THE SMILING PROUD WANDERER by Jin Yong

Assassins Part 2

Hearing that this monk had referred to him again and again as a "cripple" and a "loser," Linghu Chong became furious. "Go as you wish! Who asked you to stay?" he scorned.

"You can't go! You can't go!" Tian Boguang shouted in worry.

"Why can't he go?" Linghu Chong asked.

"I need him to release my Death Points. I also need his antidotes for the strong poison planted in me. If he leaves, I am dead and gone!" Tian Boguang said.

"Are you afraid now? I said that I'd die together with you, didn't I. Once your poison activates, I'll just cut my own throat to go along with you."

The giant monk chortled and the thundering sound echoed in the valley.

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! So this lad actually has some backbone. Lin'er, he is certainly to my liking. But there's one more thing I have to get a clear answer. Does he drink wine or not?"

Before Yilin even had a chance to answer, Linghu Chong had already yelled out. "I certainly do. Why not? Your old man here drinks in the mornings, in the evenings, and even in my dreams. Once you get to see how addicted I am, I assure you that you'll tremble with rage because you are a damn monk whose commandments prohibit you from eating flesh, drinking wine, killing people, saying lies, and blah, blah, blah!"

"Lin'er, you tell him. What's your dad's name for the Buddhist's order?"[5] The giant monk broke into a loud laughter.

"Big brother Linghu, my dad's name in the Buddhist's order is called 'No Commandment'," Yilin explained with a smile. "He is a member of the Buddhist order, but he doesn't follow any of the regulations, taboos, and commandments for Buddhists, that's why his name in the Buddhist's order is called 'No Commandment.' Now, please don't laugh at this. He drinks wine, eats flesh, kills people, steals money, and even...even gave...gave birth to me." At that final word, she could no longer hold her amusement and broke into giggles.

"Hey, I am very delighted...delighted to meet monks of this type!" Linghu Chong burst into loud laughter. He struggled to stand up, but was short of enough strength. Yilin rushed to prod him up.

"Uncle," Linghu Chong said with a smile, "since you are open to all kinds of things, why don't you simply resume secular life? There's no need to put yourself in this Buddhist robe."

"Aha, there's something you don't know. Because I am open to all things, that's how I decided to become a monk. I fell in love with a beautiful nun just like you...." Monk No Commandment explained.

"Dad, you are talking nonsense without thinking again," Yilin cut him off. Her face was completely red from a blush; fortunately, it was dark at night, so no one noticed it.

"A true man is always open and aboveboard. I did it, and I admit it, regardless of how others laugh at me or condemn me. Monk No Commandment is a true man that speaks the truth! What's there to be afraid of?" Monk No Commandment replied.

"Precisely!" Linghu Chong and Tian Boguang cheered in unison.

Hearing the agreements, Monk No Commandment was quite pleased, so he continued, "The beautiful nun that I fell in love with was, of course, her mother."

"Turned out that little apprentice sister Yilin's dad is a monk and her mother is a nun," Linghu Chong thought to himself amusedly.

Monk No Commandment went on, "I was a butcher at that time and fell in love with her mother, but her mother paid no attention to me. I was at my wit's end and had no other choice but to join the Buddhist's order. I thought that since nuns and monks are all members of the Buddhist's order, like a big family, then when a nun doesn't love a butcher, maybe she would love a monk."