Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 470 - 48 We are Too Awesome in the Longevity Sect

If it weren’t for her encounter with the foreign monk at the inn’s entrance this morning, Li Mumu had almost forgotten about a character like Maitreya in the Longevity Sect, since she had only met him briefly and he had not appeared again afterward. It was totally reasonable to consider him an insignificant minor character.

But on second thought, something seemed off.

The Longevity Sect had always venerated the Three Pure Ones, and strictly speaking, it belonged to the Taoist faction. What business did it have with monks?

If it were just Maitreya alone, that would merely suggest he was a uniquely eccentric character. But having seen another foreign monk in the Seaside District today, clutching suspicious incense, Li Mumu couldn’t help but suspect that these monks might have their own secret society organization behind the scenes.

"No, I have never heard of such a thing."

That evening, when she came to the headquarters of the New Church of Eternal Life and queried Max about this, she received a definite answer.

As a Cardinal of the Longevity Sect, nobody could be more familiar with the innermost secrets of the sect than Max.

"The Bartlett Alchemy Association has had contacts with Taoist Qi Refiners since a few hundred years ago... around the time when the Former Dynasty’s maritime fleet reached Europe. Our alchemical systems and their alchemy theories are very similar and can learn from each other. The previous president even visited Kunlun, which is why I have always said we are the orthodox inheritance of Taoism," Max said emphatically, with a dismissive look.

"What do we have to do with those monks who only study the cycle of karma?"

Well said, very persuasive, convincing indeed.

On careful reflection, Li Mumu felt that this was indeed the case. Putting aside their positions and considering the incident of the Holy Grail Church spreading experimental notes and hastening Lilith’s birth, the Longevity Sect was indeed single-mindedly tampering with elixirs, true to their original aspiration.

This made matters interesting.

"So, are you saying you haven’t been searching for Dragon Veins in the Thousand-Year Dynasty World?"

This question stumped Max.

"If Dragon Veins truly exist, why not search for them in the Real World? Why bother going to the Outer Dimension? Isn’t the Thousand-Year Dynasty World essentially empty aside from that Imperial City?"

Uh...

Li Mumu was left speechless.

Her only option was to seek assistance from another person present who could be regarded as a paragon of erudition.

Let’s say, a person in a sense.

Xia Yubing wasn’t exactly lively to begin with, and since her successful promotion to a Night Wandering Deity on the fifteenth of July, she looked even less human.

How to put it, even if someone knocked over her divine statue and she stood in its place, there wouldn’t be the slightest incongruity.

Li Mumu wasn’t sure if this change was good or bad.

Zuo Yan, her senior sister, also claimed to be a Night Patrol from the City God’s Office, but the difference between her Night Patrol and Xia Yubing’s Night Wandering Deity was clear, akin to the difference between a working drone and a company boss.

One is a job, the other is personal empire.

It was evident that Xia Yubing now had some intention of following the path of a deity sustained by Incense Offerings. It’s a wonder how she could tolerate the constant buzzing of devotees in her ears every day.

One must say, the willpower of the King of Competitors was beyond compare.

"Monks... why would they seek immortality?" Xia Yubing pondered for a moment before asking.

Nobody could answer this question. Who knew what those foreign monks were thinking? Just like Max had previously mentioned, shouldn’t they be studying the cycle of karma?

Although there was no answer, Li Mumu felt she might have gotten to the crux of the matter.

"Tonight, the Ma Family should be paying a visit to that dark cathedral," he said. "Let’s follow them and see, perhaps we can find the answer."

Xia Yubing always said this, making Li Mumu feel like she was akin to a player.

She claimed it was all for the excitement, but every time it would inevitably involve getting her hands dirty.

Time advanced to midnight.

This time the entire New Church of Eternal Life mobilized.

Although, in reality, there were only four of them.

Max was equally curious about this issue, while Old Zhang was dragged along to make up the numbers.

He had shared in quite a bit of wealth these past days—considering the church only had four members, plus two who lived off incense offerings and didn’t require payment, not even the staff of LeEco had such generous benefits.

So he had made quite a few new puppets; their combat effectiveness was debatable, but once cloaked they were indistinguishable from living people.

This guy could be an army on his own.

Four people heading out indeed seemed a bit thin, but with four people plus thirty-six puppets, they appeared mighty enough to deter any petty criminals.

It was as if the Church of Eternal Life had overnight returned to its former glory.

......

The Ma Family stood at the crossroads.

As the hands of the watch pointed to eleven fifty-nine, Ma Hanwen turned to glance at his family, ready for action, then rubbed his fingers together, sparking a small flame to light the incense, tossing it into the brazier.

As the incense slowly burned, layers upon layers of curtains seemed to unfold before them. At the end of the street shrouded in darkness, the sounds of crawling and gnashing briefly emerged, only to be quickly drowned out by the sacred chanting.

The old matriarch of the Ma Family stepped forward with her peachwood cane, dropping the kind and gentle smile from her face, and spoke firmly, "The Ma Family from the Northeast have come to seek our relations; all unrelated parties, please stand back."

She tapped her cane lightly on the ground, and flames leapt from the brazier, transforming into a fire snake that darted toward the darkness ahead, instantly illuminating the entire street.

Whispers in the dark turned into panicked fleeing, and a faint red glow could be vaguely seen in the distance.

"Amitabha Buddha—!"

A chant resonated as a rotund monk, with round prayer beads around his neck, emerged from the shadows, bringing his hands together and bowing in greeting, "Honored patrons, this humble monk has been waiting here for some time now, please follow me."

The old matriarch nodded with a smile and asked, "May I know the venerable master’s Buddhist name?"

The monk replied with a smile, "This humble monk is Maitreya."

The old matriarch frowned and said, "Maitreya is the honored name of a future Buddha; isn’t the master afraid of incurring the Buddha’s blame by calling yourself such?"

The monk replied with a smile, "The human body is but a sack of flesh; names and titles are like rootless duckweed, scattered by the wind, insignificant. All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows; like dew and like lightning. They should be regarded in this way."

The old matriarch expressed her surprise, "I didn’t expect the master to be so profound in Buddhism..."

Maitreya shook his head with a smile, "Since this monk has entered the monastic life, chanting sutras and worshiping Buddha is but my duty. On the other hand, the honored patrons have diligently practiced and reincarnated as humans, enjoying wealth and comfort in the mortal world—a reward for good deeds, a wish fulfilled. Why then do you travel thousands of miles to entangle yourselves in such karma, unafraid of harming your cultivation?"

The old matriarch turned to glance at her children and grandchildren, their eyes meeting with a resolute look.

"Doesn’t the master understand, being human isn’t just about eating and drinking; eating meat and drinking wine sustains only the body. Without courage in the heart, how can one nurture the divine soul?"

"The Ma Family dares not claim to uphold heaven’s way, but we cannot tolerate those who sully our family’s honor!"