Most of the worshippers at Qixia Temple head straight for the Daxiong Hall and the Pilu Hall, where they offer incense and pray before visiting other halls.
Xiao Churan entered with Sun Mengmeng, unsure of where to go, but Sun Mengmeng seemed to have a plan, pointing to a side path by the main hall and saying mysteriously, “Ms. Xiao, since we’re here to seek opportunities, we definitely can’t follow the crowd. Opportunities are only for the few!”
Xiao Churan smiled and shook her head, “Alright, you seem to know every deity in the book, so you’re more experienced than me. Lead the way.”
Sun Mengmeng nodded eagerly, linking arms with Xiao Churan and heading deeper into the temple.
After winding through several turns, they reached the entrance of Wuliang Hall, where a sign indicating it was closed had been removed by a monk. Sun Mengmeng pointed at the hall and said to Xiao Churan, “Ms. Xiao, let’s try our luck here first.”
Xiao Churan asked, puzzled, “Mengmeng, with so many halls in Qixia Temple, we can’t try them all one by one, can we?”
Sun Mengmeng grinned, “Let’s give it a shot. What if we get lucky and hit the jackpot right away?”
Xiao Churan, helpless, agreed, “Fine, it’s up to you, but we need to head back by 8:30 at the latest. Work starts at 9.”
“Got it!” Sun Mengmeng clenched her fist confidently, “Don’t worry, Ms. Xiao, we’ve got plenty of time!”
They cautiously approached Wuliang Hall. Xiao Churan, nervous, said at the entrance, “Other halls have monks at the door, but there’s no one here. Could this be an abandoned place? There’s probably no one inside.”
Sun Mengmeng reassured her, “Whether there’s someone or not, we’ll know once we go in. This is a temple, blessed by deities, nothing to worry about.”
With that, she stepped inside.
Xiao Churan had no choice but to follow.
Wuliang Hall looked relatively dilapidated, with no incense burners for worshippers, appearing indeed like an abandoned relic.
But Sun Mengmeng knew Master Jingqing was inside, so she strode in confidently, then turned back to pull Xiao Churan along.
Once inside, Sun Mengmeng called out, “Is anyone here?”
Xiao Churan, seeing the empty hall, said, “How could there be anyone here? It’s obviously deserted.”
She added nervously, “This place gives me the creeps. Let’s go.”
Before Sun Mengmeng could respond, a calm voice came from the back of the hall, “Amitabha, how did you two benefactors find your way here?”
Xiao Churan jumped, then saw a relatively young-looking middle-aged monk emerge from the back.
She had done her research before coming and had seen reports and photos of Master Jingqing performing rituals, so she recognised him immediately.
Sun Mengmeng exclaimed excitedly, “It’s really Master Jingqing! Hello, Master Jingqing! We’re here to seek your blessing for protective talismans!”
Jingqing nodded slightly, saying calmly, “Amitabha, you two have some fate with this monk. Since you’re seeking protective talismans, may I ask for whom you wish to request them?”
Sun Mengmeng said, “I want them for my parents.”
Xiao Churan waited for her to finish before saying, “For my parents and my husband.”
Jingqing nodded slightly and asked, “Which benefactor would like to go first? For the talismans, I need the names and birth details of those to be blessed.”
Sun Mengmeng immediately said, “Ms. Xiao, you go first!”
Xiao Churan quickly waved her hand, “No, no, you go first, it was your idea.”
“No big deal,” Sun Mengmeng smiled, waving it off, “I’ll wait outside, Ms. Xiao, you go ahead.”
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and left.
Xiao Churan felt uneasy, alone with a monk, which was a bit strange.
