Shi Hai returned to Baima Temple with a worried look on his face. Facing the expectant eyes of the old monks in the courtyard, he slowly shook his head.
Upon receiving a negative answer, the hopeful old monks, their expressions a mixture of laughter and tears, helped each other away, leaving behind only a few sighs.
Shi Hai cursed the emperor inwardly for being shameless, taking the benefits from the Buddhist sect but refusing to reciprocate.
The worldly-wise man couldn't believe that the emperor hadn't figured out what he and the Buddhist sect were up to.
Seeking immortality! Seeking the Dao! Seeking a chance for eternal life!
Having practiced Zen meditation for many years, and having been influenced by the creations of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, I myself have no supernatural abilities whatsoever.
Upon receiving news of the goddess, these old monks were overjoyed. Even if they were half-lying in their coffins, they would still insist that their disciples drag them to the capital.
If one cannot obtain the lineage of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva from the goddess...
The goddess herself is also a favorite of the great god, and she is not incapable of being flexible when necessary.
"Alright, let's wait for our senior uncles and elders to arrive before we discuss our important plans together."
Shih-hai recited scriptures for a while, barely calming his emotions, and made up his mind.
Yan Pei respectfully saw the host off. Once the host was out of sight, he stood up, flicked his sleeves, and squinted as he looked to his left.
That is precisely where the eaves of Fengyang Palace soar high.
"Goddess," he murmured. "His Majesty's mind is ever-changing and hard to fathom. Although he knew about the Buddhist sect's unusual activities long ago, he can still pretend to know nothing about it today."
The abbot of Baima Temple still couldn't understand: if Buddhism had entered the fray, how could Taoism remain on the sidelines?
When the two sides clash, only the emperor, who sits firmly on the sidelines, can seize the greatest benefit.
But Your Majesty, have you forgotten to consider the goddess's feelings...?
"Ah!" Ling Xiao touched his nose.
"Someone must be insulting you," he said seriously, showing a lack of patience and forgetfulness.
The next second, the system regretted it. How could it always forget how capricious its host was? Oh no, it was going to suffer again.
"Haven't I already received enough insults?" To everyone's surprise, Ling Xiao seemed unfazed, changing the subject instead:
"Haven't you been asking me why I'm still unwilling to leave the Great Jin World even though the mission is complete?"
"Yes, look, we've successfully completed the main quest and completed so many side quests. Based on this system's experience, we can't squeeze any more profit out of them."
As the system spoke, it secretly glanced at the host and was quite impressed. It never expected that a host it had picked up at random would have such great potential.
Although the person was a bit violent, of unknown origin, and a bit scary, none of that matters!
Whether it's a black cat or a white cat, a good cat is one that can catch mice; getting the job done is the ultimate goal.
"A world can't be squeezed dry so easily; it's far from enough."
The girl's lips parted, the bright red against her white skin making her exceptionally charming.
Seeing the little system shiver with a sense of awe and confusion, Ling Xiao said seriously, "Just listen to me."
He nodded in a daze, but later regretted it deeply, feeling that his host just wanted to be reckless!
That sounds nice, but what I really want is to hold a world in my hands, manipulate it at will, and enjoy the thrill of domination... How perverted.
Soon, the host taught him a lesson that goes something like, "Your grandpa is still your grandpa!"
I've completed the mission, can't I find another one?
………………
The army marched eighty li a day and only stopped when they reached the outskirts of the capital. In order to maintain their appearance, General Su finally ordered a rest and cleanup by the river.
As Wenxin stepped down from the carriage, the moment his toes touched the ground, a sharp, tingling pain shot up his back from his buttocks, nearly causing him to collapse to his knees.
"If I weren't afraid that fool would act rashly and contradict His Majesty, I wouldn't have suffered this ordeal."
Despite his poor horsemanship, the Imperial Uncle Wen, who was pursuing a scholarly path, grumbled through gritted teeth.
Not far away, Su Lie touched his nose, somewhat embarrassed, and came over to help his friend to rest for a while.
Because it was just a short rest and no camp was set up, all Wenxin could see were soldiers sitting on the ground, which made him look down on them, as he had the habits of a young master.
Just then, someone reported that there was a new temple ahead, with neat and clean buildings.
"Hurry up and go!"
Wenxin immediately perked up. When the two arrived at the temple they had mentioned, it was indeed a new temple, and the fresh paint on the wooden statues hadn't even dried yet!
Although there was only one temple keeper inside, the offering table was fully stocked with fruits and snacks, and the incense burner was filled with incense sticks.
"What kind of temple is this? Why is it so popular?" Su Lie raised his eyebrows, sensing something was amiss.
Because they were a family of military generals, the women in the family would often burn incense, pray to Buddha, and make offerings to the Three Pure Ones to pray for the safety of the men on the battlefield.
Having been exposed to various gods and Buddhas since childhood, Su Lie had some understanding of them, and this statue clearly did not belong to any of them in his memory.
Could it be some kind of lewd ritual in the mountains?
Generally speaking, a wild temple that is extremely popular with worshippers is not worthy of its status and must have some filth and corruption behind it.
His hand slowly tightened on the hilt of the sword, and his gaze toward the temple keeper grew increasingly dangerous.
"Put away your sword, you idiot," Wen Xin retorted.
He rolled his eyes so hard they were practically reaching the sky. All he does when things get tough is resort to violence. How did I even become friends with him?
Pointing to a line of small characters on the majestic statue, Su Lie stared intently and read: "Summer of the seventh year, by order of the Emperor Yue, the Black Emperor Statue was commissioned."
That was left by the craftsman who cast the statue, clearly demonstrating the statue's legitimacy.
Su Lie was already used to his friend's teasing, and said to the temple keeper who was standing there, not knowing what was going on:
"Who is the Black Emperor? Why are the villagers around here offering incense so frequently?"
He secretly wondered if he should add another statue for his grandmother, mother, and aunt when he went home this time, as a way of showing his filial piety.
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