"The Buddhist path is rather unique, placing greater emphasis on merit and karma. Whenever someone reincarnates, whether good or bad, virtuous or wicked, they must settle their karma before their undertaking can be considered complete. If Your Majesty lets the Fragrant Empress go, your relationship will resemble a commercial debt: once the debt is paid, both sides are free. If Your Majesty beds her, however, it will no longer be a simple transaction, but an emotional debt that cannot be cut apart and only grows more tangled when unraveled. The karma of emotions is complex and mysterious, encompassing the karma of predestination, fate, marriage, and more. There are countless uncertainties. It all depends on whether Your Majesty dares to gamble!"
When the Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha finished speaking, Xiao Ying and Bai Ze both grew solemn and sank into thought, though neither looked disappointed.
This was the main reason Xiao Ying had summoned the Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha for advice. The fewer people who knew about Sun Shangxiang's situation, the better. But Bai Ze belonged to the Demon Race and was purely a demon cultivator. Xiao Ying cultivated a broad range of paths, yet knew little about the Buddhist path. Who better to consult than the Buddhist cultivator foremost in seniority, experience, status, cultivation, and realm?
Put bluntly, the Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha's suggestion was for Xiao Ying to bind Sun Shangxiang with emotion, making it difficult for her to extricate herself even after awakening.
This was a high-stakes gamble, much like one at a gaming table. Betting on high or low was safer, but paid less; betting on a specific number carried greater risk, but offered greater returns.
What Xiao Ying and Bai Ze considered and feared was whether this scheme against Sun Shangxiang, worse even than desecration, might