646 Monks (1/2)

Shangguan Ru had a long dream. When she woke up, she thought that the houseful of monks was still part of the strange dream. Then she saw a thin old monk smiling kindly at her.

”I know you.”

”We've met before.”

”Oh, at the Stone Kingdom of Xiaoyao Lake. You are Fayan of the Four Noble Truths Temple, also the Martial Uncle of Master Lianhua.” Shangguan Ru blurted out a series of titles and immediately came to her senses and sat up from the blanket. She was surprised to find that all of these monks were real.

She was in a large tent and surrounded by monks and nuns either sitting or lying down, all listless. Occasionally they whispered to each other but they remained silent most of the time.

”What is this place?” Shangguan Ru was in a daze and could not recall any memories after she had fainted.

”The forbidden zone of the Northern Royal Court,” replied Fayan.

”The forbidden zone? The Flower Camp?”

Fayan smiled and shook his head, ”No, this is the prison of the forbidden zone.”

”Ah.” Shangguan Ru bounced up then fell to the ground, aghast. ”My internal energy…” Then she remembered everything.

She and Old Man Mu had sneaked into King Rizhu's office and taken out three Bone Shrivelling Pills, but they had been surprise attacked on their way to the camp. ”It's her,” whispered Shangguan Ru. She hadn't seen the attacker but was familiar with the knockout drug. It was basically a modified Indra Fragrance of the Land of Fragrance that could make people lose their internal energy without turning them into the walking dead.

There was only one person who knew how to make and modify such a drug: Lotus.

”Why?” Shangguan Ru was confused. Then she turned to Fayan. ”How did you also come to the Royal Court and get locked up?”

Before Fayan opened his mouth, a middle-aged monk standing behind him angrily said, ”Who else could it be except for the Khan? He invited us here but after Master said a few words about not indulging in sensual pleasures, he actually listened to the slanders of the wicked and said that my Master was the one who was slandering and imprisoned us all, saying that no one would be released unless we provided him with a way to live forever or some sex techniques. We are Buddhist disciples, so how could we know these things? It's the Taoist priests who…”

”Lianqing, you're being too testy.”

”Amitabha. Yes, Master.” Lianqing sat down onto the futon in a lotus position and started chanting a sutra in a low voice.

Shangguan Ru also remembered this monk who used to be a robber. In order to kill the Dragon King to avenge his brother, he had entered the temple and become a monk but was eventually inspired by the Dharma and became a real monk even though his temper was as hot as before.

”Your kung fu is very good. Why don't you run away?”

”Forty-three monks are being held here. I won't be able to take them all away with me. If I run away, they will get into trouble because of me,” Fayan said in a soft tone and didn't seem anxious at all.

Lianqing opened his eyes and couldn't help but interrupt again. ”Master is merciful, but unfortunately the others don't appreciate it at all.”

Shangguan Ru was also aware of this. Although the monks were confined to the same tent, they were not united. They had their own little cliques and didn't always talk to each other. This was quite different from the image she had in her mind that all monks were in harmony with the rest of the world.

”What's going on? The Khan couldn't have been so foolish as to keep the monks and the nuns together.”

”Exactly.” Lianqing slapped his thigh, still unable change the old habits from when he had been a robber. ”And he also put you, a pretty little girl here. He's trying to tempt us into breaking the precept.”

Shangguan Ru blushed. ”I'm not a little girl.”

Lianqing put his palms together devoutly and said, ”I won't break the precept for you but I'm not sure about the others. Be careful.” Lianqing glanced at several monks in the opposite corner with a contemptuous look.

”Lianqing, do not talk nonsense.” Fayan appeared to be quite kind even when scolding his disciple as if he was politely discussing something with the other side. Lianqing, who was very obedient, closed his eyes and restarted chanting the sutra, no longer speaking for a long time.

The monks who were accused by Lianqing came over, but their target wasn't Shangguan Ru but rather Fayan.

”Fayan, it's been a month now. You'd better hand over the secret manual. Saving us from the abyss of misery is also a charitable deed for you.” The man who spoke was a tall, thin monk of forty or fifty years old who looked dignified and seemed to have held a high position both before and after he became a monk.

”Master Kumie, I don't have the secret manual, and thus I really don't know how to hand it over. As for how to get everyone out, I'll figure it out.” Fayan had said this many times but the other side just didn't believe him.

The monk whose Buddhist name was Kumie sneered scornfully. Lianqing opened his eyes and glared at him but didn't join in the dispute.

Shangguan Ru, who had learned the Essay of Severing Obsession from Master Lianhua of the Four Noble Truths Temple, had gotten rid of all of her killing desire. Even now, she still recited a chapter of it almost every day. So, she had a rather good opinion of Fayan. Seeing that he was embarrassed, she couldn't help but defend him, ”You are really a boring monk. Fayan is an eminent monk of the Four Noble Truths Temple, do you think he will lie to you?”

Kumie shot a cold glance at Shangguan Ru, ”Who are you? What makes you think you can grant him the title of 'eminent monk'?”

”My name is Shangguan Ru. Where did you come from? What makes you think you can force others to hand over a secret manual?” Although Shangguan Ru's murderous heart had been abolished, her pride didn't diminish by much. She had been depressed for a while after being abandoned by her parents but she had recovered back to normal long ago.

”This is Master Kumie of the National Temple of the Norland. Show your respect, little girl,” a young monk near Kumie said in a hurry.

”He is Master Kumie, and you must be Master 'Flattery'? I've never seen a monk as obsequious as you.”