Chapter 23: Illusory Realm

  As night fell, Lan Xinlin and Jin Tian walked along a quiet path, behind them was a thatched hut where someone was reciting Buddhist scriptures in a low voice.

  Jin Tianxing held a black box in his hand, walking and saying, "I don't feel right about this. It was so easy to get the San Yan Fo Shou. Yi De Zhu Zai revealed a relieved expression when he handed it over to me just now. Were we deceived? The San Yan Fo Shou has an evil power that absorbs the vital energy of living people."

  Lan Xinlin smiled and said, "Don't worry, the box for the Buddha's head has been blessed by Master Yide, it can seal away the evil power of the Buddha's head, what are you still afraid of?"

  "It's just an ordinary wooden box, he recited a scripture with it. I don't believe it can have any effect."

  "It's all psychological, there are no gods or monsters in this world, nor is there any evil power."

  Jin Tianxing's face was serious, "But everyone who touched it is dead, and those who didn't die look worse than dead."

  Lan Xilin started running, "Just assume that the box is filled with money, you won't be afraid then. We need to hurry up, the vegetarian meal will be eaten up by others soon. I don't want to starve my stomach. Let's discuss the problem after we eat our fill."

  It was getting late, and the two of them couldn't return to the city, so they had to stay in the temple for the time being. The Iron Zen Temple usually didn't accommodate outsiders overnight, but Yi De made an exception and arranged two side rooms for the pair. Although dinner was just plain vegetables, tofu, and white rice, Lan Xinlin ate heartily, while Jin Tianhang only managed a few bites before losing his appetite - if you were holding something in your arms that could potentially take your life, I think anyone would lose their appetite.

  Lan Xin swallowed the food in her mouth and said, "How can you eat so little? A person is made of iron and a meal is made of steel. If you don't eat one meal, you'll be starving."

  "I'm not hungry!" Lan Xilin's eating manner made Jin Tianxing feel refreshed, and the wolfish look of gobbling down food was indeed inherited.

  "Aren't you afraid? Don't worry, I've thought it through. Just let him have his way for one night. If he really means harm to you, we'll hand him over to Long San tomorrow and let him cause trouble for the people at the Zong Tian Group."

  "This move of yours is quite poisonous." Upon hearing this sentence, Jin Tian Xing regained some appetite.

  "Don't show mercy when dealing with bad people." Lan Xinlin finished the last bite of rice in her bowl and saw that Jin Tianxing still had a lot left, "If you're not going to finish it, give me some. I'm only 50% full."

  "No way!" Jin Tianying tightly hugged his rice bowl. "Tonight I'm going to watch San Yan Fo Shou, I need a lot of energy."

  "Give me half of it."

  Two people fought over a mouthful of food.

  After dinner, the two returned to their room and took out the three-eyed Buddha's head from a black wooden box. The head was not heavy, and it was impossible to tell what material it was made of. Upon closer inspection, they saw that it was a carving of a man's head, exquisitely crafted, lifelike, with an air of detachment and superiority. People called it the three-eyed Buddha's head, but in fact, it wasn't even the name of the statue - people simply didn't know its name, and because the statue gave them a feeling like that of a Buddha, they all coincidentally called it the three-eyed Buddha's head. However, its appearance had nothing to do with a Buddha. The statue had its eyes open, with a vertical mark on its forehead, as if it were a closed eye. Kong Xuan swore to the Buddha master that he saw the vertical eye open, but Jin and Lan didn't believe him - how could a statue possibly open its eyes? It must be that Kong Xuan was guilty of something and his conscience was uneasy, so he misinterpreted what he saw in the dark. However, the statue still gave Jin Tianxing a faint sense of fear, not for any other reason than that in the only photo left behind by Luo Yi, there was also a vertical mark on her forehead, identical to the one on the Buddha's head. Adding this to Luo Yi's strange behavior, could it be that his new wife really had some connection to these mysterious events?

  "What's wrong?" Lan Xinlin noticed that Jin Tianxing's mood had become somewhat down.

  Jin Tian Xing didn't want to tell her his troubles, shaking his head and saying "I'm fine, I just feel a bit tired, let's get some rest early."

  After being together for a long time, Lan Xinlin could somewhat guess some of his thoughts. She stood up and walked towards her room, took a few steps, then stopped and turned back to say, "Every day's sunshine is new, tomorrow will have a good mood."

