Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 134 After Subduing the Demon, the Monk Follows Me

"No—! The Buddha is immortal!!!" Huichi roared in despair and resentment, his hands flailing wildly as he tried to gather the remaining evil energy and the power of the magic array in front of him in a final, desperate struggle.

However, all resistance seemed pale and powerless in the face of Chen Anran, who had temporarily entered the Foundation Establishment stage and possessed pure Buddhist power.

"boom!!!"

The golden fist energy, like the first ray of dawn, struck the evil energy shield that Hui Chi had hastily assembled without any fancy moves.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a hissing sound that seemed to purify everything. The dense, almost tangible shield of evil energy crumbled the moment the fist struck, like dew evaporated by the blazing sun. The fist's momentum didn't wane, piercing straight through Hui Chi's withered chest!

Hui Chi's movements suddenly froze, his blood-red eyes widened almost to the point of bursting, filled with extreme madness, resentment, and a trace of... relief? He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end only a stream of foul blood mixed with black filth gushed out.

The blackish-red tumor on his head emitted a piercing, mournful cry that exceeded the limits of human hearing. Then, with a soft "poof," like a punctured blood bubble, it suddenly burst open, turning into a foul-smelling blackish-red mist. However, before it could spread, it was completely purified and evaporated by the golden Buddhist flames burning around Chen Anran.

The red light in Huichi's eyes quickly dimmed and went out. His skeletal body swayed, then fell straight backward, crashing onto the cold ground with a "thud" and remaining silent.

Inside the factory, the suffocating, sinister pressure suddenly vanished.

The monks, including Haishan, were still in shock, and all eyes were on Chen Anran.

Master Haishan took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent emotions within him. He strode forward, bowed deeply to Chen Anran, and spoke with unprecedented solemnity and an indescribable complexity: "Benefactor Chen... no, True Man Chen! Today, witnessing the manifestation of the Arhat and the subjugation of demons by the Buddha's teachings, this old monk... is ashamed!"

The monks behind him, including the resolute Master Haijing, all clasped their hands together, bowed deeply, and their eyes were filled with awe. What Chen Anran had just displayed was not the Daoist magic of the Yunyin Sect, but the refined and pure Buddhist demon-subduing supernatural power of a high realm, which could not help but awe and respect them.

Huiming, in particular, stared intently at Chen Anran, his eyes burning with the ecstatic joy and devotion of a traveler lost in the desert who had finally found an oasis. He murmured repeatedly, "Buddha..."

The magnificent golden Buddhist flames surrounding Chen Anran slowly subsided, and the power borrowed from the [Wrathful Arhat Statue] within him receded like a tide. A strong sense of exhaustion washed over him, causing his face to turn slightly pale, and his aura returned to the Qi Refining stage.

"Amitabha." Master Haishan chanted the Buddha's name again, his voice filled with compassion and relief. "The wicked have been vanquished, the evil magic has been broken, and the resentment here should gradually dissipate. Benefactor Chen... was what you just used the supreme Buddhist technique of subjugation?"

Chen Anran adjusted her breathing slightly to suppress her discomfort, but did not answer Haishan's question.

How can you reveal the details of your own hand to outsiders?

Master Haishan gave Chen Anran a deep look, but didn't press further. He then turned to Huiming, who was still sobbing softly but with a resolute gaze, and sighed, "Huiming, do you understand now?"

Huiming kowtowed deeply, his forehead touching the cold ground. "Disciple understands! The Buddha is not about having great supernatural powers, nor about defying fate, but about subduing demons and protecting the righteous path, about compassion and saving the world, about... about the single thought of turning people's hearts towards goodness! Master... Shi Haisheng has gone astray!"

He raised his head, his eyes brimming with tears, and looked at Chen Anran, then at Master Haishan: "Abbot! This disciple begs... begs to stay by Master Chen's side, to serve him, to listen to his teachings, so as to atone for even a fraction of my late master's sins!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

Master Haishan frowned slightly, lost in thought and remained silent. The other monks at Vajra Temple also wore complex expressions.

