Bodhi Messenger Kasaya

Lin Baici ignored them and kept his eyes on the covered boat, watching the water around it.

His hunger was so intense that there had to be a God's Taboo Object nearby. Rule Pollution could happen at any moment—and might already have begun.

Splash! Splash!

The tourists swimming broke the stillness of Lotus Lake.

"Row faster!"

Hook-nosed Man sneered at the people trying to swim across. If they had the nerve to get ahead of him, they could hardly blame him for being ruthless.

The covered boat moved quickly. It was now only a dozen or so meters from Lake Heart Island.

"Damn it, my prediction was wrong!"

Jiang Hong was fretting over what to do when the covered boat suddenly overturned and vanished beneath the water.

Splash! Splash!

Hook-nosed Man and the others plunged into the lake like dumplings dropping into a pot.

"What happened?"

"What the hell?"

"Why did the boat capsize?"

The tourists on shore were all right, but those in the lake were nearly scared to death. They hurriedly stopped swimming.

The covered boat had sunk without warning, as if a giant hand had yanked a toy boat straight down beneath the lake.

The tourists aboard the two small skiffs panicked.

One rowed hard toward shore, desperate to get back as quickly as possible. But the very next second, it went splash and sank. The tourists fell into the water, shouted twice, and then fell silent.

Seeing this, the other skiff put all its strength into heading for Lake Heart Island. It was close, after all; they could get to shore first and figure things out later. But it had barely gone three or four meters when it sank, too.

The tourists who had been floating in the lake, planning to swim across, panicked and turned around, swimming for shore with all their might.

But it was too late.

Splash! Whoosh!

They were dragged beneath the water as if water ghosts had come to claim them.

"Help!"

"Someone, help me!"

"Don't kill me!"

The shouts, pleas for help, and curses vanished in less than ten seconds. Of the more than fifty people who had entered the water, not one remained in sight.

Only ripples spread slowly across the lake.

Everyone on shore was chilled to the bone.

Dozens of people—

all dead in an instant.

It was horrifying.

Jiang Hong had been kicking himself for not leaving earlier, but now his chest was full of gratitude.

"Thank heaven! Thank heaven!"

Jiang Hong glanced at Lin Baici. Following this kid had definitely been the right choice.

About two or three minutes later, the covered boat and the two small skiffs resurfaced and drifted slowly back to the dock.

But this time, no one dared to fight over them.

"Baici, what do we do now?"

Old Aunt was drenched in sweat. Whether from the heat, anxiety, or fright, she had no idea, but her clothes were soaked through and clung to her body.

"Look around nearby. There should be a God's Taboo Object. Destroy it!"

After speaking, Lin Baici walked along the lakeshore over the grass.

The willows growing here were lush, their green branches and leaves like new silk spun by a spider.

Everyone hurried after him.

Lin Baici paid them no mind. He was tracking down the God's Taboo Object by following his hunger. If it intensified, that meant the object was nearby.

The most worrying possibility was that the God's Taboo Object was on Lake Heart Island. That would be a problem.

Sister Xiao Li was about to speak, but Hua Yueyu stopped her.

"Don't bother him!"

Hua Yueyu turned to the others and urged, "Everyone, go look for the God's Taboo Object. Don't follow him around!"

No one moved.

They were all worried that if they left, the others might take the chance to get onto the island without them.

"Don't bother trying to persuade them. Right now, they're all counting on oppa!"

Jin Yingzhen looked up and scanned the distance, searching for wildflowers anywhere besides Lake Heart Island. But she found none.

Lin Baici felt even hungrier.

He turned and looked toward the ten o'clock direction. About thirty meters from the shore stood a group of Stone Buddha Statues, more than thirty of them.

The statues were about a meter tall, not even reaching Lin Baici's waist.

Their torsos were tiny and their limbs thin, like people who had been severely malnourished and starved to the brink of death.

Yet they had enormous heads, especially their bulging eyes.

"That design is so disgusting!"

Old Aunt felt deeply uncomfortable.

Lin Baici and the others approached.

The Stone Buddha Statues showed signs of weathering from wind and sun.

"What if they suddenly come to life?"

Hua Yueyu was worried.

"Don't scare me!"

Old Aunt began to tremble and edged closer to Lin Baici.

"Let's go take a look!"

Lin Baici had spotted one Buddha statue that was different from the rest. It wore a Kasaya.

The others followed, but just as they neared the group of statues...

Whoosh!

Every Buddha statue turned its head in unison and stared at them.

"Ghosts!"

"Holy shit!"

"Run!"

Everyone was terrified. Lin Baici was the only one who stepped back; the rest turned and ran.

Jin Yingzhen ran a few steps, then saw Lin Baici hadn't fled and stopped. "Oppa?"

[A group of Big-headed Stone Buddhas on the brink of starvation. They're filled with murderous intent and greed for any food, but since they can't move, all they can do is look. They can't eat!]

"They can't move? So if we don't go near them, we'll be fine?"

Lin Baici relaxed and fixed his gaze on the Red Kasaya.

It was sewn from red cloth, like the kind worn by abbots at ordinary temples. But rows of golden symbols—probably some kind of writing—were inscribed on it.

Whatever. He'd burn it first.

