Wielding a Broadsword Before Guan Yu, You Think You're Worthy of Posing as Buddha?

Commander Zuo paced back and forth outside the temple, his boots crushing a few withered leaves. He felt that this escort had gone too smoothly, abnormally so.

As is customary, when escorting a serious criminal like Fu Tianchou, there are bound to be several waves of desperate criminals attempting to break into the prison.

But then I thought about it again. This place is only thirty miles from the capital, so it's only natural that petty scoundrels wouldn't dare to cause trouble.

He was trying to comfort himself when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from ahead.

Commander Zuo tapped the hilt of his sword with his thumb, the blade gleaming three inches from its sheath. "Who goes there?!"

A blinding beam of light shone in the darkness, making him squint.

He saw the young man who had claimed to be a ginseng digger at the inn during the day shining a light on him with an iron tube, from which white smoke, like White Mist, was rising.

"Isn't this Lord Zuo?" Fang Yu turned off his flashlight. "Is the bed in the inn hurting your back?"

Commander Zuo sheathed his sword, the scales of his armor clattering softly. "I'm on official business and can't say much." His gaze swept over the Central Continent Team, finally settling on Fang Yu's face. "But it's you ginseng diggers..."

"Hey, I haven't even asked you yet," Fang Yu suddenly interrupted him. "I also want to ask you, how many meals could the Centipede Demon have with the corpses of your colleagues?"

The Blade of Commander Zuo's sword gleamed coldly in the moonlight as he shouted sternly, "What kind of monsters are these! Stop spreading these false rumors and misleading the public!"

Fang Yu didn't explain, but grabbed Zhan Lan and pulled her over. Her pale, zombie-like face looked particularly eerie in the moonlight. "Look, a zombie, have you ever seen one before?"

Commander Zuo frowned and carefully examined Zhan Lan.

Zhan Lan's zombie fangs gleamed coldly in the moonlight, and eerie lividity appeared on her bluish-gray skin. Her fingernails swelled into jet-black claws.

Could it be that...?

Seeing this, Commander Zuo was dumbfounded.

After all, he hadn't received nine years of education. For an ancient person like him, the idea of ghosts and demons was something he accepted much faster than a modern person who hadn't read novels.

"You audacious fiend! How dare you! This is right here, at the foot of the imperial city!"

Fang Yu stepped aside to shield Zhan Lan behind him, shaking his head and sighing, "Look at you, so stubborn. I've already shown you that the world isn't as simple as you think, and you still want to draw your sword against us? Are you stupid?"

These words struck him like a thunderbolt, Commander Zuo's hand, gripping his sword, suddenly froze.

He suddenly recalled the image of the Little Monk Shi Fang crying out that "there are monsters in the temple," and also the folk saying that "monks do not lie." Cold sweat slid down his temples, soaking the collar of his official robe.

"Not good!" Commander Zuo suddenly turned and rushed towards the temple, his knuckles slamming against the vermilion gate with a dull thud. "Gate of Opening! Gate of Opening!"

The chanting continued inside the temple, but no one responded.

Commander Zuo's shouts echoed in the night, startling the birds roosting in the forest. He turned to look at Fang Yu, his eyes filled with panic.

The tightly closed temple door now appeared to him like a gaping maw ready to devour its prey.

Commander Zuo's eyes widened in fury, and with a flash of cold light, he swung his long sword at the temple gate! With a loud "boom," the vermilion gate shattered.

"How dare you, Commander Zuo! You dare to alarm the Emperor!" Several pale-faced servants rushed out from inside the door, their shrill voices particularly jarring in the night.

The Commander Zuo's hand holding the knife trembled slightly, and his imposing aura immediately weakened.

He bowed and clasped his hands in greeting. "This humble official is on official business and must hasten our journey. Please, Your Imperial Advisor, grant us permission to proceed!"

The servants' eyes darted around, and they wore eerie smiles.

Commander Zuo frowned, then suddenly noticed that their expressions were a bit strange. Commander Zuo's heart skipped a beat, and he pushed the servants aside and rushed into the main hall!

All that could be seen were soldiers sitting upright in the room, and prisoners like Fu Tianchou were also meditating with their eyes closed. Everything seemed normal.

