After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

Inside the hall, several eminent monks from Huguo Temple stood in the front row.

Among the monks, Hong'an, wearing a brand-new kasaya and holding a gilded ritual implement, stood quietly at the very front, receiving countless gazes.

This was the first time he had stood at the center of power in such an important setting, under the name of Hong An.

The late emperor gently handed the eldest princess to his attendant, who then respectfully presented her to Hong'an.

The hall was completely silent, and all eyes were focused on Hong An.

Hong An lowered his eyes, looking at the pure and innocent sleeping face of the infant in the swaddling clothes, and his fingertips paused almost imperceptibly.

When he looked up again, his expression was solemn.

He held a ritual implement in one hand and made a hand seal with the other, chanting incantations as a soft golden light emanated from his body.

Finally, golden light gathered at his fingertips and touched the princess's brow.

In an instant, a dazzling golden halo emanated from between the princess's brows, vaguely transforming into the phantom of a phoenix spreading its wings and soaring into the sky, hovering in mid-air.

Although it was fleeting, it was enough for everyone in the hall to see it clearly.

At the same time, colorful rays of light surrounded the palace outside.

Hong An stopped at the opportune moment, turned to face the late emperor on the throne, bowed deeply, and his clear voice echoed throughout the hall:

"Amitabha! Your Majesty is blessed; Her Highness's destiny is immeasurably noble. This humble monk just now, through the power of Buddha, witnessed the reincarnation of a phoenix, a destiny ordained by Heaven!"

"An ancient saying goes: 'He who obtains the phoenix is ​​destined by Heaven; this is an auspicious omen, foretelling the prosperity of our Western Cang Kingdom. He who obtains the princess... will be favored by the world and bring blessings to all living beings!'"

Although the phrase "He who obtains this woman will obtain the world" was not spoken directly, it was implied, and everyone present understood its meaning.

"Excellent! What a blessing to all living beings! Hahahaha!" The late emperor was overjoyed, clapping his hands and laughing, his eyes filled with satisfaction and pride.

Generous rewards were bestowed like flowing water, and Huguo Temple became even more popular, its prestige soaring.

The name Hong'an, along with the princess's Phoenix Mandate, spread throughout Changling overnight, making him a well-known high monk in the Western Cang court and among the common people, enjoying unparalleled fame for a time.

He got his wish and, through this incident, successfully ousted his more senior fellow disciple and ascended to the position of abbot of Huguo Temple.

However, no one saw the fleeting complexity in his eyes the moment he turned his back to the crowd.

There was a sense of satisfaction at getting what he wanted, and also a hint of emotion that he himself had not yet delved into.

For the first time, he used the Buddhist teachings he had recited since childhood as a ladder to power, and successfully used it to rise to the top in one step.

The scene shifts abruptly again, the tone becoming gloomy.

In a secluded royal meditation room, wisps of smoke curl from the incense burner, yet they cannot dispel the gloom within.

There were only two people inside.

On one side was Emperor Cangqi, who had not yet seized the throne, and was also the Crown Prince Chu Yan at the time.

He was dressed in dark casual clothes, and the outline of his current features was still faintly visible in his eyes. His gaze was intense and revealed his ambition.

Opposite him was Hong'an, the abbot of Huguo Temple, who held a high position of power.

Chu Yan lowered his voice, his tone full of seduction and coercion: "Master, you are an enlightened monk and a wise man. I will not speak empty words or platitudes."

"Now that my father is old and frail, the princes are restless and eager to seize power. I need her, I need the mandate of heaven, I need her fortune to help me take the throne!"

Chu Yan's eyes gleamed with a determined light. "As long as you, Master, lend me a hand, when I ascend the throne, I will ensure that you forever remain the abbot of Huguo Temple, receiving the incense offerings of the people and enjoying a position of honor second only to the emperor!"

"At that time, Huguo Temple will be the foremost temple in Xicang. The flourishing of Buddhism, benefiting all living beings, will require the full support of a wise ruler like myself, won't it?"

His words were a promise, but also a threat.

The meaning couldn't be clearer: those who obey me prosper, those who defy me...

The position of abbot of Huguo Temple might well be changed to someone else.

Hong An's fingers twirled the prayer beads, remaining silent for a long time.

The sky outside the window had darkened at some point, with dark clouds gathering.

A sudden storm arose, and large raindrops pounded against the windowpane, making a rapid sound.

A flash of lightning illuminated his face, which was half-lit and half-shadowed.

Finally, Hong An stopped fiddling with the prayer beads, slowly raised his eyelids, and the last bit of clarity that belonged to Wu Zhen in his eyes was completely extinguished, leaving only a bottomless darkness.

He nodded slightly, his voice hoarse: "Amitabha."

The sound of chanting the Buddha's name has lost its former clarity.

"Your Highness is ordained by Heaven and the will of Heaven is inevitable. This old monk... should naturally comply."

That night, the wind and rain were dark and gloomy.

A single wrong thought can taint enlightenment.

From then on, he sank deeper and deeper into the mire. In order to consolidate his position, he did not hesitate to cultivate evil arts that manipulated people's minds and used special methods to refine evil energy for his own use.

He meticulously fabricated more lies about destiny, controlling everyone who might threaten the imperial power.

The torrent of memories suddenly receded, like the tide going out.

In Jiang Dusheng's sea of ​​consciousness, only one last clear image remained.

That was Hong An in his youth, still sitting by the stream, his back to the lonely stream, letting out a long, heavy sigh.

That sigh went from pure to murky, from the streamside to the golden palace, and finally transformed into a sigh full of desolation and self-mockery:

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows."

"Back then, I asked about Zen by the stream, but I didn't realize that Bodhi was the true nature of reality."

"Mistakenly worshipping a demon as a Buddha, one is consumed by karmic fire...only then does one realize the power of anger."

The last line, lingering in the air, is filled with endless desolation and profound sorrow.

Unfortunately, this realization came too late, far too late.

The sigh, along with that tear of the soul, finally vanished completely in Jiang Dusheng's palm and sea of ​​consciousness, leaving only a cold void.

Jiang Dusheng slowly opened his eyes, feeling dizzy and disoriented. His mind felt as if it had been hit by a heavy hammer, causing dull pain.

Forcibly receiving Abbot Hong'an's mixed memories and fragments of obsession, coupled with the spiritual and physical strength exhausted from the previous fierce battle, left her extremely weak at this moment.

Xie Jinchen's face, filled with anxiety and concern, loomed larger and larger in her blurred vision, his lips moving as if he were urgently saying something.

Ultimately, Jiang Dusheng's consciousness was swallowed by darkness.

However, just before her consciousness sank into chaos, a cacophony of sounds, like the din of chickens and dogs, forcefully entered her ears, pulling her back from the brink of complete unconsciousness with a sliver of clarity.

A strong, urgent voice rang out:

"Oh dear! You old bald monk! I told you to hurry up and get going, but you insisted on dragging your feet, saying that monks must be calm and that haste makes waste. You even said the time wasn't right yet, and that fate would guide you!"

"Guidelines my ass! Look, we're too late!"

The voice was filled with anguish, as if the sky had fallen: "My precious disciple, and my handsome and capable future son-in-law, look at them, they're barely hanging on!"

"Oh my goodness, look at all this blood, how pale their faces are... If anything really happens to them, damaging their very foundation, I, this old Taoist, will burn your Nanchan Temple down!"