Chapter 74

(Seeking recommendations)

After the two of them finally recovered and just managed to stand up from the ground, a beam of light suddenly shone upon them, casting indistinct shadows on their bodies.

Lu Tai looked up and saw eighteen monks standing silently in front of them, their upper bodies bare, their bronze-colored skin reflecting the light, and their robust and towering figures unlike those of ordinary people, forming a battle stance.

"Eighteen Copper Men of Shaolin Temple?"

Lu Tai and Stephen almost shouted out the names of these eighteen men in unison. Stephen's voice was filled with surprise, while Lu Tai's was ignited with intense fighting spirit.

The Eighteen Copper Men of Shaolin Temple have long been renowned in the martial world, but there are countless different versions of their origins and abilities.

Some say that the Eighteen Copper Men of Shaolin Temple were set up to prevent Shaolin disciples who had not yet mastered their skills from being defeated outside the temple, which would tarnish the reputation of Shaolin. Therefore, the Eighteen Copper Men were placed at the temple gate, and Shaolin disciples who could defeat them were considered to have achieved great skill.

Others say that Shaolin Temple, being a large and prominent institution, often faced challenges. Thus, the Eighteen Copper Men were set up to guard the temple gate, and anyone entering or leaving had to pass their test, not even insects could pass. This not only protected the safety of Shaolin Temple but also tested the abilities of the disciples leaving the temple.

Still, others say that the Eighteen Copper Men are one of the famous formations of Shaolin Temple, not living people. Shaolin disciples can practice and hone their skills here by sparring with the mechanisms. After passing through, they can learn advanced martial arts techniques. When necessary, the Eighteen Copper Men also serve as a barrier against troublemakers from the martial world.

Regardless of the version, one thing remains constant: anyone who can defeat the Eighteen Copper Men is a hero worthy of praise in the martial world!

And those who can take on the heavy responsibility of being the Eighteen Copper Men are no ordinary people! Therefore, becoming one of the Eighteen Copper Men is also an important goal for orthodox Shaolin disciples.

Lu Tai had long heard of the Eighteen Copper Men of Shaolin Temple. Now, it was hard for him to find opponents. When he first entered the movie "Food God," the first thing he thought of was not the Food God but these eighteen golden figures. If he could spar with such a group of experts, it would surely be an exhilarating experience.

Excited, Lu Tai just assumed a free-fighting stance when a sudden pain in his groin reminded him that he had been shot two days ago and was not yet ready to fight with experts.

Seeing Lu Tai prepare to fight, Stephen also became excited. In his mind, Lu Tai was already the most skilled fighter he had ever seen. Hiding behind Lu Tai, Stephen shouted repeatedly, "A Tai, go on, take down these bald monks."

The Eighteen Copper Men took a step forward simultaneously, shouting in unison, "Ha!"

A wave of killing intent instantly pressed down on Lu Tai, causing a cold sweat to trickle down his forehead. He forced a smile, "Masters, we two brothers..."

Before Lu Tai could finish, the Eighteen Copper Men shouted, "Trespassing into Shaolin's sacred grounds, according to temple rules, all must be apprehended!"

Whoosh!

The leading Copper Man rushed forward, his right fist aimed at Lu Tai's chest.

At the same time, two other Copper Men moved to the left and right. One used the "Mountain Moving" technique, striking Lu Tai's left rib with both palms, while the other used the "Ancient Tree Root" technique, kicking at Lu Tai's ankles with his legs.

Lu Tai could only endure the pain in his groin and face the challenge, otherwise, being beaten senseless by the Eighteen Copper Men would be too much of a loss.

When Lu Tai engaged the Eighteen Copper Men, he was greatly surprised. These guys must have eaten something special to grow so strong. When Lu Tai's fists hit their bodies, they made a metallic clanging sound, as if they were wearing armor. No wonder they were called the Eighteen Copper Men; their bodies were indeed as hard as copper and iron.

Fighting such a group of freaks, especially with a gunshot wound, Lu Tai was struggling after just a few rounds.

