Chapter 52: Shrinking the Earth into Inches, Meeting Destiny on the Road

Du Yuan parted ways with the people of the divine temple and walked slowly through the mountain wilderness.

When he reached a certain boundary, without needing any words, Du Yuan understandingly turned back toward the direction of the divine temple and cupped his hands in a salute, saying:

"The mountains are high and the road is long, let us part ways here. If I ever find a little leisure in the future, I will surely return to pay a visit!"

'Mm, I can only accompany you this far. After all, I am ultimately not like you, trapped within these walls.'

Du Yuan lowered his head once more and bowed deeply:

"Farewell."

The mountain wind suddenly ceased, and all creation fell into absolute silence, leaving only his clear and resonant voice echoing through the forest.

A moment later, a gentle mountain breeze stirred, and the trees rustled.

'Please remember that no matter what, my little temple will always have a place reserved for you.'

Du Yuan lowered his head with a soft smile and a bow of gratitude, then turned and walked away, lingering no longer.

Only the clear breeze crossed the boundary, continuing to escort the guest for its master.

However, the very moment he stepped across this vague boundary, the heaven and earth seemed to shift quietly.

Du Yuan found that with just a slight shift of his mind, thinking "let me walk a little faster," his foot would naturally and effortlessly take a light step forward.

After this step landed, it was not that he had crossed a great physical distance, but rather that the mountain wilderness and woods before his eyes suddenly contracted, as if a scroll were being rolled up by an invisible hand, instantly condensing dozens of yards of distance beneath his feet.

When his footsteps settled, Du Yuan looked back in surprise, only to see that the place he had been standing just moments ago was now dozens of yards behind him.

This caused him to pause for a moment, a trace of astonishment flashing in his eyes. Immediately afterward, the corners of his mouth curved into a smile of sudden comprehension—he understood the reason now. This was the divine power bestowed by that small seal.

Storing objects, shrinking the earth, and perhaps even other hidden divine powers resting within that subtle and elegant gift.

This person had bestowed upon him a generous and profound favor!

There was no need to turn back and bow in gratitude once more; that weighty kindness and mutual tacit understanding were already deeply understood in his heart.

Du Yuan chuckled softly, carrying a youth's carefree spirit and sense of wonder. He drew that warm, smooth small seal from his bosom, casually raised it over his shoulder, and waved lightly toward the direction of the divine temple behind him, as if bidding farewell to an old friend.

In the end, he laughed heartily and walked away.

---

Along the official road, a tea stall stood by the roadside, even though this place was already very close to Qingzhou.

However, as the saying goes, half the journey is completed at ninety miles. On this final stretch of the road, even more travelers wished to rest their feet and drink a cup of tea!

The proprietor, having foreseen this, naturally found his business thriving.

Just like at this very moment, business was so brisk that the proprietor had to personally step out and pour tea for the numerous guests.

Relying solely on his two assistants, it was simply impossible to keep up.

"Many thanks, proprietor. Here, this is the tea money."

Being a humble establishment, no credit was given. Thus, once the tea was poured into bowls and snacks were served, passing travelers would spontaneously pay.

"Please enjoy yourselves, everyone. Refills for the second bowl of tea are free of charge!"

Newcomers all cupped their hands in gratitude, while regular patrons smiled warmly.

At other tea stalls, getting a refill always required paying half-price.

Whether the proprietor did this to win over customers or simply to accumulate good karma, it was a welcome and joyous thing for everyone.

Weighing the teapot in his hand and realizing there should be about one more bowl's worth left, the proprietor instinctively looked back toward the path he had come from.

There were no figures of travelers in sight; it seemed he could go back and refill it.

Just as he turned his head back, a voice came from behind him:

"Proprietor, is there still tea?"

"Yes, yes. There is just enough left for one bowl. It's just that there are no seats left, so if you don't mind..."

The proprietor turned around without a second thought, only to see a young monk... or was he a monk?

At this thought, the proprietor could not help but take another glance at the man's cropped, short hair.

"I don't mind drinking a bowl while standing."

"Very well, this is Maofeng picked just this morning, guaranteed to be fresh and sweet in the aftertaste!"

