Chapter 26 - Is It Funny That the Reincarnated Senior Sister Is Also Being Pursued?

Since the Pleasure Temple serves as an early adversary, its description in the game isn't particularly detailed. It's only known that the followers of this cult typically present themselves as monks, outwardly maintaining the dignified image of a Buddhist monastery. In reality, they completely distort the original meanings of the Buddhist scriptures and substitute their own version, worshipping the so-called Pleasure Buddha while deceiving ordinary people. Most famously, they claim that at the height of coitus, one can experience the legendary 'emptiness', entering a state of self-forgetfulness, devoid of self and form, achieving sudden enlightenment. Over time, one can supposedly become immortal through this process. Therefore, the doctrine of the Pleasure Temple demands its followers disregard the barriers between genders, indulging in promiscuity. Simply put, it's about engaging in indiscriminate sex. They even suggest that the concept of 'form is emptiness, emptiness is form' means the more one lusts, the closer one gets to feeling emptiness. Observing discipline, they say, cannot lead to enlightenment; rather, indulgence brings one closer to a state of emptiness. As a righteous cultivator from a sect of notable repute, Bai Lian is naturally aware of how absurd the Pleasure Temple's claims are. Even in the world of cultivation, where advanced dual cultivation techniques exist, none claim to lead to a state of self-forgetfulness post-cultivation, let alone the third-rate techniques of the Pleasure Temple. Their so-called 'emptiness' is merely the transient satisfaction of desire, leaving one far from transcending the self, no matter how many times they attempt it. Those who fall for the deceit of the Pleasure Temple only end up being used as mere vessels during the act, harming their own foundations, ultimately shortening their lifespans significantly and certainly failing at achieving immortality. Yet, ordinary people remain unaware of these truths. Due to the limitations of ancient information channels, the common populace tends to believe in what they see and hear, are seduced by dreams of immortality, and ultimately prostrate before the so-called divinity. In a world where flying immortals and divine transformations are taken as truth, the spectacle of heavenly illumination during sermons is seen as evidence of the Buddha's reincarnation. The laypeople lack understanding of the true mechanisms behind these phenomena. They even have a failsafe for those uninterested in immortality—the promise of offspring. It's said that couples unable to have children could let the wife receive the Buddha's blessing in the Pleasure Temple's inner courtyard and subsequently bear children. The promise of eternal life and succession taps into the desires of mortals, which is how the Pleasure Temple swiftly established itself in Suzhou City and quickly rose to prominence. In a world where 'immortals' are a reality, this kind of brainwashing is particularly effective. Consequently, even within the game, after the Taihua Sword Sect eradicated the main force of the Pleasure Temple, many residual issues remained, leading to the ultimate destruction of Tang's family. "Young Master Tang, how much do you know about the Pleasure Temple and Taixu Villa?" Bai Lian asked. "I know what everyone else knows," Tang Chuhuan replied, shaking his head. "The Pleasure Temple appeared in Suzhou City two years ago, quickly rooting itself and then spreading to surrounding towns." "The local minor powers in Suzhou resisted their sudden intrusion. After all, everything had been peaceful for years, so when a new force suddenly appeared, how could they possibly accept it?" "Those minor powers formed an alliance to drive the Pleasure Temple out." "But unexpectedly, the night before they were to take action, two major powers within the alliance switched allegiances." "They killed the leaders of the other small sects and declared that they had converted to Buddha, one of them being Taixu Villa." "Later on, Abbot Yuan Fa gave a sermon, which was followed by celestial phenomena and descending Buddhist light. This was witnessed by all the citizens of Suzhou City." "Even my father held Abbot Yuan Fa in high regard, often inviting the monks of the Pleasure Temple to our family lectures. From then on, the Pleasure Temple faced no opposition in Suzhou City." "I see, this Pleasure Temple... seems rather peculiar," Bai Lian mused aloud. "Could it be that you suspect the Pleasure Temple is the cult secretly ravaging Suzhou?" Tang Chuhuan asked, startled. "It's not confirmed yet, but there's strong suspicion," Bai Lian replied. She didn't show her extensive knowledge of the Pleasure Temple. After all, Mu Jianli watched her closely. Even if she knew that the Pleasure Temple was the cult's headquarters they were searching for, she dared not reveal it, lest she face challenges beyond those posed by a cult. Especially since Mu Jianli, also a rebirth, had likely investigated the Pleasure Temple for nearly a year in her previous life and was no less knowledgeable about it. In this aspect, Bai Lian needed to be extra cautious. "The Pleasure Temple is currently in its prime, yet a cult suddenly emerged in Suzhou City. They wouldn't remain passive." "Moreover, bypassing the Spirit-Seeking Disk to infiltrate the Tang family without detection implies... it's more than a simple internal traitor." Tang Chuhuan seemed to realize suddenly after Bai Lian's assessment and said angrily, "I see, those damned bald frauds, we respected them so highly, yet they... Father has truly misjudged them!" "I should report to my father and have the city's garrison flatten the Pleasure Temple!" "No, no, no!" Bai Lian immediately stopped Tang Chuhuan. The true strength of the Pleasure Temple is far beyond what appears on the surface, and sending an ordinary army would only lead to pointless deaths. If they alarm those heretics, forcing them to unleash havoc on ordinary people, it would be terribly detrimental. "Given the situation now, acting rashly will only alert the enemy. Young Master Tang, perhaps it would be better to wait until we uncover the hidden traitors and agents within your family before making a move," she suggested. "Since this spy hails from Taixu Villa, we can begin there." "That would work too," Tang Chuhuan agreed, nodding. "But how do you plan to approach Taixu Villa? They are notoriously exclusive; ordinary people can't even go near their gates." At his words, Bai Lian blinked, stating without hesitation, "Since they're a subsidiary of the Pleasure Temple, we naturally have to pretend to seek children." This was a tactic she used in the game before—she and Mu Jianli would pose as a loving couple desperately trying to conceive but unable to, traveling all the way to Suzhou after hearing that praying to the Pleasure Buddha would bring them a child. The reason might not be sophisticated, but it effectively raised Mu Jianli's favorability. Moreover, this ruse conveniently aligned with the Pleasure Temple's teachings, and Mu Jianli’s stunning appearance easily seduced the lustful monks, allowing them to infiltrate the temple smoothly. Thus, Bai Lian resolved to employ this tried-and-true method once more. Yet, she hadn't anticipated that the situation had already changed. After proposing the plan, both Tang Chuhuan and Mu Jianli looked at her with inexplicable expressions. This made Bai Lian shrink back slightly, puzzled. Why does it seem wrong? Isn’t this a good plan? Why are Tang Chuhuan and Jianli looking at her with those half-amused eyes? Could there be a flaw she hadn't noticed? Feeling slightly uneasy, she asked, "Is there something wrong with what I suggested?" "Senior sister's suggestion is spot on, or rather, it's brilliant." Mu Jianli’s almond eyes narrowed slightly, casting a glance at Bai Lian's flat stomach. If that exquisite abdomen were marred by pregnancy, losing its appeal would be regrettable. Believing that both she and her senior brother exist as girls could very well be a destined arrangement, after all. Since there’s no risk of pregnancy, anything goes, right? "Besides... Senior sister indeed looks like a perfect wife." "Eh?" Bai Lian was taken aback, utterly unprepared for such a remark. What do they mean by saying I indeed look like a perfect wife? I’d rather not become a wife, thank you very much!