Chapter 646: Drawing a Bamboo Basket

With regards to this, Fangzheng could only recite the scriptures for the deceased. As he watched the deceased’s families wail, Fangzheng also felt really upset. Unfortunately, he was not a Buddha and was incapable of resurrecting the dead. The only thing Fangzheng could do was try to save more people.

With Fangzheng’s help, the search and rescue operation resulted in a drastic reduction in death and injury. In the beginning, many people didn’t notice it, but slowly, as Fangzheng’s actions increased in frequency, with more and more people saved, more people began to notice him. His white robes and bald head were just too eye-catching.

People also started calling Fangzheng a Guardian Buddha just like CO Qi and his men. With that, Fangzheng immediately shook his head and said, “Why does it sound like a triad nickname? Patrons, This Penniless Monk is just like the other volunteers, doing the best that can be done. How can This Penniless Monk be called a Buddha?”

It was a pity that the more humble Fangzheng was, the more people thought highly of him. Soon, he realized his nickname was there to stay.

Many people called Fangzheng by his nickname because he was indeed formidable. He came and went like the wind and had tremendous strength. He was just like those martial arts experts from wuxia novels. It left them idolizing him a little.

However, some people knew that this monk really had divine powers! And one of those people was Jiang Jun. He had personally witnessed Fangzheng’s divine powers, and they had even saved his life! Therefore, the way he looked at Fangzheng was especially different, bright, and clear.

On this day, Fangzheng discovered that many of the new volunteers that came had familiar faces. On careful look, they were the victims who had been sent away before, but they had returned to be volunteers such as Qin Lan, the tour guide, the bus driver, the bespectacled man, Sis Liu, and company!

Fangzheng never imagined that people like the bespectacled man, Sis Liu, and Lin Meiyu who had previously been frightened to the point of a breakdown would dare return! That made him feel gratified all the more. He greeted them before activating A Golden Millet Dream and hiding from them. This was because Fangzheng discovered that together with them came a huge group of journalists with all kinds of cameras. Although Fangzheng wished to become famous, he did not wish to use a disaster to do so! In a disaster, warmth was sufficient. To try to become famous because of it? That would be going overboard.

Indeed, after the journalists came and interviewed the troops, they quickly learned of ‘Guardian Buddha’, but despite trying to find him, it was to no avail since Fangzheng did not want them to find him.

At that moment, Fangzheng heard a conversation between Jiang Jun and Qin Lan.

“All of you left before, so why did you come back?” asked Jiang Jun, perplexed.

Qin Lan put down the things in her hands and wiped the sweat from her face as she said with some hints of inspiration, “Only after escaping death do you learn how great and valuable life is. Everyone felt that we should do something for the rest, so we returned. Furthermore, we are coming with the entire bus’s gratitude, to thank you and Abbot Fangzheng. If not for the both of you, who knows how many people…”

“Don’t, it’s my duty. There’s no need to thank me. As for Abbot Fangzheng, if there’s a chance, we should find a chance to thank him.” Jiang Jun shook his head immediately.

When Fangzheng was mentioned, Qin Lan’s eyes lit up. The thought of that radiant monk who smiled warmly flashed in her mind. She subconsciously smiled and said, “That’s right. If there’s a chance, we really ought to thank him. I wonder where he has gone off to. Will there be a chance to meet him again?”

“We will meet if fate allows us,” Fangzheng thought as he opened the Formless Door and left.

As all the missing personnel were found, the victims were transported away, leaving the reconstruction work after the disaster for later. There was no need to rush as they needed to wait for the aftershocks to completely come to an end anyway. As personnel were shipped away, Fangzheng’s presence no longer mattered. Beyond the disaster zone, there were even more volunteers waiting to settle in the refugees.

“Ahhh!” On the path up Mt. One Finger, Fangzheng was screaming crazily. He felt like crying. After doing the math, he realized that the Diamond Body Protection Spells he cast directly and secretly had cost him a total of 1200 merit points! This was just like a habitual spendthrift enjoying himself while spending money only to feel like dying upon seeing his bank statements… Now, Fangzheng had the same feeling.

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“Ding! Stop wailing. You lucked out, and tremendously so,” the System suddenly said.

“What? I lucked out?” Fangzheng was surprised.

“Yes, you lucked out big time! You saved fifty-three people directly, indirectly saved 172 people, and you indirectly helped thousands. Although the indirect ones win you relatively less merit points, the number is still more than sufficient! Especially when you helped those bunch of fellows see through the world.

You made them repent, so you will receive a cut from all the merit they accrue in the future. Having done the statistics, you earned a total of 3446 merit points after deducting all the merit you spent. Together with the merit points you previously accrued, congratulations, your merit points have exceeded 10,000! You now have 10,003 merit points!” said the System.

Fangzheng was taken aback. He originally thought that he had made a tremendous loss, but who would have thought that he had actually made out with great profit like a bandit!

“System Bro, are you sure you didn’t do the math wrongly?” Fangzheng asked suspiciously. Although he had helped many people, he didn’t think it was worth that much merit.

“If you think I counted wrong, I can help you reduce it.”

Fangzheng hurriedly said, “No! I trust that you are absolutely great at accounting.”

The System continued. “This matter isn’t over. Goodness will spread. You will still have quite a considerable amount of merit coming in in the future. Regardless, now that your merit points have exceeded 10,000, there will be a lot of benefits.”

“Such as?” Fangzheng’s heart palpitated. Back when his merit points broke through 5000, the amount of incense money he could use went from zero to ten percent. It directly pulled him out of poverty, and he no longer had to be afraid of starving to death. Now that his merit points had broken through a new threshold, how many more benefits would he gain? He was already beyond eager to know.

“First, the amount of incense money you can use has been raised from 10% to 20%. The next upgrade will be at 100,000 merit points. All the best, young man.

“Second, having exceeded 10,000 merit points, your lottery system has been upgraded! In the future, you can draw prizes worth more than 5000 merit points. The next upgrade is at 100,000 merit points.

“Third, the System will upgrade your Ten Thousand Buddha Hall for free one time. The Ten Thousand Buddha Hall is the core hall of a monastery. The upgrade of the hall will bring definite benefits to the entire monastery!

“Fourth, the System can upgrade the level of one of your divine powers for free. However, it will be random and not under your control.

“How about it? Feeling good?” asked the System.

After hearing that, Fangzheng immediately beamed and roared with laughter. “Good! Really good!”

“Do you want to upgrade now?”

“Wait! Wait until I’m back in the monastery!” After Fangzheng said that, he widened his strides and ran back to One Finger Monastery.

After entering the yard, he closed the door. After determining that there were no outsiders, he said with a look of smugness, “Jingfa, Jingzhen, Jingkuan, Jing… Jingxin, I think there’s no need for you.” Fangzheng wanted to posture in front of his disciples, but when he recalled that Jingxin was a demon king, what hadn’t he seen? To posture in front of him, he would probably be ridiculed, so he might as well get him to scram.