My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

Outside the gate.

It was already surrounded by tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans.

Countless young men and women, as well as elderly people, held up glowing support signs made of spirit stones.

The banners displayed various slogans of support, such as "Hard-blooded Arhat, the Light of the Tang Dynasty" and "Betray hypocrisy, save the common people."

Flowers and gifts rained down on the two of them.

Jianglong and Fuhu were completely dumbfounded.

They stood on the steps like two motionless stone statues, watching this insane scene unfold before them.

In the Western Buddhist Kingdom.

They were also worshipped by thousands of people.

But when the believers knelt before them, their eyes were filled with awe and fear.

They prayed for longevity, for wealth, and for entry into paradise after death.

That kind of faith is built on desire and transactions.

But now.

The eyes of these people from the Tang Dynasty before me were so clear and so fervent.

They did not ask the two Arhats to bless them with promotions and wealth.

They simply and genuinely liked and admired the heroic role they played as "protectors of the common people"!

There was no fear.

There was no demand.

Only the purest form of liking.

This pure emotion, untainted by any cause or effect, was like a clear spring, fiercely washing over the Buddhist hearts of the two Arhats, which had been solidified for thousands of years.

"Is this...this is the mortal world?"

The Arhat Subduing Tiger looked at an old woman selling vegetables, and she was so moved that she wiped away her tears and stuffed a basket of fresh spiritual fruits into her arms.

His hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

"So, being genuinely liked doesn't require threatening or tempting with promises of paradise..."

The Arhat Subduing Dragon murmured to himself, and his eyes, which always held a fierce, Vajra-like glare, now showed a faint glimmer of water.

Just as the two Arhats were deeply immersed in this unprecedented shock and emotion.

"Excuse me! Please make way!"

A clear, sweet voice came from behind the crowded people.

Princess Sizi of Jinyang of the Tang Dynasty did not wear a gorgeous princess dress today, but instead wore a very low-key casual outfit.

Clutching a small notebook, she exerted tremendous effort to finally squeeze through the gaps in the crowd to the very front.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!"

Sizi waved her little notebook and calligraphy brush, tilting her head back excitedly.

"You're heroes now! Everyone in Chang'an is praising you!"

"Could you please sign an autograph for Sizi?"

Looking at the little girl in front of me, panting and with sparkling eyes, I felt a sense of wonder.

The most tender string in the hearts of the two Arhats, Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger, was deeply touched.

They recognized her.

This is the person who didn't look down on them for being covered in dirt when they were at their lowest and most desperate.

He wiped their faces with clean little handkerchiefs and even shared his favorite candied hawthorns with the little girls.

It turns out, she is also one of our most devout followers!

An indescribable warmth surged into the hearts of the two Nascent Soul stage experts.

They felt that the little girl's worship was ten thousand times more precious than the incense offerings of the entire Western Buddhist kingdom.

"it is good."

The Arhat Subduing Dragon's eyes became incredibly gentle.

He solemnly took the notebook and brush from Sizi's hand.

It was as if they were signing a top-secret decree concerning the survival of the Buddhist kingdom.

He took a deep breath, picked up his pen, and wrote with flowing strokes on the pristine white paper.

With utmost solemnity, he signed his Buddhist name—【Jianglong】.

The Arhat Subduing Tiger also came over, his eyes slightly red.

He took the brush and respectfully signed the two characters "伏虎" (Subduing the Tiger) beside it.

"Thank you both, gentlemen! You're the best!"

Upon receiving the autograph, Sizi was so happy that she spun around on the spot.

She carefully tucked the notebook into her bosom, then waved to the two of them and skipped out of the crowd.

Watching the little girl's cheerful departing figure.

The two Arhats exchanged a smile, realizing that the mundane world was not as filthy as described in the Buddhist scriptures.

On the contrary, it exudes a genuine warmth.

however.

This heartwarming feeling didn't last long.

Half an hour later.

The Holy Flame Meow Meow Cult, its headquarters in the backyard.

Sizi ran all the way into the yard.

She immediately spotted Uncle Jiangye in the corner of the yard, slowly sweeping fallen leaves with a bamboo broom.

"Uncle! Uncle!"

Sizi excitedly ran over and grabbed the sleeve of the Bodhisattva of Subduing Karma.

He pulled out the signed little notebook like it was a treasure.

"Look, look! I got the autographs of those two bald old men!"

The little girl lowered her voice, like a shrewd little merchant who had successfully made a big deal, her big eyes gleaming with the light of gold coins.

"My sixteenth brother told me that the person surrounded by crowds and idols while filming at the Grand Theater is the hottest star!"

"Sixteenth Brother said that celebrity autographs will definitely be extremely valuable in the future!"

Sizi solemnly placed the small notebook into the hands of the Bodhisattva of Subduing Karma.

"Uncle, please keep this safe for me."

"Wait until the price goes up in a few days, then you can take them to the West Market to sell. With the money we earn, we can buy lots and lots of delicious candied hawthorns!"

The Bodhisattva of Descending Karma held the small booklet bearing the autographs of two Arhats.

He looked up at the adorable cult leader in front of him, whose mind was filled with thoughts of "selling money to buy candied hawthorns".

Then I recalled the solemn expressions on the faces of those two junior disciples at the theater entrance, their faces showing that they were "moved by the purest believers."

On the bronze-colored face of the Bodhisattva of Subduing Karma, the muscles began to twitch uncontrollably.

His hand holding the broom trembled slightly.

I suppressed the urge to burst into laughter.

Amitabha.

My two junior brothers.

If you knew, you would know the Dharma name you signed with tears of emotion.

In the little girl's eyes, they were nothing more than a few bamboo skewers to exchange for candied hawthorns.

Your hearts, so recently warmed by the world's dust and mortal realm...

Will it shatter into pieces on the spot?

The temporary underground accommodation at the Chang'an Grand Theater at night.

This is a luxury suite specially prepared for the lead actors of the film crew.

Inside the room, no luminous pearl was lit, and in the deathly darkness, only two heavy and rapid breathing sounds could be heard.

"call--!"

The Arhat Subduing Dragon suddenly sat up from the soft beast-skin bed.

He was drenched in cold sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

Those eyes, as large as copper bells, were bloodshot with terror and pain as they stared intently into the darkness.

He had a nightmare.

In the dream, he was not standing on the high and mighty golden cloud of merit.

Instead, they plunged into a boundless sea of ​​blood, churning with stench and wailing.

Above the heavens, the enormous golden face of the Three Buddhas, so vast it obscured the stars, gazed down upon him with a cold, majestic look filled with endless disappointment.

"Traitor...disgrace to Buddhism..."

"Those who indulge in worldly vanity and embolden the demonic path deserve to be punished!"

The magnificent Buddhist chants, like heavy hammers, shattered his Arhat statue in his dream.

"Senior brother, you're awake too?"