Chapter 49: A Model of Filial Piety

By the time the two of them returned to Swallow坞, it was already quite late.

Inside Swallow坞, numerous monks and hired hands were busy erecting ritual altars, setting up incense burners, canopies, and prayer banners in preparation for a grand Water and Land Liberation Ritual.

Outside the walls of Gusu stood Hanshan Temple, shrouded in the mists and rains of countless pavilions. There were many Buddhist temples outside the city of Suzhou, and since the Murong family’s Herb Gathering Manor was generous with its wealth, naturally a multitude of monks had come.

Kumarajiva was directing the monks on where to place the ritual objects.

In truth, he had never hosted a Water and Land Ritual before. This was clearly a practice of Han Chinese Buddhism—what did it have to do with his Tantric sect?

The only connection, presumably, was that they all worshipped Amitabha Buddha, Vairocana Buddha, and the Four Great Bodhisattvas.

What did it matter if he didn't understand the Water and Land Ritual? The others didn't understand it either!

Besides, he was the Imperial Preceptor of Tibet; whatever he said went!

After all, he was the Great Wheel King, and he held the ultimate authority on scriptural interpretation.

Who dared to refute him?

If anyone disagreed, let them come forward to debate!

Bao Butong stood silently to the side acting as a supervisor. Whenever he encountered an issue that the Great Wheel King Kumarajiva could not resolve, he would step in to settle it.

His method of settlement was remarkably simple.

He simply threw more money at the problem!

If one string of cash wasn't enough, he would offer two.

Under the irresistible charm of wealth, even monks began to harbor doubts about the dogmas in their hearts.

Benefactor Bao respected the Buddhist Dharma so deeply that he had even invited the Imperial Preceptor of Tibet all the way here!

Could the Preceptor possibly be wrong?

Could Benefactor Bao possibly be wrong?

It must be their own understanding that was flawed!

Murong Xing exchanged a casual wave with Bao Butong before entering the Herb Gathering Manor alongside Duan Yu.

Upon stepping into the spacious courtyard of the manor, they saw that Murong Gongzi was—for once—not sleeping. He was reclining lazily on a chair in the yard, while A'bi was gently massaging his temples and washing his face.

"Ah! Watching our little sister grow up, it seems our efforts in raising you weren't in vain!" Shi Fei murmured with a look of blissful comfort as he felt A'bi's fingers press against the acupoints on his head.

It felt as though, long ago, someone else had also combed his hair in this very manner.

Yet he had forgotten who it was.

In this era, he was more than a dozen years older than Murong Xing, A'zhu, A'bi, and Wang Yuyan.

A man in his teens could easily have been a father.

He had indeed lived the life of a surrogate father for quite some time.

Murong Xing was a posthumous child, brought back one day by the old fellow, leaving him with no choice but to raise the boy through all the messy tribulations of infancy.

luego, he had also taken in two sniffling little brutes, A'zhu and A'bi.

On the neighboring island, there was yet another little brat named Wang Yuyan, who would trot over clumsily, wiping her runny nose and calling out, "Big Cousin, carry me."

When the children finally grew up, Shi Fei finally understood why Murong Fu in the original tale harbored no romantic feelings whatsoever for A'zhu, A'bi, and Wang Yuyan.

It was true that Murong Fu was consumed entirely by his obsession with restoring his fallen state, but it was also because these girls had grown up right before his eyes, treating him like an elder brother or even a father, rendering their bond one of familial affection above all else.

After all, the Murong Fu of the original text was merely a fool obsessed with dynastic restoration, not some depraved monster!

"What nonsense is the Young Master spouting? Your kindness to us is as heavy as a mountain!" A'bi said softly.

Had she not been taken in by the Murong family, she would have been cast adrift in the Jianghu when she was young.

The fate of a young girl drifting alone through the Jianghu was bound to be unimaginably tragic.

"Well, well, if it isn't the two simpletons of Swallow坞?" Shi Fei remarked, catching sight of Murong Xing and Duan Yu entering the courtyard.

A'bi sighed softly, "The Young Master is randomly bestowing nicknames on people again."

She knew that the Young Master's favorite pastime was giving people bizarre monikers.

He called A'zhu "Piggy Sister," herself "Green Maiden," Wang Yuyan "Little Wang," and Xing-ge "Sasuke."

She understood most of them, but why he insisted on calling Xing-ge Sasuke was completely beyond her.

