Chapter 24: Flesh and Dice

Zen Master Du'e shivered and replied, "Bodhisattva, pray, do not take offense. I shall go at once."

"Remember, tomorrow at the hour of the Rat, the blood moon will hang in the sky. Use the prayer fair to harvest the desires of the people, and you must extract the Buddha-heart from that young monk. See to it that every task I have entrusted to you is fulfilled."

"If you succeed, all will be well. But if you fail, you shall not live to see the day after tomorrow." The Basket-Bearing Bodhisattva’s threat was chillingly explicit.

Receiving his orders, Zen Master Du'e dared not linger a moment longer. He pushed open the door and fled, only daring to breathe heavily and wipe the cold sweat from his brow once he reached the safety of his own meditation chamber. It was clear that he had been terrified.

Meanwhile, Lingxia Temple was a hive of activity. Monks throughout the temple lit torches, meticulously searching every building.

"Follow me to the guest hall to check on the pilgrims who arrived tonight. Remember, do not cause any trouble," ordered an elderly monk of high standing and seniority.

The disciples chorused their obedience.

"You three, head to the three rooms in the West Wing; you three, to the two rooms in the East Wing. You and I will search this chamber."

The monk assigning the tasks stood directly before the door of Liu An’s party.

"What is going on? Why is it so noisy out there in the middle of the night? Can’t a person get any sleep?" Liu An grumbled, sitting up and looking at the torchlight flickering outside his window.

"Honored guests, please forgive the intrusion. We are searching for a thief. For your own safety, would you kindly allow us to conduct an inspection?" Although the monk used a polite tone, he pushed the door open without waiting for permission.

*Creak—* The door was forced open, and the commotion instantly dispelled any hope of sleep for those inside.

"My apologies for the rudeness. Junior brother, go check under the bed."

"Everyone, could you please get up and move about? Our head monk says the thief was injured. To clear your names, please step down and walk a little."

Liu An, restraining his impatience, threw off his quilt and jumped out of bed. "Look, look! Is this good enough?" Liu An teased, pulling a funny face at the monk.

"Honored guest, I see. You may stop now," the monk replied, looking helpless and slightly embarrassed.

Jian Yi and the young monk then rose and moved about stiffly.

What no one noticed was that the monk who had been peering under the bed held an inconspicuous stone that flickered briefly in his palm.

The monk stood up, walked calmly toward his senior, and led him toward the door, smiling at the group as he spoke.

"Please, everyone, return to your rest. We shall not disturb you further. There is the temple fair to attend tomorrow, after all."

Once the two monks were well out of earshot:

"Do not look back—don't alert them. I have identified the thief. I am going to report this to Zen Master Du'e now," the junior monk whispered cautiously into his senior's ear.

When the two monks informed Zen Master Du'e of their discovery, a palpable aura of killing intent surged from his body.

"Good! Very good! You two, stay here with me. Do not go anywhere," Zen Master Du'e said, his eyes bloodshot, his excitement barely contained.

***

When the sun rose, the deep, resonant tolling of bells echoed throughout the temple.

Outside the mountain gate, eighteen gold-bodied bronze statues carried a massive, carved stone Buddha, moving slowly down the mountain.

The eighteen men moved in perfect unison; though their steps were heavy and labored, their backs never buckled.

By the time Liu An and his companions finally woke, they found two young novices standing outside their door.

Liu An felt an urge to tease them, but Jian Yi stopped him.

"We shall leave this place as soon as we have eaten," Jian Yi transmitted his voice to Liu An, his tone cold and indifferent.

Liu An saw the look on Jian Yi’s face and knew it was grave. As if remembering something, he swallowed the words he had been about to speak and fell silent.

"We are leaving now; we will not linger here."

"Honored guests, our master has already arranged your itinerary for today. Please follow us to dine, and afterward, we shall escort you to the prayer fair."

"Senior, what do you think of this..."

"Since we are here, we must be calm. We will take it one step at a time," Jian Yi said, feeling an ominous sense of foreboding.

After the meal, Liu An and his party followed the two novices down the mountain.

"Senior, let’s just run for it now," Liu An whispered, walking slower to put some distance between them and the novices.

"Do not act rashly. I have a feeling that if we make a single unusual move, we will be struck down where we stand."

Jian Yi’s words sent a shiver through Liu An.

On the stairs leading up the mountain, pilgrims walked alongside their families, holding incense and chatting happily. Young nobles and ladies walked in groups.

At the foot of the mountain, a Buddha statue stood prominently in the center of the road.

Elderly folk knelt in prayer, offering incense to fulfill their vows.

In an instant, the stone Buddha seemed to shine with divine light, the air filled with the scent of sandalwood, and cranes circled in the sky above.

The prefect of the nearby county had gathered merchants, vendors, and street performers, drawing crowds of locals to the prayer fair.

Merchants cried out to sell their wares, and performers exerted all their skill, hoping for a few extra tips from the onlookers.

Yet, Liu An and his companions could not immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere. Liu An looked left and right, but nothing caught his interest.

As they walked further, a monk suddenly called out to the young monk.

"Our abbot wishes to debate the Dharma with you. Are you willing to go?"

The young monk struggled for a moment, let out a soft sigh, and turned to Liu An. "Honored guest, the karmic connection between you and me does not lie in this lifetime."

With that, he followed the monk toward the temple on the mountain.

Liu An felt confused, but he did not dwell on it.

Suddenly, a game caught Liu An’s attention. He pulled Jian Yi along, carrying the 'four-unlike' creature, and squeezed into the crowd.

A monk stood there, guarded by two martial monks.

"If you are hungry, you may take a piece of meat from the right. If you wish to change your fate, you may choose the dice on the left. If you can roll a higher number than I, you may take a bar of gold."

Each person had only one chance to choose: food, or a gamble to change their destiny.

The people lingering at this stall were a pathetic sight—skin and bone, dressed in rags. Although they were starving and clutched their bellies, their eyes stared greedily at the gleaming gold.

"It is your turn, young man," the monk asked the youth standing before him, his expression calm. "Will you choose the meat, or the gold?"

The young man chose the dice with eager excitement.

*Clatter, clatter.* Three, two, one.

The monk rolled a five; the young man rolled a two.

Dejected, the young man tried to snatch a piece of meat from the right when the monk wasn't looking.

The two martial monks showed no mercy, beating the young man until he lost consciousness.

"Next."

"Next... and the next."

Liu An watched as dozens of people all chose the dice.

"Junior brother, don't you find this strange? All those who lost were gathered together and led away."