Chapter 78 of 100

Chapter 78

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Three days later, in the morning, Luo Tai went to Stephen's room to call him to go to the kitchen for training together.

Stephen was still lying on the bed, limbs spread out. Just as Luo Tai was about to speak, Stephen extended a finger to his neck and said weakly, "Ah Tai, if you call me to work in that cursed kitchen again today, you might as well just kill me. I won't go there no matter what."

Luo Tai sighed deeply, sat down next to Stephen, and said dejectedly, "I can't take it either. This kind of life is unbearable for a normal person. Brother Zhou, why don't we just go back to Hong Kong? You know my cooking skills have improved dramatically recently. Maybe the two of us can team up and beat that fatso Tang Niu."

Hearing Luo Tai's words, Stephen, who had been lying like a pile of mud, suddenly sprang up from the bed as if a long-imprisoned pervert had suddenly seen a beautiful naked woman. His eyes gleamed as he leaned his head close to Luo Tai and asked, "Ah Tai, are you serious? We're going back to Hong Kong now?"

Luo Tai nodded and turned to Stephen, saying, "Actually, I've figured out Tang Niu's background. This guy was originally an ordinary kitchen helper at Shaolin Temple, but Tang Niu has a natural talent for cooking. The vegetarian dishes he prepared were very popular among the martial monks, so he learned Shaolin Kung Fu from them through his cooking skills."

Stephen was shocked, "You mean Tang Niu was originally a Shaolin monk?"

Luo Tai smiled bitterly, "Tang Niu is extremely ambitious and didn't want to be confined to Shaolin Temple for life. He took advantage of a lightning strike that set the pagoda forest on fire, and when all the monks were busy extinguishing the fire, he sneaked out of Shaolin Temple. Somehow, he managed to sneak into Hong Kong and colluded with Hei Kou Gou. In the end, he even tricked you."

Mentioning this, Stephen's face turned grim. The most painful failure of his life was brought about by Tang Niu. Stephen would never forget the arrogant and domineering face Tang Niu had when he pulled him down from the pedestal in front of many media reporters.

Luo Tai took a deep breath and leaped off Stephen's bed, "Why talk about these things? It just makes us angry. Let's go and tell the abbot that we're leaving Shaolin Temple today."

In the abbot's room, Meng Yi the old monk silently twirled the prayer beads in his hand. After listening to Luo Tai's narration with his eyes closed, he remained silent for a long time.

When Luo Tai could no longer hold back and was about to ask again, Meng Yi suddenly opened his eyes and said in a low voice, "Little brother, have you heard what the eighteen bronze men mean to Shaolin?"

Luo Tai was puzzled by Meng Yi's sudden question and blinked, asking, "Senior brother, what does the eighteen bronze men have to do with me leaving Shaolin Temple? You're not planning to give them to me as bodyguards, are you?"

Meng Yi ignored Luo Tai's joke and continued in a low tone, "Our Shaolin martial arts are famous throughout the world, and we have always claimed to lead the martial arts of Central Plains. Therefore, every disciple who goes down the mountain will face countless challenges. To prevent Shaolin disciples from leaving the temple casually and getting killed in these endless challenges, the temple has a rule: regardless of their status, any inner temple disciple who wants to leave the temple must fight their way through the eighteen bronze men array alone."

Luo Tai finally understood why Meng Yi mentioned the eighteen bronze men. These eighteen freaks not only prevent outsiders from entering Shaolin Temple at will but also stop Shaolin disciples from leaving the temple casually.

However, Luo Tai still asked Meng Yi, puzzled, "Senior brother, Shaolin disciples must pass through the eighteen bronze men array to leave the temple, but what does this have to do with me? I'm not a Shaolin disciple, and Brother Zhou has even less connection with Shaolin. Do you want me to fight the bronze men array too?"

Meng Yi smiled slightly, "Little brother, although you are a lay disciple of Shaolin, the temple rules clearly state that lay disciples are also Shaolin disciples. If you want to leave the temple, you must fight through the bronze men array. As for Mr. Zhou, he has studied in the Shaolin kitchen for more than seven days, which qualifies him as a lay disciple of Shaolin. Therefore, he must also fight through the bronze men array to leave."

