Baby Serendipity: The Whole World Fell In Love With Me
Chapter 280 - 279: The Honored Guest Has Not Yet Arrived

Chapter 280: Chapter 279: The Honored Guest Has Not Yet Arrived

North City’s Daoist temples, Buddhist temples, and nunneries, big and small, totaled over a dozen, all clustered behind Fahua Temple, this middle-sized temple swarmed with people.

Past religious gatherings were never this bustling. Fahua Temple would selectively extend invitations, but this year, all registered Daoist temples, Buddhist temples, and nunneries had their leaders invited; some even received paper invitations personally delivered by young Fahua Temple monks, and the event was widely publicized, even inviting local "great immortals" to take part.

This phenomenon left many people baffled, prompting them to gather and discuss among themselves.

"What’s happening this year? Why such a grand affair?"

"Hard to say, the restrictions seem to have relaxed quite a bit. I even know someone who made a tidy sum doing online fortune-telling."

"Now that you mention online fortune-telling, I am reminded of someone – the little Miss from the Su Family."

"Exactly, that milk bun is truly formidable. I also watched her last live-stream; she can open the Yin Yang Eyes for people through the screen!"

"Why isn’t Little Auntie here today?"

While these people were discussing Mianmian, Yong Jue and Qing Xu drew close together.

Unlike those scattered folk sorcerers, the two men were the masters of orthodox temples and Daoist temples, dressed in their "uniforms" at such a grand event.

Yong Jue wore a red kasaya with golden edges, his aged face deeply wrinkled, his frame thin.

Qing Xu was clad in a purple robe, holding a whisk in his hand and wearing a lotus crown with a golden lotus, also thin in stature.

The two elderly figures stood together, sizing each other up before scoffing.

Yong Jue took the lead, "Old Daoist, you do look spirited indeed."

Qing Xu said, "Isn’t it natural for an old Daoist to be spirited? But what about you? I’ve heard that Shifang Temple doesn’t draw as many worshippers as this place. Doesn’t that bother you?"

"This monk is detached from worldly concerns; why should I mind such things?" Yong Jue said with a slight smile, hands clasped in prayer, a look of profound contentment on his face.

Qing Xu, not ’caring to continue the conversation with Yong Jue, glanced at the sun, which had not long risen, and spoke in rather solemn tones, "Little Sister Mianmian is still asleep, tsk. Being paired up here with you, old bald donkey, puts a damper on my mood."

"Hah, I haven’t mentioned how you sour my mood, and you have the gall to say so first?" said Yong Jue with a cold expression, not in the mood for further talk.

The two stood at the forefront, bickering, while their disciples exchanged looks behind them. They already knew that whenever the temple master and the abbot met like this, they would argue, and they couldn’t help thinking to themselves: the temple master/abbot is really like an old child at heart!

Some who had never met Mianmian in person grew expectant because of the conversation between Qing Xu and Yong Jue.

Just how formidable was the little lady from the Su Family?

It wasn’t just them praying; Abbot Yong Hui of Fahua Temple was also looking forward to meeting Mianmian. He sat upright on the dais, dressed in a kasaya like Yong Jue, an old monk smiling gently as he fingered his Buddhist prayer beads.

Time ticked by, and Fahua Temple monks began distributing vegetarian steamed buns.

People accepted them and couldn’t help but ask, "Abbot Yong Hui, you sent out invitations for us to join the religious gathering today, but why haven’t you started the sermon yet?"

"Usually, it would have started by now."

"Indeed."

These independent practitioners weren’t necessarily devoted to Buddhist cultivation, but they were still hoping to gain insights from the high monks. These insights might take them ten or even twenty years to realize on their own and could significantly benefit their spiritual practice.

The monks of Fahua Temple were also open to feedback and hearing everyone asking, selected a representative to go up to the dais and whisper into the ear of Abbot Yong Hui.

After listening, Yong Hui pressed his palms together and intoned a Buddhist chant, "Amitabha! Good, good, it’s not because I am unwilling to start, but there’s an important guest who has yet to arrive."

Everyone asked who this important guest was.

Yong Hui said, "This guest is a descendant of the Jiang family, who is now with the Su Family. Online devotees respectfully call her Little Auntie. Yet, she and I are of the same generation, so she is like a younger sister to me."

Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.

