Chapter 7.2 - Flower Demon (1/2)

Tong’er asked: “Young miss wants to wear this?”

Jiang Lî nodded and said: “Let’s put this on right away.”

By the time she had changed dressing and put on the Buddhist cloth properly, the sun had already completely disappeared in the horizon. Nighttime at the top of Mount Qingcheng was imminent.

Tong’er asked: “Where are we going?”

“Naturally, to get something to eat.” Jiang Lî replied laughingly.

Tong’er was puzzled up until Jiang Lî led her to the front of the nunnery’s main hall. In the main hall, there were sacrificial offerings in front of Buddha. It was not very likely to see any worshippers coming here within 10 days to half a month. Most of the worshippers would go to the close-by He Lin Temple. Jiang Lî walked to the front of the ancient clay figure of the Buddha. There was a saucer filled with fruits on top of the incense table. Jiang Lî picked one up, handed it to Tong’er and said, “Eat it.”

Tong’er turned pale with fright. At that time, all the nuns in the nunnery were asleep and they would not come here. Tong’er said in a small voice: “Young miss, this is the fruit for Buddha to eat!”

“En,” Jiang shrugged her shoulders, “so?”

“Tomorrow, those Buddhist nuns would discover the missing offering early in the morning. Then what should we do?” Tong’er paced back and forth while waving her arms. “It is better if we go back, okay?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Jiang Lî comforted her, “Even if we are discovered, nothing will happen.”

“But this is Buddha’s,” Tong’er remained hesitant, “Us eating the sacrificial offering is too disrespectful.”

Hearing what she said, Jiang Lî laughed. She said indifferently, “This Buddha clay figurine has a hard time protecting itself, and you still hope that it could save and protect you? It’s just a mere clay figure with the image of a person. So what if we don’t respect it? We ourselves have to walk our own path. It is not good to lean on Buddha.”