“LET ME GO!!!”

All the screaming and curses didn’t seem to disturb all the monks who were sitting and chanting sutra in unison. They were sitting on eight terraced pyramids where each stairs led to a giant statue of Buddha perching on the top of huge lotus flower. The Buddha statue was in meditating position; one palm facing forward and the other laid on his laps. There on the downward palm situated the raging man. Jun Mian was screaming as faint rainbow-colored light was pouring over him, entrapping him in a ball of light.

Yi Fan was sitting on the spot directly across the palm, in the closest line where the most scholar and wisest monks sat down in gray, in contrast to the lesser experienced monks who were draped in white. He, along with all the monks, was focusing his mind into the sutra enchantment, trying to ignore the raging screams that hurt his ears. It had been an overnight effort and so far it didn’t show the result, but Yi Fan had noticed that Jun Mian’s shouting had gone more. It was a predicament that the demons inside him were showing a sign of surrender already by showing more agitation and agressiveness.

However, just as the first cockerel shouted its first crowing at dawn, there was a loud noise echoing in the background, penetrating the layers of walls and doors inside the great hall, slowly stopping the activity of the monks. Yi Fan opened his eyes and quickly scanned the surrounding. The chanting sound had almost faded, only the monks closest to Buddha statue hadn’t stopped chanting yet.

“Continue with the chanting! Do not stop! The man is almost purified! We can’t stop now!”

The chant quickly resurfaced. Yi Fan looked at Xiu Min beside him.

“That is the sign of danger, Master,” Xiu Min looked warily. Yi Fan didn’t need any explanation, the giant conch flutes were never blown if there was no great danger approaching Jinshan Temple.

“I know. You stay here. Lead them. I will check what has happened.”

He leaped in the air and touched the ground outside the meditating monks. He quickly ran outside and went to outer hall where the novice level monks were practicing sutra by themselves.

“Disciples! Submit!”

All the monks quickly put their books neatly and gathered together before Yi Fan, bowing at him respectfully.

“As you know, your brothers are inside doing the spells to purify a man who has been possessed by demons in Lei Feng Pagoda. You are too young to do that so you were instructed to stay here and do your own reading of sutra. However, I assumed you heard the blowing of the conch just now. It is a sign of danger. You all go to all the entrance into this building and seal them. Do not let any door and window open! After that, go join the others in Great Hall. Bring along your sutra and read the purifying enchantment in it. You get it?”

“Yes, Master!”

“Now go!”

That dismissed all the remaining monks. Yi Fan ran outside followed by several monks behind him. As he stepped his feet outside the monks closed the huge door behind him, sealing the giant wooden frame with huge Chinese enchantment. All their compatriots did the same with every opening into the building.

Inside the Great Hall, just as Yi Fan left them, Xiu Min shouted.

“Maximum protection in force!”

All the monks raised their prayer beads where the monks next to them grabbed their beads and held them. It created unbreakable chain where all the monks were connected to each other without leaving any vacant space between them.

“Now we cast Luo Han spell! Keep chanting, no matter what happens! Any interruption will kill him! Get ready!”

Now all the monks inside plus several monks that just came start chanting Luo Han spell together. Jun Mian began screaming more ferociously now, begging them to stop. However, the monks had been instructed to keep going and nothing would stop them already as how Xiu Min had commanded them.

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Yi Fan stood in the front gate of Lei Feng pagoda, in the middle of open gazebo overlooking to huge lake before the pagoda. His eyes were stuck on a giant standing Buddha statue facing the wide body of water between two mountains. The lake was at its calmest yet he could sense a great danger was swirling in the air and approaching the holy temple.

His sense was approved as he saw a giant surge of water was making its way into the temple. There was nothing there but Yi Fan’s inner eyes watched intently in its center. Two shimmering lights were moving forward, white and green.

“It is you, as I predicted….”

 The stream was coming closer. It leapt in the air, creating a small tsunami that washed the front part of the porch. From inside the water came the two lights that glowed and in an instance turned into two handsome men in white and green.

“Leave! You have trespassed holy ground!”

Lu Han stepped forward, looking at the monk with hatred in his eyes.

“Yi Fan! You bastard! Give back Jun Mian!”

Yi Fan smirked, shaking his head.

“You should be thankful you’re not dead. Why bother proceeding to further trouble? Your so called husband has sacrificed himself for you. Don’t you have any heart to stop torturing him and leave him forever?”

