Embers Ad Infinitum

Shang Jianyao turned around and said to Bai Chen in the driver's seat:

"Stop the car."

Bai Chen did not refuse because Jiang Baimian did not immediately suppress Shang Jianyao's behavior.

When the jeep slowed down and stopped on the side of the road, Shang Jianyao pushed the door open and ran straight to Palanga, asking persistently:

"What exactly does the great calamity mean?"

Palanga, wearing dusty patched clothes, lowered his head and walked forward step by step as before.

Shang Jianyao adjusted his stride so that he could walk side by side:

"Master, you and I are both members of the Buddhist sect. We are compassionate and take it as our duty to save all sentient beings. Why don't you tell us and the world about the great tribulation openly and honestly, so that everyone can prepare in advance?"

Still very polished... Driving on the jeep next to him at an extremely slow speed, Jiang Baimian and Gnawa had exchanged places and moved closer to the window on this side.

Shang Jianyao had already pressed the car window before.

Palanga finally spoke:

“My ‘Ascetic Ministry’ does not talk about compassion and has no intention to save all sentient beings.

"Buddha is a teacher, not a savior."

With Shang Jian Yao's ability to make nonsense, he was actually a little choked at this moment.

He quickly adjusted his thinking:

"Then can you tell me why you can't tell me the details of the catastrophe?"

Palanga lowered his head slightly and clasped his hands:

"Namo Ayodoro Sanyao Sanbodhi."

"Master, are you trying to test my understanding?" Shang Jianyao suddenly became excited.

Jiang Baimian, who was listening in, couldn't help but want to cover his face.

Palanga did not respond to Shang Jianyao, and just led the group of ascetics forward.

Shang Jianyao walked a few steps quickly, followed him, rubbed his chin and said:

"Master, since you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you to do anything.

"I remember you said before that 'the omen has appeared and a great disaster is coming'. Can you tell me what the 'omen' refers to?"

He was completely free from the shame of asking questions repeatedly but not receiving answers.

Palanga's steps paused.

He finally raised his head, looked sideways at Shang Jianyao, and said in a very complicated tone:

"The Holy Land is beginning to collapse."

"Buddhist Holy Land?" Shang Jianyao's eyes widened slightly and he asked.

Palanga returned to his previous state, half-lowering his head, clasping his hands, and whispered the Buddha's name:

"Namo Ayodoro Sanyao Sanbodhi."

Shang Jianyao did not ask any more questions and changed the topic with great interest:

"Mage, what conditions need to be met before you are willing to share the great tribulation?"

Palanga was not annoyed by being pestered all the time, and simply replied:

“I will naturally say it when I need to say it.”

Shang Jianyao's facial muscles were obviously distorted:

"I hate communicating with you monks!

"Can't speak human language!"

Obviously, these monks include "Pudu Zen Master".

Palanga turned her head and glanced at this guy, seeming a little surprised why he even scolded herself.

Soon, he said thoughtfully:

"There is no sign of self, no sign of no one, no sign of sentient beings, no sign of life-spans, now that I have seen the Tathagata."

Pudu Zen Master Shang Jianyao scratched his head, not quite understanding.

This Yehu Chan felt ashamed of himself, clasped his hands together and said:

"Namo Ayodoro Samyak Sambodhi, the poor monk will not disturb the Master."

He turned around, quickly ran to the Jeep, and opened the door.

Jiang Baimian motioned to Gennava to lean against the window on the other side, and squeezed in to free up a seat.

After Shang Jianyao got into the car and sat firmly, Bai Chen stepped on the accelerator and let the jeep start running.

It didn’t take long for them to overwhelm the group of ascetics in Palanga so much that they couldn’t even see the taillights of their cars.

After driving for another five or six minutes, Shang Jianyao suddenly slapped his thigh:

"It turns out we were wronged!"

"Ah?" Not only Long Yuehong and Bai Chen, but also Jiang Baimian and Gnawa also made doubtful sounds.

Isn’t this thinking too jumpy?

Shang Jianyao explained sternly:

"The destruction of those Buddhist holy places is a sign of the impending disaster. Whether we are involved or not, the same result will occur.

"It can no longer be said that we destroyed those Buddhist holy places, we just happened to meet them!"

The more he spoke, the more earnest and thoughtful his words became.

It turned out to be a bit crooked... Jiang Baimian said "ha":

"You might as well say that we are just tools arranged, and if you want to blame it, it's the mastermind behind it.

"It's like I shot you. It's me you have to blame, not the gun."

"Yes, yes." Long Yuehong also felt that the "Old Tune Team" could not bear the blame for destroying the Buddhist Holy Land.

