Na Ye Buddhist Kingdom

"Hold it! Submit to inspection."

As the caravan drew near, more than a dozen burly monks in robes approached them, their heads blood-red.

The monks' heads were simply too eye-catching. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, they radiated an indescribable demonic aura.

This was not the natural reddish complexion of Lord Guan, nor the flush of extreme anger or drunkenness. It was a deep, bloody crimson, as though they had been painted with dark-red oil paint.

Their heads were red in the purest, most terrifying way. Their skin was also far too delicate to be human, as if the texture layer had failed to render—so smooth that it even reflected light.

Yet aside from their heads, every other part of them was no different from ordinary humans. Their sun-darkened skin, wrinkles, body hair, grime, and even beads of seeping sweat were all clearly visible.

Moreover, the leading monk wore his robe open, revealing an egg-sized Buddha Head with fully formed features in the center of his chest. They truly were monks who cultivated the righteous Dharma; he simply had no idea why their heads had become so inhuman.

Yuan Zhu glanced sideways at the little monk with the withered leaves and found the shock and astonishment on his face impossible to conceal. The fear in his eyes as he looked at these blood-headed monks was equally impossible to hide.

Clearly, he had been frightened by those eerily red heads. He had never seen anything like them before.

The leading monk rode his horse up before the group and looked down at them, scrutinizing them from above. His gaze swept across the wooden spears before finally settling on the captain. He demanded, "Where did you get the Buddha Spears in your hands?"

"From villages by the roadside. We picked them up from the ghosts that were already thoroughly dead."

The monk asked again, "Who are you? Where did you come from? And why are you dressed so strangely?"

The captain replied, "According to this little monk, we should be outsiders from beyond the heavens. We came to visit the eminent monks of the Na Ye Buddhist Kingdom and originally intended to do a little business. But we unexpectedly learned that the Buddhist Kingdom had been invaded by evil demons, so we came to see whether there was any way we could help and contribute our share."

The monk looked at the little monk, who kept his head lowered and did not dare meet his eyes. Sensing the Buddha Cocoon within him, he said to the captain, "Oh? Then you came at just the right time. Not long ago, another group of outsiders from beyond the heavens descended and helped Lord Abbot subdue and suppress the ghost calamity, reclaiming Buddha City. Tonight, Lord Abbot will hold a grand rite, gathering the Power of the Collective to eradicate all demonic and evil qi, purify the world, and reestablish the Buddhist Kingdom upon the earth. We will take this little monk away. If you are interested, you may return to the city with me to observe the ceremony. If you wish to meet Lord Abbot, you must wait until tomorrow, after the rite is over. Will you come?"

As the leading monk introduced the Buddhist Kingdom's current situation, the other warrior monks tugged their reins and slowly paced their horses about, faintly surrounding and containing the group. Their posture made it clear that if they refused, the monks would fight and force them to comply.

As though he had not noticed at all, the captain nodded readily. "Of course! This is precisely why we came. I would be delighted to attend the ceremony."

The monk nodded. "Good. Then follow me. I will lead you into the city. Buddha City is currently rebuilding from ruins, and many areas are still occupied by Yellow Springs ghosts. Vajra Temple has even been dragged into a ghost domain by Buddha Corpse Ghosts. Once you enter the city, stay with the civilians in the designated safe area. Do not wander about freely. We will provide food. When the Hai Hour arrives, the rite will begin. Just observe in silence."

With that, the monk rode away. One of his attendants beside him bent down, scooped up the little monk who did not dare look around, laid him crosswise over the horse's back, snapped the reins, and chased after him.

Yuan Zhu and the others could only follow silently behind as they hurried toward Na Ye City.

"These people don't look quite right," Yuan Zhu muttered under his breath.

Meng Xiyue rolled her eyes. "No kidding. Their heads are red like that and even shiny. No matter how you look at them, they don't seem human. Captain, are we really just going straight into the city? I keep feeling like sheep walking into a tiger's jaws, delivering ourselves right into the net."

The little goat chimed in, "Baa!"

Yuan Zhu (Tiger): ...

The captain replied, "Even if I refused, we would still have to find a way to sneak in and investigate. They seem rational and capable of communicating, and that is enough. There are all kinds of strange humans in other Foam Worlds as well. There is no need for prejudice or discrimination. As long as they possess intelligence and reason, can communicate, and maintain basic goodwill, that is enough. Even if we truly fall into danger, we can return to Happy Home in time."

Upon hearing that last sentence, everyone visibly relaxed.

After entering Na Ye City, the sky grew steadily darker. Lanterns were hung along both sides of the stone-paved streets, and the pedestrians flowed endlessly past, carrying tools in their hands and baskets on their backs as they prepared for tonight's rite.

Three-quarters of the city's residents were ordinary humans, dressed in shabby, worn clothing. Their faces were sallow, their expressions heavy and numb, with hidden worry lingering beneath. The remaining quarter, like the monks, bore vermilion-red heads that gleamed with a moist luster beneath the lantern light.

