Zhuang Rui didn't know how these two feelings could be perfectly combined. The seemingly contradictory feelings of vicissitude and innocence appeared simultaneously in this young lama, yet Zhuang Rui felt it was very natural and not at all abrupt.
Zhuang Rui seemed to have seen that look somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.
For some reason, Zhuang Rui felt a sense of respect for the young lama. After exchanging glances with him for a moment, he clasped his hands together and respectfully said, "Please enlighten me, Master..."
"The words on this are in ancient Sanskrit, probably from ancient India around 1000 AD. They read: 'In the northwest corner of the Pure Land of Oddiyana, on the lotus stem seat, there dwells a rare and supremely accomplished one, known as Padmasambhava, surrounded by a retinue of dakinis. I follow you in my practice, and pray for your blessings. Guru Padmasambhava Hum.' These seven lines are the prayer and practice mantra of Guru Padmasambhava..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui's puzzled expression, the young lama smiled and said, "Let me explain. The first line of these seven lines refers to the birthplace of Guru Rinpoche; the second to the manner of his birth; the third to his rare virtues; the fourth to the magnificence of his holy name; the fifth to his retinue; the sixth to the faith of his followers; the seventh to his blessings and attainments; and the eighth to the mantra. This is a very important Buddhist artifact. I wonder if this layperson would be willing to let it return to Buddhism and receive the blessings of faith and vows?"
As the young lama explained the scriptures, not only Zhuang Rui, but everyone else in the shop felt a sense of peace and tranquility, while the noise of the street outside seemed very far away.
Zhuang Rui's feeling was somewhat different from others, because he had just released his spiritual energy to observe the young lama. To his surprise, his usually invincible spiritual energy could not get any closer when it was about ten centimeters away from the young lama.
It seemed as if there was an invisible energy shield around the young lama, blocking the spiritual energy. Not only could the spiritual energy not touch the lama's body, but it couldn't even touch the clothes on the young lama's body.
After the young lama spoke, Zhuang Rui withdrew his spiritual energy and replied, "I'm sorry, Master. I came to Lhasa for two reasons. First, to pray to the Living Buddha for the early discovery of the reincarnated child. Second, I wish to seek a Buddhist artifact to pray for my unborn children. I want to bring this artifact to my wife to bless my child's safe birth and growth..."
For some reason, Zhuang Rui lost his usual sharp tongue in front of this young lama; every word he spoke reflected his true thoughts.
While speaking, Zhuang Rui had a feeling that even if he was lying, the young lama could sense his true feelings, so he simply told the truth. Although his thinking was somewhat narrow-minded, it was indeed the absolute truth.
"Um?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the young lama frowned slightly. He hadn't expected that his request would be rejected by the person in front of him, which made him take a closer look at Zhuang Rui.
"I see, haha, no wonder, no wonder. The guardian beast is by your side, layperson. You are a person with great affinity with Buddhism. This prayer wheel can be left to you..."
After glancing at Zhuang Rui, the young lama noticed the white lion beside him. After a moment's thought, a smile appeared on his face, and the solemn atmosphere in the shop, which had seemed somewhat dignified, softened with that smile.
"Hehe, the Living Buddha once said I had a connection to Buddhism, and that the white lion was the guardian deity of the Great Snow Mountain..."
Zhuang Rui laughed when he heard this. He could sense that after the young lama said those words, the Gegu lama standing not far from him seemed to take a deep breath, as if he had been holding his breath.
"By the way, I seem to have seen that look in Qiangba Luozhu's eyes before..."
When the Living Buddha was mentioned, a scene suddenly popped into Zhuang Rui's mind: when he met the Living Buddha last year, the Living Buddha's eyes seemed to be pure and untouched by any dust, which was very similar to those of this young lama.
"Waaaaah..."
When the white lion heard the lama mention him, it let out a low growl and walked toward the young lama.
The two lamas behind the young lama, including the Gegu lama beside him, all changed their expressions when they saw the white lion trying to approach the young lama. They flashed and blocked the young lama's way.
"It's alright, please move aside, it'll be fine..."
Although the young lama's voice was slightly immature, it revealed an invisible authority. Gegu and the other two lamas did not speak, but obediently moved aside.
"I know, so the little guy Teacher Qiangba Luozhu mentioned was you..."
A look of surprise appeared on the young lama's face. He bent down slightly, placed his right hand on the white lion's forehead, and chanted scriptures. The white lion seemed to enjoy it, its eyes slightly narrowed, and it moved closer to the young lama affectionately.
After about a minute, the young lama withdrew his hand, looked at the white lion, and uttered a string of Tibetan characters.
Zhuang Rui didn't understand the little lama's words, so he nudged Section Chief Zhang, who had just walked up to him, and asked, "Section Chief Zhang, what is he saying?"
