942 Attachmen (1/2)

A bell was tolled in a temple not far from the street.

Ning Que was folding his umbrella. The bell that rang in Xuankong Temple had tortured him well. Therefore he was staled upon the sounds of bell at this point and instinctively grabbed Sangsang's hand.

Sangsang looked at him emotionlessly. Ning Que then realized that they were no longer at Xuankong Temple. He felt embarrassed and put his hands behind his back as Sangsang always did.

The bells rang even more loudly throughout every temple in Chaoyang City. Ning Que figured that the loudest sounds came from the ancient bell in White Tower Temple in the north.

People on the streets were happily enjoying their bean jelly or pilaf on banana leaves or watching monkey shows. Upon hearing the bell, they stopped whatever they were doing and rushed towards the nearest temples.

Some were not able to leave their business. So they kneeled down on the street, prostrated and prayed constantly. The monkey-show man also kneeled down in awe and tried to make his monkey bow as well.

Ning Que and Sangsang were the only two left standing there. Although the pious Buddhists did not become hostile towards them, they did find them weird.

The bell had changed the scene in a cute way. It seemed like the flash mobs that Ning Que saw in the other world. The little monkey was cute. It was forced to kneel down by his master but kept rolling its eyes. However since they had witnessed the miserable world under Xuankong Temple, Ning Que found the scene disgusting now.

Sangsang of course hated it more. She whisked her sleeves slightly.

Upon her whisking, flowers bloomed on her green sleeves and wind roared through the street. It blew away the bean jelly stall and the pilaf on banana leaves, and grits got into people's eyes. The monkey-show man tried to rub his eyes and the monkey was let loose. It did not ran away, but just followed the banana leaves and enjoyed the scattered pilaf.

The bell sounds were disturbed by the wind and lost their rhythm. Yet the wind did not stop and continued blowing up towards the sky. It blowed the clouds into chaos above Chaoyang City.

Sangsang felt satisfied and went forward with her hands on the back.

Ning Que stared at her and kept silent.

When she was in the Divine Halls of West-Hill, she did not need to do anything or even come up with any thought. Whenever she felt disturbed, stars appeared and disappeared from her eyes, numerous clouds gathered from ten of thousands of miles away and created storms and thunders above Peach Mountain. After they had left the West-Hill, particularly since they reached to the heart of the Wilderness, she started whisking her sleeves whenever she felt angry or joined a fight…

Although Sangsang was still far more powerful than any human being could have ever imagined, she was indeed much weaker than she used to be. She was no longer almighty.

Ning Que was upset but he could not say anything. The reason for her weakened state was the worldly bond the Headmaster had left inside her body. It was also because of the long and happy yet extremely dangerous journey they went through two years ago. It was more because he had taken her to tour around the human world and would not let her go.

The street was enveloped with dust and choking smell of spices. But people were not coughing. Perhaps they had been used to it since a very young age.

They walked in the dust and on the same route they used to travel.

Ning Que and Sangsang once lived here for a long time. He carried her on his back during their exile and ran through many streets in this city. He killed many people here. But the blood stains were already gone within three years.

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They entered the chessboard on the plateau of Xuankong Temple and exited to Chaoyang City. It seemed unbelievable. But the only possibility was that Buddha had created a space tunnel between Xuankong Temple and Chaoyang City, the same as the one in Lanke Temple. And the chessboard was the key to those tunnels.

Years ago, Ning Que and Sangsang left Lanke Temple in the southeast and ended in Xuankong Temple in the heart of the Wilderness. Today they traveled from Xuankong Temple directly to Chaoyang City.

The two of them walked around Chaoyang City. It seemed they were trying to find some trace of Buddha. But actually they both knew that Buddha was not here.

No one could hide from Haotian in the human world.

Ning Que did not point it out. Neither did Sangsang. It seemed they were really searching for Buddha, and it was a time consuming task.

”We need to find some accommodation first. Then we can take our time.” He said.

