In the capital city, Meng Longtan, a native of Jiangxi, lived in the same room with a juren surnamed Zhu by chance. One day, the two of them entered an ancient temple where the halls were simple and the monk’s quarters were compact, except for an old monk who temporarily resided there. The old monk warmly welcomed them and led them to explore the scenery inside the temple. In the temple, there is a statue of a high monk named Baozhi, and the murals on both sides are lifelike. Especially on the east wall, there is a painting of a scattered flower goddess, one of whom is a girl with disheveled hair, holding flowers in her hand, laughing and smiling, and her eyes full of affection, which makes people yearn for her.
Zhu Juren gazed at the girl for a long time, his mind gradually becoming lost, as if he were sleepwalking. He suddenly felt his body light and lifted into the air, reaching straight into the mural. The scenery before us is ever-changing, with towering buildings and towering peaks, unlike ordinary dust. A high monk gave a lecture, and the monks stood around to listen. Zhu Juren inexplicably immersed himself in it. Suddenly feeling a light tug on the hem of her clothes, looking back, it was the girl with disheveled hair. With a smile, she turned around and left. Zhu Juren followed closely behind, crossed the winding corridor, and stopped in front of a small house. The girl beckoned him inside, and the room was quiet with no one around. The two of them had a deep affection and shared the joy of clouds and rain together. Afterwards, the girl warned not to make any noise. As night fell, they would meet again for two days.
The incident was finally noticed by the girl’s companions, and everyone found it. They joked, “The baby is already big in the belly, why do you look like a girl?” They then dressed her up, but the girl remained shy and speechless. A female companion smiled and said, “Don’t disturb people’s dreams, sisters.” Everyone laughed and dispersed. Zhu Juren looked at the young girl again, her cloud temples towering high and phoenix hairpin hanging low, adding a touch of charm compared to before. The two of them continued their relationship, and the aura of the musk deer was refreshing to the heart and spleen. In the midst of intimacy, suddenly I heard the rapid sound of boots, the clanging of chains, and the bustling voices of people. The girl was startled, with a frightened expression, and urgently ordered Zhu Ju to hide under the bed. At the opening of the door, a golden armored messenger with a face as black as charcoal, holding a chain and carrying a hammer, surrounded by many heavenly maidens. The messenger asked if there were any hidden mortals, and the heavenly maidens all answered that there were none. The messenger looked around, as if searching. The girl was extremely afraid and urgently ordered Zhu Juren to hide, opening the secret door to escape.
Zhu Ju held his breath and under the bed, the sound of his boots gradually faded away, and the noise gradually subsided. However, there were constant voices outside the door, and Zhu Juren was extremely anxious, with tinnitus, dizziness, and unbearable suffering. Waiting patiently for the girl to return, forgetting her way back. Meng Longtan suddenly lost track of Zhu Ju in the main hall and asked the old monk in surprise. The old monk smiled and replied, “He is listening to the sound of the Dharma.” Longtan asked where he was, and the old monk pointed to the wall and smiled, saying, “It’s not far.” Turning his finger to the wall, he shouted, “Mr. Zhu, why haven’t you been back for a long time?” In the mural, the figure of Zhu Ju suddenly appeared, as if he had heard it. The old monk shouted again, “You’ve been waiting for me for a long time.” Zhu Juren responded with a bewildered expression and weak limbs. Longtan was shocked to inquire about the details, only to find out that Zhu Ju was hiding under the bed when he suddenly heard a thunderous knocking sound. He was startled and left the house, only to find that he had returned to the human world.
Everyone looked at the mural of the girl again and saw that she had already tied her hair in a high bun, not in a disheveled state. Zhu Juren was surprised and thanked the old monk for solving the problem. The old monk smiled and said, “Illusion arises from the heart. How can I know?” Zhu Juren was full of doubts and unanswered questions. Longtan was secretly amazed and frightened upon hearing this, so he bid farewell to the old monk with Zhu Juren and stepped down the stairs to leave.
