Chapter 22

Meng Qi was originally troubled by the lack of opportunities to leave the杂役院 (chore hall), but unexpectedly, he was suddenly informed that he could report to the武僧院 (martial monk hall) the next day. It was as if he had been walking down the road when a pie fell from the sky and hit him, leaving him dazed and confused, both surprised and delighted, with the element of surprise far outweighing his joy. For a moment, he stood there with a blank expression, forgetting how to respond.

Xuan Chi was not surprised by Meng Qi's reaction. With a deep and resonant voice, he said, "Zhang Yuanshan of the True Wu Sect and Jiang Zhimi of the Sword Washing Pavilion both praised you to the guest master brother for your understanding of etiquette, your ability to know when to advance or retreat, your refined speech, and your self-restraint. It is rare for a guest from another sect to praise our Shaolin chore monks, so you are being allowed to enter the martial monk hall to hone your martial skills, and to serve as a guest master in the future."

As a guest master of a major martial arts sect, one's martial arts skills must be of a certain standard to maintain dignity.

"I, the disciple, merely tried my best to restrain myself," Meng Qi finally understood what was happening. He was secretly grateful to Zhang Yuanshan and Jiang Zhimi for their help, and he fully expressed his joy.

"As a guest master, it is crucial to restrain oneself, not to act rashly or in anger, and to maintain the dignity of the sect," Xuan Chi replied to Meng Qi with a casual tone, then turned and left, walking with a proud and majestic gait, more like a seasoned hero of the jianghu than a monk.

Xuan Ku looked deeply at Meng Qi and said coolly, "Once you enter the martial monk hall, all cunning thoughts are useless. Only by understanding Zen principles, calming your mind, and diligently practicing without haste or discouragement can you follow the right path. In this aspect, Zhen Hui is better than you."

Meng Qi understood the implication: Xuan Ku suspected that he had flattered Zhang Yuanshan and Jiang Zhimi to gain their favor and escape the chore hall, ultimately because he was too cunning.

"Is it right to make assumptions without seeing or hearing something with one's own eyes and ears? Uncle Xuan Ku, once an obsession arises, it is like falling into an endless hell," Meng Qi was not one to be wronged. If there were no other considerations, he would have argued his case.

He had intended to quote Buddhist scriptures, but in the past half year, he had been learning to read and write and recite morning prayers and small spells, and had not yet studied the scriptures. For the moment, he could only use the most familiar way to counter.

Finally, Meng Qi clasped his hands together in a solemn manner and said, "Namo Amitabha Buddha."

"You!" Xuan Ku's eyes widened, clearly not expecting Meng Qi to counter him, and his words were so reasonable that he did not know how to refute them.

"If you lack a Zen heart and only seek to win arguments, you will surely be expelled from Shaolin," he replied coldly, turned, and walked away. If you had not used sweet talk and schemed to please the guests of the major sects, why would they speak up for you, a mere chore monk? There is no cause without an effect in this world.

Sigh, Uncle Xuan Ku is so rigid and narrow-minded, he will inevitably fall into the path of evil... Meng Qi secretly argued, but Xuan Ku was already gone from the square.

At this moment, Zhen Hui, holding a broom tightly, looked at Meng Qi with a puzzled expression. "Brother, are we going to the martial monk hall?"

"Of course, you just realized?" Meng Qi looked at Zhen Hui in surprise. He had been talking to Xuan Chi and Xuan Ku for quite a while, and this reaction was truly astonishing.

Zhen Hui smiled innocently. "I'm one step closer to the 'Buddha Palm.'"

Pfft, Meng Qi spat out a mouthful of saliva, admitting that he couldn't follow the logic of a fool.

However, he quickly became excited and said to Zhen Hui with enthusiasm, "The 'Buddha Palm' is too distant. Once we achieve the full development of our qi in the martial monk hall, we can learn the seventy-two secret techniques. At that time, I must learn 'Finger of the Flower,' 'Formless Finger of Destruction,' 'Crossing the River on a Reed,' and other great techniques!"

