Elaine was deep in prayer when her daughter interrupted her, expressing a hint of frustration: “Oh, I’m asking the Buddha to bless you, and here you are distracting me, really…”

Claire whispered, “How can you claim to know me so well? The Buddha says… if you want money, you can simply ask for it! If the Buddha truly manifests, he will help fulfill your wishes. But what are you doing discussing your aunt’s issues? Are you actually hoping the Buddha punishes someone?”

Elaine nodded seriously, declaring, “Exactly! I genuinely want the Buddha to punish her! With over 8 billion people in the world, anyone can become wealthy—except for souna!”

Elaine continued with conviction, “The Jade Emperor oversees our realm. If souna can prosper, then that’s a failure on his part. If he doesn’t make amends, then it’s up to the Tathagata Buddha to reprimand him!”

Claire rubbed her temples in exasperation and replied, “Everyone says to be sincere at heart. Your inability to recognize others’ goodness is a distorted mindset in front of the Buddha. How could the Buddha bless someone with such a crooked outlook…”

“What?” Elaine shot back, unconvinced. “It’s not that I don’t want others to do well; I just don’t want souna to succeed. You have to understand, she’s truly terrible!”

Claire responded, “It’s her fault for being bad. You don’t need to voice that here…”

Elaine pouted, “When you encounter bad people or situations in life, you can always call the police. What’s wrong with me speaking to the Buddha? Is he not as capable as the police? If he can’t address this, then he doesn’t deserve to be called a Buddha for not understanding life’s troubles!”

Claire found herself at a loss for words against Elaine’s illogical arguments.

Meanwhile, Lin Wan’er (Alani), who had been observing, was left speechless.

Despite her extensive knowledge, she had never encountered someone as unaware as Elaine, especially in a Buddhist hall where such nonsense was being spoken.

Thinking of Elaine’s disrespect towards the Buddha, Lin Wan’er (Alani) couldn’t help but interject, “In Buddhism, there are three poisons: greed, anger, and ignorance. Greed is the insatiable desire for more; anger is resentment towards the current situation and hatred for others; ignorance is a lack of understanding. It’s rare to see someone embody all three poisons in just a few words. The Buddha possesses wisdom, so how could he bless someone who exhibits all three?”

Elaine was taken aback, glancing at Lin Wan’er (Alani). Noticing her hands clasped and her eyes closed, Elaine frowned and asked, “Hey, are you talking about me? Are you pointing fingers at me?”

Lin Wan’er (Alani) opened her eyes and calmly replied, “I apologize; I was merely reflecting on myself in front of the Buddha. I might have inadvertently disturbed you. Please forgive me.”

After saying this, Lin Wan’er (Alani) stood up, offered a reverent glance at the Buddha statue, and turned to leave.

“Hey, don’t walk away if you think you can!” Elaine called after her, eager to continue the debate. However, Lin Wan’er (Alani) walked away without any hesitation. Elaine considered chasing after her to argue but soon realized it was impractical, especially as her leg was still causing her trouble. She realized she would need Claire’s help to get back up.

With no other options, Elaine reluctantly let it go.

At that moment, Claire said, “Mom, I think the girl is right. You’re displaying greed and ignorance in front of the Buddha. You lack sincerity, and it’s impossible for the Buddha to bless you.”

Elaine was taken aback, surprised that her daughter didn’t support her. She pouted and muttered, “If he doesn’t bless me, I’ll be out of luck! It seems like there’s nowhere to make wishes outside of the Buddha! When I get home, I’ll ask my wonderful son-in-law to adjust my feng shui. With good feng shui, wealth will flow in! It’s all about knowing where to direct the energy!”

Frustrated, Elaine added, “Oh, why didn’t I think of this sooner? I shouldn’t have come here! What a hassle!”