Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 589 Pilgrim

Lu Zheng looked at Bale and asked, "Where does your family head live?"

Bale replied, "In a town about two hundred miles to the north..."

Lu Zheng thought to himself that the shepherds were grazing in a rather remote area. How could their master be so sure that he would leave these shepherds and their cattle and sheep in such a desolate wilderness? Wasn't he afraid of them encountering any danger?

Lu Zheng had just observed them and found that these shepherds were ordinary people. Some might have some martial arts skills, but they probably wouldn't be able to withstand fierce wild beasts.

Lu Zheng then asked, "How long do you plan to graze your livestock here?"

Bale then said, "Autumn is almost over, and winter will be very cold. We are currently driving the cattle and sheep back north, and we will need to harvest fodder along the way to prepare for the winter..."

Qingwan couldn't help but ask, "You work so hard every year, how much can you possibly earn and save?"

Bale looked bewildered upon hearing this. Savings? They were already blessed by heaven to be able to herd cattle and sheep for their master and make a living.

Everything they had belonged to their masters, including their own lives; there was no other gain or accumulation to be had.

Seeing Bale's expression, Lu Zheng roughly understood what the other was thinking.

These people have been bound by servile ideology since childhood, and some of their thoughts and ideas are different from those of ordinary people.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "You guys go do your own thing, don't worry about us."

Upon hearing this, Bale respectfully replied, "If there is anything you need, sir, please just give us your orders."

After seeing that Lu Zheng and the others had nothing else to say, Bale bowed and left, then ran off to herd the cattle and sheep to prevent them from scattering.

Seeing this, the others did not dare to approach Lu Zheng and his group, and all went back to their work.

Because of the arrival of outsiders, whom they considered distinguished, the shepherds were not as efficient as before, and their mood was somewhat affected.

In the past, when they were herding livestock in the wild, they would sometimes encounter adults of high status and importance.

Some people will make all sorts of demands, and they dare not refuse.

Even if those people killed them, they would only have to compensate their master with some money.

Their lives as shepherds were so lowly.

In this region, there were not only shepherd servants, but also other slaves.

In comparison, these shepherds were more at ease and comfortable.

The girl, her face flushed, went back and squatted by the river to wash the pottery jars.

Her eyes kept glancing at Lu Zheng and the other two, a hint of curiosity in them.

The girl felt that these outsiders from the east were very different from the noble people she had met before.

Qingwan noticed that the girl was always secretly observing them and was much bolder than the others.

Qingwan led Qingyi over and asked with a smile, "What's your name?"

When the girl saw Qingwan asking her a question, she quickly stood up, bowed, and respectfully replied, "My name is Pearl."

The girl's name was given to her by her mother, supposedly because her skin was very white when she was born, like a pearl.

However, after the girl grew up, she felt that she was not fair-skinned enough when she saw the people from the main family.

Today she met another distinguished person from the east, who was even more fair-skinned and beautiful than the host's daughter, making her feel even more ashamed of herself.

Qingwan smiled and said, "Pearl? That's a very nice name. How old are you?"

“Almost fourteen,” Pearl replied. Qingwan blinked. The girl in front of her looked a few years older than her actual age. She must have been working hard away from home all year round, aging faster than the average person.

Qingwan added, "My name is Qingwan, and her name is Qingyi."

Pearl couldn't help but ask curiously, "How did you get here from the east? The snow-capped mountains there are very high. I've never heard of anyone coming from that side."

The two people in front of her looked younger than her, especially Qingyi, who still looked like a little girl, which made Pearl wonder how someone so young could have come from the snow-capped mountains.

Could it be that the handsome young man possesses great magical power and brought them all with him?
Qingwan smiled and said, "Would you believe me if I said we flew here?"

Pearl's eyes sparkled, and she nodded emphatically, "I believe you! I've heard that there are very powerful Bodhisattvas in the Holy City who can summon wind and rain and fly through the air!"

Qingwan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Holy City, Bodhisattva? Where is the Holy City, and what's there?"

Upon hearing this, Pearl whispered, "I've never been to the Holy City. I've heard that the Holy City is in the north, where there is a great Buddha, Bodhisattvas live, and many noble people... Our master wants to live in the Holy City, but he is not qualified."

Pearl didn't know much about the Holy City either; it was all hearsay.

Bodhisattva… A strange feeling arose in Qingwan’s heart.

I have heard that Buddhism has Bodhisattvas. In the realm of Buddhist practice, the seventh stage of seeking enlightenment can also be called the Bodhisattva stage, and a saint who has attained enlightenment can be called a Buddha.

However, whether the bodhisattva in the holy city mentioned by Pearl is a real bodhisattva or a fake bodhisattva remains to be seen.

Qingwan was surprised to find that there was a Buddhist sect in this area.

It seems this place is not as simple as it seemed.

Could it be that this place has already been occupied by the State of Wei?

Qingwan couldn't help but ask, "Do you know about the State of Wei?"

"what?"

Pearl looked completely bewildered, not understanding what Qingwan was saying.

Qingwan thought about it. These shepherds had been herding livestock in the wild for many years and must have come into contact with many people. If they didn't know about the State of Wei, this place was probably not occupied by the State of Wei.

In fact, when they entered this land, they didn't feel any suppression of the great power's fortune.

Suddenly, someone called out softly from not far away.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw the person pointing in a certain direction.

There, a figure was moving slowly and steadily.

It was a gaunt old man dressed in a tattered fur coat, holding a string of cracked wooden beads in his hand, his eyes filled with utmost piety, kneeling and walking in an awkward posture, heading north.

Qingwan looked closely and couldn't help but frown slightly, "That person..."

Pearl whispered beside her, "They're pilgrims!"

“Pilgrims?” Qingwan raised an eyebrow.

Pearl said, "They are followers of Buddha. If they prostrate themselves all the way to the holy city and successfully reach it, demonstrating their piety, they may be enlightened by the Bodhisattva and be reborn in the Pure Land, no longer suffering the torment of worldly hardships..."

Pearl expressed deep respect for the old man and a longing to become a pilgrim herself, hoping to change her destiny.

Unfortunately, she was a lowly shepherd and had no right to be a pilgrim.

Her identity destined her to spend her life herding cattle and sheep.

Hearing Pearl speak so confidently, Qingwan was stunned for a moment, her face practically screaming "I'm bluffing!" Where in this world is there any such thing as rebirth in paradise?
(End of this chapter)