Accidental Hero: The Rookie Who Outshines the Force - Chapter 90

Inside Qianfo Temple, incense curled lazily in the air.

The abbot, around forty years old, wore a simple inner robe beneath a flowing outer robe, hands forming the Amitabha mudra. Behind him stood a solemn, majestic statue of the Buddha, while a crowd of devout worshippers listened intently.

Today’s sermon was on karma.

“Those who understand cause and effect know that destiny and retribution never fade. Good deeds bring good rewards, evil deeds bring misfortune. Karma never wrongs anyone… yet humans often miscalculate their accounts…”

The abbot’s face radiated kindness, his eyes soft and gentle.

He spoke calmly, his words carrying the depth of Buddhist wisdom.

The worshippers below listened with rapt attention, as if their souls were being elevated by the teachings.

Suddenly, a fly buzzed above the abbot’s shiny bald head.

It landed squarely on him.

The abbot waved it away.

Bzzz… bzzz…

The fly took off and returned, determined to land on his head again.

The abbot’s calm composure flickered with irritation after a few failed attempts to shoo it away.

Lu Cheng, pretending to bow before a golden Maitreya statue, subtly manipulated a fly catcher to hover over the abbot’s head.

A little mischief gave him unexpected delight.

A monk, sworn to avoid anger… undone by a mere fly?

Amused, Lu Cheng let the fly land on the abbot’s back instead.

Purple light shimmered from the fly catcher. Judging by that, this abbot had quite a few sins—Buddha not intervening, perhaps?

If Buddha wouldn’t step in, Lu Cheng would.

He circled the temple but couldn’t uncover the abbot’s personal information—only his Dharma name, Huiming.

With no concrete evidence, Lu Cheng decided to watch quietly.

The purple hue indicated he had committed a serious offense.

Using the system skill Memory Enhancement, Lu Cheng scanned faces from the police’s wanted database.

His Memory Enhancement was only level 2, enough to recognize roughly two thousand faces, though he couldn’t recall their names. Once familiar, he could verify identities online.

Huiming’s face didn’t seem familiar. Either he wasn’t on the wanted list, or his appearance had changed significantly.

Lu Cheng circled back to the main hall.

After a few minutes, Master Huiming concluded his sermon and began drawing lots for the worshippers.

Lu Cheng queued patiently until it was his turn.

“Congratulations, young devotee. You have drawn an exceptionally auspicious lot.”

“The inscription radiates joy and fortune. Your luck is strong; a joyful event is soon to come.”

“Think of this lot as a spring breeze carrying blessings. Remember to stay confident, cherish opportunities, honor your ancestors, and act with wisdom. When the time is right, fortune will come naturally.”

“This is a moment of deep blessings. Keep in mind: ‘Do not ask its whereabouts.’ Your joyful event is already knocking!”

“The lot’s guidance is complete—may its auspiciousness accompany you always.”

The abbot smiled warmly throughout, making the reading even more pleasant.

Other worshippers in line looked at Lu Cheng with envy and congratulations.

What an incredible lot! They all wished they could draw one like it.

Lu Cheng thanked the abbot silently. He hadn’t understood every word, but the gist was clear: something good was on the horizon.

His heart leapt. Soon, he could catch his target—it was indeed a good omen. Not only would he earn system rewards, but the precinct could also score some merit. Truly worth the fifty yuan he spent!

He took the lot to show He Xueting and Shen Fang.

The purple-glowing fly catcher on Huiming’s back remained motionless. From now on, Lu Cheng would monitor every move of this abbot.

“Son, what lot did you draw?”

He Xueting peeked and saw it was the topmost auspicious lot. Her eyes lit up with delight.

Shen Fang handed Lu Cheng a bottle of water and glanced at the lot.

“How did the abbot interpret it?”

“He said my fortune is strong, luck is rising… and a joyful event is coming soon.”

Lu Cheng took a sip of water.

He Xueting’s eyes gleamed. “A joyful event? Qingwu might be pregnant?”

Pft!

“Cough! Cough!”

Lu Cheng choked on his water. “Mom! That’s… that’s not it! Don’t say things like that!”

Shen Fang frowned. “Xiao Cheng, then what joyful event?”

Lu Cheng replied seriously, “Maybe… I’m about to make another big accomplishment.”

He Xueting snorted. “That’s not a joyful event! If it were about your personal matters, then that would be a real accomplishment!”

Lu Cheng glared. Conversation over. He Xueting was completely fixated on… having kids.

The lot was carefully pocketed by He Xueting.

After drawing the lot, Lu Cheng said he wanted to wander the area. He told He Xueting and Shen Fang to return home first.

Checking the time, it made sense—he didn’t need to accompany them. In an hour, it’d be time to pick up Su Qingwu from work.

After a few reminders, He Xueting and Shen Fang left Qianfo Temple.

Lu Cheng wandered the temple grounds.

In the back courtyard lay the monks’ living quarters. The abbot and the overseer had private little courtyards in the northeast corner—easy to locate.

Most temples had similar layouts.

Lu Cheng avoided cleaning monks and quietly approached the abbot’s courtyard.

Seeing no one around and the gate unlocked, he slipped in.

The courtyard was tranquil, with a bedroom, tea room, and robe chamber.

He pretended to look for a restroom to avoid suspicion.

Exploring the rooms with the system skill Traces Level 2, he searched for anything unusual.

Courtyard—clean.
Tea room—clean.
Robe chamber—clean.
Bedroom—not clean.

Lu Cheng’s heart leapt—there was something suspicious in the bedroom.

He peeked through a slightly open door.

The furnishings were simple: a meditation bed, a scripture desk, a tea area, and two wardrobes—all made of original cypress wood.

There was a private bathroom and a single line of calligraphy on the wall: “Ordinary mind is the Way.” No excess decoration.

The anomaly: under the scripture desk, a mat glowed faintly green.

“There’s something under here!”

Excited, Lu Cheng was about to investigate when a sharp voice stopped him.

“Who are you? What are you doing?”

A thin monk in a long robe, previously seen sweeping, glared at him.

A janitor monk?

He watched Lu Cheng warily.

Lu Cheng acted flustered. “Master, nature calls… I’m looking for the restroom!”

He strained comically, reddening his face.

“The restroom’s in the southwest corner, small gray brick building,” the monk said, convinced by Lu Cheng’s expression.

After finishing, Lu Cheng left the temple.

It was 4:30 PM, one hour before the temple closed. Huiming was still attending to worshippers—he likely wouldn’t finish before closing.

Lu Cheng had dinner early and sent Su Qingwu a message: he couldn’t pick her up today; she should take a cab home.

Su Qingwu replied simply: “Okay.”

Good girl.

He bought a small flashlight, a bottle of floral water, some bread, and bottled water from a nearby supermarket.

No risk, no reward.

Tonight, he would watch the abbot closely and discover the secret beneath that mat.

What could it be hiding?