The young guard stood confused, clearly never facing such a situation. The soldiers nearby looked even more scared, their spears pointed at us.
I stayed calm, sensing several streams of True Essence rushing toward us from afar. Two Foundation Building cultivators and three Refining Qi cultivators. If we fought, they were no match for me.
Soon, two monks in gray robes pushed past the soldiers and approached me. Behind them followed three more monks dressed as fighters.
Upon seeing me, the lead monk paused, then looked at Yun'er and the others. In that moment, I saw a flash of greed in his eyes. Though he hid it quickly, I was sure I didn't imagine it. It seemed Zhang Dao was right after all.
The monk quickly focused on me. Clasping his hands in respect, he approached and bowed: "Amitabha Buddha. Forgive this humble monk. I am Zhengde, steward of Lingyin Temple. Hearing the Buddha statue show its divine power and chant the Buddha's name, I thought a great monk had arrived."
"Yet you are clearly not a Buddhist practitioner, nor are your companions. So, it must be that you carry relics left by one of our great masters after his passing. This likely caused the stone Buddha to chant with joy."
"This monk has been rude. May I see these relics?"
It was indeed rude. I looked at Monk Zhengde and spoke slowly, "What if I say no?"
Everyone heard the arrogance in my tone, and the air grew tense.
Mo Qing's horse shook its head and moved closer behind Yun'er and Man'er. Man'er walked to her mother's side and held Yun'er's hand.
"Our great monk, who practiced virtue and kindness in life, how can his remains wander the world, after death? Your coldness, benefactor, puts this humble monk in a tough spot…"
Zhengde sighed repeatedly, as if I were the true sinner. At that moment, the monks giving out soup outside gathered around, joining the soldiers to surround me.
Did this mean they planned to take it by force?
"How dare you! Step back now! Such robbery! Do you want to shame Lingyin Temple?"
Just as tensions peaked, an angry shout came from outside. All turned to see a young monk in a deep red robe, his brows furrowed in anger, striding toward the center.
This monk was strikingly handsome, one could call him a beauty. After being scolded by this monk, Zhengde and his men didn't dare argue and fell silent like scolded children.
"Master Kong… Kongyan…"
Kongyan ignored Zhengde, striding to my side and bowing with palms pressed together. "Forgive us. I am Kongyan, second-in-command of Lingyin Temple. Our monks acted wrongly and disturbed you all. Please accept our deepest apologies."
For some reason, after Kongyan's words, my mind felt strangely calm. Not just me, but the soldiers around us also looked peaceful, lowering their weapons one by one.
"It's nothing. Just a misunderstanding. Not worth mentioning."
The words barely left my mouth when I froze. This didn't sound like me. Yet oddly, I didn't resist it. It was as if every word and action of this monk Kongyan had some strange charm.
I startled myself with that thought. Could I secretly be gay? Thankfully, the idea sent a chill down my spine, and I felt relieved. I still preferred beautiful women, I was perfectly normal.
"Your kindness is deeply appreciated," Kongyan bowed again before turning sharply to Zhengde. "You have broken temple rules, violating the precepts of greed and anger. I sentence you to remove your robes, lose your positions, and enter the Penitence Grove for three years of reflection. Do you object?"
At the mention of the Penitence Grove, Zhengde and the other monks paled with fear, as if the place held terrible fear in their heart. Zhengde collapsed to his knees: "Uncle Master, spare my life… Uncle Master…"
"Crying and whining! What a disgrace! Take him back! Double his punishment!"