All living beings, in all their myriad forms.
Some looked incredulous, some looked dazed, and some had anger in their eyes.
The crowd surged, hands reaching for Fang Jing as he stood on the platform.
The abbot, who had practiced Buddhism and believed in the Buddha for most of his life, was dragged to the ground by several large hands.
Jingci Temple's Buddha statue was molded from clay. Water crashed down from its pure vase, washing away patches of colored paint and leaving little trails of mud.
The Buddha statue seemed to be weeping now, watching the hate-filled eyes of the living as they grabbed at the abbot they called their enemy.
At first, they could still remain calm, merely demanding angrily whether Fang Jing had accepted benefits from the aristocratic clans and whether he harbored sinister intentions.
Fang Jing simply let them pull him in every direction, striving to remain calm as he answered loudly:
"After saying this, I probably won't live through today. If I were greedy, the most precious thing would surely be my own life."
"I have no greed... so in my heart, your lives are the most precious."
"I have practiced austerities for decades. I offer my life in exchange for yours."
At that moment, Fang Jing did not know how many people he could bring to their senses.
But even if just one person repented now, he would consider it worthwhile.
Those words blew the situation wide open. In the face of that answer, every accusation seemed utterly insignificant.
If a man did not even want his life, what benefits could he possibly be seeking?
No question could defeat Fang Jing on moral grounds anymore.
And so the only thing left to resort to was the most basic physical means.
Fists smashed toward Fang