"What?"

Luo Tai almost jumped up in anger, pointing at Meng Yi and shouting, "Hey, isn't that inhumane? I'll accept fighting the bronze men array, but Brother Zhou has never practiced martial arts. How can he pass through the bronze men array? Even if those eighteen freaks stand still, Brother Zhou can't move them."

Meng Yi shook his head, "Little brother, don't be anxious. Rules are rules and cannot be broken. However, since Mr. Zhou has indeed stayed in the temple for a very short time, it's impossible for him to fight through the bronze men array on his own. So, I have thought of another way for you, but I don't know if you are willing to try it."

When Stephen heard that he also had to fight the bronze men array, he shivered all over. He had been present when the eighteen monsters fought Luo Tai and had seen Luo Tai punch a bronze man, which produced a sound like a bell. He couldn't imagine fighting these monsters, and even standing next to them made him feel unsafe.

So, when Stephen heard Meng Yi mention another way, he nodded continuously, regardless of Luo Tai's reaction, "Good, good, let's choose the second way."

Luo Tai glanced at Stephen and could only follow, "Alright, Senior brother, please tell us about the second way."

Meng Yi clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and recited a Buddhist chant, "Namo Amitabha Buddha. Since Mr. Zhou cannot fight through the bronze men array alone, why don't you take Mr. Zhou with you and fight through the bronze men array together?"

Stephen was immediately delighted, "Right, Ah Tai is so strong, he can definitely take me out. Right, Ah Tai?"

Luo Tai laughed coldly and said to Meng Yi, "Senior brother, do you think I can fight through the Shaolin eighteen bronze men array with Brother Zhou, who knows no martial arts? That's a bronze men array, not a clay men array. It's not easy for me to fight through it alone, let alone with Stephen. Aren't you deliberately making it impossible for us to leave?"

To Luo Tai's surprise, Meng Yi nodded, "You're right, little brother. My original intention was to make you give up the idea of leaving the temple. You are the only person in the world who has mastered the Shaolin secret technique, the Great Power Vajra Leg. Before anyone else in Shaolin masters this technique, you cannot leave. I cannot risk losing this technique again."

Meng Yi's honesty was almost unbelievable to Luo Tai. This old monk actually wanted to keep him in Shaolin Temple for life. How could that be possible? Not to mention a lifetime, even if Stephen Zhou didn't participate in the Food God Competition in three months, Luo Tai would be turned into an old lady and permanently trapped in this movie world.

"Senior brother, I always thought of you as a broad-minded and enlightened monk, but I didn't expect you to..." Luo Tai's words were cut off as he suddenly remembered a line from a little monk in the movie: "You're in trouble, the abbot is particularly petty, you're in big trouble now."

Right, when has Meng Yi ever been broad-minded?

Staring at Meng Yi in shock for a long time, Luo Tai finally reacted, pointing at Meng Yi and saying, "Senior brother, this is the last time I call you that. I brought the lost Shaolin secret technique, the Great Power Vajra Leg, back to Shaolin, but now I'm being confined here because of it. Do you really think I can't break through the bronze men array with Brother Zhou? Since you are not being kind, don't blame me for being unrighteous."

Saying this, Luo Tai pulled Stephen and turned to walk out, saying coldly to Meng Yi, "Meng Yi, if you want the eighteen bronze men to stop me from leaving, you'd better be prepared to replace them."

In a place where Meng Yi couldn't see, Luo Tai gently touched the twenty Flying Daggers at his waist. Originally, he had planned to part amicably, but now it seemed that they would have to fight.

He took large steps, pulling Stephen into the courtyard, where eighteen Shaolin bronze men were waiting in formation. Luo Tai looked at the eighteen familiar faces, took two deep breaths, crossed his hands in front of his chest, and shouted as he charged into the Shaolin eighteen bronze men array.

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