A Clash of Gods - Chapter 139
Chapter 139 A Ghost Pestered Him in His Body
Hearing the three words “Duke of Huainan”, Yang Ning was surprised and asked, “Have you served Duke of Huainan?”
Zhenbi answered, “I have stayed in the mansion of Duke of Huainan for two years. In fact, I mainly served the heir of Duke of Huainan.”
“The heir of Duke of Huainan?” Yang Ning asked in astonishment. “Since you were an imperial chef, why did you work in the mansion of Duke of Huainan? You were in his mansion, but why did you come to the Temple of Great Light?”
Zhenbi looked sad and sighed. “If it weren’t for my master, I might have died long ago.”
“Your master?”
Zhenming was clear that Yang Ning didn’t know many things in the temple, so he explained, “Zhenbi is a disciple of Master Jingshan, who is in charge of the Five Cereal Hall and purchasing for every warehouse in the temple.”
Yang Ning responded, “I see. Zhenbi, you said that you might have died long ago if you didn’t enter the Temple of Great Light. Why?”
Zhenbi replied, “Qi, you know what? I was working in the kitchen of the imperial palace and talented in cooking. The main chef in the imperial kitchen found that I am gifted, so he taught me in person and took good care of me. I remembered that time His Majesty held a banquet in the imperial palace and I made a lot of vegetarian food. After Duke of Huainan tasted it, he said that I did a good job and wanted to see me.”
Yang Ning stated, “I understand. Duke of Huainan must think that the food you cooked was wonderful, so he asked His Majesty to allow you to work for him.”
“Qi, you are smart.” Zhenbi sighed. “I am not bragging. If I stay in the imperial palace, I won’t be like this today. Even if I am not the main chef in the imperial kitchen, I would be the second one at least. Duke of Huainan praised me for my cooking skill, and His Majesty saw through him at a glance and told me to work in his mansion even before he asked. I…certainly couldn’t disobey.”
Yang Ning nodded slightly.
The emperor comforted Duke of Huainan all the time and favored him a lot. In the emperor’s eyes, a chef in the imperial kitchen was the same as a fly. Since Duke of Huainan liked this chef, he would just say a word to give him away.
Zhenbi continued, “After I went to the mansion of Duke of Huainan, I knew that there were many people in the kitchen of the mansion. Although I was once a chef in the imperial palace, I was a newcomer in the duke’s mansion…” He looked angry. “Those people disliked me and found fault with me frequently. Not until then did I know that Duke of Huainan took a fancy to me because I am skilled in cooking vegetarian food. The heir in the mansion only eats vegetarian food as three meals every day and never eats meat or fish.”
Yang Ning asked with curiosity, “The heir of Duke of Huainan leads an extravagant life but doesn’t eat meat or fish?”
Zhenbi lowered his voice. “In the beginning, I didn’t understand, either, but later I knew that the heir might be pestered by something dirty. In order to ask Buddha to bless him and drive away the ghost in his body, he eats vegetarian food since childhood. I am good at cooking vegetarian food, so Duke of Huainan told me to enter the mansion and specially made three meals for the heir every day.”
“A ghost pesters him in his body?” Yang Ning laughed. “How is it possible? Not to mention whether there are ghosts in the world, even if there are, what kind of place is the duke’s mansion? They are royal family, and the mansion has power. The ghosts don’t dare to enter.”
“You are right, but that is the truth.” Zhenbi made a gesture and whispered, “I have seen that when the duke’s heir was pestered by the ghost sometimes, he would run here and there in the mansion crazily and talk nonsense. Sometimes, he had a knife or sword in his hand. I have seen once that when he was crazy, he almost killed a servant in the mansion with a knife…” Although it had happened in the past, Zhenbi still looked terrified.
Judging from his expression, Yang Ning knew that this guy might tell the truth, so he frowned. “The heir of Duke of Huainan is a madman?”
“No, no, definitely not.” Zhenbi affirmed, “He would be crazy only when he was pestered by the ghost. His Excellency is a gentleman and kind to others at ordinary times. He is nice to the servants. And he is really a good man.” He smiled bitterly. “If he is not pestered by the ghost, it is not a hard job to serve him all the time. Although he is a duke’s heir, he isn’t picky. Even if the servants were careless sometimes, he would laugh it off and wouldn’t mind.”
“Then why did you come to the Temple of Great Light?”
Zhenbi looked furious again. “It was because of the people in the kitchen. I stayed in the mansion for two years, and both Duke of Huainan and His Excellency were satisfied with me. Then they promoted me to the second main chef in the kitchen. I remember that time, His Excellency was suddenly pestered by the ghost again. I didn’t know how Duke of Huainan asked Master to help…my master Jingshan. Master went to the duke’s mansion and chanted to drive away the ghost for His Excellency…”
Yang Ning giggled. “It turns out that the masters in the Temple of Great Light also know how to hold the rite to drive away ghosts.”
Zhenbi was awkward. “That day, I sent the vegetarian food to him after cooking, but…but there was a rooster head in the food unexpectedly…” He looked at Yang Ning and explained, “A rooster was beheaded, and the head with blood was put in the food box. When the box was opened, His Excellency was scared and Duke of Huainan was furious, ordering the servants to beat me to death.”
