The Fake Heiress Turns Out to Be a True Tycoon!-Chapter 1214: Extra Story: Michael Jennings Wants to Become a Monk 2

Chapter 1214: Chapter 1214: Extra Story: Michael Jennings Wants to Become a Monk 2

Michael Jennings said he wants to leave home life behind, and he really means it.

On that very day, he packed up and went to a famous Buddhist temple in Sea City—Temple of Origin.

Normally, in modern times, becoming a monk requires a certain review process. Besides ensuring a clean record with no special identity, one must also undergo a certain level of Buddhist study, followed by more than a year of monk group assessments. Only upon passing these assessments can one be granted permission to become a monk.

As a member of the Jennings Family, Michael could naturally leverage connections to bypass this review process, but he could only enter the temple as a lay practitioner and accompany them in their practice.

This so-called practice is quite common. Urban dwellers overwhelmed by pressure or disenchanted with the turmoil of the world can sign up for the temple’s free meditation retreat.

Through a short stay at the temple for purification, they engage in short-term practice while keeping their hair uncut.

It’s somewhat akin to a temple-style summer camp, typically not lasting very long.

Precisely because the Jennings Family knew Michael couldn’t really devote himself to permanent monastic life, they weren’t too concerned.

Within the Jennings Family, the only ones who took this seriously were probably Ismeria and Lucas Jennings.

Lucas was alright, but Ismeria, after all, was only eight years old. Knowing her daddy really went to the temple, she instantly teared up,

"Daddy really went to become a monk? Does he not want me anymore?"

The latter question left the family silent for a moment.

Adam Jennings was most frustrated. He always knew it would end this way. This dad was never reliable, especially after divorcing mom, he became even less dependable.

Holding Ismeria, he hesitated, thinking about how to comfort his youngest sister, and then heard Donovan Jennings speak from the side,

"Second Uncle just went to the temple to eat vegetarian meals to cleanse his body; he’ll be back by himself in a few days."

Donovan’s voice was gentle but reassuring. All the kids in the family, including Ismeria, listened to this elder cousin. Upon hearing this, she immediately left her brother and scurried over to Donovan.

Eagerly, she asked,

"Really?"

Adam: ...

Did you have to run so fast?

I’m your real brother!

Donovan reached out to pat her head and then nodded with a smile, "Really, I guarantee he’ll be back in less than a week."

Scarlett and Magnolia Hearne, hearing this ’less than a week,’ sensed something fishy and turned their heads together, raising an eyebrow, "A week?"

Intuitively, there seemed to be something hidden here.

They saw Donovan looking at Luca Jennings, who spoke with a grave face,

"I already spoke with the temple, emphasizing my brother’s determination to leave home life behind, asking the temple’s master not to treat him as a regular lay practitioner but as a serious monk undergoing austere practice, so his sincerity would be visible."

No one knew better than his elder brother; this brother could never endure hardship.

Even inheriting some of the family’s businesses and working a regular job was too tiring for him, let alone enduring suffering to leave home life behind.

Since persuasion didn’t work, making him experience it personally would make him understand.

This was suggested by Donovan.

If not for being a junior unable to directly arrange it, Luca guessed Donovan would have wanted to arrange everything himself.

Even so, as soon as Luca finished speaking, the room fell into a bizarre silence.

Sure enough, Michael Jennings needed to rely on his elder brother for discipline.

Old Sir Jennings listened without objection, nodding with a smile,

"Pretty good, it’s just right for him to lose some weight."

Grandma Jennings heard this and felt a bit sorry, "Is there anyone who makes their son lose weight like this?"

Though she said this, she didn’t say anything about bringing him back.

Ismeria didn’t understand the difference between lay practitioner practice and serious austere practice, but since Brother Donovan said dad would be back in a week, then dad surely would be back in a week.

The little girl instantly became happy again.

Scarlett was called back because of Michael leaving home life behind, but clearly, she didn’t need to do anything about it.

Scarlett simply didn’t bother with it.

The next day, the little baby spirit and Sophie Harper returned, saying they found one of Piper Moore’s lost souls, but the place was difficult for them to enter.

Whether by coincidence or some other reason, one of Piper Moore’s lost souls was right in the temple where Michael was practicing.

Temple grounds, difficult for ghost cultivators to enter regardless.

Thinking about the woman whose early years were almost ruined, Scarlett decided to go personally.

Unexpectedly, Kingston Jennings proactively offered to go along.

He wasn’t concerned about Michael’s situation in the temple; unlike Ismeria and Adam, this father had always been dispensable to him.

Only he had taken over the Jennings Family’s charity organization, tasked with helping find those trafficked women and children who had lost their homes. So he wanted to see if he could find back that lost soul.

The next day, the two went to Temple of Origin together.

By that time, Michael Jennings had been practicing at the temple for three days.

True to Donovan’s prediction of ’less than a week,’ after only three days, Michael felt he might not hold on.

Leaving home life was nothing like he imagined.

He thought every day he could sit before Buddha listening to scriptures, most of the time feeling like someone outside the mundane world, sitting in an ancient, serene courtyard, sipping tea, feeling the temple’s mountain charm, tasting vegetarian dishes, and contemplating another kind of life.

Instead... waking up at six in the morning to practice Eight Pieces of Strength, followed by morning lessons and copying scriptures.

This was not much different from other practicing laymen, but both his morning lessons and scripture copying tasks were twice as many as others, and he had to personally cook vegetarian meals. At noon, there were Zen culture and scripture lessons, while others rested, he had to clean the Zen courtyard. He was told it was because he was committed to leaving home, different from short-term meditation practice.

His day was completely full.

Michael had no time to think about those days trapped in a turtle’s body.

He was utterly exhausted.

He was hesitating whether to tell the Abbott he’d prefer short-term meditation practice instead of leaving home.

Then he saw Scarlett and Kingston arrived!

Michael’s first reaction was they’d come to take him back.

Feeling unreasonably smug, thinking even if he didn’t leave home, he should play it cool with this niece, so she wouldn’t dare use mystical sect tactics against him again.

He deliberately put on a worldly-wise demeanor.

"What are you here for? If it’s to take me back, there’s no need. I’m practicing well here."

Scarlett glanced at his robe, which was unlike others yet custom-made; regardless of the fabric and tailoring, it was different from ordinary monk robes, and she didn’t expose him, just said,

"I’m not here for you."

Michael was momentarily stunned, instinctively looking at Kingston beside him.

Kingston silently typed.

[I’m not here for you either.]

Michael visibly paused.

Following this pause, he saw the Abbott whom he had only seen on his first day at the temple, as if he knew the two were coming, personally led people to welcome them, addressing Scarlett with a courteous yet subtly respectful tone,

"Disciple Jiang."

Though Buddhism and Taoism differ fundamentally, historically there’s been talk of no distinction between them.

The Security Bureau includes Buddhist practitioners, and Scarlett is a particularly unique case.

The Abbott of Temple of Origin always wanted to meet her.

"Security Bureau has contacted me, what Scarlett seeks is inside the temple, please follow me."

Scarlett and Kingston returned the courtesy before bypassing Michael to follow the Abbott inside.

The Abbott didn’t pay attention to Michael by the side, only slightly paused upon looking at Kingston and seemed thoughtful afterward.