My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

air.

At the city gates of the City of Mercy, everything seemed to freeze for a moment.

The guard, with a face full of scars, stared intently at the two people, one big and one small, in front of him.

His big head was a little slow to catch on.

One said "I don't know"?

The other one said "I won't say"?

"Are you kidding me?!"

The guards finally realized what was happening.

He flew into a rage, drew his sword from his waist, and pointed the tip of the blade directly at Li Chen's nose.

"You two bald... no, you two bald bastards with hair!"

"I asked you what your Buddhist names are, and you dare to play riddles with me? Believe me, I'll arrest you right now as heretics!"

Facing the gleaming blade.

Li Chen showed no panic whatsoever; instead, his face was filled with innocence and grievance.

"Sir, a monk does not lie."

Li Chen clasped his hands together, his tone very sincere.

"My Dharma name is 'I Don't Know,' and this young disciple's Dharma name is 'I Don't Speak.'"

"The combined Dharma names of my master and disciple are called 'I Don't Know What to Say'."

Si Zi swallowed the spiritual fruit in his mouth.

The little girl nodded vigorously in agreement: "Yes, yes! We didn't lie!"

The guard was stunned.

He held the knife, his mind replaying the conversation from earlier in a frenzy.

"What's your name?" "I don't know."

"What's her name?" "I won't tell."

"Pfft—Hahaha!"

A young guard standing nearby couldn't hold back any longer.

He clutched his stomach, squatted on the ground, and burst into wild laughter.

"Boss... hahaha! He's not kidding you, that's really his name!"

The guard, whose face was full of scars, now had a face that had turned a deep liver color.

I felt incredibly ashamed.

He angrily sheathed his long sword and waved his hand frantically as if shooing away flies.

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

"Get into the city quickly! Don't get in my way. Seeing fake monks with hair like you is bad luck!"

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Li Chen's lips.

He held Sizi's little hand and swaggered across the city gate of the City of Mercy.

Upon entering the city.

A strong, even slightly pungent, sandalwood scent wafted towards me.

The streets are very wide, with large and small Buddhist shrines and temples lining both sides.

Buddhist monks wearing robes of various colors can be seen everywhere.

They were all greasy-faced, fat, and swaggering around, acting all high and mighty.

however.

Beneath this glittering exterior...

Li Chen, however, keenly perceived the city's repulsive nature.

In the corners on both sides of the street.

Countless ordinary people, dressed in rags and emaciated, huddled together.

Their eyes were empty and numb.

Whenever a Buddhist monk in robes passes by, these people, no matter what they are doing, will immediately react as if by conditioned reflex.

He knelt down, burying his head deep in the dust, not daring to even breathe.

Anyone who is even slightly slow to move will be severely beaten by the Buddhist monks.

The reason given for the assault was that "the Buddha punished those who were not sincere."

"Is this the City of Compassion?"

As Li Chen watched this scene, his eyes gradually turned cold.

"What a fine 'compassionate heart'! This is clearly treating the people like livestock, wantonly exploiting their flesh and blood and their faith."

The rhinoceros no longer eats the spirit fruit.

The little girl held Li Chen's hand tightly, and a hint of pity flashed in her clear eyes as she looked at the children her age kneeling on the ground, trembling.

"Sixteenth Brother, they are so pitiful."

Si Zi whispered, "They're even more pitiful than the little beggars in Chang'an City before."

Li Chen patted her head without saying anything.

The two walked along the main street toward the city center.

We've only gone halfway.

Suddenly, a cacophony of curses and a piercing, high-pitched cry of a bird erupted from the plaza ahead.

"Burn it! Burn this heretic!"

"Amitabha! This is a pure Buddhist sanctuary; how can demons be allowed to run rampant here!"

Li Chen and Si Zi pushed through the crowd and peered out.

In the center of the square, a pile of firewood soaked in kerosene was erected high.

A middle-aged monk dressed in a bright red robe was holding a torch and chanting scriptures with a fierce expression.

And on the wooden stake right in the center of the woodpile.

A rooster, as big as an adult dog and covered in colorful feathers, was found bound hand and foot!

now.

The rooster was flapping its wings frantically and yelling and cursing at the top of its lungs, speaking so fast it sounded like it was performing a stand-up comedy routine.

"Pah! A bunch of ignorant bald monks!"

"Bald monks! You heartless bald monks!"

"Master Chicken, all I did was steal a mouthful of sacred rice from your offering table. What's the big deal!"

"Even Buddha said to cut off one's own flesh to feed the eagles, so what's wrong with me eating a bite of rice? And you're going to roast me alive?!"

"Help! This is animal cruelty!"

"Let go of Chicken Master! Let's fight one-on-one if you dare!"

Listening to this rooster spouting human language and spouting all sorts of fallacies and heresies.

The Buddhist monks around were furious.

"You fiend! You dare to blaspheme Buddha even when you're about to die!"

The red-robed monk roared and threw the torch in his hand directly at the pile of firewood.

"boom!"

A raging fire instantly ignited.

The rooster was so frightened that its feathers stood on end, and it let out a mournful squawk.

"Oh no! I'm going to have to make beggar's chicken today!"

"Sixteenth Brother!"

Sizi, with her big, bright eyes, grabbed Li Chen's clothes and shook them vigorously. "That rooster is so much fun! It can even snort! Let's save it!"

Li Chen looked at the chattering rooster and couldn't help but chuckle.

In this small world of Buddhism, such bizarre monsters could actually be born.

"Alright, we'll do as our leader says."

Li Chen flicked his finger.

"Whoosh!"

A barely perceptible wisp of sharp fingertip wind, like a transparent needle, pierced through the crowd in an instant.

"Clatter!"

The thick hemp rope tied to the colorful rooster broke inch by inch without warning!

The rooster reacted extremely quickly.

Upon discovering that the restraints had been loosened, it immediately let out a loud crowing.

With a sudden flap of its colorful wings, it created a gust of wind and soared straight up from the sea of ​​fire!

"Who goes there?! How dare they storm the execution ground!"

The red-robed monk was terrified and looked around, but couldn't find out who had done it.

midair.

The rooster circled once, its eyes darting around before instantly locking onto Li Chen and Si Zi, the two with the most distinctive auras in the crowd.

The monster's intuition told it that these two people were the ones who saved it.

"Puff puff puff—"

The rooster flew directly down to Li Chen and Si Zi's feet.

It shook its smoked tail feathers and, in a very human-like manner, patted its chest with its wings.

"Thank you both, you two two-legged creatures, for coming to my aid!"

The rooster stood tall and proud, speaking in a human voice, looking arrogant and cool. Its red comb trembled, making it appear very spirited.

"My benefactor, to tell you the truth!"

"I am the king of all birds within a hundred miles! The supreme ruler of chickens!"

The rooster pointed to himself with his wings and loudly introduced himself with great pride.

"From now on, in this City of Mercy, mentioning my name will work! You can call me—Chicken King!"