https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-14-From-Planting-the-Bodhi-Tree-to-Become-a-God-/13019174/
Chapter 13: And There's Even Egg Collection?
Chapter 13: And There's Even Egg Collection?
The amber dusk settled into the horizon, casting a warm glow over the bustling streets.
The evening snack street was bustling with people, even more lively than usual.
Ji Jingqiu slurped on sour and spicy rice noodles, and from the mouth of Qiu Da Niang, who ran the rice noodle shop, he learned that people from the lower levels were promoting a religion.
"Religious promotion? What church is this?"
Ji Jingqiu asked curiously.
In this era, the Federation did not prohibit religious propagation and even had many supportive policies.
This led to the establishment of numerous temples in bustling and advanced metropolitan areas like Taian City.
Officially, the Federation referred to these so-called gods as "Human Integrated Thought Entities."
As a result, the Federation established a special department called the "Religion Administration Bureau."
This department was said to have considerable authority, even surpassing the Federal Security Agency when necessary.
"They say it's the Void Gate Sect, but the promoters all have big tattoos on their arms, and it's clearly a case of false advertising," Qiu Da Niang said with a sneer.
"Void Gate Sect?"
Ji Jingqiu slurped on his noodles, thinking to himself that he hadn't heard of this sect before. It seemed that Qiu Da Niang was right, and it was another scam concocted by those from the lower levels.
In this day and age, the most enthusiastic promoters of religion were the gang organizations.
After finishing a bowl of sour and spicy rice noodles, Ji Jingqiu felt his appetite had been stimulated. He peered out the door and was surprised to see the crowd.
"It seems like there are quite a few people gathering tonight!"
Not far away, a group of people crowded around, and a man's deep voice could be heard from within, urging everyone to line up in an orderly manner.
Qiu Da Niang gestured with her lips, "This group is smart. They're giving out religious propaganda pamphlets and asking for names and contact information in exchange for flour and eggs. I heard that those with a connection will even receive a set of exquisite accessories."
And there's even egg collection?!
Ji Jingqiu suddenly realized why there was such a commotion!
This was like grabbing the people's vital points!
"You should go and get a set too. If you're late, you might not get one. The Public Security Bureau is on their way," Qiu Da Niang suddenly pushed him.
"The Public Security Bureau?" Ji Jingqiu asked, puzzled.
Qiu Da Niang covered her mouth and laughed, "That old man surnamed Wang is up to no good. He said these people are definitely not good. They're probably a cult in disguise, trying to swindle people, so someone reported them to the police. You should go later; you might not get a turn."
Ji Jingqiu subconsciously looked towards Old Wang's Fried Food Shop in the distance.
Old Wang was indeed ruthless!
He wasn't interested in the commotion, as his family didn't consume much flour or eggs anyway.
He patted his stomach, which had just been stimulated by the food, and set off on his food journey.
Just as he was halfway through his meal, a commotion broke out not far away.
"Don't move!"
"Hands on your head, everyone kneel down!"
"Make way, everyone!"
...
Shouts rang out.
The patrolmen from both sides of the street began to round up the promoters who were distributing flour and eggs.
However, many residents who had gathered to watch were caught in the middle, including some elderly individuals. The patrolmen couldn't forcefully clear a path.
This gave the tattooed men an opportunity, and one of them shouted, "Flour and eggs, unlimited supply, first come, first served!" The situation became chaotic.
Someone intentionally tore open a bag of flour and threw it high into the air, creating a white cloud. They took advantage of the chaos and scattered, leaving the scene in disarray.
Ji Jingqiu stuffed a chicken wing rice roll into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out, as he watched the spectacle.
Suddenly, someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder from behind.
"Layman, are you interested in learning about the Void Gate Sect?"
A man stood behind him, with a shaved head and a slightly sickly pale complexion. His lips were upturned in a smile, but it gave off a chilling sensation despite the smile.
Ji Jingqiu turned to look at the patrolmen who were dispersing in all directions and asked in surprise, "Why aren't you running away?"
