4: Section 4

For example, in the last life simulation where he started as himself, he randomly got the green-ranked cooking talent, Food God.

This talent allowed him to escape many crises in the simulation.

Just as Su Mo was thinking, a golden light suddenly appeared before his eyes.

"Your randomly selected talent for this time is 'Arhat Reincarnation.'"

"Arhat Reincarnation: You are naturally astonishingly skilled in Buddhist studies, and learning Buddhist Cultivation Techniques has no Bottlenecks."

...

Arhat Reincarnation?

Su Mo was quite happy; it was his first time randomly getting a golden talent.

He wondered what kind of start this golden talent would bring him.

...

"You were born as the legitimate son of Su Donglai, the Prefect of Hangzhou."

"The Prefect of Hangzhou had a son late in life and named him Su Mo. He doted on you greatly, letting you do whatever you wished, and you had a very happy childhood."

"When you were eight years old, an old monk named Elder Fahai came to your house and told your father that you were an Arhat Reincarnation, destined for Buddhism. He hoped to make you a lay Disciple of Jinshan Temple, which would not affect your future marriage, children, or participation in the imperial examinations."

At this moment, in Su Mo's eyes, a projection of Fahai appeared.

That Fahai had kind eyes and a benevolent face, dressed in a clean and tidy gray monk's robe, holding a nine-ringed tin staff.

Seeing that it was Fahai,

Su Mo could now be completely certain.

This simulation was of the Legend of the White Snake.

He wondered what Bai Suzhen looked like and how she compared to this General's Wife.

After all, this General's Wife was the most beautiful female character he had encountered in his previous simulations. Unfortunately, it was all virtual; he could only look, not interact.

...

"Su Donglai, as the Prefect, greatly respected Elder Fahai, but he did not want to make the choice for you and instead asked for your opinion."

"What do you choose?"

"Option One: Tell your father that you also love Buddhist studies very much and wish to join Jinshan Temple for cultivation, while acting innocent and adorable to make Fahai like you even more."

"Option Two: Walk away directly and go play with your friends from the private school."

"Option Three: Pretend to agree, and at the same time, ask Fahai to stay overnight at your house. Then, add croton beans to his evening meal and tell Fahai that you don't want to be a monk at all!"

...

Looking at the three options that appeared, Su Mo pondered carefully.

Since he was an Arhat Reincarnation, he didn't need to worry about Fahai's opinion when doing anything.

Of course, he would choose whatever was most stimulating and most fun!

Subsequently,

Su Mo directly chose the third option.

...

"You pretended to agree to Fahai's request to take you as a Disciple and told your father, Su Donglai, that you wanted Elder Fahai to stay for one night before you went to Jinshan Temple to cultivate with him."

"Your mother, upon hearing this, began to cry, not wanting you to leave home because you were their only child."

"Your father, upon learning of this, began to dissuade your mother, while Fahai stayed overnight at the residence."

"In the evening, you took croton bean powder from the family's medicine room and put it into the vegetable porridge to be served to Fahai."

"Fahai unknowingly drank the vegetable porridge. An hour later, he began to suffer from severe abdominal pain, and he had diarrhea all night."

"The next day, in front of your father and mother, you openly mocked Fahai as an old bald donkey, saying he was using the pretense of cultivation to take you as a Disciple, but actually just wanted a free laborer."

"Your mother smiled with joy when she saw that you weren't really leaving."

"Your father, Su Donglai, also didn't expect you to do this and quickly apologized to Fahai."

"And promised to take you up the mountain to apologize during the Dragon Boat Festival."

"The weak and suffering Fahai had no choice but to give up the idea of taking you as a Disciple."

"After returning, he knelt before Buddha for a long time."

"He didn't understand why you, an Arhat Reincarnation, were so mischievous."

Chapter 4: Shattering Golden Body into Reincarnation, Settling Past Karma Debts

"After Fahai left, he never came to find you again. You played normally with your friends every day. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Su Donglai took you and your mother personally to Jinshan Temple to apologize."

"As you stepped into Jinshan Temple, the bell in the temple's back mountain automatically rang three times. Everyone heard it and thought something big had happened in the temple. Even the monks from the front mountain rushed to the back mountain."

"At this moment, Fahai appeared."

"He was very welcoming of your arrival."

"Your father and mother went to the Mahavira Hall to offer incense and apologize to Fahai for the previous incident, while you ran around the temple and eventually stumbled into the Scripture Pavilion of Jinshan Temple."

"In this Scripture Pavilion, you read many Buddhist scriptures, and unknowingly, it was already dark."

"Your father, mother, and all the monks in the temple had searched for you for a long time and were relieved to find you in the Scripture Pavilion."

"And after you returned home, you pondered the content of the Buddhist scriptures day and night, contemplating their profound meanings."

"Seeing you suddenly become taciturn and dazed, your mother immediately thought you were possessed by evil in Jinshan Temple, so she found a Qingfeng Daoist from the nearby Qingyun Temple, hoping to exorcise the evil."

"Although this Qingfeng Daoist was an incompetent Daoist, he had received a Daoist ordination and opened his Daoist eyes, allowing him to perceive Yin and Yang and communicate with spirits and ghosts. Upon seeing you, his eyelids twitched rapidly."

"Because behind you, he saw a ten-foot-tall, half-closed-eyed golden Arhat."

"However, this Arhat was not solemn and dignified; instead, its golden paint was mottled, its left hand held a chipped purple-gold alms bowl, and its right hand held a half-formed Immovable Wisdom King mudra."

