After the gang members carried the stone slabs out of the hall, the clamor in the room instantly faded away, leaving only Wang Yue and Wanyan Shun.
Wanyan Shun set down his teacup, lightly tapping his fingers against the table as he looked out the window. Then, suddenly changing the subject, he said in a leisurely tone, "Nephew, there are less than three months left until the grand celebration of the Three-Headed Buddha. Do you know about it?"
"The Three-Headed Buddha's grand celebration?" Wang Yue's eyes flashed with surprise. He turned to Wanyan Shun, and the scene from the Martial Academy a few days ago immediately surfaced in his mind. Back then, Wang Qishan and Lin Wan'er had mentioned going to worship the Three-Headed Buddha, saying it could raise one's Blood Qi limit. But he had been wholly focused on cultivation at the time and had not looked into it further.
He put on a puzzled expression and cupped his hands. "Hall Master Wanyan, this is the first time this junior has heard such a detailed account of the Three-Headed Buddha. That day at the training grounds, I only vaguely heard a fellow disciple mention it. Could you explain it to this junior in detail? It would broaden my horizons."
Seeing his interest, Wanyan Shun smiled and leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a trace of reminiscence. "Why not? The origins of the Three-Headed Buddha go back a very long way."
He lifted his teacup and took a sip before slowly beginning, "More than a thousand years ago, the Three-Headed Buddha already existed. Back when this land still belonged to the Zhao Kingdom, there was a festival for worshipping the Three-Headed Buddha. Every household would go to the temple to make offerings, and the incense burned in great abundance.
"Later, when our Great Chang Territory seized this land back from the Zhao Kingdom and implemented Great Chang rites, worship of the Buddha gradually declined. Far fewer people remained willing to worship it with sincere hearts.
"Even so, during the Buddha's grand celebration each year, quite a few people in the county seat still went to the temple to worship. After all, some rumors did not arise from thin air."
Wanyan Shun changed the subject again, lowering his voice with a mysterious air. "Let me tell you a secret, but do not spread it around. Our River Gang took in a disciple the year before last. His aptitude was mediocre, and he did not understand martial arts at all. After training for half a year, he could not even complete the most basic fist routine."
"But during the Buddha's grand celebration that year, he went to the temple and worshipped the Three-Headed Buddha. When he returned, it was as though he had suddenly opened his mind. Not only did he learn fist routines the moment he was taught them, his Blood Qi also grew several times faster. In less than a year, he broke through from one strand of Blood Qi in the Blood Condensation Realm to five strands. Our gang leader even took a liking to him and accepted him as a personal disciple. He is now one of the gang's core disciples, with boundless prospects ahead of him."
Hearing this, Wang Yue's heart stirred slightly. This disciple's experience was simply too bizarre. Worshipping the Buddha could make someone "open their mind"?
Before he could think further, Wanyan Shun continued, "It was not just a disciple from our gang. There are many similar rumors circulating around the county seat. Some people worshipped the Buddha, and their Blood Qi limit gained an extra strand out of nowhere.
"Some had been stuck at a bottleneck in their fist arts for years, only to break through on the spot after worshipping.
"Others had suffered injuries that refused to heal despite long treatment, yet after praying for blessings at the temple, they miraculously recovered."
A trace of longing flashed through his eyes, and he spoke with feeling. "Wouldn't you say this Three-Headed Buddha is remarkably efficacious?
"I have also heard that in the heartland of the Zhao Kingdom, there are even more efficacious divine Buddhas and mountain lords. Unfortunately, we have never seen such divine beings within Great Chang Territory. If I could receive a divine blessing even once, perhaps I would have reached the peak of the Energy Refining Realm long ago!"
"Worshipping divine Buddhas could improve one's martial arts and raise one's Blood Qi limit?" The more Wang Yue listened, the more alarmed he became. The teacup in his hand trembled slightly, and the tea nearly spilled out.
There were actually people who could obtain such heaven-defying benefits merely by worshipping divine Buddhas!
What principle lay behind this? Could this Three-Headed Buddha truly be a god?
But on second thought, if divine Buddhas truly possessed such powers, why had the Zhao Kingdom lost this land? Why had the Buddha's incense offerings declined after Great Chang implemented its rites?
Could there be something fishy behind these divine Buddhas? A trace of doubt rose in Wang Yue's heart. He even felt that this so-called "divine blessing" might be a trap laid by certain forces, meant to win over people's hearts or conceal an even deeper conspiracy.
He raised his eyes toward Wanyan Shun and saw that the man was growing more excited as he spoke, his gaze brimming with longing for "divine blessings." Clearly, he believed these rumors without the slightest doubt.
Wang Yue secretly clenched his palm, cold sweat prickling faintly. Though he did not believe in divine Buddhas, he could not slight Wanyan Shun, much less openly question "divine blessings." After all, he was still in the River Gang.
So, following Wanyan Shun's lead, he said with a smile, "Hearing Hall Master speak of it, this Three-Headed Buddha truly does sound miraculous. I never expected worshipping divine Buddhas to bring such benefits. This junior is rather curious now. When the Buddha's grand celebration arrives, perhaps I should visit the temple as well and bask in some of the divine being's spiritual aura."
Seeing that he agreed, Wanyan Shun's smile widened, and he nodded repeatedly. "You should go! You should! Perhaps your talent is already outstanding, Nephew. If you receive a divine blessing as well, it may not be long before you break through to the Energy Refining Realm. Then Changyun City will gain another young expert!"