"Thank you."

The guest took the tea bowl, filled it to the brim, and threw his head back to drain it in a single gulp.

"Truly fine tea."

Seeing the other person praise the tea he had carefully brewed, the proprietor asked with a cheerful smile:

"Refills are free of charge here, guest. Would you like to wait a moment while I go back and fetch a fresh pot for you?"

The guest waved his hand with a smile and said:

"No need, no need, a single bowl is enough for me. However, you are truly kind-hearted. Surely, such lasting goodness will bring you blessings in the days to come!"

The proprietor shook his head with a smile:

"You flatter me. It is half out of kindness, and half just business."

"Ah, even so, it is quite rare. Here, keep the coin, I must be on my way."

There was no need to ask the price; a sign reading "Two copper coins per bowl" hung right beside the tea stall.

With a beaming smile, the proprietor accepted the tea bowl and the copper coins, only to notice that the departing guest was not coming from the direction of Qingzhou, but rather heading toward it.

This left the proprietor utterly confused. That wasn't right—wasn't the path behind him completely empty just a moment ago?

Had my eyes grown dim just because I've barely turned fifty?!

With a bitter inward chuckle, the proprietor carried the tea bowl toward the back room, intending to wash it clean for the next customer. Subconsciously placing his finger over the rim of the bowl, he suddenly felt as though something was amiss.

Perplexed, he lowered his head to look, yet found no obvious problem.

After staring at it for a moment, he suddenly gave a start and ran his finger along the outer body of the bowl.

Bone dry?!

Reaching the bottom, it was still as dry as when it was first taken out.

'Th-Th-This is...?!'

In a flurry of panic, the proprietor hurriedly shook the teapot—it was completely empty; he had indeed poured out the very last drop of tea earlier.

So what on earth was this?

Panicking, the proprietor turned his head to look back at the guest who had just left.

Yet in the mere time it took to lower his head, that guest had already walked dozens of yards away!

When the proprietor rubbed his eyes in disbelief and looked again, he was even more dumbfounded to find that the guest had already covered nearly a hundred yards. If not for the conspicuous features of his short hair and light-colored garments,

the proprietor would never have dared to recognize that figure, now shrinking to the size of a tiny dot.

Amidst this shock, the rarest of his lifetime, the proprietor initially felt a chill run down his spine. But once he recalled the visitor's gentle and refined demeanor, his kind words, and the fact that he walked openly in broad daylight,

he lowered his head to look at the other patrons around him, who seemed completely oblivious to anything unusual.

A cunning thought flashed through his eyes, and he asked the customer beside him:

"Esteemed guest, did you happen to see a customer who was just drinking tea while standing?"

"I did indeed. He had rather short hair; I couldn't tell if he was a monk who had returned to secular life or someone out begging for alms. My, he walked fast!"

As the customer spoke, he tried to turn around to catch a glimpse of the man, but the figure was nowhere to be found.

Yet he didn't find it strange at all, merely chuckling and remarking that the man was indeed fast.

Seeing this scene unfold before his eyes, the proprietor's heart instantly settled.

"By the way, proprietor, why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all, just asking casually. Right then, everyone! My humble shop has encountered a joyous occasion today, so the tea is completely free! Please, enjoy yourselves to your hearts' content!"

"Splendid! Many thanks, proprietor!"

The crowd cheered with delight, and the proprietor, equally overjoyed, scurried into the back room.

Looking around to ensure he was alone, he hurriedly placed the tea bowl from which the living Buddha had drunk onto the highest and most prominent shelf in the back room.

With a deeply gratified heart, he gazed at the newly enshrined tea bowl, yet still felt it wasn't enough.

Then, smacking his forehead in sudden inspiration, he fished out the two copper coins the living Buddha had handed him.

After carefully wiping them clean, he fetched a stool, stepped up onto it, and pressed the two copper coins firmly into the crevices beneath the eaves of the doorway.

Having done all this, the proprietor stood in place, completely satisfied, admiring his work.

But a moment later, he hurriedly rushed back out, took down the sign hanging outside the shop, and changed the characters to read:

One bowl for two copper coins, second bowl free, third bowl half-price!