This monk was not quite the same as the ghosts Lin Feiran saw in everyday life. Those ghosts mostly didn’t look too good due to their somber expressions, even if their features were beautiful. But this monk’s spirit, aside from being slightly translucent, was indistinguishable from a live person. Even though he was a ghost, he was still very good-looking, and his faded monk’s robes didn’t detract at all from his strong presence. Lin Feiran was momentarily stunned.

Gu Kaifeng caught hold of Lin Feiran’s hand as if in warning.

“I...” ... just thought he was too much like a living person, Lin Feiran thought, but the words stuck in his throat.

Because the two were shocked by what happened in the next second.

In front of the monk stood a long line of ghosts, and from all directions kept coming more ghosts which joined the end of the line. The garden was small and couldn’t accommodate all of them, so the ghosts even proactively wound their line into an S-shape, turning left and right until the garden was filled full, like the ticketing hall of a railway station the day before the Spring Festival.

An old man’s spirit walked in front of the monk and knelt on the ground. As if comforting a child, the monk placed a hand gently on the old man’s head, the other hand raised in front of his chest with fingers together. Then he opened his mouth and started chanting scripture. Alongside the sound of the monk chanting scripture, the old man who wore an expression of hatred seemed to have been melted by a gentle force. The corners of his eyes lifted, giving him a kind and amiable air. Following which, his silhouette grew more and more faint, just like that of Ms. Zheng’s daughter. That little girl’s ghost had also faded as her regrets lessened. But the little girl’s ghost’s regrets had faded over a very long time, while this old man completed this process within just a few dozen seconds... very quickly, the old man who had faded so much he almost disappeared now vanished into a gust of wind that blew this way.

“He’s releasing their souls,” Lin Feiran explained to Gu Kaifeng softly.

What this monk was doing was the same as Lin Feiran had done for the mother cat and the little girl’s ghost, but he was much more efficient than Lin Feiran. He released about one ghost a minute...

A ghost who released ghosts!

The two watched the soul of the monk, unblinkingly.

The monk released another two ghosts. He seemed to notice the attention and raised his head slightly, glancing at them. He met their eyes for a moment.

Gu Kaifeng’s expression shifted slightly. “......”

Lin Feiran, who was mesmerized as if he’d been drawn in: “......”

The monk: “......”

Seeing that the monk was looking at him, Lin Feiran immediately carefully said hello: “How do you do, Master.”

The monk was silent for a while. With his light brown eyes he gazed at Lin Feiran and after a while his gaze shifted to Gu Kaifeng.

“You’re very impressive.” Lin Feiran took one step closer and patted his own chest. Like a fan hurrying to prove himself in front of his idol he said proudly, “I released two ghosts too.”

The monk said calmly, “A cat and a little girl.”

Lin Feiran was stunned. “How did you know?”

He had become a die-hard fan!

“I, the humble monk, have the Eyes of Knowledge.” The monk’s eyes seemed to pass through Lin Feiran and look at something far in the distance behind him. “I can see what happens before life and after.”

Lin Feiran suddenly remembered the booklet he had read before coming up the mountain. A flash of inspiration occurred to him and he asked, “Might you be Monk Cheng Guan?”

The monk seed to have expected that Lin Feiran would ask this. He replied calmly, “Yes, I am.”

“I haven’t spoken in more than a hundred years.” Monk Cheng Guan stopped releasing ghosts and said slowly, “Benefactor, have you heard my legend?”

These words seemed like a question, but the tone was certain. Perhaps this was because he hadn’t needed to ask to know the answer.

“I’ve heard it,” Lin Feiran said. His eyes lingered on the Bodhi tree beside Cheng Guan and he asked lightly, “Is it true?”

Cheng Guan’s voice was distant, as if it was being conveyed from another world. Light and insubstantial, but also resolute and calm. “Yes.”

As he spoke, he rose from beneath the Bodhi tree and raised his head to look at the great tree, which was growing well and dense with leaves. He stretched out a hand like a shadow and pressed his hand on the rough bark, caressing gently. The lingering and warm angle of his fingers made him seem not to be caressing a tree, but touching the hair of a young girl.

“This is her reincarnation. I can see it,” Cheng Guan said with a smile.

A soul that resided in the very heart of the tree, untouched by dirt, fragile and resolute.

Lin Feiran could not imagine what this tree looked like in the Eyes of Knowledge. Even with the open Yin-Yang eyes, Lin Feiran only saw an ordinary Bodhi tree.

So the story in the booklet was real. Lin Feiran had seen countless ghosts, so he was quite accepting of the idea that a person could reincarnate into a Bodhi tree. He was silent for a moment, recapping the story quickly in his mind. With sorrow and nervousness, he asked, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Gu Kaifeng caught Lin Feiran’s shoulders and pulled him over, saying in perfect synchrony with his wife: ” “You can say it, and don’t stand on ceremony.”

Cheng Guan retracted the hand he had pressed to the Bodhi tree. He turned and gazed at them, probably seeing that both of them were sincere. After a moment’s thought, he said, “May I ask my two benefactors to go to the west slope about three li from here and bring back a hibiscus flower?”