  Jin Tian Xing smiled slightly, and casually placed the three-eyed Buddha's head on the wooden table. He turned off the lights and lay down on the bed. In his mind, he recalled various moments with Luo Yi, but Luo Yi's figure gradually faded away. Qing Qing's clear figure emerged, laughing and smiling. Suddenly, she split into two people, both of whom were facing him and laughing non-stop. Their laughter made Jin Tian Xing feel a little frightened. One of them disappeared, leaving the other one, who was either Qing Qing or Lan Xin Lin, walking towards him step by step.

  The night is as dark as water, all sounds are quiet, and it's destined to be another sleepless night.

  Soft moonlight filled the earth, a strand of moonlight passed through the window and shone on the Buddha's head on the table. The Buddha's head emitted a faint green light, and the third eye on its forehead slowly opened!

  Unfortunately, Jin and Lan were both in a deep sleep and did not see this astonishing scene. However, after the third eye was fully open, they each entered into strange dream realms.

  In Jin Tian Xing's dream, he found himself in endless darkness, the scorching air made him pant, he felt there were others behind him, but in the pitch-black darkness, he was like a blind man and couldn't see anything. He opened his mouth to shout loudly, but no sound came out. This state lasted for a very long time, as if it had been a century, after a violent shock, the darkness dissipated, and he saw light!

  He arrived at a place like paradise, with rolling rivers, green hills and fragrant flowers. The birds sang melodiously, their clear and pleasant voices filling the air. The fragrance of the flowers wafted through the gentle breeze. The temples and pavilions, surrounded by green mountains and crystal-clear lakes, shone brightly in the sunlight, a kaleidoscope of colors. On the lake's surface, waves rippled and water vapor misted, while birds soared leisurely across the sky and fish swam playfully in the water. Such breathtaking scenery stirred his heart, and he wished to become a fisherman, living forever in this paradise.

  The beautiful scenery had not been seen enough, the screen turned, and a group of people appeared on the screen. These people, regardless of male or female, were all wearing Taoist robes, with an ethereal and elegant demeanor, their long sleeves fluttering as if they were immortals. As these people approached, he only then discovered that each person had a vertical mark on their forehead. Before he could clearly see the appearance of these people, the screen changed again.

  It's still the same mountains and rivers, but the paradise on earth has long ceased to exist. Instead, it's been replaced by a purgatory on earth. Endless flames fill my vision, casting a reddish glow over the sky. The air is filled with an overwhelming stench of burning flesh. A group of soldiers are carrying out a brutal massacre. Everywhere, people are being killed, and blood flows like rivers. Children tremble in pools of blood, women weep while holding their loved ones' lifeless bodies, and men are slaughtered mercilessly. Amidst the chaos, a beautiful woman emerges from the flames, barefoot and dressed in white robes that seem untouched by the mundane world. She appears to be an otherworldly being. As she approaches, Jin Tianyang can't help but gasp at her appearance - she bears an 80% resemblance to Luo Yi, with a single eye painted on her forehead.

  Jin Tianxing really wanted to see what happened next, the scene changed again, under the night color, countless figures were busy, men and women, old and young, they were building a magnificent project by the lake, the excavated soil and rocks were poured into the lake nearby. Jin Tianxing suddenly realized that these people might be building a large tomb, a ghostly mausoleum that made many people feel terrified.

  Not long after, the scene changed again. Countless people knelt down at his feet, praying to him and asking for his blessing. At this moment, Jin Tianxing felt like a god, with thousands of people looking up to him, overlooking the crowd. In the front row of the crowd, he saw a woman in white clothes who looked similar to Luo Yi. The scene froze at this moment.

  In Lan Xilin's dream, she returned to the waters of Boyang Lake's Lao Ye Temple. Although it was a clear day, there were no people by the lake, and an eerie aura floated on the surface of the water. At first, Lan Xilin didn't think much of it, but when she tried to move her body, she found that she couldn't budge, as if she had been turned into a statue. Looking up at the sky above, it seemed like something was blocking her view. After an unknown amount of time, several people appeared in her line of sight, led by Kong Xuan, the leader of the tomb raiders she had seen during the day. It wasn't until Kong Xuan excitedly held her in his hands that she realized he was holding a three-eyed Buddha's head, and wondered if her soul had been sucked into it. Lan Xilin was terrified by her own thoughts.

