I Don't Believe It

Lizhi walked alongside Chu Xingchen, slowing her steps with a smile spreading across her face.

Naturally, that smile wasn't entirely untainted—the gratitude was real, but Chu Xingchen's status was something Lizhi couldn't even see if she craned her neck. The natural barrier of rank made her instinctively cautious, even though she knew Chu Xingchen was a good person.

Xie Lingyu cast a curious glance at Lizhi, a Golden Core cultivator who seemed quite familiar with everyone.

"Senior Chu, what big matter are you planning to handle in West Jambudvipa this time?" Lizhi lowered her voice and asked quietly. "Don't worry, I guarantee this time I won't run off halfway. Even if it kills me, I'll finish whatever you've entrusted to me."

Chu Xingchen waved his hand dismissively. "What are you thinking? A little Golden Core cultivator like you trying to handle a life-and-death mission? You wouldn't even get the chance."

"Oh, oh..." Lizhi's spirits visibly drooped at that, but then her tone grew firm again. "Well, then there must be something I can do here, right? As long as I can be of help to you, senior."

Chu Xingchen asked, "Some time ago, demonic creatures resurfaced in West Jambudvipa, and afterward Runan returned to the Great Thunderclap Monastery to preside over handling the demonic menace there. Do you know about this?"

Lizhi thought carefully for a moment, then nodded.

"This was a huge matter. A lot of people were saying it might be like that time before, except this time the Buddhist sect responded quickly. There are rumors that two Tribulation-Transcending Buddhas are now stationed in West Jambudvipa."

"But I don't have the exact details—folks like you at the top can get precise information, but for us, it's just word passed around, half guessing and half hearing."

Chu Xingchen smiled lightly and nodded, then asked, "Do you remember the matter of faith power we've been investigating along the way? Recently, has the Buddhist sect in West Jambudvipa remained as before, still collecting faith power?"

Lizhi pondered for a moment, then spoke: "After that last incident, the Buddhist sect's prestige dropped considerably. The Three Sects also left behind quite a few measures when they entered West Jambudvipa. As for collecting faith power, they should still be doing it—all their usual activities are still going on."

"Putting it bluntly—who doesn't pick up money lying on the ground? I don't think the Buddhist sect is a fool."

"But I have to say, they have indeed pulled back quite a bit. That much is true."

Xie Lingyu followed beside Chu Xingchen and naturally overheard their conversation. At this point, she was beginning to understand why Chu Xingchen had come to ask Lizhi.

The intelligence from the Heavenly Evolution Sect and the Mystic Clear Immortal Sect was certainly precise—detailed enough to know exactly what arrangements Runan had made after returning to West Jambudvipa and who had carried them out.

But such information, while important, might not capture something that Lizhi's rough and unreliable news could: how ordinary people were reacting to these changes. After the Three Sects had suppressed the Buddhist sect, whether it was to restore the trust of the people in West Jambudvipa or because of some genuine realization of error, the sect had indeed made efforts to do something. And it seemed their publicity had worked—the confidence of the people in West Jambudvipa toward the Buddhist sect was warming up again.

Sometimes asking this way truly helped confirm what the Buddhist sect's real intentions were.

Xie Lingyu murmured, "So it seems the Buddhist sect does show signs of reforming itself for the better."

Hearing this, Chu Xingchen turned his gaze toward Xie Lingyu, thought for a moment, and said:

"West Jambudvipa is too vast, and it's still too far from the Great Thunderclap Monastery. The Buddhist sect may not truly care about West Jambudvipa—perhaps they simply can't judge whether they can afford to lose it, or whether losing it would trigger something even more uncontrollable."

"What the Buddhist sect desperately wants to do now is just one thing—try their best to maintain the status quo."

"Sometimes, making no changes at all is the only decision that keeps a colossus like the Buddhist sect alive."

"So even though the Buddhist sect has gained a lot of face in Southern Jambudvipa, when something went wrong in West Jambudvipa, they immediately dropped everything to rush there."

Xie Lingyu sighed softly at these words.

