Fuchen had no objections to Tan Linyuan's plan to give him a disciple. However, he also made it clear in advance that he was often away from the temple and might not be able to take good care of this disciple of his.
Tan Linyuan nodded and said that he didn't need to worry about this.
Fuchen saw everything but didn't point it out. He just smiled and said, "Since senior brother is so insistent, let's start."
Tan Linyuan's eyes narrowed. He turned to Nan Yu and asked, "Do you have any objections?"
His tone was rather cold. Nan Yu was in a daze and thought he was asking, "Do you have any last words?" "No, I don't have any last words. I still want to live a few more years."
Tan Linyuan was silent for a while and then uttered a single word: "... Fool."
Fuchen, who was listening to their conversation, couldn't help smiling. His gaze lingered on Nan Yu for a few more seconds.
He sighed softly in his heart: Amitabha.
—
Back then, when Tan Linyuan entered Changuang Temple and became the eldest disciple of Master Wenjing, the ceremony and procedures were extremely cumbersome and grand.
After all, as the one who was going to inherit Master Wenjing's mantle, the requirements for him were naturally much higher.
However, Nan Yu's conversion ceremony was kept simple, basically at the level of an ordinary lay Buddhist.
First, she had to refrain from killing, stealing, and promiscuity within seven days. Nan Yu carefully calculated in her heart that it had been almost exactly seven days since her last intimate contact with Tan Linyuan.
Second, she had to take a bath and burn incense. She had already done her homework online in advance and took a bath in a very ceremonial way.
Third, she had to be pious in her heart and devoted to Buddhism.
Nan Yu couldn't help but boldly ask, "What if I'm not sincere?"
Tan Linyuan replied calmly, "Then just act like you are."
Nan Yu: ...
She almost asked if he had also acted like that back then, but then she remembered that Tan Linyuan was only five years old at that time, just a little kid. There couldn't have been so many scheming thoughts in his mind.
The little Tan Linyuan at that time must have been very cute.
Not like now, full of tricks, just like an old fox.
The conversion ceremony went very smoothly. There was burning incense, worshiping Buddha, chanting scriptures, and kneeling. After Nan Yu completed all the procedures and put on the cassock that Fuchen personally put on her, the ceremony was over.
Nan Yu said that she still had to give Niannian lessons in the afternoon, so Tan Linyuan let her go.
Everyone else had left, leaving only the two senior brothers.
Fuchen and Tan Linyuan moved to the meditation room.
A young monk came in with a teapot, poured tea for these two senior brothers in the temple, and then respectfully retreated.
The fragrance of tea curled up in the air in front of the meditation table.
Sitting on the futon, Fuchen took the initiative to speak, his voice filled with a smile, "Senior brother, I haven't seen you for so long. You've changed a lot."
Tan Linyuan said calmly, "Really? I don't think so."
Fuchen continued, "If senior brother can't calm his mind, why don't you go on a spiritual retreat with me?"
Tan Linyuan refused, "No need."
He didn't seem to want to continue this topic. Instead, he asked, "How long do you plan to stay?"
"You just called me back, senior brother, but you seem to be trying to drive me away within a day." Fuchen laughed. "What, can't I come back to Changuang Temple?"
"You talk too much." Tan Linyuan's gaze fell on Fuchen's face. "No wonder Master Wenjing told you to travel more and stay less back then."
His words were all hinting at Fuchen not to meddle in other people's business.
Fuchen didn't mind. He twirled the Buddhist beads in his palm and further questioned him, "Since senior brother remembers Master's words, why don't you remember—"
"Why don't you remember that Master told you to cut off your karmic ties?"
Fuchen's voice was clearer than Tan Linyuan's. At this moment, it had a more educational meaning. "You've entered the Buddhist path and know your own fate. You must not ignore Master's exhortations, senior brother."
"I know what I'm doing." Tan Linyuan was expressionless, and his tone was cold. "Fuchen, you don't need to say more."
"Amitabha." Fuchen sighed. "For the sake of Jiangcheng, you—you'd better not interfere in other people's karmic ties."
Tan Linyuan rubbed his temples. "Fuchen, I called you back not to be lectured by you."
His expression paused slightly, and his eyebrows were tinged with coldness. "Moreover, Jiangcheng has nothing to do with me."
"Everything in this world has nothing to do with me."
At this point, Fuchen didn't try to persuade him anymore. He just sighed that it was all karmic ties and then told Tan Linyuan that he would leave in three days.
Fuchen could feel that there was an aura of impending storm about his senior brother.
Now that Master Wenjing had passed away, there was no one who could suppress his senior brother anymore.
Whether to become a Buddha or a demon was entirely up to Tan Linyuan's will.
—
After that farce, Shen Yanche had been calling Nan Yu one after another, but she didn't answer a single call.
It was okay for one or two days. Shen Yanche thought he was giving her time to digest. But when there was no response for three or four days, he really panicked.
Even Qu Jiaran personally told him not to bother Nan Yu recently.
It was also from Qu Jiaran that he learned that Nan Yu had just completed her conversion ceremony and become the disciple of Tan Linyuan's junior brother. He couldn't sit still anymore and drove directly to find her.
In response to Shen Yanche's attitude, Nan Yu chose to refuse to see him.
"Yuyu, I've thought it through these days. I know you're very angry and disappointed, but please give me a chance to explain."
"Come back to the Shen family with me. Let's sit down and have a good talk."
This "have a good talk" could have countless implications.
It might really be a good talk, but more likely, it meant preparing to put her under house arrest.
That's right, house arrest.
Before the storm passed, the best option was to lock Nan Yu up in the Shen family and keep her away from outsiders, especially people like Qu Jiaran who could support her.
Nan Yu naturally guessed this too. She immediately panicked and subconsciously sent a message to Tan Linyuan:
[Uncle Tan, help! Shen Yanche is going to kidnap me!]
The moment she sent the message, Nan Yu couldn't help thinking that being thick - skinned really became easier with practice.
Last time, she hesitated for a long time before sending a message, but this time she did it almost without hesitation.
The knocking on the door outside continued. Nan Yu nervously clenched her phone and shouted to the outside, "Shen Yanche, go back first. I don't want to see you."
"Nan Yu!" Shen Yanche didn't have much patience. His only goal today was to take Nan Yu away. "Open the door."
Standing at the door were not only Shen Yanche but also two big and strong men.
As soon as the door opened, they would rush in and grab Nan Yu without giving her a chance to resist.
Nan Yu closed her eyes and repeatedly repeated that person's words in her heart.
"It's better to rely on me than on yourself."
Tan Linyuan...
The door was being knocked on forcefully all the time. Nan Yu's legs were almost giving way. She covered her ears and tried her best not to hear the sound.
It wasn't until it was completely quiet outside that she let go of her hands.
The phone in her pocket had been ringing for a long time before she tremblingly took it out and stiffly pressed the answer button.
Tan Linyuan's cold voice came from both the receiver and outside the door at the same time.
"Open the door."