Monks

Shangguan Ru had a long dream. When she woke up, she thought that the houseful of monks was still part of the strange dream. Then she saw a thin old monk smiling kindly at her.

"I know you."

"We've met before."

"Oh, at the Stone Kingdom of Xiaoyao Lake. You are Fayan of the Four Noble Truths Temple, also the Martial Uncle of Master Lianhua." Shangguan Ru blurted out a series of titles and immediately came to her senses and sat up from the blanket. She was surprised to find that all of these monks were real.

She was in a large tent and surrounded by monks and nuns either sitting or lying down, all listless. Occasionally they whispered to each other but they remained silent most of the time.

"What is this place?" Shangguan Ru was in a daze and could not recall any memories after she had fainted.

"The forbidden zone of the Northern Royal Court," replied Fayan.

"The forbidden zone? The Flower Camp?"