This scene left all the monks at Jin'an Temple dumbfounded:

Are the vegetarian dishes at their temple really that delicious?

So much so that even the Empress Dowager of a nation ate so carelessly and reluctantly?

Jin Yuan noticed something amiss. He picked out a prayer bead from his string of prayer beads, walked up to the Empress Dowager, bowed with one hand, and chanted a Buddhist prayer, saying, "Amitabha, the Buddha is merciful. Your desires are too heavy, benefactor. You should purify your mind and reduce your desires. This prayer bead can help you clear your mind, but you also need to exercise self-control, otherwise it will be useless."

The Empress Dowager looked at Jin Yuan indifferently, feeling resentful but unable to muster any emotion.

However, Jin Yuan and the Buddhist beads getting closer did reduce her appetite somewhat.

Taking a handkerchief from a maidservant beside her to wipe her hands, the Empress Dowager accepted the Buddhist prayer beads and tucked them into her bosom. Her tone was indifferent and devoid of emotion: "I thought you were a high-minded person, but you're nothing special."

Jin Yuan didn't argue, but calmly stepped back to make way.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager's condition had eased somewhat, Xi Que anxiously asked, "Miss, you helped that monk the other day, why is he opposing you now?"

"Master Jin Yuan is an enlightened person. Isn't it normal for him to do good deeds in his daily life?" Ji Fengyao brushed the foam off her hands and said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, the Empress Dowager is blinded by greed. Let alone one Buddhist rosary, even ten cartloads of Buddhist rosaries can't save her. On the contrary, they can delay her symptoms and prolong the period during which she can feel pain. In fact, they've helped us punish her!"

"That's wonderful!" The magpie's eyes lit up. She rolled her eyes and immediately ran to Jin Yuan, stretching out her little hand and saying, "Great monk, I also need your Buddhist beads for protection. Please give me one too!"

"Pfft, cough cough!"

Ji Fengyao never expected this girl to pull this stunt, and she almost swallowed a whole amethyst agate.

Jin Yuan glanced at Ji Fengyao: "..."

This fairy maid has nothing but her servants, yet she actually asked this old man for Buddhist prayer beads.

"You old monk, aren't you a highly virtuous monk? You wouldn't even be reluctant to part with a single Buddhist bead meant to save all sentient beings, would you?" Xi Que pouted and reached out to tug at Jin Yuan's white goatee.

"Ouch, please have some self-respect, lady. Don't hurt her!" Jin Yuan winced in pain, quickly took a few steps back, and looked at the fairy with a wronged expression.

Seeing that the fairy remained unmoved as if she tacitly agreed, he had no choice but to take out the string of beads again, pick out one bead, and hand it to the magpie.

With quick eyes and hands, Xique snatched Jin Yuan's Buddhist prayer beads, took out two more beads, and returned the rest to Jin Yuan, saying with a grin, "Thank you, old monk. Go back and mend these beads properly. If we meet again in the future, I might ask you for them again!"

Jin Yuan's face trembled upon hearing this, and he was so frightened that he repeatedly chanted Buddhist prayers: "Amitabha, Amitabha..."

Girl, let's not see each other again!

These are the eighteen Buddha statues that I, the old monk, have offered up before the Buddha with all my heart and soul!

It's not something that can be fixed just like that!

Xi Que's next move made Jin Yuan's lips twitch, leaving him speechless.

Holding the three Buddhist prayer beads, she skipped and hopped over to the Empress Dowager, who was about to board the carriage. She shoved the beads into the Empress Dowager's arms and said, "You're lucky today! The Venerable Master Jin Yuan has shown great compassion and given you a few more prayer beads. Take good care of them; they will ensure you live to be a hundred!"

The palace maids, eunuchs, and nannies around the Empress Dowager were all dumbfounded:

Has this bandit taken the wrong medicine?

Why are you suddenly being so nice to the Empress Dowager?