Embers Ad Infinitum

No one could answer Shang Jianyao's question. Only Long Yuehong thought seriously about why the old monk chose to jump off the building instead of hanging himself in order to cut off his body.

Maybe hanging yourself makes you look weaker? He compared it repeatedly and could only find this explanation.

At this time, the scenes seen by the members of the "Old Tune Team" returned to normal, leaving only simple furniture and slightly mottled walls around them.

Jiang Baimian retracted his gaze and said with a self-deprecating smile:

“I used to think that the ‘Crystal Consciousness Sect’ was different from the monastic order and truly restored the Buddhist teachings of the old world.

“Now it seems that Master Zenaga is relatively special and compassionate.

“Hmm…the scenes just now reminded me of cults in old world entertainment materials.

“Think about it, the dim starry night, the dark and wide hall, the gray-robed monks gathering from all directions, the different overlapping horizons, the Buddha statues watching all of this quietly, claiming to have attained enlightenment but suddenly appeared from the top of the temple. The Zen master who jumped and fell so hard that his brains came out...are they really not worshiping evil gods?"

"Evil Buddha." Shang Jianyao corrected Jiang Baimian's wording.

Long Yue nodded and said with emotion:

"Indeed, I panic when I think about what happened just now."

Bai Chen recalled:

"Even if the 'Crystal Consciousness Sect' is evil, it's not too evil, and it's definitely better than the Monk Order.

"When I was in the original city, I didn't hear that they did anything excessive. The evil spirits should be aimed at internal members."

Obviously, Bai Chen deeply hates the mechanical monks' purification method, and has a very low evaluation of the monks' order.

Jiang Baimian thought carefully for a while, then exhaled and said:

"Go to sleep.

"If I can't find a chance to escape tomorrow and have nothing to do, I will borrow the classics and scriptures of the 'Crystal Consciousness Sect' from the monks who deliver the food to see about their ideas and the existence of certain Buddhist scriptures left by the monks and the old world. What a difference."

She talked about looking for an opportunity to escape openly, and she was not afraid of Zenaga "hearing" it.

Anyway, no one believed the "old tune team" when they said they had accepted their fate and were willing to stay for ten days.

So Shang Jianyao grabbed a bed first.

Jiang Baimian then glanced at Bai Chen:

"You go to sleep first, Xiaohong and I will keep watch."

She pointed to the other empty bed.

Even if they were under guard, even if they were in the Xikaluo Temple of the "Crystal Consciousness Sect", they did not dare to be careless and still maintained the habit of taking turns to watch the night.

Just because Jhanaga is compassionate and a good person, it does not mean that other monks are the same.

There is a high probability that some of them are in a wrong mental state, and the evil incident that just happened has made every member of the "Old Tune Team" wary.

As for why they were regrouped, it was because Jiang Baimian wanted to ensure that each group of night watchers had the ability to sense the approach of humans.

"Okay." Bai Chen had no doubts.

At this time, the struggling "Garibaldi" reached the limit of his physical strength and fell into a drowsy state and fell asleep again.

…………

A night of silence.

Not long after the sun rose, Han Wanghuo, Zeng Duo and Gennava drove away from the wilderness settlement with an old radio transceiver they had acquired, and returned to the black wasteland from the mountains on the north coast. .

"There is a small team of hunters over there." Han Wanghuo, who was driving, looked into the distance and said, "Should we go there to ask for directions and leave some traces?"

"Okay." Gnawa, who was in the middle of the back row, answered.

Zeng Duo was a little stunned because she didn't see any small team of hunters at all.

After the vehicle drove for a few more seconds, she noticed a utility vehicle far away.

Is his eyesight so good? Zeng Duo turned his head and glanced at Han Wanghuo in surprise.

She was not surprised that the intelligent robot Gnawa could clearly distinguish things at that distance, but as an ordinary human being, Han Wanghuo could also do such a thing?

Thinking of the yellowing whites of Han Wanghuo's eyes, Zeng Duo said to himself thoughtfully:

"He is also deformed?"

Soon, Zeng Duo recovered and responded to Han Wanghuo's suggestion:

"sure."

Han Wanghuo immediately drove the vehicle behind a small mound, and while making a simple disguise, he said to Gnawa:

“You stay here and assume a response posture.

"We can't let others know that there are only three of us left. We have to make them think that there are more people hiding here."

Gnawa was quite satisfied with the fact that Han Wanghuo easily admitted that he was a "human being":

"no problem."

After he pushed the door and got out of the car and found a good place to "hide", Han Wanghuo drove Zeng Duo in a dark black off-road vehicle and approached the white multi-purpose vehicle.

When there was still a long distance between the two sides, Han Wanghuo took the initiative to stop the car, leaned out, waved his hand, and shouted:

"I have something to ask!"

If you just walk by without saying hello in advance, you can easily be regarded as a bandit or a relic hunter who works part-time as a bandit.

