Zodiac Guardian

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When he looked back, he saw a young monk in robes standing five meters behind him. There had been no sound of footsteps; it was as if he had just appeared there. Qi Yue inspected the young monk from head to toe. He seemed to be about the same age as Qi Yue. He wasn't exactly handsome, but he emanated a harmonious beauty.

The young monk stood next to Qi Yue, his gaze also fixed on the towering Potala Palace. He smiled and said, "The Potala Palace is built on a hill, with tiers of grand edifices built one above another. It was the winter residence of generations of Lamas and the centre of administration and religion in old Tibet. It also houses eight stupa tombs of the Fifth, and Seventh to Thirteenth Lamas. The Potala Palace contains and preserves a multitude of historical artifacts and rare treasures: over 2500 square meters of murals, nearly a thousand stupas, tens of thousands of statues and scroll paintings. Numerous royal offerings made to the Lamas during the Ming and Qing dynasties such as golden scripts, gold and jade seals, as well as myriad gold and silver wares, porcelain, enamelware, jade, brocade products and handicrafts have also been kept here. These treasures are dazzling and diverse in subject matters. Inside the Potala Palace, the artifacts in each hall are priceless."

Upon hearing these words, Qi Yue couldn't help but swallow, "Are you saying, there is a lot of valuable stuff here?"

The young monk gave Qi Yue a glance. His gaze was calm, yet it strangely erased the greedy thoughts that had just sprung up in Qi Yue's mind. "There are some things you cannot carelessly speak about here. Buddha is compassionate."

Qi Yue smirked, "I wasn't thinking anything naughty, I just came to look."

The young monk smiled, "But the visiting hours have already passed, why did you still come?"

Qi Yue scratched his head, "I didn't know about visiting hours. Immediately after I got off the train, I saw this place from the street. It seemed as if a voice was calling me, so I came. There's such a strong religious atmosphere here! Along the way, I saw many Tibetans paying their respects."

The young monk said: "The main structures of the Potala Palace are the White Palace and the Red Palace. The White Palace was the winter residence of the Lamas and used to house the local Tibetan government. The Red Palace primarily contains the stupa halls and various Buddha halls of the Lamas. Among them, the Ji Yuan Man Hall is the stupa hall of the 5th Lama and it is the largest hall in the Potala Palace, covering an area of 725 square meters. The walls are covered with murals. Above the Lama's throne in the hall hangs a plaque inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty with the words 'Yong Lian Chu Di.'"

Qi Yue looked puzzled, "Why are you telling me all these things? We are not allowed inside anyway. I better leave."

The young monk smiled, "Some things in the world ought to be understood. However, you really are not fit to worship in the Potala Palace due to your impure heart, and more importantly, you do not have Buddha in your heart."

Qi Yue snorted, "Who are you to judge whether I have Buddha in my heart? Can you see into my soul?"

The young monk's smile faded. He nodded solemnly and said, "Indeed, I can see into your soul. Do you remember the voice that called to you, or the scenes in your dreams? All of this was orchestrated so that you would come to meet me."

As soon as he heard the young monk mention his dream, Qi Yue was jolted and cried out in disbelief, "You, you can enter my dream?"

"The Buddha is without form or feature. Please follow me," said the young monk with a slight smile, then turned and walked towards the street.

Despite his low social status, Qi Yue was extremely curious. Having the young monk talk about his own dream, he followed without any hesitation, eager to resolve his doubts.

When the young monk paused in front of a large SUV, he gestured for Qi Yue to get in, and then took the driver's seat himself.

"Wow, this is a Lincoln Navigator," thought Qi Yue. The young monk's knowledge about his dream had already piqued hisinterest, but the sight of the car ignited it even further. Men love cars – they often say that their cars are like their mistresses. This held especially true for Qi Yue. Despite being penniless and idle, he too, like everyone else, had hobbies. Qi Yue was a car enthusiast, especially expensive brands. On a regular basis, he would spend most of his leftover money buying various car magazines.

Sitting in the spacious seats of the Lincoln Navigator, Qi Yue was filled with awe, muttering dreamily, "This is one of the classic luxury SUVs. It is over five meters long, one of the largest SUVs out there, with top-notch comfort and stability. And with the hood being a metre and a half high, it's like a warrior from legend, showcasing an overwhelming authority. Is being a monk this promising? I heard that Lamas are allowed to marry. It seems like coming here was the right decision."

