Chapter 696: Chapter 554: The Four Refuges

"What about the little boy and the little girl..."

"The two of them played together and went to the academy to study together."

"Gradually, the little boy and girl grew up. The girl blossomed, becoming more and more beautiful. She grew into a graceful young lady, and many people around her came to admire her."

"Was the little girl in the story prettier than you?" Xiao Mo asked with a faint, teasing smile.

"Well..." Tushan Jing Ci’s eyes curved into crescents as she lifted her chin proudly. "She was just as beautiful as I am!"

The moment she spoke, she noticed Xiao Mo seemed to be smiling at her. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, and she pouted, "What? Am I not beautiful?"

"You are," Xiao Mo said with a sincere nod.

"Really?" Tushan Jing Ci leaned a little closer, her eyes fixed on Xiao Mo, her gaze a mix of scrutiny and anticipation. "You’re not just humoring me, are you?"

"Monks do not tell lies," Xiao Mo said calmly, pressing his palms together.

"That’s true..." Tushan Jing Ci straightened up, nodding as if to reassure herself. "You monks generally don’t lie."

"So, Miss Jing Ci, what happened to the woman and the Scholar’s Attendant in the end?" Xiao Mo asked, steering her back to the story.

"Later..." An almost imperceptible flicker of sorrow flashed through Tushan Jing Ci’s eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. The gentle smile returned to her beautiful, fox-like eyes.

"Later... many people disapproved of them being together. But the woman loved him, and she was dead set on being with him."

"In the end, they overcame every obstacle and truly got together." As she spoke, a hopeful light gleamed in Tushan Jing Ci’s eyes, as if she were describing a happy ending she believed in with all her heart.

"Afterward, they got married and went to live in seclusion in the mountains, leaving the mortal world behind. They even had a litter of fluffy little foxes."

"Is that the end of the story?" Xiao Mo asked.

"It is." Tushan Jing Ci tilted her head slightly. "What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?"

"It’s not that," Xiao Mo said gently, shaking his head. "I just think... the story seems a little too simple."

"What’s wrong with a simple story? A happy ending makes for the best story, doesn’t it? Don’t you agree, Monk?" Tushan Jing Ci pouted, a hint of indignation in her voice.

"You have a point," Xiao Mo replied softly, his gaze lowered. But his calm eyes were lost in thought. ’Something simpler... is good, too.’

"Alright, I’ve told my story. Now it’s your turn, Monk..." Tushan Jing Ci watched him with a beaming smile. "It’s only polite to return the favor. You have to tell me a story, too."

"What kind of story would you like to hear?" Xiao Mo asked softly.

"Hmm..." Tushan Jing Ci placed a delicate hand on her rosy lips, tilting her head in thought. Then, her eyes crinkled into a smile as she answered brightly, "Anything at all."

"Then I’ll tell you a simple story as well," Xiao Mo said with a small smile.

"Okay! Okay!"

Tushan Jing Ci immediately sat up straight, placing her hands neatly on her lap. She stared at Xiao Mo without blinking, like a small child listening intently to a teacher.

"You have to tell it well, Monk. If the story isn’t good, you’ll have to tell another one."

Xiao Mo simply smiled, gathering his thoughts before slowly beginning to speak:

"Once upon a time... there was an old monk whose temple was robbed. The thief stole several items, and the other monks were furious, vowing to catch him. But the old monk was good-natured and didn’t say much, figuring what was stolen was stolen."

"But after that first time, the thief came back a second time, then a third, and a fourth..."

"The thief kept returning to steal, his visits growing more and more frequent. Eventually, even the good-natured old monk’s patience wore thin."

"One day, sure enough, the thief came again. But this time, the old monk was waiting for him inside the temple."

"From the other side of a door, the old monk said to the thief, ’Stick your hand through the crack in the door. Whatever you want, I will give you.’"

"The thief was delighted to hear this. He thought the old monk was a real pushover. Not only had he not gotten angry after being robbed so many times, but now he was even offering to give him things."

"So, the thief stuck his hand through the crack in the door."

"At that moment, the old monk seized his hand and began to beat it with a stick. As he struck, he chanted, ’Take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the Sangha.’"

"The old monk demanded the thief chant along with him."

"But the thief was stubborn and refused to say a word."

"Since he wouldn’t chant, the old monk refused to let go, continuing to beat his hand—’Take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the Sangha.’"

"The pain became so unbearable that the thief had no choice but to shout along: ’Take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the Sangha!’"

"And that is the story of the ’Three Refuges’ from the Buddhist Scripture."

When Xiao Mo finished, he pressed his palms together.

"The Three Refuges?"

After hearing the story, Tushan Jing Ci gave a soft laugh. Her eyes danced, and her voice was laced with a gentle playfulness.

"Monk, you have your Three Refuges, but I have a ’Fourth Refuge.’ Would you care to hear it?"

"A Fourth Refuge?" Xiao Mo’s brow furrowed in confusion as he asked softly.

"Mhm." The woman nodded gently, her rosy lips curling into a slight smile. "Here, Monk, hold out your hand, and I’ll teach you."

Although Xiao Mo was full of doubt, he did as she asked and extended his hand, placing it palm-up before her.

Tushan Jing Ci reached out with a fair, slender hand and gently took Xiao Mo’s wrist. She drew his hand over and placed it firmly upon her smooth, shapely thigh, saying softly, "I’ll say a line, and you repeat after me. Alright?"

"Please begin," Xiao Mo said with a gentle nod.

"Take refuge in the Buddha." Tushan Jing Ci lifted her delicate hand and gave his broad palm a soft pat, her touch like silk gliding across his skin.

"Take refuge in the Buddha," Xiao Mo repeated word for word.

"Take refuge in the Dharma," she continued, patting his palm again. The gesture was gentle, yet held a stubborn sort of earnestness.

"Take refuge in the Dharma," Xiao Mo repeated once more.

"Take refuge in the Sangha," Tushan Jing Ci said, lightly biting her lip.

"Take refuge in the Sangha." The faint moonlight shimmered on Xiao Mo’s Monk’s Robe.

"Take refuge in..."

The woman lifted her gaze. Her beautiful, fox-like eyes reflected the flickering candlelight, and her delicate lips parted slightly, as if a thousand words were caught in her throat.

"Miss Jing Ci."

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