"Get lost! Get lost! I don't need your hypocritical charity!"
"Stop it! I, Zhanguo, will not be grateful!"
Zhanguo continued to roar, but Chan'er ignored Zhanguo's shouts of Rage and merely recited sutras at an unhurried pace.
More and more Buddhist mantras appeared, and the golden light grew ever brighter. Soon, centered on Chan'er, the golden radiance surged outward in all directions like a tide. Sanskrit chants also arose in the void, echoing far into the distance. Solemn golden light filled the entire gathering place, making it seem as though they had entered a sacred Buddhist realm.
The faces of the monks present were tinged with a faint gold, and their spirits felt refreshed. The Rage on the faces of those who still harbored resentment gradually faded, and even their states of mind became calm.
"Holy Monk!" An elderly monk gazed at Chan'er with reverence and knelt before him.
The other monks from the Western Regions had long been filled with admiration for Chan'er. Seeing the old monk's actions, they too bowed to Chan'er, then sat around him and began chanting sutras together.
Great swathes of golden light rose from the crowd, soon forming a golden pillar of light that shot straight into the sky. The Sanskrit chanting was also stirred, resounding throughout the desert.
The people in distant Red Valley City witnessed this Buddhist miracle and knelt toward the golden light outside the city, chanting the sacred names of countless Buddhist bodhisattvas and the Buddha.
Within the golden pillar, the Rage on Zhanguo's face had already faded, replaced by calm. He slowly closed his eyes.
A phantom rose from his corpse. Judging by its features, it was Zhanguo, but there was no longer the slightest trace of resentment in his expression. He only looked at Chan'er with a complicated