My Buddha Asks You: Is Your Heart Sincere?

Under the shroud of Dark Mist, the entire Longchan Temple resembled a ghostly domain.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The Wooden Fish beats grew more rapid.

Each strike seemed to land on Lin Baici and Jin Yingzhen's chests, sending their hearts racing so fast they nearly went into cardiac arrest.

"My Buddha asks you, is your heart sincere?"

The Mysterious Buddha Statue that had appeared out of nowhere lowered its head and looked down expressionlessly at the two of them. Scarlet light flickered in its eyes like hellfire from the underworld.

A God's Taboo Object had arrived!

Jin Yingzhen instinctively turned to run, but a large hand suddenly clamped down hard around her right wrist. She turned back and saw that the Buddha Statue had already raised its Wooden Fish toward her.

If she ran,

the Wooden Fish would definitely smash her head apart.

Cold sweat instantly soaked her back, dampening even her underwear.

Gulp!

Jin Yingzhen trembled and swallowed with difficulty, her gaze falling on the face of the Male Student, who could have become a top-tier idol on Appearance Value alone if he debuted.

She knew that if he had not pulled her back, she would already be dead.

Lin Baici looked at the Goryeo girl and gave a slight shake of his head.

They could not run. Running meant death!

That was what the Mysterious Voice had said.

[You cannot run. Show your devotion to the Great Buddha, or your head will be smashed into a bloody firework by the Wooden Fish!]

Jin Yingzhen did not dare speak. She used her eyes to ask Lin Baici,

What should they do?

Lin Baici raised his head and looked at the Buddha Statue.

It was reddish-brown all over, the color of congealed blood. About three meters tall, it had been carved from a single massive boulder.

Every detail was lifelike. Not even the most accomplished master artisan could have created such a perfect work.

Its expression, presence, and texture also made it seem like a living person.

Its left hand held a Wooden Fish against its chest, while its right gripped a thick Stone Mallet, striking steadily and producing crisp sounds.

The Buddha Statue noticed Lin Baici's gaze and immediately stared at him.

"My Buddha asks you, is your heart sincere?"

This was the third time it had asked. The Buddha Statue's patience seemed to be nearly exhausted. As it spoke, it raised the Wooden Fish high.

Judging by its posture, if Lin Baici did not answer, or answered incorrectly, it would smash his head apart.

"Aishiba, we're dead!"

Jin Yingzhen wanted to live, but her mind was a mess. She could not think of anything.

[Takeout has arrived. Thank you for the Gift of the Gods. Begin eating!]

Takeout? This Buddha Statue?

Lin Baici wanted to curse. In this situation, he was clearly the one at the bottom of the Food Chain.

[Why aren't you eating? Is it not to your taste?]

"Even if I had iron teeth and a copper jaw, I couldn't bite it to death!"

Lin Baici roared inwardly.

Just what the hell was this Buddha Statue?

And what did that sentence mean?

Would he survive if he proved that his heart was sincere?

Lin Baici looked at Jin Yingzhen, wanting to ask whether she had any ideas.

The Goryeo girl blinked at him, looking at Lin Baici expectantly, as though this Oppa were the strongest lifeline in her life.

Lin Baici took a deep breath.

It was over.

This woman was no help!

He would have to rely on himself.

Just as Lin Baici was about to worship the Buddha and take a desperate gamble, the Mysterious Voice sounded in his mind again.

[Worship the Buddha and offer incense money. It cannot be too little, or it will become very angry.]

"You, your heart is not sincere. You deserve death!"

After saying that, the Buddha Statue brought down its Stone Mallet, striking toward Lin Baici's head.

"Buddha, bless me! My heart is as sincere as a mirror, witnessed by heaven and earth!"

Lin Baici shouted desperately. He yanked out his wallet and took out all one hundred and fifty yuan inside, along with his cafeteria card and ID card. "Take it all!"

Whoosh!

