John Adams jolted awake and opened his eyes, only to see that Samuel Carter was already standing. He glanced at John Adams and said, “Come with me for a walk!”

“Where to?”

John Adams asked in confusion, still not fully awake.

“No need to ask, you’ll know when we get there!”

Without waiting for John Adams’s reply, Samuel Carter strode out the door.

John Adams had no choice but to get up and follow.

Outside the door stood a young monk, who bowed to Samuel Carter again before leading the way. They passed through the many buildings of the front mountain, and finally arrived at the secluded rear mountain.

Chapter 4: The Eminent Monk and the Relic

Compared to the bustling front mountain, the rear mountain of Tianjie Temple was much quieter.

John Adams followed Samuel Carter to a garden where stone pagodas stood in clusters—it was actually the cemetery of Tianjie Temple. Of course, only monks of considerable renown were buried here; ordinary monks had no right to enter.

At the deepest part of the pagoda forest was a small cliff, where more than a dozen monks had already gathered.

What surprised John Adams even more was that a stone platform had been built on the cliff, stacked with nine layers of firewood. An old monk, with twelve burn scars on his head, lay flat atop the pyre. His pale skin had a bluish tinge, clearly indicating he had already passed away.

“Is this... a cremation?”

John Adams asked in a mix of surprise and doubt.

In modern times, when two people first meet and hit it off, going for a barbecue is quite normal. But Samuel Carter, on their first meeting, was taking him to burn a body!

“That’s right. The one on the platform is Senior Brother Charles. He devoted his life to good deeds. After the flood in Anqing Prefecture last year, there was a major epidemic. Senior Brother Charles ran everywhere, gathering food and medicine for the disaster area, and even went in himself to save people. He saved countless lives, but due to overwork, he fell gravely ill. He struggled for a year, but in the end, he passed away.”

Samuel Carter sighed at the end, his expression deeply sorrowful. It was clear he had a close relationship with Master Charles.

Hearing this, John Adams was filled with respect. He had never had much fondness for Buddhism, knowing too many scoundrels who used its power for evil.

Of course, where there is evil, there is also good. There must be some truly compassionate and virtuous monks in Buddhism, and Master Charles was clearly one of them.

“Brother Daoyan!”

The dozen or so monks who had arrived earlier now stepped forward and bowed to Samuel Carter.

“No need for formalities. Is everything ready?”

Samuel Carter asked in a heavy tone.

“All is ready!”

The leading middle-aged monk looked deeply grieved.

Samuel Carter nodded, then turned to John Adams and said, “Your Lordship, this is Master Edward, the abbot of Tianjie Temple, and also the junior brother of Senior Brother Charles.”

“John Adams greets Master Edward!”

John Adams also stepped forward politely to pay his respects.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the name “John Adams” was spoken, Edward and the dozen monks behind him all took a step back. Though they were monks, they had long heard of the notorious reputation of the Prince of Han’s heir.

However, Edward quickly recovered, afraid that John Adams would be offended. He forced a smile and stepped forward to bow, saying, “Your Lordship is of noble status. It is truly an honor for us humble monks to receive your visit today!”

“Master, you really know how to talk!”

John Adams said speechlessly. Just how bad was his predecessor’s reputation, that even monks were afraid of him?

“All right, let’s begin. Don’t miss the auspicious time!”

Samuel Carter interrupted the group.

Strictly speaking, Samuel Carter was not a monk of Tianjie Temple, but merely a guest staying there. However, his status was so special that the entire temple regarded him as their leader.

“Brother Daoyan is right. Senior Brother devoted his life to the Bodhisattva precepts, performed countless good deeds, and was enlightened by the Buddha before his passing. He left a will, saying that after his death, a seven-colored relic would form. We must not miss the auspicious time!”

Edward grew more and more excited as he spoke, his slightly plump face flushing with enthusiasm.

Although Tianjie Temple claimed to be the foremost temple in the land, it was actually quite new, less than a hundred years old. It had even been burned down during the Hongwu era, and the current temple was rebuilt by order of Zhu Yuanzhang, making it less than thirty years old.

Compared to those ancient temples with centuries or even millennia of history, Tianjie Temple clearly lacked heritage. But if they could produce the legendary relic, the temple would finally be able to stand tall in the Buddhist world.

“Master Charles said he would leave behind a relic—can such a thing really be foreseen?”

John Adams couldn’t help but ask Samuel Carter after hearing Edward’s words.

“That’s right. A few days before his passing, Senior Brother Charles dreamed that the Buddha placed a seven-colored relic in his chest, which is why he left such a will.”

Samuel Carter answered very solemnly.

As Charles’s close friend, Samuel Carter knew well his profound mastery of Buddhist teachings and his lifetime of good deeds. If even he could not produce a relic, then no one in the world could!

“But... I’m afraid it won’t be possible to produce a relic this way.”

John Adams hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. As for the so-called Buddha bestowing a relic, perhaps Master Charles was delirious from illness at the end, leading to such a vision.