"Thank you, Benefactor Lan. On behalf of our Golden Temple, I appreciate everything you've done, but please, you should leave now!"
Elder Samuel stood before me, bowing calmly. At that moment, I noticed someone had already died; I could smell the stench of death, which was especially sensitive to me. Even the Underworld Agents beside me sensed it, their faces growing grim as they looked at Elder Samuel.
"If you keep going like this, something terrible will happen. We should at least discuss a solution together."
Helen Chen, a female Underworld Agent beside me, spoke up, her gaze heavy as she looked inside. Many monks were gathered outside the temple halls, their expressions filled with pain. Some still sat in meditation, chanting, but many had already collapsed, their faces deathly pale.
"Don’t you care about them at all?"
Elder Samuel smiled and shook his head.
"In ancient times, the Buddha fed his flesh to the eagle. All of this is a disaster sown long ago—cause and effect. We must bear this consequence ourselves, not let thousands of others suffer."
I stared in shock. Helen Chen tugged at me, clearly hoping I would just leave. After all, I’d tried to help again and again, but they still ignored us.
"Master, do you really have no plan at all? Many of the lamas are still so young. And what did you mean by 'bear this consequence'?"
Elder Samuel turned away with a faint smile. The lamas on both sides closed the temple doors.
While I was still confused, Logan the Living Buddha drifted over. Several Underworld Agents watched him warily.
"It's fine. He's a friend of mine."
I said awkwardly, and Helen Chen looked at me in surprise.
"Lady Rachel, I think you should avoid keeping company with ghosts."
I shook my head, and Logan laughed.
"Ghosts and humans aren't so different, you know. I’m not some evil spirit out to hurt anyone—you don’t need to be so on guard."
"What is really going on here?"
Logan looked around, then shook his head helplessly.
"Natural disasters and human calamities are deeply intertwined. Long ago, for the sake of their own cultivation—what they called the burdened ascetic path—most of the Lama Order practiced extreme austerity. Compared to the Zen Order, they were mostly ascetic monks. Their suffering came from their birth and from the hardships of nature. Their practice was to bear these burdens and keep moving forward, little by little. As for ley lines, that’s a complicated matter; their flow often brings natural disasters. Let’s go down first, and I’ll explain more as we move."
I hummed in response and glanced back. My heart felt uneasy—so many lamas had already died. Yet Elder Samuel remained silent. What shocked me most was how calmly they faced death, showing no fear despite the impending catastrophe.
After a while, we returned to the market district. Logan led us to a quiet spot, and we ordered a pot of tea.
"I couldn’t do it. If I knew disaster was coming, I couldn’t keep such a calm mind."
As soon as I sat down, I muttered this. The other Underworld Agents nodded in agreement, and Helen Chen sighed.
"When I first started collecting souls, I encountered an evil ghost who wanted to eat me. I was so frightened I ran into the temple, and only with the help of a few lamas did I subdue that ghost. Looking back, they were always willing to help, but this time, for some reason, they refuse any outside assistance."
As we spoke, we all glanced at Logan, who was smiling and pouring tea. He sighed and said:
"Didn’t Elder Samuel say this was all their own doing? It must have started long ago, when they realized the flow of ley lines here would bring disaster. That’s why they built the Golden Temple: for cultivation, but also to suppress the ley lines and prevent catastrophe. At that time, many people lived here—the plateau was already a harsh place, and most made a living herding livestock. The king supported the lamas, since ancient beliefs were forgotten and he needed faith to secure his rule. He knew only faith could strengthen his position."
Logan walked to the window and continued. In the past, this was just a large market—the biggest on the plateau, crowded with people. After the lamas arrived, they gradually fostered Buddhist faith among many locals.
Back then, the Lama Order was just beginning to take shape. It truly formed when the Golden Temple was built, and when Logan arrived. Over generations of kings and with Logan’s help, the place grew more prosperous.
Yet the lamas always feared the flow of ley lines here, knowing it brought disaster beyond human control. But, surrounded by their followers, they boldly took on the responsibility, trying to redirect the ley lines elsewhere. If disaster struck, it wouldn’t just kill a few—it would wipe out hundreds of thousands.
There were a few disasters over the years, but nothing major. The lamas hoped to gradually resolve the local calamities through their own power. Yet, in the blink of an eye, centuries passed, and the disasters only grew, never lessened.
It was around that time that Leo Yuan arrived, bringing the Buddha Statue of Visions. Seeking their help, he healed Chen and shared much about Mahayana teachings and how to resolve disasters like these. He left them the Buddha Statue of Visions, to serve as a sacred relic for gradual purification.
[Irrelevant passage skipped.]
But in the end, people are just people. No matter what they can achieve, fighting against nature is simply too difficult. Eventually, Leo Yuan returned to the Lama Order to capture Yuna Ji, who had begun to dominate the living world, demanding monthly offerings of corpses from the spellcasters. Knowing he was no match for her, even with a Buddha Statue of Visions, he retrieved a second statue and went to the Central Plains.
At that time, Yuna Ji was utterly unstoppable—she wiped out any small sects that defied her, and even the Underworld dared not challenge her, as the Corpse Realm backed her power. She acted like a local tyrant, parading from place to place like an emperor, hosting extravagant events wherever she went.
Ultimately, Leo Yuan used the power of two Buddha Statues of Visions to subdue Yuna Ji, imprisoning her in the Brahma Tower to purify her evil spirit. Gravely wounded, he was brought back to the Lama Order, where he told the lamas: if he passed away here, they could inherit the Buddha Statue of Visions within his body, ensuring this place would be free of disasters for centuries.
The living Buddhas of the Lama Order agreed, and so the region was peaceful for centuries. But now, even the Buddha Statue of Visions can’t suppress the impending disaster. So they’ve returned the statue and made up their minds—every lama with any seniority knows these calamities must be borne by themselves.
Once the disaster erupts and the lamas bear its full force, the region will finally be safe.
After hearing all this, I stared in shock at the distant Golden Temple. No wonder so many lamas were so calm—they must have known from childhood the burden they would have to bear, and what awaited them.
"Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"
I asked. Logan stammered, and I immediately understood—it must have been John Chou who warned him not to tell me. I sighed.
"Can you try to gather more Underworld Agents? Help me get contact information for Universal Temple and the Daoist Order."
I spoke, and several Underworld Agents sighed but nodded in agreement. This was no longer something I could handle alone. Since the lamas had chosen to bear the disaster themselves, nature would inevitably destroy them.
The only solution now was to unite the Buddhist and Daoist Orders—maybe then we’d find a way. Otherwise, the Lama Order couldn’t hold out alone. Even if I called in all ten Guides, it wouldn’t help.
"I think you should give up, Miss Roxie. The Buddhist and Daoist Orders may seem peaceful on the surface, but they’ve always kept their distance. Long ago, some historical grievances made them determined never to join forces. It’s a legacy issue. Have you ever seen a Daoist visit a Buddhist temple, or a monk visit a Daoist shrine?"
I blinked. Now that it was mentioned, I realized I’d never seen such a thing.
"Where did John Chou go? When will he be back?"
Logan shook his head.
"I really don’t know. For now, we should all be careful."
Logan glanced outside. I noticed that in some places the sunlight didn’t reach, filth was gathering, and people were constantly generating more of it. The once clear sky was now clouded.
I gave Logan a wicked smile and patted his shoulder.
"You should eat again tonight."
Logan blinked and pushed my hand away.
"What do you take me for, Miss Roxie? I’ve felt awful all day. I may be resilient, but enduring pain inside myself—there’s nothing I can do about it."