Top Scholar

Chapter 527 Purification Operation

Then Yuan Jian continued, "They are extremely selective in choosing their partners. They not only choose women who are seeking children, but also find monks who look similar to the women to marry. This way, the children born will be less likely to be found out."

"Look at that, that's what you call professional." Su Lu couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. It seems that if you want to work in any industry for a long time, you have to strive for excellence.

"Wow!" Qian Ning exclaimed, "No wonder this trick has been able to be played for so many years."

"Baolian Temple stands out among many temples precisely because of this unique skill. Not only do long-married couples without children go there to pray, but newlyweds in the capital also do, though they don't stay overnight. Therefore, the business of the 'Offspring Hall' is related to their incense offerings; how can it be confused with ordinary lewd pleasures?!" Yuan Jian said through gritted teeth, his voice filled with hatred.
"But so many strong monks, once they start eating meat, are like wolves that have seen blood. How can they possibly abstain from sex? And they can't have sex in the ancestral hall, so they secretly kidnapped or bought a lot of young women and hid them in a cave in the back mountain, which they called the 'Paradise Cave,' specifically for the monks to indulge in their lustful pleasures!"

“But the temple is extremely strict from top to bottom, and the abbot, Wuxing, is ruthless. Any monk who dares to utter a single word or harbor any disloyalty will face certain death!” Yuan Jian’s voice trembled, but every word was clear:
"There is also an extremely deep dry well behind their mountain, called the Reincarnation Well. All the women who were abused and seriously ill, and the disobedient monks, were thrown in and died from the fall!"

"So how were you discovered, and how did you escape?" Qian Ning asked.

“At first, they couldn’t find me either. I shaved my head and lost a lot of weight, and I looked completely different from before.” Yuan Jian’s eyes were bloodshot as he gritted his teeth and said, “But when I finally accumulated enough ‘merit points’ to enter the ‘Paradise Cave’, I found that my wife was inside!”

"I pretended not to recognize her, but she couldn't help calling my name. Although I managed to fool her on the spot, I knew I was going to be exposed afterward, so I fled Baolian Temple that very night..." he said, heartbroken and with tears streaming down his face.

"I shouldn't have gone there to investigate, but how did I know she was still alive?"

"Sigh..." Su Lu sighed as well, thinking that misfortune always finds its way to those who are unfortunate.

Qian Ning asked again, "Why are you hiding? Is Baolian Temple still after you?"

"Yes." Yuan Jian nodded and said, "They found out I had escaped, so they sent people to chase me to my house. Fortunately, I was prepared and moved my mother here, so they missed their target."

"But later, they kept searching for me in secret, so I found a disfigured corpse outside the city, shaved his head, dressed him in my monk's robes, and put my ordination certificate in my pocket..." Yuan Jian continued:
"Later I heard that the Descendants Hall had reopened. I guess they believed I was dead, but they still didn't dare to be careless, so I joined the Beggars' Sect. I worked as a night watchman here while secretly taking care of my mother at night."

"Why don't you take your mother and run away with her?" Su Lu asked.

“Firstly, my mother is deaf and blind now, where can she go?” Yuan Jian choked up and said, “Secondly, I have to stay in the capital to have this opportunity to take revenge!”

"Good, a man of courage and resourcefulness!" Su Lu nodded approvingly, but didn't forget his main task: "How's their money-making going?"

"That's incredibly wealthy! The inner treasury is overflowing with gold and silver, and the copper coins are piled up like mountains, so heavy that the strings holding them together have broken." Filled with hatred, Yuan Jian continued his accusation:

"In addition, they also stockpiled enough food to last for several years, as well as a large number of weapons and armor, including hundreds of muskets. The abbot even had us practice firing them."

"Damn, what are they doing? Are they planning a rebellion?!" Qian Ning's eyes lit up when he heard this, like a hungry tiger seeing a sheep.

“No, they don’t have the guts.” Yuan Jian shook his head and said, “The abbot said that the world is about to descend into chaos, and we must take precautions to prevent rioters from looting the temple property.”

“Those are all excuses!” Su Lu said decisively, “When it comes to treason, actions are always judged by deeds, not intentions. No one will admit to plotting a rebellion until the day the uprising begins!”

"Godfather is absolutely right!" Qian Ning immediately chimed in, "As the Emperor's eyes and ears, the Western Depot must take precautions and nip any potential threats in the bud!"

"There's no time to lose, we must act immediately!" Su Lu nodded, then said in a deep voice, "But they outnumber us and have armor and firearms, so we must proceed with caution and make thorough preparations."

"Godfather is absolutely right!" Qian Ning waved his hand, signaling the bearded man to take Yuan Jian away, before whispering, "Godfather, this matter must be reported to the Emperor. Our strength alone is not enough."

"Hmm." Su Lu knew from Na Yuanjian's words that the monks of Baolian Temple were disciplined and well-trained that the army would inevitably be mobilized to suppress them. He sneered, "Don't worry, I'll report to the Emperor. The bigger the commotion, the better!"

"Understood!" Qian Ning nodded emphatically.

"To prevent them from refusing to confess, it would be best to catch them in the act so they have no way to deny it," Su Lu instructed.

Qian Ning patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Godfather, I'll take care of this!"

~~
A few days later, in Liujia Village on the outskirts of Beijing.