It turned out that being a sect leader wasn't something just anyone could do.

These kinds of tangled intricacies were something she'd never really been suited for—perhaps also because her master had protected her too well.

Xie Lingyu glanced sideways, looking at Chu Xingchen's serene and unhurried expression.

Yet the one who could see through all these tangled threads in a single glance indeed possessed his own remarkable charm.

Lizhi walked alongside, not daring to stare at Xie Lingyu, but occasionally sneaking a look at this exquisite yet cold-looking woman.

She had to admit that female cultivators from the Central Region truly stood out—especially in temperament, the kind of elegance that was simply unmatched. She didn't say much, her demeanor was steady. Not like herself, who, even as a Golden Core cultivator, was still used to leading a bunch of subordinates to ordinary tea stalls, happily propping her foot up on the table if a disagreement arose.

Xie Lingyu noticed Lizhi's gaze and turned a confused look toward her.

Lizhi immediately flashed a bright smile and gave a slight nod.

Xie Lingyu was a little puzzled but nodded back politely.

Lizhi raised her head toward Chu Xingchen and began to speak...

"So, Senior, are you still focused on the matter of the Buddhist vow-power? But the Buddhists have been proclaiming across West Cowherd Continent that not only have they reconciled with you, but that your relationship is now quite close—they even say you're a friend across generations with the esteemed Buddha Runan, and that together you'll respond to all great matters under heaven."

"Though, thinking on it more carefully, it's probably just the Buddhists blowing hot air to save face. How could you possibly stand to look at that scowling face of Buddha Runan?"

Upon hearing these words, Chu Xingchen was slightly startled, then as if reminded of something, his gaze drifted lazily back to Lizhi.

Lizhi, feeling herself scrutinized by that look, sensed her spiritual consciousness growing uneasy.

She instinctively felt that she might have... no, definitely had—said something wrong.

Chu Xingchen's tone suddenly turned considerably gentler:

"Lizhi, I have a job with excellent pay right now. Would you like to work for me for a while?"

"...This... wouldn't that be a bit improper? Wouldn't people say I got in through connections?"

"So what if you're a connection? You have to have a relationship to be a connection, and relationships are built through effort and sacrifice."

Lizhi knew full well it wasn't a good job, but continuing to refuse would sit poorly with her conscience. Finally, steeling her nerve, she asked in a low voice:

"What's the job?"

"Pick out a few temples that you think are unreasonable and irritating, then cause them some serious trouble—demand to know where they've hidden all their vow-power. Anywhere within West Cowherd Continent will do."

"Huh? Just me alone?"

"Mhm. You can bring a few more people if you want. All expenses will be reimbursed by someone later."

"Senior... I mean, I'm from the Sky Patrol Bureau, but those monks don't recognize our authority. Forget about causing trouble—if I say one wrong word, those Nascent Soul old monks will toss me out the door..."

Lizhi's words trailed off as her gaze shifted, and her little hand reached out.

She'd been foolish. Those monks might dare to brush aside a little Lizhi like her, but would they dare ignore Chu Xingchen?

Chu Xingchen glanced at the outstretched hand and naturally understood what Lizhi meant. He spoke:

"If you take my token, you'd probably be the one getting trouble from those monks. West Cowherd Continent is run by the Dust Buddha, and they don't have much goodwill toward me."

"I'll take you to meet someone. His reputation carries more weight."

"Someone with more weight than you, Senior? I don't believe it."

West Cowherd Continent, Zhengyin Temple.

Buddhist auspicious clouds stretched toward the heavens, and five-colored dharma lotuses drifted through Zhengyin Temple.

A bodhisattva sat outside the temple grounds, while arhats stood guard with their dharma weapons at the temple gates.

A flood dragon coiled silently nearby as Buddhist chants rang out without cease.

Outside the temple gate.

Lizhi's eyes widened, her feet rooted to the spot as she stared at the overwhelming display before her—a scene grand enough to make one's bones go numb.

Now she believed that the person they were about to meet held far more weight than she could have imagined.