Half an hour later, the Tang Li family arrived smoothly at Qingniu Temple.
A young novice monk was already waiting for them at the entrance.
The young novice’s gaze fell on them, his face filled with astonishment: So this is the family of four? It really is exactly as Uncle Liaoran described! The youngest wearing an apricot-yellow skirt, the oldest man wearing a brown robe.
He stepped forward to greet them, “Are you Tang Xun?”
Tang Xun was shocked, “How did you know?”
Had he become so famous that even the young monks of Qingniu Temple knew of him? Usually, such treatment was reserved for his second brother. Tang Xun instinctively straightened his back, trying to force a smile.
The young novice said cheerfully, “Uncle Liaoran dreamed of the Buddha at noon. The Buddha told him that your family of four would come to Qingniu Temple to find him.”
Song Cuiyu was both shocked and bewildered. How could such insignificant people like them attract the attention of the Buddha? Could something terrible be about to happen to their family?
Tang Xun was nearly moved to tears—it must be because the Buddha knew of the suffering he had endured these past two days and had come specifically to save him from his misery. From now on, he would turn over a new leaf, become a good person, and not waste this grace bestowed upon him by the Buddha.
As for Yang Taohua, at this moment, she was utterly convinced of her husband’s Dream-sending. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at her granddaughter—her granddaughter truly was someone destined for greatness! The Tang family ancestors’ graves were emitting auspicious smoke!
At this very moment, even her two most beloved sons had to take a backseat in her heart.
Tang Li put on a puzzled expression, “Grandma, what’s wrong with my face?”
Yang Taohua gently touched her face, her expression full of affection, “I’ll steam an egg for you to eat when we get back tonight.”
The young novice led the family to a quiet room in the backyard.
Liaoran had been waiting there all along. When he saw the Tang family, his face lit up with joy—this family was exactly as they appeared in his dream! They were the ones he was looking for!
Hahaha, he had always said he was the most blessed by the Buddha! Otherwise, why would the Buddha ignore all his other senior brothers and choose to relay the message to him?
After the young novice left, Tang Xun immediately knelt down, his movements swift and decisive, tears welling in his eyes, “Master, save me!”
“These past few days, I’ve been haunted by a monster. It keeps striking me with lightning, and I’m suffering so much!”
Ever since he entered the temple, the System had fallen silent. It was clear that this so-called System also feared the Buddha.
Tang Li was not at all surprised by her father’s behavior. If her father were the type to easily admit defeat and obediently complete tasks, he wouldn’t be himself.
Yang Taohua frowned, “Get up now. What nonsense are you talking about? When have you been struck by lightning these past few days? Was it in your dreams?”
There hadn’t been any lightning these past few days! Moreover, her son looked perfectly healthy, his complexion rosy and vibrant. She muttered to herself that it must be because her son was hopeless, and her husband was disciplining him in his dreams. After all, being disciplined in a dream wouldn’t cause real harm. Yang Taohua felt no pity for him; instead, she thought her eldest son was ungrateful and didn’t appreciate such a good opportunity.
Tears were about to stream down Tang Xun’s face, “Mother, I really was struck, and it hurt so much. I’m not lying.”
His hopeful gaze fell upon Liaoran, who appeared particularly distinguished with the aura of a master, placing his final hope in him. “Master, you believe me, don’t you?”
This master had even anticipated their arrival, proving he possessed genuine abilities.
Liaoran was entirely immersed in the excitement of having received a true Divine Oracle. He helped Tang Xun to his feet, his gentle voice carrying a soothing power. “I believe you. You’ve misunderstood—that is not an evil spirit but a trial bestowed upon you by the divine. Ordinary people rarely have such opportunities. To receive the favor of the Buddha is a blessing cultivated over ten lifetimes. You must learn to cherish it.”
Tang Xun was utterly dumbfounded. What? The one who kept striking him with lightning wasn’t a demon or monster but the Buddha? That had to be a lie!
Unwilling to accept this reality, he anxiously argued, “Master, that really isn’t the Buddha! What kind of Buddha would strike people with lightning so casually?”
Liaoran frowned slightly, his tone disapproving. “Even the Buddha has moments of wrath. The Buddha merely wishes to guide you toward improvement. The method is unimportant; do not make a fuss.”
