Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Great Buddha Temple

It was evident that Li Er held Li Jiancheng in high esteem. There was no pretense or falsity in his demeanor, just the genuine, deep-seated respect a younger brother feels for his elder.

The group of young men gathered together, discussing the grand trends of the world, shared a harmonious atmosphere. Yun Hao knew well that the more clearly people saw the state of the world, the more they cared for their own interests. Because they saw clearly, they sought to control their own destinies. The term "Heaven" held no deterrent power for them; defying the will of the heavens to reshape their fates was what truly occupied the minds of these hot-blooded youths. Perhaps this was an underlying reason for the future clash of arms between Li Er and Li Jiancheng.

He glanced at Li Yuanji, who was peeking around nearby, pretending to read in the room. He was a schemer as well, having allied with the eldest brother to bring down the second. In the end, his entire household was wiped out by the second brother. It was said that every one of his sons had been eliminated—a true cutting of the weeds to remove the roots.

It was better to have Li Yuanba behind him, busy devouring fried chicken. With a simple mind, he couldn't see so far ahead; the food and wine before him were his only pursuits in life. Sometimes, simplicity of mind was its own form of happiness.

Using the excuse of needing to relieve himself, Yun Hao slipped away with Li Yuanba. He had to negotiate with those "bald donkeys" at the Great Buddha Temple today. Ever since Hongren had declared Yun Hao a "Guardian of the Buddha," Yun Hao had felt uneasy without a powerful bodyguard by his side.

Geothermal fires were not a daily occurrence. Naturally, both Buddhist and Taoist factions would flock to the Yun family estate for "theoretical research." They would then connect their theories to practice, conducting a comprehensive analysis to determine which deity had been offended, so they could offer up the appropriate number of children based on that deity's specific preferences. Regardless, the fire would eventually go out, and that would be interpreted as the result of the deity forgiving the mortals.

Li Yuan would submit a report to the imperial court, and the masters of both sects would gain countless followers, seizing the opportunity to rake in mountains of wealth. As for those children turned to ash, aside from their parents, no one would remember them at all.

The Great Buddha Temple was grand and magnificent. The Four Heavenly Kings in the Hall of Heavenly Kings were painted in gold and vibrant colors. Standing over thirty feet tall, one could feel truly insignificant in their presence. Upon reaching the Mahavira Hall, it was even more staggering; the fifty-foot-tall Shakyamuni statue looked like a giant of solid gold. The guest-greeting monk humbly remarked that the gold leaf on the statue was only a finger thick, appearing quite "shabby."

"Amitabha! So it is Benefactor Yun!" Shenxiu appeared behind Yun Hao like a ghost, his chant resonating with the sound of metal clashing against stone. Caught off guard, Yun Hao was startled like a frightened rabbit.

"How did you float in through such a high threshold? Are you a man or a ghost? Would it kill you to make some noise when you walk?" Calming his fragile heart, Yun Hao glared at Shenxiu without a hint of warmth.

These were the types who "pointed at the Buddha to wear robes and sold the Buddha to earn their meals." Their cassocks were embroidered with gold thread, shining brilliantly in the sunlight as if they were deities themselves. One couldn't tell if these monks were worshiping the Buddha or if the Buddha was meant to worship them. In his past life, he had visited the Shaolin Temple, paid a hefty admission fee, and was even scolded by the monks just for trying to take a photograph. The vicious-looking guest-greeting monk had left a deep impression on him.

"Benefactor Yun, what is the purpose of your visit? If you are here to mock this monk, I am afraid I cannot accompany you!" Shenxiu had a fiery temper. That he hadn't slapped Yun Hao twice on the spot was only out of respect for the medical officer of the Duke of Tang’s estate.

"Stop with the 'Benefactor Yun' talk; I have no money to donate to you lot. Tell your master that a divine miracle has occurred on my estate."

"Are you referring to the geothermal fire? My master is preparing to go and observe it!" Shenxiu said with a cold expression. Extinguishing the fire and appeasing the resentment of the underworld was an act of supreme merit. If the Great Monk Hongren accomplished this, he would secure his reputation as a great master of his generation. Perhaps he would even earn a place in the future Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda.

"The fire is nothing, just child's play. My estate’s land is 'cursed,' and just as I arrived, I ran into such a freakish event. So, I intend to create something even more sensational. Tomorrow, I will personally 'plant' a Buddha statue. I’ve chosen your Great Buddha Temple as the venue. I wonder if the Great Monk Hongren will permit it." The news of the fire had already spread throughout Jinyang; to suppress it, he had to create something even more shocking.

Having watched many investigative programs in his past life, Yun Hao decided to follow their lead and give it a try.

"Plant what?" The calm, pond-like face of Shenxiu changed instantly. His brows knitted together, and his eyes seemed to bulge. The Buddha was his lifelong pursuit, and this boy actually wanted to "plant" one. If he didn't beat the green excrement out of him today, he wouldn't be worthy of the name!

"Plant a Buddha...!" Before he could finish, a gust of wind struck. Yun Hao felt a blur before his eyes, and a fist appeared right in front of his face. He hadn't expected Shenxiu to know martial arts, and high-level ones at that.

But the fist stopped two inches from Yun Hao's face, unable to move any further. Li Yuanba’s thin, dark hand had caught Shenxiu’s wrist. He was an honest fellow; Yun Hao had promised him two helpings of fried chicken, and he wouldn't eat the chicken for nothing.

Yun Hao was thrilled by his own brilliant decision. He was so impressed with himself that he vowed to bow to his own reflection when he got home.

"Knock out two of his teeth, and I'll stew a big goose for you!" With a top-tier warrior like Li Yuanba by his side, Yun Hao was feeling quite arrogant. In front of the greatest warrior of the Sui and Tang dynasties, any expert had to fold. Yun Hao didn't believe for a second that Shenxiu could be Li Yuanba's match.

"You got it!" Li Yuanba exerted force and yanked backward. Shenxiu immediately felt a monstrous strength pulling him, and as he stumbled, Li Yuanba’s fist swung toward his face. If that punch landed, never mind two teeth—all four front teeth would be out of a job!

"Amitabha, Benefactor, let us discuss this reasonably. My disciple is a bit arrogant; I hope Brother Yun will forgive him!" He spoke calmly, but his feet were busy. He casually kicked at Li Yuanba’s supporting leg, forcing him to dodge to the side. The thunderous punch vanished into thin air.

*Damn!* This old monk was also an expert. Could the legend of the "Sweeping Monk" be true?

The Great Monk Hongren held one palm vertically against his chest, a warm smile on his face. Beside him stood Huineng, his head covered in cooking soot. He didn't know what this monk was up to. In such a tense atmosphere, it was rare for this "flower monk" to smile at Yun Hao and even make a silly face.

"Great Monk, you saw it. Your disciple threw the first punch. I’m an honest man—I don’t offend those who don’t offend me."

"Heh heh! Shenxiu is devoted to the Buddha; naturally, he cannot tolerate you desecrating the divine. Shenxiu! The Buddha has no self-image, no image of others, and no image of sentient beings. In the three thousand worlds of red dust, one can hide Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed! If Brother Yun says he can plant one in the ground, what is strange about that? You are far too reckless—go back and copy the Diamond Sutra three hundred times as punishment."

Shenxiu returned to his deadpan expression, glanced at Yun Hao, bowed to Hongren, and retreated. The guest-greeting monk also silently withdrew. Soon, only Yun Hao, Li Yuanba, Hongren, and Huineng remained in the hall.

"You little bastard, what kind of trouble are you brewing now?" Yun Hao would never have believed that those words would come out of the mouth of the gentle-faced Hongren.