Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 590 Mountain Patrol Envoy

When Bala, who was herding his sheep, saw the figure of the pilgrim, his eyes lit up.

He quickly called his family to prepare some dry food and fresh milk, and then, carrying these provisions, he spurred his horse and rode off.

The elderly pilgrim paid no attention to the commotion around him, and continued his devout prostrations as he walked toward the holy city.

When Bala was still several dozen feet away from the pilgrims, he dismounted, picked up the food, and respectfully approached them, his eyes filled with piety and awe.

When they encounter such pilgrims, these wandering shepherds will offer them some food as a way to accumulate merit and cleanse themselves of the sins of this life.

Bala tiptoed to the pilgrim, knelt down, clasped his hands together, and murmured prayers.

Afterwards, Bala cautiously stepped forward, not daring to hinder the pilgrims' actions, hung the food package on the pilgrims' bodies, and then respectfully withdrew.

Throughout the entire journey, the elderly pilgrim remained completely undisturbed, his heart filled with unwavering faith and steadfast will as he journeyed toward his heart's desire.

Lu Zheng stood not far away, watching the old man. He could sense that the old man had barely entered the realm of cultivation. His old body was very weak, and he was supported by a strong will.

The pilgrim exuded an aura of Buddhism, indicating that he was indeed a Buddhist practitioner.

Qingwan, standing nearby, was puzzled and whispered, "Is he an ascetic monk?"

There are many special practitioners in this world who cultivate in rather unconventional ways; Buddhist ascetics are among them.

Lu Zheng thought for a moment, then shook his head uncertainly.

He didn't know the situation of the Buddhist community here, so he couldn't make any conclusions.

Lu Zheng found it strange that such a pilgrimage was for the purpose of seeing a Bodhisattva or being reborn in the Pure Land. It didn't seem like the mainstream Buddhist practice prevalent in the world.

He looked again at these shepherds who had been slaves their whole lives, and began to ponder.

The young girl, Pearl, stood on tiptoe, tilting her head back to watch the pilgrims gradually disappear into the distance, her eyes sparkling.

Seeing that the girl was still looking at her, Qingwan couldn't help but say, "Why don't you come closer and take a look?"

Pearl's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and she said, "I am a lowly slave, and a woman, the most unclean of people. I cannot get too close to them, or I will defile them."

"What is this nonsense?"

Qingwan frowned upon hearing this, sensing that the Buddhist sect here was not a legitimate one.

Qingwan asked, "Doesn't the Buddha here preach equality for all beings?"

"what?"

Pearl stared blankly, somewhat not understanding Qingwan's words. How could all living beings be equal?

They were all lowly slaves, whose lives were dedicated to atonement.

Seeing Pearl's expression, Qingwan asked, "What are the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas like here? What do they usually do?"

"Huh? This, I don't know..."

Pearl shook her head repeatedly. How could someone as lowly as her casually talk about such a thing?

Seeing the fear and unease on Pearl's face, Qingwan did not press further, but simply sighed inwardly.

As evening approached, the weather in this area changed rapidly; soon dark clouds gathered, and a light drizzle began to fall.

Bala called to his family to drive the cattle and sheep, preparing to spend the night there.

The eagles and falcons in the sky also flew down and took shelter from the rain under the simple wooden shed.

Not wanting to disturb these people, Lu Zheng and his companions found a place to rest on a distant hilltop and observed the shepherds' daily lives.

Qingwan looked north and saw that in the misty drizzle, the pilgrim was still walking in the cold wind and rain, undeterred by the wind and rain.

This was the old man's method of cultivation, and they couldn't very well go and stop him, lest they be misunderstood as trying to sabotage his cultivation. Suddenly, Qingwan's gaze sharpened.

Further north, a patch of gray-black is moving rapidly.

It was a large pack of wolves, numbering over a hundred. The wolf king, the leader, was about the size of an ox, with a robust physique and agile movements.

The wolf pack charged through the cold rain, exuding a thick, eerie aura.

Qingwan couldn't help but look at Lu Zheng beside her.

Lu Zheng blinked and said, "Let's wait and see."

The wolf pack raced along and soon arrived not far from the pilgrims.

Faced with the onrushing pack of wolves, the old man continued to crawl on his knees, muttering scriptures under his breath. Cold rain slid down his thin cheeks, soaking his tattered clothes.

The wolf king's fur was jet black and glossy, except for a tuft of golden hair on the top of his head, which formed a simple mark.

The wolf king strode forward with agile steps, giving the old man only a cold glance before continuing to lead the pack towards the shepherd's location.

"what?"

Qingwan was a little surprised to see this scene and didn't understand it for a moment.

On the other side, Bale and the others were terrified when they saw the wolf pack approaching.

Bale quickly alerted his men, and upon seeing the appearance of the alpha wolf, his expression changed once again.

He knew they had encountered the mountain patrol wolf king of this area, a wolf king that could speak human language, who was said to have been enlightened by a bodhisattva from the holy city and was the guardian deity of the surrounding area.

In the past, these shepherds had also encountered wolf packs.

Upon seeing that they were wolves, Bale immediately ordered his men to lay down their weapons and kneel down in front of the pack to show their respect.

The wolf king led his pack of wolves to a spot not far from the group, looking down at them with disdain in his bright, dark green eyes.

Suddenly, the wolf king spoke in a low voice, "I am hungry."

Bale quickly winked at the person next to him.

Several people hurriedly crawled on their knees to the place where they were to set up their accommodations, and brought out some dried meat, several large cans of fresh milk and dairy products from the tent.

These are meat products made from animals such as rabbits and mice that they hunt while herding livestock.

They usually couldn't bear to eat these dried meats and kept them there for emergencies.

Seeing the dried meat the shepherds brought out, the wolf king opened his mouth wide, a foul stench filling the air, and slowly spoke in human language.

"Not enough! I need live sheep and live cattle! My people are hungry too."

Bale's body trembled, and his face immediately turned ugly.

With so many wolves, how many cattle and sheep would they have to bring out? These all belong to the master's family.

In the past, when they encountered this pack of wolves, they would only offer ordinary sacrifices to show their piety and respect, and they were never asked for cattle or sheep.

However, this time it can only be considered that they were just unlucky.

These wolves hadn't caught enough prey for several days, and now they were all starving.

The food these shepherds are offering is far from enough to satisfy the wolves.

Behind the wolf king, a group of hungry wolves, their eyes gleaming, stared fiercely at the group.

It seemed that as long as the wolf king gave the order, the wolf pack would tear these people to pieces.

(End of this chapter)