The Truth Laid Bare
At the foot of Golden Buddha Temple Mountain.
Hundreds of pilgrims were still blocked from going up the mountain by the Demon Suppression Guard. At this moment, a series of footsteps suddenly came from the mountain path.
Dozens of Demon-Suppressing Captain escorted a string of monks down the mountain.
The monks were all covered in dust and dirt, bound tightly with ropes, and no longer possessed the air of high-ranking monks.
The pilgrims were in an uproar upon seeing this.
"Those are... monks from the Golden Buddha Temple?"
Why were they arrested?
"Where is the abbot? Where is Abbot Huiming?"
Lu Mingchuan ignored the pilgrims' discussions, and after receiving a whispered remark from the Captain the pilgrim, he waved his hand behind him.
"Let them go up."
The Demon Suppression Guard made way, and the pilgrims, their faces filled with anxiety, surged forward, crowding the entrance to the mountain path.
Boom!
Just then, a loud noise came from the mountaintop.
A strong earthquake shook the ground, and a cloud of dust rose from the direction of Golden Buddha Temple.
The worshippers looked up and saw that the outer shell of the huge Golden Buddha was being dismantled inch by inch.
Dozens of Demon-Suppressing Captain climbed onto the Golden Buddha and began dismantling the enormous Buddha image using hammers, chisels, and ropes.
Why did the Demon Suppression Division dismantle the Golden Buddha?!
"Let's hurry up the mountain and stop them!"
"What will we do without the Golden Buddha Temple...?"
The pilgrims stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Someone realized what was happening, let out a cry of surprise, and then rushed towards the Golden Buddha Temple even more urgently.
They ran to the foot of the Golden Buddha and saw the gilded copper plating being pried off piece by piece, revealing the internal structure.
Copper pipes, blood troughs, blood pools, and stone platforms were all exposed to the sunlight.
The Captain carefully carried out those long-dead and shriveled bodies and placed them on the flat ground.
The angry crowd froze, staring in shock at the scene before them, wondering if their eyes were playing tricks on them.
It wasn't until a Captain, at Lu Mingchuan's instigation, revealed the deeds of the Golden Buddha Temple to the crowd that some people began to realize the truth.
"Impossible... impossible..."
"Golden Buddha Temple is a sacred site of living Buddhas... Abbot Huiming is a reincarnation of a living Buddha..."
"This must be fake... it must be fake..."
A wealthy gentleman dressed in brocade robes stumbled to the feet of the Golden Buddha and roared angrily at it.
"I donated three thousand taels of silver! Three thousand taels!"
"My wife received treatment at the Golden Buddha Temple!"
"Later, after he died, he was sent to the Golden Buddha Temple to pass away peacefully. I thought the Golden Buddha was compassionate... but it turns out that's how it was!"
"Huiming! I'm going to kill you!"
He cried out and tried to rush up the mountain, but was stopped by Captain standing nearby.
At the foot of the Golden Buddha.
Yang Xiao stood aside, watching the pilgrims surge forward.
Some cried, some cursed, and some collapsed to the ground.
Some people rushed inside the Golden Buddha and fainted upon seeing the images; others saw the pool of blood and copper pipes, and knelt on the ground vomiting uncontrollably; still others found the bodies of their loved ones, and wept bitterly while embracing the remains.
Of course, there are also those who remain ignorant and stubborn.
An elderly woman with white hair knelt at the feet of the Golden Buddha, her hands clasped together, chanting incantations.
"This is fake... this is a frame-up by Demon..."
"Abbot Huiming is a reincarnation of a Living Buddha... He wouldn't harm anyone..."
"This is the Demon Suppression Division slandering the Golden Buddha Temple..."
The young man next to her tried to help her up, but she pushed him away.
"Don't pull me! I want to clear the name of Golden Buddha Temple!"
"Abbot Huiming has been wronged!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao glanced at the old woman, but did not argue. He simply gestured with his chin toward a Captain.
"Take her inside to have a look."
The Captain obeyed the order and stepped forward to help the old woman up.
"Sir, you'll understand once you go inside and take a look."
The old woman struggled, but the Captain still led her inside the Golden Buddha.
A short while later, she emerged from inside the Golden Buddha, her expression blank and her eyes lifeless.
She muttered to herself, but could no longer utter a complete sentence.
"It's fake... it's fake..."
"How could this be... how could this be..."
She collapsed to the ground, as if she had lost her soul, unable to accept reality any longer.
The other worshippers also fell silent upon witnessing this scene.
The Golden Buddha they once worshipped was covered with bones and blood beneath its surface.
The Huiming, whom they once devoutly worshipped, was not a reincarnated living Buddha, but a demon who cultivated by taking human lives.
After Yang Xiao saw that everyone had been looked over, he turned to a Captain and gave him instructions.
"No need to wait any longer."
"All gold, silver, incense money, and land deeds in the temple shall be registered, recorded, and confiscated."
"Yes!"
Half an hour later, at the top of Golden Buddha Temple.
The Golden Buddha, once considered a miracle, has now been almost completely dismantled.
Boom!
With a loud crash, the head of the Golden Buddha was ripped off and slammed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
That kind face was now distorted and deformed, and no trace of solemnity could be seen anymore.
Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring the mountaintop.
The Demon-Suppressing Captain are taking inventory of the Golden Buddha Temple's assets, registering the gold, silver, incense money, and land deeds one by one.
The monks have been taken away and are awaiting interrogation.
Some worshippers were identifying the remains of their loved ones, while others stood blankly in the ruins, their faces vacant.
That was the aftershock of the collapse of some kind of belief in my heart.
The once-thriving Golden Buddha Temple is now nothing but ruins.
Let's go.
Yang Xiao mounted his horse and took one last look at the ruins of the Golden Buddha Temple.
"Return to Qingzhou to report."
Behind them, the Demon-Suppressing Captain, escorting the monks and carrying their valuables, followed in a grand procession.
Qingzhou City, Riverwatch Tower.
Located in a bustling area of the city, this seven-story teahouse stands out among the surrounding shops, and its private rooms on the rooftop offer panoramic views of the long street.
Xu Qingshan sat alone by the window on the fifth floor, his tea already refilled three times.
He originally came to wait for news.
Yang Xiao took his men to Golden Buddha Temple a few days ago, and judging by the time, there should be results in the next few days.
Wangjiang Tower is well-informed. Business travelers, celebrities, and servants from aristocratic families all love to drink tea and chat here. News spreads faster than elsewhere.
Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open.
Xu Qingshan looked up and saw several young men walk in, with Xu Mingting leading the way.
Xu Mingting was dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, with a jade pendant hanging at his waist and a fan in his hand. Behind him were three or four people, all members of the main branch of the Lineage, who exuded extraordinary bearing.
Xu Qingshan frowned slightly and spoke slowly.
"Brother Mingting?"
"Qingshan, are you having tea alone?" Xu Mingting waved his hand, smiled, and walked to sit down opposite him. The others behind him also found seats.
Xu Qingshan remained calm. "Wait for someone."
"Waiting for someone?" Xu Mingting glanced at the now-cold tea on the table, his smile deepening. "Waiting for whom? It wouldn't be that Deputy General Yang, would it?"
Xu Qingshan did not answer.
Xu Mingting didn't mind, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then spoke leisurely.
"I heard that Deputy General Yang led his men to the Golden Buddha Temple; they should be back in the next few days."
Xu Mingting put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and looked at him with amusement.
"I'm curious, why didn't Deputy General Yang bring you along on this mission to Golden Buddha Temple?"