novelraw Chapter 135 : 【Sovereign of Compassion】Path, Pay-to-Win Player Jiang Yan
Chapter 135 : 【Sovereign of Compassion】Path, Pay-to-Win Player Jiang Yan
Chapter 135: 【Sovereign of Compassion】Path, Pay-to-Win Player Jiang Yan
Fuguo Guanyin Zen Temple appeared as a small monastery, occupying roughly four hundred square meters. It wasn’t much different from ordinary Guanyin temples, also featuring a lotus pond and statues. However, a large number of small vendors were set up at the entrance.
Most prominent among them were cheaply sourced Buddhist-themed goods from a small commodities city, which were glamorously labeled as “consecrated ornaments” promising safety and peace.
Aside from that, there were numerous fruit stalls, with apples being the most common, labeled with stickers reading “Peace Fruit” and “Fuguo.”
Mm, and their price had increased five to six times over.
Because information about the patients was blocked, visitors could still be seen coming and going. To prevent further spread of the mutation, the inner sanctum was closed off, with a notice saying: Under Renovation, Worship Prohibited.
Uninformed tourists were extremely displeased, chattering among themselves.
“I saw on Big Green Book that this place is super effective for love prayers, came all the way from Suzhou Province for it. How am I supposed to meet my destined one now?”
“I saw it on Douyin. Said it was good for wealth prayers.”
“I came from Weibo. It said this is the Child-Bestowing Guanyin, and Fuguo means child. Eat one, and you’ll have two kids within three years, at least eight in ten years. Some people even returned to fulfill their vows.”
“But didn’t they just renovate this place less than a year ago? Wasn’t it a temple abandoned for three or four decades before?” a local nearby weakly added.
As soon as the words fell, the surroundings fell silent—but quickly resumed their clamor.
Who cared?
Jiang Yan wandered about but found nothing unusual. Inside the temple was only a statue of Guanyin holding a wicker basket. Her face resembled the Guanyin statues seen in the mutated patients’ bodies. Beside her was an apple tree.
So this was the Fuguo Guanyin?
Zhao Yinman sniffed gently. There was no unusual scent in the air. Suddenly, as if sensing something, she spotted a fruit stall in the distance and walked straight toward it.
Jiang Yan asked curiously, “Did you find something?”
“These apples smell pretty good,” Zhao Yinman replied honestly.
“……”
Jiang Yan fell silent, secretly thinking—as expected of you, always doing the most unexpected things.
Although Zhao Yinman claimed to be a zombie, she loved fruit and duck blood vermicelli soup. If not for the latter, she might have been described as someone untouched by the world’s dust.
He glanced at the fruit on the stand. Most were red apples; other fruits were rare. He didn’t spot anything abnormal.
While Zhao Yinman bought apples, Jiang Yan decided to calculate with his fingers, clearing the chaotic Catastrophe Qi and attempting to divine the truth.
But the process was extremely obscure. The Heavenly Secrets were in chaos, as if obscured by something.
Could it really be just a coincidence?
At this moment, he heard a voice by his ear: “So unlucky. Didn’t get to worship the Fuguo Guanyin, and couldn’t buy the legendary Golden Fuguo either.”
He turned his head. The speakers were two young girls, one in black and the other in white JK uniforms, wearing over-knee socks, dressed brightly and fashionably, taking photos and checking in.
Judging by their accents, they were likely tourists from out of town.
Jiang Yan interjected, “Excuse me, what’s the Golden Fuguo?”
Fuguo had been mentioned in the report Niu Tunan provided. It was a marketing ploy by this Guanyin Zen Temple to craft a unique brand—claiming this was the manifestation of Guanyin—the place where Wicker Basket Guanyin planted the Awakening Apple Tree.
It bore abundant Fuguo, delivering salvation to all beings.
Eating Fuguo allegedly brought all sorts of benefits: wealth, romance, career, and more. A cure-all of sorts.
The temple's devout followers even voluntarily sold home-grown apples by the roadside, claiming to share the blessings, so all beings could be happy together.
All of this was a lie.
