Liaozhai: A scholar should draw a sword

Chapter 157 The Secret of Qinggang Temple
For some reason, Fang Ping always felt uncomfortable when he entered the monastery.

Under normal circumstances, after a person enters a temple, he will faintly feel a solemn and peaceful atmosphere, just like a paradise.

Just as people can sense an invisible majesty as soon as they enter the Yamen, the reason is similar.

But now, Fang Ping always felt that this temple lacked a solemn atmosphere. When he looked up at the Buddha statue, he didn't have that sense of solemnity. From a human point of view, it was a clay statue.

However, Fang Ping did not show any emotional fluctuations, and let the monk take him to the backyard.

"Two benefactors, there are still a few vacant rooms here, the two benefactors can share one room, or each can live in one room.

After a while, the poor monk asked the little novice to bring some fast food to the two guest officials. "

"Thank you so much..."

While talking, Fang Ping took out a piece or two of silver and said with a smile, "The two of us are bothering you a lot, and a mere thought is worth the money. Master, please don't laugh at me."

"The benefactor is joking, even if it is a penny, it is the benefactor's kindness. Thank you, poor monk."

After finishing speaking, the monk took the silver and bowed to him: "The two benefactors go to rest first, and the poor monk will go to arrange a fast meal."

"Thank you, Master!"

As soon as the monk left, Fang Ping raised his hand at Catcher Chen, signaling him to enter the wing.

After entering, Fang Ping deliberately went out to have a look, then opened the door, and said in a low voice, "Chen Butou, have you noticed anything wrong?"

Chen Butou scratched his scalp in embarrassment: "This...forgive me for being humble and blind, please tell me clearly."

Fang Ping whispered: "There is something wrong with this temple. I don't want to say anything else, just talk about the monk just now. Think about it carefully. From the beginning to the end, did he say a word about Amitabha?"

Chen catcher thought about it, and said: "This...it seems that I have never said it."

"Look, this is a big problem. Usually, Buddhist disciples will chant Amitabha when greeting guests or expressing gratitude.

To put it more simply, you can understand it as a mantra of monks.

However, the monk talked a lot from the gate to the backyard, but did not recite a single word of Amitabha.

Also, I donated one or two taels of sesame oil money. It stands to reason that one or two taels of silver is considered a big deal in such a poor country, right? "

Having said that, Chen Butou couldn't help nodding his head in agreement: "Yes, that's right, it's considered generous for ordinary people to donate ten or twenty."

One tael of silver, that is one thousand wen, how many ordinary people should be used as sesame oil money donated by ordinary people?

"However, that monk is indifferent... You can say that he regards money as floating clouds, but I always feel that he should be too little, or even dismissive..."

"Oh? What does your lord mean?"

"Anyway, something is wrong with this temple, be careful."

"Yes!"

After a while, a young novice came in with a vegetarian meal.

Fang Ping smiled and said, "Thank you, little master."

"You're welcome." The little novice also smiled: "The two benefactors take it slow."

As soon as he left, Chen Butou also had some doubts and said: "That's right, this little novice didn't say Amitabha either. It stands to reason that my lord thanked him. Shouldn't he put his palms together and say Amitabha?"

"In theory, this is the case. Usually, Buddhist disciples will recite a sentence when they meet for the first time. Therefore, there is a possibility that they do not have such a habit."

Chen Butou was stunned: "Could it be...they are fake monks?"

"It's hard to say, anyway, let's observe more."

"Then my lord, this meal..."

Fang Ping shook his head: "Don't eat it, there is probably something wrong with this food."

Afterwards, Chen Butou quietly poured the food out in the grass outside, and simply ate a few mouthfuls of dry food to satisfy his hunger.

"By the way, hide everything that reveals your identity..."

"Yes."

Late at night.

Two dark shadows sneaked into the wing room where Fang Ping and the two slept.

After entering the house, the two turned on the lights in a grand manner, and then began to search around.

At this time, Fang Ping and Chen Butou pretended to be sound asleep, but in fact they were watching each other's every move in secret.

Of course, we must also prevent the other party from making sudden moves.

Of the two guys who walked into the room, one of them was the middle-aged monk who led the way before, and the other was younger, probably in his 20s.

After searching for a while, the younger monk couldn't help cursing: "I thought it was a big fish, but it turned out to be two poor ghosts, and they only brought a dozen taels of silver in total. Are they collecting mountain goods? merchant?"

"It looks like it, but some merchants are very cunning and store the silver in other places, and then withdraw the cash after the supply of goods is organized."

"What should I do?"

"Forget it, restore everything, don't let them notice."

"Oh, it's been a long time since I caught a big fish, and the women didn't get any fresh ones..."

"You boy, don't you really like that woman named Xing'er? Why are you starting to fall in love again?"

"Forget it, that woman was as juicy as a green onion when she first came here, but now she's as thin as a rib, boring..."

"It's still the smart kid who has a smart eye, and found one outside..."