Sangsang said nothing. Her silence meant consent. If she disagreed, then she would have told him or cut him into pieces to declare herself.

In the crowded area to the north of the city, there was a secluded or even deadly quiet place. It was the courtyard house they used to live in. It had been a few years since they left but the place was still unoccupied.

Ning Que opened the gate. It was as quiet as it used to be. The black cloth Ning Que used to cover the window was still hanging there. The only difference was the dust all over and the putty peeled off from the windows of the store room.

Sangsang stared at the dusty and shabby courtyard. A moist wind came from the back of the yard and took away all the dust from the house. The place became extremely clean in a wink.

Sangsang opened the door of the store room. She thought for a while but did not step in. Instead she walked into the bedroom and lied down. She was no longer the Daughter of Invariant Yama hence she did not need to hide from anyone.

”Cook more vegetables for dinner,” she said.

Ning Que agreed and came into the courtyard to collect some firewood. He looked at the only tree in the courtyard and felt reluctant to cut on it. Where is the crow that used to perch on this tree back then?

The brook was still there behind the courtyard, and some trees too. He chopped some branches with his hands and turned to head back. Then he saw a distinctive fist print on one of the trees.

Years ago when they were escaping from the hunting of Taoism and Buddhism, he had to take care of the very sick Sangsang and was extremely anxious and almost collapsed. He tried to let off his anxiety by punching on the tree. He was not aware of the power of his punch and almost broke the tree.

Upon seeing that fist print, Ning Que bursted into laughter. He was pleased that the tree was not broken, and also that the print of his punch was still there because they were his most cherished memories.

They were as cherished as the tree in the courtyard and the crow that used to perch on the tree.

He piled up the firewood in a corner of the courtyard, opened the door and came to the side of the bed. He looked at Sangsang who seemed to be asleep and asked, ”What vegetables do you want? I'm not familiar with the produce in Yuelun Kingdom.”

Sangsang opened her eyes. They were bright and clear as if she was never sleeping or tired. Ning Que could never figure out why she needed sleep anyway.

She thought for a while and said, ”I'll come with you.”

They went to the market and bought a variety of vegetables. They also shopped at the grocery store for rice, cooking oil, seasonings, pots and pans and other necessities, as well as one pound of streaky pork. Then they went home and enjoyed a hearty dinner.

To carry those goods, to cook and wash the dishes were all Ning Que's duties. While he was doing all the work, Sangsang was standing by his side with her hands behind her the back, and looked at him or the sky from time to time.

Ning Que squatted beside the washing basin and felt it even more exhausting than his former occupation of killing the gangsters years ago. After a short while he felt the pain on his back and could not help becoming irritated when seeing Sangsang standing idly by the door.

”I know I'm no match to you now. I will take care of all the housework and you don't need to help. You are the Haotian, the very honorable Haotian. There's no way you would do such things. I have no objection with you standing there watching me laboring. But can you do me just one favor of not putting your hands behind your back?” He kept complaining. ”You looked like a supervisor. It's hurting my feelings.”

Sangsang did not reply and walked into the room. With her hand still on her back, she ordered, ”I want tea.”

The Biblical God said, ”Let there be light,” and there was light.

Sangsang was the god of this world. She wanted tea, so there had to be tea. She could have conjured various fine tea by herself, but she insisted that Ning Que should go buy tea for her.

Ning Que was indeed exhausted yet he felt happy because he knew that Sangsang's behavior was a proof of her deepened bond to the human world. And she was acting more and more like a real human.

That night, he knocked open the door of the biggest tea shop in Chaoyang City, spent two ounces of silver and bought 74 types of most renowned tea produced in different kingdoms and packed several expensive tea sets.

After three days of indulging in fine tea, Sangsang made another decision, ”I want to play chess.”

Then Ning Que spared no effort in searching for the best chess sets in town. But there was one problem he could not solve — she needed an opponent.

”Your level is too low,” Sangsang looked at the white chessmen and said to him.