Without a second thought, Chen Anran refused, saying, "I am not a member of the Buddhist community, much less the Buddha you speak of. Your cultivation is your own path, and it has nothing to do with me."

Huiming seemed to have anticipated being rejected. He kowtowed heavily, his forehead making a dull thud as it hit the cold ground. When he lifted it again, it was completely red.

"Master Chen! Your disciple is dull-witted and has been ignorant for half his life. Only today have I seen the true Dharma and realized what the Buddha's light and the righteous path are! Your disciple dares not presume to be accepted as a disciple, but only wishes to serve you as a servant, to follow you closely, to sweep the courtyard, to lead the horse and put it in the stirrups, in order to atone for my late master's sins and to seek a moment's guidance! I beg you, Master, to grant my request!"

Seeing this, Master Haishan sighed softly and said, "Huiming, Master Chen is not a member of our Buddhist sect. Your request is really a forced demand. Why don't you come back to the temple with us, meditate quietly before the Buddha, and cleanse your mind of worldly dust? That is the right path."

"No!" Huiming shook his head violently, tears streaming down his face again. "Abbot! The temple has strict rules and profound Buddhist teachings, but... but I only believe what I see before my eyes! Master Chen, with his fierce Vajra countenance, performs the deeds of subduing demons and protecting the righteous path, cleansing away evil and saving sentient beings. This is the true Buddha in action, the true scripture in practice! If I cannot follow this light, I will spend the rest of my life in confusion, no different from a walking corpse!!"

He turned to Chen Anran again, almost crawling forward half a step, "Master Chen! This disciple knows that my foundation is damaged and I am not fit for great use. I only beg you to give me a chance, even if it is just to follow you from afar and witness how you practice the Great Dao in this mortal world. This disciple will be satisfied! If you do not grant my request, I will kneel here forever!"

The factory was silent, save for Huiming's heavy breathing and suppressed sobs. The monks of Jingang Temple looked on with pity, but could offer no further words of comfort. Wei Qingyi looked at Chen Anran, her eyes questioning.

Chen Anran remained silent for a moment before finally speaking slowly: "My path is not your path. You must overcome your inner demons yourself."

Having said that, Chen Anran didn't look at Huiming and the monks again, and turned to Wei Qingyi, saying, "This matter is settled, let's go."

Wei Qingyi glanced at Huiming, who was frozen in place, sighed softly, and then left with Chen Anran.

Seeing this, Huiming gritted his teeth, got up and followed, then silently followed behind Chen Anran like a little novice monk.

Outside, Shen Zui was directing several of his men to set up an isolation array around the factory. When he saw Chen Anran and Wei Qingyi come out, he smiled and was about to go up and talk to them when his gaze was fixed on Huiming, who was following closely behind them. Huiming looked haggard but had a stubborn look in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, Fellow Daoist Wei, inside..." Shen Zui's words trailed off as his gaze shifted between Chen Anran and Huiming, his tone clearly questioning.

"The main culprit, Huichi, has been executed, and the two protectors have presumably been apprehended by the eminent monks of your temple as well." Chen Anran spoke succinctly, without mentioning his use of the Arhat statue, only saying, "This matter is settled."

Shen Zui breathed a sigh of relief, a genuine smile spreading across his face: "That's wonderful! Thanks to your two great help, and the masters of Jingang Temple..." Before he could finish speaking, he couldn't help but glance at Huiming, "Master Huiming, what's going on...?"

Huiming clasped his hands together, bowed deeply to Shen Zui, and said in a hoarse but firm voice, "Section Chief Shen, this humble monk has decided to leave the Vajra Temple and follow Master Chen from now on, listening to his teachings to atone for my past sins."

Shen Zui: "..." His lips twitched, and he looked at Chen Anran, conveying the question "What's going on?" with his eyes.