The gluttonous little boy is four and a half years old, and even the wealthy family kneels down and

Xiao Jin rushed up to the mountain gate in one breath and pushed open the wooden door of the Taoist temple.

The courtyard was full of people—all of them were fellow disciples who had come down the mountain to travel. They were all dressed in simple Taoist robes. When they saw her burst in, they were all stunned, their faces still bearing traces of tears.

"Xiao Jin?" Senior Brother Shouyi was the first to react and quickly came to greet her.

But Xiao Jin didn't even look at him. She crouched down and squeezed through the crowd, heading straight for her master's bedroom.

The wooden door creaked open.

A plain candle was lit inside the room, its flame flickering softly.

The master lay on the old wooden bed by the window, wearing a brand-new Taoist robe, his eyes closed, his beard still messy, as if he was just asleep and would open his eyes the next second, hit her on the head with his bamboo cane, and scold her as a "little rascal".

"Master!"

Xiao Jin let out a cry and pounced over, lying down by the bed and reaching out her little hands to grab her master's hand.

Those hands were cold and icy, no longer as warm and cozy as before, when they would hold her little hands and teach her to draw talismans.

"Master, wake up!" She shook her master's arm, tears streaming down her face, splashing onto his robe and leaving a small wet patch. "You lied to Xiao Jin! You said you weren't leaving! Get up!"

"Master lied to Xiao Jin."

"Master lied to Xiao Jin!!"

She cried her heart out, her little face turning red, and her cries of "Master" were high-pitched and hoarse, making everyone's heart clench.

Yun Zhengbang then staggered in. When he saw his older brother lying quietly on the bed, his knees buckled and he almost fell over. Luckily, Yun Mingyuan caught him.

The old man gripped his cane tightly, his knuckles white, and cloudy tears streamed down his wrinkles. He couldn't utter a single word.

Yun Ziang stood at the door, his nose stinging with tears. He raised his hand to wipe his face, but the more he wiped, the more intense the tears became.

He wanted to go over and comfort her, but seeing Xiao Jin lying by the bedside crying and hiccuping, his throat felt sore and he couldn't utter a single word.

Several junior brothers surrounded her, gently coaxing her, "Junior sister, don't cry," and tried to pull her up.

"No!" Xiao Jin jerked away, lunging forward, her little hands clutching her chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "Xiao Jin feels so bad... like a stone is pressing down on me... Master, please come back..."

In the midst of the chaos, something furry gently touched her nose.

It's a cloth tiger, yellow with black stripes, the stitches are crooked, the ears are uneven, and the tail is sewn a bit crooked. It's clearly the work of a master craftsman.

She used to pester her for a doll on the mountain, so her master cut the fabric from his half-worn yellow Taoist robe and sewed it three times before finally managing to put together the ugly tiger that she would hug and sleep with every day.

Now, this new tiger has a round belly and looks much better than that ugly tiger. It also carries the familiar scent of herbs and pine smoke, exactly the same as the scent on Master's Taoist robe.

Immediately afterwards, a familiar voice came from inside the cloth tiger's belly, both husky and bright, with the usual teasing laughter, exactly the same as when it used to squat beside her, tapping her head and teasing her as a "little rascal":

"Hey, whose little brat is crying? Her tears are practically flowing like a river. If she keeps crying, they'll flood the gates of Qingyun Temple!"

Xiao Jin's crying suddenly stopped.

Glistening teardrops still clung to her eyelashes, trembling precariously at the corners of her eyes, not falling for a long time.

Its round eyes were wide open, staring unblinkingly at the ugly cloth tiger, as if afraid that if it blinked, the sound would dissipate and the tiger would vanish.

She hesitated for a long time before finally extending her tiny fingertip to gently touch the cloth tiger's soft nose, and softly, tentatively called out, "Master?"

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, tinged with the nasal tone of someone crying, and tinged with barely concealed fear.

I fear this is a dream, one that will shatter at the slightest touch.

"It's me." Cloth Tiger shook his head, his one ear twitching slightly. His voice was still that of a mischievous old man. "Master has gone to be an immortal. The Jade Emperor is in charge in heaven, and the rules are very strict. You can't just sneak down to the mortal world. If you secretly run down, you'll be punished by sweeping the Peach Garden, which would take three hundred years to finish."

He paused, his voice softening, like when he used to coax her into drinking bitter medicine: "This tiger is me in disguise, left here to keep an eye on you. To see if you're drawing the talismans properly, if you're secretly eating the osmanthus cakes on the offering table, and if you're accumulating merit. Master can see everything you do."

Xiao Jin stared at the cloth tiger, her dark, grape-like eyes slowly brightening.

