To the west of Kunxu lies a vast expanse where grasslands and deserts intersect.
Under the azure sky, scripture pillars and banners stand together. Monks form neat phalanxes, holding long staffs, practicing martial arts. Amidst the sounds of their training, the force of the staffs reveals a solemnity; grand and majestic, yet imbued with a killing intent unbecoming of Buddhist cultivators, which dilutes the monks' solemnity.
These are the monk soldiers of the Buddha Country, the backbone of Manjusri's campaign into the Nine Provinces. After all, the propagation of Dharma ultimately relies on fists, not mere words.
Months ago, during the harsh winter of last year, when the weather was bitterly cold, the monk soldiers of the Buddha Country had already stationed themselves here, enduring the winter with the physique of cultivators. In their struggle against the climate, they gradually shed the temperance brought by peaceful days, gaining the ferocity needed for the battlefield.
