Having been given a second chance at life, I choose to join the Demonic Sect!

Chapter 169 Monks don't talk about money, they talk about Yuan!
In fact, when the Venerable Living Buddha Xuan Yu first saw Lu Yi, he could tell that Lu Yi practiced Buddhist techniques and was a Buddhist disciple.

The old Living Buddha asked this question because he intended to give the other party a chance to be honest, but now the other party has given up that opportunity.

“A monk does not lie; you, as a Buddhist disciple, have broken this precept!”

"As a Buddhist disciple who preys on pilgrims and believers and speaks falsehoods, today this old monk will punish you for four hundred years, banishing you from speaking human language and transmitting your divine consciousness!"

"Shut up Zen!"

The Venerable Living Buddha Xuan Yu formed a hand seal and sent out a beam of Buddhist light that entered Lu Yi's body.

Lu Yi was only at the Golden Core stage, with a lifespan of about five hundred years.

Lu Yi is now over a hundred years old. When the old Living Buddha came, he immediately gave him a four-hundred-year-old silent mantra.

If Lu Yi cannot advance to the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime, he will be mute until his death.

No, he's worse than a mute.

If a mute person cultivates to a certain level, they can regain the ability to speak human language and even transmit their voice to others.

Lu Yi, however, lived four hundred years later and was unable to speak or transmit his thoughts.

"Woo!"

After realizing he had lost the ability to speak, Lu Yi immediately kowtowed to the old Living Buddha and begged for mercy.

Although Lu Yi's cultivation level was not high, he had been in charge of the monster business here for decades, so he naturally had excellent eyesight.

The fact that the old Living Buddha was able to make a move under the fifth-order Spirit-Locking Mortal Transformation Array shows that his cultivation level was at least at the Nascent Soul stage.

The old Living Buddha ignored Lu Yi's pleas for mercy; frankly, his punishment was already very lenient.

If it were any other powerful figure, they would have slapped Lu Yi to obliterate his body and soul long ago.

Looking at the demonic beasts enslaved by the Golden Buddha Temple using Buddhist secret techniques, the old Living Buddha Xuan Yu shook his head helplessly.

These Buddhist secret techniques are used to control evil beings and prevent them from committing evil deeds.

Now, however, the Golden Buddha Temple is using it to enslave other living beings to earn spirit stones, which is simply a disgrace to Buddhism!
With a wave of his robe, the old Living Buddha Xuan Yu removed the restraints from these demonic beasts, restoring their freedom.

These demonic beasts are all herbivorous and not inherently evil, so the old Living Buddha was not worried that they would harm innocent people.

The old Living Buddha waved for the demons to leave, but they did not leave. Instead, they prostrated themselves on all fours and knelt down.

After Cao Meng discerned the intentions of these demonic beasts, he laughed and said:
"Old Living Buddha, it seems they want to provide transportation for us!"

It turns out that these mute second-tier demonic beasts are more human than the greedy monks of the Golden Buddha Temple.

"This old monk has no need for you to provide transportation. You may leave on your own. Just do not commit any evil deeds in the future!"

The old Living Buddha Xuanyu waved his hand again, signaling the demons to leave on their own.

Cao Meng stopped the old Living Buddha Xuan Yu, and then explained:
“Old Living Buddha, I think we should let them help us get around. Even if you give them their freedom now, they still can’t escape from Hongfu Mountain.”

And if they were caught, they would probably be killed and made into spiritual food!

Cao Meng felt that if the Golden Buddha Temple hadn't been destroyed, these second-tier demonic beasts wouldn't have been able to escape from Hongfo Mountain.

"In that case, we shall do as you say, young friend!"

The Venerable Master Xuan Yu found Cao Meng's words to be reasonable, so he nodded in agreement.

And so the two rode the demonic beasts, with the rest of the demonic beasts following behind as they gradually departed.

……

"The Old Living Buddha?"

One of the pilgrims who had previously looked down on Cao Meng muttered something, then suddenly collapsed to the ground, crying out:

"The Living Buddha is right in front of me, and I not only recognize him, but I actually mock him!"

Seeing this, his companion quickly helped him up and asked:
"Brother Wang, what's wrong?" "And who is this Living Buddha?"