She sobbed, gently grasped the tiger's ear with her small hand and shook it, then whispered:

"Then...will Master come back?"

After asking the question, she held her breath, her little fists clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"When you've accumulated nine hundred and ninety-nine great merits, and the longevity jade around your neck shines as brightly as the sun in the sky, your master will come to pick you up." Cloth Tiger's voice was slow and deliberate, with a hint of deliberate seriousness. "But these great merits must be genuine acts of helping people. Small things like helping an old lady pick up her basket or feeding the kittens at the foot of the mountain don't count. You can't just make up the numbers."

"Before this, your master hid here, accompanying you every day. When you ate, your master watched over you; when you slept, your master guarded you; when you went to catch bad guys, your master followed you."

Xiao Jin stared at the cloth tiger for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter through her tears.

The jade pendant was warm and translucent, with a faint golden glow, several times brighter than when it came down from the mountain, like holding a small, warm sun.

"Master, look! Little Yu Yu is already so bright!" Her eyes sparkled with a hint of pride as she counted on her fingers, "Little Jin helped Sister Gu Ling remove the dark energy from her shoulder, helped the uncles and aunts in the building dispel the bad talismans, and helped so many lost ghosts reincarnate... She's already accumulated so much merit!"

As she counted, she became a little uncertain, tilting her head and asking, "Does this...do these count as great merit? Is it enough for half?"

Before the cloth tiger could answer, she nodded vigorously again, clenching her little fist and earnestly promising, "Xiao Jin will work hard! I'll collect nine hundred and ninety-nine pieces soon! Master must come to pick Xiao Jin up then!"

She hugged the cloth tiger tightly to her chest, pressed her face against the furry tiger's head, and gently rubbed it.

It's the same familiar taste, the same familiar tone.

Master didn't leave.

Master has always been there.

Everyone in the room watched her small figure, holding an ugly cloth tiger, talking earnestly to her "master," and felt a lump of cotton in their hearts, a mixture of sourness and tenderness.

Yun Zi'ang turned his face away, walked quickly into the courtyard, leaned against the wall, covered his mouth, and silently shed tears.

No one told Xiao Jin that this cloth tiger was sewn by her master with his last breath before he passed away.

The contents of the cloth tiger were also created by his eldest disciple, Shouyi, using artificial intelligence. He recorded all the things he said to tease her, the things he told her, his personality, and his tone into the AI, just in case he left and the little girl cried and no one could comfort her.

Xiao Jin hugged the cloth tiger, rubbed its fluffy head, turned to the room and grinned at everyone. Tears still clung to her face, but her eyes crinkled with laughter: "Look! Master isn't leaving! Master is with Xiao Jin!"

Seeing her innocent and carefree appearance, everyone could no longer hold back, and for a moment, suppressed sobs filled the room and outside.

For the next seven days, the Taoist temple set up a mourning hall and held a seven-day fast and ritual.

Incense smoke curled and chanting continued.

Yun Zhengbang and his family observed the mourning rites for three days as juniors.

On the seventh day, the merits were completed, and Yun Zhenglu's memorial tablet was sent to the Zhenguan Hall in the rear palace for eternal worship.

On the day the altar was closed, Shouyi, dressed in formal monastic robes, stood on the steps in front of the main hall and, in front of all his fellow disciples and the Yun family, delivered his master's last instructions.

"Master's dying wish," Shouyi's voice was steady, "is to pass on the position of Abbot of Qingyun Temple on Lingfu Mountain to your disciple, Xiaojin."

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room erupted in uproar.

"What? You're making our junior sister the abbess?"

"She's only four years old! How can this be allowed?"

Even Yun Zhengbang was stunned and looked up at Shouyi.

Shouyi raised his hand to quell the murmurs and continued, "Master said that Xiaojin is naturally gifted and has a kind heart. She is the heir to our sect. She is still young, so I will temporarily take charge of the affairs of the temple and assist her in her cultivation until she comes of age."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and took out a neatly folded little Taoist robe from the hall. It was moon-white with small cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs. It was made for Xiao Jin by her master stitch by stitch before he passed away.

Shouyi squatted down and draped the small Taoist robe over Xiaojin's body.

Xiao Jin, dressed in a loose Taoist robe, shook his sleeves and reached out to touch the Hunyuan scarf on his head. It was crooked but looked quite proper.

She hugged the cloth tiger, looked up at Shouyi with her little face, and asked, "Senior Brother, will Xiaojin be the abbot too?"

"Yes." Shouyi smiled and gently patted the top of her head.

