Xuanxia

Chapter 209: Swearing Behind Closed Doors
As the days passed, there were fewer and fewer monks in the temple.

When chanting the Buddha's name every morning and evening, there might be one or two monks missing from the main hall. Even the dullest person would have noticed the problem.

Every night, lay disciples would whisper in their rooms, discussing what was happening in the temple.

The most popular saying is that the temple’s enemies came to the temple and the disciples went out to fight them.

Some conspiracy theorists suspect that someone is using the Fajing incident to eliminate dissidents...

Some people were even smarter and linked the disappearance of these monks to the previous disappearance of Huang Ergou, and speculated whether a man-eating ghost had appeared in the temple.

Of course, Fu Qingzhou and Li Qing, who knew the truth, would not tell anyone.

They also knew that this was all coming to an end.

At daybreak, the lay disciples filed into the main hall as usual.

Nowadays, there are not many monks who come to the hall to chant Buddha every day. Originally, there were about forty or fifty monks in the temple, but now there are only about twenty left, sitting sparsely in the hall.

According to the past custom, after everyone had gathered, they would start chanting the Buddha's name. However, today, Fa Ming, Fanu and Fa Chan, who were supposed to lead the chanting, had not arrived yet.

Some monks and lay disciples began to whisper, wondering if the three of them were also missing, but most monks were very calm.

There is no other reason. Eighty percent of the monks who were able to stay have passed the test and are “our own people”.

Not long after, three heavy footsteps were heard outside the hall.

Everyone turned their heads and saw that it was Fa Ming, Fanu and Fa Chan.

But unlike in the past when they came to chant the Buddha's name in simple monk robes, today the three of them were fully armed.

The three of them were all wearing the kind of monk robes they wear when practicing martial arts. Fa Nu carried a nine-ring broadsword on his shoulder, Fa Ming held a Zen staff, and Fa Chan had his hands clasped together and a circle of large Buddhist beads around his wrists.

The three of them looked cold and steady as they slowly walked into the hall under the gaze of everyone.

"Zhou Qing."

After standing still, Fa Ming said in a deep voice: "Do it."

Fu Qingzhou responded and glanced at Li Qing.

Li Qing immediately understood and stood up: "All lay disciples, follow me."

All the lay disciples were bewildered, not knowing whether they should listen or not, but soon they saw Fu Qingzhou's frosty eyes and the silent gazes of the three senior brothers in the hall.

So without any more hesitation, everyone stood up silently and followed Li Qing out of the hall.

This was a plan that Fu Qingzhou and Fa Ming had made beforehand... Lay disciples would not participate in this incident.

Most of them have average strength and unstable minds. If they really fight with Yuanwu and the others, not only will this group of people be of little help, but they may also cause all kinds of accidents and disrupt the morale of the others.

Anyway, they were not loyal to Yuanwu, so it didn't make much difference to them who was the abbot. Once things were settled, they would have to accept it whether they wanted to or not.

After all the lay disciples left, Fu Qingzhou closed the door of the main hall.

The door blocked out the morning sunlight, and the hall immediately became dim. Only the light of countless green lamps swayed under the strange Buddha statue, making everyone's face look quite gloomy.

"Junior brothers."

Fa Ming held the Zen stick in his hand, tapped the ground lightly, and asked in a deep voice: "Do you still remember what Fa Jing said?"

The monks who were unaware of the situation were all slightly surprised.

Fa Ming certainly didn't want to wait for their answer, and immediately answered, "We have investigated the matter thoroughly in recent days... Fa Jing, what you said is true."

There were gasps in the hall, and Fa Ming continued, "But, his collusion with people outside the temple and his intention to destroy the temple is still unforgivable!"

He raised his eyebrows and said sternly: "I have been chanting sutras under the seat of the Buddha Bai'e Nan for many years. I have long been blessed with the Dharma. You must not betray the Buddha Bai'e Nan!"

"Can……"

Fa Ming sighed and said, "Yuan Wu, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Jing committed such an evil act against the disciples in the temple. What crime should they be punished for?"

Before the monks could reply, Fa Nu glared at them, stepped forward heavily, and growled, "Kill them!"

This sound carried with it true energy, and the entire hall was buzzing, with candles and oil lamps all shaking.

"Yes, you should kill me!"

In the hall, a monk who had long since surrendered to them suddenly stood up and echoed, "We should ask Brother Faming to take over the Fanyin Temple and spread the gospel of our Buddha!"

