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Chapter 224 Illusion
When I returned to the city of Winged Head, everything was still as usual.

Resplendent in gold and radiant with countless precious lights, apart from the minor damage caused by the three of them breaking through the encirclement, this place still features rows of seven-jeweled trees, interspersed with streams and canals, and is covered with pure gold sand inside and out, like a paradise in heaven.

however.

In this magnificent and vast city, not a single wax demon, yaksha, or Buddha can be seen.

The entire city of Winged End was deserted. Even the melodious birds that used to fly in the sky were nowhere to be seen. The city was silent, as if it had long since died.

Zhou You frowned slightly.

Were they all sent out, or is there some kind of ambush?
He gripped the sword hilt tightly with his backhand and took a step forward.

however.

Just as he stepped into the area of ​​the luminous pillar and found himself bathed in the city's Buddha-light, the scenery before him suddenly changed.

The shadow of prosperity gradually faded, replaced by a scene that was equally opulent, but relatively more mundane.

Fantasy?

Zhou You drew his sword, but he did not sense any killing intent.

Soon, people entered the room, which resembled a Buddhist temple.

The leader was fat and had big ears. He wore a kasaya with gold and jade inlay, a five-wisdom crown, and his decorations were all made of gold and silver. Even the prayer beads in his hand were made of the most expensive jade.

The monk walked to the innermost part and struck the golden alms bowl in front of the Buddha.

next moment.

Behind him, countless emaciated people, looking like starving ghosts, emerged. They pulled out their internal organs and offered them, dripping with blood, to the monk, begging him to give them a little rice or a little chestnut so that they and their families could have a full meal.

At that moment, the old monk's voice suddenly rang out.

"As you can see, Buddhism today is mostly like this. Even the seven major schools of Buddhism in China, which claim to be orthodox, are not immune to violating all ten precepts. Those monks who preach the five aggregates constantly talk about liberation and transcendence, but their actions are nothing but exploitation of the people and accumulation of private wealth."

Zhou You ignored him and continued walking forward.

Then, the illusion changed again.

The raging floodwaters submerged everything, and the people on the shore wept and wailed. But before they could recover from their grief, government officials arrived on horseback—but instead of providing relief, they were there to plunder the refugees for every last penny they could.
"I also sought help from the government, but unfortunately the government was even more greedy than the religion. The emperor was incompetent, and the officials were foolish. With the top setting an example for the bottom, even the lowest-ranking clerks became accustomed to robbery and plunder. The entire dynasty seemed to be singing in a leaky boat and drinking in a burning house."

Zhou You remained oblivious, and so the scenery changed once more.

This time, it was a Tantric master dressed in a red robe, his face indifferent, holding a Buddhist knife, slowly dissecting the body of a young girl.

Following this guru, numerous people devoutly prostrated themselves, begging the guru to choose them and transform them into one of those absurd ritual implements.

This time, the old monk only let out a soft sigh.

"And there are countless demons disguised in human skin, mingling in this world, even trying to impersonate Buddhist disciples to commit boundless evil deeds. It's laughable that so many people still believe in this, thinking it's the true path to transcendence."

Zhou You ignored him and continued forward.

As a result, more illusions appeared in his eyes.

—The crowd fought relentlessly, shedding their last drop of blood for the selfish greed of emperors and generals.

— Countless disaster victims were so hungry that they ate tree bark and dug up grass roots, while the hoarding merchants held tens of thousands of bushels of grain and ate to their hearts' content at home.

—The rioting soldiers looted the village, dismembering the men and raping and murdering the women. In the raging fire, only one child was left crying helplessly.

Then, a pair of iron hooves fell on that thin body.

Thus, despite the many tragic events in the world, Zhou You's expression remained calm.

Finally, he came to the lotus platform again.

The illusion vanished. The old monk had been waiting there for some time.

Compared to when they had met before, this person was even thinner. If they could still barely make out a human shape before, the old monk now looked like a dried-up corpse that had shrunk to the extreme. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest could tell that he was still alive.

However, upon seeing Zhou You arrive, the old monk still tried his best to stand up and greeted him in a polite voice.

"You have arrived, the chosen one."

What is this name?
However, Zhou You didn't have time to ask. He carefully examined the lotus platform and found that although the Buddha light on it was just as dim as the old monk's, it was not something he could break through in a short time.

He sighed softly and looked up.

"I say, Zhengde's master, what exactly are you trying to do by pulling me into a dream and creating so many illusions?"

The old monk only managed a weak smile.

“You are the chosen one. As I have told you before, I only wish to redeem this world.”

At this point, the old monk coughed a few times, and his figure visibly became even more hunched, but his spirit became even more vigorous.

"You saw what I just showed you, right?"

Before Zhou You could speak, the other party immediately added.

"Those things are actually things that I have personally seen over the years as I have walked through this world."

"...That was truly a whole host of utter suffering. At first, I wanted to try to save them, but I soon realized that human strength is finite. With my abilities, I could save one or two, or even ten or a hundred—but what about a thousand or ten thousand? How could I possibly save all of them?"

As he spoke, the usually serene and calm old monk became somewhat emotional and passionate.

But Zhou You simply said it casually.

"So you turned to Maitreya Bodhisattva for help?"

The old monk nodded in response.

"Yes."

Upon hearing this, Zhou You suddenly revealed a mocking smile.

"—I say, monk, your so-called salvation is to twist all of humanity into one monster after another, and then have Maitreya Bodhisattva use the Dragon Flower Assembly to turn this whole world into a gigantic cesspool?"

Unexpectedly.

The old monk immediately shook his head in denial.

“You are right, that is certainly not the case.”

"However, regarding this matter, you may look up and see for yourself."

Say it.

Suddenly, the entire ceiling of the hall vanished, and an incredibly brilliant Buddhist light poured down from the sky, enveloping the whole world in a golden glow—

In Zhou You's view, he saw countless auspicious clouds spreading out, with many devout men and women sitting on the clouds, their faces full of peace and joy.

Zhou You also saw many familiar faces among them.

The restaurant waiter, the innkeeper, the bun shop owner who shortchanged him, and even the poisonous snake monk and Ben Shan whom he personally killed were all among them.

At this moment, the old monk's words drifted over.

“This is the way for me to save the world, the chosen one.”

(End of this chapter)