There are two giant peaks in Songshan Mountain. The shorter one in the front is Taishi Mountain, which is occupied by the Songshan Sect; the highest peak in the back is Shaoshi Mountain, which is the place where the Shaolin Temple established its sect and taught the Dharma.
At this time, in the main hall of the Shaolin Temple, a dozen monks were sitting cross-legged. The leader was an old monk who was short in stature, thin in appearance, but with a kind expression.
He is the contemporary abbot of Shaolin Temple and Master Fang Zheng.
In addition, the four great divine monks of Shaolin Temple: Kong Jian, Kong Hearing, Kong Zhi, and Kong Xing, as well as the three elders of Bodhidharma Hall, the "Sandu Masters": Duanhe, Duanhe, and Duandu are all among them.
These eminent monks in the temple can be said to be the backbone of the Ming Shaolin Temple today.
The four great monks are all masters at the master level and can fight the Grand Master together. The Sandu Master of Bodhidharma Academy has also reached the level of martial arts and has a record of joining forces to defeat the Grand Master.
It is said that many years ago, Xie Xun, the Golden Retriever Lion King, one of the four great Dharma Kings of the Ming Cult in the evil martial arts world, was suppressed by Master Sandu and pardoned in Shaolin.
This Xie Xun is the adoptive father of Wuji, the Mingjiao leader. Zhang Wuji once led many Mingjiao followers to attack Shaolin in order to rescue Xie Xun, but they all returned without success many times.
A glimpse of the leopard through the tube shows the strength of this thousand-year-old temple!
But at this time, all the monks in the Main Hall had solemn expressions, and the atmosphere was quite serious.
Just because what they offended at this moment was the Ming Dynasty!
Although the Shaolin Temple is extremely powerful and has the reputation of 'the world's martial arts master', this is limited to the world. If it faces a behemoth like the imperial court, no matter how strong the Shaolin Temple is, it will be razed to the ground sooner or later.
This result is something they don't want to see.
"Uncles and brothers, I invite you to come here today because the imperial army is blocking our Shaolin."
Master Fang Zheng looked solemnly, looked at the monks in the hall, and said in a deep voice:
"Half a month ago, Zuo Lengchan, the leader of Songshan Temple, was bewitched by others and went to the capital to participate in the murder of Emperor Ming, which offended the imperial court. Later, the imperial court sent people to encircle and suppress the Songshan sect. I, the Shaolin Temple, have lived together with the Songshan sect on Songshan Mountain for hundreds of years. Facing the siege and suppression by the imperial court, I have never been able to do anything. I turned a blind eye, so Master Kong Jian and Uncle Kong Zhi took action and rescued several disciples of the Songshan Sect, which caused the imperial army to surround our Shaolin and blockade all the important roads up and down the mountain. It has been half a month now."
"After half a month of siege, all the remaining food in the temple has bottomed out. If we don't go down the mountain to buy food, I'm afraid the temple won't be able to hold on for long."
"But the imperial court is determined to ask us to hand over those Songshan disciples. If we don't surrender and force our way down the mountain, we will inevitably have a head-on conflict with the imperial army. By then, I, with my thousands of years of Shaolin heritage, will probably suffer because of these Songshan disciples. Destroyed."
"Thanks to the love of the masters and brothers in the temple, the poor monk temporarily takes up the position of abbot and is in charge of the affairs of the temple. However, this matter is very important and the poor monk cannot make up his mind, so I invite you all to come here to discuss the matter."
"Should we hand over these Songshan disciples or not?"
After Master Fang Zheng finished speaking, there was silence in the hall.
"Amitabha!"
At this moment, Kong saw the divine monk saying a Buddha's name, took two steps forward, and whispered:
"This matter started because of the poor monk. It was the poor monk who underestimated the imperial court's determination to destroy Songshan, which led to today's difficulties."
"If the imperial court attacks Shaolin, the poor monk is willing to go out alone, tie his hands, and let the imperial court handle it, so as to end this cause and effect."
