Lu Yang's mouth twitched. The story of how Kaihuang Temple had made its fortune was truly unexpected.
"Xitian Temple is, after all, the orthodox lineage of the Buddhist kingdom. They probably wouldn't kill him..."
Master Duanchen stroked his white beard. "Monastics do not kill living beings. The abbot's life should be safe, though what might happen to him beyond that is hard to say. Kaihuang Temple has little connection with Xitian Temple, and we have no way to inquire after the abbot's whereabouts."
"After that abbot disappeared, Kaihuang Temple's size never changed. It had no ambition whatsoever."
"Once I became abbot, I made a grand vow: to make Kaihuang Temple flourish, with an average annual attendance of ten million visitors."
"To fulfill my vow, I worked tirelessly to govern the temple, finding ways to raise its profile, make Kaihuang City rival the great cities, and improve the lives of its residents."
"...Master, your grand vow is remarkably specific."
"Of course. You two benefactors likely haven't been to our Buddhist kingdom, so you don't know how we make grand vows. The vows we make here have always been very precise. If one simply vowed for 'the incense to flourish,' how would one determine whether that standard had been met?"
"What would count as flourishing incense? If a million benefactors showed up one day, would that count? If one benefactor bought a year's worth of incense for the entire temple, would that count? If the temple caught fire and every stick of incense lit up, would that count?"
"If you don't set a standard, a grand vow is just empty talk. It can never be fulfilled."
"Master, you've truly devoted yourself heart and soul to Kaihuang Temple. I'm impressed."
Master Duanchen smiled. "Monastics do not tell lies. I'm not quite so noble.