Chapter 73

The Venerable Shenshan of Wutaishan's Qingliang Temple was renowned for his martial prowess, often mentioned alongside Master Xuanci as the "Dragon Subduing" and "Tiger Taming" Arhats. In terms of martial arts, it was said that Shenshan even surpassed Abbot Xuanci. A conflict with the Prohibition Hall naturally left Shaolin Temple in a difficult position.

Not only was Shenshan present, but also Master Guanxin from Kaifeng's Daxiangguo Temple, Master Daqing from Jiangnan's Pudu Temple, Master Jueyan from Lushan's Donglin Temple, and Master Rongzhi from Chang'an's Jingying Temple. Even if their martial arts were not particularly high, their status was enough to command respect, let alone the fact that their martial arts were not inferior to Xuanci's.

However, these masters were now completely blocked, unable to move. In front of them stood a young man in a red flying fish robe, smiling as he blocked the path. Although his face was gentle, the knife in his hand was not at all courteous. Most people would be more polite when they saw a monk, but these two showed no sign of remorse.

Xuanci clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Laymen, why do you block the path of these venerable masters? They are not from our Shaolin, but are great virtuosos of the Buddhist faith. Now they wish to leave the mountain, please step aside and allow them to pass. I will be grateful."

"Venerable Master, greetings." A young man with a slightly greenish face awkwardly clasped his hands and said, "By the order of the Duke, before the Shaolin Assembly, martial artists on Shaoshi Mountain are allowed to enter but not to leave. Since these venerable masters possess martial arts, please wait until the 15th of May to leave."

"We don't have time to wait that long!" Shenshan's face was dark, his small stature belied by his surprisingly loud voice. "I don't know which Duke you are, but I am a hermit, not subject to his jurisdiction. Please step aside."

"Venerable Master, you may be a hermit, but even the Bodhisattvas must follow our rules," the young man replied with a smile. "In our court, not only hermits, but even the deities in heaven must be appointed by the emperor. Recently, the Duke said that the Jade Emperor is a false deity and asked the court to honor the true Supreme Deity. I wonder which deity you worship, and if you have our permission?"

"You..." Shenshan was speechless.

"May I ask for your name, layman?" Xuanci quickly interjected.

"My name is Duoyiban, the third commander of the Longxiang Guard of the Prohibition Hall. I greet Master Xuanci." The young man solemnly replied. The other commander beside him bowed and said, "Yiban duo!" He had a dark complexion and a cold expression, seemingly either naturally taciturn or indifferent to Xuanci.

Xuanci was taken aback and hesitated, "Your names?"

These names seemed far from normal, not just to Xuanci, but also to the other masters. Master Xuanshi bluntly said, "Laymen, please give us your real names. The venerable masters are highly respected and will not hold it against you."

"You misunderstand, this is my real name," the young man smiled. "I was originally called Jiuliangban, because my father sold me for six taels of silver to a human trafficker. The Duke rescued me from the den of devils and said, 'Called Jiuliangban, but sold for only six taels, your father doesn't know numbers, so I call you Duoyiban.'"

The other dark-faced young man added, "Siliang." Xuanci thought for a moment and realized he was sold for four taels, exactly half of Duoyiban. These names were truly rough.

"Amitabha! I apologize, Venerable Master," Xuanci recited a Buddhist chant. "May I ask what your secular name was? I would like to address you properly."

"My original name was Benyin."

"Your name has a deep Buddhist meaning," Xuanci smiled warmly.

"Of course," the young man smiled. "It was given to me by a master on the mountain, perhaps Master Xuantong of this temple." The others turned back and saw Master Xuantong nod slightly, confirming the story. Before they could speak, the young man continued.

"Unfortunately, my father owed rent to Shaolin, and the collector pressed hard, so he had to sell me. The human trafficker sent me to a circus, where I became an actor." Despite his smile, the Shaolin monks' faces were grim. The circus was a place where, to put it mildly, actors performed. But everyone knew that the male children there were actually young male prostitutes, a fact that made the monks extremely uncomfortable. Xuanci could only stammer, "That you escaped such a fate is fortunate. Have you reunited with your family?"

"So, Venerable Master, it's better to call me Duoyiban." The young man clasped his hands. "As for my parents, I have visited some neighbors recently, and they said that during a drought a few years ago, they couldn't pay the rent and were driven out. They must have died somewhere."