"But I, a Shaolin monk, have always been compassionate. I really can't help but watch the Songshan sect being exterminated, so I'd better let these Songshan disciples stay in Shaolin."
Monk Kongzhi also stepped forward and said in a deep voice:
"This is a matter that I, the poor monk, and my senior brother should jointly undertake, and I, the poor monk, am willing to bear this responsibility together with my senior brother!"
Seeing the divine monk smile slightly, Kong turned around and walked out of the hall without saying anything.
Monk Kongzhi showed no fear on his face and followed up slowly, with a tragic demeanor as if the wind and rain were gone and would never return.
"Wait!"
But at this moment, the monk with the most explosive temper suddenly stood up, stopped the two of them, and said coldly:
"My Shaolin Temple has protected the people the imperial court wants to kill. All the imperial court wants is face. I'm afraid that even if the two brothers are captured without help, the imperial court will still not let my Shaolin Temple go. They will still ask us to hand over those Songshan Mountains disciple."
"That's right." Divine Monk Kong Wen nodded slightly: "Senior Brother and Junior Brother's sacrifices are meaningless."
Kong Jian saw the divine monk frowning slightly: "But now that we are in a desperate situation, does our temple really want to hand over these people?"
"I definitely can't make friends with anyone!"
Monk Kongxing snorted coldly: "The imperial court wants to save face, so don't I, Shaolin, need face? If I hand over these Songshan disciples now, even if Shaolin, I, can survive this disaster safely, my reputation will definitely be ruined in the future!"
"In the opinion of the poor monk, it is better to lead the disciples directly out of the mountain and fight the imperial court openly to show my determination of Shaolin. The poor monk does not believe it. The imperial court really dares to fight my Shaolin to the death!"
"What Master Uncle Emptiness said makes sense!"
The Master of Disaster among the three masters of crossing also said coldly:
"My Shaolin Temple has been inherited for thousands of years and has branches in other major dynasties. If the imperial court really dares to take action, I think it is better to send people directly to the branches of the major dynasties to ask for help. By then, even if the imperial court dares to attack our Shaolin Temple, it will definitely be broken. bone!"
"The imperial court cannot afford this consequence!"
Master Du'e frowned and said, "This method is inappropriate."
"Although I, Shaolin, have branches in other dynasties, even if I go to the nearest branch of the Song Dynasty to ask for help, it will take at least a month to go back and forth. The court cannot wait that long."
"Although our temple has produced many outstanding monks over the years, if we fight against the imperial court, we will probably lose more than we win."
The Master of Disaster said coldly:
"Why fight with their army? If they dare to attack the mountain, we only need to capture their leader. In this way, the imperial army is leaderless and just a bunch of rabble. How can they stop me, the Shaolin monks?"
Master Fang Zheng shook his head and said: "There may not be masters in the imperial court. Now Uncle Dabei and Patriarch Jueyuan have been in seclusion all year round. If the imperial court sends those from the palace, I am afraid no one in our temple can stop them."
Hearing this, everyone felt shocked.
That person in the Imperial Palace was basically the pillar of the Ming Dynasty. He once caused a bloody storm in the martial arts world and turned the Ming Palace into a forbidden area for people in the world.
If that one comes, no one in Shaolin Temple can be his opponent.
Moreover, when that time comes, Shaolin may not be able to survive.
If even that one was dispatched, how could the court let them go?
The atmosphere fell silent again.
"Tap tap tap..."
At this moment, a burst of rapid footsteps suddenly sounded.
I saw a disciple of Bodhidharma Academy who was responsible for guarding the mountain came hurriedly, bowed to the monks in the hall, and said anxiously:
"Abbott and Masters, two people from the imperial court came outside the mountain gate and gave us an ultimatum. If we don't hand over those Songshan disciples before dark, the imperial court will attack the mountain gate!"
Everyone's expressions changed.