The white utility vehicle also stopped, and a man wearing an old-world cowboy hat stepped out of the passenger seat.

He was wearing a white shirt and an open brown vest, with a revolver on his waist and a sharp dagger spinning in his hand.

The man, whose skin was rough and full of traces of rain and wind, looked at Han Wanghuo in the distance for a few seconds and responded loudly:

"Come here and talk about it, it's too strenuous to shout like that."

He had put one hand on the revolver at his waist to show that he was not unguarded.

Han Wanghuo observed the man and did not start the car immediately.

At this moment, Zeng Duo frowned slightly and said:

"He should have just entered the wasteland a few days ago."

This is the judgment made by a relic hunter who has been wandering around the wasteland all year round.

The water source, food, and environment here are all very bad. As long as humans enter, no matter how well prepared they are, after five or six days, they will become "dirty" and tired, and they will not be as energetic and clean as the other side.

Han Wanghuo accepted Zeng Duo's judgment, nodded slightly and said:

"The one relatively close to here is the First City. When they came from the First City, they must have seen our bounty. And with our current 'disguise', it is impossible for him not to recognize us."

Having said this, Han Wanghuo paused:

"Since they recognized us and let us pass, it means that they have a certain degree of confidence in dealing with us, well, before our 'response' arrives."

"Yeah." Zeng Duo glanced at the man in the cowboy hat a few more times, feeling that his attitude was indeed suspicious.

Han Wanghuo no longer hesitated, stepped on the accelerator and turned the steering wheel, turning the dark black off-road vehicle directly towards the small hill where Gnawa was "hiding".

The man in the cowboy hat saw this and sighed in disappointment.

He then took out a walkie-talkie and said in a deep voice:

"Target found."

…………

The sixth floor of the Sikalo Temple.

Jiang Baimian looked at the young monk who brought many loaves of oatmeal bread and water, and asked with a smile:

"Zen Master, after what happened last night, we have become very interested in your religion. I wonder if we can borrow some scriptures to take a look?"

The young monk hurriedly lowered his head and pronounced the Buddha's name:

"This is exactly the purpose of our religion."

Just as Jiang Baimian was waiting to thank him, Shang Jianyao by the window suddenly turned around and asked:

"Why are there so many monks out today?"

"The chief has passed into nirvana and entered the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, which is what you ordinary people call the New World, so we have to send people to the five holy places to hold corresponding ceremonies." The young monk answered calmly.

"Five Holy Lands?" This was the first time Jiang Baimian heard this term, "Which five are they?"

The young monk shook his head slightly embarrassed:

"Buddha said: It cannot be said, it cannot be said.

"A poor monk can't lie, but he doesn't have to answer."

"Why can't you say this?" Jiang Baimian asked doubtfully.

The young monk explained simply:

“The five holy places are all related to our Buddha Bodhi and the Tathagata Tathagata. They are either the place where they passed away, the place where they came into the world, or the place where they taught the Dharma in the ancient times of the old world.

"In order to prevent outsiders from destroying the Holy Land, we have hidden the corresponding situation as a secret."

Having said this, the young monk said with a simple smile:

"Actually, I don't know exactly which five holy places they are, I only know a general idea.

"In our sect, only monks who have opened their sixth consciousness can have specific contact with the matters of the Holy Land."

"Okay." Jiang Baimian breathed out regretfully.

She didn't let Shang Jianyao go up to "make friends". After all, how could someone be so arrogant when they were under the roof?

When the time comes, what should we do if Zen Naga turns black?

Not long after Jiang Baimian and others finished breakfast, the young monk from before sent several scriptures of the "Crystal Consciousness Teaching".

While the four members of the "Old Tune Group" were each reading a book, Long Yuehong suddenly let out a sigh:

"There's a piece of paper stuck in here."

Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and Bai Chen all looked over.

Long Yuehong took out the piece of paper curiously, unfolded it and said with a smile:

"It's pretty new."

As soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly froze.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen stood up and walked towards Long Yuehong, and Shang Jianyao jumped over directly.

Long Yuehong came back to her senses and said with confusion and confusion:

"What is written above is the situation of the Five Holy Lands..."

This... Jiang Baimian and others crowded around Long Yuehong at the same time and turned their attention to the piece of paper.

The paper is written in red river script, and the first row reads:

"Five Holy Lands:"

The second row is the specific name:

"1. Tieshan City Second Food Company."

"..." Long Yuehong didn't know how to complain.

Is this style of painting too wrong?

Is this the so-called Holy Land?

Your mecca is Second Food Company?

Jiang Baimian also had similar thoughts. His eyes quickly moved down and looked at the third row:

"2. Changhe City United Steel Plant."

Changhe City United Steel Plant? Jiang Baimian suddenly turned his head and looked at Shang Jianyao and Bai Chen.

Isn't this the original name of the old world of the ruins of the steel factory where they met the mechanical monk Jingfa in the Black Marsh Wilderness?

Is it not an accident that the mechanical monk Jingfa appears there?