"Qingfeng Daoist immediately realized that you were an Arhat who had descended to Undergo Tribulation, shattering your golden body to enter Reincarnation and settle the Karma debts of your past life."

"He did not want to get involved in this Buddhist Karma, so he told your mother that as long as you were sent to a temple and became a monk for ten years, you could return to normal."

"Upon hearing that she still had to become a monk, your mother's vision went black, and she fainted."

"However, your father, Su Donglai, was very open-minded. The next day, he went to Elder Fahai, wanting you to receive the precepts and enter Buddhism, saying it would not be too late to return to secular life after your Cultivation Technique reached Perfection."

"Fahai was very happy to see your arrival."

"After all the twists and turns, you still became a Buddhist Disciple."

"After receiving the precepts, you became Fahai's entry Disciple, which made all the monks, big and small, in Jinshan Temple envious, because in their eyes, becoming Elder Fahai's entry Disciple was equivalent to becoming the next abbot of Jinshan Temple."

"However, you did not feel it was precious. Since studying Buddhist scriptures, your temperament had changed greatly, becoming increasingly clear-minded and ascetic, completely unlike your previous mischievous self."

"Fahai was also increasingly satisfied with your performance and began to teach you some Buddhist Demon-slaying Cultivation Techniques."

"And you also learned the Buddhist Lion's Roar, Vajra Body Protection Divine Art, and Great Majestic Dragon Hand Seal."

"As time passed."

"By the time you were eighteen, your understanding of Buddhist Dao was already far beyond that of many virtuous and eminent monks who had cultivated for years."

"Your Buddhist Cultivation Techniques had also reached Transcendent, and slaying Demons was effortless."

"One day, your parents came to take you back to secular life."

...

"What do you choose now?"

"Option One: Refuse your parents' idea of taking you home, stay in Jinshan Temple to diligently study Buddhist Dao, and aspire to become a virtuous and eminent monk."

"Option Two: Follow your parents down the mountain, grow your hair back, return to secular life, study the Four Books and Five Classics, and participate in the imperial examinations to gain official status."

"Option Three: Kill Fahai, poison all 209 monks in Jinshan Temple, and fall into the Demonic Path."

...

Looking at the three options in love affair life, Su Mo chose the third one without hesitation.

The past decade of studying Buddhist scriptures was too boring; he almost fell asleep. Choosing the third option would definitely be exciting.

"You chose to kill Fahai and poison all 209 monks in Jinshan Temple."

"You refused your parents' request to take you home and stayed in Jinshan Temple. Fahai was very happy, but the monks were not."

"After your parents left, Fahai wanted to pass on his mantle to you, asking you to descend the mountain in his place to slay Demons and uphold the Righteous Path in the world."

In the scene, Fahai, dressed in plain clothes with a solemn and dignified appearance, held his Magical Artifact and solemnly handed it to you.

Seeing this scene, Su Mo showed anticipation.

Although this Fahai was not a bad monk,

Since he had already chosen, he would see what happened next.

This time, he was on the chaotic evil side.

Next time he simulated, he would pre-set his alignment and try a lawful good one.

Only then would it be interesting.

...

"You did not refuse, because Fahai, without his protective Magical Artifact, would be easier to kill."

"You obtained the Jinshan Temple's heirloom treasure: the 'Golden Bowl.'"

"Golden Bowl: The Golden Bowl of Buddha, bestowed upon Fahai three years ago to help him slay Demons. It can perceive the mysteries of heaven and earth, foresee the past and future, and the golden light within the bowl can illuminate worldly Demonic Qi and bind Demons, preventing them from escaping."

...

When he saw the Golden Bowl's ability to see the past and future, Su Mo's scalp tingled.

Good heavens.

Since this Fahai could predict the future, wouldn't he also know that he was going to kill him and poison all the monks in Jinshan Temple?

If that was the case,

Why would he still pass on his mantle to himself?

Could it be that Fahai had a backup plan?

He was careless.

Next time he made a choice,

He needed to consider everything more comprehensively.

Otherwise, he would have to start over.

He had finally randomly gotten the Legend of the White Snake plot, and he didn't want to waste it like this.

Because the simulation was too real, Su Mo felt as if he was truly there.

He was now a bit apprehensive, wondering how Fahai would treat him next.

...

"You obtained the Jinshan Temple's heirloom treasure: the 'Sacred Robe Kasaya.'"

"Sacred Robe Kasaya: Impenetrable by blades and spears, impervious to water and fire, it can be transformed into different forms using magical power."

...

"You have now obtained two of Fahai's three treasures. The remaining treasure is called the Azure Dragon Zen Staff, forged from ten-thousand-year-old Vajra Black Iron. It can sense Demonic Qi within a hundred-mile radius and is also a symbol of the Jinshan Temple's abbot."

"You have not become the abbot of Jinshan Temple, so it cannot be given to you."

"On the night you obtained the treasures, you went to the nearby mountains to collect a large quantity of heartbreak grass, preparing to brew vegetable porridge for everyone the next morning."

"However, when you returned, Fahai was already waiting for you on your inevitable path."

"He did not understand how you, an Arhat Reincarnation, could have such a malicious heart. When he first learned of your intentions from the Golden Bowl, he didn't believe it, but with the facts before him, he couldn't help but believe."

"You were utterly panicked at this moment and wanted to escape, but Fahai did not give you the chance. Instead, he immediately confiscated the Golden Bowl and Sacred Robe Kasaya he had given you, and used the Golden Bowl to suppress you beneath the mountain peak, intending to imprison you for life!"

"You were unwilling and wanted to escape, but the power of the Golden Bowl was too strong; there was no way to break free."