The Stone Mallet stopped in front of Lin Baici's forehead, and the wind it kicked up scattered his bangs.

Jin Yingzhen covered her mouth with both hands, terror filling her eyes. She had nearly screamed.

"Still not enough?"

Lin Baici felt as if his heart were about to leap from his throat. His heart rate was definitely over two hundred now. Not daring to waste time, he pulled out his phone as well.

"Take this too!"

After saying that, Lin Baici hurriedly took off his T-shirt and jeans.

The Buddha Statue examined the "incense money" Lin Baici had offered. Its previously hideous face revealed a satisfied smile.

"My Buddha knows that your heart is sincere!"

"You may live!"

The Buddha Statue opened its mouth wide and took a fierce breath.

Lin Baici's wallet, phone, and clothes were sucked directly into its mouth. After chewing them a few times, it swallowed them.

Whew!

Lin Baici let out a breath of relief.

That should settle it, right?

The Buddha Statue did not leave. Instead, it turned to Jin Yingzhen, its smile becoming vicious.

"My Buddha asks you, is your heart sincere?"

Jin Yingzhen was quick-witted. Copying Lin Baici, she took out her wallet and phone, removed her watch, then, after hesitating for a moment, took off her denim hot pants and fitted top and offered them to the Buddha Statue.

Lin Baici could not help glancing at her.

What a great figure!

Was this what people meant by a milk cow?

The Buddha Statue opened its mouth and sucked away the incense money Jin Yingzhen had offered. Then, beating its Wooden Fish, it vanished into the Dark Mist.

They were safe!

Having escaped death, Jin Yingzhen excitedly hugged Lin Baici.

"We passed! We passed! Oppa, you're amazing!"

Mua!

Overcome with emotion, Jin Yingzhen kissed Lin Baici on the cheek.

"You know what that was?"

Lin Baici meant the strangely behaving Buddha Statue.

"A God's Taboo Object!"

Jin Yingzhen explained, "They are a type of thing that appears in God Ruins, things that cannot be explained using existing scientific theories. The authorities classify them as God's Taboo Objects, meaning forbidden objects that even gods fear!"

"These God's Taboo Objects all possess supernatural rule-based powers and can create Rule Pollution. Like that Buddha Statue just now—I think if we could not prove our hearts were sincere, we would have been beaten to death!"

Even now, the thought left Jin Yingzhen trembling with fear.

She had been so panicked earlier that she had been unable to think.

It was all thanks to this Male Student!

He had stayed calm enough to promptly think of offering "incense money" to prove his sincerity.

Otherwise, they would certainly have died.

"Oppa, you're my Superman!"

Jin Yingzhen looked at Lin Baici with worship in her eyes.

Although she now had only her underwear left, Jin Yingzhen did not complain. In fact, she had even considered taking that off and offering it up as well.

After all, no one knew the Buddha Statue's minimum requirement for incense money!

If it was not enough,

they would be killed.

"How many God's Taboo Objects are there in one God Ruins?"

Lin Baici had a splitting headache. He felt like he was doomed.

"I don't know!"

Jin Yingzhen suddenly noticed that aside from Lin Baici's Appearance Value, his physique was outrageously good too. His muscles were sharply defined, making her want to touch them. "Do you work out often?"

He was clearly an incredibly disciplined man!

Jin Yingzhen had discovered another good point about this Oppa.

"I don't like exercising!"

Lin Baici shook his head and looked into the distance.

"Huh?"

Jin Yingzhen's gaze fell on Lin Baici's eight-pack abs. She was somewhat astonished. Those things could not have grown by themselves, could they?

Lin Baici understood Jin Yingzhen's confusion, because he was bewildered too.

Ever since childhood, he had been healthy. Especially after entering high school, his body had begun to resemble one that had undergone years of training.

"Looking at this situation, we'll encounter other God's Taboo Objects?"

Lin Baici changed the subject.

"Definitely!"

