Ten li east of the Prefecture city.
There is a mountain named Qituo.
The mountain is not high, but it is extremely wide, stretching across the heavens and earth like a reclining Buddha.
The mountain is lush with trees and ancient cypresses reaching for the sky. A wide path of blue stone steps, totaling nine hundred and ninety-nine, winds its way from the foot of the mountain straight to the summit.
This is the location of Baosha Temple, one of the three major Sects of the Longyou Circuit.
There is an old saying in the Jianghu of the Region: "Across the one thousand eight hundred li of the Region, half of the incense belongs to the Precious Temple."
Although this saying is somewhat exaggerated, it reveals the terrifying depth of this behemoth.
The night was deep.
Yet, Qituo Mountain remained brightly lit.
The massive mountain gate stood tall, with the red paint peeling away to reveal the wood beneath, exuding the gravity accumulated over time.
Behind the mountain gate was the Hall of Heavenly Kings.
It enshrined the glaring Vajra, holding a Magical Artifact and stepping on an evil ghost, looking exceptionally ferocious under the flickering candlelight.
Further back was the Mahavira Hall.
The golden Buddha statue stood several zhang tall, gilded all over, with its eyes lowered, as if looking down upon all living beings, and yet also as if ignoring the mortal world.
On both sides of the hall, the incense burned ceaselessly day and night. Even in the dead of night, the air was filled with a rich scent of sandalwood, mixed with the sweet, cloying aroma of burning butter, making one feel intoxicated upon smelling it.
However, this was merely the surface appearance of Baosha Temple.
Behind these magnificent front halls lay the true core of this massive Sect, and the Foundation that allowed it to stand for hundreds of years in the Region.
According to ancient tradition, Baosha Temple was organized into four halls and one pavilion.
In addition to the Discipline Hall, which specialized in punishment and external warfare, there were the Arhat, Bodhi, and Guest halls, as well as the Scripture Pavilion.
Each had its own duties, and the Rank structure was strict.
...
On Qituo Mountain.
Under the dim moonlight, one could vaguely see a dozen bald heads, with their backsides stuck in the air, frantically digging pits in the forest.
This group of Young Monks looked like birds startled by a bow, sweating profusely, not even bothering to wipe the mud off their robes.
"Senior Brother, how... how much deeper do we need to dig?"
A young novice monk dropped his shovel, shook his aching arms, and muttered, "It's the middle of the night, not even letting people sleep, forcing us to come to this desolate wilderness to suffer."
Slap!
A loud slap landed directly on the young novice monk's bald head.
"Shut up! Do you want to die?!"
The leading martial monk glared and cursed, "If the Superintendent hears you, he'll throw you to feed the Bodhisattva!"
The young novice monk covered his head, shrinking his neck in fear, his eyes turning red, but he dared not make another sound.
He subconsciously glanced to the side.
There, seven or eight sacks were piled up.
The sacks were bulging, and if one looked closely, one could occasionally see slight movements inside, or hear one or two muffled whimpers from those with their mouths covered.
"Senior Brother..."
Another slightly older monk nearby leaned over, his face full of worry.
"Is it necessary for us to do this? It has been some time since the official document from the Demon Suppression Division was issued... yet after so many days, no one has come to search our Precious Temple."
The leading martial monk straightened his back and wiped the cold sweat from his face.
"How is it not necessary? If those officials are watching in the dark, waiting for us to let our guard down, wouldn't we be handing them evidence for no reason?"
"Besides..."
"Even Chief Forgetting Dust... is dead. The Demon Suppression Division seems to be playing for real this time."
At the mention of this name, all the monks present froze noticeably.
Forgetting Dust.
That was the Chief of the Discipline Hall! A powerful expert in the Core Formation Realm!
In their eyes, he was a figure like the heavens; usually, if he stamped his foot, the entire Region would tremble.
Yet such a big figure was gone just like that.
The leading martial monk gritted his teeth, a flicker of fear in his eyes, yet he forced himself to look fierce.
"I don't know where that ruthless person came from, daring to kill even Chief Forgetting Dust! I heard that the official document explicitly states that they will thoroughly investigate all temples within the Region, and anyone found colluding with demons will be executed first and reported later!"
"Executed first and reported later..."
He took a deep breath and looked at the others, "When that time comes, won't we be killed just like that? Even if the Abbot avenges us afterward, so what? Once you're dead, what use is revenge?"
"..."
The surroundings fell into a deep silence.
The logic was indeed sound.
It was true that the Precious Temple was a major Sect in the Region and no one dared to provoke it usually.
But the Demon Suppression Division had gone crazy this time.
Issuing such an official document clearly meant they were going to break ties with the Precious Temple.
The elites and Elders in the temple might not be afraid, but they, as lowly monks, would inevitably be caught and scared witless.
"Alright, stop standing there!"
Seeing the atmosphere was off, the leading martial monk quickly shouted in a low voice, "Hurry up and handle these! As long as they can't find any evidence, our Baosha Temple is, after all, a major Sect in the Region, and with tens of thousands of believers protecting us, they won't dare to act recklessly without reason!"
As he spoke, he stepped forward and kicked a sack that was still slightly wriggling.
"Mmph—"
The martial monk looked impatient, "What a hassle. If it weren't for that Beast being in seclusion, why would these things still be here?"
Several monks hurriedly continued to work hard.
Just then.
Rustle...
A very faint sound of footsteps suddenly echoed in the forest.
"Who?!"
The leading martial monk reacted extremely quickly, turning around abruptly, his precept blade drawn instantly, and shouted sternly, "Who is there playing tricks?!"
The other monks were also startled and hurriedly grabbed the shovels and wooden sticks at hand, staring nervously in the direction the sound came from.
After a few breaths.
"Awoooo—!"
A wolf's howl tore through the night sky, echoing in the depths of the forest.
Hearing this, the young novice monk patted his chest.
"Scared... scared me to death... it turns out it was just a Beast."
The surrounding monks also let out a collective sigh of relief.
Everyone present had practiced martial arts since childhood, and the lowest among them was at the Half-step Hearing the String stage.
The leader had even stepped into the Hearing the String stage for many years; to him, ordinary wild Beasts, even wolves, tigers, or leopards, were no different from chickens or ducks.
Unless it was a demon that had gained power...
But look at where this is.
Not to mention that Baosha Temple had many experts guarding it.
In its depths, there was even that terrifying Bodhisattva here...
What demon would be so blind as to sneak onto Qituo Mountain?
"Alright, stop standing there! Hurry up and work! Don't let a Beast delay our important business!"
The leading martial monk kicked the person beside him.
The monks gave a dry laugh, feeling that their reaction just now was a bit embarrassing, and picked up their tools to continue digging.
Only the slightly older monk paused.
"Strange..."
"What's strange?" The leading martial monk glared at him.
The older monk scratched his bald head and muttered in a low voice:
"Senior Brother... we have been on this Qituo Mountain for over ten years, right?"
"The incense on this mountain is prosperous, with morning bells and evening drums; ordinary Beasts would have stayed far away long ago."
"We have seen wild rabbits and pheasants..."
"But on this Qituo Mountain, when have there ever been wolves?"