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The next morning, Master Xiao was still snoring beside the hospital bed. I took out my phone to call my master, fully aware that he would likely be upset. When I dialed, he didn’t answer; at this hour, he should have been in morning prayers.
I put down the phone and glanced at Master Xiao, contemplating whether I should wake him up to handle the discharge paperwork and head back home. However, seeing his expression as if he were on a date with the daughter of the King of Dreams, I decided against it. I got out of bed and felt much better. Although my limbs were still a bit weak, I was no longer in serious trouble. Once the sun came out and I soaked up some rays, I would be ready to leave.
As I stretched a bit and was about to head to the bathroom to freshen up, Xiaolin pushed the door open, holding two breakfast trays. Sweat dripped from his forehead; he must have rushed over. He placed the breakfast on the bedside table and said, “Brother Liu, I brought breakfast for you both. I need to get to the set soon, so I can’t chat much. Wishing you a smooth journey back home.” With that, Xiaolin hurried off.
I shook my head with a wry smile and walked into the bathroom. This farewell felt like it would be a long time before we could meet again; it was just too sudden, especially with Master Xiao still lost in his dreams.
After washing up, I took off the hospital gown covered in talismans and scrubbed it in the sink. The water turned a reddish hue; while it wouldn’t wash out completely, it did help remove some of the symbols. I changed into my own clothes and noticed Master Xiao was still asleep, so I began eating breakfast. Halfway through, my phone rang, startling Master Xiao awake.
I picked up the phone and saw it was my master calling. A surge of joy filled me as I answered.
“Little Brat, what’s going on? I'm quite busy right now,” he said.
I swallowed my food and cleared my throat before saying, “Master, I want to come back home to see you.”
He asked with confusion, “What happened now? Speak up; I'm still busy here.”
I hesitated for a moment before saying, “Master, I've gotten myself into something I shouldn’t have.”
“What is it? Are you okay? What happened? How many times have I told you to act within your means? Do you take my words lightly? Hold on a moment.” As expected, before hearing the full story, he started scolding me, even neglecting whatever task he had at hand.
I nodded silently like a child caught in wrongdoing. After another round of reprimands, he finally said, “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Speak up!”
Taking a deep breath, I recounted everything that had happened.
Once I finished explaining, without any pause, he said, “How many times have I told you? You heard it was Yin Chai and still went there? Ugh! Never mind that; hurry over here to find me.”
Relieved that he agreed, I quickly nodded and assured him I'd be discharged soon and would likely arrive by evening.
“Don’t go back to Longhui,” he instructed. “I’m at Changsha Lushan Temple right now. Get over here quickly and call me when you arrive.” With that, he hung up the phone.
I hung up the phone, feeling that this outcome was the best I could hope for; I only had to endure a scolding. If I had gone back directly, I might have faced a beating. In a good mood, I continued eating my breakfast while Master Xiao had already finished his portion and was wiping his mouth. Seeing that I had finished my call, he asked while still wiping his mouth, "How did it go? What did your master say?"
I replied, "Get ready to handle the discharge procedures. My master is at Changsha Lushan Temple, and we’ll head to South Station to take the High-Speed Rail there."
Master Xiao exclaimed, "Oh! My master is also in Changsha right now; they must be together. That's great! I haven't seen my master in ages."
I said, "Then hurry up and take care of the discharge paperwork. We need to leave immediately."
Master Xiao perked up at that and rushed out of the room, calling out for the nurse and asking where to process the discharge.
I sighed; he was so single-minded. Didn't he know that hospitals don't allow loud noises?
Walking over to the glass door of the balcony, I noticed that the sun was already out, but since this direction faced west, it didn't get any sunlight. I reached down to feel the lump on the inner side of my thigh. It was still hard, but it seemed smaller than last night; however, that didn't indicate anything significant.
After waiting for more than half an hour for Master Xiao to return, I couldn't help but call him. When he answered, he didn't speak to me right away but seemed to be arguing with someone. It was obvious he was having a dispute with someone from the hospital. They probably wouldn’t let him discharge me without a doctor's approval.