Jin Yingzhen looked pitifully at Lin Baici. "So, Oppa, I'm counting on you!"

Honestly, this girl was very pretty and had an extremely hot figure, even prettier than the top Korean girl group members his childhood friend Li Wei liked. Yet Lin Baici felt no stir in his heart.

Because he was hungry.

[Bring her along. She can serve as emergency rations. Recommended cooking method: Charcoal Grilling!]

The fog had thinned somewhat, giving them visibility of more than twenty meters.

"Oppa, should we hurry and find God's Remains?"

Jin Yingzhen felt dizzy and nauseated, as if she had been riding a Roller Coaster for Half an Hour. "At this rate, we won't last long. Even if we don't lose our minds and go crazy, our bodies will break down!"

"Let's go!"

Lin Baici did not want to wait either.

Otherwise, he felt that before God's Remains polluted him into a pile of unconscious dead flesh, he would starve to death first.

"Is that the Great Hero Hall over there?"

It was the largest building in Longchan Temple. Lin Baici decided to try his luck there.

"Not necessarily. God Ruins formed after meteors strike can alter the original terrain and environment, creating some unbelievable places!"

Jin Yingzhen held nothing back and answered everything she knew.

"Mm!"

Before Lin Baici had even taken three steps, the voice in his mind suddenly warned him.

[There is a feast over there, but with your appetite, you cannot finish it. It is recommended that you avoid it for now.]

"What exactly are you?"

Lin Baici stopped. Although the voice was inexplicable and mostly talked about eating, it really had helped him earlier.

There was no answer. The voice fell silent.

"Can you tell me how to leave this God Ruins?"

Lin Baici did not give up.

[Go right. This is your Jungle Area. Your appetite has long been ravenous and cannot wait to begin eating.]

"To the right?"

Lin Baici turned and decided to give it a try.

Jin Yingzhen followed him.

The two advanced carefully through the mist.

Lin Baici's calm gradually affected Jin Yingzhen, making the blonde girl considerably more composed.

"Careful!"

Lin Baici suddenly crouched down.

Jin Yingzhen did not foolishly ask what was wrong. Instead, she quickly crouched down as well and followed Lin Baici's line of sight.

More than a dozen corpses lay scattered haphazardly not far away.

"Run!"

Jin Yingzhen grabbed Lin Baici.

[Oh, a bunch of unlucky fools who died at Merit Buddha's hands. Did they refuse to donate incense money even in death?]

It seemed that the Buddha Statue from earlier had killed these people.

So that monster was called Merit Buddha?

Lin Baici guessed that it was not that these people had been unwilling to give up their money; they simply had not known how to prove their sincerity.

[Not bad luck. A pleasant surprise right out the door. You can go loot the bodies!]

"Let's go!"

It sounded like there was no danger.

Lin Baici mustered his courage and walked over.

Nine men and seven women, all with their heads smashed in.

"Search them. See if there's anything useful!"

Lin Baici walked over to the young man's corpse, who was about his height, and stripped off his Manchester United jersey.

There was blood on the jersey, which made Lin Baici uncomfortable, but wandering around in nothing but underwear felt even worse.

After all, Lin Baici wasn't a pervert.

Merit Buddha hadn't touched any of these corpses' belongings. It seemed that unless the incense money was offered willingly by a Tourist, it wouldn't accept it.

Lin Baici found a Rolex.

It wasn't that he was greedy for such a small bargain. He needed to check the time and confirm how long he had been in these God Ruins.

Besides that, he picked up a backpack and put in two lighters, over six hundred yuan, and three phones.

If they ran into Merit Buddha again, they could give these to it.

"Oppa, there are no weapons!"

Jin Yingzhen changed into a pure cotton short skirt and draped a white Sun Protection Shirt over herself.

"Let's go!"

The two continued onward. After walking for around ten minutes, they saw a Moon Gate standing not far away, like the hollow eye socket of some demon beast after its eyeball had been gouged out.