In truth, the temple had contracted an apple orchard, reselling the fruit to vendors, who then sold it to tourists. The stalls at the gate were bid upon, and all combined generated millions in annual revenue for the temple.
The Bureau of Historical Revision had also inspected them. They were just regular apples, shipped in from out of town—low cost, marketed for affordability.
But the Golden Fuguo… that wasn’t in the report.
The two JK girls were startled by Jiang Yan’s sudden question. Upon turning around, they saw a super handsome guy in a Hanfu.
The girl in black JK blushed slightly, brushing her hair behind her ear, replying gently, “We saw it in the comment section of Little Green Book. They said that eating regular Fuguo only grants a small chance of your wish coming true. But if you buy enough apples, there’s a chance of getting a golden one. Eating it will grant your wish immediately. But the chance is really low, and there aren’t any photos.”
Isn’t this just a blind box?
An excellent way to increase repeat purchases of regular goods.
These folks might not know Buddhism, but they definitely understood marketing.
The girl in white JK chimed in, “But I saw someone in the comments say a few days ago that Golden Fuguo appeared in large numbers. Lots of people got one, so we came to try our luck too.”
A few days ago? That was three days ago, wasn’t it?
Jiang Yan frowned and messaged Niu Tunan. Upon confirmation, they discovered a blind spot.
The Golden Fuguo did exist.
Occasionally planted by the monks, brushed with some gold powder, and then marketed online via fake reviewers.
When asked if they had shipped a large batch, the monks firmly denied it.
Doing so would be killing the golden goose.
At any time, rarity is what makes something valuable.
Niu Tunan also asked the families of the patients, but they all said they’d only seen regular apples.
The matter became ever more perplexing.
While the two JK girls were chatting with Jiang Yan, a voice suddenly sounded beside them:
“I’ve picked mine.”
The humanoid machine zombie appeared. Her rune crystal earrings swayed lightly, emitting wind chime-like sounds. Her nearly perfect face was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing any fantasies the two JK girls held.
Was that… his girlfriend?
Compared to such a beauty, they stood no chance.
Zhao Yinman held up her bag and asked, “Do you want to eat?”
Lesson two in being a modern zombie: learn to share.
But in the eyes of the two JK girls, it was the demeanor of the main wife.
Such generosity, gentle and lovely—no wonder she was so well-fed!
Jiang Yan was still pondering where to find a Golden Fuguo. When he glanced up, he was stunned.
That bag of apples, including the one in Zhao Yinman’s hand, held over a dozen apples. Each of them was faintly shrouded in Catastrophe Qi.
But it was condensed yet intangible.
As if something crucial was missing—thus it had not formed into a calamity.
Thinking of the mysterious Golden Fuguo, Jiang Yan asked, “Where did you buy these apples?”
“Ka-cha.”
The humanoid zombie bit into an apple with her neat, white teeth, juice bursting out. She calmly said:
“Just at that stall earlier. Old Ba said that fruits are usually piled into a small mountain. The freshest ones are often hidden at the bottom. So I dug them out.”
She looked as if to say, I may look naive, but I’m actually very smart.
However, her voice was overheard by the stall owner behind them, who awkwardly defended, “All my fruits are fresh, picked straight from the tree!”
Jiang Yan asked, “Old man, do you have Golden Fuguo?”
The stall owner looked pleased, with a “you’ve got a good eye” expression. He boasted, “Golden Fuguo only appear for fated customers who buy enough.”
Jiang Yan asked curiously, “What do you mean?”
The old man wanted to act mysterious, but then got elbowed gently by the Heart Monkey arm—and started spilling everything:
“A while ago, customers started finding golden apples among my Red Fortu… Red Fuguo. I was confused. Thought maybe the sun was too bright and my old eyes were seeing things. I clearly didn’t put any golden apples in!
“I even wondered if my rascal kid snuck one in. Gave him a beating but turns out it wasn’t him either. Maybe some lucky customer got blessed by Guanyin…”
At this point, the stall owner looked genuinely nervous, convinced it was a divine manifestation.
