Before science could explain everything, people would more or less believe in something; there was no Car God in ancient times, but most modern car buyers worship the Car God.

Modern people are like this, let alone these eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty.

Xia Yan glanced at the abbot, then swept his gaze over the eunuchs who had stopped working, and said indifferently, "Is the Emperor greater, or is Tathagata of the Western Heaven greater?"

The eunuchs covered the Tathagata's head with gauze and continued to dismantle.

Several eunuchs moved a statue of Manjusri Bodhisattva, with scriptures on its left shoulder and a treasured sword sitting on the right. As it passed by, Li Changzhou noticed it.

He nodded inwardly; Yang Qinglan was indeed right—the Buddha Golden Body was truly suited for creating special edition Golden Crowns.

Boom!

Another Buddha's head tumbled down, falling beside Tathagata's head.

The gauze covering Tathagata's head was slightly lifted by the wind, eerily making it look as though it was watching everyone along with the other Buddha's head.

Li Changzhou followed the gaze of the second head and saw a big-bellied monk, chest and belly exposed, smiling amiably.

Maitreya Buddha.

"It's the Future Buddha!" the abbot exclaimed in shock, "With great compassionate Intelligence, he rescues those in profound suffering; with the lamp of great illumination, he enlightens those lost in darkness. The Future Buddha has fallen; this, this—"

"Are you trying to say my Great Ming Dynasty has no future?" Xia Yan asked coldly.

"Amitabha Buddha," the abbot bowed his head.

"Buddha does not rule over our Great Ming; the one who decides the future of our Great Ming is the Emperor alone!" Xia Yan looked at the eunuchs, "Continue dismantling, and anyone who dares stop again will receive thirty lashes!"

Li Changzhou pondered for a moment and then said to Xia Yan, "Master Xia, there might be something off about this temple; you should have someone thoroughly search it."

Xia Yan thought for a moment and then nodded, "Alright."

One head falling off could be a coincidence, two could also be coincidences, but a thorough check is more reassuring than not checking at all.

Now that Li Changzhou had dismantled the opponent's Golden Body, and they had past grievances, if there really were issues, they needed to be dealt with immediately and not left until the Lantern Festival day.

Before long, a eunuch came to report.

"Master Xia, Master Li, we have searched inside and out; there's nothing sinister, only the last hall, the door is tightly shut, and the knocker holds a large lock," the eunuch said.

"Where is the key?" Xia Yan looked at the abbot.

"Master Xia, inside that hall—"

"The people of the monastic community should not lie; Buddha is watching from the ground," Li Changzhou said with a smile.

The abbot hesitated for a moment, glancing at the aligned heads of Tathagata and Maitreya.

After pondering for a while, he said solemnly, "Sometimes, strange sounds come from inside the hall, it might harbor a monster, it should not be opened lightly."

"Is there still a monster that dares to disobey orders? The key," Xia Yan demanded.

"Master—"

"Are you trying to defy an order?" Xia Yan's voice and gaze bore down on him.

The abbot sighed, chanted a Buddhist mantra, and produced a large key.

Xia Yan led his men straight to the back hall.

From the outside, it was clear that the Buddhist temple had been neglected for a long time; the eaves were all covered in spider webs, crisscrossed, and the lock on the big door was almost covered in inches of dust.

A eunuch stepped forward, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

Dust and a musty smell hit them in the face.

Before it reached his face, Li Changzhou swept his sleeves, and a strong wind overwhelmingly blew the strange smell and dust to one side.

Xia Yan glanced at him, then led the people inside, with Li Changzhou following.

The hall was dim, densely filled with Buddha statues.

Buddhas without crowns, all wearing robes;

Immeasurable Light Buddha with hands overlapped on his knees, forming a meditation seal;

Vairocana Buddha with fists enclosed, fingers of both hands touching, forming the Wisdom Fist Seal;

Buddhas holding different seals, some with just one medicine pellet or a small bowl;

In the center, Shakyamuni Buddha was enshrined.

Flanked by the eight great Bodhisattvas including Manjusri Bodhisattva, Vajra Bodhisattva, The Bodhisattva Guanyin, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and others.

Below them were Heavenly Gods, Ming Kings, protectors, all holding majestic seals, watching the people.

All these Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Heavenly Kings were Golden Bodies, staring intently at the people.

Their plump figures, serene expressions, and genial demeanors could make one feel the compassionate hearts of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Heavenly Kings universally saving all sentient beings.

Nothing seemed amiss.

"Ah!" one eunuch suddenly cried out.

"What's the noise?" Xia Yan rebuked.

"The, the wall!" the eunuch shouted intermittently.

Everyone looked, and the walls were covered with countless grotesque figures and heavily makeup-clad women.

Boom!

The doors of the hall suddenly closed, making everyone's hearts skip a beat, nearly leaping out of their throats.

The hall turned dark and gloomy.

"What, what's happening? Why did the door close on its own?"

"It must be the wind!"

"Light a fire!" Xia Yan ordered in a low voice.

With a whoosh, a eunuch lit a lamp, instantly casting shadows on all the walls.

The previously compassionate-looking Buddhas and Bodhisattvas now eerily smiled in the firelight, all their gazes fixed on them.

It no longer resembled a Buddha hall; it was more like Fengdu City!

"Master, Master," a eunuch stammered, seeking guidance.

"What's the panic!" Xia Yan scolded, then coldly smiled at the Buddha statues, "I never expected such a lascivious and sinister place inside the palace, Master Li, the Emperor has tasked you with handling this, what do you plan to do?"

"And what is your opinion, Master Xia?" Li Changzhou's gaze remained on those patterns.

"Bury them all!"

"Burying them isn't good," Li Changzhou said, "If they are dug out again, it could cause trouble. Tear down the Buddha hall, and melt down the Buddha statues."

Just then, Tathagata suddenly spoke:

"Is the Emperor greater, or am I?"

Screams arose all around, the eunuchs nearly knelt on the ground, the abbot brought his hands together, rolling the Buddha Beads, urgently chanting Buddhist mantras.

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