Sure enough, just as I thought that, I heard Master Xiao's clear voice: "Brother Liu, the House God doctor says you haven't met the conditions for discharge and need to be observed a bit longer. Not only are they not letting you go, but they also want me to pay for a few more days of hospitalization. Isn't that ridiculous?" He then continued arguing with the other person: "It's not that I look down on your hospital; it's just that with what happened to my brother, staying here for a year wouldn't do any good."
I quickly interjected through the phone, "Master Xiao, just tell them we want to transfer to another hospital and won't be treated here anymore."
His previously frantic tone suddenly shifted as he said, "Oh right! We want to transfer hospitals; we won't be treated here anymore. Do I need to shout that your medical standards are lacking?"
I hung up; I couldn't listen any longer. His way of speaking was too blunt and left no room for negotiation. I understood he was anxious, but sometimes haste makes waste.
A few minutes later, Master Xiao returned to the ward and said, "This hospital really knows how to drain money! We did nothing but stay for two days and spent over eight thousand. You're much better now, but this has nothing to do with their hospital!"
Hearing Master Xiao's figure made me wince at the cost. I quickly calculated in my head; aside from the hundred yuan Xiaolin initially gave me, this trip had cost me over eight thousand—not counting the expenses for going to Changsha later. Sighing, I decided to consider it a loss and a lesson learned; in my heart, I'd already accepted this as part of my fate.
After packing up my things, I left the hospital directly and called a taxi heading towards South Station. It was very convenient for them in Changsha since there was a High-Speed Rail directly connecting us; it would only take three or four hours.
The journey went smoothly; even the traffic lights seemed to be giving me special treatment. After leaving the hospital around 7 AM, by 11 o'clock I was already on Changsha's soil. Without stopping, I hailed a taxi outside the station and hurried towards Lushan Temple. When I arrived at the entrance of Lushan Temple, ignoring my protesting stomach, I took out my phone and dialed my master's number.
Lushan Temple, also known as Ancient Lushan Temple and formerly Huiguang Temple, was founded by Lifa Chong, a disciple of Dunhuang Bodhisattva Lifahu, in the fourth year of Emperor Tai Shi's reign during the Western Jin Dynasty, which corresponds to the year 268 AD. With a history spanning over 1700 years, it is one of the earliest relics of Buddhism in Hunan. Today, it is a key cultural heritage site in Hunan Province and serves as the headquarters for the Hunan Buddhist Association. The temple boasts a rich history and a thriving spiritual presence, with a large gilded plaque at the entrance bearing the words "Hunan Buddhist Association."
When I connected the call, my master directly asked where I was. I replied that I was at the main gate. He instructed me, "Wait there, don’t come in yet," and hurriedly hung up. His tone sounded quite anxious.
In just a few minutes, my master appeared in my line of sight. His figure was as familiar as ever, but there was an unmistakable urgency about him. He walked with a somewhat disordered pace, searching for me among the crowd. I had never seen him so anxious before. Though he usually exuded an ethereal presence, he now appeared somewhat aged and even a bit flustered.
I called out to him loudly. Upon seeing me, he approached with a stern expression that suggested he was ready to reprimand me. It made me feel quite alarmed. When he reached me, he snorted and asked, "Where is the hard lump?"
I was taken aback for a moment and awkwardly pointed to the inner thigh of my left leg. He pulled me over to one of the Stone Lions at the entrance and instructed me to spread my legs apart. I dared not resist and complied.
I lifted my left foot and rested it on the stone seat of the Stone Lion. My face flushed as I slowly lowered my head. My master formed a hand seal and began drawing symbols in the air while chanting incantations. Then he brought his palms together, arched his hands back, and clapped them together several times. Afterward, he suddenly slapped my thigh where the hard lump was located while continuing to chant rapidly and rubbed that area with his right hand.
The action was rather undignified and attracted many onlookers—some pointed while others paused to watch; even some devout believers took out their cameras to snap photos. The atmosphere became quite awkward as I kept my head down, too embarrassed to look around; it was truly humiliating. Master Xiao stood nearby, grinning widely without a care in the world, completely oblivious to my predicament as he failed to block us with his ample frame.
At six o'clock sharp, I would like to express my gratitude for “Slim Jun”’s diamond gift, along with fine wines from “In the Rain Lotus,” “Qing Qiu,” and “Wuyou Ruirui.” Additionally, thank you for the seven flowers from “Frost 123.”
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