Recently, he’d been thinking of turning over a new leaf—no more shady deals. From now on… rotten apples would only be sold to college students.
“Golden apples appearing out of nowhere…”
Using the Ash Lamp’s soul sensing, Jiang Yan confirmed the man wasn’t lying. Coupled with the surrounding Catastrophe Qi, it was clear that Golden Fuguo didn’t appear out of thin air.
They required certain specific conditions.
Jiang Yan pondered—what was missing?
All the patients had been worshippers. What did they all have in common?
Listening to the noisy surroundings, many were praying outside the temple, expressing their wishes. The cicadas buzzed in the summer heat, complaints and voices mingled in chaos.
In that moment, Jiang Yan recalled what the girl had said: she wanted her wishes to come true.
Those who prayed and worshiped gods projected their hopes onto an illusory deity. At the root of it all, it was…
Desire!
Jiang Yan picked up a Red Fuguo. The invisible Heart Monkey arm pressed upon it, and a tide of chaotic desires surged forth like a raging river—
Boom!
In an instant, the originally illusory Catastrophe Qi surged forth, flooding into the Red Fuguo, turning its red skin into a golden hue, as if coated with a layer of gold leaf, shining brilliantly under the sunlight.
“This is... the Golden Fuguo!?”
The two JK girls beside him were stunned, their mouths forming an “O” shape.
This handsome guy before them turned out to be a...
Magician!
“So amazing!”
Their eyes sparkled with admiration, wanting to buy two Golden Fuguo to bask in its fortune. But Jiang Yan explained they were fake—and toxic—which finally deterred them.
As a compromise, they opted to take a few photos for social media, but all that showed were red apples, leaving them puzzled.
Jiang Yan smiled mysteriously and used “meal preparation” as an excuse to send them off.
Lowering his head, he looked at the golden apple in his hand. In the depths of his pupils, the Ash Lamp glowed faintly.
Its flickering flame illuminated all things.
At that moment, the surface of the Golden Fuguo in his view changed. The golden skin was in fact woven from countless black karmic threads, intertwining and writhing like worms.
A perfect illustration of the phrase: golden on the outside, rotten within.
‘As expected, it's the power of karma—this aligns with the abilities of the Sovereign of Compassion’s path.’
In addition, Jiang Yan saw tiny flickering Life Lamps floating around the Golden Fuguo, each only the size of a fingernail.
The cause of the mutation—found!
The birth of the golden apple required karma, induced by desire. Karma then entangled the living being.
Where there is cause, there is fruit.
Therefore, only nearby individuals with intense desire could see it.
And since electronic devices had no self-awareness, they couldn’t capture it in photos.
This explained why the golden apple existed, yet had not been discovered by the Bureau of Historical Revision, nor circulated on social media.
But how to resolve the Guanyin mutation—
As he was contemplating, a pale hand reached out.
Jiang Yan asked, “What is it?”
“I’m a zombie. Give it to me!”
Zhao Yinman said seriously, “My physique is special. I can bear most curses and toxins. Let me try it. Even if something goes wrong, I just need to lie in the coffin for a while.”
He had originally thought she was simply naive and robotic, but now she was offering herself as a poison tester.
This mindset had to be nipped in the bud.
Jiang Yan warned, “Don’t ever think like that again. It could be dangerous.”
“It won’t be.”
After speaking, Zhao Yinman met his gaze.
Stare—
However, this time, her gaze failed to sway him.
Jiang Yan’s expression remained stern and unwavering, brooking no argument.
After a moment, a ripple stirred in Zhao Yinman’s scarlet pupils. She softly said:
“Prolonged eye contact is the spiritual equivalent of a kiss between humans, without any lust.”
“……”
Jiang Yan was speechless. Just as he was about to respond, he heard her continue:
“Fortunately, I’m a zombie. Inter-species contact doesn’t count as a kiss.”
Zhao Yinman patted her chest. As expected... her plan to test poison and take a sick leave to sleep with the Coffin Spirit had been seen through by Jiang Yan.
‘What a clever male primate!’ the humanoid zombie secretly thought.
