Monk Hushu turned to him.
"From here on, you will go alone," he said. "This is your path alone."
"You're not taking this path?" Lin Mu asked in confusion.
"I've already walked this path before. Entering through the main gate of the temple is special for those who do it the first time. Me being there will only disturb the experience." Monk Hushu replied. "I shall enter when you've reached the end." He added.
"I understand," Lin Mu said.
He stepped forward and crossed the threshold.
The instant his foot touched the polished marble of the main temple's courtyard, the air changed.
Warmth enveloped him—not heat, but presence.
As if a thousand eyes were watching, but none judging.
A voice—not one he heard with ears, but felt in his spirit—whispered:
"Come forth, child of Buddha."
The great doors of the temple opened.
Inside, the elders waited.
And at the center of it all, the golden figure of the Abbot, eyes closed once more, already aware.