The shaved-head man smiled, "I have not broken any laws on this trip, so why would I need to flee?"
A monk?
Ji Jingqiu was astonished.
This guy was a monk? Then why did he still have hair? He must be a fake monk.
"Layman, you possess deep Zen intentions, and you have a connection with my Buddha. May I ask if I, as a monk, have the qualifications to be your guide?"
The shaved-head man's eyes showed expectation, and his smile deepened, but Ji Jingqiu felt a kind of indescribable fanaticism in the man's expression, making him feel uncomfortable.
"Sorry, I’m not planning to join any religion at the moment." Ji Jingqiu declined.
The man with the buzz cut took a step forward, closing the distance between him and Ji Jingqiu. His expression seemed sincere, but it made Ji Jingqiu instinctively step back.
"Ah Qiu, your fried noodles are ready!"
At that moment, the owner of the fried noodle shop called out, and a patrol officer was also making his way down the street.
The man with the buzz cut looked regretful. "That’s too bad, but the layman has a deep Buddhist connection. You will eventually join the Void Gate Sect. I’ll give you this as a token of good faith, to establish a positive connection in advance."
Before Ji Jingqiu could refuse, a cool jade was pressed into his hand.
He looked down.
It was a jade Buddha pendant, with the Buddha’s hands forming a mudra, a serene and dignified expression, and a slight smile on the lips, conveying a sense of compassion.
Ji Jingqiu looked up to return the jade but found no one there.
He glanced around, but the man with the buzz cut was nowhere to be seen.
This guy...
Ji Jingqiu felt a bit wary.
The person’s actions and words were very suspicious. Giving eggs and flour could be understood, but who gives jade on a first meeting? It either had some hidden motive or harbored ill intentions.
A vague sense of foreboding nagged at his mind, urging him to dispose of the jade Buddha. However, when he caressed the jade, a sense of reluctance filled his heart, as if the jade was extremely precious to him.
Ji Jingqiu immediately felt a sense of alertness. Where did this sense of discord come from? Could it be the jade influencing him? He became serious and began to concentrate, examining his inner state to check for any external influence affecting his mind.
He seemed to step into an endless darkness.
In the intangible, a heart flame flickered without wind, conveying a sense of unease, but this unease was quickly dispelled by a round of crystal radiance light.
Ji Jingqiu, after clarifying the source of the discord, had a peculiar expression.
His heart flame warned him that the jade buddha was not safe, but it was quickly suppressed by the Bodhi Sapling, which then clearly informed him that the jade buddha was beneficial to him. This made Ji Jingqiu quite surprised.
The Bodhi Tree is not only the foundation of the Pure Land World but also the embryonic form of the Martial Dao supernatural ability in the "Flame Prison Buddha Hell Visualization diagram."
It is known as the Wisdom Light, possessing the great wisdom to illuminate all delusions.
Its first ability is to suppress all negative buffs on the mental level.
Since it was its demand, there was no external force affecting him.
Even if the jade contained some ominous elements, it was harmless to him and useful.
Ji Jingqiu's mind was set.
Anyone could deceive him, but the little tree would never deceive him.
He would keep the jade for now.
Putting away the jade, Ji Jingqiu continued to eat his way down the street, filling his stomach before heading home.
...
Midnight.
Ji Jingqiu woke from a deep sleep.
Apart from feeling refreshed, he was also hungry.
Ji Jingqiu rummaged around in the kitchen, cooked a bowl of noodles, and brought it back to his room.
But after finishing the noodles, his hunger did not subside but increased.
An appetizer?
Why was he so hungry?
He had eaten a lot in the evening.
Ji Jingqiu was puzzled, thinking it might be a side effect of the foundation stance? He felt the energy surge in his body, which seemed... indeed to have grown a bit stronger than in the afternoon?
He believed he had found the cause.
The foundation of the martial arts is qi, and the energy surge growing in his body was beneficial to his martial arts, but if it came at the cost of being hungry and depleting his wallet, it was not so pleasant.
Should he always keep some high-energy energy bars on hand?
(End of Chapter)
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