Wood Buddha Temple stood in the southern district of Huanyang City.
This ancient temple, weathered by nearly a thousand years of wind and rain, was a living epic in its own right.
Over the long passage of time, some of its halls had fallen into ruin several times due to years of neglect.
They had been rebuilt repeatedly in later generations, but the temple's accumulated history and cultural value were immense.
It was also one of the few national key cultural relics protection sites in Yu State.
Wood Buddha Temple stood proudly atop the mountain. Pilgrims and tourists streamed through its gates all day long, and the mountain paths were always crowded with people.
At that moment, the morning sun was rising, golden light spilling down as the mist still curled through the air.
Looking up from the foot of the mountain,
one could see golden tiles and vermilion eaves atop the lush, overlapping peaks, appearing and disappearing through the morning light and thin mist, as if a Buddhist paradise had descended into the mortal world.
—Dong!
The next moment, a deep, resonant bell rang out from the mountaintop, its echo drifting across the wilderness.
On the winding stone steps, which twisted like a dragon, tourists crawled upward like ants.
Some people heard the bell, pressed their palms together, and closed their eyes in prayer.
The mountain was already quite tall, and its slopes were steep.
Every so often along the path, tourists could be seen leaning on railings and resting on their hiking poles.
Others, who had climbed early to watch the sunrise, were chatting and making their way back down the steps.
On a jutting boulder beside the path, a young couple sat close together, taking a break.
They opened their snacks, unscrewed their bottles, and gulped down refreshments to restore their energy.
"This mountain's way too high... My calves are shaking."
A young man with acne on his face wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke between gasps.
"Who told you not to exercise? You're a grown man, but you're in worse shape than me. We've barely even started..."
The girl in round glasses adjusted her frames and glanced at her boyfriend, her tone carrying a hint of disdain.
The young man opened his mouth to argue, but couldn't think of anything to say. He could only take an awkward swig of water.
Just then, a commotion came from the mountain path below.
The two turned toward the noise and saw eight bare-chested, burly men carrying a bamboo sedan chair as they strode briskly uphill.
A slender, close-cropped young man sat leisurely in the chair.
"That looks way too nice..."
The acne-faced young man murmured, his eyes filled with envy.
"I asked about the sedan chair service. It's two thousand one way, four thousand for a round trip. You want to spend that?"
The round-faced girl raised an eyebrow.
The young man's expression stiffened.
It wasn't that he couldn't afford four thousand, but spending that much just to avoid part of the climb still hurt.
"Forget it, forget it."
He shook his head and looked away.
But he still muttered under his breath, as if trying to make excuses for himself.
"The whole point of climbing is to exercise. Taking a sedan chair defeats the purpose and wastes money. There are better things to spend that on."
Most of the other tourists nearby reacted much the same way. Some watched, others whispered, and many wore looks of longing.
The person in the bamboo sedan chair was Hu Long.
His body had regained some strength, but he was still nowhere near fit enough to climb the mountain on foot.
If there was an easier way, why put himself through the trouble?
The porters earned some hard-won money, and he got to take it easy. They both got what they wanted.
These men were the strongest porters he could find. He could tell just by looking at their builds.
Naturally, they charged a little more, too.
There were eight of them, with four taking turns carrying the chair.
So they made good time.
A little over half an hour later,
Hu Long was carried up to the mountaintop and set down in the open space outside the halls of Wood Buddha Temple.
"Handsome, we're here. Take your time."
The men carefully set down the chair.
A burly man beside it turned to Hu Long and said with a cheerful smile.
This customer was extremely generous.
One trip paid as much as three or four days of their usual work. And with the men taking turns, Hu Long wasn't heavy, so carrying him was no trouble at all. Naturally, they treated him well.
"Okay. Wait here for me!"
Hu Long nodded.
He walked forward.
"Sure, no problem! Go ahead and enjoy yourself. Just call us if you need anything."
The man's voice sounded from behind him.
Hu Long didn't linger. After a brief look around, he headed straight through the entrance of Wood Buddha Temple.
The moment he stepped inside, a scent of plants and aged timber washed over him.
