Chapter 79 Heart-killing
The night is like a curtain, and the temple is solemn.

Zong Shan'an, who has been a temple priest for more than 30 years, walks hunched over in the Temple of the God of Wealth, carefully checking the main hall and side halls to make sure there are still candles and incense sticks that have not been extinguished.

Since the beginning of winter, the north wind has been howling. It would be a disaster if a fire broke out.

In recent times, the disciples have been busy distributing grain and money and are exhausted. Now that they have finally stopped, it is time to let them take a break.

After checking inside and out, Zong Shan'an finally felt relieved.

When he was about to go back to his room to rest, he somehow walked towards the room where his disciples lived.

These boys look like adults. They must have been exhausted during this period of time. They must have been careless and slept with oil lamps on. It would be more reassuring to check on them.

When he reached the chariot room, he heard a burst of whispering, which made him frown!
"Is this the God of Wealth? Impossible. How could the God of Wealth... kill people?"

"Why not? Look at this iron whip and iron crown, who else could it be if not the God of Wealth?"

"This must be possessed by a demon or ghost?"

"It should be!"

"What? I heard that when the mob heard that they would not be distributing money, they were immediately unhappy and rushed into the temple to burn, kill and loot. Otherwise, the God of Wealth would descend to us?"

"Is there still such a thing?"

Zong Shan'an, who was standing outside the door, frowned more and more as he listened, and pushed the door open and walked in.

Then I saw several Taoist boys huddled together on the big bunk bed, whispering to each other. When they heard the door open, they subconsciously looked up. In the night, their eyes were surprisingly bright.

"You're up late at night, logging on to the Internet again, right?"

Zong Shan'an's eyes were as sharp as torches, and he shouted harshly when he saw this.

But more people blame the disciples not for logging on to the Internet, but for not sleeping.

As a disciple of Taoism, I believe in the gods and immortals in the heavens, but the main gods I worship are different. Therefore, I am not averse to gods other than those I worship.

"Master, is it true or false that the statue killed people?"

Unexpectedly, the scolded Taoist boy asked impatiently.

"What kind of idol kills people? Where did you read this novel?"

"Master, you don't know? That county..."

"Pu County!" a voice nearby reminded.

"Yes, the statue in the Pu County God of Wealth Temple suddenly came to life and killed people like crazy. The video went viral on the Internet."

"What did you say?"

Zong Shan'an's face changed slightly.

"Really? Monks don't tell lies. Master, you can check it out online now. The community has gone crazy about it."

The Taoist boy became anxious and quickly explained.

Zong Shan'an's face flickered, and after a while, he began to chant a spell in a low voice.

Soon, the cloudy eyes sparkled in the night.

After successfully logging into the Internet and entering the community section, he wanted to ask where the video was.
What he saw made his face change drastically.

"When a statue kills someone, is it because the God of Wealth is possessed and showing off his power, or is it because of a demon or ghost who is using his power to take his place?"

"Follow-up to the Puxian God of Wealth Temple. The scene is horrible. Don't enter if you are timid!"

"Oh my god, I can't believe it. The one who eats people is not a demon or monster, but a god or immortal!"

“It’s only with the Internet that I realize how ridiculous this world is!”

"..."

Zong Shan'an glanced over the ten posts and saw that seven of them were about statues of gods killing people.

It made his scalp tingle.

Just click on a post and you will see the live video soon.

The rioting crowd, the clay statue of the descending spirit, the splattering blood, the rolling dust, and the shrill screams and wails made Zong Shan'an's scalp tingle!

"Master, is this true?"

"master?"

On the big bunk bed, several Taoist children stretched their heads out to ask questions.

"I've been thinking about this all day. How could the God of Wealth possess someone and kill someone?"

"But……"

"Alright, there are so many truths and lies on the Internet, maybe someone is using magic to deceive people! Go to sleep, don't let external things disturb your mind. I will come to see who is still awake in a while. Go to the main hall to chant sutras and keep vigil tonight!"

