MinZhong Temple is a Buddhist monastery where the pursuit of the Frost Silkworm briefly intersects with the monks’ routine of prayer and work. Its garden becomes the setting for You TanZhi’s theft of the creature from HuiJing, turning an otherwise secluded temple into a consequential stop in the search for it.

Setting and Monastic Life

A plaque at the entrance identifies the site as MinZhong Temple. You TanZhi follows a trail of scorch marks past the temple and around to its rear, where he hears the monks chanting and striking wooden fish during a prayer session. The grounds include a large patch of open earth and a vegetable garden, the latter serving as the immediate setting for the encounter.

The temple’s routine is made visible through HuiJing, a short, heavyset monk who has slipped away from prayer to attend to the Frost Silkworm. When another monk calls him back, HuiJing hides his food and drink, takes up a hoe, and claims to be planting vegetables. The middle-aged monk insists that everyone attend the morning and evening prayers and reminds HuiJing that, while staying at MinZhong Temple, he must observe its rules.

The Frost Silkworm in the Garden

HuiJing keeps the Frost Silkworm within a yellow circle made from medicinal herbs. The creature darts around the ground but cannot cross the boundary. From outside the fence, You TanZhi recognizes that the circle is keeping it contained and waits for an opportunity to take it.

After HuiJing leaves for the prayer session, You TanZhi enters the garden and uses HuiJing’s gourd to capture the silkworm. He pours out the remaining wine, moves the gourd’s rim over the edge of the medicinal circle, and the creature enters. He seals the gourd and escapes from the garden with it.

Consequences and Significance

The theft gives You TanZhi possession of the sought-after creature, but the gourd soon becomes difficult to hold because of the silkworm’s extreme cold. He manages this immediate problem by tying his belt around the vessel and carrying it by the belt. The episode thus makes the temple a turning point in the pursuit: its garden provides a carefully contained opportunity, while the creature’s nature immediately complicates the success of the theft.