Master Fang Zheng frowned and said: "The imperial court has blocked the mountain gate for so many days. If they wanted to fight, they would have done so already. This means that it was not a last resort. The imperial court did not want to fight with my Shaolin Temple. But now how could it suddenly decide to attack the mountain gate? What happened? A remarkable person?"
"You'll know when you go out and take a look."
Kong Jian said the holy monk and walked out of the temple with a calm expression.
The monks looked at each other and followed him out.
Soon, everyone arrived at the mountain gate and saw two figures, one black and one blue, standing on the steps outside the mountain gate.
There was a man wearing a blue python robe, carrying two swords on his back, and a bronze mask with a ghost face on his face. His left eye was as white as a ghost, and he turned out to be the stall owner of Xichang, Ma Jinliang.
The monks had seen this person before, so they were not surprised. They just turned their attention to another person.
Soon, Kong saw the divine monk's expression change and said:
"This man is a prodigal swordsman from the northwest, named Yan Shisan. But it is said that a few days ago, this man was invited by Yue Buqun, the leader of Huashan Mountain, to go to Longmen to assassinate Gong Yuhuatian of Xichangchang, but was defeated by Yuhuatian in the end. Tian Zhizhi was taken under Yuhuatian's command and is now serving the West Factory."
Hearing this, the expressions of the other monks also changed slightly.
Master Fang Zheng frowned and said, "So, the owner of the West Factory is here too?"
"That's how it should be!"
Kong saw the divine monk's expression solemn, and subconsciously recalled the rainy night in the northwest desert a month ago.
The man from the West Factory who was known as the "Killing God in White" was so handsome and superhuman, with peerless martial arts skills. Countless masters died at his hands.
If that person also comes, then what happened today may not be possible.
With this thought in his mind, Kong was not afraid to see the divine monk. He walked out of the mountain gate slowly, looked at the two people on the steps, held his hands and saluted, and said:
"Amitabha, the two benefactors are here, and our Shaolin Temple is shining brightly. I just don't know what advice the two benefactors have here."
Ma Jinliang looked coldly and said, "Isn't my expression clear enough?"
"According to the order of the governor, if the Shaolin Temple refuses to hand over those Songshan rebels before sunset, they will be punished with the same crime and be killed without mercy!"
Hearing this, all the monks at the mountain gate looked slightly angry.
Master Fang Zheng frowned and stepped forward and said:
"Although the Songshan Sect has violated the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the mastermind Zuo Lengchan and others have been punished. These disciples rescued by our temple are just innocent people. The rebellion has nothing to do with them. Why does the donor need to kill them all? "
Ma Jinliang sneered, then took out a booklet from his arms and recorded slowly:
"The abbot of Shaolin said that the Songshan disciples who participated in the murder of the emperor are all innocent people..."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions changed again.
If this word spreads, it means that Shaolin Temple also has the intention to rebel. This crime is not a small crime.
The master of the disaster couldn't help but said angrily:
"Eunuch, why are you so pretentious here? If you want to fight, then fight. Are we, the Shaolin Temple, still afraid of you?!"
"Junior brother..."
Master Du'e's expression changed slightly and he quickly raised his voice to stop him.
Ma Jinliang took a deep look at Master Difficulty, his eyes flashing coldly:
"I remember you."
As he said that, he turned to look at the four great monks and Master Fang Zheng, and said coldly: "Is this the attitude of you Shaolin people?"
Master Fang Zheng looked solemn and said: "This matter is of great importance. I wonder if I can ask Eunuch Yu to come and discuss it?"
Ma Jinliang sneered and was about to speak.
But at this moment, several sounds piercing the air suddenly came from the mountains and forests behind.
"Hoo, ho--"
Everyone's expressions changed slightly, and they quickly looked around and saw several figures coming from the mountains and forests below. They were as light as swallows. They only ducked a few times in the forest and jumped over ten feet away. They were all obviously extremely skilled. generation.
The leader is wearing a silver-white python robe, with his waist hanging against the sky. He has a tall figure and a handsome and cold face. Who is he if he is not Yuhuatian?
