Decided! Save This World

While the captain questioned the intel, Yuan Zhu had already come over to Meng Xiyue and gently poked her backpack with a finger.

Noticing her bag sway slightly, Pink Hair turned around. The moment she saw Yuan Zhu, she flashed a friendly smile. "Little Brother Yuan, what do you need to ask your big sister for?"

"Cut it out. We're the same age. Let me ask you—what's a Buddha Cocoon? You've read more than I have, so don't lie to me."

Hearing that, Meng Xiyue tilted her head and looked him over from top to bottom, her lenses catching the light. She asked curiously, "You've really never heard of it?"

Yuan Zhu thought about it. He truly had no memories related to it, so he nodded seriously. "Nope. That's why I'm curious. What, is this common knowledge everyone ought to know?"

"Not really. There aren't any temples near your home? You've never had contact with Buddhist monks growing up, and you don't visit temples while traveling to worship Buddha and make wishes?"

"???"

Traveling?! Yuan Zhu was utterly stunned. In this dog-eat-dog world, people could actually travel?

"I really haven't had any contact with Buddhism since I was little. I think my family believes in Yellow Sky... maybe? Anyway, my faith is tied to physical health, work efficiency, discount deals, extra annual leave... It changes according to the yearly 'Faith Benefits Handbook.'"

The common people of Running were practical. They nearly squeezed every last drop of potential from their eleven faith application slots.

Every year at the end of the year, the newspapers on the market were filled with things like, "The Ultimate Faith Combination Guide for Fleecing Benefits Next Year!" There were professionally proportioned faith combinations for women, men, different occupations, different hobbies... It was even more mystical than using Earth science to calculate lottery numbers.

So Yuan Zhu truly had no energy to believe in Buddha, honor Buddha, or worship Buddha. There was no other reason—the nearest monk temple was too far away. Not only did it offer few benefits, but they were all private temples, completely inaccessible to ordinary people.

"Got it, got it, got it." Meng Xiyue nodded repeatedly. The faith list she submitted to school was also all related to guaranteed exam passes, improved study efficiency, becoming possessed by a top student, skincare... For the sake of studying, she had even given up the "annual leave combination benefits."

"Then let me explain. Actually, if you live near a Buddhist temple, you'll notice that trees nearby often grow burls of varying sizes on their branches. As the years pass, these burls become increasingly distinct, gradually changing into the shape of Buddha heads. And it isn't just plants. Incense burners, walls, stone pillars, and wooden beams steeped in Buddhist incense offerings will all grow Buddha heads made of different materials. These Buddha heads are collectively called Buddha Cocoons, or Buddha Head Cocoons."

At that description, a chill ran down Yuan Zhu's spine, and goosebumps spread over his entire body. "You're saying Buddhist temple walls grow densely packed Buddha Head Cocoons?"

Meng Xiyue nodded as though it were perfectly natural. "Of course. A true century-old ancient temple or millennium-old renowned monastery must have its own foundation—that's the Thousand Buddha Wall, the Ten Thousand Buddha Wall. There are also massive Golden Body Buddha statues with dense clusters of naturally grown Buddha Head Cocoons over their surfaces. A small Buddha statue with seven or eight natural Buddha Cocoons is regarded as a Buddhist treasure blessed by Dharma. It can fetch a high price at auction without any expert appraisal, and rich tycoons will invite it home to worship."

"Gasp...!"

Yuan Zhu sucked in a cold breath. His former self really had never understood Buddhism, only knowing that it was something only the wealthy could access. People at the bottom believed in the free Twelve Divine Mandates, or other cheap gods, discounted gods.

Buddhism, on the other hand, charged you in reverse—and didn't bless the poor. As the saying went, "My Buddha does not save poor bastards!"

Yuan Zhu said, "So Buddha Cocoons are actually a good thing?"

"You could say they're things with auspicious meaning. You can always find them near Buddhist temples. Stone Buddha Cocoons on rocks, wooden Buddha Cocoons on trees; some animals steeped in Buddhist Dharma will also grow Flesh Buddha Cocoons. Peeling one off to give as a gift is like giving someone a little mouse sachet during the New Year. But there's one thing: Buddha Cocoons need prolonged exposure to Buddhist Dharma, otherwise they wither, shrinking from Buddha heads into skeletal Buddha heads wrapped in skin. That meaning isn't very good... So if you don't believe in Buddhism, it's better not to give people Buddha Cocoons. If they aren't maintained properly, it becomes an insult."

Yuan Zhu shook his head. Who the hell would give someone a "Buddha Head Cocoon"? Giving someone a string of them to wear around their neck and roll like prayer beads—wouldn't that turn them into Sha Wujing from the Flowing Sand River?

"What about this little monk, then? Is he all right too? Auspicious and lucky?"

Meng Xiyue shook her head. "I don't really know either. I only visited temples for sightseeing and travel; I've never had much contact with monks with Dharma power. I heard that true monks all have 'True Buddha Cocoons' on their bodies. That's the mark of entering the Buddhist system, and also the organ that converts 'Buddhist Dharma Power'? I think it's called... um... a Flesh Relic?"

What the hell was all this? The local Buddhist order was way too heretical. An animal covered in Buddha-head flesh tumors of all sizes was not only considered neither grotesque nor terrifying, but was viewed as an auspicious sign—a bodhisattva or arhat's mount descending into the world. It was simply outrageous. Wouldn't a bodhisattva find that uncomfortable to sit on?

