Chapter 310 Damian's Fate
Ashley stepped over the 5-inch wooden threshold and entered the room. In the bright candlelight, she saw an elderly man sitting cross-legged. His head was shaved, but there were no incense scars on his scalp. His serene face bore a calm expression, exuding an air of detachment.
Upon closer inspection, this face bore a striking resemblance to Martin's.
Could he be related to Martin by blood?
The little boy never mentioned this, probably because Martin didn't want to share more of his thoughts.
The old man was slowly tapping a wooden fish with one hand, the gentle rhythm inexplicably soothing.
Compared to Martin's cold seriousness, the elderly man before her seemed much kinder.
Ashley softly said, "Bodhi, hello."
Damian suspected he was quite ill, as he found himself accompanying Ashley in her antics. She wanted to visit Bodhi, and not only did he not stop her, but he also came along.
Without waiting for the old man to speak, Damian stepped past Ashley, positioning his tall frame to shield part of her. "You clearly heard, but why aren't you responding?"
Bodhi's hand, which had been tapping the wooden fish, paused in mid-air before gently setting it down. "How do you know I can hear if you are not me?"
Damian's expression remained unchanged, as steady as if he were the monk who had been practicing for a hundred years. "You are well-versed in Buddhist teachings, free from distractions, and naturally understand the voices of all beings."
Ashley was slightly surprised. How could Damian speak so smoothly with a monk?
Where did he learn this rhetoric?
Bodhi continued in a calm tone, "If one is free from distractions, where do the voices come from? They are merely obsessions. Whether one listens or not, what difference does it make?"
Ashley felt exhausted. She wasn't confident in conversing with Bodhi; it was too profound.
Damian chuckled lightly, "The Buddha statues you worship daily still listens to the prayers of the faithful. So, Bodhi, are you more enlightened than them? If you don't listen, how can you help others?"
Bodhi half-closed his eyes, his gaze lowered as if looking at something, yet seeing nothing. "The Buddha can only help those who seek help themselves, and all phenomena and events in the world are the result of causes and conditions."
Ashley's head hurt from the convoluted conversation. How was this harder to understand than legal documents?
Damian said, "Even if there is fate, someone still needs to provide guidance."
Ashley's gaze lingered on him, unable to look away for a moment.
Did Damian do his research in advance?
Finally, Bodhi's eyes returned to clarity from their half-dreaming state. He looked at the young man before him, and after a moment, his expression changed slightly. "You didn't come to discuss Buddhism with me. What is it?"
Damian said, "To be precise, it's about you."
Bodhi replied indifferently, "I have become a monk. What matters could I have?"
Ashley thought she had to say something; otherwise, these two would continue talking and confuse her even more. "I came from Mr. Collins. Do you know him?"
Bodhi said, "Yes."
"Are you... brothers?" Judging by their looks and ages, there seemed to be no other possibility.
Bodhi said, "I am a monk. I have no siblings."
So, that was it?
Ashley said, "You and Mr. Collins have an unresolved issue. Maybe you've found salvation through Buddhism, but your brother is still deeply troubled, unable to let go even in his eighties. Since you guide others out of suffering, shouldn't you help your own family?"
Bodhi remained indifferent as if his brother was no longer within his scope of thought. "Miss, I have no brother."
Ashley laughed in frustration. "Mr. Collins lives alone at the foot of the mountain, looking up at it every day, surely wanting to see you. How much pain must he be in? You Buddhists don't kill, not even an ant, yet you can bear to see someone suffer so much?"
Bodhi recited a Buddhist phrase and then said, "All suffering is a result of obsessions. Let go of them, and there will be no suffering. I cannot help him."
Ashley took a few steps forward, getting a closer look at the old man's face. She was certain this was Martin's brother. "Bodhi, you were raised by parents too, right?"
Before Bodhi could respond, Ashley continued, "I don't understand Buddhism, but I do understand basic family ties. Your parents wouldn't want to see their sons grow old and die without reconciling. It's said that people tend to speak kindly when they're close to death. How many more years do you have left? Is it good to leave with regrets?"
Bodhi said, "Miss, you are eloquent, but I have said I have no worries."
"He does! He often sits in the yard late at night, wiping away tears. How much pain must he be in to make an old man cry?"
Bodhi's perfectly calm face finally showed a slight wrinkle. He moved his mouth, "Why... does he need to?"
Seeing that he was moved, Ashley continued, "To solve a problem, you must find its root. If you still have a shred of brotherly affection, you should give him an answer. Don't let Mr. Collins take his regrets to the grave."
Bodhi closed his eyes deeply, recalling the past.
After a long time, he let out a long sigh.
He didn't say what exactly it was, and Ashley didn't know what kind of grudge the brothers had that led one to become a monk and the other to wait bitterly at the foot of the mountain.
If it were a man and a woman, it would be a touching love story.
When Bodhi regained his initial calm, Ashley spoke again, "Bodhi..."
This time, Bodhi didn't speak to her but looked at Damian, who had been sitting indifferently. "Sir, come here."
'Come over?'
Ashley was afraid Damian would say something hurtful, so she quickly grabbed his uninjured arm and urged, "Bodhi has something to say to you. Go over."
Damian frowned. It was lucky it was Ashley; anyone else wouldn't have dared.
Bodhi took his left hand and examined it carefully, deep in thought. "I can tell from your face that you are not an ordinary person. I didn't expect..."
Damian didn't want to hear his mysticism. "What do you mean by 'not ordinary'?"
Bodhi said, "Although you are not yet thirty, your past experiences have been tumultuous. However, compared to the future, all your past is just a prologue."
"Is that so?" Damian's tone remained indifferent and disdainful.
Ashley, however, pricked up her ears.
Bodhi looked worried. "Your marriage..."
Damian didn't believe in this. His mother had once taken him to a fortune teller, who said that he and Ashley would have a rocky relationship and were not a good match. But he had always thought so and never planned to be with her forever.
But now, even if the whole world turned against him, he would defy fate. No gods, no destiny could stop him unless she gave her heart to someone else. Otherwise, he would take her back.
He never believed in fate!
Before Bodhi could finish, he withdrew his hand. "Bodhi is a high monk, not a street fortune teller. These petty tricks are not worth your trouble."
Seeing his stubbornness, Bodhi didn't get angry but patiently said, "Your life will be full of ups and downs, very glorious. But if you don't heed my words, you will suffer greatly."
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