Chapter 61

Once these words were spoken, everyone inside and outside was shocked. Although some did not understand the full context, the news about the Murong father and son alone left many stunned.

They had not expected that Murong Fu, who had disappeared in recent days, was already dead, and that Murong Bo, who had long been thought dead, was actually still alive.

What was even more unexpected was that the fellow called the "Demon Monk" had such a powerful ability to stir up trouble, having provoked all the top figures in the martial arts world.

When a young monk in white as pure as snow appeared outside the temple, the heroes looked surprised; they truly had not expected the Demon Monk to have such an air.

The four sisters of Meijian and Ye Erniang walked quickly to Zhuang Buran's side in unison; the former were worried about their master's safety, while the latter was obsessed with finding the whereabouts of her son.

A moment later, the four generations of Shaolin monks—Xuan, Hui, Xu, and Kong—each wielding their weapons, lined up to exit the temple.

Two old monks also appeared one after another: one wearing gray clothes, thin and gaunt, with his face covered in gray cloth; the other wearing black clothes, more robust, with his face covered in black cloth.

Everywhere, the heroes of the Jianghu had arrived, including many elites of the Beggar Sect, and several elders surrounding a man in a bamboo hat.

Behind Duan Zhengchun of the Dali Duan Clan were several family generals, and beside him were Duan Yu and a young girl. She looked at the young monk expressionlessly, her eyes filled with hatred.

Another man, very robust, about thirty years old, with thick eyebrows, big eyes, a high nose, a wide mouth, and a square face, came to Duan Yu's side.

There were also over a thousand ragtag followers shouting, "Xingxiu Old Immortal, boundless in magic power, supernatural and great, his presence graces the Central Plains."

They didn't stop after shouting, continuing to call out, "Quickly throw down your weapons and beg the Xingxiu Old Immortal for mercy! The Xingxiu Old Immortal has arrived at Mount Shaoshi; with a flick of his little finger, Shaolin Temple will immediately collapse," and other such things.

The robust old man leading them, stroking his white beard, narrowed his eyes as if drunk on fine wine; he was none other than the Xingxiu Old Monster, Ding Chunqiu.

"Noisy."

Vines grew wildly around the young monk's waist, and flowers as moist as jade burst forth from them. Then, his internal energy surged, and the white flowers transformed into petals, gathering into a sea of flowers that filled the sky.

He waved his sleeves, and the sea of flowers surged toward the ragtag crowd like a tidal wave.

In an instant, those with weak internal energy had their throats slit by the petals—about seventy or eighty people. The petals were drawn by their internal energy, clinging tightly to their bodies, but before they could even move to remove them...

... they were sealed by the continuously dancing sea of flowers, covering their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses, leaving them only able to struggle and roll on the ground.

At this moment, only Ding Chunqiu was still struggling bitterly, but unfortunately, he was wrapped in the sea of flowers, and the petals were tough and hard to break, making it impossible for him to escape.

The heroes and heroines on the field, seeing this strange scene that looked like magic, couldn't help but rub their eyes, wondering if their vision was failing them. How could there be such a martial art in the world that resembled sorcery?

Even if those just now were just ragtag followers with low martial arts, there were still over a thousand of them. Even if they were a thousand pigs, it would take a long time to kill them, so how were their lives so easily taken by this young monk?

Although the high monks of Shaolin Temple were astonished that Zhuang Buran's martial arts were so bizarre and terrifying, seeing his methods were this cruel, they couldn't help but chant a low Buddhist name and silently recite the Rebirth Mantra.

"Donor Duan, you are the Sect Leader of the Xiaoyao Sect. Now, the monk will help you eliminate the traitors in your sect and avenge your master's blood feud."

The young monk's eyes narrowed slightly. In the distance, the sea of flowers completely submerged Ding Chunqiu, and the 'Evil Ghost Thorn' quickly entangled him, instantly turning him into a human hedgehog.

He glanced sideways at Duan Yu:

"The things of this world are truly interesting. You view the monk as an enemy, yet the monk is helping you. Shouldn't you cut off your own hands and feet as a reward?"

"If you are truly unwilling, perhaps you could kill the girl beside you who hates the monk to the bone."

Zhuang Buran suddenly shook his head:

"Given Donor Duan's devoted yet fickle nature, you should definitely be unable to do anything to hurt this girl. Why not self-mutilate instead?"

Duan Yu was first captured by the young monk's deep gaze, but after steadying his mind, he said with an uncomprehending expression:

"Uh... with your martial arts, if you performed good deeds and accumulated merit, you might have a chance to become an Arhat or Bodhisattva. Why must you insist on acting recklessly according to your own nature?"

"Acting recklessly?"

Zhuang Buran sighed deeply:

"What exactly has the monk done that makes you all think I am acting recklessly? The incident at Tianlong Temple was merely crippling, not killing."

"Murong Fu, a lowly Xianbei mongrel, was always obsessed with the dream of completing his great cause of restoring his kingdom. The monk killing him is actually saving him, so he no longer has to end up in a miserable, insane state, and can welcome a brand new life without shackles."

"As for that female donor named Azi, being vicious and ruthless is one thing, but someone who cannot recognize their own place only wastes food while alive; dying is a clean end."

"With all this, how can you talk about acting recklessly?"

These words not only challenged the moral values of the heroes present but also infuriated Duan Yu:

"You cannot distinguish right from wrong, you are sophistical, and you don't have a shred of Buddhist compassion."

Zhuang Buran, however, ignored Duan Yu and looked at the gray-clad old monk:

"Murong Bo, the enemy who killed your son is here. Why are you still standing there? Do you think you can't beat the monk, and that's why you're standing still?"

"I have lurked in Shaolin Temple for decades, and I have heard of you, little monk. At first, I only thought you were a foolish and ignorant person; once you came to the Scripture Pavilion, you only knew how to hold a few Buddhist scriptures and read them endlessly."

The gray-clad old monk pulled off the gray cloth on his face, revealing a refined, handsome face with long, drooping white eyebrows.

"I never expected that I had misjudged you, leading to the extinction of my line and leaving the Gusu Murong Clan with no future."

The young monk, not knowing what he was thinking, looked at the black-clad old monk and smiled:

"This should be blamed on Xiao Yuanshan. Years ago, when the monk was an infant, it was he who placed me in the Shaolin vegetable garden, causing me to become a monk from a young age."

"If he had strangled the monk to death at the beginning, would your beloved son have been killed by me?"

He paused, speaking meaningfully:

"Xiao Yuanshan, the Battle of Yanmen Pass back then was the Xianbei mongrel's attempt to restore his kingdom, inciting the Song and Liao to slaughter each other so he could sit back and reap the benefits, waiting for the opportunity to restore the Yan Kingdom."

"He told those righteous Jianghu sects that a large number of Liao warriors were going to sneak into Shaolin Temple to steal martial arts secrets, and that the ultimate goal of this group was to attack the Central Plains."

When Xiao Yuanshan first heard this, he instantly understood the young monk's background. Just as he was feeling extremely satisfied that his father was a leader of the righteous path while this boy was a Demon Monk hunted by the Jianghu, he couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing the rest.

"Hahaha, it is truly the way of Heaven; one retribution follows another."

"Among the great enemies who killed my beloved wife and took my only son, such a coincidence would actually occur. The principle of cause and effect spoken of by Buddhism is truly not false, hahaha..."

Xiao Yuanshan tore off the black cloth on his face, revealing a square face with big ears, thick whiskers, and a very majestic appearance.

In the distance, