Chapter 27: Yuan Fang |
Kuangai County, small Southern Mountain.
On the wooded mountain, deep within the forest where complete silence reigned, three riders appeared. They shattered the quiet, occasionally startling the beasts and birds in the bushes.
In the forest's shade stood a pavilion, inside which was a stele, protecting it from rain and wind. The inscription on the stele had been weathered by time. *Southern Mountain Monastery*.
Song Yang Qing, Su Yi Tian, and Cheng Gui Shuo halted their horses and gazed at the monastery's inscription. Once they confirmed they had arrived at the correct place, Song Yang Qing raised his head and began to look around. A little higher, he saw winding steps leading upwards. Amidst the dense forest, a building with rounded roof corners was visible. That must have been the monastery. Song Yang Qing gave a signal, and Su Yi Tian urged his horse forward. Song Yang Qing followed, with Cheng Gui Shuo bringing up the rear.
The monastery's peak resembled an ancient castle. And right before the temple doors, a young monk was sweeping the ground. As soon as the three men dismounted, he stepped forward:
— Esteemed sirs, it's already dark. I don't know...
Song Yang Qing glanced sideways at him and, paying him no mind, pushed him aside. Su Yi Tian and Cheng Gui Shuo, leading their horses, entered the monastery. The monk quickly scurried inside and reported to the others.
Very quickly, over ten monks ran out with staffs and blocked the three riders' path. Each monk had gray hair and looked quite impoverished.
Song Yang Qing took a pouch from his waist and tossed it to the monks.
— Money for incense. Prepare a room for us to rest and feed the horses. Song Yang Qing said indifferently.
— Ah, so it's benefactors!— a monk ran out from the hall. He waved his hand, signaling the other monks to drop their staffs.
— In these troubled times, many bandits have appeared on the mountain. So when we saw you sirs barging into the temple, we immediately thought you were enemies. It turns out we were mistaken. Come inside, come inside.— The monk gestured towards the reception hall.
The three no longer led their horses, as someone had begun looking after them. Meanwhile, the armed monks started picking up the coins from the floor.
— Are you... the head of this monastery?— Song Yang Qing, his hands clasped behind his back, asked.
— No, no. This humble monk is Ru Huei, merely the head of the eastern courtyard.— Ru Huei replied courteously. He began fawning over Song Yang Qing as if he were a patron.
Song Yang Qing cast a sidelong glance at him: "Have the abbot come and see me."
Ru Huei shook his head: "To our great regret, the abbot has gone to visit some friends and will only return tomorrow!"
It was already night, and Song Yang Qing and the others stayed in the reception hall for the night.
Not long after, the kitchen fire was extinguished. Two young monks brought in the alms (food), then left.
Su Yi Tian looked at the food. It was quite simple: rice with vegetables in broth. Su Yi Tian took out a porcelain flask and poured some white powder into the pot. Taking a spoon, he began to stir. Gradually, the food darkened, making Su Yi Tian sigh and say: "— Brothers!"
Song Yang Qing and Cheng Gui Shuo approached, their expressions changing. The food was poisoned. Who would have thought that monks, who looked so grateful, would do such a thing?
— A bunch of bald monks!— Cheng Gui Shuo gnashed his teeth, already preparing to confront the monks.
Song Yang Qing stopped him with a hand and, gathering everyone close, began to whisper.
After this, Su Yi Tian poured the soup into a corner, then tidied the table. Then, exchanging glances amongst themselves, the three men fell to the ground and lay still.
Half an hour later, someone peered through a crack in a corner, observing the situation inside the reception hall. A little later, footsteps were heard from behind the hall. Two monks with staffs entered, and behind them walked an old monk of short stature, thin, with dark skin and a long gray beard. This monk was quite hunched, yet a gleam shone in his eyes. This was the abbot of the monastery, Yuan Fang.
One disciple approached and illuminated the pot:
— The pots are empty.
Looking at the people lying on the ground, Ru Ming, the head of the western courtyard, clasped his hands and said:
— We've sinned, we've sinned. Abbot, we've killed people again!
Abbot Yuan Fang sighed:
— In this tumultuous age, ordinary folk cannot even care for themselves, let alone a temple. And the Southern Mountain Monastery is so far from the city, in such remote places. Who would want to come here at such a time and offer donations? What are we to do then? We need to hold on for a few more years, and then I will definitely be able to restore the temple in the city, and our alms will increase. Then we won't have to act like this.
— Ah...— several monks sighed.
Ru Huei waved his hand, and several young monks approached the three men.
But who would have known that one monk would suddenly scream:
— Aaaah!
Su Yi Tian swiftly kicked him, sending him flying and knocking down the others in his path.
Song Yang Qing quickly rose, also seized a monk's staff, and said with a sneer:
— A bunch of swindlers chasing riches!
After speaking, he struck that monk, and cracking sounds echoed. He then swiftly grabbed the sword from his back and drew it before him.
In an instant, three swords flashed through the air, and the monks with staffs began to retreat. In a single moment, much blood flowed. The monks were utterly unable to resist them. Only Abbot Yuan Fang stood against them, waving his staff and giving the other monks a chance to flee.
— So, it's a demonic being!— Song Yang Qing sneered.
Yuan Fang was clearly no match for Song Yang Qing and the others. Aside from brute strength, his cultivation was negligible. He could barely return a blow to anyone.
But what astonished them was how Yuan Fang's robes were already shredded, yet it seemed to cause no harm to Yuan Fang himself. It looked as though he was wearing armor. Otherwise, he would have long perished. Beneath his robes, something hairy could already be seen. And when they finally sliced through his clothes, a metallic clang echoed from the sword.
However, the three men could not hack Yuan Fang apart; they could only try to pierce him. But even that was difficult. From Yuan Fang, blood was already dripping in turn. After several sword attacks, blood was flowing over his skin.
The few men fought, and their battle moved to the courtyard. Song Yang Qing gave a signal, and Su Yi Tian and Cheng Gui Shuo stopped fighting. The three men, with startled faces, surrounded Yuan Fang.
It seemed all the monastery's monks had rushed here. Only those already slain by Song Yang Qing and the others, numbering over 10, did not come. Now, over 20 monks stood at a distance from the three disciples. They clearly feared approaching the skilled Song Yang Qing and the others, but they also could not retreat.
Yuan Fang, bleeding, picked up his staff and began to spin it. He glared fiercely at the three men.
— Do you wish to live or die?— Song Yang Qing asked in a cold tone.
Yuan Fang replied through gritted teeth: "— If you want to live, then release me!"
Song Yang Qing:
— Of course, but you must do something for me. Only by obediently listening to me can you open a monastery in the city. I will help you with this. I can even ask the ruling house to issue you an official certificate. Otherwise, no matter where such demonic beings flee, they can always be found. And demon slayers will not let you go!
Song Yang Qing took out a tablet and showed it.
When Yuan Fang saw the characters on the tablet, his pupils constricted...
After some time, the monks were already clearing away the corpses of their brethren.
Song Yang Qing and the others had already entered another, cleaner room. Then, Yuan Fang, freshly bandaged, entered. Only now did the three disciples see what looked like metallic fur on him, and they realized that this was an unformed spirit, not a hermit.
Watching Yuan Fang carefully put on new clothes over his wounded body, Song Yang Qing couldn't help but ask:
— As far as I know, this monastery has stood for a long time. How could a group of monks make a demonic being their abbot?
The three men were surprised by this fact.
Yuan Fang replied with a bitter smile:
— In truth, I... am not Abbot Yuan Fang...
And when he had told everything, Song Yang Qing and the others understood.
It turned out that the true Yuan Fang had passed away two years ago. And this one was, in fact, a bear that the monks had adopted 200 years ago near the monastery. Perhaps because he constantly heard Buddhist teachings, a spirit gradually awakened within him. And he learned the technique of absorbing the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth. As a result, the bear gradually began to cultivate. And when he finally embarked on the path of a cultivator, he transformed precisely into Abbot Yuan Fang. Only his cultivation was insufficient, which is why he transformed into a human with a defect.
As he had said earlier, in these turbulent times, the temple on Southern Mountain fell into destitution. While the original Abbot Yuan Fang was alive, he somehow managed to procure provisions and sustenance for the temple from outside. But as soon as he died, hard times fell upon them. And it was this Yuan Fang who was appointed abbot of the monastery. Only this fellow, in order to fulfill his master's wish, went down a bad path. In his pursuit of wealth, he began killing people in the temple. Moreover, he gathered disciples and robbed people on the road. This is how their monastery endured these times. However, some disciples, without a word, left the monastery. They could not understand how a Buddhist monastery could commit such deeds. Therefore, half of the monks left, and Song Yang Qing and the others killed a few more.
— In truth, I've done quite a few good things. In the vicinity, however many bandit gangs and robbers there were, I, along with the monks, wiped them all out. If one bandit gang appears, I'll wipe out that one gang. Those bandits... are despicable scoundrels. They kill and rob people, and they take women with them. And it doesn't matter to them... whether one is poor or rich. I, on the other hand, only rob the rich and sometimes give things to the surrounding villages, or we give them provisions. And now, all the surrounding areas are cleared of bandits, and the villages live in peace. No one even locks their homes. Even if they don't know it's the Southern Mountain Monastery, they certainly won't speak ill of us.— Yuan Fang strongly emphasized this point. He wanted to be seen as a good person.
Song Yang Qing and the others widened their eyes and their mouths fell open in astonishment. They were utterly taken aback by the actions of this abbot. Indeed, he seemed more like the head of some bandit gang.