Chapter 36 Chapter 18 A Woman's Choice

Atong took Jotaro and led Zean from the hill where the walnut tree was located, back to the entrance of Shizhouzhai Mountain Villa. On the way, Zean asked many things, and she did not hide anything, and she wandered around the world until here. Confidentially to him. "Uh-huh……" Zean listened patiently as if listening to his sister crying, nodding frequently, not bored at all. "Oh! That's how it is. Women often choose a life that even men can't! Now, Miss Atong, do you want to ask me which path I should choose in the future?" "no……" "……Oh?"

"Now I don't have to worry about it anymore!" Her slanted, powerless face was almost pale, like a dying person.However, at the end of her words, there was a kind of force that made Zean couldn't help but look up and re-examine her. "If I'm still hesitating between retracting and withdrawing, I won't leave Qibao Temple... I know the direction I want to go in the future. It's just that if I do this, it won't benefit Brother Musashi—if I can't bring him If you’re happy—you’ll have to find another way out.” "Find another way out?" "I can't speak now."

"Atong girl! You have to be very careful!" "Watch out for what?" "The god of death will also pull out your black hair in broad daylight!" "I don't feel anything." "Really? The god of death is attacking you! But, just because of the pain of unrequited love, you are not so stupid as to seek death, right? Hahahaha!" Ze'an's attitude of having nothing to do with himself made Ah Tong very angry.How can someone who has never been in love understand this feeling?But Ze'an treated himself as a fool and talked about Zen with her.If there is the truth of life in Zen, then there is also a mortal life in love.At least for women, it is a more life-threatening matter than listening to the one-sided stop of this monk Wen Tunchan and unlocking the entry-level koan.

Don't talk to him about it! A Tong made up his mind, bit his lip, and remained silent.Zean said with a serious look: "Miss Atong! Why weren't you born as a man? A man as strong-willed as you is sure to be able to make contributions to the country." "Isn't it okay for a strong woman? Will it be bad for Musashi?" "Don't be angry! That's not what I mean. But, no matter how much you love Musashi, hasn't he run away? Even if you can catch him, you can't catch him!" "I am willing, and I don't feel bitter." "I haven't seen you for a long time. You are already like ordinary women, talking nonsense."

"But... okay! Don't talk about it. A famous monk like Master Ze'an, of course, can't understand the feelings of ordinary women." "I can't do anything with women, I really don't know how to answer them!" Atong turned to the other side. "Jotaro! Come with me." They left Ze'an where they were, and planned to go another way. Ze'an stayed where he was, raised his eyebrows, and sighed, as if there was nothing he could do about her. "Miss Atong! Did you leave without saying goodbye to Mr. Shi Zhouzhai?" "Yes! I can just say goodbye to him in my heart. I didn't plan to be taken care of by him in the hermitage for so long."

"You stop thinking about it?" "Think about what?" "Meizuo Village in Qibao Temple has elegant mountain dwellings, and this Liusheng Village is also very good, with peaceful and simple folk customs. A beautiful woman like Miss Atong should not live in the mundane world full of blood and blood, but should live among mountains and rivers, just like a yellow warbler." "Thank you, Master Zean!" "Or not--" Zean sighed.He already understood that his care was useless to this infatuated girl in love. "But Miss Atong! You may have chosen a path of ignorance!"

"Ignorance?" "You are also a girl who grew up in a monastery. You should be very clear about the affliction of ignorance, how boundless, how sad, and how irreparable it is!" "However, I was born lacking the way of enlightenment." "No, you have." Ze'an poured all his enthusiasm into this glimmer of hope, and he walked up to Atong and held her hand. "I'm going to ask Mr. Shi Zhouzhai to arrange your way out and future. Find a lover in this little Liusheng City, get married and have children, and fulfill the responsibilities of a woman. Not only will this country grow stronger, but you can also live a happy life. .”

"I understand Master Ze'an's intentions very well, but..." "Just do it!" Ze An unconsciously grabbed Atong's hand, and said to Jotaro: "Little devil! You come too." Jotaro shook his head. "I don't want to! I'm going to follow my master." "Even if you want to go, you have to go back to the villa and say goodbye to Master Shi Zhouzhai." "By the way! I left an important mask in town. Go back and get it now." Jotaro ran back.There is no distinction between enlightenment and ignorance in his footsteps. However, A-Tong stayed on the forked road, standing still.Ze An returned to her old friend's position, and sincerely stated that the life she chose was dangerous, and women's happiness is not the only way, but it was not enough to move Atong's heart.

"Found it! Found it!" Jotaro, wearing a mask, ran over from the ramp of the villa.Seeing the mask of the mad woman, Ze An felt a shudder in his heart—as if he had seen the expression of Atong in the other side of ignorance many years later. "Master Ze'an! Farewell." A Tong took a step forward. Jotaro tugged on her sleeve. "Let's go! Quick... let's go!" Ze'an looked up at the white clouds, as if lamenting his own powerlessness. "I can't help it. Shi Zun also said that women are hard to save." "Goodbye! Master Shi Zhouzhai, I won't go back to say goodbye, please tell Master Ze'an to convey... Please take care."

"Oh! My monk is becoming more and more like an idiot. Along the way, I saw some people who fell into hell, but I couldn't stop them. Miss Atong! If you are in trouble in the future and cannot be released, remember to call my name , okay? Be sure to think of Ze An’s name, and call out———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————