Chapter 1240: Chapter 824: Human Root (Part 2)
One thing is certain, they still have a mission to deliver bodies tonight.
After a brief discussion, the four of them decided to take the things back to the temple and meet up with Musa and the others.
Nothing happened on the way, and after returning to the temple, the four found Musa and his three companions near a pavilion by the Outer Buddha Hall. Musa was leading Datu Supa in searching through materials, with many books and booklets spread out on the ground and on the tables.
After sharing the clues they had found with Musa, his reaction was intense. He immediately searched through the pile of books and finally found a booklet.
In the booklet, they found the name Miduka.
"No wonder those high monks did this, turns out they were eunuchs!" Datu suddenly understood.
"Eunuchs?" Hafeez was bewildered, "Those high monks?"
Musa signaled everyone not to rush and shared the clues their team had found. They obtained Pato Abbot’s permission, found the secret room where six high monks meditated and studied Buddhism, and brought out important books and booklets, discovering the secular names of the six high monks, one of whom was Miduka.
Furthermore, there were many ornaments with snake-like symbols in the secret room. Upon verification, these were the emblems of the exterminated Ruan Family Dynasty, leading Musa to suspect these high monks had sneaked out from the royal court.
The Ruan Family Dynasty was notorious for its brutality and aversion to Buddhists. Under their extreme rule, Buddhist monks suffered a great calamity.
They massacred many temples, executing adult monks and sending young monks, after castration, into the court as lowly eunuchs to atone for their sins.
Based on the timeline estimation, these six high monks were once persecuted, which was further confirmed by the box Yang Xiao and the others found.
"The high monks were once eunuchs; being incomplete while practicing Buddhism is a great disrespect. This was the biggest secret of the six high monks," Musa lamented, "They longed to repair their incomplete bodies, until they heard the secret inadvertently revealed by the tavern shopkeeper."
It was this secret that brought the people of "River Immortal Village" to the brink of disaster.
"Oh right, look at this." Musa pulled out another blue-covered booklet.
Yang Xiao accepted it and opened it. It was a ceremonial booklet, recording major temple events such as chanting and praying, suppressing evil spirits, gilding for the Buddha, renovating the Inner Buddha Hall, and so on.
The duration for regular events like chanting and praying typically lasted between 5 to over ten days, while refurbishing a Buddhist Hall wouldn’t exceed 20 days. Yet Musa turned to a page and opened it for Yang Xiao to see; it was a ritual for suppressing evil spirits that lasted over a month.
Yes, they were suppressing the evil spirits of the flood-submerged village, the so-called River Immortal Village.
The timing was coincidental; just a few days after the incident, the six high monks secluded themselves in the Inner Buddha Hall and publicly declared they were chanting to suppress the underwater evil spirits.
They believed the inhabitants of that remote mountain village were not humans but evil spirits practicing witchcraft, and the flood was a divine punishment.
"I asked the monks in the temple, only the six high monks participated in the suppression ritual, and they sealed off the Inner Buddha Hall, forbidding anyone from entering."
"Even the offerings were left outside, and after placing them, one must leave quickly without peeking, or face punishment from Buddha."
"These were the instructions given by the high monks."
"After this so-called suppression ritual, the temple gained healing powers, and according to the monks in the temple, after the seclusion ended, the six high monks were in very good spirits," Musa accounted.
"They captured that Ghost and used it to heal their disabilities." This was an easy conclusion to draw, Yang Xiao nodded in agreement.
"Exactly, and there’s one more thing; during their seclusion, the high monks even had the Buddha statue at the forefront of the Inner Buddha Hall refurbished and repainted."
"Additionally, they created another Golden Buddha, the same one we used to weigh down the coffin during our night funerals," Musa added.
Yang Xiao immediately recalled that Golden Buddha, which was hollow and plugged underneath.
"I know where they hid the Ghost," Yang Xiao took a deep breath.
"I know too," Adila shrugged.
Obviously, these high monks, in a crazed state, hollowed out the Buddha statue and stuffed the Ghost inside.
In fact, Yang Xiao had long suspected this; the girl Aduo had once told him that during the "healing" ceremony, she was asked to kneel and worship Buddha. She secretly peeked and caught a glimpse of a dark, terrifying figure.