No sorrow or worry could be seen on their faces. Instead, they were exceptionally calm and serene. They carried larger baskets on their backs and heavier supplies on their shoulders, yet voiced no complaint as they silently kept pace with the crowd and hurried toward the eastern part of the city.

Ordinary black-haired heads, vermilion-red glossy bald heads, ragged commoners, and brightly dressed monks appeared in every possible combination, mingling together harmoniously in a scene that felt profoundly surreal.

Though they did not know what had happened, one thing was certain: these vermilion heads had appeared only recently. Yet the Buddhist Kingdom's residents found nothing strange about them and had long grown accustomed to them. That was exceedingly odd.

"There. You'll be staying in this inn. Someone will bring you food shortly. Gather downstairs before the Hai Hour and follow the crowd to the east of the city for the rite."

"Thank you, esteemed monks. A small gift, hardly worthy of your consideration."

After offering his verbal thanks, the captain took out several pieces of gold and handed them over with simple, brutal directness. The red-headed monks' originally stern and impatient expressions instantly shifted as smoothly as silk into joyful benevolence, and their attitude toward the group improved considerably. "Wait patiently. We will bring you something good shortly. Do not make a fuss."

The captain repeatedly indicated that he understood. "Understood, understood. Please, esteemed monks, go on ahead."

Yuan Zhu said, "That was way too realistic, wasn't it?" They had crossed into another world, then entered a Foam World, and yet they still had to deal with this? How the hell could gold retain its value so well? The universally recognized hardest currency in the multiverse!

Lü Rang's eyes had gone wide as well. "That big a chunk of gold... how much would it be worth?"

The captain said, "Remember this: gold possesses extremely high value in every Foam World. It is universally recognized as natural currency. If you have the means in the future, keep more of it on hand for protection. Sometimes, when you encounter a deadly crisis and no one can pull you out, that gold may be your final lifesaver."

Meng Xiyue said, "The Golden Rule!"

After entering the inn to rest, the group opened their cases again, took out their firearms and magazines, loaded ammunition, and performed maintenance.

"Tonight's rite will very likely see some unexpected developments. Prepare yourselves for battle. Unless it becomes absolutely necessary, I will not teleport back. So if anything changes, you must at least ensure that you survive until dawn. Consider it another test for you."

Meng Xiyue asked, "Captain, are you planning to stir up trouble?"

"You should not encounter too much danger if you blend in with the civilians. As for me, I plan to sneak into the temples of Na Ye City and investigate. I am also very interested in that group of outsiders from beyond the heavens who descended before us. They should be staying in the temple grounds. If possible, I will test the new Abbot's strength as well. Take care of yourselves."

"You're being way too irresponsible! You're throwing us into a dragon's pool and a tiger's den, then washing your hands of us?"

The captain said, "The clothes on your bodies, the rats in your pockets, the weapons in your hands, the wooden spears you collected... and the powers you already possess. Make good use of them, and surviving will not be difficult. If forced to, you can use the Uniform to absorb the Buddha Fruits of those red-headed monks. Just three or four Buddha Cocoons will grant you comparable strength."

Knock knock knock...

A knock sounded outside the door. "Guests, your food has arrived. There is also a gift ordered by the Buddhist master. Please receive it."

Lü Rang said, "All right, coming."

Mohawk Head strode over, opened the door, and carried in two large food boxes along with a small golden cloth pouch.

He opened the food boxes layer by layer and took out plate after plate of steaming food. Half were meat-and-vegetable dishes, while the other half were hearty dishes made entirely of meat. It seemed the captain's gold had not been wasted.

At that moment, Lü Rang picked up the little golden pouch, weighed it in his hand, then opened its mouth and poured the contents into an empty white porcelain bowl.

Quail egg-sized fruits rolled out one after another and landed in the bowl. They were red, oval fruits with green calyxes, looking exactly like cherry tomatoes. Yet on the surface of these fruits grew a single independent eye, the outline of a protruding ear, or a nose with two nostrils...

Every fruit bore a miniature organ. The eyes could blink, the noses faintly twitched, and the ears could contract as though listening to the sounds outside. Only the lone mouths could open and close, unable to make a sound...

In the white porcelain bowl, a pile of cherry tomatoes sprouting single organs trembled and bumped gently against one another, like living things. These had to be the "good stuff" that red-headed monk had said must not be spoken of, right?

Tomatoes... Wait, tomatoes!

Yuan Zhu's body jolted. He raised his head and met the gaze of the young woman beside him, who had reached the same realization. In unison, they cried, "Tomatoes!" ×3 Those monks' heads were clearly tomatoes bearing human facial features! And not only those monks—one quarter of the city's residents had also had their heads replaced by tomatoes that could open their mouths and speak! What kind of tomato Buddhist kingdom was Na Ye City?!

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