Yang Ning expressed, “Somebody in the kitchen intended to harm you.”
“Right. Somebody wanted me to die.” Zhenbi was resentful. “Duke of Huainan is smart and should know that even if I am bold, I don’t dare to put a rooster head in the food box, but he was mad then and insisted on punishing me. Fortunately, Master was present and told Duke of Huainan that he thought that I was bound to be a Buddhist. He wanted to take me to the Temple of Great Light to pray to Buddha and practice meditation. Duke of Huainan couldn’t refuse Master, so he agreed to let me leave, and my life was saved.”
Yang Ning responded, “If you say so, Master Jingshan is really your savior.”
“Yes.” Zhenbi sighed with emotion. “So I followed Master to enter the temple. He knew that I am skilled in cooking, so he asked me if I was willing to work in the Five Cereal Hall. He saved my life, so I certainly agreed willingly as he asked. Since then, I have been working in the Five Cereal Hall till now…”
Yang Ning didn’t expect that Zhenbi had such an experience, so he showed a thumbs-up sign. “No wonder the dishes you have cooked are delicious indeed. It turns out that you once worked in the imperial kitchen.”
There was complacency in Zhenbi’s eyes. He expressed, “Qi, I am not bragging. I practice in the Five Cereal Hall these years and cook vegetarian food every day and night, so I have made much progress in cooking. If those chefs in the imperial kitchen compete on cooking vegetarian food with me, probably I won’t be inferior to them.”
Yang Ning responded, “I believe that. But Zhenbi, since you have a heart-to-heart talk with me, I have something to say and wonder if I can say that.”
“Go ahead!”
Yang Ning stated, “You were once elbowed out and bullied by others, and you even almost lost your life. Since you have the experience, why did you bully other disciples in the Temple of Great Light? All of you came to the temple to cultivate and stay together, which is your fate. In fact, you don’t need to differentiate them.” He glanced at Zhenming and asked, “I am surprised. Why did you aim at Zhenming?”
Zhenbi was more awkward and then said in embarrassment after he and Zhenchi looked at each other, “Qi, we were…wrong. It won’t happen…in the future.”
Yang Ning expressed, “You haven’t answered my question. I ask you why you aim at Zhenming. Is it because he is young?”
Zhenbi hesitated for a moment and finally explained, “In fact…my master and Master Jingchun have some conflicts. I heard that when they were young, Master Jingchun embarrassed my master for several times, so…”
Yang Ning said, “I guess that’s it. Zhenbi, here is the Temple of Great Light, which claims to be the number one temple in the world. The power of Buddha is everywhere. Even though you are a cook, you should have read some Buddhist scriptures when you are free. Perhaps both Master Jingchun and your master have forgotten their enmity, but you still keep it in mind. The monks shouldn’t seek to prevail over others.”
Zhenbi raised his hand and scratched his forehead. “Qi, you are right. It’s our fault. We won’t do that…in the future. Don’t take what happened today to heart. By the way, Qi, will you stay in the temple to cultivate in the future or just cultivate here for a short period?”
Yang Ning asked, “Why did you ask such a question?”
“It’s nothing. From tomorrow on, I will send somebody to bring you food.” Zhenbi smiled. “Qi, aren’t you healing your wounds in the temple? It’s inconvenient for you. I will specially cook the food for patients for you. You don’t need to tire yourself on the way.”
Yang Ning thought it was certainly not a bad thing. He laughed. “Isn’t…it improper? Do you give me special treatment?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Zhenbi replied in an instant. “I will make arrangements.” He turned to Zhenming. “Zhenming, if I did something wrong in the past, just forget it. I am sure that you will have enough good food to eat in the future.” Then he smiled at Yang Ning. “Qi, take your time and enjoy it. It’s dark outside. I can’t disturb you more here. I will find time to chat with you another day.”
He was sensible and walked out with Zhenchi. Before leaving, he even closed the gate of the courtyard cautiously.
Zhenming sat across from Yang Ning. “It turns out that they gave me little food because Master had conflicts with Master Jingshan those years.”
Yang Ning expressed, “Everything happens for a reason. It won’t happen for no reason. But your master often embarrassed their master those years, and he is awesome.” He lowered his voice and asked, “Zhenming, is it you who took care of me all the time since I came here?”
Zhenming nodded. “Yes. What’s wrong?”
“Oh, I remember that when I woke up, I was lying on that bed.” Yang Ning looked back and pointed to the bed behind him. “You seem to have said that I lay here for two days and nights.”
Zhenming answered, “Right. My master personally led them to bring you here. The masters had treated your wounds then. You didn’t wake up, so you rested on the bed first. My master went down the mountain to the imperial palace that night. Before leaving, he told me to take good care of you and teach you Purity Scripture after you wake up… I did what he told me to do.”
“Then…did you find a package in my pocket?” After a moment of hesitation, Yang Ning asked cautiously. “It was packed with a black cloth, and there are pictures in it. Have you seen it?”
Zhenming shook his head. “No. Ning, did you miss something? There is no outsider here, and I have never touched your belonging.”
Yang Ning knew that this little monk wouldn’t lie, so he was more depressed and wondered who had taken away the pictures about swordsmanship. Did the old monks who treated his wounds take them away?