Lu Han looked indignantly at him. “Release him and I’ll go at once.”

“He stole the spirit herb for you, the one I assumed you have used to heal yourself. However, he is in a great danger since all evil spirits guarded by the spirit herb possessed him. We’re trying to save his life now by getting rid of the spirits. It is also purifying him from your aura that has contaminated him.”

“Contaminated him? Me?” Lu Han startled, but his hot-headedness appeared again. “I want to see him first.”

“No, you can’t,” cut Yi Fan. “He is in a life and death struggle. Interrupting the ritual will end his life and threated those around him.”

Yi Fan sighed deeply.

“Relationships between humans and demons never bring any good. I told you that long time ago.”

Lu Han was hurt by the monk’s word. Is it true? Do I really only bring him to Jun Mian?

But Shi Xun put his hand on his brother’s shoulder, anger was radiating in the air.

“You scum! Your only purpose in life is just coming between my brother and Jun Mian! If you don’t release him, my brother and I will fight you!”

Shi Xun spun in his spot, followed by Lu Han, and two identical swords appeared in the air. The swords leapt in the air and found their way to Yi Fan. Prepared with the action, he slayed his stick to block the attack. He chanted a protection when the swords regenerated themselves into hundreds, trying to stab or cut the monks in every available spot. However, Yi Fan was not weak. He jumped, dodged, and shielded every attack. He stamped his right foot on the ground and the hundred swords disappeared, the initial two returned to their master who embraced them and ready to fight.

Shi Xun, who was angrier than his brother, jumped in the air and tried to slay Yi Fan, but Yi Fan was more than prepared. He dodged the attack and ree back. Shi Xun gritted his teeth at each of his failed attempt to injure his enemy. He kept attacking him until the monk stamped another foot on the ground and sent a wave of energy to Shi Xun. The green snake demon was pushed back, angrily.

Lu Han leapt forward when his brother was panting in the background. He hit Yi Fan with even more powerful attack that made Yi Fan stammered. He never had any intention of hurting whoever and the thought of Yi Fan’s word just fumed him more. He his sword fiercely to the monk, intending to damage his opponent severely.

Yi Fan was starting to feel cornered by White Snake’s attack and he was more at stake when Green Snake joined the fight as well. He knew he would lose if they kept attacking like that. He jumped backward and this time slayed his stick in the air, sending more powerful blast to the demons. He was panting as both demons summersaulted and stood like rock in the back.

Yi Fan groaned inside as the demons made a movement and suddenly the swords forward in super speed. He spun his stick and pushed it forward, making a powerful pinwheel that blocked the . The swords and the stick grinded each other in the air. However, after a while the swords started to get crushed. As the last metal particle was swooshed in the air, the stick returned to Yi Fan who was busy normalizing his breath.

Lu Han glared at him with dagger gaze.

“For the last time, Monk, return Jun Mian to us! If I don’t leave with my husband, I will flood Jin Shan temple and Lei Feng pagoda!”

“You are so selfish!” Yi Fan panted. “How many lives will you threaten? I will be forced to put an end to you unless you stop!”

“Very well…,” Lu Han sent him icy look. “You are forcing me!”

Lu Han and Xi Shun leapt backward, spinning in the air as they were turning into whitish and greenish light. Yi Fan sighed.

“Dear, Buddha…. What hardship are you sending us now…?”

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Lake Jinshan was always quite. It was beautiful and serene; everyone coming there always achieved the internal peace they were expecting just by looking at its calm, crippling water. However, that day all its solitude vanished as two whitish and greenish lights fell from the sky and dived into the depth, sending powerful wave along the banks. As if not enough, in a moment appeared massive whirlpool right at the center of the lake. The sky had turned black. All the nature elements were conspiring a coup d’état today.

The giant bell on the top of mountain overlooking the lake had been rung continuously. The monk at its post had been telepathically instructed by the master of the monks to signify the threat to the entire people in Jinshan Temple. He did his best. All his body was covered in sweat as pounding hundreds of kilogram solid metal was not a piece of dumpling. However, he stopped, ignoring the instruction of his master as he fearfully looked at the thing that was approaching him.

Far down at the terrace gate, Yi Fan was looking at the same thing that his disciple was gazing with the same fear.

A wave as big as the mountain was making its way toward the temple.

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January 30, 2016

If you were wiser, Yi Fan, you should have never underestimated people who are madly in love.

Schandelierre