Chapter 452 - 452 A Nest of Monks and Rats Collapsing

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Pang Guang was speechless. He sighed inwardly, acknowledging that there would always be someone with a bigger brain than him.

He had believed the Great Buddhist Temple to be unparalleled in its scams.

Unexpectedly, another temple held even greater audacity in their ways.

He had initially thought a monk’s way of accumulating wealth was nothing more than collecting more incense money and selling fake Buddhist artifacts.

Compared to the real masterminds, the Great Buddhist Temple seemed like an honest child. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Compared to plain cash, real estate was what the real big players were concerned about.

“If this continues, will the houses 1 bought for my parents in the city be named Pure Land First Grade, Zen Forest Elegant Residence, Ten Directions Spring City, or Jungle Grand Buddhist Court?” Pang Guang pondered, amusement creeping into his voice.

“Hahaha…” Chen Yu chuckled. “You haven’t heard of it before? These people are merely returning to their old profession. The hundreds of temples during the olden dynasties didn’t just get built out of goodwill, you know.”

After speaking, Chen Yu lowered his head and continued fiddling with his phone.

In the monitoring room, Yuan Biao was glued to the live stream on his phone.

“This is freaking awesome!”

Compared to watching normal livestreams, everyone in the Great Buddhist Temple preferred showing support for ‘struggling women’ wearing worn-out clothes.

The female streamers in the livestream were all ‘impoverished’. One could often see them with unkempt hair and clothes barely covering their bodies.

There was even a woman who streamed while lying in bed due to the ‘lack of energy’ to stand up.

As a self-proclaimed kind-hearted person, Yuan Biao couldn’t bear to watch such a ‘tragedy’. His finger rapidly tapped the screen, showering the livestream with gifts.

The woman, overwhelmed with gratitude, called upon her companions to perform for him.

She played a song, followed by soft moans.

She expressed her heartfelt thanks to the countless kind-hearted individuals.

“What a kind-hearted person 1 am.” Yuan Biao thought to himself, captivated by the livestream.

After some time, Chen Yu sat up from his bed and snapped his fingers.

The door opened automatically.

“What’s happening?” Pang Guang, half-asleep, scrambled up from the sofa and looked around.

“Something interesting is coming,” Chen Yu replied enigmatically.

Leaving Pang Guang confused, Chen Yu strolled out into the corridors, his hands in his pockets.

Pang Guang followed closely behind, reminding him cautiously, “Dr. Chen, there might be people watching us outside. Shouldn’t we be more discreet?”

“Even if you stabbed the person watching us with a knife now, he wouldn’t react.”

Pang Guang was about to ask further when he glimpsed something from the corner of his eye, causing him to gasp.

Previously, out of fear of being exposed, Pang Guang had followed Monk Hui Bing’s instructions cautiously, refraining from any suspicious actions.

However, he was astonished to see the sheer number of surveillance cameras monitoring them.

Every few meters, a camera vigilantly watched them.

They were in a place no different from a high-security prison.

“Dr. Chen, are you sure this is alright?” Pang Guang pointed nervously at the multitude of cameras.

“The person monitoring the cameras is already asleep. They’re just decorations now. Don’t worry about them. Just follow me,” Chen Yu reassured him, showcasing an uncanny familiarity with the place.

Not long after, they reached a separate building within the temple.

Pang Guang’s expression shifted once they arrived here. “Dr. Chen, I smell something unusual.”

“No need to doubt it. It’s demonic energy,” Chen Yu confirmed, patting Pang Guang’s shoulder.

A surge of light entered Pang Guang’s body, a subtle energy he couldn’t explain.

Pang Guang immediately realized Chen Yu had used a spell on him.

A few seconds later, a black shadow materialized at high speed.

Startled, Pang Guang instinctively wanted to call upon a god for possession.

The black shadow was a man around 1.5 meters tall, adorned with rat-like whiskers and an unsettling aura.

He was undoubtedly a demon.

Chen Yu subtly instructed Pang Guang to observe the situation, not wanting him to interfere.

The rat-whiskered man scurried to the door and peeked around, seemingly oblivious to Chen Yu and Pang Guang standing nearby.

After confirming the coast was clear, he knocked on the door.

“Greetings, Thirteenth Master,” Monk Hui Bing said as he emerged from behind the door, clad in a silk nightgown, and bowed deeply.

“I just received news that our backer has collapsed,” the rat-whiskered man reported, his voice grim.

“Collapsed?” Monk Hui Bing echoed in shock. “But the old sir is…”

“Shh,” the rat-whiskered man interrupted, his tone sharp. “I’m here to remind you to behave yourselves during this period. Be more restrained with your moneymaking schemes, and don’t be as ruthless as before.”

“Tell your men to stop bringing those women with dubious backgrounds to the temple.”

“Once you’re discovered, I don’t care whether you die or not, but your three children and four wives better watch their backs if we’re implicated.”

Monk Hui Bing nodded meekly, the weight of the consequences settling on him like a stone.

He knew his lavish lifestyle hung by a thread, a gift granted by these demons who could snatch it back with ease.

“That bastard called Chen Yu is too damn nosy,” the demon snarled. “If it weren’t for him, Judge Qian wouldn’t have fallen. Now it’s all over!”

“If that little runt falls into our hands, 1’11 rip him to shreds!”

This outburst revealed another piece of crucial information.

If things went south, they planned to retreat and return to the Great Buddhist Temple once the dust settled.

Monk Hui Bing, however, wouldn’t be so lucky.

He would be left to hold the fort. If this place was destroyed, he would die along with it.

“Chen Yu…” the monk muttered, the name stirring a faint memory.

He vaguely recalled hearing it recently but couldn’t quite place it.

Sensing the shift in the monk’s demeanor, the demon’s face darkened.

“What? Do you know Chen Yu?”

“I don’t,” Hui Bing stammered, “but I think I…”

Suddenly, recognition dawned on him. “One of the men staying here tonight… his name is Chen Yu!”

“Shit!!!”

The revelation sent a jolt through the rat-whiskered demon.

He froze, realizing the old monk had his head kicked by a donkey by inviting a tiger into a rabbit’s den.

The rat-whiskered demon knew Chen Yu’s terrifying abilities, so he turned around to run without saying another word.

Suddenly, a terrifying realization dawned on him. He couldn’t move. His legs felt like lead, rooted to the spot.

A chilling voice broke the silence. “Should I call you Rat Demon or Gray Immortal?” Chen Yu emerged from the shadows, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Pang Guang, ever eager to join the fray, rubbed his hands together with a mischievous grin.

“Dr. Chen, there is no need to be polite with this demon. He’s just a rat, a wannabe immortal at best.”

Chen Yu remained unfazed. “You shouldn’t underestimate him, Pang Guang. In the northeast’s folk customs, the Five Great Immortals hold immense respect.”

“The Gray Immortal may be the weakest, but their abilities are unique.”

Pang Guang scoffed. “How special could a demon be? Can they even hold a candle against cultivators from the mystic sect like us?”

“The Gray Immortal is special even among the Five Great Immortals. They possess the power to predict, increase, and even change luck.”

“Among the zodiac animals, the rat represents the beginning of the cycle.”

“This allows them to grant a short reprieve to the dying, sending them back to the human world.”

“Of course, there’s always a price to be paid. To fuel their abilities to extend life, the Gray Immortal must exchange something of equal value.”

He turned to Pang Guang and asked with a smile.. “Pang Guang, do you still think these skills are unworthy of an immortal?”