Shang Jianyao instantly became serious:

"However, from another perspective, it can be seen that certain schools of Buddhism expected the destruction of holy places.

"This may really be related to the so-called 'catastrophe'."

Just as Long Yuehong was about to nod, Shang Jianyao added:

"Some of you think the destruction of the old world wasn't complete enough?"

"Uh..." Long Yuehong's heart sank.

If the destruction of the old world were to happen again, the "Pangu creatures" might not be able to survive even if they were hidden underground.

Only then did he feel that life was full of ambition!

"What is supposed to come will come sooner or later." Jiang Baimian summarized the discussion just now with these words.

Fear is inevitable.

…………

In the evening, the "Old Tune Team" arrived at a primeval forest with extremely beautiful scenery.

They found a ranger's hut left over from the old world on the edge, cleared away the vines piled on the surface, and simply tidied up the messy room.

"Those who are not on duty tonight will sleep inside." After a brief dinner, Jiang Baimian gave the order.

The honest Gennava volunteered:

"You can all sleep in the room, and I'll stay outside.

"You can't charge it here anyway. In sleep mode, I can still react to the movement around me to a certain extent."

"No." Jiang Baimian shook his head, "Don't worry about the disadvantages being few and the disadvantages being uneven."

She immediately made further arrangements:

"Tonight, Heixian and I will stay on duty. Xiaobai and Xiaohong will sleep in the room. Laoge will rest in the car and use the solar charging panel to restore some blood."

"Okay!" Shang Jianyao agreed very quickly.

Of course Long Yuehong had no objection and chose to acquiesce.

After eating for a while and finishing the internal discussion meeting, Jiang Baimian strapped on a "short neck" submachine gun and said to Bai Chen and Long Yuehong:

"You guys should rest."

She pushed open the door of the ranger's hut and walked out into the darkness.

Shang Jianyao and Gnawa followed closely behind, and the former even closed the door very carefully.

Suddenly, the inside of the hut became extremely quiet.

Long Yuehong felt a little uneasy as a reflex, glanced left and right and said:

"Get some rest quickly, we have to get up in the early morning to replace the team leader and the others."

"Okay." Bai Chen sat on the wooden bed that was sprinkled with biological insect repellent and covered with a camp quilt.

Long Yuehong sat some distance away and sat beside the bed.

He opened his mouth, suddenly not knowing what to say.

It took more than ten seconds to adjust, and he finally came up with a topic:

"Xiaobai, why do you like me?"

After asking, Long Yuehong almost raised her right hand and slapped herself.

Yes, right hand.

Bai Chen thought for a while and said:

"Since my parents died, no one has ever been as careful with me as you."

Long Yuehong was elated for a moment, but had little confidence. She instinctively said, "I am only 1.75 meters tall after genetic modification..."

At this moment, Bai Chen added:

"And you are a brave man."

Long Yuehong couldn't help but smile.

Bai Chen looked at him and asked:

"Then why do you like me?"

Long Yuehong scratched her head with her left hand:

"I don't know when it started. Maybe it was when we gradually started talking about each other, or maybe when we felt comfortable being together even if we didn't talk, and we didn't have to think about how to liven up the atmosphere."

"You seem uncomfortable now." Bai Chen hit the nail on the head.

Long Yuehong smiled awkwardly, and then said "Ouch".

"What's wrong?" Bai Chen asked.

Long Yuehong used her right hand to scratch her hair:

"Before, I read some entertainment materials from the old world. It said that when getting along with a girl you like, don't ask why you like it or why you don't like it. These are direct and easy to make the atmosphere awkward. As a result, I just forgot all about it. Already..."

forgotten……

Bai Chen's eyes moved slightly and said:

"Then what does it say about how to get along and what to talk about?"

Long Yuehong was about to answer when she suddenly saw Bai Chen's eyes slightly curved at the corners, his eyes like stars, and his lips slightly parted under the firelight outside.

brush!

Jiang Baimian grabbed Shang Jianyao's collar and dragged him away from the window of the ranger's hut.

This guy was sneakily trying to stick his head out from the side to lower the light blockage.

"Patrol well!" Jiang Baimian loosened his left hand and let go of Shang Jianyao.

Shang Jianyao straightened his clothes and said in a lowered voice:

"Aren't you curious?"

"Uh..." Jiang Baimian hesitated.

She then said with a straight face:

"Be polite!"

"Yes." I don't know which businessman agreed.

He began patrolling in earnest.

…………

After five or six days, the "Old Adjustment Team", which had been traveling northeast, discovered that the surrounding buildings were gradually becoming denser.

This means that there is likely to be a ruined city ahead of them.

Judging from the lack of reference maps, this may or may not be Taicheng.

PS: Ask for double monthly tickets at the end of the month~