Abstain from Killing seemed to have found someone to confide in, and continued with a mournful face: “It’s nothing to become a monk and leave the secular world, but seeing evil people and not being able to kill them, seeing good people and not being able to help them—damn it, what’s the point of being a monk like that?”

“And then?” Brian White asked involuntarily.

“Then... then it means I’ll never have the chance to attain enlightenment and become a Buddha in this life. After three hundred years of cultivation, I only managed to become an Arhat with a golden body. It’s not like I care about the Buddha title, but seeing those Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, always preaching compassion yet never interfering in the affairs of good and evil in the human world, it just doesn’t sit right with me. My master saw my true nature, so he sent me out on a mission.”

“A mission? What kind of mission?”

“To compensate you.” Abstain from Killing looked around, then pointed to the sky: “This is your sea of consciousness, given to you by my master.”

“What do you mean? Explain clearly.”

“Let me put it this way. My junior brother saw the sect he founded falling into decline, preaching Buddhist slogans while acting against Buddhist principles, so he decided to return the Sutra Pavilion to dust. He didn’t expect you would sacrifice yourself to save that mother and child. Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. Even though that mother and child were destined for such a fate, your good deed can’t be erased. Besides, your fate wasn’t supposed to end, but your physical body was destroyed. Unless the Buddha himself helps you rebuild your golden body—but Earth isn’t suitable for a golden Buddha to appear, as it might disrupt the planet’s fate. So, he helped you find a new body in this world of Shenzhou, giving you a new life.”

Brian White was dumbfounded, but Abstain from Killing kept talking, completely ignoring Brian White’s dazed expression.

“Actually, the Buddha knows you yearn for martial arts, so he specifically chose the Han-Tang dynasty of this world for you. This world is very similar to Earth, even the culture and geography are quite alike. He also gave you a Sutra Pavilion to help you realize your dream.”

“Damn!” Brian White couldn’t help but curse, “I never planned to make my dream come true. Is your master out of his mind?”

“I also... uh, no, my master has seen through all things in the world. There must be a deeper meaning to his arrangement. Also, what you just said is probably already written in my master’s little notebook.”

Brian White immediately shut up, worried that his earlier outburst might bring some retribution.

“Don’t worry, my master isn’t that petty. At most, you’ll be a cow or a horse in your next life.” Abstain from Killing looked completely unconcerned. Brian White rolled his eyes—this is what you call not being petty?

“By the way, who’s the junior brother you mentioned?”

“George Washington. That guy had better luck than me. He also entered the Dao through martial arts, and before becoming a Buddha, he founded a sect and accumulated immense merit. In just a few decades, he attained Buddhahood.”

“And you? Why did the Buddha send you here?” Brian White thought to himself, with your attitude, there’s no way you could become a Buddha.

“What else? My master said to let you start a new life and live however you want. If necessary, I’ll help you out. However much merit you gain, I’ll get the same amount. Once I have enough, I can become a Buddha. So, my future depends entirely on you.”

“Live however I want? What if I choose to do evil?”

“Haha... you’d have to be capable of that first.” Abstain from Killing pointed at the Sutra Pavilion: “Inside are all the martial arts manuals in the world, with countless wonders in the mortal realm. Although the Buddha has given them all to you, if you don’t have enough merit, you won’t get a single manual.”

“Damn.” Brian White couldn’t help but vent. He hadn’t planned to do evil, but hearing that martial arts manuals required merit to obtain left him frustrated. There really is no such thing as a free lunch.

“Come on, let’s go take a look inside.”

Brian White stepped into the Sutra Pavilion, and his eyes lit up. Rows upon rows of bookshelves looked just like a library.

“Martial arts in the world are ever-changing, but overall they fall into four main categories: internal cultivation methods, external techniques, five-element secret arts, and unarmed or weapon-based combat.” Abstain from Killing pointed at the bookshelves in the Sutra Pavilion, each one clearly labeled with its category.

“This is the first floor of the Sutra Pavilion, which only has the lowest nine grades of martial arts manuals.” Abstain from Killing pointed to the second floor: “If your total merit reaches 100,000 points, you can enter the second floor.”

Brian White walked to the bookshelf of internal cultivation methods, just about to reach for a book when Abstain from Killing suddenly stopped him: “By the way, you have twenty merit points for saving that mother and child earlier.”

“Saving one person is worth ten merit points?” Brian White was stunned and asked curiously.

“Saving one person is ten merit points, saving a good person is a hundred, saving a great good person is ten thousand, saving a person who’s been good for nine lifetimes is a hundred thousand. Killing an evil person is one merit point, killing a great evil person is a hundred, killing a demon lord is a thousand, killing a supreme demon king is a hundred thousand. Not only that, if you do a good deed, you’ll also get varying merit rewards, more or less depending on the will of Heaven.”

“Damn, that’s so complicated. Should I get a pen and start calculating?” Brian White complained.

“No need for that. Merit is in your heart, and you can check your own merit value at any time.”

“That advanced?”