Killing Monks

"Senior brother, his debts..." Guangyuan sighed, "I will report to Uncle-Master Nengzhi."

"If all else fails, deduct it from my monk's stipend."

Even those who serve as warrior monks in temples receive a stipend.

He simply couldn't bear to watch someone sell him and his daughter to a temple right in front of him.

"Oh?" Guang Chen raised an eyebrow. "Have you thought this through? You know how temperamental you are, Master Shishu."

Jinjia Temple is divided into three generations: "Hui", "Neng", and "Guang". The "Neng" generation is the backbone of the temple's practical affairs.

"I will explain it to him," Guangyuan nodded and said.

"Thank you, Buddha! Thank you for your mercy, Buddha!" ​​Upon hearing this, Li Daniu, who was kneeling on the ground, felt as if he had been granted a pardon and kept kowtowing.

"..." Looking at that sallow face, Guangyuan sighed again and bent down to help him up.

Li Daniu dared not get up until Guangyuan secretly exerted his strength to help him up.

"Buddha is merciful, you have the heart of a Bodhisattva! Thank you so much, Buddha..." Li Daniu thanked him repeatedly.

But Guangyuan felt no relief whatsoever.

Upon returning to Jinjia Temple, the two went to the East Courtyard to report back.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, they saw that the door to Master Zhikuneng's room was open, and he was politely seeing a monk out.

The monk looked around, smiled slightly, and recited a verse: "Indestructible Vajra stands atop the cloud-capped peak; a single thought transcends the dust of ten thousand eons. Clenching a fist, the light of crystal shines forth; where the robe brushes, the sea waves are calmed."

Having said that, lotus flowers bloomed beneath his feet, lifting him up gracefully and flying away on their own.

"He's a master from the realm of lust!" Guang Chen exclaimed in a low voice.

The martial artists of the Realm of Form can already fly by controlling their true energy, far surpassing the monks of the Realm of Desire.

"Indeed." A hint of envy appeared in Nengzhi's eyes as well. "This is Master Mingzhi of Vajra Temple, who has indeed entered the realm of form."

Although he belongs to the "Neng" generation, his cultivation level is still stuck at the third realm of the Desire Realm, the "Sound Hearer Realm," and he has not been able to break through.

"You're back. How did things go?" Nengzhi turned to the two of them, a familiar smile on his face.

"Uncle-Master..." Guangchen hurriedly stepped forward and recounted the events that had transpired in Li Daniu's family.

The smile on Nengzhi's face gradually faded, but after glancing at Guangyuan and remembering that this young man was a promising talent highly regarded by the temple, his tone softened again: "Let's go inside and talk."

The room was filled with the fragrance of ink and had an antique feel.

Neng Zhi sat down on a chair and said slowly, "Guangyuan, it's good that you have a kind heart, but you did something wrong in this matter."

"But..." Guangyuan bowed his head and clasped his hands together, "Buddhism teaches compassion, isn't that precisely about helping those who suffer?"

Nengzhi glanced at him: "Buddha guides those with affinity, not all sentient beings. Some people are burdened with karmic obstacles; how can they be guided?"

"But their karmic obstacles... don't they originate from the temple?" Guangyuan couldn't help but ask.

Borrowing four strings of cash, and after just over a year, I have to repay nineteen strings... This...

Neng Zhi's face darkened, and his voice turned slightly cold: "Guang Yuan, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"

He stood up and walked to Guangyuan: "Everything in this world is woven from cause and effect and karma. The reason why Li Daniu suffers in this life is that he did not cultivate Buddhism in his previous life, sowing the seeds of suffering, which led to the evil consequences in this life."

"What's wrong with him voluntarily signing a contract to become a 'temple owner'?"

"The temple provides lodgings to keep out the wind and cold. Two vegetarian meals a day can prevent hunger and displacement."

"Furthermore, the monks in the temple chant scriptures daily to eliminate negative karma and accumulate blessings for his entire family!"

"Isn't this compassion? Isn't this for his own good?"

Guangyuan stared blankly at Nengzhi.

