As he watched his student fade into the horizon, the monk felt a deep sadness. He alone knew that this son of Morlin was part of a long-ago plan he had devised, referred to as "Li Dai Tao Jiang" in ancient Chinese tactic — it signified "replacing a valuable peach with plums."
The idea was to distract the demons by using a decoy, allowing the true Buddha follower to safely wait for Maitreya Buddha's return. Then they could pass on Buddha's heritage smoothly and awaken Maitreya Buddha's spirit, guiding people away from danger.
But now, with the demons so powerful, the risk to the decoy was enormous.
The abbot clasped his hands together, in remorse in front of the statue of Buddha. "Oh, Buddha, if there is any suffering to be had from this, let it be only me who carries it. I am the only one who knows about it, so let all the blame fall upon me."
Also, the abbot couldn't tell his innocent and carefree disciple the truth. The more normal he acted, the less the demons would suspect.
The abbot felt deep regret. "I'm sorry, my disciple, for involving you in this. Maybe this will be our last meeting, but I can't change it. Maybe I was too strict with you before; I won't be in the future."
Unconsciously, the abbot stood to call his disciple back, but after a moment's thought, he slumped back into his seat.
Meanwhile, in the heart of a secret clubhouse, the marble floor resembled flowing rivers, while crystal night lamps on the walls emitted a faint yet warm glow.
At the center lay a massive hot spring pool, its surface adorned with a delicate mist. Golden loungers with velvet cushions and silk pillows lined the poolside. The air was filled with the fragrance of exotic flowers from distant tropical islands, transporting one to an idyllic paradise.
A large tray floated in the hot spring pool, adorned with fresh fruits and various drinks. Facing the pool was a lush bamboo forest, with a row of lanterns swaying in the night.
A stream flowed through the forest, its crystal-clear water revealing the golden koi lazily swimming, occasionally flicking their tails against the pebbled banks. Here, every breath was an indulgence, every moment of closing one's eyes brought about a complete release of body and mind.
A man, who looked like a sports player, got up from the hot spring. His hairy hands grabbed a glass of whiskey from the tray and he took a big drink.
Covered in colorful tattoos, hardly any normal skin was visible on the muscular man. Most striking was the tattoo on his back, depicting a striking bull's head with imposing bull horns.
Glancing at the tattoo, the boss felt a bit uneasy.
He had been interested in getting one himself after seeing it for the first time; it felt particularly dominant.
The muscular man unexpectedly asked with joy, "Big boss, are you also a Taurus?"
He downed the whiskey in one gulp, then slurred, "Big boss, as we keep searching and killing endlessly, while the Buddhists keep reincarnating, is there a way to annihilate them completely, body and soul?"
"Humph, if there were, we would have used it long ago," the boss retorted, feeling irritated.
"But this is not a small matter. Can't we persuade the Buddhists to join us? I guarantee that with my influence, following me will lead to the reign of the Great Demon King, and people will live happily ever after. How great would that be?"
The boss really didn't want to hear such nonsense, instead, he glanced at the alluring enchantress beside him.
The enchantress rose from the water, her body equally naked, her snow-white skin delicate to the touch, also adorned with colorful tattoos on her shoulder, depicting a scene of a giant skeleton dancing with a geisha.
The people in the pool were surprisingly not captivated by the enchantress's alluring beauty. They quickly looked away, as if they had spotted a dangerous snake.
The enchantress untied the towel around her head, letting her green hair fall loosely, then casually picked up a lady's cigarette from the tray and lit it.
"Boss, we've got some leads. We've narrowed down a suspicious target. But this time, getting the leads was a bit too easy. I'm worried that crafty monk intentionally led us on, so I'll send my muscle brain brother to take him," She said with disdain, looking at the muscular man with laughter in her eyes.
"Then, what's your role?" the big man asked impatiently.
"Don't worry; I'll take care of the interrogating," the enchantress replied, giving him a disdainful glance.
"Why can't I interrogate? Even the toughest guy, when he gets to me, his teeth will be shattered," he retorted angrily.
"You brute!" the enchantress jeered, blowing a smoke ring that floated away, dissipating slowly in front of the big man's face.
He glared at her angrily but dared not make a move, seeming to have suffered losses in the past.
"Alright, enough arguing. This time, send someone more clever. As long as it stays in our hands, he'll forever remain an ordinary person, never to awaken," the boss said through gritted teeth, then added quickly,
"I'll let Big Snake Siblings go. They are my most trusted fellows. Every year, three to four martial arts masters, assassins, or killers die at their hands."
"What if we can't catch him?" the enchantress interjected.
"You're talking nonsense! They've never failed!" the burly man responded angrily.
"If it turns out that way, it might be more interesting. Not catching him can be more fun than catching him," the boss said, getting up from the hot spring, because the big man next to him had already fallen under the enchantress's spell, acting like a puppet and starting to dance seductively.
The scene was truly eye-catching.
You feel disgusted inside, but this disgusting scene, oddly enough, makes it hard to look away.