What on earth did Sasuke mean?

Could it mean someone intellectually disabled or a complete fool?

"Hah! Look who it is, the supreme slacker of the Murong household!" Murong Xing retorted with a sarcastic edge, "How is it that you actually have the time to come out and sunbathe today?"

"Didn't you used to claim you loved dim, gloomy environments the most?"

Lying back in his chair, Shi Fei drawled, "My foolish younger brother! Who wouldn't prefer a dim environment when sleeping?"

"As for why I'm sunbathing? Can't you even tell? Green Maiden is tending to my face."

Hearing the phrase "foolish younger brother," Murong Xing instantly flew into a rage. Ever since they were children, Murong Fu had always addressed him this way!

It was dripping with contempt and condescension!

Yet he also knew that debating him was useless, and resorting to physical force was equally futile.

Therefore, he let out a cold snort, changed the subject, and demanded, "You gathered all those monks here—are you seriously planning to hold a Water and Land Ritual?"

"Of course! Without the Imperial Preceptor of Tibet and without a grand ritual, how would the world know what a supremely filial son I am?" Shi Fei replied with a beaming smile.

"You? A supremely filial son?" Murong Xing once again felt the sheer hypocrisy radiating from Murong Fu.

Throughout the entire Herb Gathering Manor, who didn't know that Young Master Murong showed the least amount of respect to the old master?

With every breath, it was "that old fellow"!

With every sentence, it was "that old bastard"!

Where on earth was the filial piety in that?

"Of course I wasn't before!" Shi Fei shook his head. "From now on, I am!"

"…… You're out of your mind!" Murong Xing muttered, pulling Duan Yu along as if to leave.

Seeing the handsome yet naive Duan Yu politely bowing to him with a dazed expression, Shi Fei called out, "Tell me, Prince Duan, what do you think?"

"Ah?" Duan Yu never expected the matter to involve him.

"Do you think I am a supremely filial son?" Shi Fei asked again.

Duan Yu thought to himself, *This person is truly bizarre. Who asks such a question out of nowhere? He seems to think that hosting a Water and Land Ritual makes someone a filial son, which just goes to show he isn't truly filial at all.*

Cacking his brains for a polite response, Duan Yu finally said, "Whether Your Excellency is truly filial is naturally something your esteemed uncle decides from his place in the heavens. It is of little consequence what outsiders like us say."

Whether you are filial or not, your late father is undoubtedly well aware.

"Splendid! What a wonderful 'place in the heavens'!" Hearing Duan Yu's reply, Shi Fei burst into hearty laughter.

It was quite something for a blockhead like Duan Yu to come up with such a high-EQ response.

When the day comes that you finally meet Murong Bo, I hope you still remember today's answer.

"I'm in a wonderful mood today! Green Maiden, let's have King Crabs for dinner tonight!"

A'bi and A'zhu had often listened to Shi Fei tell stories when they were little, so they naturally knew that King Crabs were creatures of the deep sea.

A'bi offered a gentle smile and said, "Young Master, where on earth would we find King Crabs in Lake Tai? We do have plenty of large hairy crabs in the lake, though!"

Shi Fei sighed dramatically. "Since there are no King Crabs, then let's have teppanyaki squid!"

A'bi chuckled again, "We don't have squid either, but West Lake Vinegar Fish is readily available."

"No, no, what's so great about vinegar fish?" Shi Fei had no choice but to compromise. "There's none of this, and none of that. How about some donkey meat soup instead?"

"Gusu City hasn't slaughtered any donkeys for days, so we don't have that either!" A'bi continued to shake her head.

"…… Ah, whatever! Just throw together whatever you have!" Shi Fei waved his hand, abandoning the idea of ordering a specific meal.

"Wait..." Shi Fei caught sight of Duan Yu again and suddenly declared, "Let's have rice noodles today. Yunnan rice noodles are quite famous, after all!"

A'bi replied, "But Sister A'zhu and I don't know how to make rice noodles!"

"Just go invite the head chef from Mantuo Villa! I recall that the Yunnan rice noodles from Mantuo Villa are exceptionally authentic," Shi Fei continued. "Madam Wang seems to be a native of Yunnan."

A'bi nodded, "Once I finish tending to the Young Master's face, I will head over to Mantuo Villa to invite their chef."

"There's no need!" Shi Fei glanced past the courtyard gates and said, "Little Wang is here, so we can just have her make the trip!"