Chang Geng seized Liao Ran and said quickly, "Listen to me, the spy cannot be a servant in the palace. We have checked the people around Li Feng more than once. The former dynasty fell due to flattering subjects, our court has never let eunuchs run rampant with power. The Emperor would never make an absurd decision as to leave the Jinghua Garden affairs to a eunuch or an important minister in the court.

“...Not to mention, the news of Han Qi's departure from the palace made people panic. Everyone said that the Emperor wanted to flee, but Li Feng had calmly silenced them until Han Qi was about to return. Only then did he reveal the news to me personally, even if he intentionally wanted to pass the throne to me.”

The monk looked at him in bewilderment.

Chang Geng muttered, "My brother who does not believe in military generals in peacetime, does not trust in civil ministers in wartime? Who could it be? Who else could there be?"

Liao Ran's unconscious movement of moving the Buddha beads in his hands suddenly stopped, and he trembled. For a moment, the monk's complexion was as unsightly as a dead man.

Chang Geng's heavy eyes turned to him: "Hu Guo Temple is in the western suburbs."

At that moment, a stray shell landed next to the two men. Chang Geng and Liao Ran were overthrown by the shockwaves altogether. Chang Geng staggered and could barely remain standing, but the Buddha beads on the monk's neck had burst open.

Old wooden beads scattered everywhere in the muddy red dust.

Chang Geng picked up Liao Ran's collar and dragged the monk to a stand. "Get up, go, if the kill turns out to be a mistake, I will take the blame!"

Liao Ran shook his head instinctively. He thought that as he had practiced Buddhism for many years, he had already seen through the sorrow and joy of this world. Only at this moment, when the latter days of the Law* met with the devil, did he realize that the four great emptiness** was only an illusion of self-righteousness.

*末法 (mò fǎ), the age of degeneration of Buddha’s Law, believed to be the current age in human history, which in this context, in the present timeline of the story

**四大皆空, everything is empty, a central teaching of Buddhism

Chang Geng pushed Liao Ran forward and met the pale-faced monk's frightened eyes: "I'm not afraid of karma. I'm going to handle this. Master, don't stop me, and don't blame me either."

When he was innocent, he had already suffered all menacing karma in this world. Purgatory or the mortal realm, nothing could frighten him anymore.

Chang Geng: “I'll borrow some people from my yifu.”