"And he said some things were chaotic, what we need to take care of. The folk customs in some places are simple and honest, while in other places they are purely thieving. What is this song about a blue lotus, cows worth ten million and eight!"
After a while, I finally untangled the story he told me.
Originally, about ten days ago, a couple drove to Dacheng County and checked into the Ga'er Hotel for a rest. In the middle of the night, there was a group of people who came to tow their car and also had the hotel call them down.
A group of people caused a commotion, saying that tourists had hit a cow and demanding compensation, otherwise they would not let them leave with their person and car.
The tourists insisted it wasn't their fault, saying they were very careful on the road. The damage on the front of their car was from rocks falling due to landslides.
In theory, the matter should have been resolved by calling the police, but the tourists' phones were stolen, and they were not allowed to record or call the police. The hotel also didn't dare to offend the locals, and no one came out.
After a long argument, it finally escalated into a physical altercation. The male tourist tripped and fell on the front of the car, with blood flowing continuously.
A person's life is at stake, the female tourist wanted to call for an emergency rescue, but they still demanded compensation, saying that the cow would also bleed, and all the blood was drained. If no compensation was given, they would demand a life for life.
The boss shrugged and said, "Yes, the cow collided with the car, and the person collided with it. They say it was a slip, but everyone knows that's not the case. That female tourist is very stubborn. In my opinion, you should first send the person to the hospital, agree to what needs to be agreed to, and give money as needed. It's better to spend money to avoid disaster. She just held on like that, and then the person died."
"Finally, those natives ran away. She wanted to put a coffin at the door of the hotel to cause trouble, but it's unclear whether it was the natives who returned or she took her own life. The next night, she hung herself in front of the hotel. She used a thin nylon rope, and her neck was strangled to the bone. Blood flowed all over the ground and was as red as the wall of a temple."
This speech made me feel stifled in my heart, and I remained silent for a long time.
"You say, our place is a holy land to cleanse the soul. If we keep walking to the other side, it's a place of spiritual renewal. However, it's just chaos and confusion. In recent days, I can see that there are fewer tourists around, and it's harder to make money. The boss spat out his saliva in all directions and shook his head with a sigh: 'Some locals are reasonable, while others are not. It makes them both uncomfortable. It's like one little grain of rat feces ruining a whole pot of soup.'"
Seeing that I didn't respond, the boss fell silent as well. Just then, there were guests arriving, so he went to attend to them.
After I finished eating and left the money, I walked out of the breakfast shop and looked back, but couldn't see the silhouette of the hotel before.
By chance, a black, dilapidated car was parked outside the shop. A driver got out, rubbed his hands and came forward to buy food, breathing heavily.
I recognized him at first glance; wasn't that the driver who drove my friend and I to the Five Lazhui Buddha Temple?
Indeed, as the saying goes, "If you reach the mountain in front of you, there must be a road; if you reach the bridge at the end of the river, it will naturally be straight."
When I was unfamiliar with the area, there happened to be someone who knew me.
And a trusted acquaintance that one can certainly believe in!
I walked straight to the front passenger seat and opened the door, then climbed in.
The driver was still handing over the money, and he quickly walked over to me and said a string of unintelligible words.
Even if I didn't understand, I could guess what he was asking. He must have been wondering what my intentions were.
I slightly raised my head and pulled the monk's hat off a little more, and the driver looked surprised. He then said no more.
After I got on the bus, he came up a few minutes later, still chewing on a dumpling with his mouth full. He then started the engine and said, "How did you leave the temple? Let me take you back."
"Uncle, what is your surname?" Being able to speak normally made my discomfort much less.
The driver just told me his name is Ma Wang.
The car was about to turn, heading towards the Five Lazhui Buddha Temple.
But I stopped him and said that the Arjon Lama asked me to come down to handle some business, and I happened to meet him, who could help me a lot.
Ma Wang looked surprised for a moment, and then a smile appeared in his eyes.
"Does Arjon Lama have any arrangements? I drove to the mountain base today, but was stopped at the foot of the Five Lazhui Buddha Temple. He asked me not to go up again, as the temple is now sealed for meditation."
As he spoke, Ma Wang glanced back, and I followed his gaze to see that there were two bodies on the platform, with two more bodies on top of them.
Of course, they were all wrapped in body bags, and the smell wasn't spreading out much.
"Let's go to your place first and settle down. Then, let's see where something tragic happened. I want to take a look." I replied to Ma Wang.
With someone familiar, we can talk with more ease and confidence.
Ma Wang could easily keep my identity hidden, so there was no need to worry.
Of course, even though I thought this way, I still reminded him that this matter should not be told to anyone else, including who I am. Under no circumstances should others be informed, even if they see others. They can only say that I am a monk.
"Understood, Venerable. You are to be Arjon Lama's disciple and will succeed him in the future, so you are coming down to walk the path, sweeping away what is uneven." Ma Wang seemed very reverent, and there was more admiration in his eyes.
He misunderstood.
However, this misunderstanding was just right, and I didn't need to explain too much.
The car did not turn around but continued forward. Ma Wang told me that there really had been a bit of trouble in his village, and he was the only one who brought the bodies up the mountain and had contact with Arjon Lama. Therefore, everyone was waiting for him to return to see Arjon Lama.
This matter, he also brought Jin Jialama and I up the mountain, and only knew about it when he returned to the village. As a result, the Five Buddha Temple was closed.
My heart skipped a beat, but I didn't interrupt Ma Wang's words. He drove while explaining the details to me.
It turned out that there was a nomadic family in his village whose cow was killed in a collision on the national highway a while ago.
It was a pregnant cow, and the calf was also pushed out. The vehicle that caused the accident fled the scene, and there were no traffic cameras on that section of road. They could only ask and search along the way, looking for cars at workshops or vehicles with damaged front ends. Fortunately, they found it in the city of Dacheng.
The family brought along more than a dozen villagers to demand compensation, but the other party refused. They argued and the tourist who killed the cow even beat people. When the villagers slightly resisted, the male tourist crashed into the car and died.
The incident was just dropped, and everyone could only accept their misfortune. They didn't even want to pursue compensation.
As a result, when he returned, something big happened.
Not long after, the little grandson of the family who had their cow killed went missing. At the same time, a new calf was born to another cow in their house, and it turned out to be the body of the missing little grandson.
Ma Wang sighed, saying, "Gonbu is causing chaos, killing and harming people. The tutors in the city temples are practicing in the temple, and the young monks can't handle it. They had to ask me to summon Arjon Lama's people. Fortunately, I met you."
I didn't say anything for a long time, just staring at Ma Wang.
This high-altitude man had a typical rosy face, with mostly fine, tiny crack patterns on his skin, making it very rough.
His eyes were even cleaner and more genuine.
"Ma Wang, what would happen if you lied to Arjon Lama?" I asked him in return.
He was startled and muttered a few words before saying, "No one would dare to deceive Arjon Lama. If we lie, we will be disciplined and punished. In the end, we will be driven out and not allowed to stay in the village anymore! The most important thing is that if a person loses their virtues, they cannot be cremated after death. They can only be buried in the ground and trampled on by cattle and sheep or devoured by wild dogs. They cannot ascend to the heavens."
