Three-Headed Gods and Buddhas, Divine Blessing

After the gang members carried the stone slabs out of the main hall, the noise inside the room instantly vanished, leaving only Wang Yue and Wanyan Shun.

Wanyan Shun put down his teacup, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and looked out the window. He suddenly changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of leisure, "Nephew, the grand celebration for the Three-Headed Buddha is less than three months away. Do you know about this matter?"

"The grand celebration for the Three-Headed Buddha?" Wang Yue's eyes flashed with surprise. He turned to look at Wanyan Shun, and the scene at the Martial Academy a few days prior flashed through his mind. At that time, Wang Qishan and Lin Wan'er had mentioned going to worship the Three-Headed Buddha, saying it could increase Qi and Blood limits. However, he had been focused on his cultivation and hadn't inquired further.

He then put on a confused expression and cupped his hands, asking, "Hall Master Wanyan, this is the first time I've heard such detailed information about the Three-Headed Buddha. That day in the training ground, I vaguely heard a fellow disciple mention it. Could you explain it to me in detail? It would also broaden my horizons."

Seeing his interest, Wanyan Shun smiled, leaned forward slightly, and said with a touch of reminiscence, "Why not? The origins of the Three-Headed Buddha are quite ancient."

He took a sip of his tea and slowly began, "Over a thousand years ago, the Three-Headed Buddha already existed. Back when this land belonged to the Zhao Kingdom, there was a festival to worship the Three-Headed Buddha. At that time, every household would go to the temple to make offerings, and the incense was very strong.

Later, when our Great Chang took this land back from the Zhao Kingdom and implemented Great Chang's rituals, the worship of the Buddha gradually declined, and fewer people sincerely worshipped it."

"However, even so, during the annual Buddha celebration, many people in the county town still go to the temple to worship. After all, some rumors are not without basis."

Wanyan Shun changed the subject, lowering his voice slightly with a hint of mystery, "Let me tell you a secret, don't spread it around. Our River Gang took in a disciple the year before last. That disciple had mediocre talent and was completely clueless about martial arts. After practicing for half a year, he couldn't even complete the most basic fist stances."

"But during the Buddha celebration the year before last, after he went to the temple to worship the Three-Headed Buddha, he came back as if he had been enlightened. Not only did he learn fist stances instantly, but his Qi and Blood growth also accelerated several times. In less than a year, he broke through from the first strand of Qi and Blood in the Blood Condensation Realm to the fifth strand, and was even noticed by our Gang Leader, who took him as a personal disciple. He is now a core disciple within the gang, with limitless potential."

Wang Yue's heart stirred upon hearing this. The disciple's experience was too bizarre. Worshipping the Buddha could lead to "enlightenment"?

Before he could ponder further, Wanyan Shun continued, "It's not just our gang's disciples. There are many similar rumors circulating in the county town: some people's Qi and Blood limits increased by a strand after worshipping the Buddha. Some were stuck at a bottleneck in their fist techniques for years and broke through on the spot after worshipping. Some even had lingering injuries that wouldn't heal, but after praying at the temple, they miraculously recovered."

A hint of longing flashed in his eyes, and his tone was filled with emotion, "Don't you think this Three-Headed Buddha is very efficacious? I've also heard people say that there's a more efficacious Divine Buddha Mountain Lord in the Zhao Kingdom's interior. Unfortunately, we've never seen such a Divine Buddha within the Great Chang Territory. If I could also receive a divine blessing, perhaps I would have already broken through to the peak of the Energy Refining Realm!"

"Worshipping gods and buddhas can improve martial arts and increase Qi and Blood limits?" The more Wang Yue listened, the more alarmed he became. The teacup in his hand trembled slightly, and the tea almost spilled.

Someone could gain such heaven-defying benefits just by worshipping!

What was the underlying principle at play? Could this Three-Headed Buddha truly be a deity?

But then he thought, if gods and buddhas truly possessed such divine powers, why would the Zhao Kingdom have lost this land? Why did the incense of the Buddha decline after Great Chang implemented its rituals?

"Could there be something fishy behind this 'gods and buddhas'?" A trace of doubt arose in Wang Yue's mind. He even felt that these so-called "divine blessings" might be a scheme concocted by certain forces to win people's hearts, or perhaps to hide a deeper conspiracy.

He looked up at Wanyan Shun and saw that Wanyan Shun was becoming more and more excited, his eyes filled with longing for "divine blessings," clearly believing these rumors.

Wang Yue secretly clenched his fist, a bead of cold sweat forming. Although he didn't believe in gods and buddhas, he couldn't offend Wanyan Shun, nor could he directly question the "divine blessings." After all, he was still with the River Gang.

So, he went along with Wanyan Shun's words, smiling and saying, "Hearing Hall Master Wanyan say this, the Three-Headed Buddha is indeed magical. I never expected that worshipping gods and buddhas could bring such benefits. I'm actually a bit curious. When the Buddha celebration comes, perhaps I should also go to the temple to see and soak in the divine aura."

Seeing that he agreed with him, Wanyan Shun's smile deepened, and he nodded repeatedly, "You should go! You should go! Perhaps your talent is already outstanding, and with the divine blessing, you'll break through to the Energy Refining Realm before long. Then, our Changyun City will have another young expert!"

Wang Yue smiled in agreement, but his vigilance grew. The "efficacy" of the Three-Headed Buddha was too abnormal.

