The heavy rains on Sikong Mountain lasted for a day and a night.
Inside the main hall of Sikong Temple, Xiao Mo had sat for an entire day and night. His clothes, once soaked through, were now half-dry.
「The next morning, as the sky began to lighten.」
Beneath the statue of the Buddha, Xiao Mo slowly opened his eyes and rose from his meditation cushion.
Just as he was about to leave the main hall, he saw the Abbot, Yuan Kong, standing in the doorway, gazing at him with a smile.
"Master," Xiao Mo said, placing his palms together in a respectful salute.
Compared to how he had looked upon his return to the temple yesterday, Xiao Mo's eyes now seemed much clearer and more resolute after a night of quiet meditation.
"Have you thought things through?" Yuan Kong asked calmly. "You may have broken your vows, but if the Buddha is truly in your heart, what does one transgression matter?"
