Outside Ping An County, Chen Yuan chuckled softly as he watched Yue Shan's departing figure.

Now, the preliminary preparations were finally complete. Next was to go to Ci'en Temple to confirm everything once more.

Facing that Master Zhang, whom even Li Mingqi treated with caution, Chen Yuan dared not take it lightly, nor dare he recklessly deceive, otherwise, the consequences would be severe.

Yue Shan had promised that, at the latest, within three days, either Master Zhang would come, or he would prepare a letter to inform him in advance.

At that time, if that Master Zhang really came in person, the word "guess" could no longer be used.

He had to come up with some convincing words.

"Wang Ping."

"Brother Yuan."

Wang Ping glanced at Chen Yuan and responded.

"Come with me to Ci'en Temple. Observe more, speak less."

"Don't worry, Brother Yuan!"

......

......

North of the city.

Ci'en Temple.

Chen Yuan surveyed the surroundings of the temple for a while, then calmly dismounted and walked into the temple.

Chen Yuan was both familiar and unfamiliar with this place.

In his memory, his uncle would bring him here several times a year to burn incense and worship Buddha. After his transmigration, he also obtained his first opportunity here, the Vajra Glazed Body.

But Chen Yuan was still unfamiliar, unfamiliar with how Ci'en Temple, a place for helping people and saving lives, had turned into a demon's lair that possibly harbored the Eternal Life Sect's demons.

It also hid something sinister like the Blood Fiend Blade, which sounded evil just from the name.

"There are fewer people here than usual."

Wang Ping looked around and whispered to Chen Yuan.

Wang Ping had also been here before, but at that time, Ci'en Temple was very popular, with a constant stream of believers burning incense and worshiping Buddha. But now...

It was already very sparse.

"Years of drought, the people's harvests are not good, so naturally, there is not much extra money to offer incense."

"That's true..."

Wang Ping nodded in agreement.

From his father's business, he could see that the drought in Qing Prefecture had been quite severe in the past two years. In some places, it was said that the ground had already cracked.

"May I ask who you two are?"

As soon as Chen Yuan and Wang Ping entered, a young bald monk walked up to them and asked with his palms together.

His gaze was somewhat wary as he scrutinized them.

"Burning incense and worshiping Buddha."

Chen Yuan smiled.

The young monk was stunned for a moment, then quickly smiled and said:

"The main hall is just ahead. You two benefactors can go straight ahead."

Hearing that they were here to burn incense, the monk even changed his address.

"Okay, thank you."

Chen Yuan nodded with a smile.

Before coming, he and Wang Ping had already changed their clothes to prevent being targeted.

The young monk nodded slightly, then turned to greet other worshippers.

"Let's go..."

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes and strolled around Ci'en Temple with Wang Ping.

He looked around, wondering where the secrets of Ci'en Temple might be hidden.

Ci'en Temple was a small temple, but it also had many rooms and halls. The temple had a heavy scent of burning incense, which made Wang Ping inadvertently sigh that the temple was still extravagant, burning so much incense at this time of year.

Chen Yuan's eyes flickered slightly after hearing this, but he didn't say much.

As long as one becomes suspicious of a place, one can find something wrong no matter where it is.

Before long, Chen Yuan and Wang Ping passed through two gates and arrived in front of the main hall.

A dozen men, women, and children were bowing in front of the hall, their heads touching the ground, their palms facing upwards, silent and unmoving.

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes. This was the ritual of Buddhism, the prostration.

He couldn't help but sneer in his heart. Buddhism emphasized equality for all living beings, but was this ritual equal for believers?

"Brother Yuan, I recognize these people?"

Wang Ping lowered his voice slightly.

"Who are they?"

Chen Yuan asked.

"Brother Yuan, do you remember the missing children I told you about yesterday? These people are their parents..." Wang Ping whispered.

"Children are missing. Can praying to gods and Buddha bring them back?" Chen Yuan shook his head slightly.

He had one more sentence that he didn't say, and that was that their children were likely missing because of certain people within Ci'en Temple.

"One tael of silver to enter the hall."

A middle-aged fat monk with several scars on his head walked up to Chen Yuan and said calmly.

"Why is it so expensive again? Wasn't it a hundred copper coins last time I came?"

Chen Yuan asked in a deep voice.

To prevent suspicion, Chen Yuan had to create the image of a believer.

"The abbot wants to repair the golden body of the Buddha."

The middle-aged monk said with a faint smile.

Staring at him for a moment, Chen Yuan handed over two taels of silver:

"So it's to repair the golden body of the Buddha. Then it should indeed be raised a bit."

"The benefactor still cares for the Buddha. These benefactors..." The middle-aged monk looked at the men, women, and children kneeling on the ground not far away, shook his head, and his eyes showed some contempt.

"Praying to Buddha is not about silver. As long as you have the heart, that's enough."

The middle-aged monk smiled and said nothing.

Chen Yuan and Wang Ping took two incense sticks from the middle-aged monk and stepped into the main hall.

In the center, a golden Buddha statue several feet tall sat cross-legged on a lotus platform, coldly and indifferently overlooking every believer who entered.

Chen Yuan opened his Celestial Eye, and a faint green light, difficult to detect, appeared in his eye socket. He looked around the hall, but unfortunately, there was no movement.

The expression in his eyes returned to normal, and Chen Yuan walked forward calmly, inserting the incense sticks into the incense burner in front of him, without kneeling down.

Whether in his previous life or this life, Chen Yuan did not believe in gods and Buddhas.

Martial arts cultivation cultivates oneself.

Wang Ping followed Chen Yuan's actions, inserted the incense sticks, and left the main hall following Chen Yuan's footsteps.

In front of the door, the group of people were still prostrating devoutly. Chen Yuan did not look sideways and walked past them.

Leaving the main hall, Chen Yuan went purposefully to the place in Ci'en Temple where scriptures were kept.

Outside the Sutra Depository.

A monk in a green robe was sweeping the floor. Chen Yuan took a closer look and saw that it was an acquaintance. Last time, he had obtained the Vajra Glazed Body from him.

"Master."

Chen Yuan put one hand in front of his chest and nodded slightly.

The green-robed monk slowly raised his head, his face showing some weathered wrinkles. He was slightly stunned when he saw Chen Yuan:

"It's Benefactor Chen. Why are you here to burn incense today?"

"I've been unlucky lately, so I want to burn incense and ask the Buddha to bless me," Chen Yuan said with a faint smile.

"The Buddha is in your heart. Just keep him in mind at all times."

The green-robed monk smiled.

"Master is truly a great person. His casual words contain Buddhist principles."

"Benefactor Chen is joking. I heard that Benefactor Chen has now become a constable?"

"Perhaps it's because I burned those Diamond Sutras for my uncle before. I was lucky enough to sit in this position." Chen Yuan was not surprised. There were quite a few people in Ping An County who knew that he had become a constable.

Not to mention this monk who was quite familiar with him.

"Benefactor Chen is a blessed person."

"Master, Chen wants to ask you a question."

The green-robed monk smiled and said nothing.

Chen Yuan quietly handed over a tael of silver.

"Benefactor Chen, please speak." The green-robed monk smiled faintly and put the silver into his sleeve without a trace.