Because there are no Living Buddhas in the Eastern Continent, most pilgrims do not know what a Living Buddha is!
When asked by his companion, the cultivator surnamed Wang slowly explained:

"Living Buddha is the title given to highly accomplished monks in the Western Buddhist Continent. Only after passing the examination of the Buddha of Wanfo Temple and many other Living Buddhas and being granted the title of Living Buddha by the Buddha can one be called a Living Buddha!"

Rumor has it that the founding abbot of Jinfo Temple was once a disciple of a living Buddha from the West!

Because of some wrongdoings he committed in the past, the monk surnamed Wang had been worshipping Buddha for many years and was well-versed in Buddhist scriptures, which is why he had some understanding of the title of Living Buddha.

Those pilgrims felt that it was a great fortune for the Golden Buddha Temple that the Living Buddha had personally visited it!

Lu Yi: What a stroke of luck! With what our Golden Buddha Temple did, we're lucky we weren't punished!

After regaining his senses, the cultivator surnamed Wang hurriedly said, "Quickly catch up and ask the Living Buddha for blessings!"

But Cao Meng and the old Living Buddha had already ridden away on their demonic beasts, and they couldn't catch up with them now.

……

When Cao Meng and the old Living Buddha rode the demonic beast to the mountainside, they saw several taverns, markets, and inns, where food, clothing, lodging, and transportation were all ten times more expensive than in the outside world.

With a single glance, the old Living Buddha Xuan Yu saw through the situation on the mountainside. These taverns and markets all had Buddhist disciples, clearly indicating that they were also businesses exploited by the Golden Buddha Temple.

The old Living Buddha couldn't understand why Jinfo Temple, a Buddhist sect, had become so deplorable.
Cao Meng wanted to rest at the market, but the old Living Buddha shook his head and refused, so he continued on his way.

Along the way, the Venerable Living Buddha Xuan Yu gained a lot of knowledge and became increasingly disappointed with the Golden Buddha Temple.

At this moment, he finally understood why Cao Meng said that the Golden Buddha Temple was a demonic sect disguised as Buddhism.

……

When Cao Meng and his group arrived at the Golden Buddha Temple at the top of Hongfu Mountain, it was already the next day.

Just as Cao Meng and the old Living Buddha were about to enter the Golden Buddha Temple, the gatekeeper monk stopped them, pointed at the donation box, and laughed:
"We humbly request that you two benefactors contribute to the restoration of the Buddha's golden statue!"

The old Living Buddha Xuan Yu was about to lose his temper over the years of self-cultivation when the gatekeeper monks demanded money.

We bought tickets at the entrance and exit of Hongfoshan, but now that we're at the entrance of Jinfo Temple, we have to pay an extra fee to enter. How wonderful!

"We're not short of money, just tell us how many spirit stones?"

Cao Meng asked directly, knowing that the old Living Buddha was about to lose his temper. He wanted to see just how much more reckless the Golden Buddha Temple could be!

Upon hearing Cao Meng say that he was not short of money, the gatekeeper monk laughed and said:

"Two benefactors, just give each of you 50,000 low-grade spirit stones, and our temple will surely inscribe your names on the merit stele, bathing you in the Buddha's light!"

Normally it would be ten thousand low-grade spirit stones, but now that Cao Meng claims to be a rich fool, the gatekeeper monk naturally doesn't mind taking a bite out of him.

Cao Meng didn't rush to pay, but asked the gatekeeper monk:

"Master, I wonder if there is incense for worshipping Buddha in the Golden Buddha Temple?"

Upon hearing that Cao Meng needed to offer incense to Buddha, the gatekeeper monk immediately perked up and hurriedly called for someone to bring the incense over.

Cao Meng saw that the incense was packaged in a brocade box, and he immediately knew it wasn't cheap, so he asked:
"Master, how much does this incense for offering to Buddha cost?"

In fact, Cao Meng didn't care at all about how much the incense cost, nor did he intend to buy it. He only asked the question so that the old Living Buddha could hear it.

"Monks don't talk about money, they talk about fate!"

After the gatekeeper monk rejected Cao Meng's suggestion, he nodded and smiled:

"One hundred and eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight low-grade spirit stones!"

The gatekeeper monk hasn't closed a big deal in a long time, and he's almost at risk of losing his job guarding the temple gate.

Having finally encountered a great victim, he naturally wanted to fleece him and boost his business.

P.S.: The content of this chapter is entirely fabricated!
(End of this chapter)