First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!

A loud shout echoed.

At this moment.

Wutian, who had stayed outside to avoid conflict, was squatting on the ground watching ants move house, utterly fascinated.

From time to time, he would comment: ”When ants move and snakes cross paths, heavy rain is coming soon.”

After a moment’s thought.

”Or maybe an earthquake.”

Suddenly, Lu Ding’s voice called out.

Wutian’s ears perked up.

”I’m here!!”He slowly took a few steps back.

Only after ensuring a safe distance where he wouldn’t harm the ants.

Did he suddenly gather his energy and leap toward Lu Ding’s direction.

A small dot fell from the sky.

Growing larger.

Until Wutian landed firmly on the ground.

”Amitabha, what troubles you, Benefactor Lu?”

Lu Ding looked serious as he gestured toward Monk Zhikong.

After a brief moment of confusion, Wutian immediately understood his meaning.

He nodded.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Lu Ding’s mouth.

So you want to play games with me?!

Suddenly, he activated [Call of the Fallen Name].

”Zhi...kong!!!!”

The mental demons had already severely impacted Zhikong’s mind.

Now, with the added effect of Call of the Fallen Name.

He froze completely on the spot.

Wutian unleashed his Lion’s Roar technique: ”Confess now!!!!”

Like a massive bell tolling.

The sound cleared the mist, parting clouds to reveal the sun.

In his dazed state, Zhikong looked up and saw the solemnity of the Buddhist Pure Land.

”It’s...it’s really the Buddha...”

Logically, as someone at death’s door, he shouldn’t have had any strength left.

Yet now.

Some unknown force supported him as he crawled up and knelt properly.

Hands pressed together in prayer.

”This disciple has sinned, this disciple has sinned... I fed living people to the Most Violent Victory wasps to restore their energy and help them escape. As the cause, I must bear the consequences, destroying Moon Toad Temple’s centuries of foundation overnight...”

”This disciple has sinned, this disciple has sinned, this disciple deserves to fall into the endless hells, suffering hundreds and thousands of hellish torments...”

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

A wave of anger rose on Lu Ding’s face.

So this was why the securely contained Most Violent Victory wasps had escaped? There was actually such a backstory?

”Good, very good, no wonder you wouldn’t talk. The Moon Toad Temple can be destroyed, but its reputation must be preserved, is that it?”

He grabbed Zhikong by the collar: ”Let me tell you, I will publicize everything the Moon Toad Temple has done across the entire nation, letting everyone see what kind of filth your temple truly is.”

”You want to sacrifice your life to preserve your reputation?”

”Hah...”

Lu Ding sneered: ”I will nail you to the pillar of shame!”

His words shocked Zhikong back to awareness.

The scenery before him shifted.

Where was the Buddha now?

Looking around, he was still surrounded by 749 Bureau agents.

Only one thought remained in Zhikong’s mind: It’s over.

Now he finally learned how to beg for mercy.

He kowtowed repeatedly: ”Tai Sui Lu, Tai Sui Lu, I beg you, this old monk begs you, don’t make it public!!! Don’t make it public!!!”

”Everything was this old monk’s doing alone! It has nothing to do with Moon Toad Temple!!”

”Punish me! Kill me! Flay me alive! I beg you, it was all my doing!!”

Sometimes, the reputation passed down through generations matters more than one’s own life.

Lu Ding ignored him.

Raising his hand, he unleashed a Slash Attack.

The little blood remaining in Zhikong’s body slowly flowed from the wounds on his limbs.

That’s right!

Lu Ding had turned him into a human stick.

Destroyed his cultivation.

Left him unable to live or die.

”Go beg Director Ji for mercy.”

Standing up: ”Someone! Carry him away! Take him back to Lingshun 749!!!!”

There, even more severe tortures awaited him.

As they carried him away.

Zhikong’s pleas never ceased: ”Tai Sui Lu!! I beg you!!! It was all this old monk’s doing!!!”

Wutian clenched his fists so tight they trembled.

If this weren’t Lu Ding’s operation, if this weren’t an official 749 Bureau case.

He would have beaten Zhikong to death with his bare hands.

”Sigh...”

He let out a quiet sigh.

Lu Ding looked at him: ”What’s wrong?”

Wutian shook his head: ”Due to doctrinal differences, Buddhism has always been distant from mainstream ethics. Though many temples enjoy continuous incense offerings.”

”Outside perceptions have never been favorable.”

”After today’s incident, Buddhism’s reputation will suffer another blow.”

”Though the pure remain pure... but... sigh...”

”It’s all Moon Toad Temple’s fault! It’s all Zhikong’s fault!!”

Everyone can preach grand principles when discussing others’ problems.

But when it happens to them, they can only cry helplessly.

Lu Ding responded: ”Good and bad people exist everywhere. Compared to ordinary people, Buddhist doctrine has always been somewhat contradictory to humanistic values.”

”Moreover, monks are seen as a collective, a label, while ordinary people are viewed as individuals.”

”When one monk does wrong, all monks suffer - that’s the downside of labels.”

Wutian slowly looked up at the sky: ”But Taoism isn’t like this.”

Lu Ding patted his shoulder.

”That’s because Taoists don’t casually urge evildoers to reform, don’t randomly persuade ordinary people to convert.”

”Buddhism and Taoism walk different paths. To put it bluntly.”

”The Buddha made grand vows - he had his own capabilities, but his disciples don’t possess the Buddha’s abilities. When disciples try to accomplish what the Buddha set out to do.”

”They’re bound to face countless difficulties. Those who succeed are rarer than grains of sand in the ocean.”

”But all who fail, except that one grain, amount to nothing.”

”Imagine if you were a victim, or a victim’s family member.”

”Someone tells you, ’An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,’ ’Lay down your knife and become a Buddha,’ ’The perpetrator has converted to Buddhism’ and such.”

”And then suddenly.”

”A shaven-headed monk kneels before you, saying he’s converted to Buddhism, will live with a green lamp, and if you seek revenge, then go ahead.”

”As he says this, his face shows no emotion.”

”How would you feel then? Put yourself in their shoes, think with normal human logic.”

”Or say, if your perfectly good family suddenly had your parents convert, completely neglecting their children - how would you feel?”

Wutian remained silent for a long time.

Finally saying slowly: ”I would feel terrible. I’d want to see him afraid, terrified, begging for mercy. Then I’d kill him, letting him understand begging is useless.”

”Just like when he was harming others.”

”As for afterwards... I... I would come to hate Buddhism intensely.”

Lu Ding nodded: ”Exactly. The example I gave was one where the master successfully persuaded an evildoer to reform. Even then, victims’ families would think this way.”

”Imagine how much worse it would be when they fail?”

”As for Taoism, they would act as heaven’s agents - killing evildoers. They might advise you not to kill, but they themselves would choose to execute.”

”Of course, that was in the past. Not possible now - we have institutions.”

Wutian looked puzzled.

”What institutions?”

”Law enforcement institutions.”

”Hahahahahaha...” Wutian laughed.

He seemed to understand something, yet it remained as unclear as flowers in fog, never grasping the essence.

But this time.

Wutian’s doubts about Buddhist scriptures’ meanings grew deeper.

Lionheart Temple is good, but that’s an exception.

Moon Toad Temple is evil, also an exception.

Most Buddhist temples remain detached from worldly affairs.

Similar yet different.

But Lionheart Temple’s goodness doesn’t make people say ”monks are good” when remembered.

Whereas Moon Toad Temple’s evil will make people say ”monks are evil” whenever recalled.