Killing Monks

No matter when or where, Cola Novels is your most loyal reading companion.

Miaoru was killed.

The Buddhist soldiers were captured.

Either of these two things is troublesome enough. The two combined…

Jiechi remained silent for a long time.

"Indeed..." he said slowly, "It's not easy to handle."

To deal with the Golden Shackles Temple, it will be necessary to mobilize Heavenly Realm warriors.

And the Heavenly Realm warriors of the Vajra Temple...

Jiechi raised his head and looked at Miaoyin.

"Come with me to see the abbot."

The two hurried through the many halls and came to the depths of the temple.

The abbot's quarters are located in the most secluded corner of the Vajra Temple. In front of the door are two ancient pine trees, their branches twisted like dragons, blocking out the sky. The bluestone path is covered with pine needles, which are soft and make no sound when you step on them.

The rules of Vajra Temple are very strict. Even someone as important as the supervisor or abbot has to ask for an audience if they want to see the abbot.

The young novice monk went in to announce their arrival, and came out a moment later, bowing and saying, "The abbot invites you both in."

The two pushed open the door and entered.

The abbot's room was not large, but it was decorated in a simple and elegant style.

Facing you is a long table made of rosewood, on which sits a copy of the Diamond Sutra. The scroll is yellowed from frequent use and the edges are worn, indicating that it has been read often.

On the corner of the table sat a brass incense burner, its surface polished to a shine, with faint traces of engraved scriptures. This incense burner was an antique from several hundred years ago.

A painting of a high monk meditating facing a wall hangs on the wall. The brushstrokes are vigorous and the ink is deep and somber. The inscription is by a high monk from a previous dynasty.

Beside the painting is a couplet that reads, "All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows." The calligraphy is simple and elegant, conveying a sense of Zen.

A low table sits by the window, on which sits a set of celadon teaware. The glaze is warm and lustrous like jade, a precious piece from the Southern Tang Dynasty official kiln.

Nothing in the room was new.

Each and every piece exudes the weight of time; this is the abbot's room of Vajra Temple.

The abbot of Jingang Temple, Jiekong, sat on a futon next to a low table.

He looked to be only about fifty years old, with a thin face, slightly closed eyes, and a completely concealed aura. If it weren't for the kasaya he was wearing, one would almost mistake him for an ordinary pilgrim.

But the moment he opened his eyes, his gaze was as steady as a mountain, making people afraid to look directly at him.

Celestial Realm Warrior.

The only Celestial Realm warrior at Vajra Temple.

Jiechi and Miaoyin stepped forward, bowed, and recounted the events at Jinjia Temple in detail.

After listening, Jie Kong remained silent for a moment.

"Based on the decision you made back then," he said slowly, "there wasn't a problem."

Faced with the vast resources of Jinjia Temple, Miaozhi, along with his three junior disciples from the Earth Realm, once again summoned Buddhist soldiers.

Such a force would be enough to wipe out most sects. It would be more than enough to deal with the Golden Shackle Temple.

The only thing they hadn't anticipated was the mirror in Guangyuan's hand.

Or rather, they didn't expect Guangyuan to be able to manipulate that mirror in such a way, killing Miaozhi.

"Among the Buddhist weapons, those two mirrors are quite strange." Jiekong's gaze fell on them. "Those who have wielded these mirrors throughout history have never had a good ending."

He paused.

"Guangyuan has a mirror, and it's probably the same thing."

"However," he looked up at the two of them, "now he has not only a mirror in his hands, but also the Right View Sword that Breaks Illusions."

Jiechi and Miaoyin exchanged a glance but remained silent.

They came to see the abbot, naturally hoping he would help them.

The abbot of Vajra Temple, Jie Kong, is a martial artist of the Heavenly Realm. With a single move, Guangyuan and Jinjia Temple are nothing more than a matter of a flick of his finger.

But what Jiekong said next silenced them.

"At this moment," Jiekong said, "I just can't make a move."

He looked at the two of them.

"As you know, Li Qian and Liu Xing are now pressing the Vajra Temple step by step, emulating the three Martial Emperors of the previous dynasty. As for me, I am doing something big."

"This important matter makes it impossible for me to leave Vajra Temple."

"Because once I leave the Vajra Temple, it's hard to guarantee what Li Qian will do to it."

Jiechi and Miaoyin remained silent.

They understand the current situation better than anyone else.

In the imperial court, the net that Emperor Li Qian of Tang and Prime Minister Liu had been pulling ever tighter.

Those powerful figures who were close to the Vajra Temple fell one by one. Those wealthy people who owed the Vajra Temple money fled one by one.

Unable to collect payments, the deficit is growing larger and larger. They've been robbing Peter to pay Paul for seven or eight years now.

Now, Jinjia Temple has run into trouble again.

Myoji died, and the Buddha's weapons were lost.

I can't swallow this insult.

But what can you do if you can't swallow it?

The abbot cannot intervene.

The Heavenly Realm Warriors are the Vajra Temple's last trump card. Once they leave the capital, who knows what Li Qian and Liu Xing will do?

What if the Vajra Temple has been closed down when I return?

Miaoyin took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed.

"Abbot," his voice was low, "are we... just going to let it go like this?"

Jiekong looked at him and suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it carried an indescribable chill.

"How is that possible?"

His voice was calm, but every word was chilling!

"He killed our Vajra Temple people and stole our Buddhist weapons. How can we let this go? What has become of our Vajra Temple?"

Jiechi raised his head and looked at the abbot.

"However, although I cannot take action myself, I can use someone else to do the dirty work."

He began slowly, recounting each point one by one.

"First, those two Buddhist weapons are coveted. Especially the Right View Sword, which contains the power of all the swordsmen who have wielded it throughout the ages."

He looked at the two of them.

"Spread this message out. Someone will naturally test the waters of Guangyuan for us."

Jiechi nodded.

"Secondly, given our current strained relationship with Jinjia Temple, it would be inappropriate to send them more money. We should use that money to invite a Buddhist monk to protect us."

Miaoyin's eyes lit up slightly.

The Shamen Protectors were the most mysterious organization in the Southern Tang Buddhist Kingdom. On the surface, they were supposed to protect Buddhism, but in reality, they did all sorts of dirty work. Assassination, poisoning, arson, framing—they would do anything as long as the money was right.

"Let them destroy Jinjia Temple," Jiekong said.

"Thirdly, given Jinjia Temple's perverse actions—murdering and seizing the temple, forcing monks to return to secular life—shouldn't we send a message to Shifang Chanlin?"

"Shifang Chanlin" is not a single temple, but an alliance. Famous temples from all over the world are included within it.

Although Jingang Temple was the largest temple in the Southern Tang Dynasty, it was just one of many temples in the Buddhist community.

"And..." Jie Kong continued.

In the world of martial arts, physics is important, but intrigue and trickery are always useful.

At this moment, at Jinjia Temple, the guest master monk Guangfa was receiving a distinguished guest.

The distinguished guest's surname is Li, given name Zhao, and he comes from a well-known wealthy family in Tanhua County.

On the surface, the Li family runs an antique business with three shops, making them quite well-off in the county. But their real income doesn't come from that.

The Li family's real business was tomb raiding.

The Southern Tang Dynasty lasted for hundreds of years, and ancient tombs are found everywhere.

The Li family inherited a set of skills in feng shui, tomb exploration, and exhumation for treasure. Over several generations, their family business grew larger and larger, making them one of the wealthiest households in Tanhua County.

Of course, this cannot be said outright.