After a long pause, Shi Chan replied in a low voice, "This humble monk... understands."
Shi Ning's face was somber as he continued, "Then you should tell your senior brother and the two senior uncles what exactly happened in the 'Fox Tribulation' incident."
Hongcan and Shanhua looked at Shi Ning with suspicion as he pressed Shi Chan for answers. They exchanged a glance and shook their heads in bewilderment. The "Fox Tribulation" incident was something that all Buddhist disciples knew about. Why did Shi Chan need to tell them?
“Senior brother…” Shi Chan looked up at Shi Ning, his face filled with confusion and unease. He knew that Shi Ning’s insistence on asking him about the “fox calamity” incident, which all Buddhist disciples knew about and regarded as a warning, must be because of Liu Li. He… must be planning to take action against Liu Li.
After a long silence, Shi Chan lowered his head again and answered in a low voice: "In ancient times, there was a period when the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan entered the world in a frenzy, seducing Buddhist monks everywhere and corrupting their practice... They used their seductive arts to bewitch monks, destroying their pure Buddhist bodies and firm Buddhist hearts, ruining their practice, and making them have no hope of becoming Buddhas... Some Nine-Tailed Foxes would even drain a monk's life essence and eat his relics, causing him to lose all his cultivation and suffer a tragic death..."
Shi Ning's expression darkened, his face turning cold as he said in a chilling voice, "During that period, the disciples of my Buddhist sect were almost wiped out by the evil fox, and the light of Buddhism was nearly extinguished before it could even shine upon the earth!"
Shi Chan opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, hesitating for a long time before finally saying in a low voice, "But...but this humble monk feels that those disciples who have been bewitched by the nine-tailed fox must be weak-willed. If their Buddhist hearts were firm enough, they wouldn't have been bewitched...In the legends, wasn't there also a patriarch named Fakong who remained completely unaffected by the seductive arts of more than a dozen nine-tailed fox women?"
"Shi Chan!" Shi Ning's face darkened, and he said in a cold voice, "Are you saying that when our Buddhist sect suffers from the fox's calamity, it's not the fox's fault, but rather the fault of our Buddhist disciples' lack of resolve?!"
Shi Chan trembled, hurriedly left the prayer mat and knelt on the ground, saying urgently, "Senior brother, you misunderstand. Shi Chan did not mean that, and had absolutely no such thought!"
Shi Ning took a deep breath to suppress his anger. His expression softened slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "In short, you must understand that as long as our Buddhist sect exists in this world, there must never be a wicked fox. If a wicked fox exists, our Buddhist sect will be destroyed by the wicked fox sooner or later! Shi Chan, your senior brother asks you, did you know before that woman named Liuli was a nine-tailed fox?"
Shi Chan bowed his head deeply to the ground and replied in a low voice, "Shi Chan does not know."
"Okay." Hearing Shi Chan's reply, Shi Ning's expression softened a bit, and he continued to ask, "How did you come to know that nine-tailed fox?"
A look of bewilderment crossed Shi Chan's face, as if he were recalling bygone days. He remained silent for a while, not rising, before replying in a low voice, "Ten years ago, Shi Chan followed my senior brother down the mountain for the first time, searching for traces of the demons. Guided by the local people, we encountered the demons in the dense forest in the southwest of the state. Senior brother, do you remember the monster that hid its aura and watched from the sidelines during the great battle? Senior brother instructed Shi Chan to kill that monster... That monster was Miss Liuli."
A thoughtful expression appeared on Shi Ning's face. After pondering for a long time, he nodded and said, "Oh... is it that faint demonic aura? Then let me ask you, since you knew she was a demon, why didn't you kill her that day?"
Shi Chan replied in a low voice, "Back then, Shi Chan was no match for Miss Liuli and could not kill her."
Shi Ning continued, "Then do you know what kind of extraordinary treasure that fox demon possessed that concealed her demonic aura?"
