Under the cover of night, the pond was filled with golden lotuses.
Each golden lotus bloomed enchantingly without roots, illuminating the dark water in a blaze of splendor.
A faint, lingering Buddhist chant drifted through the air, seeming to descend from the Ninth Heaven and yet also seep up from beneath the earth. It pierced the lonely night wind with a strange rhythm that set the mind and spirit swaying.
Hua Donghan regarded the white-browed old monk who had appeared behind her as though she were facing a formidable enemy.
"Jing Heng?"
Although she had never seen this Buddha of the present age with her own eyes, she had already guessed his identity.
Jing Heng pressed his palms together, his face filled with compassion.
"Amitabha. This humble monk is indeed he."
Hua Donghan glanced into the distance and sneered.
"No wonder the Yuwen Family suddenly stopped behaving themselves. So they found you as their backer. Planning to rebuild a Buddhist kingdom while Duke Jing'an and Grand Marshal Wenren are away on the Western Expedition? With just the Yuwen Family?"
If this had been the Yuwen Family of eight years ago, they would still have wielded powerful control over the Red Desert. If they had raised the standard of rebellion then, with Jing Heng as their backer, they might have had a chance to establish a Buddhist kingdom in the great desert.
But now, the Yuwen Family's momentum had long since faded.
Jing Heng alone could slaughter every person the Great Blue Dynasty had stationed in the great desert, but he could not possibly establish a Buddhist kingdom by himself.
"Given how composed you are upon seeing this humble monk, you must have a trump card. There is no need to hide it any longer, is there?"
Jing Heng continued speaking