Images of the past few days flashed through her mind.
The time at the inn.
On the streets and in the alleyways.
On the mountain paths through the woods.
Behind the rocks by the river.
And of course, most of all, the time inside the carriage.
All kinds of memories that made her cheeks flush just thinking about them.
And now, all at once, the man at the center of these memories had merged with the "Divine Monk" standing before her.
The clash was so jarring that it filled her with a sense of unreality.
"To hell with that! Who cares if he's a Divine Monk or not!"
Of course, the moment the twenty-year-old, scrawny bandit finished speaking, the tall, burly bandit who'd been lusting after Zhang Xiaomai strode forward and kicked him to the ground.
He cursed, "We're here to rob people! You get that?
We don't rob monks?
We don't rob Divine Monks?
Gold, silver, treasure, and a delicate beauty—we take 'em all back to our mountain hideout.
We spend the money, we sleep with the woman. What's not to like?
What are you doing here, bowing to some Divine Monk?
Some bullshit Divine Monk!
Just watch!
I'm gonna cut him down right now!
See if he can block my blade!
See if he bleeds!
See if he dies!"
Xu Lei heard these words, but his expression remained impassive, his bearing transcendent.
In truth, however, he was complaining to himself, 'Why is my bandit-believer's status in this group lower than this tall, burly one? And it seems this big oaf doesn't believe in Buddhism, nor does he give a damn about me, the Divine Monk. He's probably spent the last decade-plus without ever praying to Buddha or visiting Longyuan Temple. He's never heard the name of Divine Monk Wu Tan of Longyuan Temple. So he doesn't see me through any sort of 'halo effect.' Which means my Divine Monk aura is probably useless on him.'
"You can't, Second-in-Command!"
But before the burly bandit could reach Xu Lei, the scrawny, twenty-year-old believer grabbed him and cried out, "That's Divine Monk Wu Tan!
Haven't you ever heard his name?
The Divine Monk is an Enlightened Monk!
He can hear the Buddha's will!
If you disrespect the Buddha, you'll surely bring disaster upon yourself!
Besides, years ago, the Divine Monk presented the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse, ending the suffering of the common folk from hard labor!
How many people in the world were saved from starvation because he introduced the potato?
You've all eaten potatoes, haven't you?
If you've eaten potatoes, you've received the Divine Monk's kindness. And now you'd draw your blade against him?
Isn't that repaying kindness with hatred?
We became bandits because we couldn't survive. We take risks just to find a way to live.
That doesn't mean we have to be heartless monsters who repay kindness with hatred!"
Hearing this, the tall, burly bandit froze.
"Potatoes... He's the one who introduced potatoes?" he asked blankly.
"Of course," the scrawny believer said. "Before Divine Monk Wu Tan appeared, there were no potatoes in this world... Second-in-Command, you mustn't disrespect the Divine Monk!"
The tall, burly bandit didn't actually believe in ghosts or gods, let alone Buddha. He couldn't care less about some so-called Divine Monk.
But he had, in fact, eaten potatoes when he was starving. Under the circumstances, it was hard to press the attack.
Of course, the main reason was that ever since the scrawny bandit had shouted the name "Divine Monk Wu Tan," the tall, burly bandit noticed that the faces and eyes of most of the other bandits around him had already changed.
Because when it came to Divine Buddhas, most people figured it was better to believe than to risk disbelief.
Besides, the name of Divine Monk Wu Tan had indeed become legendary over the past decade or so.
This change in his brothers was the primary reason the second-in-command halted his attack.
Even the "first-in-command," who had earlier declared they would not rape or murder, had subtly moved to block his path.
"So it's Divine Monk Wu Tan?"
"We were trying to rob the Divine Monk?"
"What do we do now?"
At that moment, the surrounding bandits were all looking at each other and whispering amongst themselves.
"Divine Monk, please do not be offended."
The first-in-command also spoke respectfully to Xu Lei. "We truly didn't know who you were. We only became bandits because we had no other way to live; we were forced into it."
Xu Lei was slightly taken aback by the bandits' change in attitude.
He hadn't actually realized that his title, "Divine Monk Wu Tan," carried so much weight.
This whole gang of bandits, most of them had changed their attitude just because of the four words "Divine Monk Wu Tan"!
To be honest, Xu Lei had already braced himself to die again.
But he never expected the bandits to react like this.
The only exception was the tall, burly bandit, who still seemed to be a complete non-believer in any Divine Buddha.
He had no reverence in his heart for Divine Buddhas!
And not a shred of reverence for a Divine Monk!
Meanwhile, Young Master Wei, Aunt Hu, and Zhang Xiaomai were equally stunned.
The three of them had, of course, heard of Divine Monk Wu Tan.
And while they had never been to Longyuan Temple or met Divine Monk Wu Tan in person, they had heard tales of the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse, the potatoes, and other things he had introduced.
Coupled with the general sentiment of the era, which hailed Wu Tan as a living Enlightened Monk, they too felt respect for the four words "Divine Monk Wu Tan."
However, they had no idea that so many people in the world revered Divine Monk Wu Tan—to the point that even bandits did!
Even Hui Ming was surprised.
He also hadn't expected that most of this group of bandits would lose all their malicious intent just because of the four words "Divine Monk Wu Tan."
A complicated look couldn't help but enter his eyes.
"Amitabha Buddha. Life is a sea of suffering, boundless and deep. Salvation comes only from within."
At this, Xu Lei began to chant again, "Everyone, in these difficult times, you are all striving to survive, to find a way to live. There is no sin in this,