Killing Monks

The storyteller glanced at him, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Monk, you're asking a question you already know the answer to."

Guangyuan fell silent.

"Does such a small temple have any impact?" he asked.

Those in the same industry are rivals.

What kind of temple is Prajna Temple?

Three rooms, not even a proper gate. To put it bluntly, it's just a slightly larger farmhouse.

Although the small Buddhist temple was a shrine for descendants, it was quite large, with red walls and gray tiles, a bell tower and a drum tower, covering an area of ​​more than ten acres.

"Though the temple is small, its reputation is great," the storyteller said.

"So?" Guangyuan asked.

"So, the county government took action," the storyteller said.

"Two months ago, people from the county government came and said that Prajna Temple had no ordination certificate or official credentials and was a privately built licentious shrine."

The storyteller paused, then added, "So the yamen runners locked the temple gates, affixed the seal, and left. The mute monk tried to stop them, but was beaten and thrown out."

"According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, licentious shrines must be sealed off, and those in charge must be arrested."

"They didn't take anyone, probably showing some leniency."

Guangyuan smiled softly.

There was no warmth in that smile.

"I didn't take anyone," he said. "Should I say thank you?"

He's no longer a monk at Prajna Temple, so it doesn't matter to him anymore.

But he wanted to find a way for the mute Hu Dafu to make a living.

It is better to teach people to fish than to teach people.

The storyteller didn't finish his tale. He was the magistrate of Qujiang County, and anyone who came to him was a member of the martial arts world.

The magistrate looked at the few taels of silver in front of him and said, "If you have any silver, why don't you go to the county government office?"

That person's money was used to avert disaster.

What I just said isn't even worth a few taels of silver.

But those words were worth several taels of silver.

Guangyuan understood his meaning; the small Buddhist temple was able to persuade the county government to seal it off simply by spending money.

The safest way to reopen Prajna Temple now is to spend more money.

They bribed the county magistrate, the county assistant magistrate, and the yamen runners who put up the seals.

As long as you have enough money, even ghosts can do the work.

If the smaller temple is unwilling to accept the lower price, it can continue to raise the price. The two sides will go back and forth, seeing who has more money.

But the small Buddhist temple was certain that Guangyuan wouldn't spend more money for a few rooms. Therefore, the small Buddhist temple believed it was bound to win.

These are the rules of the game in the imperial court.

Not from the martial arts world.

Guangyuan stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.

Thank you.

After saying that, he took the mute Hu Dafu and left the teahouse.

The storyteller watched his figure disappear through the door and gently shook his head.

The person didn't listen.

Guangyuan walked down the street at a moderate pace. The mute Hu Dafu followed behind him, occasionally glancing up at his expression before looking down again.

After walking a short distance, Hu Dafu, the mute man, couldn't help but tug at his sleeve.

Guangyuan stopped and looked back at him.

Hu Dafu, a mute man, is famous for his gestures.

He made a square with his hand, pointed in the direction of the county government office, then made a silver gesture, then put his hands together as if praying to Buddha, and finally waved his hand as if walking.

Guangyuan understood.

The mute man asked: "Should we go to the county government office to bribe them? Or should we just leave?"

He loved Prajna Temple. He loved getting up early every day to open the door and sweep the floor, loved serving the poor a bowl of porridge, and loved hearing them call him "Master the Mute".

But he knew even more that Guangyuan had spent far too much money on this small, dilapidated temple.

not worth it.

It's really not worth it.

It was just three dilapidated rooms, a desolate courtyard, and a small temple without even a proper Buddha statue.

Guangyuan looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"The world is vast," he said, "and it is everywhere."

He didn't explain what he meant.

The mute man stared blankly at him, not understanding, but he didn't ask any more questions.

Guangyuan turned around and took him to the market to buy some rice. Then the two returned to Prajna Temple, tore off the seal on the door, and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the main hall was covered in dust.

The two of them worked from noon until the sun began to set, one sweeping the floor and the other wiping the windows, until the courtyard was finally restored to its original state.

Guangyuan washed his hands and said to the mute man, "You wait here, I'm going out to take care of something."

The mute man's expression changed.

He grabbed Guangyuan's sleeve, making "woo-woo-ah-ah" noises and shaking his head desperately.

He wasn't afraid of those who bullied him.

He was afraid something might happen to Guangyuan.

He was worried about Guangyuan.

Guangyuan patted his hand to make him let go.

"rest assured."

He only said those two words before turning around, leaving the house, and heading to the small Buddhist temple.

Solve the root problem first, then address the surface problems.

Guangyuan stood in front of the small Buddhist temple gate and stepped inside.

"I want to see the abbot of your temple."

He said this to the welcoming monk.

The monk looked him up and down. The man was dressed in a plain robe, but had only a short stubble on his head, making him look like a monk who had returned to secular life, or perhaps like neither.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Who are you?"

"The master of Prajna Temple."

The monk in charge of receiving guests' greetings changed his expression.

He knew, of course, that the small temple at the foot of the mountain had been sealed off.

He subconsciously took a half step back, glanced warily at Guangyuan, then hurriedly turned around and ran inside.

Before long, a group of people came out from the inner courtyard.

Leading the group was a burly old monk, broad-shouldered and with bulging muscles beneath his robes, who walked with a brisk, powerful stride.

He was followed by seven or eight warrior monks, each one sharp and wiry, with menacing eyes.

The old monk stopped in front of Guangyuan, looking down at him condescendingly.

"Since you are from Prajna Temple, what brings you here?"

Guangyuan sized him up.

The old monk exuded a subtle yet palpable pressure!

That was the oppressive aura of a martial artist at the Earth Realm.

According to Buddhist classification, it is the "Form Realm Dhyana Realm". According to the Northern Zhou classification, it is the "Earth Realm Insight Path".

The internal energy and physical body are perfectly integrated, and the internal energy begins to have attributes, greatly increasing its power.

The monks behind him were no pushovers either. The bulging muscles beneath their robes clearly indicated they had practiced external martial arts.

Qujiang County is home to the Nine Dragons Martial Arts Academy, whose "Nine Dragons Overlord Body" is renowned throughout the land. This small Buddhist temple, situated within the academy, naturally absorbed this martial spirit.

"You know perfectly well what you've done," Guangyuan said calmly. "I'm here to demand an explanation."

The old monk snorted coldly, his voice booming:

"What a joke! That Prajna Temple has only three dilapidated rooms, no ordination certificate, and no tonsure. What kind of temple is that?"

"It's nothing but a makeshift, illegally constructed monastery, defiling the tranquility of Buddhism and ruining the solemnity of the Dharma! Even if it's shut down, it's simply the law of Heaven, the cycle of cause and effect!"

"What does this have to do with us?"

He stared intently at Guangyuan.

"Don't be unreasonable! You should know that although this small Buddhist temple is small, it's not a place where people can run wild!"

Guangyuan smiled slightly.

"The ordination certificate only came into existence during the Northern Wei and Southern Dynasties. The Song Dynasty further improved upon it, making it a standardized system."

He said unhurriedly, "According to you, monks who didn't obtain their ordination certificates aren't considered monks?"

The old monk's face darkened.