The Serendipitous Scholar: A Journey to Wealth

Chapter 4

With a soft sigh, the strange noises seemed to fade away, leaving him in a state of vague tranquility. It felt as though a warm, tender body was tightly entwined around him, accompanied by a sweet fragrance wafting through the air. Someone's warm breath tickled his ear, mingling with soft, melodious laughter, like a gentle breeze brushing against his earlobes, leaving a tingling sensation that reached deep into his heart.

"Stubborn little donkey, stop it..." Oliver's lips curved into a smile as he waved his hand in a daze, and the laughter suddenly vanished.

In his dream, there were crystal-clear waters and blooming flowers. He rode his donkey freely through the morning breeze of his hometown, waving the golden card of a successful scholar and shouting with joy towards his mother who was washing clothes by the riverbank...

When Oliver woke up, it was already early morning the next day. Birds chirped incessantly, and the cold wind howled. Yet, there seemed to be a warm current swirling inside him, invigorating his spirit.

Opening his eyes, he saw the clear blue sky above, the sunlight sparkling through the trees. The donkey was lowering its head, staring at him with wide eyes, chewing on hay with a "chomp chomp."

Suddenly, he remembered the events of last night. Sitting up abruptly, he looked around, and his heart sank with a cry of astonishment.

He was on a hilltop, surrounded by pine forests, with barren graves scattered around. His body was covered in a thick pile of grass. Where was the temple? Where were the monks?

Oliver's mind was in turmoil. Could last night's events have been a dream?

He hastily removed the grass pile, but the white fox was nowhere to be seen. However, lying beside him was the silver-white silk bag from last night!

His heart trembled as he grabbed the bag and gently shook it. Glittering lights spilled out, and the treasures from last night lay before him once again.

Feeling even more confused and bewildered, Oliver wondered if he had encountered ghosts and demons last night. Suddenly, he remembered, "Could it be... Could it be that I really encountered ghosts last night?"

Collecting the treasures back into the bag, Oliver noticed that the red jade tripod, agate gourd, jade box, and crimson prayer beads were all missing! He distinctly remembered putting these four items into the bag. How could they have disappeared? A chill ran down his spine.

The donkey, impatient, tugged at his clothes, urging him to get up.

Oliver stood up dazedly, collecting the scattered scrolls on the ground one by one and putting them back into the luggage rack. He then led the donkey down the mountain. After a few steps, he suddenly realized that there were numerous animal corpses lying scattered amidst the withered grass on the mountainside—tigers, wolves, deer, and sheep—all with their bellies ripped open and blood staining the ground.

"Could it be that these monks' corpses turned into these animals?" Oliver's heart skipped a beat, cold sweat running down his back as if he had fallen into an abyss of ice.

At this moment, the sound of hearty singing suddenly came from the nearby forest, and several hunters emerged carrying bows, arrows, spears, and forks.

Seeing the animal carcasses everywhere, the hunters were greatly surprised and exclaimed, "Hey, young scholar, did you kill these beasts?"

Oliver's mind was in chaos, but he didn't respond. Instead, he asked loudly, "Excuse me, gentlemen, is there a temple nearby?"

The hunters were puzzled. "This is a desolate mountain graveyard. Where would there be a temple?"

One of the hunters chuckled. "Young lad, did you kill these beasts and now feel guilty, wanting to become a monk?"

Finding their banter uninteresting, Oliver bid them farewell with a smile, bowed, and led the donkey straight down the mountain.

The mountain road twisted and turned, with pine trees slanting on both sides and rugged rocks strewn about. In the distance, several peaks rose high into the sky, shrouded in clouds and mist, like an ink painting of mountains and waters.

If it were yesterday, Oliver would have admired the scenery along the way and recited poetry, but now he was too preoccupied, replaying the strange events of last night in his mind. However, the donkey continued to "ah" incessantly, walking briskly as if it were in high spirits.

In the twelfth lunar month, the cold wind cut like a knife. Normally, descending the mountain without shelter would be quite cold, but Oliver felt warm throughout his body, as if filled with endless energy.

Realizing this, Oliver's heart skipped a beat again. It was probably the effect of the two pills from last night. But since those pills belonged to demons, who knew if there would be any terrible consequences? Anxious thoughts plagued him.

But Oliver was inherently optimistic and easygoing. He didn't dwell on worries for long, thinking, "Whether it's fortune or misfortune, it's out of my control. Everything is arranged by the heavens. Why bother worrying unnecessarily?" With this thought, he felt a sudden sense of relief.