Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 101: I See You Are Destined to Meet the Bodhisattva (Additional Update After Going on Sale)

Although he wore a suit and tie, sipped coffee, and ate steak, Mu Yuming was at heart a very traditional, or rather, conservative Easterner.

He was well aware that in times of trouble, worshiping any immortals was not as effective as clinging to his wife’s coattails.

But for the Chinese, regardless of which deity you believe in, having a little faith wasn’t about effectiveness; what mattered was the sentiment of offering incense. In times of real need, one hoped only not to be the butt of the gods’ jokes.

In the Pacific Rim Region, all Chinese seafarers worshipped the Empress of Heaven.

The Empress of Heaven did not have an exclusive sect or scriptures and did not reject other religious beliefs. Therefore, it was common in coastal cities to see the Empress of Heaven worshipped alongside other gods and Buddhas. Often, this was initiated by the locals themselves, to add a touch of glory to their own community.

The Chinese people’s faith in the Empress of Heaven, to put it more accurately, resembled the trust one would have in their own grandmother. It was an ancient form of belief that stemmed from the tribal times of old, deeply rooted and intimately connected through bloodline.

The Empress Temple in Safo City also had its own unique local characteristics. Besides the Empress of Heaven, it honored deities worshipped by the overseas Chinese, including well-known ones like the Life-Protecting Emperor and lesser-known entities such as the Netherworld Emperor and Guiding Bodhisattvas, whom people from inland might never have even heard of.

It was a local custom for Chinese people to offer incense at the Empress Temple before setting out to sea, seeking a peace charm for protection. If you were well-off, you could buy additional incense sticks to offer to various deities; known or not, every little bit could prove helpful.

After all, in this day and age, the sea remained a realm filled with the unknown and danger for mankind.

Empress Temple was a colloquial term, and more formally it should be called the "Hall of Peace," managed uniformly by the Hall of Supreme Elder, a department under the Four Seas Commerce Guild responsible for religious and sacrificial activities.

The somewhat awkward name aimed to unify the faith and treat everyone equally.

The composition of the overseas Chinese was complex, as were their beliefs, ranging from officially recognized immortals to various "True Gods" and "Great Immortals," mountain spirits, lost ghosts, and even alternative aspects of certain True Gods, like someone’s second uncle from Zhumadian...

This chaotic system of belief could easily lead to various incidents. Therefore, to maintain social order, the Four Seas Commerce Guild declared acceptance of all faiths, with the stipulation that private worship was not permitted; all deities had to be offered incense collectively at the "Hall of Peace."

Considering that some minor factions only had names without specific images, and certain sects prohibited idol worship, the Hall implemented a standard spirit tablet offering system for all gods and Buddhas.

If you had the money, you could have a spirit tablet made and registered at the public hall.

If even this standard was unacceptable and one insisted on being different, then apologies were in order, but the community would have to band together to drive you out.

From the outside, the Hall of Peace appeared to be an ordinary apartment building without any apparent religious marks, except for the archway at the street corner and the plaque at the entrance that bore the hall’s name.

Yet, the interior decoration could be described as luxurious and resplendent with jade parapets and golden splendor.

Since everyone was in the same boat when it came to incense offerings, even if equality was proclaimed on the surface, there was still an unspoken hierarchy beneath it all.

If you don’t make a move, there will be others ready to take your place.

Besides enshrining various deities, the public hall also undertook duties similar to other religious establishments, such as weddings, funerals, fortune-telling, and similar rituals.

Mu Yuming, with Li Mumu in tow, came to the main hall of the Empress of Heaven, earnestly burned incense, and knelt on the prayer mat with bowed head.

Li Mumu naturally couldn’t sit still; she didn’t believe in these things. While she was bored, looking around, her gaze inadvertently caught sight of a particularly peculiar spirit tablet amongst the other shrines.

What made it special was that the tablet was surrounded by urns full of ashes.

On the tablet, meticulously written in embossed, gilded script was the line—The Bodhisattva Moha Jiedi who Guides the Dead of the Three Thousand Worlds.

Legend has it that this Bodhisattva has three heads and six arms, seventy-two Dharma appearances, and is specifically in charge of guiding lost souls and punishing sinners with Red Lotus Karma Fire to burn away the world’s sins. Therefore, she is also known as the Holy Mother of Red Lotus, Guiding Lady in the folk.

Because she had shown her holy presence several times in Safo City, there are many believers there, and the incense offerings are as vigorous as those given to the Empress of Heaven who sits in the main seat.

The Empress of Heaven is responsible for the safety of the living, while the Guiding Bodhisattva takes care of the dead souls’ passage to rebirth. Their work is different, and their faiths do not conflict, so both are placed together in a large hall.

The urns placed before this Bodhisattva’s tablet all belong to Chinese people who passed away locally and are prepared to return to their roots in the homeland for burial. To prevent the lost souls from being disturbed at sea, they specifically come to pray for the protection of the Guiding Bodhisattva.

There is also an unfounded but vividly described rumor that the Overseas Netherworld and the Inland Underworld are not the same system, and if one wishes to be repatriated from overseas, they must come here to the Guiding Bodhisattva to apply for a visa.

Of course, these are the worries of those who have both leisure and money.

Li Mumu’s grandfather was buried in the cemetery of Safo City after his death; he never caused trouble in life and did not want his family to worry after passing away.

Li Mumu took note of this tablet because she suddenly remembered the man from last night muttering "Bodhisattva, bless me."

If nothing unexpected happened, it should be this Bodhisattva, no doubt.

The Empress of Heaven ensures the safe and smooth arrival of every child who goes to sea.

The Guiding Bodhisattva then blesses the overseas Chinese, protecting them from the disturbances of evil spirits in the darkness.

With the way I looked at the time, I wasn’t mistaken for a Good Fortune Maiden under the Bodhisattva’s seat, was I?

Li Mumu suddenly felt a bit guilty.

While the Bodhisattva is depicted with three heads and six arms, she was a counterfeit version with two heads and four arms, one of which holding another head... If this image spreads, wouldn’t the Bodhisattva cast blame upon her?

Thankfully, she was about to make her getaway soon.

While she was lost in her wild thoughts, a kind voice behind her said with a smile, "Miss, I see you have a connection with the Bodhisattva."

Li Mumu was startled, with her back hair standing on end, and she quickly turned to look, only to see an elderly woman with white hair who seemed completely harmless.

This made her inwardly ashamed for a whole second for her own mind filled with complex thoughts.

Looking at the way the old woman was dressed, she must be the Temple Priest here. Li Mumu quickly stretched her mouth into a sweet smile in response.

The old lady looked at Mu Yuming, who was offering incense, then at Li Mumu and asked with a smile, "Miss, are you... setting out on a long journey?"

Li Mumu nodded obediently. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Since you have a connection with the Bodhisattva, why not get a peace charm here," she suggested.

So it was just about selling charms, and here I thought you wanted to ferry me to Western Heaven.

Li Mumu felt relieved and was about to politely decline when Mu Yuming said softly from the side, "Get one, and don’t let your mother see it when we get home."