That Day, You Will Become a Buddha Revered by All of the Western Regions (4,000 words, two chapters in one)

At dawn, the rosy clouds broke through the evening clouds. The clouds in the east turned gray-white and gradually thinned, revealing a streak of pale blue sky.

Leaves knocked down by the rain were scattered across the damp earth. Droplets slid from their tips and fell into little puddles with faint splashes. The distant mountains were still shrouded in mist, their outlines blurred, visible only as varying shades of gray.

Water dripped intermittently from the eaves of the dilapidated temple, splashing into tiny droplets on the blue-gray stone steps. The air was filled with the scent of soil and grass, and a chill drifted slowly on the breeze.

The temple gates opened. Xiao Mo raised his head and looked at the sky. A faint golden light slipped through a gap in the clouds and slanted across the wet ground, casting a few blurred patches of light.

Inside the temple.

Wang Xin raised her head and looked at the Smiling Maitreya Buddha seated in the middle, then at Fierce Vajrapani, the wrathful guardian standing beside him.

Ever since Xiao Mo had cut down those bandits with a single stroke last night, Wang Xin had remained standing before the Buddha statue.

The young woman's eyes were still clear, but a trace of bewilderment seemed to flicker in them.

Only when they saw the sunlight outside the temple did Han Zi and his family finally come to their senses after everything that had happened the night before.

Han Zi glanced at the shattered stone floor inside the temple. If not for the bloodstains still on it, he might have thought that last night had been nothing but a dream.

But even though Xiao Mo had saved his family, Han Zi felt more fear than gratitude toward him.

The instant Xiao Mo drew his