“Ah, it seems those three jade arhats were never meant to be mine.”
After saying this, Xu Fei left the stall and continued to wander around.
He walked for a while but still hadn’t found anything of interest. Suddenly, he noticed an old, well-established noodle shop nearby and decided to give it a try.
After Xu Fei sat down, a steaming bowl of noodles was soon served.
Although eating hot noodles on a scorching summer day might seem like a questionable choice, the food was so delicious that a long line had formed outside, even in the heat.
“Mmm… what could be more satisfying than eating hot noodles in an air-conditioned room?”
Xu Fei, having walked around all morning, was genuinely hungry and quickly finished the bowl of noodles.
Just as he leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach with contentment, the peaceful atmosphere of the noodle shop was suddenly disrupted by a commotion.
“Hey! Kid, come back here! Everyone’s waiting in line—why do you think you can just cut in?”
Hearing the noise downstairs, Xu Fei looked over and saw a familiar figure rushing straight toward him.
“Senior, I was wrong before! I was too greedy, and now… now I hope you can help me!”
The person fell to their knees in front of Xu Fei, kowtowing repeatedly, the wooden floor thudding with each bow.
The people who had chased after them were left speechless by the scene.
To avoid drawing more attention, Xu Fei stepped in to smooth things over.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. This is my disciple. He didn’t mean to cut in line and disturb everyone. How about this? I’ll cover the bill for everyone here!”
As he spoke, Xu Fei pulled out a thick stack of cash from his wallet and tossed it onto the table. Then, he grabbed the person’s hand, leaped out of the second-floor window, and disappeared.
“Whoa! Are they filming a movie or something?”
The waiter, who had rushed upstairs, counted the money while marveling at the scene.
Xu Fei and the person he had taken with him didn’t stop until they reached a secluded alley.
“Should I call you Little Monk or Little Nun…”
Xu Fei stopped and turned to look at the person behind him. Upon hearing this, the young one blushed and stubbornly replied, “I… I may be a girl, but I’ve already been accepted as a disciple by my master. In Buddhism, there’s no distinction between male and female. You can call me by my Buddhist name, Lanhua.”
Earlier, when Xu Fei had used his insight to read the person’s thoughts, he had accidentally caught a glimpse of the budding curves beneath the robes.
Since the three “rats” were still around, Xu Fei hadn’t said anything.
Moreover, since the person had gone to great lengths to disguise herself as a boy, there must have been a reason, so Xu Fei hadn’t exposed her.
After Lanhua finished speaking, she lowered her gaze to the ground again, her admiration for Xu Fei growing even stronger.
“This senior… is truly remarkable. He looks only a few years older than me, but not only did he see through my disguise as a monk, he also realized I’m a girl!”
“Alright, Lanhua. Tell me what happened after I left, and explain the situation with Golden Light Temple. Let’s not waste any more time.”
When Lanhua heard “Golden Light Temple,” she froze for a moment but quickly regained her composure and began to explain earnestly.
It turned out that after Xu Fei left, the three members of the Red Buddha Society had revealed their true colors.
They hadn’t come to buy the three jade arhats in good faith—they had planned to scheme their way into obtaining them!