Wang Yue smiled and echoed his agreement, though inwardly he became even more wary. The "efficacy" of this Three-Headed Buddha was far too abnormal.
As Wang Yue and Wanyan Shun spoke, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall. The gang member who had previously been ordered to bury the stone slabs strode in and bowed. "Hall Master, Nephew Wang, the stone slabs have been buried according to your instructions. Throughout the River Gang's grounds and the three surrounding streets, we dug pits half a foot deep every thirty meters, laid the slabs flat, and packed the soil down firmly. No traces were left behind."
"Oh? They were buried so quickly?" Satisfaction flashed in Wanyan Shun's eyes. He then turned to Wang Yue with a smile. "Would Nephew like to take a look? It would put your mind at ease."
That was precisely what Wang Yue wanted. He rose to his feet and cupped his hands toward Wanyan Shun. "Then I must trouble Hall Master Wanyan to lead the way. Since this is a task assigned by the clan, only after seeing it with my own eyes can I return and report with peace of mind."
"Of course." Wanyan Shun stood and led Wang Yue out of the hall, while the gang member followed closely behind to point out the burial locations.
The two walked from the River Gang's grounds into the surrounding streets. The gang member expertly pointed to spots by walls, beneath trees, and beside the road, quietly explaining, "Hall Master, Nephew Wang, a stone slab was buried here. Another was buried beneath that old locust tree thirty meters ahead. The entire street was arranged at this spacing."
Wang Yue crouched and touched the soil with his hand. He could feel the outline of something hard beneath it, and the earth had indeed been packed down tightly. Without close inspection, no one would be able to tell that the ground had ever been dug up.
He followed Wanyan Shun to the other two streets and randomly inspected several burial points. Though some placements were not perfectly precise, with the spacing perhaps off by one or two meters, the overall coverage fully met the clan's requirements, and no area had been overlooked.
"Hall Master and brothers, you have worked hard." Wang Yue rose and cupped his hands to Wanyan Shun in thanks. "The placements are very orderly and fully meet the requirements."
"So long as Nephew is satisfied." Wanyan Shun laughed heartily. "Is there anything else you need help with?"
"There is one matter I would like to ask of you." Wang Yue's tone was earnest. "These stone slabs are buried underground, and I fear that uninformed townsfolk may dig them up. I ask Hall Master to have people watch over them for a while. If anything unusual occurs, please notify the Wang Clan promptly."
"A trivial matter!" Wanyan Shun answered, patting his chest. "Rest assured, Nephew. I will have the brothers keep a close eye on those burial sites and guarantee that nothing goes wrong."
"Then many thanks, Hall Master Wanyan." Wang Yue thanked him again and did not linger. "This junior still needs to return to the clan and report on the task, so I will take my leave."
"Safe travels, Nephew! Come sit at the River Gang whenever you have time!" Wanyan Shun waved him off with a smile. Only after Wang Yue's back disappeared at the end of the street did the smile on his face gradually fade.
He turned to the gang member beside him, his gaze instantly turning icy as he spoke with unquestionable authority. "Pick ten capable brothers and split them into two groups. Keep watch over those stone slab sites day and night. If anyone dares dig up the slabs or tamper with the burial sites, no matter who it is, seize them first! If anything goes wrong, you will answer for it!"
"Yes! This subordinate will see to it at once!" The gang member's heart chilled, and he hurriedly bowed before turning and leaving at a swift pace.
Wanyan Shun stood where he was, watching the direction Wang Yue had gone with a slight furrow in his brow. Though he had agreed to help watch over them, he still had to keep an eye out. These stone slabs were strange, and they might well concern the River Gang's safety.
Meanwhile, Wang Yue walked through the streets toward the Wang Clan's grounds, but Wanyan Shun's words about the "Three-Headed Buddha" kept surfacing in his mind.
"Worshipping divine Buddhas could open one's mind and increase Blood Qi... This is far too unreasonable." The more Wang Yue thought about it, the more wrong it seemed. He even suspected that those rumors of "blessings" were lies deliberately fabricated by someone. Yet the River Gang disciple Wanyan Shun had mentioned truly existed, which left him even more confused.
"Forget it. Now is not the time to dwell on this." Wang Yue shook his head and forcibly cast aside his thoughts about the Three-Headed Buddha. The most important thing now was to complete the clan's task and raise his strength as quickly as possible. As for divine Buddhas, he would understand once he had a chance to see one himself someday.
Before long, he returned to the Wang Clan's grounds and went straight to Wang Shanhai to report. "Steward Wang, the stone slabs in the River Gang area assigned to me 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 the other disciples. Hearing Wang Yue's words, he glanced up at him and nodded expressionlessly. "Understood. Go rest."
"Yes." Wang Yue cupped his hands in acknowledgment and turned to leave. Rather than returning to Wang Shuo's residence, he went directly to the training grounds in the rear courtyard.
He walked to the center of the grounds and assumed the opening stance of the Harmonious Flow Fist. Drawing a deep breath, he pressed all distractions into the depths of his heart. Wang Shuo had once said, "When the heart is chaotic, the fist is chaotic; when the heart is pure, the fist is pure." Only with no distractions could one make breakthroughs in cultivation.
As his fist technique unfolded, the eight strands of Blood Qi within him slowly circulated. The wind of his punches tore through the air and echoed across the training grounds. The agitation and doubts born from the "Three-Headed Buddha" gradually dispersed amid his practice.
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