Looking up, he saw that the walls, covered walkways, and even the undersides of the eaves were blanketed in dense, dark green vines and moss. It was almost impossible to make out the wood beneath.
The plants grew wild, clinging and winding around everything.
But on closer inspection, one could spot the occasional charred black patch amid the dark green.
Wood Buddha Temple.
It had earned its name because, unlike the statues in other temples, which were made of various metals, coated in copper paint, or carved from stone, every Buddha statue here was made of wood.
As for the charred marks, according to the information Hu Long had found, they were left by a fire that had broken out here more than a hundred years ago.
For that reason, although admission was free, visitors were forbidden from bringing lighters or other flammable items.
After passing through the security screening at the entrance, Hu Long followed the crowd inside.
Although Wood Buddha Temple couldn't compare to the largest temples, it was by no means small. Built along the mountainside, it covered an area roughly the size of three or four soccer fields.
Its main structures included the Mountain Gate, the Heavenly King Hall, the Mahavira Hall, and the Buddhist Pagoda.
Naturally, he had come to see whether there was a way to solve the problem with his body.
According to the information he'd found, Wood Buddha Temple had long been known for its miracles, and many strange events had occurred there.
It was even said that during the fire a century ago, someone had seen a blue light illuminate the night sky and hold back the flames, allowing Wood Buddha Temple to survive.
Hu Long had even found a photograph from the time online.
But because of the limitations of the technology back then, it was a black-and-white photo, taken at night from a distance. The image was blurry and hard to make out, so it was impossible to tell whether the blue light was a natural phenomenon or something else.
Even so, he had decided to come and try his luck.
Or perhaps he'd run into some expert and be able to download a skill from them.
As he walked forward, each time he passed a tourist, a streak of silver light flashed in his eyes—light that only he could see.
Those were the skills the people had mastered.
[Target: Liu Liqing] [Skill: Driving (Mastery)] [Size: 4 MB (Status: Available for download)] (Description: Has more than ten years of driving experience and is proficient at driving various types of sedans. Handles them skillfully and with ease.)
[Target: Wen Yue] [Skill: None]
[Target: Huo Hai] [Skill: Cooking (Proficient)] [Size: 2.5 MB (Status: Available for download)] (Description: Can skillfully prepare home-style dishes...)
With so many people around, there were naturally more skills, but they were all ordinary ones. There were also a few rather "bizarre" skills.
Thinking of this, he looked at a young woman who had just passed by him. She had her hair tied in a bun, a slender figure, and a shy expression.
[Target: Lu Zhuo] [Skill: Makeup Art for Men (Mastery)] [Size: 4 MB (Status: Available for download)] (Description: Has mastered feminine makeup techniques and can create a wide range of looks, from sweet and innocent to cool and sophisticated. Can achieve a highly natural feminine appearance on a man; it would be difficult to tell the truth without touching.)
The "woman" had been holding up her phone to take selfies and record a video.
It seemed she had noticed Hu Long looking her way.
She tucked the hair from her forehead behind her ear and gave him a slightly bashful smile, every bit the part of a young woman.
She didn't look masculine at all—not even her Adam's apple showed.
"What a talent!"
Hu Long marveled inwardly.
But he still managed a polite smile.
Then he turned away and quickened his pace, leaving the area as fast as he could.
Half an hour later,
Hu Long stood before the Gilded Incense Burner, holding three sticks of Merit Incense that were thicker than those held by the other worshippers.
Smoke swirled around them, blurring the outline of the Buddha above, whose gaze was lowered in compassion.
He lowered his wrist and planted the incense firmly in the heart of the burner. After watching the glowing tips slowly consume the sandalwood, he turned around and looked at the green-robed Guest-Reception Monk standing with his hands at his sides beside the hall.
The monk was very young, with fair, clean skin.
"Little Master."
Hu Long spoke in a low voice, just loud enough for the other man to hear without disturbing the murmured chanting in the hall.
"May I ask if the abbot is at the temple today?"
"Amitabha."
The Guest-Reception Monk pressed his palms together and raised his eyelids slightly, giving Hu Long a quick once-over.
His gaze went from the expensive designer clothes he wore to the custom-made shoes on his feet.