Fa Ming's eyes flashed with satisfaction, and then he slowly scanned the people present. Needless to say, the monks who had passed the test were destined to be on the same boat with Fa Ming and his men since they decided to poison Yuan Wu and his men. At this moment, they did not hesitate at all and loudly agreed.

As for those monks who were still unaware of the situation, after their initial shock, they all stood up and responded in this atmosphere.

They shouldn't agree, and there's no way...

Anyone who can become a monk under the training mechanism of Fanyin Temple is not a fool.

A large number of fellow disciples have disappeared recently, and now those brothers with higher strength and cultivation have responded... They can all see that this is a big deal.

The reason why they were not notified in advance was simply because they were weak and insignificant.

If they don’t agree now, they will be hacked to death on the spot!

This pirate ship, you have to get on board...

Soon, all the monks in the hall stood up. Regardless of whether they were sincere or not, they were all filled with righteous indignation and shouted, "We should ask Brother Fa Ming to take over the Fanyin Temple and spread the gospel of Buddha!"

"very good."

Fa Ming nodded with satisfaction: "My fellow disciples, I... need you to swear an oath."

"Swear?" The monks were stunned. Even the monks who had passed the test before had never heard of this.

"Everyone..."

The one who spoke was Fachan. He lowered his head slightly and rubbed the Buddhist beads in his hands: "Yuanwu, Yuanxi, and Yuanjing are our masters. Not only are they very powerful, but they also have many unknown means. We can only defeat them if we work together."

"If someone's mind wavers during the chaos of the battle, that would be very bad."

As he spoke, he clasped his hands together slightly, and the string of Buddhist beads lit up one mantra after another: "Please make a vow with your true heart to prove your determination."

Fanu twisted his neck, making two clicking sounds, which made the iron rings on the sword jingle.

Fa Ming smiled and clenched his Zen staff tightly. The bottom of the staff rotated and rubbed on the floor tiles, making a teeth-grinding sound.

Practitioners swear an oath in their hearts, and that is an oath that cannot be violated or betrayed. Not to mention that there is also a Fa Chan who has reached the seventh level of spiritual enlightenment in the hall at this moment. Seeing the faint glow of the Buddhist beads in his hand, they know that he will perform the spell according to everyone's oath. If anyone violates it, it is likely that he will not be able to keep his body intact!

But now there is no turning back.

After a moment's silence, someone finally spoke.

"I, Fakong, swear here!"

The monk had a determined look on his face, and said in a loud voice: "I will follow Brother Faming to kill my three greatest enemies Yuanwu, Yuanxi, and Yuanjing. I will do it with all my strength and will never retreat! If you break this oath, I will be doomed forever!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Buddhist beads in Fachan's hand shone brighter, and a mantra similar to the one on the Buddhist beads appeared on the monk's forehead. It flashed slightly and then disappeared.

"very good……"

Fa Ming's eyes swept over the other monks present: "Where are the other fellow disciples?"

As they spoke, the terrifying pressure from the Eighth Realm of Martial Acupoints gradually spread. Although it had no substance, everyone began to feel that breathing was becoming increasingly difficult and cold sweats covered their bodies.

Some people with lower realms even had trembling legs and chattering teeth, as if they were in a world of ice and snow!
Finally, the second monk who took the vow soon appeared, followed by the third, fourth, fifth...

"me……"

After a while, only two monks who had not taken the vow were left in the hall. They avoided eye contact, stammered, and were unable to speak for a long time.

Fa Ming looked at them silently, with a cold smile on his lips.

The next second, a bloody knife suddenly "grew" out of the chest of one of the monks!

His pupils dilated and he made a rumbling sound of shock and fear. He tried to struggle, but soon a hand came from behind him and covered his mouth and nose tightly.

"Shh..."

Fu Qingzhou whispered behind him: "It's okay, young people are in good health, just lie down and fall asleep..."

As he was speaking, the monk stopped breathing and fell limply to the ground.

When the other monk who had not taken the vows saw this, his eyes were filled with fear and he shouted out without hesitation.

"I swear by this Dharma precept!"

“I will follow Senior Brother Faming to kill my three greatest enemies Yuanwu, Yuanxi, and Yuanjing. I will do it with all my strength and will never retreat! If you break this oath, I will be doomed forever!”

(End of this chapter)