"Lord Lord!"
When Yan Shisan and Ding Xiu saw this, they quickly moved away and bowed slightly to show respect.
Yu Hua Tian Tian fell directly between the two of them, then looked at the monks at the mountain gate with an indifferent expression and said:
"Don't you want to see me? I'm here."
Boo hoo hoo…
Immediately afterwards, Ding Xiu, Ji Xueyong and Jin Yiwei landed on the ground one after another, showing their strong momentum and looking coldly at the monks at the gate of Shaolin Mountain.
At the same time, the entire mountain began to shake slightly, and the dense footsteps at the foot of the mountain were like thunder. At a glance, all you could see were the flashing lights of swords, and there were so many people in the dense forest that it was impossible to count how many people there were.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Master Fang Zheng frowned, looked at the handsome figure in front of him, cupped his hands and said:
"The poor monk, abbot of Shaolin Temple, Fang Zheng, has met Mr. Yu..."
Yuhuatian waved his sleeves and said indifferently: "Stop talking nonsense!"
"What I have decided will never be changed. Either hand it over to someone else or be removed from Shaolin today!"
"I will give you a stick of incense to make a decision as soon as possible before the army arrives outside your Shaolin Mountain gate!"
When the Shaolin monks heard this, their expressions were extremely ugly.
Shaolin Temple has been established for thousands of years and has stood at the top of the world for hundreds of years. Has it ever been so persecuted?
Master Fang Zheng's expression was not good-looking either. He looked at Yuhuatian and said in a deep voice:
"But for the sake of a few innocent Songshan disciples, why did Eunuch Yu go to such great lengths to fight?"
Yuhuatian glanced at him sideways, his eyes were cold, and he said no more nonsense.
Now, it's not just because of those Songshan disciples, it's a matter of face.
Once he surrenders in front of Shaolin today, it will be a huge blow to the court's prestige.
Therefore, Yuhuatian came in person.
Although he is afraid of the masters of Shaolin Temple, this does not mean that he will make concessions.
If Shaolin Temple really refuses to hand over people, then Shaolin will be destroyed today.
No matter how many masters there are in Shaolin Temple, Yuhuatian will still kill him even if he sacrifices his life!
The atmosphere fell silent again.
The faces of the Shaolin monks were ugly. They looked at Yu Huatian who had a decisive attitude, and for a moment they didn't know what to do.
"Tap..."
At this moment, another burst of footsteps sounded inside the mountain gate, and then an old monk with a haggard appearance and wearing an ordinary monk's robe slowly walked out of the mountain gate.
Master Fang Zheng and others heard the sound and turned their heads to look. They were all startled, and then they were overjoyed and hurriedly bowed and saluted:
"I've met Uncle Master!"
"I've met my great uncle!"
Yuhuatian looked up and frowned slightly:
"Grand Master..."
Sure enough, the Shaolin Temple has been inherited for more than a thousand years, how could it be possible that there is no great master in charge.
The old monk looked like he was about to die and his end was approaching, but from that thin body, Yuhuatian could clearly feel a huge power of Qi and blood.
There is no doubt that this old monk is definitely a great master!
"Amitabha, good, good!"
The old monk nodded slightly towards Master Fangzheng and others, then crossed the crowd, walked to the front, looked straight at Yuhuatian and others outside the mountain gate, performed Buddhist etiquette towards Yuhuatian, and said:
"The poor monk already knows the reason for this matter. It is true that I, Shaolin, was at fault in the first place, but as a Buddhist, I have always been compassionate and could not ignore death."
"The poor monk is a monk of the Xu generation in Shaolin. His dharma name is Dabei. I wonder if this benefactor can sell the poor monk three portions of thin noodles to give those benefactors of the Songshan sect a way to survive. The poor monk is willing to persuade them to be ordained and practice in the Shaolin Temple forever. I am not allowed to go down the mountain, and I will spend my whole life reciting sutras in the temple to forgive my sins. This can also be regarded as an explanation to the donor, is it okay?"