The two began to restore the traces of the previous flipping while talking.

When it was over, he blew out the lights and left the room.

After the two left for a while and confirmed that there was no movement, Catcher Chen gently turned over and glanced at the direction where Fang Ping was sleeping.

Fang Ping pointed to the window.

Chen Butou nodded, then tiptoed to the window and listened for a while, then looked through the crack of the window, and then came back.

"My lord, you are so wise, there is indeed a big problem with this temple."

Fang Ping sat up and sighed: "It seems that those people probably disappeared here.

Judging from the conversation just now, the monks in this temple not only murdered their lives for money, but also robbed them of their sex.

Could it be that I felt something wrong as soon as I entered the temple, including the monks in the temple, and they didn't look like monks..."

At this time, Chen Butou seemed to have thought of something, his face was startled, and he whispered: "My lord, I suddenly thought of something, this temple is an ancient temple, but the monks here are not like monks.

So, could this group of people be a group of robbers who killed the original monk in the temple and then occupied the magpie's nest? "

Having said that, Fang Ping couldn't help but his eyes lit up: "That's right, what you said is very reasonable, this way it can explain why these monks are not like monks, because they are fakes at all.

We can analyze it this way, this group of people was originally a group of robbers, and they ran here for unknown reasons, such as being hunted down by the government.

Then broke into this temple, killed the monks in the temple and replaced them..."

"Yes, it must be so!" Catcher Chen said angrily, "From their conversation just now, they are obviously veterans.

The reason why they didn't attack us was probably because there was not much oil and water, so there was no need to take risks. "

"Yeah." Fang Ping nodded approvingly: "It seems that it is necessary to check this temple carefully."

Hearing this, Chen Butou couldn't help but said: "If it's not like this, my lord will leave here first, and I will investigate alone. In case of any danger, I can get away alone."

Fang Ping couldn't help but smiled: "Chen Butou, although I'm a scholar, I'm not bad in terms of skill. Don't worry, even if the other party finds out, I'm sure to leave."

"Okay, my lord must be careful."

"It's the same for you, remember not to be greedy for success, and evacuate immediately if there is any trouble."

"Yes!"

So, one of the two was by the window, and the other watched through the crack of the door for a while, making sure that there was no one around, then slipped out of the room quietly and closed the door.

"Split up!"

Fang Ping made a gesture, and the two sneaked towards the direction of the monk's room to check what happened...

After about one stick of incense, the two quietly returned to the wing room.

"My lord, I discovered that there is a secret passage in the temple. I saw two monks walking out of the secret passage with my own eyes, talking some unsightly words while walking."

"Well, I also found that two monks gathered together to drink and eat meat, which is completely like a gangster. It seems that this temple has a lot of problems."

"What should I do?"

Fang Ping thought for a while and said, "I'm afraid it will be difficult to control the situation with just you and me. Let's leave here tomorrow morning."

"Yes, my lord."

Early the next morning, the two left the monastery pretending they didn't know anything.

"Chen Butou, hurry back and call someone..."

Fang Ping instructed carefully.

After listening, Chen Butou couldn't help asking: "What about you, my lord? Are you going to stay alone? This is impossible, it's too dangerous."

"It's okay, I won't go to the temple, I'll go to Yushan Township, secretly inquire about..."

In desperation, Chen Butou could only say: "Then...then you must be careful, sir, and don't attract the other party's attention."

"Don't worry, go back quickly, don't delay any longer."

"Yes!"

Chen Butou arched his head, turned around and strode away.

At the time of day and night, Fang Ping came to Yushan Township.

I thought it would be relatively deserted because of the remote location, but I didn't expect it to be quite lively. After walking around, Fang Ping found out that there are several shops here that specialize in selling mountain products.

Some merchants from neighboring counties will also come to Yushan Township to inquire about the market or purchase goods.

As the saying goes, relying on mountains to eat mountains, relying on water to drink water, Yushan Township is rich in products, including various mountain mushrooms, medicinal materials, dried bamboo shoots, smoked and dried game, fur and so on.

Fang Ping chatted with shopkeepers or stall owners on the pretext of inquiring about the market, and finally collected some important clues.

There used to be more than ten monks in Qinggang Temple, and the incense has always been very good. The people nearby often go to the temple to offer incense and pay their vows.

About three years ago, the monks in the temple suddenly became unfamiliar faces, and the people who often went to the temple to burn incense did not know any of them.

The common people were quite puzzled about this, but the monks in the temple explained that monks from the two temples were exchanging ideas on Zen.

The common people didn't think too much about it. After all, the monks in the iron-clad temples and flowing water worshiped Buddha statues, and it didn't matter who became a monk here.

Moreover, Fang Ping also heard that after Qinggang Temple changed a group of monks, it was very effective to ask for a child?
In this way, Fang Ping confirmed his previous speculation that the current monks in Qinggang Temple are all ghosts, and the original monks in the temple must have been killed...

(End of this chapter)