Chapter 00087: A Bow from a True God
# A Bow from a True God
Chapter 87
Novel: AFK Game: Portal to Another World
Chapter 87 A Bow from a True God
Li Chengxi didn't know what kind of trouble Section Nine had run into.
Right now, he was more concerned with how to get a good night's sleep.
Having received Qian Sen's suggestion, Li Chengxi felt it was time to head out today.
After breakfast, Li Chengxi didn't open the shop as usual.
Instead, he took Audel with him and boarded a bus.
Unlike the time they went to buy clothes, which was only two or three stops, this time they rode for more than ten stops, nearly crossing from one end of the city to the other.
The city where Li Chengxi lived had flat terrain; a single glance revealed mostly great plains.
But there were mountains on the great plains, though their height probably only qualified them as hills.
It was said that in ancient times, this place was quite important.
A city had been established here during the golden age of the Tang Dynasty.
Archaeologists had also unearthed many stone tools here.
However, the era was too distant, and the ancient city had not been preserved.
Upon entering the new century, to develop tourism, the local government had rebuilt many ancient facilities.
Among these were two types of temples.
The reason they were mentioned separately was that they were two different places.
One was Xingguo Temple, and the other was the General's Temple.
When Qian Sen suggested that Li Chengxi go to a temple to ask for a protective talisman, this place was the first that came to his mind.
Since Xingguo Temple was the closest and had the most worshippers, Li Chengxi took Audel and entered the temple first.
Even though it was just past seven in the morning, and not a day off, the temple was still bustling with people.
However, they were all elderly men and women who had come to burn incense and pray to Buddha.
Li Chengxi and Audel, being young, stood out.
Of course, it also had to do with how beautiful Audel was.
From the moment she entered, the girl kept murmuring exclamations like 'wow,' probably because she had never seen this architectural style before and found it very novel.
"What is this place?"
"A temple for worshipping gods and Buddhas."
"Oh, oh, a Temple, right."
Audel said to Li Chengxi while looking all around:
"Where is your divine statue located?"
"..."
Audel's train of thought was very simple.
Li Chengxi was a god, and this was a Temple, so there must be a divine statue of him here.
"No, I don't receive offerings here. The ones worshipped here are..."
Trying to explain to her what Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were seemed a bit difficult.
Just as Li Chengxi was pondering what words to use, Audel's attention shifted to the incense sticks in the hands of the elderly people.
"What is that? It smells a little peculiar."
It was a good thing she didn't keep pressing the issue of the divine statue.
The history of this Xingguo Temple could be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, but it later fell into ruin and was only rebuilt after the twenty-first century.
As a local, Li Chengxi had actually rarely come here; he had only heard of it.
Seeing it today...
He was quite glad he had never come before.
Although it was still built in a quaint, ancient style, Li Chengxi felt that no matter how he looked at it, it was like seeing a monk playing on his phone while eating McDonald's—a kind of mismatched, disharmonious feeling.
But since they were already here, he still had to pay his respects.
Because there were so many people burning incense, Li Chengxi and Audel had to wait in line for nearly an hour.
After offering incense to the large, gilded Buddha and bowing a few times, Li Chengxi took Audel to find an old monk nearby to clear up his doubts.
"Master, I would like to ask for an item that can ward off evil spirits."
The old monk, as if he had seen through the mortal world, smiled without a word, took off a wooden bracelet, and handed it to Li Chengxi.
The temple didn't seem very proper, but a master was a master.
He didn't waste words, nor did he say anything frightening like 'you have an ill omen'.
Just when Li Chengxi was thinking this was reliable, he saw the master pull out a QR code from under his monk's robe...
He's really keeping up with the times, hey!
With a slightly strange expression, Li Chengxi scanned the code to pay.
Then he discovered that the QR code had a preset price, and a single wooden bracelet actually sold for over two hundred.
This kind of thing would only cost twenty yuan at a street stall, and you could bargain it down to under fifteen.
But on second thought, it was something the master had worn personally, so it must be quite rare.
Persuading himself with this reasoning, Li Chengxi paid the money and led Audel out.
He also planned to visit the nearby General's Temple to have a look.
However, what he didn't see was that as soon as Li Chengxi turned around, the old monk took out another identical bracelet from his robe, slipped it onto his wrist, and waited for the next fated person...
It was a good thing Li Chengxi didn't see it, or else even the psychological comfort would be gone, leaving only a 'fuck'.
But also because he didn't see, as Li Chengxi turned to leave, a young monk walked up to the master's side and whispered a few words in his ear.
"What? It cracked?"
Upon hearing this, the master quickly followed the young monk towards the main hall.
To prevent the devout men and women from seeing his panic, he deliberately slowed his steps as he entered the hall, putting on that same smile of having seen through the mortal world.
He was smiling on the outside, but his heart was in a complete panic.
Following the young monk into the main hall and around to the back, one could now clearly see a terrifying crack on the back of the Buddha statue.
Since the statue was hollow, the crack had caved inward, like a dent in an eggshell.
"When was this discovered?"
"Just now. I was sweeping over here and saw some fragments."
"Quick, go call someone to come see if it can be repaired. But don't make a scene. The priority is to escort all these worshippers out."
The master's response was indeed correct.
It wasn't that he was afraid the believers would see the statue crack and their faith would collapse, but rather that he was afraid the statue would fall and injure someone.
This temple didn't feel like a temple, and the monks didn't seem like monks, but this master was truly a real master.
Compared to inanimate objects, living people were more important.
But precisely because he was a real master, the old monk couldn't for the life of him figure out why the Buddha statue had suddenly cracked.
"Could it be that a true god paid respects, and the statue couldn't withstand the bow of a true god?"
As the thought arose, the old monk laughed in spite of himself.
How could there be a true god in this world? It must be that the quality of the statue was substandard...
---
"Brother Li, why didn't you open the shop this morning?"
"I went out to have some fun. It's rare for my cousin to visit, so of course, I had to take her out for a walk."
Completely unaware of the truth, Xue Wenshu accepted Li Chengxi's explanation.
They went to Xingguo Temple and then to the General's Temple.
Both places were crowded.
Li Chengxi felt that he hadn't seen so many people in years, ever since graduating from university.
It was a bit overwhelming.
Audel, on the other hand, was full of excitement.
She watched, asked questions, and took notes.
When they returned home, she still looked as if she wanted more, probably treating it as a tourist trip.
From early morning, they were busy until the afternoon, only returning after having lunch outside.
Although it was a hassle, the goal was indeed achieved.
At Xingguo Temple, he got a bracelet.
At the General's Temple, he bought a palm-sized bronze sword.
The person there said that hanging it on the door would keep evil spirits from daring to approach.
Even if it was just a psychological effect, at least Li Chengxi could now sleep soundly with peace of mind.
"Why didn't you get a Cola today? Did your mom nag you?"
Seeing Xue Wenshu walk to the cash register with a bottle of sports drink, Li Chengxi was a little surprised.
Xue Wenshu said mysteriously:
"I can't drink anything carbonated today. I have something to do this afternoon."
Li Chengxi was a bit puzzled.
Since when did this kid care about such things?
"Are you still half-asleep?"
"No, Brother Li, look."
Xue Wenshu opened his phone.
On it was a photo of a girl in a high school uniform.
"My friend said he's going to introduce me to a pretty girl this afternoon when we play basketball."
"..."
Li Chengxi was speechless.
Your mental fortitude is truly impressive, kid.
It's only been a few days, and you're already able to switch over so seamlessly?
(End of this chapter)