Zen Master Dabei?
Hearing the old monk's self-registered number, Yuhuatian narrowed his eyes and finally remembered the origin of the old monk.
The Shaolin abbot before Monk Kong Wen was also one of the four great Shaolin monks of the previous generation. In the same generation there were Monk Iron Shoulder, Monk Honest and Master Balsam Pear.
But the other three people had already passed away. Unexpectedly, Zen Master Dabei was still alive.
After hearing what Zen Master Dabei said later, Yuhuatian's eyes immediately turned cold and he sneered:
"I have committed a serious crime of murdering the emperor, but I can be forgiven just by joining you in Shaolin Temple to chant sutras? Shaolin Temple is really a place where filth and evil gather together!"
Zen Master Dabei's face changed slightly, and he frowned and said:
"Then I wonder how the donor will be willing to retreat?"
Yuhuatian said coldly: "It's very simple, make friends!"
"Furthermore, because your Shaolin Temple protects criminals, more than 10,000 troops from my court surrounded Songshan for more than half a month. You, the Shaolin Temple, are solely responsible for all losses of money and food!"
The faces of the monks changed again, with anger in their eyes.
They didn't expect that Yuhuatian would go even further. Just now he just asked them to surrender, but now he was responsible for all the losses they incurred during the half-month defense of Songshan Mountain.
It's so deceiving!
Zen Master Dabei also frowned tightly and said: "I, Shaolin, have always been poor and frugal. I can't afford so much money and food. I'm afraid I will disappoint the donor."
"So, if the person doesn't want to pay, he doesn't want to give the money?"
Yu Huatian's eyes narrowed slightly, with a cold glow in his eyes.
Zen Master Dabei shook his head and said, "Forgive me, Shaolin, for not being able to fulfill the donor's request."
"very good!"
Yuhuatian nodded, took two steps back, said nothing, and quietly waited for the army to go up the mountain.
The atmosphere fell silent again, except for the sound of footsteps at the foot of the mountain and the shouts of killing rising from the sky, making the faces of the Shaolin monks become more and more solemn.
Zen Master Dabei frowned, looking at the Yuhuatian where no oil or salt could enter, and a hint of murderous intent appeared in his eyes.
He was considering whether to take the Yuhuatian preemptively and force the imperial court to withdraw.
But doing so would be tantamount to completely breaking up with the imperial court, and the consequences in the future would probably be even more serious.
For a time, Zen Master Dabei was also caught in a dilemma.
"Boom——"
"kill!"
Suddenly, at this moment, there was a sudden roar in the Shaolin Temple, followed by various shouts of death and screams.
The faces of the eminent Shaolin monks at the mountain gate changed slightly and they quickly looked back.
"What's going on? Go and have a look!"
Master Fang Zheng's face was serious, he immediately looked at a disciple next to him and gave instructions in a deep voice.
The disciple quickly accepted the order and left, but before he could go far, a monk covered in blood ran out of the temple and shouted anxiously:
"Abbot Qi, fellow masters and uncles, what's wrong, a group of strangers suddenly appeared in the temple. They killed everyone they saw and rushed to the back mountain!"
The faces of the monks changed in shock, and they all turned back to look at the people in the West Factory outside the mountain gate, glaring angrily.
There was also a trace of anger in Zen Master Dabei's eyes, and he shouted: "We are here to have a good discussion with you, but the donor sent people to sneak into my temple to kill people. It is too despicable!"
Yu Huatian frowned and ignored him. He turned to look at Ma Jinliang next to him: "Did you arrange it?"
Ma Jinliang looked confused and shook his head quickly: "Master Governor, our people are all below, and my subordinates have not arranged for anyone to sneak into Shaolin."
Hearing this, Yu Huatian's eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze gradually became colder.
So, is there a third party involved?
And he was used as a knife by this third party force?
What a courage! ——
The plot of Shaolin has been finished for the time being. The protagonist cannot be destroyed based on his current strength. Next is another force.
(End of chapter)