Commander Zuo breathed a sigh of relief, but then, thinking about how the ginseng digger had dared to mock him, he was furious and turned to go out to settle accounts.

"Hmm"

A faint groan came from the corner.

Commander Zuo looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the Shi Fang the Monk's chest was faintly glowing with Golden Light, and his face was as pale as paper.

Even more horrifying, a crack appeared in the chest of his colleague next to him!

The commander of the Commander Zuo reached out with trembling hands. The personal guard who had followed him for many years was now just a skeleton wrapped in human skin!

He frantically checked each one, only to find that all the "people" in the room had become empty shells, collapsing to the ground at the slightest touch.

"Lord Commander, please come and listen to the Buddhist scriptures as well."

A chilling laugh came from behind the Buddha Statue.

Pudu Cihang walked out slowly, the Zen master's face glowing with an eerie Golden Light under the moonlight.

Commander Zuo was struck dumb, and suddenly understood everything!

"You! You!"

Pudu Cihang grinned sinisterly as he dragged Shifang toward the rear hall. "Nam Amitabha Buddha," he said, "In just a few more days, all the imperial envoys and ministers in this court will become my nourishment. Hehehe."

"You audacious fiend! You've harmed my loyal ministers and righteous men!" His eyes were bloodshot, and the steel knife in his hand trembled with a buzzing sound. "I listened to the Demon Person's lies and wrongly harmed the virtuous and loyal!"

Commander Zuo was about to give chase, dozens of ghost servants emerged from the ground and surrounded him!

With a flash of cold light, the Iron-Blooded Commander's Blade drew countless silver arcs as he engaged in a fierce battle with the swarming ghost slaves!

"Whoosh!"

A flash of white light appeared, Commander Zuo was ambushed by the invisible ghost servant, instantly losing an arm!

Commander Zuo grimaced in pain, but without saying a word, he threw the knife into the air and caught it with his teeth!

This was seven years earlier than Zoro's.

With a knife clenched in his mouth, he roared, "You bunch of sneaky demons! I will surely eliminate you all! I will restore order and justice to the Imperial Court!"

"Waaaaaah!"

Zhiqiuyiye, stepping on Talismans, swiftly flew through the air and grabbed Commander Zuo's severed arm above the wound. "Quickly! This temple is full of ghosts!"

"Get out of my way!" Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Commander Zuo sighed, "I was misled by Demon Person caused the deaths of loyal officials. Today, I will risk my life to atone for this—"

"What are you going to fight with?!" Zhiqiuyiye was so anxious that she jumped up and down, pointing her Peachwood Sword towards the main hall. "That Centipede Demon has already cultivated to the point of being a half-Buddha!"

Before the words were finished, the entire temple was suddenly bathed in dazzling Golden Light, and the chanting caused the tiles to fall off in a rustling sound.

Commander Zuo's eyes glazed over instantly, and he actually stepped towards the Golden Light.

Zhiqiuyiye knew something was wrong. She bit her fingertip, drew Blood Talisman on her palm, and slapped it on Commander Zuo's forehead. "Mimi, Mommy, wake up!"

"What is this?" Commander Zuo snapped back to his senses and saw a three-zhang-tall golden Buddha floating in the sky above the main hall. The voice of Pudu Cihang resounded from the Buddha's mouth. "You wicked child, why don't you kneel and worship the Buddha?"

"Bullshit!" Zhiqiuyiye cursed, pointing at the golden Buddha. "A demon dares to impersonate Buddha?!"

Suddenly, a swastika appeared in the palm of the golden Buddha, and Zhiqiuyiye was blasted away. He got up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and stomped his foot angrily. "It's not fair! Cultivators can't bring themselves to attack Buddha Statue!"

At that very moment, the clouds suddenly parted, revealing a dazzling display of light!

A colossal phantom of a Buddha descended from the heavens, its thumb alone larger than the entire temple!

Fang Yu's voice boomed like thunder across the sky. "Trying to show off your skills in front of Guan Yu? You think you're worthy of pretending to be a Buddha?"

"Sage Art Wood Release - True Several Thousand Hands - Top Transformation - Great Luo Buddha Hands!"