As he spoke, his face showed no sign of sorrow, whether from having shed all his tears or from a lack of affection for his parents. The Shaolin monks dared not think further, only feeling a sense of foreboding. Only Master Xuantong opened his mouth to say something, but his expression turned gloomy.

When Duoyiban looked at him, there was an indescribable look in his eyes, a mix of compassion and guilt. When Duoyiban noticed, he turned away as if to hide it.

Shenshan sneered and said, "The solemn and majestic Shaolin Temple, I have long admired it. Today, I have truly broadened my horizons, truly broadened my horizons!" The hostility in his words made the Shaolin monks tense. But then Duoyiban slowly said, "Wutaishan is no less impressive! My companion Yiban duo was born at the foot of Wutaishan, and I have heard much about it."

Shenshan, as if his throat was choked, fell silent. Was there any other land at the foot of Wutaishan besides their Qingliang Temple? He waved his sleeve in frustration and said, "I don't care what you call yourselves, today you will not stop me." With that, he waved his sleeve and charged forward.

The Shaolin monks were shocked. They did not expect such a high-ranking monk to lack composure. Master Xuantong shouted, "Be careful!" He watched as Shenshan used his full strength to charge at Duoyiban. The Wutaishan's Heart-Mind-Qi Yuan Gong was no small feat.

This collision was likely heavier than an elephant. Even if Duoyiban were a young man, he would be crushed, let alone if Xuantong were to do it. Shenshan's sleeve, like an iron broom, could scrape off a layer of skin. But Duoyiban's face remained unchanged.

His skin seemed to be coated with a layer of gold, quickly turning a clear gold color, reflecting a metallic sheen. Shenshan's swipe was like a breeze, and his sleeve, upon hitting Duoyiban's face, burst into a tattered piece of cloth.

"Adamantine Body!" Shenshan exclaimed. Before he could say more, a golden arm grabbed his neck, feeling like a steel ring. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not break free, and he could only look to his companion, Zheroxing.

The Indian monk's arm seemed to double in length, directly pinching Duoyiban. His body, as if boneless, moved in an impossible angle, using a bizarre move that was hard to believe. The Shaolin monks, familiar with such strange moves, knew that in such a sudden situation, it was impossible to dodge.

But Duoyiban had no intention of dodging. He lifted Shenshan and threw him at a nearby boulder. The Indian monk's strikes on his body only produced a metallic clanging sound, as if hitting a bronze statue. Shenshan, thrown against the boulder, was bloodied and bruised.

But Duoyiban did not stop, repeatedly slamming Shenshan's head against the rock. The Shaolin monks, seeing this, were horrified and paralyzed. This was too much! One or two hits might be manageable, but Shenshan might not survive a third. Before they could intervene, they heard a惨叫 from the Indian monk.

Duoyiban's hand seemed to hold a ball of flame. Zheroxing, in his grasp, screamed in agony. One side of his body was charred black, the other covered in white frost. Zheroxing had no strength to resist, only struggling in vain. His bones could penetrate from any angle but could not escape Duoyiban's simple grip.

At this moment, no Shaolin monk dared to step forward. These two, though young, were already top-notch martial artists. They knew they did not have Shenshan's power or Zheroxing's bizarre moves. They could only look to Abbot Xuanci. Only Master Xuantong stepped forward.

Duoyiban did not attack, but handed Shenshan to Xuantong, saying, "I apologize, Venerable Master. We did not wish for this, please do not make it difficult for us." The Shaolin monks helped Shenshan up, repeatedly saying, "It's fine, it's fine, it's no problem." Xuanci bowed and said, "We will follow the court's orders, Shaolin will comply."

He looked at the half-dead Zheroxing and said, "This Indian friend's mistake was unintentional, please show mercy." Duoyiban threw Zheroxing to the ground like trash, not even glancing at him. Master Xuannan, seeing them turn to leave, could not help but ask, "Layman, is your martial art the Adamantine Body?"

Duoyiban turned back and smiled, "This is the Titanium Body, one of the 36 supreme techniques of the Prohibition Hall, not the Shaolin Adamantine Body." As he spoke, the metallic sheen on his skin flowed like water, the muscles moving like living things, clearly not Shaolin martial arts. The two led their men to rest nearby, appearing to be at peace with Shaolin.

The Shaolin monks looked at each other, wondering what kind of skills the two commanders and even Duke Chenang possessed. Thinking of the Four Evils, the leader of the Mingjiao, the monks dared not think further. Xuanci sighed, "Shaolin, Shaolin!"

The atmosphere was oppressively heavy.