Qu Zan opened the door and saw that the person knocking was no stranger, but Geshe Guocuo.
Guocuo smiled with delight and said, "You really are here!"
"What is it?" Qu Zan asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Good news for you, of course." Guocuo smiled. "The monastery has passed judgment on Doji Cizhu... He deliberately took the lives of other bhikshus, committing an offense warranting expulsion.
"He has been stripped of his Geshe degree, expelled from the monastic order, and deprived of his robes... The supernatural power he bound will be stripped from him... He will receive the harshest punishment.
"Doji Cizhu will be sewn into a cowhide sack and thrown into the river to drown..."
In Mìdì, a criminal's corpse could not receive a sky burial according to monastic rites after death, but would be thrown into the river. This was the most evil way to die in Mìdì.
Qu Zan gave an "Oh," without showing any further expression.
Doji Cizhu had broken his vows and committed evil, bringing this upon himself. Qu Zan was not particularly happy that he was receiving his deserved punishment.
What Guocuo said next, however, caught Qu Zan's interest.
"All of Doji Cizhu's assets will be confiscated, including his personal gold and silver, ritual implements, scriptures, and so on... We'll be given compensation..." Guocuo said with a chuckle.
Qu Zan asked, "Then what compensation can we get?"
Guocuo answered without hesitation, "There are established provisions in the legal code for all of this. The amount of compensation depends on the victim's status. Different lives have different prices."
"A High Monk at the branch monastery level would receive his body weight in gold.
"I'm a Geshe. According to the provisions, my life is worth around three hundred taels of gold..."
Qu Zan sucked in a breath. "Three