Clearly, only saving money was the right path. No cutting corners.
Jiang Yan nodded—then suddenly realized...
Even desireless Zhao Yinman could see the golden apple.
Just how deep did her obsession with the Coffin Spirit go?
He silently complained in his heart and turned his gaze toward the crowd.
Swish swish swish!
The next second, dozens of disguised patrollers emerged from the crowd. The squad leader, Huang Chenliang, lowered his voice and said:
“Commander, what are your instructions?”
Though his voice was low, the sudden appearance of so many people still drew the attention of some tourists.
These people stood straight and moved sharply—clearly former soldiers.
Jiang Yan issued the order: “I’ve found the medium of mutation. Immediately seal off the Fuguo Guanyin Zen Temple. Don’t let anyone near. Purchase all apples from fruit stalls, including stored stock, using Bureau funds. Track and trace all visitors who bought fruit to ensure no infected individuals are missed.”
“Understood!”
Everyone was pleasantly surprised. They had assumed there were no leads here.
Who knew the Commander would find the mutation medium so quickly?
Finally, a moment to breathe.
They quickly deployed forces and sealed off the area. Large crowds of confused tourists were politely “escorted” out.
The two JK girls were among them, grumbling about their bad luck—but meeting a handsome magician made the trip worthwhile.
By then, Jiang Yan and Zhao Yinman had already delivered the Golden Fuguo to the Bureau.
Inside the meeting room—
Cang Hong looked grim. After Jiang Yan’s explanation, he witnessed the apple turn from red to gold, revealing its anomalous nature.
He finally understood why most patient families had never mentioned this.
Because the patients, driven by intense desire, upon seeing the Golden Fuguo, would share it among themselves for “blessing,” contracting the Guanyin mutation in the process.
Those who didn’t know, merely thought it an ordinary apple.
Ba Lie spoke up: “The Sovereign of Compassion path—I’m somewhat familiar. To summarize: Observe the karma of all beings, and reap one’s own fruit. In a sense, they resemble high-dimensional observers and can avoid being observed in return.”
He frowned, thinking aloud: “Normally, they’re more like passive spectators, subtly influencing outcomes to their benefit. They’re natural masterminds, rarely acting overtly—unless…”
Niu Tunan yawned and said, “Quit the suspense already. I’m falling asleep over here.”
“I’m just considering which possibility is more likely.”
Ba Lie glanced at him, then continued, “Unless it urgently needs a large quantity of karma as nourishment—in most cases, to ascend to the Ancient Talisman stage requires Merit. Or perhaps it’s using this as a stepping stone to offer a sacrifice to the root of the path, completing a ritual to a powerful immortal or deity!”
“A simple sacrifice for power would be one thing. But if this thing intends to spread the Guanyin mutation, anchor itself here, and summon the Buddha followers of the Sovereign of Compassion—then we’re in big trouble.”
Cang Hong’s expression darkened: “The Heavenly Medical Department has taken one Golden Fuguo for research to see if a specific antidote can be created. But the number of infected is still surging—it’s already over five thousand. The potential infected population may exceed ten thousand, forming a strong anchor point, rapidly dragging the Diseased Domain upward, ready to breach the real world at any moment.”
The Yuhang Subzone had just gone through a major Diseased Domain emergence, suffering heavy casualties. Two Ancient Talismans were severely injured and were now recovering in Pan’an.
No one expected another large-scale Diseased Domain to emerge so soon.
And it was one of the most bizarre and sinister—karma-based paths.
Was this land cursed by the God of Misfortune?
Someone else suggested: “Should we notify the Jiangnan headquarters?”
Cang Hong shook his head. “That’s a last resort. We don’t know the timing of the emergence. And Diseased Domains surface across Jiangnan Province at all times—headquarters can’t remain stationed here indefinitely.”
That was the awkward part.
They could request reinforcements, but the exact emergence time was unknown.
The delay between request and arrival might result in massive losses for Hangzhou.
As for a cure...
“Forget that they’re already unconscious—even if they were awake, getting them to abandon all desires and transcend emotions is harder than curing them,” Cang Hong said gloomily.
