Blue Star, Western Qiyun
Chengzang climbed to the top of a hill. From the top, he could see a distant village. The houses reminded Chengzang of the mortal village on Lingjing Star, but the architectural style was very different.
Chengzang hid his presence and quickly made his way into one of the villages. There were not many young adults in the village; mostly older people and children.
Chengzang did not reveal himself; he observed everything secretly, watching the peopleâs daily lives, their clothing and food, and their language.
In one week, Chengzang had basically mastered the language of Qiyun. He could sneak into some peopleâs homes and use electronic devices to browse information.
The overwhelming amount of information amazed Chengzang and left him in shock.
"Is the world of technology really this frightening?"
Chengzang marveled at many details. For example, the spirit and energy of the mortals in this village were clearly better than those on Lingjing Star, and their material living conditions were far superior.
When he saw that the mortals here had meat for every meal, he was extremely shocked because, in his memory, mortals on Lingjing Star, even the landlords, could not eat meat every day.
Do not underestimate these details; Chengzang knew very well that one key reason Buddhism spread on Lingjing Star was that the mortals lived in great suffering, very, very much suffering. Most mortals could not fill their stomachs or cover their bodies, and it was precisely because their physical bodies faced pain that they sought spiritual release.
But with the people here being so wealthy, how many could truly believe in their Buddhist teachings?
Beyond material needs is the spirit; few mortals on Lingjing Star could read, their spiritual lives were lacking, and their channels for information were closed off, making them rather ignorant. Therefore, it was very easy for them to accept teachings, to heal the mortals, to solve some minor troubles, or even perform some tricks, which made them very supportive.
However, this place is different; even deep in the mountains, they can still learn about the outside world. With abundant spiritual entertainment, it would be much harder to gain their support.
Chengzang the monk quickly appeared. He used secret techniques to grow his hair and change his clothes, making him look no different from the people of Qingyun.
With his skills, he easily acquired a new identity, left the mountain village, and entered a city. The city was completely different in style from the village, making Chengzang feel as if he had entered another world.
Chengzang had his own methods for gathering information. He began to immerse himself in Blue Starâs society, fully embracing the identity of a Blue Star person to learn and experience this world.
After two or three months of integration, Chengzang had learned most of the skills of ordinary people. He had his own watch and even a job.
He also learned how to surf the internet to experience the lives and thoughts of ordinary people in this world. However, the more Chengzang knew about Blue Star, the harder he believed it would be to spread the teachings.
"It is very difficult to promote Buddhism on Blue Star."
One day, Chengzang sighed. In such a materially rich world, where the teachings are firmly passed down, it is very hard to spread the teachings.
········
Chen Jinfa once again took on the important task of investigating Buddhist cultivators. As Qiu Weidaoâs right-hand man, his life had been quite good in recent years, and he had reached the Soul Changing Stage. Although he was not as talented as the top geniuses, he had continued to make progress, which was already a rare achievement.
"Old Chen, is there still no news?"
Qiu Weidao had come to find Chen Jinfa that day. After several months, there was still no news from Chen Jinfa, and he was feeling a bit anxious.
"Lord Qiu, this Buddhist cultivator practice is a Tao Achieving skill. It is easy to hide oneself. Right now, we are only doing basic investigations. To truly find him, Iâm afraid we will have to wait until he reveals himself."
Chen Jinfa said that over the past few months, he had not been idle. He led a team to investigate all the religions on Blue Star, including some unorthodox ones, examining their theories, but so far, he had not found any connection between these people and Buddhist cultivation.
"I understand, but this matter is very important. Ancestor Lin has already asked twice. If we donât show some results, others will start talking."
"Lord Qiu, I know you feel pressure, but this time the opponent is truly extraordinaryâŠ"
"Old Chen, you need to have confidence in yourself. You solved such a difficult case last timeâŠ"
"Ahem, my lord, that case is resolved."
"Yes, yes, itâs settled. Letâs not mention that case anymore. Anyway, you need to have some confidence. This time, the Buddhist cultivation matter is something all the higher-ups are paying attention to. Feel free to use the resources. You need to make me proud. I know your talent is almost at its limit. When the time comes, Iâll find a way to help you break through the Void Achieving Stage."
Qiu Weidao quickly drew a plan of his own. Chen Jinfaâs cultivation talent is quite poor. For a while, he only advanced quickly because he practiced some dark techniques. Later, he made steady progress with ample resources, but it has been many years without any progress.
Qiu Weidao knows that Chen Jinfa has been accumulating merits over these years, wanting to create a strategic-grade elixir for a breakthrough. If he can achieve great success this time, Qiu Weidao wouldnât mind helping him out.
"Thank you, my lord. No matter the reason, I will not let you down. For many years, you have supported your subordinates, and I am aware of the importance."
Chen Jinfa said lightly. Qiu Weidao has really treated him well. If it werenât for Qiu Weidaoâs support, he would have died long ago, and he wouldnât have this high position today.
Qiu Weidao didnât say much more. He urged them enough; any more urging would be embarrassing.
After Qiu Weidao left, Chen Jinfa gathered the team to discuss. He said, "Lord Qiu has urged us again today. The importance of this case is clear, so I wonât say too much."
I want to emphasize one point: like me, none of you have connections in the police department. We have reached our current positions entirely by our skills. If we have nothing to stand on, itâs time for us to leave.
If we donât want to leave, we must solve this case quickly and do a great job at itâŠ
"Master Chen, we all understand what you said. If we want to find clues quickly, I suggest we go fishing."
"What kind of fishing?"
"Did they not provide some materials on Buddhist cultivation? Letâs ask for more information from above, and we can spread the teachings of Buddhism ourselves."
"You are very bold; keep going."
"That Buddhist cultivator comes from another world. Currently, the information says that there is only one person. If Blue Star presents any other teachings of Buddhist cultivation, I wouldnât believe he wouldnât be curious. Once he becomes curious, he will definitely take the bait."
"What if we donât take the bait? We canât take the responsibility."
"Thatâs easy to handle. We can direct and act ourselves, step by step forcing him to show up. There are certainly cults in Blue Star. Weâll first spread the teachings of Buddhism. If he doesnât appear, weâll try to tarnish the reputation of Buddhist cultivation, making it seen as something bad in Blue Star. Even if he still doesnât show up, we wonât lose out. Later, when they want to teach their ways, theyâll have to deal with this bad history. Itâs like giving the people of Blue Star a warning shot."
Chen Jinfaâs eyes brightened more and more as he listened, and the other elites were also captivated by this idea.
"Thatâs a great plan, Master Chen! With this approach, we canât lose."
"I think we can also attack their beliefs. Arenât they very devoted to the Buddha Master of Buddhism? If we tarnish their reputation, letâs see if he shows up. If he doesnât show up, that means he isnât devoted enough. If he does show up, then heâs finishedâŠ"
"Master Chen, letâs do it this way. We really donât have a better plan right now."
"Iâll apply to Lord Qiu. I think it will get approved."
Everyone agreed, and Chen Jinfa felt this plan was very clever. This matter shouldnât just be thought of purely in terms of solving a case; it needs to be approached more flexibly.
"Alright, I understand the situation. You create a detailed proposal, and Iâll discuss it with Lord Qiu. If Lord Qiu agrees, weâll go ahead with it. We have to trust the higher-ups; they are not foolish or stubborn. They will definitely consider it."
Chen Jinfa nodded. He didnât know whether the people above agreed or disagreed, but he was certainly in agreement and felt there was no harm in doing so.