Lin Baici took the Pine Torch and walked up to a Buddha statue, striking it against the statue.

Scrape!

The torch caught, its orange-red light dispelling some of the chill.

The others stayed where they were and watched Lin Baici enter the group of statues.

This...

What guts!

Suddenly, the Big-headed Stone Buddhas threw back their heads, puckered their lips, and screamed with all their might.

Aah!

Their eerie cries spread across Lotus Lake, sending ripples across the water.

It hurt!

Lin Baici covered one ear with his hand.

The others had it worse. The cries were like sharp Iron Spikes being driven into their skulls by a giant wielding a hammer, piercing their brains.

But what was even more terrifying was that as the screams rang out, the water along the shore of Lotus Lake surged skyward with a splash. A three-meter-tall monster burst out of it and charged at them.

The monster looked like a Buddha statue. It had fleshy protuberances on its head, long earlobes, and a string of prayer beads around its neck. Apart from those features, though, there was nothing remotely Buddhist about it.

Its muscles bulged all over, as if it had been raised on protein powder. Veins and sinews stood out beneath its skin.

It wore nothing but a pair of tight leather shorts.

As it charged, its muscles flexed with every stride. Its huge feet pounded the ground, sending dirt and grass flying and leaving prints half a finger deep.

Its posture radiated explosive power and made a stunning visual impact.

Splash!

The tourists turned and fled.

Was this a joke? The monster was strong enough to enter a bodybuilding competition. It could kill everyone here in less than a minute.

"Oppa, run!"

Jin Yingzhen shouted.

Lin Baici glanced at the monster Buddha statue and immediately sprinted.

He had to burn the Kasaya.

That damn thing had to be what caused this.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The monster Buddha statue charged toward Lin Baici, closing in fast.

Luckily, he was close enough to the Kasaya to reach it in time. But just as he extended the torch to set it alight, God of Gluttony spoke.

[This is a Bodhi Messenger Kasaya. Wear it, and you can summon a Buddha to wash your clothes, cook your meals, chop wood, and feed your horse. If you want to fight, it can even hand you a knife and bury the bodies.]

God of Gluttony advised: [As a professional foodie, you need servants to wait on you. You can make temporary use of this Buddha messenger.]

"What the hell?"

Lin Baici was at a loss.

This thing could be a servant?

One punch from it and he wouldn't need to cry for long. He'd go straight to heaven.

Lin Baici was determined. Whatever it was, he'd burn it first. If that thing got here, he'd be the one to die.

[Put on the Kasaya and you can enslave it. Simple and effective.]

That appraisal from God of Gluttony made Lin Baici pull the torch away just as he was about to set the Kasaya alight.

"Is it really that easy?"

Lin Baici could hardly believe it. He thought of the Dark Great Buddha in the Great Hero Hall. If he had a musclebound Buddha like this as his henchman, he might stand a chance against it.

With that thought, Lin Baici quickly reached out to pull the Kasaya off the statue.

The monster Buddha statue attacked. It lunged forward, bent low, and swung its right fist at Lin Baici's head like a shooting star.

"Oppa!"

"Baici!"

Jin Yingzhen and Hua Yueyu couldn't bear to watch.

Whoosh!

Lin Baici flicked his wrist and draped the Kasaya over his shoulders, covering half his body.

The golden scriptures shone especially brightly among the willow statues.

Whoosh!

The force of the punch whipped Lin Baici's Manchester United Jersey into a flutter.

The monster Buddha statue's heavy fist stopped right in front of his forehead.

"Good grief, that scared me!"

Only now did Lin Baici realize how dangerous his actions had been. If God of Gluttony's appraisal had been wrong, or if he'd been half a beat slower putting on the Kasaya, his brains and blood would already have painted the statues.

The monster Buddha statue planted its feet and stood upright. Then it pressed its palms together, bowed slightly to Lin Baici, and faded away.

"Oppa!"

Jin Yingzhen hurried over, crying her eyes out. "You scared me to death!"

They hadn't known each other long, but Lin Baici's intelligence and courage—and, most importantly, his good looks—had already won the Korean beauty's favor.

If he walked her home tonight, Jin Yingzhen would definitely invite him into her bedroom for a bowl of instant noodles.

Lin Baici shrugged and put on the Kasaya.

It was really just a piece of cloth, draped over his shoulders and left arm, then fastened with a tie.

Seeing that the danger had passed, everyone came over.

"Baici, don't do that again. It's too dangerous!"

Old Aunt's voice trembled. She couldn't understand why Lin Baici wasn't afraid.

"Was that muscular Buddha monster the culprit behind the deaths of the people in the lake?"

Jiang Hong was excited. If so, didn't that mean it was safe to cross the lake now?

By the way, where had the muscular Buddha gone?

Had Lin Baici subdued it?

Jiang Hong stared at the Kasaya on Lin Baici. It looked like a good item.

He wanted it!

"Oppa, this Kasaya is a God's Taboo Object. Wearing it could expose you to Rule Pollution!"

Jin Yingzhen was worried.

"I don't have a choice!"

Lin Baici figured he had a decent chance of resisting this Rule Pollution. Otherwise, God of Gluttony wouldn't have let him use it.

[You won't be contaminated, but it might beat you up!]