Chapter 276: The Diamond Sutra, Under The Bodhi Tree (1/2)

”Well, hurry up then! Tell me what's the answer to the mystery!” urged Dali.

”There’s a monument in the temple!” I repeated.

”Fucking hell, you’re not going to repeat this sentence for the rest of your life, are you?” he quipped.

I patiently explained to him that the code actually wasn’t complicated at all. The reason why the criminals hadn’t managed to decipher it even after three years was due to the missing key which would provide the corresponding decryption to the code. And this key was the monument in the temple!

After circling the entire temple, I discovered that there were signs of a monument that once stood in one corner of the courtyard but it was now gone.

Boss Jia must have hidden the relics there ten years ago and wrote a code according to the inscription on the monument in the courtyard. But during the seven years he was imprisoned, the stone tablet was removed so the code became nonsensical gibberish that riddled his subordinates for three years.

”Your analysis is reasonable, but how are we going to find this monument?” asked Dali.

”This temple must have been recorded in the local county records. We’ll borrow it from the county government tomorrow,” I said.

”But we’re supposed to head back to school tomorrow,” remarked Dali. “Are you still planning to stay on? What about accommodations?”

”Aren't you my assistant?” I chuckled. “Why don’t you think of something?!”

Dali met with the factory manager to explain that we were held back by an important matter and wanted to stay on for a few more days. Our mentor agreed at once.

Early the next day, we packed a day's worth of food and headed to the county administration office, ready to go through ten years worth of county records.

After perusing all morning, I finally came across an old picture of the temple and shook a sleepy Dali to wake him up. ”Go get me a magnifying glass!”

As soon as Dali came back, I meticulously examined the photo, my enhanced vision enabling me to read the words on the inscription, albeit with some difficulty.

”Thus I have heard. At one time the Buddha dwelt at Sravasti, in the Jeta Grove, in the Benefactor’s Garden of Orphans and the Solitary...”

I looked up and declared, ”It’s the Diamond Sutra!”

”Dude, you’re amazing!” cried Dali. “You came to that conclusion after reading just a few words!”

I shrugged, ”Isn't the Diamond Sutra common knowledge? Go and get me one right now!”

Dali soon returned with the Diamond Sutra which I immediately flipped through. Completely engrossed in my work, I accidentally underlined a sentence in the book. Because the inscription on the monument had twelve words in every line, I sectioned the entire passage with every twelfth word.

”You’ll have to pay for the book if you damage it!” reminded Dali.

”It doesn't matter, I'll pay!” I replied without lifting my head.

”But this book looks like an antique,” he retorted.

After I did that, I went back to the code. The number in front referred to the chapter number and the words in each row and column corresponded to the sequence of the Earthly Branches. Finally, I came up with four words: ”Under the Bodhi Tree!”

I closed the book and declared, ”Let’s go dig for treasure!”