Now that they’ve found the Ghost’s hiding place, Maria suggested they should go to the Inner Buddha Hall while it was still daylight, smash open the Buddha statue, and destroy the Ghost’s hiding place, perhaps limiting it.
"Smashing the Buddha statue will make quite a noise; those monks might fight us to the death!" Datu, who already was at odds with Maria, immediately rebuked.
"Then don’t come, just stay here and wait to die!" Maria was not one to be outdone.
Seeing the situation on the brink of losing control, Musa, who had face on both sides, stepped in and calmed things down with a few words. He also agreed that they must smash open the statue to investigate, but they need to be mindful of their approach.
"Don’t say it has anything to do with those six high monks, just say the Evil Spirit got in by itself, attempting to use Buddha’s shell to deceive the heavens, gaining incense and practicing evil techniques."
"If it succeeds, all the monks in the temple, even the entire town, will perish," Yang Xiao said, thinking out loud.
"Will they believe it?" Maria asked, "I don’t think Pato is easy to fool; he’s not stupid at all."
"Whether he believes it or not is not important, as long as he agrees to our plan," Yang Xiao confidently replied, believing this was one of their few chances.
"What if he disagrees?" Maria persisted.
"He knows the current situation in the town, with too many already dead. Since he’s a smart person, I think he’ll agree," Yang Xiao explained.
"Ha, let’s hope your clever brain has it right," Maria sneered.
"Snap!"
Unable to contain his fury any longer, Yang Xiao quickly slapped Maria, catching her off guard and sending her sprawling to the ground.
Sitting on the ground, holding her face, Maria’s mind buzzed in shock.
She never expected, nor dared to think, that Yang Xiao, who seemed good-natured, would dare hit her.
"Everyone’s trying to figure out how to survive. If you have a solution, say it; if not, shut up. If you keep being sarcastic, I’ll kill you!"
This was a high-stakes gamble. Although Yang Xiao appeared calm, he was far from confident inside.
That day they went to find Pato there would only be two results: if he agreed, the mission continued; if not, Yang Xiao and the others would have to find another way.
But there was also a third possibility, where Pato Monk, knowing the crimes the six high monks committed, would kill Yang Xiao and the rest to silence them once he realized their conspiracy was about to be exposed.
Although this probability was low, it couldn’t be completely ignored. If it came to that, they’d have no way out.
Yang Xiao spoke not too loudly but was very resolute, with a chill flickering in his eyes. Maria, already about to act out earlier, backed down completely at this moment.
After confirming Maria wouldn’t cause any more trouble, Yang Xiao turned and walked out, the others following one by one, including Maria, who got up and quietly tagged along.
Upon encountering a water-fetching monk, they quickly came to a meditation room where Pato Monk was reading scripture, along with other monks with ranks in the temple, including the Black-clothed Ajahn and Monk Kru.
After Yang Xiao explained the excuse he’d crafted after much deliberation, the monks present were first stunned, then their expressions darkened one by one.
Daring to say the Evil Spirit was hiding in the temple, inside the Buddha Statue in the Inner Buddha Hall; once this statement got out, the hard-earned reputation of the temple would be utterly ruined.
"No way!" The Black-clothed Ajahn, holding a precept blade, stood up first, "Absolutely not!"
"Yes, no way!"
"The sacred ground of Buddhism cannot be a place of filth and dishonor; this is blaspheming Buddha!" Another hot-tempered monk stood up, face flushed red.
Seeing the situation about to get out of hand, Pato Monk, sitting on the central mat, slowly stood up, pressed his palms together, and solemnly bowed to Yang Xiao and the others, "Then I’ll trouble you all."
With this statement, not only the other monks but also Yang Xiao’s group was shocked.
Yang Xiao stared in astonishment at Pato Monk’s face, only to see an unusually calm expression, with deep and profound features, like an unfathomable sea.
"Fellow monks, say no more. I am the temple abbot, and I have already made my decision."
"I alone will bear all consequences arising from this; no blame shall fall on my fellow monks or the disciples under our temple’s governance."