The entire village, including its people and land, was incorporated into the imperial estate. Liu Er, the estate's manager, was in his thirties and oversaw more than three hundred people and over two thousand acres of land, so he was considered 'successful'.

But he had a worry: after ten years of marriage, he still hadn't succeeded in having a child to carry on the family line. He was often ridiculed by the villagers for this, and he sought medical help countless times, but his wife's belly showed no signs of pregnancy.

Liu Er had no choice but to take his wife to Baolian Temple to pray for the Goddess of Fertility to grant him a child.

After they made a considerable donation, the Zen Master Huipu finally showed them mercy and allowed them to observe a strict fast for half a month before returning to the temple.

The day had finally arrived. Before dawn, Liu Er hitched up the cart, took his wife, and excitedly left the village, heading towards Baolian Temple in the Western Hills.

The couple were in good spirits throughout the journey, feeling that they would finally have a child and fulfill their long-cherished wish.

"Let's see who can still call you a barren hen now!" Liu Er said, seemingly triumphant. "They can say I'm a rooster that doesn't lay eggs!"

"Sigh, I just want to stop being scorned by my mother. I've had enough," sighed Liu's second wife.

"Don't worry, now that you're pregnant, your mother will treat you like royalty!" Liu Er laughed loudly. But no sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of galloping hooves rang out, and several Imperial Guards dressed in flying fish robes and wearing embroidered spring knives at their waists caught up from behind.

"Halt!" A member of the Imperial Guard blocked the way on horseback and said in a deep voice, "The Western Depot is handling this matter. You are to obey orders. If you dare to disobey, you will be arrested immediately!"

In the past two years, the secret police have run rampant, and their cavalry have been dispatched everywhere, causing mass imprisonments wherever they go. It has even reached the point where they have stopped children from crying at night.

When Liu Er and his wife saw the West Factory blocking their way, they were so frightened that they almost lost their souls. They obediently followed them off the main road and only stopped when they entered a grove of trees.

The couple got out of the car and knelt down on the ground with a thud, begging for mercy.

The leader of the Imperial Guards was Qian Ning. He dismounted and said in a low voice, "Don't be afraid, we're here to rescue you. Cooperate obediently, and we'll keep you safe."

"Huh?" Mr. and Mrs. Liu were taken aback upon hearing this.

“The Baolian Temple you’re going to is a den of demons. You’re sending your wife there to be defiled by lecherous monks, you know that?!” Qian Ning laughed.

"Huh?!" Liu Er's mouth gaped open even wider.

"What do you mean, 'huh'?" Qian Ning frowned and asked, "Didn't you two agree to stay at Baolian Temple this year?"

"Yes." Liu Er nodded timidly and said, "But I can only stay overnight if I throw out the sacred broom."

"They want you to stay, even if you get a perfect score a hundred times." Qian Ning snorted and stopped talking nonsense, saying, "Go to the car and take off your clothes, both of you!"

"Huh?!" the couple exclaimed in unison.

"If you dare do it again, I'll whip you!" The bearded man raised his riding whip and gave it a mock lash.

The couple were so frightened that they trembled and quickly got into the car and stripped naked.

Qian Ning then put on Liu Er's clothes, and another short, handsome imperial guard changed into Liu Er's wife's clothes, even putting on makeup and cosmetics.

To be honest, she looks even prettier than Liu Er's wife... The brothers were all secretly drooling.

~~
When Qian Ning and his companion, disguised as Liu Er and his wife, arrived at the gate of Baolian Temple, dusk had already fallen on the western hills, and the young monks were about to close the temple gates.

"Wait a minute!" Qian Ning, dressed in plain clothes and wearing a six-cornered hat, shouted breathlessly as he ran.

"Why are you so late?" The guest monk raised his hand to signal the novice not to close the door yet.

"I'm sorry, Master, the carriage broke down on the road and it took a long time to repair." Qian Ning, his face covered in mud and grime, apologized and handed over his bag.

The monk in charge of reception calmed down slightly, opened the reservation book, and asked, "What's your name? Where are you from?"

“Liu Er is from Liujia Village in Daxing County,” Qian Ning said hurriedly.

"Hurry up and go inside, or the ancestral hall will be locked!" the monk urged.

"Hurry up, hurry up." Qian Ning quickly turned around to help his wife, who was moving with nimble steps.

The couple were led into the temple and went to the Hall of Descendants to burn incense and pray. The monk on duty brought them a divination stick container.

Liu Er's wife timidly took it, shook it for a while, and then a stick fell to the ground with a thud.

Liu Er quickly picked it up and, overjoyed, exclaimed, "It's the sacred broom!"

"Congratulations on having an heir, sir." The monk then grinned, revealing eight teeth.

"Consider yourselves lucky, there's one last clean room left. Come with me."

The couple thanked the goddess again and followed the monk to the meditation room.

Sure enough, six of the rooms were lit by candlelight, with incense smoke curling upwards.

"Keep your voice down, some of the female devotees are already asleep..." The monk led the couple into the last clean room and lit incense and candles.

Then she whispered to Liu Er's wife, "Please rest assured, my lady. There are iron bars on the windows and the door will be locked. The key is in your husband's hands. No one can get in unless he opens the door."

Liu Erjia nodded, watching timidly as her husband followed the monk out, then locked the door with a click.

P.S.: Posted first, edited later. Please vote with monthly tickets!!!
(End of this chapter)