Although Shen Luo resented the city guards' conduct, they had important matters to attend to and should not draw attention to themselves. Just as he was about to step forward and tell Bai Xiaotian to let it go,
"Amitabha. Sirs, all living beings are equal. Why do others only need to pay two taels of silver, while we alone must pay two gold?" Chan'er stepped forward first and said.
Only then did the city guards notice Chan'er, and all their expressions changed.
"Venerable Master, are you their companion? This lowly one failed to recognize greatness. A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Please, all three of you, enter the city!" The guard who had been extorting them plastered on a smile and immediately moved aside, his attitude utterly different from before.
The other guards also put away their smirks and bowed to Chan'er with rather devout expressions.
Chan'er returned their Buddhist salute. Shen Luo and Bai Xiaotian did not understand why, but avoiding trouble was naturally a good thing, so they immediately led Chan'er into the city.
Bai Prefecture City had tall walls and a vast area. Shen Luo had assumed it would be quite prosperous, but upon entering, he found narrow, filthy streets, with low, shabby houses lining both sides. Humans and livestock lived together, there were very few shops, and even those were terribly run-down. The people appeared to live in extreme hardship.
Yet unlike the ramshackle homes of the common folk, the city contained countless temples, all built with layer upon layer of sacred halls and imposing Buddhist images. Sanskrit chants drifted through the air, and the incense offerings were astonishingly abundant.
Chan'er was dressed as an eminent monk. Though young, he possessed an extraordinary bearing. When the city residents saw the three of them, they immediately made way and