Shi Chan shook his head and said, "Shi Chan does not know."
Shi Ning said in a deep voice, "This humble monk remembers seeing you with that fox demon many times. Others do not know that she is a fox demon, but you do. Why don't you tell your senior brother or anyone else so that you can kill her?"
Shi Chan's body trembled slightly. He fell silent again. After a long while, he slowly raised his head and looked directly at Shi Ning. His face was expressionless and pale, but his eyes held a hint of determination and recklessness. He let his thoughts run wild and said in a low voice without hesitation, "Miss Liuli is kind-hearted and has not committed any murder. How is she any different from other living beings? This humble monk has never wanted to kill her. This humble monk even wants to convert her and save her from suffering."
Shi Ning's expression grew colder and colder. He frowned and said sternly, "Shi Chan, a demon is a demon, let alone a fox demon. How can we Buddhist disciples tolerate them! You are so stubborn and deluded; haven't you already been bewitched by the fox demon?!"
Shi Chan shook his head and calmly said, "This humble monk is perfectly clear-headed and has not been bewitched by the fox demon. If I were to encounter demons or monsters that harm the common people, I would naturally do everything in my power to eliminate them, without hesitation. However, the Buddha said that all beings are equal. Among demons or monsters, there are also those with pure hearts. They have no sins of killing; they do not kill, steal, lie, or commit adultery. Why should we kill them without cause? Why not convert them and lead them to Buddhism to become followers of the Buddha?"
Shi Ning was speechless for a moment. He paused, then slowly shook his head and said, "Shi Chan, even if what you say is true, our Buddhist sect can tolerate other demons and monsters, but we absolutely cannot tolerate the nine-tailed fox demon!"
“Senior brother…” Shi Chan was about to persuade Shi Ning further, but Shi Ning interrupted him with a wave of his hand.
Shi Ning's face was somber, and he asked in a deep voice, "Shi Chan, let me ask you, do you know where that fox demon's lair is?"
Shi Chan shook his head and said in a low voice, "Shi Chan doesn't know."
Shi Ning was silent for a moment, then pondered and said, "Then, Shi Chan, your senior brother needs you to find that fox demon. She trusts you, and your senior brother wants you to find out the nest of the nine-tailed fox clan from her so that you can annihilate the entire evil fox clan and leave no trace of trouble!"
Shi Chan's expression changed. He looked directly at Shi Ning and slowly shook his head, saying, "Senior brother, please forgive me. I have never lied to anyone since I entered the sect. I do not want to lie to Miss Liuli in order to find out the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan's lair. I do not want to use her trust to harm her and her entire clan. I do not want to use myself as a pretext to start a meaningless massacre."
"Shi Chan!" Shi Ning shouted sternly, "This humble monk sees that you have truly been bewitched by the evil fox! What is meaningless killing? We are merely trying to nip the 'fox calamity' in the bud, to avert a catastrophe for our descendants! If we allow the evil fox to live on, the 'fox calamity' will inevitably recur, and it is very likely to completely destroy the foundation of our Buddhism, extinguishing the glory of our Buddha! Shi Chan, is that the scene you want to see?!"
Shi Chan paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "This humble monk does not wish to see the 'Fox Tribulation' incident repeat itself, but this humble monk also believes that the brilliance of Buddhism will never be extinguished. If all Buddhist disciples can cultivate a Buddha-like mind and have a steadfast will, then the 'Fox Tribulation' incident will absolutely not happen!"
Shi Ning rose with a flick of his sleeve, angrily saying, "In my humble opinion, the 'Fox Tribulation' incident has already been repeated. Shi Chan, your heart has long been bewitched by the fox demon! The fox demon will destroy you, and will gradually destroy my entire Buddhist sect!"
Filled with anger, Shi Ning turned his gaze to Hong Can and Shan Hua, only to see the two of them looking at each other and shaking their heads at the same time. A hint of regret could be clearly seen in their eyes.
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