The Jin Clan Leader and the Nine Nether Cult

"Master Chen Yuan, you're being far too heartless. When you were young, you traveled around Great Xia, soliciting alms with a fake ordination certificate. The authorities caught you, and you nearly went to prison for possessing forged official documents. It was only because I stepped in and explained that they didn't press charges."

Great Xia had strict requirements for monks and Daoists. Whether they came from the Buddhist Kingdom or were disciples of the Hanging Temple, the rules applied equally: they had to pass examinations and vetting, and hold an ordination certificate before the imperial court would recognize them as monks.

Only then could they solicit alms and perform rituals. Otherwise, they were breaking the law.

When Master Chen Yuan had come to Great Xia to spread the Buddhist faith in his youth, the first thing he did was apply for an ordination certificate.

At the mention of this, Master Chen Yuan could no longer sit still. "If you hadn't told me I needed an ordination certificate to preach in Great Xia, then sold me a fake one, how could the authorities have arrested me?"

The Great Elder argued with conviction. "You were the one who came to me first, saying people in Great Xia were destitute and living in dire straits. You said you'd come to help them escape their predicament and guide them to your Buddhist Kingdom, where they could recite sutras and renounce the secular world."

"I told you the people of Great Xia lived better than those in the Buddhist Kingdom, but you wouldn't believe me. I just wanted you to see the prison for yourself."

"Even the prisoners weren't living in dire straits. How could ordinary people be suffering the way you claimed?"

"Later, I saw you putting up quite a fight when the authorities