Lin Feiran hadn’t expected Cheng Guan’s request to be that simple. He was about to say it was okay to ask for something else, when he heard Cheng Guan’s clear and bright voice: “That’s the flower she loves most. It should be blooming most beautifully on the west slope at this time of year. I should like to let her see them.”

“Right! We’ll be right back!” Lin Feiran agreed immediately, caught Gu Kaifeng and headed off for the flowers. The two walked several steps before Lin Feiran turned and asked Gu Kaifeng confidently, “Kaifeng, which way is west?”

The little one couldn’t even find the way out of the temple, let alone west... Gu Kaifeng stifled a laugh and caught hold of Lin Feiran’s wrist, pulling him in the other direction than he’d turned his head. After the two left through the temple doors, Gu Kaifeng led Lin Feiran onto a small trail, teasing lightly, “Baby, this is west.”

The trail was unkempt on both sides, but in the middle where there was no grass, the trail was flat and solid. It looked like it was commonly used, but tourists probably wouldn’t come here. Gu Kaifeng walked ahead to clear a path and Lin Feiran followed obligingly behind. He said with embarrassment, “My sense of direction is not that good.”

Gu Kaifeng’s gentle voice came from in front. He seemed to be smiling. “Indeed, not that good.”

Lin Feiran: “......”

Surely at a time like this he should disagree and say “your sense of direction is fine”!

Just then, Gu Kaifeng who was walking in front suddenly stopped. He turned suddenly; Lin Feiran, who hadn’t stopped in time, crashed into him. Gu Kaifeng caught him, bent down and kissed him, saying, “You don’t have to look for East or South or West or North. Just look for me.”

“Mm.” Lin Feiran didn’t show weakness and returned the kiss forcefully.

The two walked for a while on the mountain road. Three li was not that far, but they had expended a lot of energy climbing the mountain, and had gotten quite tired walking so far. Here was the western slope Cheng Guan had mentioned. Winter was H City’s most charming season; the bracing wind was soothing and clear, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. Lin Feiran walked into the grass and bent down, brushing the flowers blooming there. “These are all hibiscus.”

He didn’t quite know how to tell flowers apart, but flowers of this kind bloomed most beautifully all over the mountains. Their petals were thin and light, with vibrant colours, mostly bright red and yellow. They waved gracefully in the wind.

Lin Feiran picked out one that was growing beautifully. He stretched his hand out to pluck it but Gu Kaifeng suddenly said, “Baby, why don’t we dig some up and plant them there? That way they can always see them. If we pick them, they won’t look nice tomorrow.”

“All right.” Lin Feiran rolled up his sleeves and prepared to dig.

“Go sit on the rock over there.” Gu Kaifeng ruffled Lin Feiran’s hair and passed the hiking bag to him. He squatted and said, “Your husband will take care of the dirty work. Your responsibility is just to give your husband motivation, that will be enough.”

Lin Feiran obediently took the hiking bag and kissed Gu Kaifeng’s left cheek hard. He asked, “Enough motivation?”

Gu Kaifeng turned his right cheek: “Again. One kiss per cheek.”

Lin Feiran kissed him again.

Gu Kaifeng turned his left cheek. “Continue.”

They went on like this for ten more rounds before Gu Kaifeng got enough motivation.

Lin Feiran, who had kissed so much his mouth was tired: “......”

What happened to “one kiss per cheek” that they had agreed on?

Was Gu Kaifeng’s face a ten-sided solid?

Gu Kaifeng carefully dug out two hibiscus plants. Actually, if he had wanted to, he could have dug out as many as he wanted. But they had to replant them later, so it would be best to dig out fewer. If they brought too many, the other monks in the temple might notice.

After digging up the hibiscus, the two walked the 1.5km back to the temple. There were fewer tourists in the back garden now, but Cheng Guan was still under the Bodhi tree releasing ghosts. Gu Kaifeng surreptitiously bent and dug under the Bodhi tree. Lin Feiran, still carrying the haversack, stood behind him, blocking the other tourists’ line of sight. It had rained two days ago and the soil under the tree was still loose and soft. Very soon, Gu Kaifeng had replanted the two hibiscus plants. Perhaps in the coming year they would grow into more little hibiscus flowers.

“Thank you, benefactors.” Cheng Guan released another ghost, rose, and bowed to the two of them.

“Don’t stand on ceremony.” Lin Feiran meticulously cleaned Gu Kaifeng’s hands, which were stained with dirt, with a cloth. “Is there anything else we can help with?”

Cheng Guan’s eyes flashed slightly. “If it’s possible, I have one more request.”

Lin Feiran said, “Please say it.”

“I once made a vow to leave worldly things behind and follow the Buddha. But when I was seventeen, I went down the mountain and met her.” Cheng Guan turned and gazed at the tree; in his eyes was a fog that would never lift. “It was a striking first meeting, and she held on to that moment until her death. She reincarnated into this Bodhi tree and kept me company in the temple for ten years...” Cheng Guan’s sigh was as gentle and insubstantial as a dream. “In this lifetime, she is a tree. After I died, she never saw me again.”

Cheng Guan turned around slowly and a corner of his robe lifted slightly. “May I trouble you, benefactor, to let her know that I have stayed here to keep her company for three hundred years. Every day, under her shade, I release the souls of the dead... I have never left.”