Zhang Ke was startled by Zhuang Rui's actions. He glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention, then lowered his voice and said, "Those two sentences mean: Are you willing to come back with me? You shouldn't have been in this mortal world in the first place..."
"Damn, this little lama is just like the Living Buddha from back then! He asks White Lion if he's willing to go with him as soon as they meet, without even asking his master if he agrees. Does he think his buddy is just for show?"
Upon hearing Section Chief Zhang's words, Zhuang Rui felt immediately displeased. Having spent nearly two years with the white lion, Zhuang Rui had long regarded it as his family.
Perhaps when the white lion was young, Zhuang Rui might have been able to hand it over to the Living Buddha, but now, no one can take the white lion away.
"It belongs to the snow-capped mountains, it belongs to the vast grasslands..."
As if knowing what Zhuang Rui was thinking, the little lama raised his head and said something indifferent, silencing Zhuang Rui.
"Master, let the White Lion make the choice himself..."
Zhuang Rui knew, of course, that the white lion would be happier living on this high-altitude snow mountain, but Zhuang Rui really couldn't bear to part with it. He had raised the white lion from a tiny creature the size of his palm to such a large size, and Zhuang Rui's feelings for the white lion were like those for his unborn child.
"Waaah..."
The white lion seemed to understand their conversation and affectionately rubbed its large head against the little lama's body, causing the little lama to immediately smile.
However, just as Zhuang Rui's expression changed drastically and his heart ached, the white lion let out a low growl, seemingly communicating with the little lama, before returning to Zhuang Rui's side and quietly lying down.
"Good buddy..."
At that moment, Zhuang Rui knew that the white lion had not abandoned him. Just like more than a year ago, when the Living Buddha first asked it to make a choice, the white lion had chosen him again, never leaving him. At this moment, Zhuang Rui's eyes became moist. Just as he squatted down and hugged the white lion's neck, tears welled up in his eyes and slid down his cheeks.
Zhuang Rui buried his head deeply in the white lion's neck. He could almost feel the white lion's pulse beating. At this moment, words seemed to be less important. Both Zhuang Rui and the white lion could feel the deep affection between them.
No one disturbed the man and the Tibetan Mastiff, and the shop became incredibly quiet. Everyone could feel the harmony between Zhuang Rui and the white lion, and no one wanted to ruin this touching scene.
When Zhuang Rui looked up, he realized that the young lama and the guards at the door had quietly left sometime earlier.
Chapter 727 Discussion
"Hey bro, what were you guys doing just now? I couldn't understand a word you were saying, but I felt like crying."
Seeing Zhuang Rui raise his head with tears streaming down his face, Zheng Hua also felt a lump in his throat. The bond between humans and animals is often more genuine and pure.
Has that person left?
Zhuang Rui took out a tissue to wipe away the tears on his face and stood up. He could feel that he had no privacy left in front of that young lama, and even the secret in his eyes seemed to have been seen through.
Zhuang Rui had never felt this way before, even in front of the Living Buddha Qiangba Luozhu. This means that the young lama's Buddhist practice might be even more profound than that of the Living Buddha.
"They're all gone. Everyone's gone. Section Chief Zhang said he'll be back soon..."
Zheng Hua didn't feel the same way as Zhuang Rui, but as someone who managed a company with tens of thousands of employees, he also felt a little reserved in front of that young lama, though he was too embarrassed to say it.
"Where is Gegu Lama? Has he left too?"
Zhuang Rui looked around. Although he had a general idea of the young lama's identity, he still wanted to find someone to confirm it.
Zheng Hua nodded and said, "Yeah, he left with that person too. Brother, shall we still go for a stroll?"
"Alright, go back and rest. You feel really tired today, and you still have to receive the Panchen Lama's empowerment and blessing tomorrow. You should get some rest too..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. He hadn't expected to run into that person in such a small shop. He felt uneasy and decided to head back as soon as possible, otherwise who knew what might happen next.
This isn't Beijing; this is someone else's territory. If that person tries to force White Lion to stay, there's nothing we can do.
Having almost lost White Lion, Zhuang Rui was unwilling to stay here any longer. Without waiting for Section Chief Zhang to return, he took White Lion and Peng Fei out of Barkhor Street and hailed a taxi.
Zheng Hua lived in the same villa area as Zhuang Rui, but he wasn't in the mood to stroll around anymore, so he simply called a car with Zhuang Rui to go back to the villa.
"Section Chief Zhang, I'll head back now. The driver knows the way, and Mr. Zheng is with me. It's alright, it's alright, you don't need to come any further. I'm a little tired and need to rest..."
When they were halfway there, Zhuang Rui received a call from Section Chief Zhang. He could tell that Section Chief Zhang seemed to want to say something, but it wasn't convenient to ask in the car. After chatting for a few minutes, Zhuang Rui hung up the phone.
