Standing Next To You-Chapter 561: Meeting the Old Monk

Fei Chuan did not waste time. As soon as he got the address, he immediately prepared for the journey to the mountain. It only took him half a day to finally arrive at the mountain mentioned in the note.

From above, Fei Chuan, sitting in the helicopter, glanced at the mountain peak. In the distance, he could see a temple. That must be what the old man was talking about. His eyes then landed on the side of the mountain, where a long flight of stairs stretched from the foot to the peak.

If he used those stairs to climb the mountain, it would take him hours to reach the top.

Fei Chuan instructed the pilot, "Land on the peak."

As for the old man’s advice, Fei Chuan ignored it.

Soon, the helicopter found the helipad behind the temple and landed. The usually silent mountain was disturbed by the loud roar of the helicopter. The young monk who was sweeping the yard was stunned. They weren’t expecting any important visitors today.

Inside the prayer room, the old monk halted his prayer and opened his eyes.

...

Fei Chuan and Assistant Cheng stepped out of the helicopter. Fei Chuan glanced around. The temple was huge and old, but it was well-preserved. However, it did not seem like a temple that wealthy patrons frequently visited. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Despite its size, the place seemed empty.

Assistant Cheng felt as though they had intruded. After all, first-time visitors usually entered through the temple’s main entrance, not directly via the helipad. They had not even notified the monks of their arrival.

"Boss, I’ll do the talking, okay?" Assistant Cheng reminded him once again. "These people are respectable monks. You can’t speak to them the way you speak to your employees."

Fei Chuan did not respond and continued looking around for any monks.

Soon, the young monk arrived. He greeted them with his hands clasped together and a bow. "May the heavens be with you."

Assistant Cheng copied his gesture and greeted him as well. "May the heavens be with you."

The young monk looked at Fei Chuan, who remained still. Assistant Cheng jabbed him, signaling him to follow suit.

Fei Chuan frowned slightly but bowed lightly.

Assistant Cheng inwardly sighed. He shouldn’t be disappointed—after all, it was already a huge deal that his boss had acknowledged the greeting, even with a slight bow.

"Pardon our intrusion, fellow Daoist. This is our first time visiting the temple. Could you guide us to the prayer room?"

The young monk nodded and led them inside.

Fei Chuan continued to look around, but aside from the young monk, he saw no one else. There was no way the person who had given him a reading before was this monk, who appeared to be around the same age as him.

So he asked, "Are you the only one here?"

"My senior Daoist and I are taking care of the temple. As of today, you are the only devotee to visit."

Fei Chuan halted his steps, his hand clenching into a fist. "Where is your senior Daoist?"

The young monk noticed the subtle hostility in his tone and turned to Fei Chuan. "May I ask why you are looking for him?"

"I have something to ask him."

"Are you seeking a reading? I’m afraid I have to disappoint you, but we no longer offer readings."

Fei Chuan let out a sarcastic chuckle, his laughter dripping with ridicule. "Since when did you stop? Did people finally realize you were conning them?"

The smile on the young monk’s face disappeared, but his tone remained calm and polite. "It seems you have misunderstandings about us. I don’t know where this bitterness is coming from, but I hope you find peace here."

Fei Chuan’s gaze darkened. He really hated monks.

Sensing the tension, Assistant Cheng quickly stepped in. "I sincerely apologize for my boss’s cranky attitude. He’s been through a lot these past few days."

Fei Chuan shot him a look. Cranky?

Assistant Cheng ignored his stare and pressed his hands together in a pleading gesture. "My boss just really wants to speak with your senior. Can you help us?"

The young monk remained patient, seemingly unaffected by Fei Chuan’s intimidating gaze.

"Of course. I’ll take you to his prayer room."

The three of them changed direction. During the walk, Assistant Cheng kept talking to the young monk, asking questions non-stop, making sure his boss had no chance to speak.

Soon, they arrived at their destination.

The young monk called out respectfully, "Senior, there are visitors looking for you."

There was no response from inside, but the young monk did not repeat his call. Instead, he waited silently.

Fei Chuan, who had been on edge since earlier, couldn’t stand waiting any longer. When a minute passed, he stepped past the young monk and knocked on the door.

"If you don’t answer, we’re coming in."

Assistant Cheng face-palmed, while the young monk’s calm expression cracked slightly.

Soon, the door opened, and the old monk stepped out.

"We don’t do readings anymore. It’s useless to look for me."

Fei Chuan looked the old monk up and down, and the old monk studied him in return.

The old man’s age matched Head Master Lin’s description and story.

This must be the scammer.

Fei Chuan finally saw the person he hated the most. His eyes darkened. "I wonder what changed. Is it harder to convince people now?"

The old monk studied Fei Chuan carefully. He ignored the hateful question and instead said, "This is your first visit here. You should have traveled up the mountain using the stairs. Taking a vehicle is cheating."

Fei Chuan scoffed. "I didn’t expect to hear such righteous words from you, especially when it comes to cheating."

He was like a rose covered in thorns—sharp and untouchable. Assistant Cheng stepped back helplessly. There was no stopping his boss’s prickly attitude now.

The old monk opened the door wider. "You seem to have a lot of anger and many questions. Come in, and I will accommodate you as much as I can."

Fei Chuan: "...."

Once again, his fury crashed against an unshakable wall of calm.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay composed. His hatred for this scammer had lasted twenty years, deeply rooted in his bones.

If it had been in the past, he wouldn’t have wasted a single word on this man. He would have exposed him as a fraud without hesitation. After all, he had never believed in anything the monk had said. He never believed in such things.

But now...

His world had turned upside down. His perspective had shifted.

The very things he once dismissed now haunted him. There was much he needed to ask. Much he needed to confirm.

Suppressing his anger, Fei Chuan stepped inside. He gestured at Assistant Cheng. "I’ll see you later."

Assistant Cheng hesitated, worried that his boss would disrespect the old monk in every possible way. But he couldn’t defy his orders. With a heavy heart, he stayed outside.

The door closed. Silence filled the room.

The old monk walked to the table and took out a tea set.

"Since I can no longer do a reading for you, I’ll brew you some tea instead." His movements were skilled, practiced. "So tell me, young man—why is your heart so dark and bloody?"

Fei Chuan’s hand clenched into a fist.

"Before that, do you recognize me?"

It had been more than twenty years since the old monk had last seen him. He had been just a child then. Would the monk still remember the boy he had deprived of family and belonging?

The old monk studied him carefully. Then, he smiled.

"Of course. You are the child with the dragon’s aura. The one born with a dragon’s fate—an existence that appears once in a thousand years, with only one existence in his time. How could I forget you?"

Fei Chuan stilled.