"Why?" Zhen Hui looked at Meng Qi in confusion, not understanding why he had to choose these particular martial arts.

Meng Qi said with a radiant smile, "Because these martial arts are graceful and elegant! In the future..."

He had intended to say something about white robes and lightning-fast swords, but then he remembered that he was in Shaolin Temple, so he modified his "vision of the future":

"Little brother, haven't I told you the story of the monk Wu Hua? A monk must reach this level. Imagine, in the future, a small boat floating, a white monk's robe like snow, standing with a smile and a flower in hand, how dignified and graceful! How handsome and cool! Hehe, when you encounter someone you don't like, you can say, 'Sir, the sea of suffering is boundless, but there is a shore of return'..."

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, but suddenly he thought of "Iron Shirt" and "Five Tigers Breaking the Gate Knife," and his expression darkened, his enthusiasm slightly dampened.

"No problem, this is just a temporary measure. In the future, it will definitely not develop this way..." Meng Qi quietly consoled himself, his enthusiasm rising again. Just as he was about to continue, Zhen Yan suddenly interrupted:

"Congratulations, brothers Zhen Ding and Zhen Hui, for escaping the endless suffering of the chore hall. But I must remind you, the martial monk hall is not a paradise. Only those chosen by the uncles and aunts can learn the seventy-two secret techniques after achieving full qi development. The rest will remain in the martial monk hall, continuing to practice the 'Dragon Subduing Staff Technique' as part of the Arhat Formation. So, you must not be careless."

He smiled, but Meng Qi felt it was forced, and his words had a sour taste of discouragement.

"Thank you for the reminder, brother." Meng Qi understood Zhen Yan's feelings. If he had been in the same position, after more than three years of hard labor, longing to enter the martial monk hall but failing, he would have found it hard to smile.

The journey back to the chore hall was silent, with Zhen Hui occasionally laughing foolishly. Meng Qi knew that those around him, like Zhen Yan and Zhen Ying, were pitiful, and he no longer boasted to avoid upsetting them.

At dinner, Meng Qi specifically told Zhen Hui not to talk too much.

Clap, clap, clap. Just as Meng Qi was enjoying his meat, a round of applause came from the door.

Meng Qi turned to see Venerable Xuan Xin walking in, clapping his hands with a bright smile. "It's not easy, it's not easy for our chore hall! Today, we finally have two disciples chosen for the martial monk hall!"

Clap, clap, clap, clap. The sound of wooden chopsticks falling on the long table or the ground echoed. All the chore monks, except Meng Qi, Zhen Hui, and Zhen Yan, were frozen in place, and the dining hall fell into an eerie silence.

"Zhen Ding, Zhen Hui, don't you have something to say?"

With Xuan Xin's words, the frozen chore monks came to life, turning to look at Meng Qi and Zhen Hui. Their eyes were dark and hard to read, making Meng Qi feel a bit uneasy.

"Thanks to Uncle Xuan Xin for arranging for us to clean the Zen Heart Hall." Meng Qi knew the reason couldn't be hidden from Xuan Xin, so he deliberately said this.

Xuan Xin chuckled. "It's also because you are alert and eloquent. I know you love stories of the jianghu. Don't forget this place in the future. Hey, why are you all looking at Zhen Ding and Zhen Hui? Why don't you congratulate them?"

A chore monk slowly stood up, his smile more like a grimace. "Congratulations, brothers Zhen Ding and Zhen Hui, for becoming martial monks."

"Congratulations, brothers Zhen Ding and Zhen Hui, for becoming martial monks." The other chore monks also stood up, their voices echoing in the dining hall, some filled with self-pity, some with bitterness, some with anger, some with pain, some with envy, and some with jealousy.

