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Chapter 619 - Visitors
In the dark woods, Li Huowang and the Abbot were still talking, but the atmosphere had become much calmer.
“Who’s your Siming?” Li Huowang asked the Abbot.
“Siming? We're monks. We believe in the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas. We do not believe in Simings.”
Li Huowang rephrased his question, asking, “Then, which Buddha do you worship?”
“Amitabha. We pray to Vaicorana from Vajradhatu, the Diamond Realm Akshobhya from Abhirati, the Eastern Pure Land Ratnasambhava from ?rimat, the Southern Pure Land Amitābha from Sukhavati, the Western Pure Land and Amoghasiddhi from Prakuta, the Northern Pure Land. Together, they're called the Five Dhyani Buddhas."
Five Dhyani Buddhas? Do they control the Heavenly Dao of Flesh? Or is it Life?
Staring at Li Huowang’s horrifying visage, the Abbot placed his palms together and bowed to Li Huowang. “Benefactor, saving one’s life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Please do give us some alms. Even if you have a history of enmity with us, I don't think you have any history of enmity with the refugees. Can you really watch them starve to death?”
Li Huowang looked at the Abbot and warned, “I will give you food, but you must leave afterward. Do not approach Cowheart Village!”
The old Abbot immediately broke out into a smile upon hearing that Li Huowang was going to provide them with food. “Thank you for your kindness, Benefactor! I will ask the disciples to chant some sutra so that the Buddha will record the great merit and mercy you’ve bestowed upon us today!”
“No need. I don’t think I can withstand the great merit of your Buddha.”
Li Huowang didn’t trust the Righteous Monastery of the Qi Kingdom. He just wanted to send them away using a bit of food.
Li Huowang passed down his orders and bags of heavy food were soon pushed toward the entrance of the village.
The monks had been putting up a front, but the way they shoved raw rice into their mouths to eat betrayed their facade.
Li Huowang was starting to have some faith in the Abbot's words upon witnessing the monk's desperation.
Li Huowang looked at the Abbot beside him and asked, “You do know that this is not the Great Qi anymore, don't you?”
The Abbot was not surprised. “Amitabha. This old monk knows that, but no matter where we are, Buddha will still be around. Everywhere is the land of Buddha, and everywhere is the land of freedom.”
Li Huowang couldn’t stand listening to the difficult terms. “I don’t care, but you need to know that the members of the Dharma Sect, which caused the end of the Great Qi, have come here as well. If you're as kind as you said, go ahead and kill them whenever you meet any one of them."
The Abbot’s eyes widened with shock, and his mustache quivered even though there was no wind. However, he soon calmed down and said, “Amitabha, this old monk understands.”
“If you meet the other sects from the Qi Kingdom, remember to tell them that, too. I’m sure that you don’t want this world to meet the same fate as the Qi Kingdom, right?”
“Benefactor is right.” The Abbot nodded and looked toward the left side of Cowheart Village. Someone was there.
When the moonlight revealed the face of the newcomer, Li Huowang let go of his sword. The face of the newcomer was familiar to him. The newcomer was none other than the former owner of his spine sword, Fo Yulu.
Li Huowang finally relaxed upon seeing Liu Zongyuan and Hong Da walking behind Fo Yulu. The Surveillance Bureau surely reacted swiftly this time.
“Don’t worry. They're from the Surveillance Bureau. They probably won’t do anything to you if you just talk to them properly,” Li Huowang said to the Abbot.
Fo Yulu approached them but ignored the Abbot. She stared at Li Huowang and asked, “Er Jiu, what is happening here? Where did you get these monks?”
Li Huowang had actually instructed Chun Xiaoman to send a letter to the Surveillance Bureau, but since they were here, things had become more convenient for him. After all, he could just tell them directly.
Li Huowang quickly described what had happened. He originally thought that they would question him further, but they accepted it without any hesitation.
“You knew that the people of the Qi Kingdom would eventually appear here?” Li Huowang asked, sounding perplexed.
“The Chief gave us such orders a long time ago,” Fo Yulu said. Then, she turned to the Abbot and started talking with the latter.
Li Huowang had just realized that the Surveillance Bureau knew that something like this would happen, but they didn't tell him in advance.
Li Huowang approached Fo Yulu and the others before asking them, “Is the Surveillance Bureau planning to do something big? If they need help, me and my people can help.”
The Qi Kingdom's current plight could become the Liang Kingdom's future plight. Li Huowang called the Liang Kingdom his home, so he would do anything in his power to prevent the Liang Kingdom from meeting the same horrible fate.
In other words, he would be helping himself by helping the Surveillance Bureau.
“You?” Fo Yulu scoffed and asked, “Aren’t you acquainted with the Emperor? Why do you still care about the Surveillance Bureau?”
Li Huowang was too lazy to explain to her and simply came up with a random reason. “His Majesty has ordered me to help the Surveillance Bureau.”
Fo Yulu could still remember how Li Huowang had stolen her weapon, so she was wary of him.
However, she was a Ji Xiang as well, so the Surveillance Bureau took precedence over her personal grudge. In other words, she had to set aside her reservations for now.
“The Chief has personally given us the order to kill members of the Qi Kingdom's Dharma Sect on sight. Three heads are equivalent to one lifespan pill. Also, we have to befriend as many sects from the Qi Kingdom as possible.”
“What about the refugees? Did the Chief say anything about them?”
“They are under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Palace. There is no need for us to care about them.”
Li Huowang nodded in understanding. The Chief had indeed known what would happen if they connected an Emperor from the Qi Kingdom to the Dragon Vein of the Liang Kingdom. Li Huowang was sure that they were already thinking about this scene a long time ago. However, it was great news for Li Huowang. After all, the Surveillance Bureau wasn't going to ignore them, which would minimize the possible damage that this phenomenon would inflict on the Liang Kingdom.
“Amitabha. Benefactor, are you really from the Surveillance Bureau?” the Abbot asked Fo Yulu.
The Abbot was talking to her, so Fo Yulu’s expression became respectful. She showed her identity token and bowed to the Abbot, saying, “I greet the Abbot. I have not renounced my worldly attachments, but I can still be considered as a follower of Buddhism.”
“Benefactor, since you're from the Surveillance Bureau, I should let you know about one crucial piece of information. The high-ranking members of the Dharma Sect are still alive, and they must be here, too. We need to find Taishan Shi first. He's the key. He’s adept at deceiving and misleading others. If we leave him alone, he will soon gather a large group of devotees who worship Sir Arrogant Stone.”
“Sir Arrogant Stone?” Fo Yulu was confused.
Li Huowang frowned and whispered, “Arrogant Stone is just another name for God Yu’er. He’s a threat that must be eliminated as soon as possible.”