Chapter 24: Overthrow Him

Chapter 24: Toppling Him

First bow:

"Buddha, forgive me. This devotee's heart is devoted to the Buddha. In your boundless compassion, forgive this devotee's momentary mistake."

Second bow:

"Lan He was forced into this by your disciple. I beg Buddha to show mercy—if someone must be punished, let it be me. This devotee bows in gratitude."

Third bow:

"Buddha above, this devotee knows his own guilt, but love is not a sin. I beg Buddha to bless this devotee with a companion who will grow old with him, and to let him meet his soulmate soon."

After finishing his prayers, Pei Yuhuai rose, placed the three incense sticks in the burner, bowed several more times, and turned—only to see someone walking toward him from the doorway.

A tall, graceful figure—elegant and noble.

A string of prayer beads hung around his neck, and a vivid crimson mark sat between his brows. Handsome without being frail—it was Lan He.

Light streamed from behind him, catching in his hair and stretching his shadow out long.

He drew closer, step by step.

Pei Yuhuai felt his heartbeat quicken—sudden, fierce, and urgent, as if he wanted to rush forward and hug him.

Lan He.

Could the soulmate he'd prayed for be Lan He?

"No, no, no..."

Pei Yuhuai shook his head repeatedly, trying to cast off that terrifying thought. He must be going crazy—after stepping out of line so many times, he was losing his mind.

"You said you'd come pick me up—why didn't you wait?"

Lan He stopped a few steps away, his eyes dull with disappointment as he looked at Pei Yuhuai, like an abandoned puppy, pitiful and sad.

The contrast was too much.

Pei Yuhuai felt guiltier than ever. He quickly pulled the peace amulet from his chest and smiled sheepishly: "No, no—I was waiting for the right time to get this peace amulet for you. I didn't get a chance to tell you yet."

"For me?"

"Yes. The sooner the better—I was worried since you're still recovering, so I came early. But how did you get here? Did you come on your own?"

Lan He looked down. "The young marquis broke his promise, so I came by myself."

"Uh... Awkward."

Pei Yuhuai shoved the amulet into his hands and patted his back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry—this is my way of making it up to you. Ahem, don't worry, you'll recover. Want to pray to Buddha?"

He pulled Lan He back down to kneel in front of the Buddha.

As he closed his eyes, he didn't know Lan He had quietly opened his—not bowing, but staring at him sideways without blinking.

Staring straight into his soul.

After praying, Pei Rongjing said he wanted to stay the night—he still had things to ask the Venerable Nun. And Lan He's injuries needed her care too, so they all stayed the night.

The nun's medicine worked wonders. After just half a day, Lan He's complexion had improved a lot, and he even had the energy to eat his porridge.

Night fell.

Cats kept yowling somewhere in the temple—creepy sounds that made sleep impossible.

Pei Yuhuai finally got up, opened the door, and went outside. In the moonlight, he happened to see Lan He, wrapped in a cloak, leaving his room.

"So late—where is he going?"

Curious, Pei Yuhuai followed him to the front hall, where rows of Buddha statues loomed—even creepier.

A gust of wind swept by, sending a chill down his neck.

Pei Yuhuai shivered, unsure whether to keep following, when Lan He's voice drifted over, soft and calm: "How long does the young marquis plan to keep spying?"

"...Uh."

Caught.

Pei Yuhuai walked over awkwardly, mumbling under his breath: "I wasn't following you—I just couldn't sleep and wanted to see what you were doing. In the middle of the night, coming to stare at Buddha statues?"

Lan He raised his head toward the Buddha, his eyes dim. "Come here."

"Oh."

Pei Yuhuai walked to his side and followed his gaze upward. The statue of Buddha stood towering above them—imposing and solemn.

It made his heart uneasy.

And there was something else—a strange feeling that made him instinctively want to flee, to avoid looking at the statue.

"Don't leave."

As if sensing his intention, Lan He gripped his hand, his voice low and husky: "Look up. See clearly. This is the Buddha you revere most—the Buddha you've devoted your life to following."

"What?"

"Pei Hang—do you see clearly now? This is Buddha. The one you both revere and love."

Pei Yuhuai tilted his head back. For a fleeting moment, he felt as though the statue was looking at him—staring straight at him—until his head throbbed with pain.

"Ah..."

Pei Yuhuai let out a pained cry and collapsed to his knees before the Buddha, drenched in sweat.

Vague shadows flickered through his mind—scenes from his dreams, indistinct—but that Buddha statue was unmistakably clear, staring at him just like this.

His entire body was taut.

Lan He stood before him, unmoving, looking down at him from above.

Pei Yuhuai dazedly looked up at him, unable to make out his face—only a blurred silhouette.

It was the presence he yearned for.

"You're back? You're back, aren't you?" Pei Yuhuai repeated the words over and over, throwing his arms around Lan He's legs.

Lan He patted his head as if granting a favor, his voice hypnotic: "Pei Hang, did you catch a glimpse of the Buddha in your heart?"

"No, I don't know, I didn't see anything."

Pei Yuhuai kept shaking his head.

He had no clue what was going on.

Lan He's voice continued, flat and cold: "The Buddha is seated right above your head. The precepts of the faith—overthrow him, overthrow him."

Every word dripped with temptation.

Pei Yuhuai was in a daze, and suddenly a young man's frenzied scream flashed through his mind: 'Is the Buddha really that important? You worship the precepts as if they were divine, but what about me? You're a coward, a coward...'

The bitter, blood-soaked accusations echoed in his ears.

It shocked him so much that his chest constricted, and he could hardly catch his breath.

Pei Yuhuai slumped to the ground, shaking his head desperately, trying to shake those irritating voices out of his head. Finally, his dazed look slowly sharpened.

He looked up at Lan He, shaken by a lingering dread: "I won't worship the Buddha, I won't worship the Buddha, I don't want to anymore."

Lan He stopped fiddling with his prayer beads: "What did you say? Say it again?"

"I won't worship the Buddha, I don't want to worship the Buddha anymore. The Buddha is not a deity, not at all."

He scrambled up in panic, grabbing Lan He's sleeve to leave: "Let's go quickly."

"Pei Hang."

Lan He stood still, his eyes dark and inscrutable as he stared at him, his hands shaking: "Are you speaking from your heart? Why don't you want to worship the Buddha?"

"I don't know, the Buddha, I'm afraid."

Pei Yuhuai was terrified, as if he had seen a ghost, his voice trembling: "Let's go quickly, there's something off about this place, I don't want to stay."

He looked around, filled with unease.

Clearly, pressing him more wouldn't do any good.

Lan He sighed inwardly, gently pulled him close by the shoulder, and pressed his cheek against his: "What's there to fear? I'm here. In this sacred place, I can protect you."

Pei Yuhuai leaned into Lan He's embrace, breathing in his scent, and slowly calmed down.

That eerie feeling gradually dissipated.

"Lan He."

Pei Yuhuai clutched his clothes, burying his head against his neck, his voice muffled: "Do you know something? About this world?"

Since there was an outsider like Ji Huaiyu, could Lan He also be...