After a scolding, Zong Shan'an left in a hurry with a slightly embarrassed step.

After returning to the room, he immediately logged on to the Internet again. After watching it several times, he became more and more frightened!

The various angry and indignant posts made him shudder with fear.

"Count down the ten sins of the Zhengyi Xuantan!"

"One sin is breaking the precept of killing. Possessing a spirit statue and killing innocent people at will; or letting evil spirits take the place of the dead is also a serious sin!"

"The second sin is violating the precept of greed. In order to gain incense, you wantonly distribute food and money, disrupting the order of the world."

"Three deadly sins..."

Zong Shan'an glanced at it and couldn't bear to watch it anymore. After logging off the Internet, he immediately took out a talisman sword, which was a flying sword to send a letter to his best friend.

Not long after, Fu Jian returned.

When his divine sense swept over, the old body shook suddenly, and all the blood disappeared from his face!
That night, Zong Shan'an tossed and turned, almost unable to sleep all night.

The next day, after getting up and finishing his morning lessons, he was in a trance when he suddenly heard his disciples arguing loudly and followed the sound.

But he saw a boy standing in front of the temple gate, arguing loudly with a passerby.

"…What are you talking about? How can demons and ghosts possess the statue of the God of Wealth? I tell you, that is an illusion. Do you understand illusion?"

"Amin!"

The Taoist boy, who had been arguing till his face turned red, looked at his master with a face full of grievance when he heard this.

"Master, they say the God of Wealth kills innocent people!"

"Okay, come back. Justice is in the hearts of the people. No need to explain."

"Yes, master."

The Taoist boy turned back to the temple indignantly.

When passers-by outside the temple saw Zong Shan'an, they showed a bit of fear on their faces and dared not say anything.

However, when he turned around, the sudden sound of spitting behind him caused his figure to pause slightly, and his back looked even more disheveled.

In the following days, Zong Shan'an felt like every day was a year.

The world seems to have not changed;

It seemed to have changed again.

The once bustling Temple of the God of Wealth became deserted overnight.

Occasionally, when passing by the door, you can still hear passers-by whispering.

But out of fear of the majesty of the gods, no one dares to point fingers.

……

……

With the help of the Internet, the Pu County statue murder case spread throughout the world almost overnight.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses, under the trees in front of the village, and in the temple gates.

People are talking about it everywhere!

Even illiterate people in the countryside can make some comments.

That horrific and bloody scene was enough to attract everyone's attention;
It is enough to scare most people into silence!
Everyone was talking and cursing in private;

But in the end, no one dared to do anything.

All we can do is stop burning incense and worshipping.

Little do people know, why do we need swords to kill people?
Sometimes words can be more hurtful!
……

"Master, let's go!"

The Taoist boys, carrying silver and money, stood in front of the door and bid farewell to their master.

"Go back quickly!"

Zong Shan'an, who sent his disciples to exchange copper coins, waved goodbye to his disciples calmly.

Only after all the disciples disappeared from his sight did he return to the Temple of the God of Wealth and enter the main hall.

The familiar scenery made him feel as if he were in a trance, as if he were seeing his master leading him into the world.

The master gave him a Taoist name, bestowed on him dharma robes and instruments, and led him to kowtow three times and nine times to the God of Wealth, and taught him earnestly:
"People in the world kneel down to worship the God of Wealth mostly to pray for wealth, but you must know that the Marshal of the Xuantan Temple of Zhengyi is the best in the world in terms of eliminating plague and malaria, curing diseases and warding off disasters, and hating evil. Since you are a disciple of the Xuantan Temple from now on, please do not tarnish the reputation of the God of War!"

"Disciple understands! Disciple must be a good Taoist priest who helps the world!"

"Okay, okay, this is the demeanor that a Xuanmen person should have!"

Zong Shan'an looked at the magnificent main hall with nostalgia on his face, suddenly picked up the candle on the table and threw it out.

(End of this chapter)