Countless top cultivators had fallen to their own desires.
Especially for History Walkers, strong desire was needed as an anchor to avoid getting lost in the Historical Long River. Severing desire was a dead end.
If even they couldn’t manage it, ordinary people stood no chance.
Could it be... that only that path remained?
Cang Hong was deeply conflicted. All they could do was hope the Heavenly Medical Department delivered good news.
Just then, a crisp “Ka-cha” broke the silence in the meeting room.
Everyone turned their heads and saw Jiang Yan eating the Golden Fuguo. In just a few bites, only the core was left. He commented, “It’s really sweet, very juicy—clearly carefully cultivated. But it wasn’t sprayed with any pesticide, too easy for bugs to eat through.”
The others were dumbfounded—Jiang Yan actually ate it?
Desire was the factor triggering the Guanyin mutation.
But as long as one was human, how could they be without desire?
Zhao Yinman’s red pupils gazed at him, her expression deep and quiet.
He wouldn't let her eat it—but ended up eating it himself.
Cang Hong guessed Jiang Yan’s intention and said gravely, “You want to enter the Diseased Domain… That’s too risky.”
According to the Heavenly Medical Department, many of the patients might not actually be unconscious, but had their consciousness pulled into the Diseased Domain.
The Golden Fuguo was the medium.
Though a Blockage-level Diseased Domain typically only produced pseudo–Ancient Talisman-level beings, the internal situation was completely unknown.
The enemy could ascend to true Ancient Talisman at any moment and turn into Dike-Break level calamity.
Entering rashly was no different from walking into a tiger’s den.
“There’s no such thing as guarding against a thief for a thousand days. Besides…”
Jiang Yan said calmly, “Escaping from a forged glorious life is merely a prison of desire.”
Though he couldn’t achieve “Transcend Desire,” his Heart Monkey bloodline could suppress and regulate himself, deceiving the Golden Fuguo into believing he had extinguished desire.
The reason he had to take the risk was because of the Blockage-level upper limit, and the karmic path's power—
It might as well have the words “Valuable” written across it.
If the other side succeeded in ascending, or completed its setup, even if the Diseased Domain failed to break into reality, it could retreat unscathed.
At that point—
His precious materials would be gone!
Especially since Jiang Yan already had some guesses about this Diseased Domain. He needed to verify them.
As he spoke, Historical Dust swirled around him, connecting through karmic threads, preparing to travel to the source of the Diseased Domain.
Beside him, Zhao Yinman silently gnawed on a golden apple.
It did taste pretty good.
“Count me in. I can use the 【Heaven-Weaving Maiden】 path to briefly weave a net of emotion to suppress my desire!”
Ba Lie picked up a Golden Fuguo and swallowed it whole before anyone could react.
These two kids were brought here by him to the Yuhang Subzone, so naturally, he had to bring them back safely.
Who wasn’t a pseudo–Ancient Talisman nowadays?
Even against a true Ancient Talisman, he had strength to fight.
“Then I…”
Niu Tunan was about to bite into a Golden Fuguo, but was quickly silenced by a hand made of woven threads.
Ba Lie said, “We can’t be sure if that’s a dream realm over there. Your hacker skills are crucial. Help us calculate how many people have been infected and coordinate from this side.”
“Alright.”
Niu Tunan nodded, his drowsy eyes gaining a bit more determination.
Yin Yiyi clutched her chef’s hat tightly and said in a soft voice, “Everyone, stay safe…”
Her cultivation was only at high-stage Foundation Establishment and she wasn’t combat-oriented. Going would only drag them down.
Cang Hong instructed seriously, “In that case, I’ll deploy defensive nodes in the real world and be ready to respond at any time. Please take care of yourselves.”
The others cupped their fists, their eyes filled with respect: “Wishing you a victorious return!”
Jiang Yan and the others could’ve stayed out of it and waited to join the defensive battle in reality later. Even if something went wrong, it would only be Hangzhou and ordinary people who suffered.
But Jiang Yan and his group chose to enter the Diseased Domain.
