember the origins of this custom. To those alive in the world, the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival was a simple and pure festival. All they needed to do was to enjoy the atmosphere of these festivities.

Many tourists had already arrived in the little town beneath the Wa Mountains. It was unknown where these tourists came from. They all had a blissful smile on their faces. The adults would smile and greet each other as they enjoyed and toured the legendary millennium-old houses. The children ran and chased each other on the streets. There was a little girl who panted as she chased after her older brother, her little face full of grievances. She suddenly saw hundreds of red fish in the stone pool at the side of the road, and immediately crouched down, looking at the swimming fish with wide eyes. She had forgotten about finding her brother and crying.

A middle-aged man standing beside the stone pool smiled as he watched the girl. He handed her a thin wooden stick, which had a small net the size of a teacup tied to its end. The girl looked at the people who were getting ready to pay and shook her head shyly. She knew that she had to pay to fish, but her mother had said that she was too young to keep money on her and had only given money to her brother. However, her brother had taken the money to buy candy and was nowhere to be found.

The girl suddenly remembered that she was chasing after her brother. She stood up with a startled yelp; just as she was feeling frightened, her brother, who was about seven or eight, squeezed through the crowd. He gave her a satisfied smile and then stuffed two copper coins into her little hands.

The fish in the pool were disturbed. Water splashed wildly onto the moss by the pool, causing them to fall. The occasional disappointed sighs and yelps of surprise made by the siblings could be heard on the streets.

The black horse carriage stopped outside the town and did not enter.

Ning Que chased away the cavalry from the Taoism Temple.

He and Sangsang watched the peaceful and happy town behind the curtains. They looked at the siblings fishing by the pool and smiled, probably having recalled their own childhood when they went to the market.

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The Wa mountain was not an individual mountain, but a series of mountains linked together.

It was still late autumn on these mountain peaks, and faint greenery could be seen on it. They were similarly shaped; their peaks were all as flat as a knife. From afar, they looked like numerous black tiles piled haphazardly by playful children.

The town was bustling, but the Wa Mountain remained quiet. A corner of an ancient temple peaked through the forest. As if affected by Buddhism Dharma, even the last chirps of the southern autumn cicadas did not seem helpless and desperate. Instead, it sounded free and indifferent.

This was the back of the Wa Mountain. One would never be able to enter the main hall of the Lanke Temple if they took this mountain path.

However, the black horse carriage rolled slowly on the mountain path.

Ning Que had brought Sangsang to the Wa Mountain, not for the Lanke Temple, but to find someone at the back of the mountain.

In the quiet mountain behind the Lanke Temple, were Bhadantas of the Buddhism Sect who lived in seclusion.

Ning Que wanted to look for one of them.

It was the Lanke Temple's elder he had heard of many times.