By then, the captain had finished questioning the young novice. From the novice's answers, he had summarized several useful pieces of information.

This Foam World was small in scale, containing only a small city called the Na Ye Buddhist Kingdom. Its social civilization was stuck in a backward ancient feudal era—an even more backward religious system. Yet because the nation was small and sparsely populated, it had instead settled into a certain self-sustaining cycle.

Until a force suspected to be Yellow Springs shattered that balance.

That was right. Yellow Springs truly existed on Du Ling Planet. It was a special death dimension distinct from the Spirit Realm Layer. Different religious cultures in the present world all possessed their own concepts of hell.

These private hells were manifestations of different aspects of Yellow Springs.

Death was everywhere, and death's destination was always Yellow Springs.

Therefore, after the creatures of this Foam World died, their souls would likewise dissolve and return to Yellow Springs. It was perfectly reasonable, then, for Yellow Springs to pierce through this already fragile little world and pour Yellow Springs Death Qi back into it, breeding ghosts and undead.

A tiny Foam World with only one Buddhist kingdom was not Du Ling, which had faced off head-on against eight Outer Universes, emerged completely unscathed, and even found the time to weave itself a Spirit Realm Layer cushion. Being pierced through by Yellow Springs was utterly ordinary.

The captain then added a few reflective remarks. "Foam Worlds connected to Gods' Space will always encounter all kinds of erosion. Everyone needs to get used to it. It's just that this Yellow Springs erosion offers Happy Home no benefit whatsoever. What we need more is a fertile world rich in natural resources and stable in environment. Yellow Springs' infiltration will only hasten this world's decline, transforming it toward a 'death form.' That doesn't mean this world has no value. Once we explore it thoroughly and mark it, we can resell the intelligence and coordinates to other teams inclined toward death attributes or the Yellow Springs system."

Yuan Zhu said, "I've learned something!"

Zhou Chu, walking in front of him, suddenly turned and glared at him. "We should do everything in our power to help the local residents and try to save this world! If we cut off the infiltration of Yellow Springs Death Qi, then this world's environment should be suitable for Mao Mao King's raw material cultivation, right? These Buddhist citizens are gentle and obedient, so they'd also make good laborers. We can provide more advanced farming techniques and crop seeds, and carry out trade and cooperation."

As a "modern person," a Security Bureau investigator had integrity, cultivation, and ideals. She was more than willing to lend a hand to the backward natives of a Foam World whenever possible. That was also practicing her own law.

The captain smiled and nodded. "Worth a try. I support your idea. How about you lead this mission? Help the natives as much as possible and save their world. Even if you fail, you can absorb the experience and lessons. It'll be worthwhile accumulation."

Zhou Chu nodded readily. "Sure. I'll take this mission! Everyone, follow my orders. Little Monk Ku Cao, take us to where you were living before. I'm going to save people!"

"Thank you, benefactors! The Buddha Lord will bless you all with long lives of a hundred years!" The little monk immediately became excited. There was hope! At last, his great saviors had arrived. One look was enough to tell these people were extraordinary—they were just like the otherworldly people the adults spoke about in their idle chats.

Meng Xiyue hurriedly waved her hands. "Stop, stop, stop! No, no, no! I don't want to live a hundred years. My lifespan has a guaranteed minimum of over three hundred years, so don't curse me."

"Huh?!" The little novice stared in shock at the equally beautiful big sister before him. That was right—she really was an otherworldly person! "Huh?!" Lü Rang, who had assumed she was an ordinary person like himself, was dumbfounded. Did Taixi people all live this long? I want to immigrate too.

"Huh?! Why do you get to live so long?!" Yuan Zhu protested indignantly. "Little Elf, tell me loudly—how many years can I live as a Tiger Demon?"

"I don't know! You're the first batch of White Mouse customers. How long you can live will only become a reference once you've lived out your lifespan and other people can shout it out loud. So, Boss, you have to work hard at staying alive. Let's set a small goal first: outlive this Pink Hair. Live to... three hundred and one, maybe?"

After taking command of the team, Zhou Chu directly raised her gun and checked it with practiced movements. Once she confirmed everything was in order, she said, "Everyone, raise your weapons and stay alert! Little monk, you lead that Sheep and guide us."

Yuan Zhu and Meng Xiyue were called to her side to open the way together. The old granny and Bread Girl remained in the middle of the group under protection. Black Butcher and Lü Rang followed at the rear.

Yuan Zhu, suddenly being relied upon despite wanting to lie low and play it safe, said, "Should Lü Rang and I switch positions? I'm afraid he'll fire from behind and wipe out our entire team."

Among the seven members of the squad, Zhou Chu had the best impression only of Yuan Zhu, whose temperament was the cleanest. She didn't want him dying early into the mission, so she decisively refused and kept him by her side to look after him. (As fellow Security Bureau members, a certain person surnamed Han targeted him at every turn. That was the refinement of big-city people!)

"No need. Your senses are sharp, and you also handled trekking through the deep forest with ease. So stay with me. As for Lü Rang shooting you from behind—aren't you wearing clothes?"

"Huh?"

"Mao Mao King may be an untrustworthy Anti-Law Demon God, but the clothes she provides have strong defensive power. They aren't afraid of bullets."

Lü Rang loudly declared his resolve at this moment. "Don't worry, everyone. I won't fire recklessly again!"

Please keep reading... Why are you stockpiling it? Get up and follow it every day! Otherwise, every last one of you will receive Buddha-head blessings.