The young monk said, "You seem to know a lot about cars!" As he spoke, he started the car. The ride was smooth, with all noise cleverly filtered. Looking through the large window, it was as if he saw Lhasa from a completely different angle.

With an air of arrogance, Qi Yue declared: "Of course, I know, I'm practically an expert, especially when it comes to off-road vehicles. This Lincoln Navigator isn't bad, but it's not my favorite. It's too cumbersome. It's great for riding in, but not as fun to drive. My ultimate favorite is the Gemstone Cayenne. It may be slightly less capable off-road, but its overall performance really is the best. If I ever hit the lottery jackpot one day, I will definitely get one to play with."

After a while, Qi Yue was shocked to discover that the young monk had driven his Lincoln Navigator out of Lhasa. He started to get nervous and asked, "Where exactly are you taking me? You're not going to take me to some deserted place and do some unspeakable things, are you?"

The young monk's face slightly changed at the question. He replied, "Unexpectedly, even after looking into my Buddha-like eyes, you would still harbor such filthy thoughts. It seems you are indeed a very unique person."

"What kind of special person?" asked Qi Yue curiously.

The young monk glanced at him and said, "In your words, it would be a rascal or a hooligan. And a genuine one indeed. Amitabha. I am sorry for my blunt words. I am taking you to my dwelling. It's called the Holy Buddha Temple. You might find the name strange, but you can think of it as a city in Tibet, about 270 kilometers away from Lhasa. We will be driving for about two hours. If you are tired, you can take a rest. You have a leather bag next to you, in the door of the car. It contains goat's milk, enough to fill your belly."

Upon hearing the monk referring to him as a rascal and hooligan, Qi Yue did not feel insulted; rather, he seemed to take some pride in it. He chuckled, took the leather bag from the door, and drank from it. While the young monk was answering him, Qi Yue was making his own deductions. It made no sense for the young monk to have any hidden motives. He wasn't handsome or wealthy, why would anyone target him? And if it was for the small amount of money in his backpack? That would be laughable. Who would rob someone for so little while driving a Lincoln?

Having come to these conclusions, Qi Yue decided to relax. He didn't have any particular place to go anyway. He let things be and followed the young monk's lead. This was Qi Yue's character, otherwise, he wouldn't be lingering in the streets at the age of nineteen.

The taste of the goat's milk was rich. It even had a faint goat-like smell, but for Qi Yue who had not eaten for days, it was delightful. He finished most of the milk in one go and felt significantly better. After taking a break, he drank the remaining milk. The temperature in Tibet is relatively low due to its high altitude. With the heater on in the car and some food in his stomach, Qi Yue became tired. Even though he didn't experience any altitude sickness, he quickly fell asleep in the comfortable luxury off-road vehicle.

He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep when a voice seemingly echoing from deep within his soul woke him. Opening his sleepy eyes, Qi Yue discovered that the car had stopped, and the young monk was looking at him.

"Are we there?"

"We're here. Please step out of the car." The monk stated before getting out.

Qi Yue also stepped out of the car, shivering slightly in the cold air compared to the warmth inside the car.

Before him stood a monumental temple. This didn't come as a surprise to Qi Yue, for the young monk had said that he would be taken to his home and where else would a monk live? Qi Yue followed the young monk into the grand temple.

Upon entering, Qi Yue got a shock, for he encountered military police, the ones he would often see in the capital city. They were all armed and there was even a police cordon not far from the entrance. What kind of place was this? Why were there armed police here?

When the armed police saw the young monk, they all greeted him respectfully by bowing their heads. The young monk gave a slight smile, acknowledged their greeting, and continued to lead Qi Yue further into the temple.

"Why are there armed police here? Has someone at your temple committed a crime?" Qi Yue asked curiously.

The young monk replied, "Your thoughts are indeed novel. This is a national A-level tourist protected area, so there is nothing surprising about the presence of armed police. In Yan Huang language, this temple is known as the Holy Buddha Temple."

Upon reaching this place, Qi Yue sensed an unusual atmosphere within the temple. His heart felt calmer, "What a strange feeling, this place seems very peculiar."

The young monk glanced at Qi Yue and said, "Tibet has its own culture."

The two of them continued further into the temple. Since the Holy Buddha Temple was built according to the terrain of the hill, after some climbing, Qi Yue was panting heavily. However, the young monk remained as composed as ever with his breath and steps steady as before.