This was the first time he had ever heard someone force others to sell their bodies and land in such a righteous and high-sounding manner.

They have food to eat and shelter to live in, but the people have become the temple's property. What kind of compassion is this?!

He cursed inwardly, then realized he had been harboring anger. He quickly recited Buddhist scriptures to suppress his rage and spoke:

"Uncle-Master, if we were compassionate and didn't charge such high interest rates, perhaps he wouldn't have had to resort to selling his land and even his body."

Neng Zhi looked at him coldly and said, "Are you saying that I, your martial uncle, am not compassionate enough?"

Guangyuan remained silent.

Nengzhi grew increasingly displeased, thinking his nephew was a blockhead: "The mundane affairs of the temple have always been like this. Without these fields and temple households, where would the Golden Shackles Temple come from? How could you all peacefully eat vegetarian food, chant Buddhist scriptures, and diligently cultivate your practice?"

"I think you've read too many scriptures; they've made your brain dull!"

Guangyuan remained silent.

"Very well, since you've shown compassion, then you'll bear this debt." Neng Zhi flicked his sleeve and said, "Nineteen strings and three hundred and ten coins, give them to me."

"Isn't it four strings?" Guangyuan was taken aback.

He originally thought that it was enough for someone from the same temple to repay their principal.

He stayed at the temple for more than ten years, earning between several dozen and one hundred coins each month.

After so many years of savings, I have accumulated about four or five strings of cash, but that is far from enough to reach this amount.

"Principal and interest!" Neng Zhi's voice rose. "He used the money for over a year, how can we not charge interest?"

"..." Guangyuan could only say, "Uncle-Master, my monk's stipend is meager. Could you deduct it from my stipend every month...?"

"Deduct?" Nengzhi interrupted impatiently. "You only make a hundred coins a month, not even enough to cover the interest! Before showing mercy, consider your own worth!"

Guangyuan wanted to say something more, but Nengzhi said sternly, "Starting tomorrow, you no longer need to manage external affairs. Go to the back mountain to find Guangming and manage the fields!"

Being transferred from debt collection to managing farmland within the temple was undoubtedly a demotion.

Seeing his displeased senior uncle, Guangyuan could only lower his head and reply, "Yes."

He stepped out of the room and saw that Guangchen was still waiting outside.

"I told you before, Uncle Nengzhi has a bad temper," Guangchen said in a low voice.

"But..." Guangyuan opened his mouth, wanting to say "this is not right", but looking at Guangchen's expression, he swallowed his words back.

The two of them did their homework, ate their evening meal, and then returned to the monastery with the other monks.

More than a dozen fellow students slept on a large communal bed, their snoring rising and falling in waves.

Lying on the bed, Guangyuan's mind raced through the events of the day.

The way he went door-to-door demanding repayment of debts, nearly causing families to be ruined and killed, was so similar to the loan sharks he had heard about in his previous life.

He never imagined that one day he would play such a role.

Especially since he's a martial monk, someone used for intimidation!

While other transmigrated monks become famous and attract enchanting women, he becomes a monk only to collect loan sharks…

Thinking of this, Guangyuan couldn't help but laugh out loud in anger.

Is this his purpose in studying Buddhism and reciting scriptures?

Shouldn't Buddhism be about universally saving all sentient beings?

Shouldn't temples be places of compassion?

What we see now...where is there any salvation for all living beings? Where is there even a trace of compassion?

And those ridiculously high interest rates... In my previous life, I probably would have been beheaded long ago, right?

They can grasp at the concepts of "cause and effect" and "karma" that they speak of...

No...this is very wrong!

This is really wrong!

Guangyuan couldn't help but curse inwardly again!

The monk should be mindful of his speech; he hasn't cursed anyone for a very long time!

In his heart, doubts began to arise about Jinjia Temple and Buddhism.

He initially thought that being transported to the Golden Shackles Temple after death was a blessing, but now it seems that's not the case...

He tossed and turned, lost in thought, so much so that even though he was a martial artist at the Seeking Breath Realm, he couldn't fall asleep.