"There is one more thing." Shouyi raised his eyes and looked at everyone. "Master's dying wish is that the main altar of Qingyun Temple be moved to the capital."

His voice was calm, yet every word was clear: "From then on, the mountain gate was established in the suburbs of the capital, where Xiao Jin lived, practicing cultivation while helping the world."

The disciples exchanged glances, then bowed in unison: "We will obey your command, Master!"

The wind twirled the bronze bells at the corner of the palace, making them jingle.

Xiao Jin stood on the steps, wearing a large Taoist robe, holding an ugly cloth tiger in her arms, and looking up at the clouds in the sky.

The master said that he was watching over her from heaven.

Then she must accumulate merit diligently and hurry, very quickly, to see her master.

Three months later, a new Qingyun Temple was erected at the foot of the Western Hills on the outskirts of Beijing.

It lacks the ancient grandeur of Lingfu Mountain, but it is still quiet and elegant with its blue bricks and gray tiles. Two pine trees, which were Yun Zhenglu's favorites, are planted beside the mountain gate. When the wind blows, the sound of the pine trees and the sound of the copper bells on the mountaintop intertwine, just like the days of the past.

The other disciples who went down the mountain to travel have left, leaving only Shouyi in the temple. Xiaojin will come back after finishing kindergarten during the day.

The young abbot acted quite convincingly.

After three months of investigation, the Qicheng Real Estate case finally resulted in Zhou Kun's confession.

On the day of the arrest, Zhou Kun sat in a wheelchair in a suburban villa, watching the police push the door open and come in. He didn't resist or say anything, but just stared at the Yun family's GG sign outside the window and laughed, a sinister and desolate laugh.

Before the transfer, Yun Zhengbang went to see him.

More than 30 years have passed since we last met. The brothers who were once full of vigor and ambition are now worlds apart. One has become a senior businessman who uses crutches, while the other has become a prisoner confined to a wheelchair.

Yun Zhengbang pushed an old receipt in front of him.

Thirty years ago, after Zhou Kun absconded with the money, Yun Zhengbang paid off his debts, along with his younger brother Lin Hongye's medical bills for three years.

"Back then, after you left, the workers blocked the construction site demanding their wages, and creditors came to our door every day. I weathered it all and paid off all the debts you owed." Yun Zhengbang's voice was deep. "Hongye later recovered from amputation, and I paid for it all. I never contacted you, nor did I tell anyone. Zhou Kun, you've hated me for thirty years, but you've never really hated me; it was your own greed."

Zhou Kun stared at those documents for a very long time.

The sinister, ruthless, and obsessive look on his face gradually crumbled, eventually turning into a gloomy, defeated smile.

He was laughing, and then tears started streaming down his face.

Yun Zhengbang looked at Zhou Kun with complicated emotions, the memories of the storms they had weathered together flashing before his eyes. After a long while, he sighed:

"In terms of ability, Yun Zhengbang is not much better than you in this life, so what I have won over you has never been business, but people's hearts."

After Yun Zhengbang finished speaking, he left, putting an end to the grudges of that year.

After that day, Zhou Kun went on a hunger strike for three days in the detention center and left quietly.

He left a letter with only one sentence: I lost, and I accept my defeat wholeheartedly.

Another year has passed in the blink of an eye.

The incense at Qingyun Temple gradually became more abundant, and people in the outskirts of Beijing all knew that there was a small Taoist temple in the Western Hills. The abbess was a four-year-old girl who was very capable, kind-hearted, and the peace charms she obtained were particularly effective.

When people come to fulfill their vows, they can always see the young abbot wearing a small Taoist robe, holding an ugly cloth tiger in his arms, squatting on the steps feeding ants, and grinning when he sees people, revealing two small tiger teeth.

That evening, Yun Ziang came to pick her up to go down the mountain for hot pot.

Xiao Jin, holding her cloth tiger, sat in the passenger seat, looking out at the bustling traffic and the lights of countless homes, and suddenly whispered:

"Tiger, tiger, Master said that only by entering the world can one know the warmth and coldness of human relationships and distinguish between good and evil. Xiao Jin seems to understand a little bit now."

The cloth tiger didn't make a sound, as if it were asleep.

She lowered her head and touched the jade pendant around her neck. The jade was warm and translucent, gleaming with a faint golden light.

She knew that her master was watching her.

The road ahead is long, and there is much merit to be gained; she must walk slowly and accumulate it gradually.

One day, she will accumulate nine hundred and ninety-nine great merits and go to see her master in a grand and glorious manner.

Outside the car window, the sky was ablaze with the colors of sunset.

Inside the Yun family villa, everyone eagerly awaited Xiao Jin's return home.

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End of the full text.