### Chapter 9: Immersing in Buddhist Study, Return to Jinshan Temple - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

### Chapter 9: Immersing in Buddhist Study, Return to Jinshan Temple **[Xiao Qing was overjoyed to see her sister's arrival and eagerly shared her recent experiences with Bai Suzhen.]** **[Due to her shallow cultivation level, Xiao Qing lacked the typical human inhibitions concerning proper behavior for men and women, describing details that left Bai Suzhen blushing.]** **[Seeing that Xiao Qing was safe and sound, Bai Suzhen felt relieved and prepared to leave.]** **[At this moment, what do you choose?]** **Option 1: Convince Bai Suzhen to stay for a meal before leaving, also apologizing for the previous incident.** **Option 2: Follow Bai Suzhen discreetly after she leaves to secretly ensure her safety and protect her from your master, Fahai, who might come after Bai Suzhen again.** **Option 3: Accompany Bai Suzhen home and forcibly demand that Xu Xian divorce her, intending to take Bai Suzhen for yourself...** ... Staring at the three choices before him, Su Mo pondered deeply. The first and second options were straightforward. But the third option troubled him. Su Mo was reluctant to choose it. He recalled Xiao Qing mentioning that Bai Suzhen had married Xu Xian to undergo a destined tribulation. And considering this scenario was part of the "Legend of the White Snake," Su Mo didn't want to make reckless choices like before. Eventually, Su Mo chose the simplest option: Option 1. **[You chose to ask Bai Suzhen to stay for a meal before leaving.]** **[Bai Suzhen, half-heartedly, decided to stay, while Xiao Qing personally prepared a sumptuous four-course meal and soup. You all enjoyed a pleasant meal together.]** **[When Bai Suzhen was ready to return to Xu Xian, you felt a sudden, inexplicable pain in your heart.]** **[You offered to accompany Bai Suzhen home, but she gently declined, choosing to return alone.]** **[Xiao Qing noticed your turmoil and began to comfort you.]** **[She explained that her sister only needed to wait until Xu Xian died of old age to achieve a complete cultivation, ascending to become an immortal.]** **[By then, she could find a way to become a carefree free immortal.]** **[However, for you, if you fail to achieve the Arhat Fruit in this lifetime, you would experience birth, old age, sickness, and death like a regular human. She didn't want her sister and herself waiting for your next reincarnation.]** **[Hearing Xiao Qing's words, you remained silent for a long time.]** **[You fell into a haze of confusion.]** **[At this moment, what do you choose?]** **Option 1: Succumb to the path of demons and become a demon monk, sacrificing your Arhat Golden Body to the creator deity, Zhujian the Yin, to gain unparalleled demonic powers.** **Option 2: Diligently practice Buddhism to ascend to paradise early.** **Option 3: Ignore Xiao Qing's words, focus on studying the Four Books and Five Classics, and strive for fame and success in this lifetime.** ... Faced with the new set of options, Su Mo was taken aback. Since when was the creator deity Zhujian the Yin? According to earthly mythologies, the creator gods were usually figures like Pangu or the Three Purities. Or, at least, a Brahma or God figure. But who or what was this Zhujian the Yin? Moreover, why would a creator deity accept his sacrifice to grant him demonic powers? Something felt off. Still not fully united with Bai Suzhen, Su Mo didn't want to complicate matters. This scenario felt different from his previous simulations. He sensed that choosing wrongly might sever his fate with Bai Suzhen. Caution was necessary. The previous fleeting earthly romances were mere practice runs. Now, it truly began. Due to the ability to simulate multiple times, Su Mo didn’t value each simulation much. For him, Although every choice demanded caution, Even if he ended the simulation without uniting with the heroine, he held no regrets. After all, by the next evening, he could start another new simulation life, meeting new, different, and exquisite beauties to pursue. Ultimately, A lack of resources breeds appreciation. Just like in a game, at the start, every material and item felt precious, too valuable to use. But after spending a significant amount, resources became abundant and thus lost their value. Of course, Except for hoarders. Realizing this, Su Mo decisively chose the second option, focusing on his Buddhist studies. He wanted to see how his fate with Bai Suzhen would unfold. ... **[Determined and reflective, you decided to immerse yourself in Buddhist studies, aiming for an early ascension to paradise.]** **[Still, you felt the need to earn a scholarly title, believing that experiencing the secular world was crucial for advancing in Buddhism.]** **[Following Xiao Qing's advice to adjust your mindset, you diligently studied for several months, effortlessly earning the title of a child student, and soon after, with the mediation of your father's connections, you participated in the scholar exams.]** **[You passed the scholar exams with ease.]** **[That year, you were twenty-eight.** **[Becoming a scholar exempted you from taxes and corvée labor, also granting you the right to stand in the presence of officials.]** **[Previously, these privileges were thanks to your father’s legacy, but now, you earned a place among the privileged on your own.]** **[Now, you only needed to wait for the examination three years later, after which becoming a recommended scholar would allow you to serve as an official and benefit society.]** Soon, the scene transitioned to the Dragon Boat Festival, with families making zongzi and drinking realgar wine. Xiao Qing also indulged in some realgar wine, appearing charmingly intoxicated. **[You questioned Xiao Qing's ability to drink realgar wine, as snakes couldn't normally handle it.]** **[Xiao Qing explained that normal realgar was ineffective against her; only the specially-made realgar by virtuous monks posed any threat.]** **[Relieved, you indulged in a hearty drink with Xiao Qing.]** Later that night, a coy moonlit silhouette embraced Su Mo, but a sudden gust disrupted the serene moment. ... **[In the midst of your intimate time with Xiao Qing, Bai Suzhen arrived dragging a long white serpent tail, wounded with numerous injuries.]** **[Shocked by Bai Suzhen’s condition, both you and Xiao Qing rushed to aid her.]** **[Once Bai Suzhen regained her human form, you inquired about the incident.]** **[Bai Suzhen recounted that during the Dragon Boat Festival, when people drank realgar wine to ward off evil, the monk Fahai from Jinshan Temple persuaded Xu Xian to lace her realgar wine with a special concoction.]** **[Under two hours, the potion took effect, revealing Bai Suzhen's true form in the medicine shop.]** **[Seeing her true serpentine self, Xu Xian died on the spot from fright.]** **[Fearing Fahai's pursuit, Bai Suzhen fled to your residence.]** **[In a fit of anger, Xiao Qing insisted on confronting Xu Xian and Fahai.]** **[You stopped both Xiao Qing and Bai Suzhen.]** **[You assured the women that you planned to confront Fahai personally to understand his intentions and why he was set on destroying them.]** **[Now, return to Jinshan Temple!]** (End of Chapter)