As Wang Yue and Wanyan Shun were chatting, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the main hall. The gang member who had been ordered to bury the stone slabs hurried in and bowed, "Hall Master, Nephew Wang, the stone slabs have been buried as instructed. The River Gang's headquarters and the three surrounding streets have a pit dug half a foot deep every thirty meters, with the stone slabs laid flat and the soil tamped down, leaving no trace."

"Oh? They're finished burying them so quickly?" Wanyan Shun's eyes flashed with satisfaction, then he looked at Wang Yue and asked with a smile, "Nephew, would you like to take a look? So you can be at ease."

Wang Yue had the same intention. He stood up, cupped his hands towards Wanyan Shun, and said, "Then I'll trouble Hall Master Wanyan to lead the way. After all, this is a task assigned by the clan. Only by seeing it with my own eyes can I report back to the clan with peace of mind."

"It's my duty." Wanyan Shun stood up and led Wang Yue out of the main hall. The gang member followed closely, responsible for indicating the burial locations.

The two walked along the River Gang's headquarters towards the surrounding streets. The gang member skillfully pointed to corners of walls, under trees, and by the roadside, quietly explaining, "Hall Master, Nephew Wang, a stone slab is buried here. Under the old locust tree thirty meters ahead, another one is buried. The entire street is buried at this interval."

Wang Yue crouched down and touched the soil on the ground. He could feel the outline of a hard object beneath the soil, and the soil was indeed tamped down very firmly. Without careful inspection, one couldn't tell that this place had been dug open.

He then followed Wanyan Shun to two other streets and randomly checked a few burial spots. He found that although some burial locations were not absolutely precise, with intervals possibly differing by one or two meters, the overall coverage completely met the clan's requirements, with no areas missed.

"Thank you for your hard work, Hall Master, and to your brothers." Wang Yue stood up and cupped his hands to Wanyan Shun in thanks, "The burial is very neat and fully meets the requirements."

"I'm glad you're satisfied, Nephew." Wanyan Shun laughed heartily, "Is there anything else you need help with next?"

"I do have one request." Wang Yue's tone was sincere, "These stone slabs are buried underground, and I'm afraid they might be dug up by unsuspecting civilians. I hope you can have someone keep an eye on the burial sites for a while. If there's anything unusual, please inform my Wang Clan promptly."

"It's a small matter!" Wanyan Shun patted his chest and agreed, "Don't worry, Nephew. I'll have the brothers pay close attention to these burial spots and ensure nothing goes wrong."

"Then thank you again, Hall Master Wanyan." Wang Yue thanked him once more and didn't delay further, "I need to return to the clan to report on the mission, so I'll take my leave now."

"Safe travels, Nephew. Come visit the River Gang often when you have time!" Wanyan Shun waved goodbye with a smile. Only after watching Wang Yue's retreating figure disappear at the end of the street did his smile gradually fade.

He turned to the gang member beside him, his eyes instantly turning cold, and his tone carrying an undeniable authority, "Go pick ten capable brothers and divide them into two groups. Keep watch over those stone slab burial locations day and night. If anyone dares to dig up the stone slabs or tamper with the burial sites, no matter who it is, apprehend them first! If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable!"

"Yes! Your subordinate will attend to it immediately!" The gang member's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed in response, turned, and hurried away.

Wanyan Shun stood in place, looking in the direction Wang Yue had left, his brow slightly furrowed. Although he had agreed to help keep watch, he also had to be cautious. These stone slabs were strange, and they might be related to the safety of the River Gang.

On the other side, Wang Yue walked along the street towards the Wang Clan's headquarters, but his mind involuntarily recalled Wanyan Shun's mention of the "Three-Headed Buddha."

"Worshipping gods and buddhas can lead to enlightenment and increase Qi and Blood... This is too illogical." The more Wang Yue thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. He even suspected that the rumors of "divine blessings" were deliberately fabricated lies. But the River Gang disciple Wanyan Shun mentioned was real, which made him even more confused.

"Never mind, now is not the time to dwell on these things." Wang Yue shook his head, forcefully pushing the thoughts about the Three-Headed Buddha out of his mind. The most important thing now was to complete the clan's mission and improve his strength as quickly as possible. As for the matter of gods and buddhas, he would find out when he had the chance to see for himself later.

Soon, he returned to the Wang Clan's headquarters and went directly to Wang Shanhai to report, "Steward Wang, the stone slabs in the area I was responsible for at the River Gang have all been buried. I have also asked the River Gang to help watch over the burial sites."

Wang Shanhai was checking the task lists of other disciples. Hearing him, he looked up at him and nodded expressionlessly, "Understood. You may go and rest."

"Yes." Wang Yue cupped his hands in response and turned to leave. He didn't return to Wang Shuo's residence but went directly to the training ground in the backyard.

He walked to the center of the field, assumed the starting stance for Harmonious Flow Fist, took a deep breath, and suppressed all distracting thoughts. Wang Shuo had once said, "A chaotic mind leads to chaotic fists; a pure mind leads to pure fists." Only by being single-minded could one achieve breakthroughs in cultivation.

As his fists moved, the eight strands of Qi and Blood in his body flowed slowly. The wind from his fists whistled through the air, echoing in the training ground. The irritation and doubts caused by the "Three-Headed Buddha" gradually dissipated as he practiced his boxing.