Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

"true."

"Did you try to force her to accept your help by claiming you saved her life?"

"no."

"Did you try to invade her consciousness with Buddhist energy and forcibly alter her mind?"

"no."

Have you ever hurt a fellow traveler out of jealousy?

Fan Chen paused for a moment: "I had this thought, but I didn't make a move."

Lou Xiaotian spoke up from the side: "He thought about cutting me, and I thought about stabbing him, but neither of us actually laid a hand on him. If the Chief is going to punish someone, don't just punish one of them."

Fan Chenxin turned and glanced at him: "You don't need to be a witness for this matter."

"I'm afraid you'll be too clear-headed, and the Buddha Lamp might find any impure thoughts later, requiring a re-examination."

Faji raised his palm to stop the two: "The Discipline Hall only investigates the facts. If a thought has not yet been acted upon, it will not be punished according to the precept against killing."

Jiang Yining walked to Fan Chenxin's side: "Senior Faji, before he destroyed his Dao, he shielded me and my child from the poisonous fire of the Divine Realm. After arriving in the Martial Spirit Realm, his Buddha bones cracked several times, and each wound had its origin."

"Is Benefactor Jiang willing to let him leave?"

Faji asked.

"If he wants to go back, I won't stop him."

Jiang Yining grasped Fan Chenxin's bleeding left hand. "He has already chosen his path, and I will not push him into the Golden Gate."

"Are you aware that by remaining in the Martial Spirit Realm, he lost the protection of the Buddha's destiny?"

"When he saved me, he didn't even ask how much luck I had left."

Faji glanced down at their clasped hands: "Fanchenxin, the Jieyin Sect only recognizes one Buddha bone. Are you willing to return to the temple to cultivate your bones and undergo closed-door trial and admonition?"

Fan Chenxin took out the incomplete Buddhist disciple token from his bosom and held it in front of him with both hands: "I am willing to bear the responsibility of breaking the path and breaking the precepts, and I will not return to the temple alone."

"If the crack in the Buddha's bone continues to widen, your cultivation level will decline."

"The Divine Tree of Myriad Spirits can heal injuries, it's just a bit slow."

"Between your identity as a Buddhist disciple and your personal commitment, would you choose the latter?"

Fan Chenxin sent the Buddha's Disciple Token into the golden light: "I have destroyed my ruthless Dao heart. If I continue to occupy the position of Buddha's Disciple, I will only make the temple bear the burden of my choices."

Faji did not accept the order: "After you return the order to become a Buddhist disciple, you will lose the right to be enshrined in the temple, to transmit the Dharma, and to be qualified to guide others. Your hundred years of cultivation will no longer be counted as merits of a Buddhist disciple."

"I see."

From now on, you will be solely responsible for your actions.

"That's exactly right."

Han Que raised the city defense token: "High monk, isn't his willingness to abandon his Buddhist identity to follow outsiders enough to prove he's under control?"

Faji waved his sleeve and placed down a golden mirror: "The Soul Control Technique will leave a lock mark on the sea of ​​consciousness; Fan Chenxin will enter the mirror on its own."

Fan Chenxin stepped into the mirror light. His shattered Dao Heart, dark golden Buddha bones, and remnants of divine domain poison fire were reflected above the plaza. He could not find the Half Dao Slave Seal in his sea of ​​consciousness.

The golden mirror shone on his wrist again, and a thin red line emerged next to the old Buddhist beads, ending at the dark golden lotus mark on Jiang Yining's collarbone.

Faji stared at the red line for a moment, then put away the Mirror of Verification without explanation: "The charge of soul control is unfounded."

The martial artists on the periphery put down their weapons, and their discussions quickly reached the high platform.

"The child has no restrictions, and the Buddhist practitioner's sea of ​​consciousness has no slave mark, so the offer of a bounty for the hostage is untenable."

"The million blood crystals were obtained using the Chamber of Commerce's abandoned seal. Han Que should first explain the city lockdown."

"Why should Tianhuang City pay for the Pei family's private case?"

Chu Ling Shuang looked up at Han Que: "Uncle Han, your son has stopped taking his medication, and the pharmacist is staying by his bedside. How long will the Northern Inn remain sealed off?"

Han Que opened the medicine pouch at his waist, inside which was only an empty porcelain bottle.

He stood there for a few moments, clutching the empty bottle, before raising the city defense order: "Withdraw the crossbow formations at the North Post Station. Routine inspections will remain in place at the outer city. The reward will be reviewed by the council chamber, and no payment will be made until the review is completed."

The city defense troops received their orders to withdraw, and the sound of chains being removed came from the north of the city.

Faji closed the prayer beads in his palm: "Although the Buddha's bones are broken, the Buddha's breath is not evil. The mind of the Brahma is no longer suitable to be a Buddhist disciple, nor has it violated the precepts against killing or harming living beings."

The gate began to close, and a dark golden Buddhist lamp fell from inside the gate, its wick supporting a white flame.