They had just been discussing this Little Auntie, and now they learn that Master Yong Hui is delaying the sermon precisely because of Little Auntie? Was there any need for this? She was just a child, perhaps simply sleeping in this morning.

A child who cannot get up early, no matter how intelligent, probably lacks spiritual roots, so what’s the wait for?

Isn’t this a waste of everyone’s time?

Everyone had cooperatively come for the Buddhist assembly, all hoping to make some progress, but the assembly was only today until the night after next. If they missed it, there would be no second chance.

At this moment, these people’s impression of Mianmian soured instantly.

As time ticked away by the second, the crowd grew more discontent.

Yong Jue furrowed his brows.

The Ghost Gate was about to open, and its influence on the mortal world had begun, not just at night, but from daytime onwards. Fahua Temple, a bastion of Buddhism, ought to have been bathed in Buddha’s light, but at this time, it was overshadowed by the people’s murmurs.

Qing Xu also noticed this and flicked his whisk, squinting his eyes at Abbot Yong Hui on the platform.

The Daoist Temple had its generational names and ranks, just as Buddhism did.

Yong Hui and Yong Jue were monks of the same generational rank, but they had completely different temperaments. Yong Hui, this guy, always had a Maitreya Buddha-like smile on his face, making it impossible to know what he was thinking.

Qing Xu tapped the handle of his whisk lightly, thinking about the intelligence gathered through cooperation with the Su Family.

It seemed that Abbot Yong Hui had some kind of cooperation with the Fallen God Cult, and through this assembly, he also wanted to see if he could discern anything. But was Yong Hui’s approach too direct, deliberately making these people dislike Little Auntie? Wasn’t that inappropriate?

On the platform, as Yong Hui’s gaze met Qing Xu’s, the Abbot nodded slightly, then closed his eyes, simply twirling his prayer beads.

The rest of the people at the assembly, seeing their grumbling had no effect on persuading Abbot Yong Hui to start preaching early, reluctantly closed their mouths, sat cross-legged, and also closed their eyes as if in cultivation.

Finally, at half-past nine, at the entrance to the square of Fahua Temple, Su Chenjin appeared, carrying Mianmian.

Little Bun saw everyone with eyes closed, not speaking, the atmosphere grave, and her expression immediately became embarrassed.

She was indeed late!

Originally, she had planned to wake up by herself, but she had been too sleepy.

A monk from Fahua Temple guided her and Su Chenjin inside, talking as they walked, "This way, please."

The sound of the conversation caused the meditating people to open their eyes, one by one turning their attention to Mianmian. They were all seated on meditation cushions, with just a single path left in the middle.

At first, only the people on either side of the path heard the noise and emerged from their meditation state. Gradually, as one called to another, everyone’s gaze fell on Mianmian.

In Su Chenjin’s arms, Mianmian’s large eyes were also darting around, her gaze shifting over the bodies of those sitting on the ground. Occasionally, when she spotted a few whose fate lines she couldn’t discern, she would look a little longer, trying to commit them to memory.

"She’s finally here."

"Indeed, what an entrance for a child, bringing so many people!"

"Are they treating the assembly like an amusement park? Why so many kids?"

Some of those with considerable Daoist cultivation, noticing the faint light twinkling on Yang Xian’s forehead, couldn’t help but remark, "This young one is only eighteen years old and so talented; he has actually opened the Heavenly Eye between his eyebrows?"

The rank of the Heavenly Eye was far higher than that of the Yin Yang Eyes, and it was not something every cultivator could open, with each person’s ability varying once opened. Most people, after cultivation, only succeeded in opening the Yin Yang Eyes but would still pridefully claim to have the Heavenly Eye.

With long legs, Su Chenjin quickly made it to the front of the platform.

He was aware of the protocol; after putting Mianmian down, he first brought his hands together in a salute to Abbot Yong Hui, then introduced, "Little Auntie, this is the Abbot of Fahua Temple, Master Yong Hui."

Mianmian was in fact already locked in a gaze with Yong Hui.

Little Bun, having opened her Heavenly Eye, could only see that surrounding Yong Hui was a splendid golden light. This signified faith and good deeds, indicating that the Abbot usually did many good acts in the name of Buddhism.

She also witnessed the past of Yong Hui, a sharp and clever little monk who was always praised by others.

Mianmian tilted her head, feeling puzzled.

If Abbot Yong Hui is such a good monastic leader, then why do all the clues point to Fahua Temple?