69: Master, give me all your money!

They arrived at the temple fair.

The temple fair was packed with people, a sea of humanity, as far as the eye could see.

The sounds were noisy and lively.

The carriages were at a standstill. Li Yi pulled back the curtain and looked outside; there were people everywhere.

What's good about being squeezed like a human biscuit? He missed his warm bed at home and Wan Ning's warm embrace. Although it was a bit flat, it was warm, fragrant, and very comfortable to hold.

He looked at Wan Ning.

"Young Master, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Li Yi glanced at Wan Ning's chest. It had been a year, why was there no change at all? Did she not listen to him and drink her milk seriously?

He looked at Xiao Qingya. Mother was still the best.

"Mother, hug."

Li Yi opened his arms, asking Xiao Qingya to hug him.

Sitting in the carriage made Li Yi's back and bottom ache; he was uncomfortable all over and desperately needed comfort.

"You child..."

Xiao Qingya sighed helplessly, picked up Li Yi, let him sit on her lap, and held him in her arms.

Li Yi leaned comfortably in Xiao Qingya's embrace. This was much better.

"You child, you're mischievous." Xiao Qingya reached out and poked Li Yi's cheek. Yi'er was as cute as ever.

She hadn't pinched Li Yi's cheek in a long time and couldn't resist doing so. It felt the same as before, even better.

For Li Yi's growth, Xiao Qingya hadn't been this close to him in a long time.

Although she was reluctant, to cultivate Li Yi's self-awareness and independence, he was almost two years old; he couldn't always lie in his mother's arms and drink milk. This was the only way.

The fact was, it had no effect. Li Yi's habit of relying on his mother hadn't changed at all.

"Madam, carriages are not allowed past this point. Please alight, Madam."

"Alright."

Xiao Qingya led Li Yi, and Wan Ning led Qiu Lingmeng, as they got out of the carriage.

"Sister Qingya."

First Madam Bi Lian and Second Madam Gong Wenyue were ahead, also having alighted from their carriages, along with many other members of the Li family.

Li Yuntian had intended to accompany them, but he had too many matters to attend to and couldn't come.

"Let's go."

They went together to the temple to offer incense.

Seeing that the Li family had arrived, people quickly made way for them.

"The Li family's display this year is truly grand."

"Say less. Don't you consider the Li family's current power? This display is still small."

"If I were the Li family, my display would be ten times grander."

Upon arriving at the temple, a group of monks warmly greeted them and offered them the position to light the first incense stick.

Incense at a temple couldn't be lit casually, especially the first stick. Li Yi recalled his previous world, where during the New Year, buying a spot to light the first incense cost over a hundred thousand.

"Buddha saves those who are destined!"

Li Yi sighed, thinking, "Shaving your head is how you make money."

The abbot nearby heard Li Yi's words, clasped his hands together, and uttered a single word, "Good," in a voice filled with Amitabha.

"Young Master Li Yi is exceptionally gifted and intelligent. I see that he has a connection with our Buddhist sect. With Young Master's talent, he is sure to become a Buddhist Son. Why not convert to our Buddhism?"

The abbot had a benevolent smile on his face.

Li Yi: "..."

His face was silent, he felt nothing, and even felt like laughing. Did the abbot himself believe what he was saying? He probably said it so much that he believed it himself.

It was truly just as he remembered: they loved to trick ignorant youths into shaving their heads.

The very first sentence was to convert me to Buddhism? Li Yi's expression immediately turned sour.

The abbot didn't see Li Yi as having a connection with Buddhism, but rather the Li family as having wealth.

Li Yi's lips curved slightly upwards, and he clasped his hands together, displaying the Aura of a Confucian Sage, suppressing with his Aura.

"Abbot, our Buddha is compassionate. When the time is right, a connection will naturally form."

"Good."

"So, Abbot, has your time come?"

"This old monk recites scriptures daily..."

"Abbot, has your time come?"

"Cultivation emphasizes..."

"So, Abbot, has your time not come?"

The abbot looked at Li Yi's innocent eyes, swallowed the words he was about to say, and felt an invisible suppression from Li Yi.

This kid is intentionally looking for trouble!

"No, a connection is a kind of..."

Li Yi continued, "Buddha says that wealth is an external possession. Great Master, your connection has not yet arrived, perhaps because these worldly possessions have delayed your connection. Why not give your wealth to me? Wealth is the source of evil."

"Great Master, you should abandon everything and devote yourself to cultivating Buddhism. Give everything to me. Buddha says, 'If I don't go to Hell, who will go to Hell?' Let me bear all this evil. Great Master, go in peace. You will surely comprehend your connection with Buddha."

Abbot: "..."

His jaw dropped slightly, wide enough to fit an egg.

Is this little brat trying to fool me? I've always been the one to fool others; this is the first time someone has tried to fool me.

"It seems Great Master is unwilling to abandon worldly possessions. Since Great Master cannot do these things, why lead others to renounce the world? Great Master, aren't you misleading your disciples?"

Li Yi questioned him.

The abbot took a deep breath, still maintaining his benevolent smile: "Young Master is unaware..."

"It seems, then, that Great Master yourself is not sincere, not genuinely renouncing the world. No wonder you have no connection with Buddha."

The abbot's mouth twitched uncontrollably, as if he was about to lose his composure: "Then can Young Master do it?"

"I'm not a Buddhist disciple, why should I do these things? Great Master, you are very strange. Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you. You must heed the Buddha's teachings and not go astray."

Li Yi said earnestly.

Xiao Qingya smiled. This child, look at what he's saying to the Great Master: "Great Master, I'm truly sorry, children don't know how to speak. Please don't mind him, Great Master."

Li Yi said earnestly, "Mother, you cannot speak to the Great Master like that, nor can you apologize to him, because the Great Master is a good person who saves all sentient beings, and he will forgive our mistakes and save us. Apologizing is disrespectful to the Great Master. A true Great Master, with a benevolent heart, will not quibble with us."

Xiao Qingya: "..."

Alright, alright, I understand. Please don't say anything more!

Xiao Qingya gave an awkward but polite smile, speechless for a moment.

The abbot could not refute this statement and smiled awkwardly, saying, "Young Master is right."

Li Yi yawned, completely uninterested, and said, "Mother, I'm taking Lingmeng to play elsewhere."

He pulled Lingmeng and ran off.

"You child, be careful." She looked at the guards beside her: "Why aren't you keeping up?"

"I'm going too." Wan Ning followed Li Yi and Qiu Lingmeng.

Li Yi didn't believe in these things. There were indeed good people, but not many.

Based on the brief exchange just now, this abbot definitely had issues.

"Yi-ge, where are we going?" Qiu Lingmeng's large eyes looked directly at Li Yi, as if only Li Yi existed in her gaze.

"Let's just look around."

Li Yi held Qiu Lingmeng's soft, delicate hand and strolled around.

Seeing someone selling pastries and candies over there, he pulled Qiu Lingmeng over: "Come on, let's go buy something to eat."

"This one, and this one, give me a portion of each. Wan Ning, pay for it."

"Young Master, you just had dinner. Can you finish all this?" Wan Ning paid for it.

"Of course."

Li Yi noticed a few familiar figures, looked over, and frowned slightly.

Li Yi had an excellent memory, remembering everything at a glance. He recognized them as people from the Wang and Song families, acting suspiciously, like thieves.

He knew without a doubt that there was a conspiracy.