Meng Qi sighed lightly. "It's all thanks to the Buddha's protection. Brothers, if you sincerely worship the Buddha, you will also receive such rewards in the future."

"Brothers, as long as you focus on cleaning, eating, and sleeping, you will definitely enter the martial monk hall too." Zhen Hui said innocently.

Meng Qi knew this was the true method, but looking at the expressions of the chore monks, some were sneering, some were hateful, and none seemed to believe it. If they didn't know Zhen Hui's kind and simple nature, they might have thought he was mocking them.

Clasping his hands together, Meng Qi recited a Buddhist chant and pulled Zhen Hui to sit down, burying his head to eat. The dinner ended in a heavy silence, and Xuan Xin's storytelling began in the same atmosphere.

"Brothers Zhen Ding and Zhen Hui, I knew you were not ordinary. In the martial monk hall, remember to take care of each other." Zhen Yong, who always came to listen, said with a smile.

Meng Qi, who was familiar with him, said frankly, "Brother Zhen Yong, please take good care of us."

Zhen Yong smiled. "The martial monk hall brothers actually love stories of the jianghu, but they are not as shameless as I am. They just wait for me to tell them. So, I have some influence in the martial monk hall. As long as you often tell such stories, they won't make things difficult for you."

"That's my strong point." Meng Qi nodded lightly, and Zhen Hui nodded vigorously. "I know many stories too!"

Xuan Xin coughed to stop the whispers below. "Don't take the recent welcoming of the major sects to heart. This is just our Shaolin's emphasis on etiquette, not that we are really afraid of them. Think about it, the Great Jin has only three Dharma Body experts, and one of them is from our Shaolin. Who can match us among the other sects?"

"Do you know what the most sensational event in the jianghu has been in the past ten years?"

This monk was quite proud of Shaolin and looked down on other sects... Meng Qi shook his head inwardly and answered loudly, "We don't know, please tell us, Uncle Xuan Xin."

The other chore monks also answered weakly that they didn't know.

Xuan Xin was not bothered by their state and continued proudly, "Decades ago, the Evil Nine Paths' Heaven Annihilation Sect produced an unparalleled genius who condensed a demonic body before the age of fifty, almost matching the evil emperors of the mythic era. His surname is Han, and his given name is Guang. He calls himself 'Demon Master,' and his reputation shook the jianghu. No left path dared to disobey him. But because he committed too many evils, he suffered the consequences. Just a year after condensing his demonic body, his whereabouts were exposed, and he was intercepted by the abbot."

"The battle nine years ago, tsk tsk, the earth split and mountains crumbled, the sky darkened, and a large lake appeared in the center of the Taiyue Mountains. Only the abbot emerged alive, and it is rumored that the Demon Master was either killed or suppressed by him."

"After this battle, our Shaolin's reputation completely overshadowed all other sects!"

Xuan Xin continued to boast about the glorious history of the high monks, making Meng Qi and the others feel quite excited and wish they could be in their place.

When will we have such power to move mountains and tread on the sea?

After listening to Xuan Xin's storytelling, they returned to the Zen room. Zhen Guan and Zhen Ying buried their heads and slept, completely ignoring Meng Qi and Zhen Hui. After meditating for a while, Zhen Hui also quickly fell asleep.

Meng Qi practiced the "Iron Shirt Heart Method" once, tossing and turning for a long time before he finally calmed down and fell asleep, somewhat envious of Zhen Hui's simple thoughts and few distractions.

The darkness was heavy, and Meng Qi felt his breathing becoming more difficult, as if his body was being pressed down by thick soil.

"Is this a nightmare?" Meng Qi had a slight awareness in his dream and struggled to wake up, but he saw a distorted, fierce face.

Zhen Guan's hands were around Meng Qi's neck, his body pressing down, making him unable to move. His eyes were fierce, but his voice was like a dream.

"Kill you, kill you!"

"Steal my chance to enter the martial monk hall!"

"If I can't go, no one can go!"

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