"What... what's that?"
Just as Si Jiangchen and I stepped out of Master Lu's shop, we saw, right in front of us, that the red silk on the face of the gigantic Avalokitesvara statue in the burned-down Guanyin Hall was swept up by a strong gust of wind.
On the compassionate face of the white jade Avalokitesvara, there were actually two bright red trails winding down from the eyes, just like two lines of bloody tears.
I had never seen such an unusual sight of the Bodhisattva shedding tears. I couldn't help but clutch Si Jiangchen's arm, a shiver running down my spine!
"A great calamity," Si Jiangchen murmured softly with his thin lips.
"Ah!"
Before I could ask further, I saw that the passers-by passing by the temple gate also looked up at the strange situation of the Avalokitesvara statue.
"Good heavens, what's going on again?"
"Why is the Avalokitesvara crying?!"
"The tears are blood. Does it mean that there will be another great calamity in Green City?"
...
Everyone who saw the strange sight looked at each other in dismay. Some of the elderly people even knelt down and began to pray for the Bodhisattva's blessing.
"Grandpa, what's going on?"
Not only did I hear the words "great calamity" from Si Jiangchen, but even the ordinary people here seemed to know that there would be a great calamity in Green City!
I reached out and grabbed an old gentleman who was shaking his head and about to leave. "Why does everyone say that there will be another disaster? Has Green City suffered a great calamity before?"
The old gentleman glanced at me. "You don't look like a local. I guess you didn't experience the '720' great flood in Green City last year!"
"720?!"
This string of numbers suddenly rang in my ears, and I immediately recalled the videos I had seen on my phone before!
It was last summer. Due to extreme weather in Green City, there was urban waterlogging. Rainwater poured into the city's subways and underpasses. Countless vehicles were trapped underground and couldn't get out. Finally, they were lifted up by the turbid floodwaters and floated on the water like floating corpses, looking both terrifying and desolate.
"Last time, it was... the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva shed tears because she couldn't bear to see the tragedy in the world!"
The old gentleman sighed and simply joined the others in clasping his hands together and bowing a few times. "Last time, it was just clear tears, and there were already countless casualties. This time... this time it's bloody tears. We don't know what great calamity is waiting to claim lives!"
Hearing this, I got goosebumps on my back. I couldn't help but think of Sheng Shixun, who wanted to become a god, and the ancient god who had been bewitched by Sheng Shixun. Could the great calamity the old gentleman mentioned befall them?!
My wild thoughts only lasted for a few seconds. Suddenly, several monks in grayish-yellow robes appeared at the side door of the Grand Guanyin Temple. At the head was Master Yongshan, whom we had met before. He clasped his hands together with one hand and said to the panicked believers who were kneeling and worshiping the Bodhisattva outside, "Dear lay believers, please don't panic. This is not an inauspicious omen. It's just a natural phenomenon."
"Master, what kind of natural phenomenon can make the Bodhisattva shed bloody tears?!"
Someone was dissatisfied with Master Yongshan's explanation and retorted.
Master Yongshan was not flustered. He bowed to the questioner and then said, "This is the same as the abnormal situation last summer. Didn't the news also report it? It's because the weather was too humid, and the water vapor rose and condensed into water droplets on the relatively cold white marble of the Grand Avalokitesvara statue..."
"You're a master. Don't deceive us!"
Someone else spoke up. "Last year, you said it was water vapor, and we accepted it. But now, it's red. How could there be red water vapor on the Grand Avalokitesvara statue?"
"Hehe."
Master Yongshan didn't care about everyone's doubts at all. He still patiently explained, "Everyone has seen that a fire a few days ago burned the roof of the Guanyin Hall. We covered the Avalokitesvara statue with a red cloth... The cloth faded, so that's why there's such an abnormal situation. We're sorry to have worried everyone. It's all our fault for not considering things carefully enough. It's our fault."
Saying that, the master and the other monks in the temple clasped their hands together and bowed deeply to the believers outside the door a few times. "We'll go and tidy up the golden body of the Bodhisattva now..."
After Master Yongshan bowed, he straightened up, glanced at Si Jiangchen and me, nodded slightly at me, and then turned around and walked back into the temple.
Si Jiangchen took my hand and actually followed them into the Grand Guanyin Temple.
"Two guests, the temple is not receiving visitors today."
The young novice monk guarding the door tried to stop us, but Si Jiangchen smiled and said, "Your temple is about to face a catastrophic disaster. I'm here to watch the show."
"You!!"
The young novice monk had never heard anyone curse a Buddhist pure land like this. He immediately stretched out his hands and blocked our way, firmly refusing to let us pass.
"What's going on?"
Master Yongshan, who had walked a long way, heard the young novice monk's voice, turned around, and saw me standing at the temple door with Si Jiangchen. He asked, "Little girl, it seems that Master Lu has cured you?"
I didn't know what Si Jiangchen meant by his words just now, but I thought this kind and kind - looking Master Yongshan was a very good person, a devout and kind cultivator. If, as Si Jiangchen said, they were going to face a great disaster, I wanted to save them.
"Master, I'm not possessed, and we know why the strange phenomenon of the Grand Avalokitesvara occurred."
My voice was not loud, just loud enough for the few senior monks to hear. "Wasn't one of the memorial tablets that received incense and was suppressed under the Avalokitesvara stolen? It was stolen by that Sheng Shixun you invited. A ghost inside has already escaped!"
Before Master Yongshan could speak, his disciple behind him couldn't hold back anymore. "No! The memorial tablets enshrined in our Grand Guanyin Temple have always been carefully guarded. How could they be lost?"
"Cough!"
Master Yongshan glanced at his disciple and then bowed to us with clasped hands. "Is it Miss Du? Please come and sit in the tea - house inside for a while."
Sure enough!!
As I expected, Lu Ling being released by Sheng Shixun must have affected the fortune of the Grand Guanyin Temple, which was why all these strange phenomena had occurred.
When Master Yongshan said he would invite us to the tea - house, it was obviously just a pretext for outsiders. He personally led us through three courtyards and came to the burned - down Grand Guanyin Hall at the back.
"Where's Sheng Shixun? Is he in the temple?"
I asked Master Yongshan as I stepped over the high threshold.
Sheng Shixun was still a living person. He shouldn't sneak attack us in public and disregard his own reputation!
"Professor Sheng is a very dedicated and cultivated teacher."
Master Yongshan clasped his hands together again and said to me, "Miss Du, don't be biased against him. He's a person of good character."
"Humph, would a person of good character steal and release a ghost?!"
By now, we had all entered the main hall. The bluestone floor of the main hall had been cleaned up neatly. The charred black marks on the surrounding columns and the damaged roof showed the disaster this place had suffered before.
I walked straight to the Xumi lotus pedestal of the Grand Avalokitesvara statue. It was a white marble lotus pedestal as tall as a person. There were eight small statues of powerful men carved on the double - sided waist of the pedestal. There was a small hole under the feet of the powerful men. That was the place to suppress evil spirits or place objects for praying for blessings.
I immediately saw the small niche in the southwest direction. There was a small memorial tablet inside, on which was written: "The Memorial Tablet of Aunt Lu Ling".
"Ah?! It wasn't lost?!"
I was extremely surprised. If Lu Ling's memorial tablet was suppressed here, she couldn't have possibly gone to Master Lu's room!!