Not because they were fools, but because—
It was the courage to act even knowing one might fail!
“We’re counting on you all!”
Jiang Yan nodded and submerged into the Historical Long River.
Splash!
Endless Historical Dust surged, transforming into a tributary flowing through the ages.
Buzz!
At that moment, the Ash Lamp’s flame flickered in his mind, igniting the karmic link of the mutation within him. A gray thread of ash emerged, connecting into the depths of the Historical Long River—not too far away.
Jiang Yan led the way, guiding Zhao Yinman and Ba Lie into the current of history.
The two tactfully refrained from asking what ability he had used.
No one knew how long passed before Jiang Yan finally reached the end of the thread—and saw the Diseased Domain at the heart of this incident.
It was a massive golden apple, towering within the Historical Long River, unmoved by the wash of Historical Dust, steadily rising along its anchored path.
Ba Lie exclaimed, “Why does this look like the golden apple from Greek mythology?”
But thinking again, it seemed unlikely.
This Diseased Domain was merely Blockage-level. Even if it erupted, it would only be Dike-Break level.
And the story of the golden apple belonged to the West, to myth. If it had truly been coveted by Greek gods, any resulting Diseased Domain would be Annihilation-level at minimum.
Could it be some obscure ancient legend from Jiangsu-Zhejiang?
Or perhaps wild history?
Apples had been around for ages, but just like their role on the dinner table—they were overly common, with little presence in the Tianxia Alliance.
Ding!
Just as Jiang Yan was about to call Little Celestial Ghost to open the boundary gate, their internal Guanyin mutations began to glow—resonating with the golden apple.
Crack crack crack!
A fissure appeared on the surface of the giant golden apple Diseased Domain, sucking them all inside.
In an instant, the world flipped.
When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves on an enormous tree leaf, surrounded by rustling chewing sounds.
Giant leaves spread in all directions, and massive brown branches loomed like mountains—they were clearly inside a colossal tree. The leaves were crawling with black bugs that had snail-like shells, their heads bowed, chewing fervently.
But when these bugs lifted their heads—they had human faces.
Many of them were faces the trio had seen not long ago.
They were the very patients infected by the Guanyin mutation!
But now, they had all turned into “borers,” completely mindless, driven only by instinct as they gnawed on the leaves, murmuring nonstop:
“Fulfill the vow... I want to get rich... I want to become beautiful... I want to grow hair... I want a son…”
Even above their heads, rustling could be heard—chaotic whispers overlapping, echoing like Buddhist chanting in their ears.
“I… I’m a bug.” Zhao Yinman’s voice came.
At this moment, she was encased in a shell lined with crimson flame patterns. Her upper body protruded, her head lowered as she seriously pondered…
Should she eat the leaf too?
Otherwise, she’d feel out of place.
“It’s tight… and I can’t get out…”
Ba Lie’s shell was multicolored, but his body was too large, and the shell too small—making him look ridiculously bloated.
Like a big snail crammed into a tiny shell.
And the shell was firmly fused with his lower body flesh, impossible to remove.
Smashing it would also seriously injure him—and his instincts told him…
Something terrifying would happen.
Ba Lie refrained from acting rashly and opted to calmly assess the situation. This was his first time encountering such a bizarre Diseased Domain. It felt like a kind of ritual that turned them all into strange “snail-bugs.”
He checked himself—though he retained his power, two-thirds of it had been sealed by some unknown force.
Not even started, and already slapped with a debuff.
Now what? How to conquer the hidden realm?
If all else failed, they’d have to try escaping the Diseased Domain.
“Don’t eat random stuff! Or I won’t bring you next time!”
Ba Lie turned and quickly stopped Zhao Yinman from biting the leaf, scolding her in frustration.
She was really a handful.
“Wait, where’s Jiang Yan?”
He turned to look for Jiang Yan, planning to discuss strategy—and soon spotted him.
But the sight that met his eyes left him dumbfounded. Eyes wide, he blurted in disbelief:
“Damn—did you pay-to-win for a costume!?”
……
……