Chapter 1318: Pure

Zhang Yi thought about the so-called "delicacies" that Pagyi Gesang and others enjoyed, and couldn't help but feel a bit nauseous.

"I thought that was a privilege exclusive to you high-ranking officials in the Southwest Region! I never imagined the Lord of the Charnel Ground wouldn't care for it."

The Lord of the Charnel Ground pressed his palms together, lowered his gaze, and said, "Amitabha, all is the karma of sentient beings."

Zhang Yi rolled his eyes.

These guys could relate anything to that vague, intangible concept of karma. How hypocritical.

However, he also understood that the entire Southwest Region was in its current state, and it certainly couldn't be solved by one man alone.

It was true that the Lord of the Charnel Ground possessed formidable power.

But a person who had been in seclusion practicing Buddhism for over a decade could not possibly possess strong political acumen or management skills.

Even if he disapproved of some actions by the Southwest Region's higher-ups, he couldn't possibly handle everything himself.

This was also why Zhang Yi, despite being the strongest in the Jiangnan Region, still chose to coexist peacefully with Blizzard City and let Zhu Zheng govern the affairs of the entire region. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The Lord of the Charnel Ground discerned the disdain in Zhang Yi's eyes.

He wasn't angered, merely smiled slightly and reached out to catch a snowflake from beyond the eaves.

"Perhaps the benefactor does not believe it, but everything has its reason. Just like you being able to come to this place."

"All is inevitable, there will be no unexpected outcome."

Zhang Yi sensed the Zen-like mystery hidden within the Lord of the Charnel Ground's words, but he wasn't one for riddles to begin with.

Zhang Yi chuckled and nodded. "I think there's some truth to what you say."

The Lord of the Charnel Ground smiled. "This humble monk takes his leave."

He didn't say anything more, simply turned and left.

It seemed he hadn't specifically gone to see Zhang Yi either. He really had just finished his meal, come out for a stroll, and happened to run into Zhang Yi.

And since Zhang Yi hadn't expressed any willingness to converse, he left on his own. After all, there was an important prayer festival in the afternoon that required his personal presiding.

Zhang Yi watched him leave.

Only after sensing he was already far away did a meaningful smile appear on Zhang Yi's face.

"Is this the pure, flawless, single-mindedly devout Lord of the Charnel Ground that Pagyi Gesang spoke of?"

Zhou Ke'er said, "The feeling he gives is indeed devoid of worldly concerns. After all, he's been in seclusion for over a decade studying Buddhist teachings. Presumably, he has seen through everything. He gives off an ethereal feeling of detachment from both the self and the external world."

"That's what you think."

Zhang Yi said with a laugh.

His eyes sparkled with a bright light.

This encounter might have been just an accident, but he had gained quite a bit from it.

"A person growing up in an environment that is too pure might not necessarily be a good thing."

Zhou Ke'er blinked her big eyes, curious. "What does that mean? Zhang Yi, what did you see?"

Zhang Yi thought for a moment, first telling Zhou Ke'er a story.

"We used to have a neighbor whose mother worked as a nurse in a hospital. Later, she gave birth to a child. To keep the child healthy and unharmed by external bacteria, she created an almost sterile environment for the child from a young age."

"Even the water her child drank was only distilled water."

"So guess what happened later?"

Zhang Yi smiled as he looked at Zhou Ke'er.

As a professional doctor, Zhou Ke'er certainly knew the consequences of such a practice.

"If that's the case, his body would become extremely sensitive and fragile. Once exposed to external bacteria, lacking any resistance, he would actually be more prone to illness."

Zhang Yi gestured with his chin towards the direction the Lord of the Charnel Ground had left.

"That guy is the same."

"Not interacting with the outside world indeed allows one to immerse oneself in Buddhist practice, but it's like exquisite porcelain—it easily shatters upon touch."

"Do you know, the way he looked at you just now, for a split second, was filled with worldly, secular meaning."

Zhang Yi was a man, so he understood the look in a man's eyes when he sees a beautiful woman.

That single-mindedly devout Lord of the Charnel Ground, upon seeing a great beauty of Zhou Ke'er's caliber, couldn't help but have a momentary change in his gaze.

Although he quickly averted his eyes, trying to conceal it.

But Zhang Yi had been observing him all along and thus caught that moment.

He didn't even look at Zhou Ke'er again afterward.

Zhou Ke'er's face flushed slightly as she tightened her hold on his arm. "What do you mean? Are you saying he fell in love with me at first sight?"

Zhang Yi took a deep breath and pinched her nose.

"You're beautiful, isn't it normal for others to admire you? But that guy was purely captivated by your beauty."

"This shows his heart is not impregnable."

"It's even possible that years of abstinence have made his resistance in this aspect very weak."

Zhou Ke'er couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

"With his status and position, what kind of woman couldn't he have? Don't joke around."

Zhang Yi said, "That's the principle! But don't forget, the Lord of the Charnel Ground is the spiritual symbol of the Southwest Region, the representative of the esoteric sect."

"Those below can disregard the precepts however they like, but he alone cannot."

"Moreover," he looked at Zhou Ke'er's stunningly beautiful face, felt her now even more alluring figure, and smiled proudly, "When has he ever seen a woman as beautiful as you?"

Zhou Ke'er asked curiously, "You mean this is his weakness?"

Zhang Yi said, "It's the weakness of all men under heaven."

Zhou Ke'er's eyes lit up. "Are you thinking of using this weakness to deal with him?"

At this point, she looked at Zhang Yi somewhat cautiously. "Don't you dare get any ideas about using me."

Zhang Yi, a bit annoyed, pinched her small nose slightly harder. "What nonsense are you talking about! You really want to piss me off. Don't worry, I have no interest in cuckolding myself."

"However," he looked towards the direction the Lord of the Charnel Ground had left, his eyes shifting as he murmured softly, "As long as he has a weakness, sooner or later, a way to deal with him can be found."

...

Time came to the afternoon.

For ordinary people, the Prayer Festival was now officially beginning.

Outside Sangha Monastery, a huge platform had long been erected.

Outside the platform, tens of thousands of people who had gathered early knelt on the ground, piously holding incense burners, awaiting the dharma transmission from the Lord of the Charnel Ground and the High Lamas.

The people from the four great chieftain families had all arrived. Pagyi Gesang led Zhang Yi and the others to a spot on the platform where they sat down to wait.

Zhang Yi looked around and also saw the people from the other three great families.

He didn't know many people, but he recognized the heads of those families.

"Are the people I encountered that night among them?"

Zhang Yi's gaze swept through their groups.

However, each family had brought quite a few people, most wearing tightly sealed combat suits, making it almost impossible to see their features clearly.

Zhang Yi thought about what the resistance army had said and settled his mind, waiting to see how events would unfold.

Author's Note