The Eighteen Copper Men of Shaolin Temple were the scum of the scum. They did not fight with the dignity of martial arts masters but often used childish techniques like stepping on toes, pulling hair, twisting fingers, and grabbing private parts. One even spat at Lu Tai during the fight.

Are these the legendary righteous and mighty Eighteen Copper Men of Shaolin? Could they be a group of鹅头 (goose heads) and their gang members playing a role?

However, the skills of these freaks were not to be underestimated. If Lu Tai had not been shot, he might have been able to hold his own against the Eighteen Copper Men. Now, with his injury, he was struggling to keep up.

Seeing that he was about to be overwhelmed, Lu Tai decided to abandon his initial reluctance to hurt others. When one of the Copper Men deflected his right arm and charged forward, aiming a blow at his chest, Lu Tai braced his right leg and, despite the limited space, kicked out with his uninjured left leg. A powerful "Vajra Leg" struck the Copper Man's chest.

"Clang!"

The Copper Man hit by the "Vajra Leg" was thrown into the air, spinning continuously and landing thirty meters away on the ground, motionless, his condition unknown.

After injuring someone, Lu Tai quickly retreated a few steps, pushing the already pale and trembling Stephen between the wall and his body, preparing to face the Eighteen Copper Men's fierce counterattack.

However, the Eighteen Copper Men did not become enraged as Lu Tai had expected. Instead, they collectively took a few steps back, looked at each other, and shouted in unison, "Vajra Leg?"

After calling out Lu Tai's martial arts technique, the remaining seventeen Copper Men retreated, lifted their fallen comrade, and disappeared into the shadows as suddenly as they had appeared.

Lu Tai, not understanding what had happened, looked around but saw nothing. He muttered to himself, "What's going on? Were they scared by the Vajra Leg?"

"Yes, the Vajra Leg has been lost in Shaolin for nearly a hundred years. You suddenly using it, not only the Eighteen Copper Men but even the abbot of Shaolin Temple would come to see you if he heard about it."

Lu Tai, hearing this, felt strange and turned to Stephen, asking, "How do you know this? Have you been to Shaolin Temple before?"

Lu Tai saw that Stephen's face was pale, his lips trembling, and he was extremely nervous.

Stephen shook his head slightly at Lu Tai and slowly squatted down, revealing the person behind him who had answered Lu Tai's question.

This person was dressed in a bright yellow monk's robe, wearing a lustrous Vairocana hat, with a peaceful expression and a slight smile on his face. He clasped his hands together and bowed to Lu Tai, saying, "This layman, 'Meng Yi,' is the 74th abbot of Shaolin Temple."

Lu Tai stared at Abbot Meng Yi for a long time before asking, "How did you appear?"

The Shaolin abbot nodded and said, "This is one of the seventy-two special skills of Shaolin. It is the technique used by Bodhidharma to cross the river. You can call it 'Crossing the River on a Reed' or 'Walking on Water.'"

After saying this, the Shaolin abbot pointed to Lu Tai's lower back, "Layman, you are bleeding, and quite a lot. Don't you need to bandage it?"

Lu Tai turned to look at the wound on his waist, which had reopened during the fight, and said with a bitter smile, "I know, I should have bandaged it long ago. The problem is, do I have the chance to bandage it?"

"Compassion is the foundation of our Buddhist practice. If you want to bandage your wound, we in Shaolin would not refuse. You need to tell me if you want to bandage it. How can I know if you don't tell me? Let's be straightforward. Do you want to bandage your wound?" The abbot's voice was ethereal, and his figure seemed to flicker in and out of the shadows.

Lu Tai's body swayed, and his focus began to blur. He tried to focus on the abbot but could not. He leaned against the wall of Shaolin Temple and said softly, "Abbot, I don't know if it's because your lightness skill is too good or if I'm losing too much blood and my vision is blurring. In any case, if you don't help me bandage my wound, I think I won't be able to hold on much longer."

After saying this, Lu Tai, with Stephen's shocked cry, rolled his eyes and fell to the ground, unconscious.

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