"Saint Monk!" Ah Fu gasped, pulling on the reins to halt his horse as he spotted Ethan Shu in the distance.
"Where are you headed, Saint Monk?"
Ethan Shu's figure seemed to draw nearer with each step, bathed in starlight and moonlight that gently illuminated his white monk robes.
In this calm moment, he appeared approachable, his manner dignified yet gentle, inspiring both respect and closeness in those who encountered him.
But in moments of demon-slaying, Ethan Shu was entirely different, becoming fierce and resolute, exuding an aura that left no room for resistance. He could shift from the demeanor of a compassionate Bodhisattva to that of a formidable Arhat or a guardian Vajra.
Ethan Shu stopped in front of the horse.
Respectfully, Ah Fu dismounted, not daring to converse with Ethan Shu from atop the horse.
Ethan Shu, leaning on his purple-gold monk staff, spoke calmly, "This humble monk opened his Dharma Eye and perceived the web of karma. I knew Squire Li would send you to find me tonight."
"I couldn't bear the thought of Squire Li's son suffering, so I set out early and happened to run into you."
Ah Fu was filled with both admiration and amazement.
"I hadn't realized the depth of your Buddha wisdom, Saint Monk. Young Master's condition worsened, and Squire Li believed in your abilities after hearing how you'd been spreading good karma in town. So he prepared silver and sent me to fetch you quickly. I hope you won't mind yesterday's incident."
Ah Fu's tactful manner spoke of his loyalty to Squire Li.
Ethan Shu replied, "Yesterday was but a link in the chain of karma. And this humble monk is not so petty as to hold a grudge over minor matters."
"Let's go. We mustn't keep Squire Li and his son waiting."
"Yes, of course, Saint Monk. Let's hurry." Ah Fu held out the reins.
"Saint Monk, please take this steed."
Ethan Shu laughed heartily. "Your steed couldn't keep up with this humble monk's pace."
With that, he took off, light as a swallow, his white robes soon fading into the night.
"Saint Monk is truly extraordinary!" Ah Fu exclaimed, mounting his horse to catch up with him.
Ah Fu realized that Ethan Shu hadn't even mentioned money the entire time.
It wasn't long before they arrived at Squire Li's mansion. Ah Fu quickly led Ethan Shu to the room where Li Moxuan was bound.
Seeing Ah Fu return, Squire Li exclaimed, "Ah Fu, you didn't manage to bring the Saint Monk?"
Before he could finish, Ethan Shu stepped over the threshold.
"Saint Monk!" Squire Li's face lit up with joy.
Beside him, Ah Fu said, "Master, the Saint Monk is here!"
Squire Li's wife muttered sarcastically, "So this is the so-called saintly mon—"
But before she could finish, she caught sight of Ethan Shu and froze, her thoughts filled with one word:
"Handsome!" she thought.
"What a strikingly handsome monk… If only he hadn't taken his vows…"
Her mind began to wander.
Unaware of his wife's musings, Squire Li hurriedly turned to Ethan Shu.
"Saint Monk, please, take a look at my son's condition! If you can cure him, I'd gladly give you a hundred taels of gold—even my entire fortune!"
With a firm stride, Ethan Shu moved through the group and stopped before the bound Li Moxuan, his expression troubled.
"Squire Li, your son carries a karmic tumor."
"A karmic tumor?" Squire Li and the others were puzzled, having never heard of such a thing.
When Daoist Master Kuxuan had treated Li Moxuan, he hadn't mentioned anything about a karmic tumor.
Ethan Shu explained calmly, "A karmic tumor, as the name implies, is a malignant growth in the body born of deep karmic burdens."
"What?!" Squire Li was shocked. "Saint Monk, there must be a mistake! My son may not have grown up praying daily, but he is a gentle scholar who wouldn't harm a fly. How could he carry such a heavy burden of karma?"
Ethan Shu glanced at him, replying, "Then it is not his karma but the karma of someone close to him that has taken root in his body."
Squire Li's heart sank, his face turning pale.
His wife shouted, "What kind of monk spreads such nonsense?! Who are you calling sinful?"
Ethan Shu closed his eyes, put his hands together, and chanted, "Amitabha."
Rrrgh! Li Moxuan, gripped by a wild rage, broke his restraints, tearing the ropes as he lunged at Ah Fu.
The other servants tried to hold him back, but this gentle scholar suddenly displayed immense strength, flinging two strong men aside as if they were rag dolls.
At that crucial moment, Ethan Shu appeared before Li Moxuan and pressed his Buddha-imprinted palm to his forehead.
"Sit!"
With a single push, Ethan Shu sent him stumbling back into his chair.
Squire Li shouted, "Quick! Bind him again!"
But Ethan Shu stopped them.
"There's no need."
He began to chant, "Purple Copper Bowl of mighty weight, subdue all evil, all malice, all demons!"
Setting an ordinary-looking purple-gold bowl on Li Moxuan's lap, Ethan Shu's powerful aura took hold.
Though the bowl appeared light, Li Moxuan found it as heavy as a mountain, pinning him to the chair.
Li Moxuan roared and thrashed, reaching desperately with his arms, but his lower body remained firmly anchored to the chair.
Everyone around watched, bewildered at this miraculous sight—a simple bowl subduing Li Moxuan's rampage.
Squire Li stammered, "Saint Monk… what is this?"
Ethan Shu replied, "The bowl is a monk's alms vessel, a bearer of karma."
"Karma can be as light as a feather, or as heavy as a mountain."
"A true enlightened monk's alms bowl can subdue even the most powerful demons and devils. Holding down a karmic tumor is a simple matter."
"Now, let's discuss your matter."
Ethan Shu's calm, penetrating gaze turned to Squire Li, seeming to pierce through his very soul.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]