Fan Chenxin reached out and caught the Buddha lamp: "Is this the punishment the Discipline Hall gave me?"

"The Buddha Lamp of Inquiry is made with Buddha's relics. When it protects the innocent, the lamp will not go out. When someone is harmed due to selfish desires, the Discipline Hall will descend upon it."

"What is the deadline?"

"Once you can distinguish between protecting others and possessing, the Discipline Hall will put away its lamps."

Faji turned the prayer beads, saying, "Recite the Sutra of Protecting Life every day. The Buddhist disciples are ordered to retrieve them from the temple. They are not to act in the name of the Great Thunderclap Temple without being summoned."

Fan Chenxin bowed his head and accepted the order: "I accept the test of my heart."

Faji's gaze fell on Jiang Yining: "The poisonous fire in the Merit Pool and the loss of the outer formation are still under investigation by the Discipline Hall."

"After you find the results, give me a copy."

Jiang Yining said.

"Are you going to hold the Great Thunderclap Temple accountable?"

"I want to know who wants to kill my daughter."

Purple-gold wood patterns appeared on the back of Jiang Yining's hand. "The person behind the scenes is hiding in the Divine Realm, so I will investigate the Divine Realm. If someone opens a door in the temple, I will also go to find that person."

Han Que spoke from the high platform: "She threatened the Buddhist sect in public, as you all heard."

Chu Ling Shuang slammed the sledgehammer on the stage: "She said she was investigating the murderer, but you insisted on changing it to a threat. Are you afraid that Chief Fa Ji won't understand, or that the people in the city will understand?"

A few laughs came from the crowd. Han Que put away the city defense order and did not respond.

Jiang Siyue peeked out from behind Chu Ling Shuang: "Grandpa Monk, can Siyue also testify?"

Faji drew a line of light three zhang in front of the Golden Gate: "Stay outside the line, then you can speak."

Jiang Siyue carried the Fire Spirit Falcon to the light, took out half a spirit fruit from the small bag, and put it into Fan Chenxin's uninjured hand.

"Uncle Fan left water for April in the cave and also looked for medicine for his mother. Even though he couldn't sleep because of the poisonous fire, he never scolded April."

Fan Chenxin knelt down and placed the spiritual fruit back in the child's palm: "This is what you left for the big red chicken."

"The big red chicken stole the Flame Marrow Crystal, so there are no spirit fruits today."

Jiang Siyue shook her head, "Here, take this half. Your wound will heal faster if you eat it."

Upon hearing the punishment, the Fire Spirit Falcon quickly covered its bald tail with its wings and shrank into Jiang Siyue's arms.

Fan Chenxin accepted the spiritual fruit: "Thank you, April."

Faji turned his prayer beads: "The Buddhist order does not use the kindness of children to offset the punishments, but it will record the testimony of the person who was protected."

When the gate closed to the last ten feet, the Buddha's son ordered the message to pass through the crack and fall into the palm of Dharma Tranquility.

"Fan Chenxin, from this day forward, you represent only yourself."

Fan Chenxin watched as the Buddha's Decree disappeared, without reaching out to stop him: "Disciple understands."

"You say that lust and the protection of life can coexist, then this humble monk will see how long you can keep this up."

The Golden Gate closed, the Dharma image dispersed into the sky, and the protective barrier receded from the edge of the square.

As they returned to Beiyi, a light rain began to fall from the sky. Jiang Yining found an old Buddhist rosary in the broken beaded thread from the Fire Spirit Falcon, strung it back together, and tied it back to Fanchenxin's wrist.

"Even if there's only one left, wear it first."

She flattened the beaded thread, saying, "Next time before you put out a fire, look at this, and think about whether you still want your hand."

Fan Chenxin raised her wrist: "It's covered in bird saliva."

"It has also been stained with your Buddha's blood and bones."

Jiang Yining stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the forehead. "You can't wash it all clean, just leave it."

Fan Chenxin stood motionless in the rain, but his hand holding the lamp remained steady, the white flame illuminating his wet eyelashes.

Lou Xiaotian stood guard by the gate of the inn, his fingers pressing against the strap of his gun holster, but in the end he only pushed open the gate for Jiang Yining.

The Heart-Questioning Buddha Lamp rose from Fan Chenxin's shoulder, its white flame splitting into two. One flame rested on his chest, while the other passed over the old Buddhist beads and rushed toward the dark golden lotus mark under Jiang Yining's collarbone.

Fan Chenxin raised her hand to stop it, and the separated flame bypassed her palm and penetrated half an inch into the lotus mark.

Pei Yunji used his sword scabbard to support the base of the lamp, causing the inner ancestral seal to heat up: "The Heart-Questioning Buddha Lamp is testing your Buddha bones, so why are you chasing after her?"

With a crisp sound, the dark golden lotus pattern left by the Merit Pool emerged from Jiang Yining's collarbone, writing four ancient Sanskrit characters along the flame.

Fan Chenxin stared at the character "Fan," his hand stopping in front of Jiang Yining's collar: "Shared karma, shared punishment?"