Chaos Spirit Field

Zhao Shanhe returned to Kou's residence from the underworld, feeling a lingering, inexplicable feeling of strangeness. He couldn't pinpoint the source of this, but he couldn't quite place it. At that moment, he couldn't help but sigh, "It seems the art of deduction isn't all-powerful!"

The next morning, at dawn, Yuan Hong, Tian Peng, and Juan Lian all returned to Kou's residence, looking glum and dejected. Tian Peng, looking embarrassed, whispered, "Master, please forgive our incompetence. We searched the White Bone Temple all night last night, but couldn't find any trace of the White Bone Demon."

Zhao Shanhe didn't show much surprise when he heard this. He just replied calmly, "It's okay. The White Bone Demon came to my place last night and has been dealt with. Don't just stand there in a daze. It's time to get going."

So, the group bid farewell to the Kou Mansion and embarked on their long journey again. When Zhao Shanhe stepped out of the border of Luye County, he suddenly felt that his merits were increasing. He finally realized that something was wrong. Normally, his merits were distributed immediately, but now not only had the distribution time changed, but the way of heaven had become stingy, and the amount was pitifully small.

As the saying goes, if things are out of the ordinary, there must be something fishy going on! Zhao Shanhe used his divination skills to try to figure out why his merits were being withheld. After some calculations, he discovered that the problem lay with Mr. Kou. His actions weren't even recognized by the Buddhist community—that was unbelievable! This didn't seem like the style of the Two Saints of the West.

Zhao Shanhe frowned, lost in thought. After a moment's deduction, he once again employed his deduction technique, this time focusing on the two Western Saints, Zhunti and Jieyin. However, upon receiving his deduction, his eyes widened, and he inwardly sighed, "So that's how it is... They're both imprisoned, just like Nuwa! It seems the Three Pure Ones have pulled a big trick this time! If my predictions are correct, this must be the handiwork of Laozi. Merit will become increasingly difficult to earn in the future."

At this moment, Tianpeng quietly walked over and asked curiously, "Master, what happened to the Kou family last night? Why did Mr. Kou pass away?"

Zhao Shanhe replied casually, "Mr. Kou got his hands on a copy of Journey to the West. After reading it, he became greedy and wanted to be the first to taste Tang Sanzang's flesh."

Hearing this, Tianpeng couldn't help but burst into laughter, muttering, "Haha, Master, this Mr. Kou is really interesting, he has such a fantastic idea."

Zhao Shanhe glanced at Tianpeng, shook his head helplessly, and sighed, "If my master really was that Tang Monk, I'm afraid he might actually succeed. You were toyed with by a little demon. Your IQ really needs to be improved."

After hearing this, Tianpeng felt very depressed and thought that he was indeed quite stupid.

Time flew by, and the years passed by day after day, year after year, but there was still no news of Nuwa. Zhao Shanhe couldn't help but feel a surge of nostalgia. Just then, they saw a temple on the mountain shining with strange Buddhist light. On it was written "Little Leiyin Temple."

Upon seeing this, Tianpeng quickly approached Zhao Shanhe and said, "Master, that mountain exudes a strange aura. I'm afraid there's some danger hidden within. Why don't we take a detour to avoid this disaster?"

Zhao Shanhe smiled faintly and looked towards the mountain radiating Buddha's light. He said, "There's a watermelon stall up ahead. I'm extremely thirsty right now. The three of you should go to that mountain and investigate. Find out what kind of demon is playing tricks here."

After that, Tianpeng, Yuan Hong, and Juanlian took their orders and left. Zhao Shanhe slowly walked to the watermelon stall, picked up a watermelon, and asked the stall owner with a smile, "Donor, are your watermelons ripe?"

The stall owner responded with a smile, "Don't worry, Master. These watermelons are freshly picked from the fields. They are guaranteed to be sweet and delicious. If they are not sweet, I won't charge you a penny!"

Hearing this, Zhao Shanhe laughed heartily and said meaningfully, "I never pay for watermelon. In this world, whoever has the bigger fist has the final say."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Shanhe casually picked up a watermelon, opened it, and began to eat it, saying, "The watermelon is good, sweet and juicy. The rise of Buddhism is vying for the territory of the three religions. Trying to get the skin of a tiger will definitely not end well in the end."

The stall owner said with a bitter face: "Some things are like this watermelon. Whether it is sweet or not, you can only know it after you open it. Sincerely, six cents."

Zhao Shanhe said, "Donor, didn't you say that watermelons don't cost money if they're not sweet? Watermelons that cost money won't be sweet."

The stall owner was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and said, "If you say it's not sweet, then it's not sweet. How can I make my melon stall bigger and stronger?"

Zhao Shanhe took a bite of watermelon and said, "As the saying goes, casting a wide net will catch more fish and open more watermelon stalls. As the saying goes, if the east is dark, the west will be bright. This Xiniu Hezhou is vast and rich in resources, not inferior to the Dongsheng Shenzhou. It's enough for the Western Religions to mess with, but they insist on going out and making trouble. If I were to hand it over to me, I would be able to surpass the three religions, but at least be on par with them."

The stall owner said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. I'm afraid the stall will change hands and I'll lose everything. Your identity is unknown, so the Western Church doesn't dare to gamble."

Zhao Shanhe said, "Life is a rare opportunity to fight. If you fight, you might have a chance to turn things around. If you're afraid of failure, why not come in person?"

The stall owner replied: "The boss doesn't allow it, how about the Burning Lamp Buddha?"

Zhao Shanhe said disdainfully, "A stray dog, not only did he ruin the reputation of the Chan Sect, but in the end, he didn't even get what he deserved. And yet the Western Sect still treats him like a treasure. How ridiculous."

"Where is the Tathagata Buddha?"

"After the Conferred Gods War, the previous spirit has been lost. They're more defensive than progressive. After all, competition is the key to progress. Look at how the three religions manage their territories. They're all intertwined. The Great Zhou Dynasty didn't completely exterminate Buddhism. And look at Xiniu Hezhou. There are several Taoist temples here, but they've all become their own. They're all doing their own thing. How can they develop if they're so closed off? Ultimately, strength is everything. The Chan Sect dares to use Luohou, but the Western Sect doesn't dare to use Zhao Shanhe. Where did the courage to make such a grand aspiration go?"

The stall owner said, "Xuanzang, there is no way to verify your origins. There are too many variables. Western religions are afraid that if you become too powerful, you will become a scapegoat for others."

Zhao Shanhe said, "My past life is my past life, and my present life is my present life. Even if I'm the Daoist Ancestor Hongjun, the Great God Pangu, or the reincarnation of some other innate god or demon, so what? The Heavenly Dao has recognized me as the one who sought the scriptures, proving that I am from this world. Does my identity really matter?"

The shopkeeper was silent for a moment and then said, "Xuanzang, you are right. There are great dangers in Lion Camel City. Remember this."

Zhao Shanhe replied with a smile, "It's just a skeleton. Even if it was once glorious, it's nothing now. The real danger lies in the Great Leiyin Temple. Now that you're out here, just stay here and sell watermelons. Don't run around."