Chapter 85: Chapter 85: The Bizarre Happenings Inside the Cien Temple
Outside Ping’an County, watching Yue Shan’s retreating figure, Chen Yuan stood in place and chuckled softly.
Now, the preliminary preparations were finally complete, and next, it was ti to make another visit to Cien Temple for confirmation.
Facing Chapter Official Li Mingqi, even soone like Li Mingqi exercised caution; Chen Yuan dared not take things lightly, let alone deceive with reckless claims—if he did, the consequences would be severe.
Yue Shan had promised that within three days at the latest, either the Chapter Official would co, or he would prepare a letter in advance to inform them.
At that ti, if the Chapter Official truly ca in person, “guessing” would no longer be an option.
He had to co up with sothing sowhat convincing to say.
...
“Wang Ping.”
“Brother Yuan.”
Wang Ping glanced at Chen Yuan and responded.
“Co with to Cien Temple. Look more, speak less.”
“Rest assured, Brother Yuan!”
…
…
North City.
Cien Temple.
Chen Yuan surveyed the surroundings of the temple for a while, then calmly dismounted and walked into the temple.
To this place, Chen Yuan felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
In his mory, every year his uncle would take him here several tis to burn incense and worship Buddha, and after his transmigration, he also ca here to obtain his first opportunity: the Vajra Glaze Body.
But Chen Yuan still felt unfamiliar; unfamiliar with how Cien Temple, a place ant for saving the world and ferrying people, had beco the potential nest of demon-like individuals from the No-Life Sect.
It also concealed sothing as ominously nad as the Blood Evil Saber.
“There are a lot fewer people here than usual.”
Wang Ping looked around and said in a low voice next to Chen Yuan.
Here, Wang Ping had also been before, but at those tis, Cien Temple was bustling, with an endless stream of believers coming to burn incense and worship Buddha. But now…
It had beco quite sparse.
“With consecutive years of drought, the harvests have been poor, and naturally, people don’t have much spare money for tribute or burning incense.”
“That’s true…”
Wang Ping nodded in agreent, emphatically.
It was evident from his father’s business that the drought in Qingzhou these past years was quite severe; in so places, the ground was said to be cracked open.
“Who might the two of you be?”
As Chen Yuan and Wang Ping had just entered, a young, bald monk ca forward, hands clasped in greeting and watching them with a sowhat vigilant gaze.
“We’ve co to burn incense and pray.”
Chen Yuan smiled.
The young monk hesitated for a mont, then quickly smiled, saying:
“The main hall is right ahead; the two benefactors can go straight there.”
Hearing they had co to burn incense, the monk even changed the way he addressed them.
“Alright, thank you.”
Chen Yuan nodded with a smile.
Before coming, he and Wang Ping had already changed their clothes to avoid being noticed.
The young monk gave a slight nod, then turned to attend to other visitors.
“Let’s go…”
Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and began to wander around Cien Temple with Wang Ping.
His gaze scanned up and down, contemplating where Cien Temple might hide its tricks.
Cien Temple was a small temple, but it still had many rooms and halls, and within the temple, a heavy scent of incense pervaded, which made Wang Ping involuntarily exclaim how lavish the temple was, still burning so much incense even in such tis.
After hearing this, Chen Yuan’s gaze flickered, but he didn’t say much.
If one grew suspicious of a place, then no matter what that place was, inconsistencies could always be found.
Before long, Chen Yuan and Wang Ping passed through two gates and arrived before the main hall.
A dozen or so n and won, old and young, were prostrating before the hall, their foreheads touching the ground, their palms facing up in silence.
Chen Yuan squinted his eyes, this was the ritual within the Buddhist community, the receiving and handling of courtesy.
A cold sneer crept into his heart, Buddhism preaches the equality of all beings, but could this ritual be considered equal to the believers?
“Brother Yuan, I recognize these people.”
Wang Ping lowered his voice.
“Who are they?”
Chen Yuan asked.
“Brother Yuan, do you still rember those missing children I told you about yesterday? These people are their parents…” Wang Ping said softly.
“Children go missing, and praying to gods and Buddha can bring them back?” Chen Yuan shook his head slightly.
He left unsaid that their children might have gone missing because of soone within Cien Temple.
“Entrance to the hall, two silver taels.”
A middle-aged, chubby monk with several scars on his head approached Chen Yuan and spoke in a calm tone.
“Why has the price gone up? Wasn’t it just a hundred wen when I visited last ti?”
Chen Yuan asked with a firm voice.
To avoid suspicion, Chen Yuan needed to make himself appear as a true believer.
“The abbot wishes to repair the Buddha’s Golden Body.”
The middle-aged monk said with a light smile.
After giving him a long look, Chen Yuan handed over two silver taels:
“So it’s for the repair of the Buddha’s Golden Body, then indeed the price should go up a bit.”
“It’s donors like you who keep the Buddha in mind, these donors…” The middle-aged monk looked over at the n and won, young and old, kneeling in the distance and shook his head with a hint of disdain in his eyes.
“Seeking Buddha does not depend on silver, as long as the sincerity is there.”
The middle-aged monk smiled and said no more.
Chen Yuan and Wang Ping took two sticks of incense from the hands of the middle-aged monk and stepped into the main hall.
In the center, a towering golden Buddha sat several ters tall on a lotus pedestal, coldly and indifferently looking down upon every entering believer.
Chen Yuan activated his Heavenly Eye, a faint and hard-to-detect Qing light erged within his eyes as he surveyed the hall, but alas, there was no movent.
His gaze returned to normal, and Chen Yuan calmly approached, placing the lit incense in the censer ahead without kneeling down.
Whether in his past life or this one, Chen Yuan had never believed in gods or Buddha.
In the practice of martial arts, one cultivates oneself.
Wang Ping, imitating Chen Yuan’s actions, placed his incense stick and then followed Chen Yuan out of the main hall.
In front of the gate, that group of people continued to bow devoutly, but Chen Yuan passed by without a glance.
After leaving the main hall, Chen Yuan purposefully headed towards the place where Cien Temple displayed its scriptures.
Outside the Scripture Pavilion.
A Qing-robed monk was sweeping the floor. Chen Yuan took a good look and recognized him. Last ti, it was this monk who had provided him with the Vajra Glaze Body technique.
“Master.”
Chen Yuan greeted with his hand placed respectfully across his chest.
The Qing-robed monk slowly lifted his head, his face lined with the wear of ti, and upon seeing Chen Yuan, he looked slightly surprised:
“Ah, Donor Chen, what brings you to offer incense today?”
“Recent tis have been unfavorable, and I wished to burn so incense to seek the Buddha’s blessing,” Chen Yuan replied with a light smile.
“Buddha is in the heart, as long as one keeps him in mind at all tis.”
The Qing-robed monk smiled back.
“Master is truly enlightened, even casual remarks contain Buddhist truths.”
“Donor Chen flatters . I’ve heard that you have now taken up the position of an arrest officer?”
“Perhaps it is the fortune from burning those Diamond Sutras for my uncle before that allowed this lucky opportunity,” Chen Yuan was not surprised, as many people in Ping’an County knew he’d beco an arrest officer.
Not to ntion this monk, with whom he was comparatively well acquainted.
“Donor Chen is a man of good fortune.”
“Master, I’d like to ask you a question.”
The Qing-robed monk smiled, saying nothing.
With no change in expression, Chen Yuan passed over a silver tael.
“Donor Chen, please ask,” the Qing-robed monk smiled faintly and discreetly tucked the silver into his sleeve.
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