  Kong Xuan hugged the three-eyed Buddha's head and drilled out of the ground, a plane appeared in his line of sight, flying towards him. My sister is on that plane! Lan Xinlin instantly understood what was going to happen next, she desperately shouted to prevent the tragedy from happening, but it was useless, she couldn't make a sound. The helplessness in her heart made her spirit almost collapse, what's more cruel than watching your loved one get into an accident and being unable to stop it?

  The plane gradually flew in, and the lake started to wave, getting bigger and bigger, as if something was stirring non-stop at the bottom of the lake. When the plane reached the sky above the lake, the water trembled violently, a white light shot out from the bottom of the lake, hitting the rear of the plane in the sky, the part of the plane hit by the white light instantly disappeared, and the remaining part disintegrated and rolled over in mid-air, crashing into the distance.

  "Sister!" Blue Heartlin woke up with a mournful cry, her tears had already soaked through her pillowcase. She dreamed of seeing her sister again, even if it was just a glance. No matter how strong she was, she was still a woman, and the uncontrollable longing for her loved one hidden in her heart burst forth, Blue Heartlin covered her mouth and wept softly.

  Jin Tianxing's room was next door, and he heard Lan Xinglin's crying. Jin Tianxing jumped up from the bed, took three steps in two strides into Lan Xinglin's room, still holding a wooden stick in his hand.

  Seeing that there was no outsider in the room, Lan Xinlin curled up on the bed like a wounded kitten. Walking to the bedside, she asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"

  "I had a dream about my sister." Lan Xinlin suddenly hugged Jin Tianxing tightly, "I miss my sister so much, where is she? Is she dead or alive?"

  Jin Tian Xing hesitated for a moment, his hands not knowing where to place themselves. After some deliberation, he still ended up embracing Lan Xin Lin, gently stroking her back with his hand. "You must be thinking of your sister day and night, that's why you dreamed of her. I believe she's definitely fine, and one day you'll see her again."

  In Jin Tianxing's arms, Lan Xinlin felt warmth and slowly stopped crying, saying intermittently, "It's possible that the plane my sister was on was hit by a white light shot from the bottom of the lake, half of it disappeared immediately, and the other half disintegrated in mid-air and crashed at the border of two provinces. Even if you're a god, falling from tens of thousands of meters high would turn you into mush. How could my sister still be alive?"

  "How did you know these details?"

  "Last night I dreamed of the whole process of Kong Xuan stealing the tomb and the plane crashing on the lake, as if I had become a three-eyed Buddha, watching everything happen."

  "Have you had a dream too?" Jin Tian Xing released Lan Xin Lin, "This Three-eyed Buddha's Fruit is indeed strange. Last night I also had a strange dream and saw many bizarre scenes."

  Lan Xinlin asked curiously, "What did you see? Is it related to San Yan Fo Shou?"

  Jin Tian Xing told her about what he saw in his dream, and Lan Xin Lin also told him everything she saw in her dream.

  "This three-eyed Buddha head is indeed strange, it seems to be a memory body that can record events that have occurred. There's one thing I don't understand, why the two of us see different scenes. I saw the slaughter in the immortal realm, you saw your sister's plane crash. The white light you mentioned, I've seen many times, perhaps your sister is like me, being sucked into the mysterious cave by the white light, she must still be alive."

  "What you said may be possible, I've looked at the list of plane crash victims countless times, but when cleaning up the scene, only a dozen or so bodies were found..." Blue Heartlin's mouth was slightly open, her eyes wide with an expression that froze in an instant.

  "What's on your mind? Speak up."

  Lan Xinlin didn't come back to her senses until half a day later, her eyes dodging and evading, refusing to meet Jin Tianxings' direct gaze.

  "You must have thought of something, come on, it's killing me. We're partners now, and you have to tell me anything related to the case."

  "Then you'd better be mentally prepared," said Blue Heartlin. "You still remember that I always felt familiar with the name Roy, and now I recall that Roy was also on the crashed plane, sitting near my sister, so I remembered it very clearly."

  Jin Tian Xing took a few steps back in shock before regaining his composure. "Is what you said true?"

  "I didn't cheat you, it's all clearly written on the registration form, just check and you'll understand."

  "We'll go and investigate right away." The two of them packed up their things and prepared to head back into town.

  The two were stunned when they went to take the third eye of Buddha. The third eye in the middle of the Buddha statue had opened unknowingly and was staring at the two.