944 Obsession (2/2)

He buried two jugs of rice wine under the tree in the courtyard and stored a jar of pickles in the kitchen. The jar was filled with baby cowpeas and gingers as well as red and green peppers. It could have easily made people drool. Sangsang liked his pickles. But for some unknown reasons, she still preferred the vinegar-soaked cabbage heads.

They went on strolls from time to time, watched the sunset by the lake, listened to the bells in the temples, and walked through almost every street in Chaoyang City. Like the cozy city, their life became cozy too.

When spring brought misty rains, they toured the legendary seventy-two temples in the city. When the refreshing autumn came, they traveled to a few other bigger cities in the Yuelun Kingdom. In the stormy winter, they went to the north and stayed up whole night watching the snow storm at the Lan Pass. They went everywhere hand in hand.

Probably because they had traveled a long way, Sangsang was exhausted. She went to bed right after they got back to their house and became even more drowsy. She spent much more time sleeping ever since.

When she was sleeping, Ning Que lied beside her and read his books. He held a book in one hand and held Sangsang's hand under the quilt with the other. Sometimes he forgot to place his hand back after turning a page, then Sangsang would subconsciously grab his hand back under the quilt and held it tightly against her chest.

One autumn day, people in Chaoyang City were talking about the respected monks from the White Tower Temple freeing captured animals. Ning Que heard that when tanks of mud fish and various other fishes were poured into the lake, they would fight to kill each other. He thought that might be fun and wanted to take a look with Sangsang. She was tired and reluctant to leave the house, so he went alone.

It was indeed a lively show. The fighting of the mud fish, eels, and other fishes were indeed bloody. What the respected monks did was indeed ridiculous. When Ning Que was about to head home he suddenly came across strange feeling. He stared at the lake and the White Tower on the other side. It felt like something was missing.

When the crowd was gone, darkness prevailed and the White Tower became quiet again. He stood silently and stared at the lake and the tower, and could not get rid of that strange feeling.

Right then, the bell of evening prayers rang from inside the temple.

It also rang from inside his heart.

The sounds of the Buddha bell could purify people's minds and help them meditate. In Ning Que's Ocean of Consciousness, there were fragments of Lian Sheng's consciousness. Therefore his sensed this purifying power distinctively and subconsciously walked inside the temple.

Following the bell sounds, he arrived to the main hall of the White Tower Temple. He saw hundreds of monks chanting inside, and the Buddha statue seemed even more compassionate with their chanting.

The Buddha was watching him quietly.

The chanting sounded extremely charming. That was the sound of the Buddha.

Ning Que stood outside the hall and was obsessed.

Sangsang woke up in their house.

The crow that was previously perched on the branch made a weird caw and then flew away.

Her gaze followed the crow and then was on the sky.

She thought the sky looked familiar and charming.

She looked for a long while and became obsessed.

Obsession came from affection.

And affection made people witless.

While affection bore no cause, obsession brought ignorance.

...

...