Upon returning to the villa area, Zhuang Rui was greeted by staff who opened the door for him, while Zheng Hua returned to the villa that had been arranged for him. He had bought so much stuff on Barkhor Street that his hands could barely hold it all.
Even after entering the room, Zhuang Rui still felt a little unreal. He only felt much more at ease after having the white lion sit at his feet.
Only now did Zhuang Rui realize how important Bai Shi was to him, and how loyal Bai Shi was to him. Zhuang Rui believed that the high-altitude life here was what Bai Shi longed for, but for his sake, Bai Shi still stayed by his side and was willing to endure the dry climate of Beijing.
Peng Fei could tell that Zhuang Rui wasn't in a good mood, so he went back to his room and had a long phone call with his wife. Zhuang Rui didn't turn on the light, and after some time, the phone rang and woke him up.
"Hey bro, you didn't turn on the lights over there. Are you inside?"
The call was from Zheng Hua. The more he thought about it, the more something seemed off. The young lama's aura was far too powerful. After discussing it with Grandpa Zheng, Zheng Hua decided to sound out Zhuang Rui and ask him who that person was. According to Grandpa Zheng's analysis, Zhuang Rui must know.
"Yes, Brother Zheng, please come..."
Zhuang Rui knew what Zheng Hua was thinking, but he was just guessing. There was no harm in talking to Zheng Hua about it, since he would be meeting that person tomorrow and would have an answer soon.
"I thought you went out to eat."
A few minutes later, Zheng Hua knocked on the door of Zhuang Rui's villa.
"It's almost 9 o'clock now?"
After hearing Zheng Hua's words, Zhuang Rui glanced at his handwriting and realized that he had been sitting in the living room for four or five hours.
"Peng Fei, Peng Fei..."
"Brother Zhuang, what's up?"
Peng Fei poked his head out of his room on the second floor. He looked like he had just taken a nap, with sleepy eyes.
"Aren't you hungry, kid? Go and get someone to bring some food. Oh, and bring plenty of fresh beef and mutton; White Lion hasn't eaten yet..."
Zhuang Rui knew there weren't many restaurants near the villa, and the meals for the residents were all taken care of by a specialist, so there was no worry about not being able to eat late. The reason he asked Peng Fei to ask for food was that Zhuang Rui was afraid the beef and mutton they gave him wouldn't be fresh enough.
"I'm actually a little hungry..."
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Peng Fei pulled his head back in. Two or three minutes later, he came out and said to the white lion, "Come on, come with me. Order whatever you want to eat..."
The white lion shook its head dismissively, but still stood up and walked out with Peng Fei. In Zhuang Rui's courtyard, apart from Qin Xuanbing and Ouyang Wannan, only Peng Fei could earn its attention.
"Brother, I have a question for you..."
After seeing Bai Shi and Peng Fei leave, Zheng Hua took out a pack of cigarettes, handed one to Zhuang Rui, and lit it for him, saying, "That little lama we met this afternoon, uh, the one who identified the prayer wheel for you, what's his background?"
Zhuang Rui was still caught up in the excitement of almost losing the White Lion, but Zheng Hua clearly saw that when the little lama walked out of the shop, there were at least a dozen people surrounding him. Such a level of protection is rare even among Hong Kong's super-rich.
"That lama?"
Zhuang Rui dared not add the word "small" before it.
"Yes, it's him. Why do I always feel so awkward around him?"
When Zheng Hua said this, he felt a little aggrieved. He was now considered the successor that the Zheng family was grooming, but the pressure he felt in front of that little lama seemed to be even greater than the aura emanating from his own grandfather.
Zheng Hua couldn't figure out whether he was too fragile or that the person was very important. He was afraid that if he didn't explain it clearly, he would be traumatized.
"I don't know who that person is, but I'm guessing that he's the one we're meeting tomorrow..."
Although he had a pretty good idea of what was going on, Zhuang Rui still didn't say anything definitively. Perhaps there were other reincarnated high monks in Tibet, who knows?
"You...you...you mean...the Panchen Lama?"
Although Zheng Hua is not a follower of Tibetan Buddhism, he has been influenced by his grandfather to regard the Panchen Lama as a god-like figure. After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, this guy was so excited that he couldn't even utter a complete sentence.
"Aren't other people that old?"
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this, and the mood that had been suppressed all afternoon became somewhat relaxed. When Zheng Hua heard about the Panchen Lama, he used the exact same term as he had used before to describe the spiritual leader of Tibet as "the old man".
"Damn it, I'm going to tell Grandpa..."
The usually gentle and refined Young Master Zheng suddenly jumped up from the sofa and swore, making Zhuang Rui laugh. It seems that swearing is a good way to vent when people are excited or angry, and it works all over the world.