Tang Xun was so furious he nearly coughed up blood: What did he mean, the method was unimportant? It wasn’t him enduring the pain, so of course he didn’t care.
Yang Taohua was both exasperated and enraged by her son’s stubbornness. If not for her concern over her own image, she would have slapped him long ago.
“You fool, how dare you slander the Buddha in this sacred place?”
Tang Xun felt deeply wronged. This so-called master was nothing but a fraud! He must be colluding with that System monster.
Just as he was about to speak, the System’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
【The host has slandered this System’s reputation and attempted to disclose its existence to outsiders. The System has activated automatic defense. Punishment will now be administered—the host will be struck by lightning in public for a quarter of an hour, and ten taels of silver will be confiscated from the System.】
Tang Xun’s mind went blank—previously, the lightning strikes had occurred within the so-called Spatial Dimension. Though painful, outsiders couldn’t see them. Once he left the Spatial Dimension, he was fine again! He had always assumed the System couldn’t strike him in front of others. But now, he was to be struck by lightning in full view of everyone…
His reputation…
Tang Xun instinctively tried to run, but how could human legs outrun lightning?
In the next moment, a purple bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking Tang Xun directly. He let out a piercing scream, writhing on the ground. Yet no matter where he rolled, the lightning seemed to have a mind of its own, relentlessly pursuing him.
Tang Li did her best to feign a terrified expression, shrinking behind her grandmother, her voice trembling timidly. “Grandma, what’s wrong with Father?”
Yang Taohua was equally baffled. How could the lightning strike so suddenly, targeting only her eldest son and sparing everyone else, as if it had eyes of its own?
Could it be because of the disrespectful words he had just spoken, angering the Buddha?
Serves him right for his loose tongue, failing to guard his words even in this sacred place.
Despite her anger, he was still her son, and Yang Taohua genuinely feared he might be seriously harmed. She turned to Liaoran, her expression tense. “Master, will my son be all right?”
If not for the Dream-sending, Liaoran would have been deeply concerned. But since the Buddha had forewarned him, he remained calm in the face of the situation. “Do not worry. He will be fine. This is the Buddha’s trial for him.”
In the midst of his dazed agony, Tang Xun heard these words and felt like cursing.
What trial from the Buddha? It was easy for him to talk when he wasn’t the one suffering.
Song Cuiyu was very worried, but fearing the lightning, she dared not approach. She could only anxiously ask her mother-in-law, “Mother, will Ah Xun be alright?”
Yang Taohua, on the other hand, was in a very good state of mind and said decisively, “He’ll be fine. Look, if an ordinary person were struck by lightning so many times, they’d have long turned to charcoal. But look at Ah Xun—he can still scream, he can still roll around, and not a single piece of his clothing is burned. It’s clear that the Buddha is mindful and has already shown him mercy.”
“Don’t worry about him. It’ll stop soon.”
Tired from standing, she even wanted to find a place to sit.
The commotion here was not small, drawing the other monks from the temple over.
The abbot watched from the side, marveling in amazement. Junior Brother Liaoran really hadn’t lied to him—the Buddha had indeed sent him a dream.
Such lightning that strikes without injuring anyone—this was the first time they had witnessed something like this. They had to take a few more looks.
How had the Tang family caught the Buddha’s eye?
The abbot even recorded this event. It had happened during his tenure as abbot, and being able to witness it firsthand was also a part of his Buddhist karma.
Tang Xun, who was being watched by the crowd, was not at all happy. With so many people around, wasn’t there anyone willing to help him? Every single one of them was just watching his misfortune.
Was the System’s power truly this formidable? It dared to act so recklessly even in a sacred Buddhist site, tormenting a believer like him.
Subconsciously, he was unwilling to believe that the System was the legendary deity. To say he didn’t regret it would be a lie—not only had he been struck by lightning for so long, but he had also had ten taels of silver confiscated. That silver had been left to him by his grandparents, and he usually couldn’t bear to spend too much of it.
Two quarters of an hour later, the lightning finally stopped.
Tang Li and the others even had a taste of the temple’s vegetarian meal—and it was quite delicious, to be honest.
Although the lightning had stopped, Tang Xun remained lying on the ground.
The abbot spoke earnestly, “Tang Xun, being enlightened by the Buddha is your good fortune. You must cherish this opportunity well. Others would envy you for it.”
