Michael Jennings said he wants to leave ho life behind, and he really ans it.
On that very day, he packed up and went to a famous Buddhist temple in Sea City—Temple of Origin.
Normally, in modern tis, becoming a monk requires a certain review process. Besides ensuring a clean record with no special identity, one must also undergo a certain level of Buddhist study, followed by more than a year of monk group assessnts. Only upon passing these assessnts can one be granted permission to beco a monk.
As a mber of the Jennings Family, Michael could naturally leverage connections to bypass this review process, but he could only enter the temple as a lay practitioner and accompany them in their practice.
This so-called practice is quite common. Urban dwellers overwheld by pressure or disenchanted with the turmoil of the world can sign up for the temple’s free ditation retreat.
Through a short stay at the temple for purification, they engage in short-term practice while keeping their hair uncut.
It’s sowhat akin to a temple-style sumr camp, typically not lasting very long.
Precisely because the Jennings Family knew Michael couldn’t really devote himself to permanent monastic life, they weren’t too concerned.
Within the Jennings Family, the only ones who took this seriously were probably Isria and Lucas Jennings.
Lucas was alright, but Isria, after all, was only eight years old. Knowing her daddy really went to the temple, she instantly teared up,
"Daddy really went to beco a monk? Does he not want anymore?"
The latter question left the family silent for a mont.
Adam Jennings was most frustrated. He always knew it would end this way. This dad was never reliable, especially after divorcing mom, he beca even less dependable.
Holding Isria, he hesitated, thinking about how to comfort his youngest sister, and then heard Donovan Jennings speak from the side,
"Second Uncle just went to the temple to eat vegetarian als to cleanse his body; he’ll be back by himself in a few days."
Donovan’s voice was gentle but reassuring. All the kids in the family, including Isria, listened to this elder cousin. Upon hearing this, she imdiately left her brother and scurried over to Donovan.
Eagerly, she asked,
"Really?"
Adam: ...
Did you have to run so fast?
I’m your real brother!
Donovan reached out to pat her head and then nodded with a smile, "Really, I guarantee he’ll be back in less than a week."
Scarlett and Magnolia Hearne, hearing this ’less than a week,’ sensed sothing fishy and turned their heads together, raising an eyebrow, "A week?"
Intuitively, there seed to be sothing hidden here.
They saw Donovan looking at Luca Jennings, who spoke with a grave face,
"I already spoke with the temple, emphasizing my brother’s determination to leave ho life behind, asking the temple’s master not to treat him as a regular lay practitioner but as a serious monk undergoing austere practice, so his sincerity would be visible."
No one knew better than his elder brother; this brother could never endure hardship.
Even inheriting so of the family’s businesses and working a regular job was too tiring for him, let alone enduring suffering to leave ho life behind.
Since persuasion didn’t work, making him experience it personally would make him understand.
This was suggested by Donovan.
If not for being a junior unable to directly arrange it, Luca guessed Donovan would have wanted to arrange everything himself.
Even so, as soon as Luca finished speaking, the room fell into a bizarre silence.
Sure enough, Michael Jennings needed to rely on his elder brother for discipline.
Old Sir Jennings listened without objection, nodding with a smile,
"Pretty good, it’s just right for him to lose so weight."
Grandma Jennings heard this and felt a bit sorry, "Is there anyone who makes their son lose weight like this?"
Though she said this, she didn’t say anything about bringing him back.
Isria didn’t understand the difference between lay practitioner practice and serious austere practice, but since Brother Donovan said dad would be back in a week, then dad surely would be back in a week.
The little girl instantly beca happy again.
Scarlett was called back because of Michael leaving ho life behind, but clearly, she didn’t need to do anything about it.
Scarlett simply didn’t bother with it.
The next day, the little baby spirit and Sophie Harper returned, saying they found one of Piper Moore’s lost souls, but the place was difficult for them to enter.
Whether by coincidence or so other reason, one of Piper Moore’s lost souls was right in the temple where Michael was practicing.
Temple grounds, difficult for ghost cultivators to enter regardless.
Thinking about the woman whose early years were almost ruined, Scarlett decided to go personally.
Unexpectedly, Kingston Jennings proactively offered to go along.
He wasn’t concerned about Michael’s situation in the temple; unlike Isria and Adam, this father had always been dispensable to him.
Only he had taken over the Jennings Family’s charity organization, tasked with helping find those trafficked won and children who had lost their hos. So he wanted to see if he could find back that lost soul.
The next day, the two went to Temple of Origin together.
By that ti, Michael Jennings had been practicing at the temple for three days.
True to Donovan’s prediction of ’less than a week,’ after only three days, Michael felt he might not hold on.
Leaving ho life was nothing like he imagined.
He thought every day he could sit before Buddha listening to scriptures, most of the ti feeling like soone outside the mundane world, sitting in an ancient, serene courtyard, sipping tea, feeling the temple’s mountain charm, tasting vegetarian dishes, and contemplating another kind of life.
Instead... waking up at six in the morning to practice Eight Pieces of Strength, followed by morning lessons and copying scriptures.
This was not much different from other practicing layn, but both his morning lessons and scripture copying tasks were twice as many as others, and he had to personally cook vegetarian als. At noon, there were Zen culture and scripture lessons, while others rested, he had to clean the Zen courtyard. He was told it was because he was committed to leaving ho, different from short-term ditation practice.
His day was completely full.
Michael had no ti to think about those days trapped in a turtle’s body.
He was utterly exhausted.
He was hesitating whether to tell the Abbott he’d prefer short-term ditation practice instead of leaving ho.
Then he saw Scarlett and Kingston arrived!
Michael’s first reaction was they’d co to take him back.
Feeling unreasonably smug, thinking even if he didn’t leave ho, he should play it cool with this niece, so she wouldn’t dare use mystical sect tactics against him again.
He deliberately put on a worldly-wise deanor.
"What are you here for? If it’s to take back, there’s no need. I’m practicing well here."
Scarlett glanced at his robe, which was unlike others yet custom-made; regardless of the fabric and tailoring, it was different from ordinary monk robes, and she didn’t expose him, just said,
"I’m not here for you."
Michael was montarily stunned, instinctively looking at Kingston beside him.
Kingston silently typed.
[I’m not here for you either.]
Michael visibly paused.
Following this pause, he saw the Abbott whom he had only seen on his first day at the temple, as if he knew the two were coming, personally led people to welco them, addressing Scarlett with a courteous yet subtly respectful tone,
"Disciple Jiang."
Though Buddhism and Taoism differ fundantally, historically there’s been talk of no distinction between them.
The Security Bureau includes Buddhist practitioners, and Scarlett is a particularly unique case.
The Abbott of Temple of Origin always wanted to et her.
"Security Bureau has contacted , what Scarlett seeks is inside the temple, please follow ."
Scarlett and Kingston returned the courtesy before bypassing Michael to follow the Abbott inside.
The Abbott didn’t pay attention to Michael by the side, only slightly paused upon looking at Kingston and seed thoughtful afterward.
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