Tang Xun wanted to curse—whoever wanted such good fortune could take it! He certainly didn’t want it! The problem was, although his body could feel the pain, there wasn’t a single mark on him. Even if he complained, no one would believe him.
He had never felt so aggrieved before.
He truly regretted it—why had he gone to check the tree in the middle of the night? For a few eggs, he had thrown his whole life away. What a huge loss.
Yang Taohua clasped her hands together and said with a serious expression, “Ah Xun will cherish this rare opportunity well.”
Seeing her husband grimacing in pain, Song Cuiyu was a little worried that he might have been hurt by the lightning. But when her gaze fell on his unblemished skin and clothing, she felt she was overthinking it. Without even a single injury, it probably couldn’t be that painful. She also knew Tang Xun’s temperament—he would make a fuss over the slightest pain, exaggerating it tenfold. Before, when he accidentally cut himself with a knife, he had cried out even louder than he was now.
If Tang Xun knew what his wife was thinking, he would only cry injustice for himself. It was because the pain was so intense he couldn’t even scream—he could only roll around.
The System reminded him.
【Host, if you don’t hurry home to study, you won’t be able to complete today’s task. If the task fails, not only will you face punishment, but your silver will also be confiscated.】
Tang Xun had already lost ten taels of silver. If he lost the rest of his money, it would be no different from cutting his flesh.
Gritting his teeth, he endured the pain and struggled to his feet, his voice sounding as if it were squeezed through clenched teeth. “I will cherish it.”
Liaoran looked relieved. “That’s good.”
Thinking there were still some matters to discuss with this family, he found an excuse to send his senior brother and disciples away. “Senior brother, I have more silk than I can use. Please select two suitable bolts for them.”
This could be considered forming a good connection. Since this family had caught the Buddha’s eye, as long as they worked hard, they would surely soar to great heights one day.
Yang Taohua had never heard of visiting a temple where you not only didn’t need to donate incense money but could actually receive good things from the temple. If she told others, they probably wouldn’t believe it.
After the abbot and the others left, Liaoran said to Yang Taohua, “I have some words for you.”
…
“Mother, what did the master tell you?”
After leaving Qingniu Temple, Song Cuiyu looked at her mother-in-law’s dazed yet barely concealed excitement and couldn’t help asking curiously. She didn’t forget to place the bag containing the silk on the ox cart. Thankfully, they had rented an ox cart today; otherwise, they would have had to carry the silk back themselves.
She had never imagined she would ever touch such brightly colored, smooth fabric with her own hands. It was said to be a pattern popular in the capital—probably even wealthy people in the city couldn’t necessarily buy it.
Yang Taohua stroked her granddaughter Tang Li’s head, smiling as she said, “The master told me that since our A-Li survived a great disaster, she’s bound to have great fortune ahead. He told me to take good care of her. Of course, this is just for our family to know.”
The master had said more than that. He said this child A-Li had deep blessings and that she should be well cared for. He also reminded her to keep a low profile for now and not speak of this matter to outsiders.
Yang Taohua wholeheartedly agreed. For a master from the capital to say she had deep blessings—just how deep must they be? In the future, might she not become the wife of a high official? Their Tang family was still just a humble household now; too much fame for her granddaughter wouldn’t be a good thing.
“A-Li?”
Yang Taohua said happily, “That’s the name the master gave our eldest girl—Tang Li. He said it’s the ‘Li’ for dawn. Sounds like a good name, doesn’t it?”
Hearing this, Song Cuiyu felt overjoyed as well.
Tang Li looked innocent. “So from now on, I’m called Tang Li? Can I ask Second Uncle to teach me how to write my name?”
She was used to her original name and naturally wanted to use her real name whenever possible.
Judging by her grandmother’s expression, she knew her status in the family was now secure—at least she wouldn’t have to work in the fields anymore. It was worth the effort she had put into using both Dream-sending skills.
Yang Taohua smiled. “Once we’re back, we’ll have your second uncle teach you.”
[As a father, you should personally teach your daughter, not let your younger brother take all the credit. Host, please teach all family members to write their own names within two days. Task reward: two points of Intelligence and five taels of silver.]
Tang Xun jolted—another task had arrived!
Author’s note:
Update time is currently midnight~
Daily updates before V, daily six chapters afterward.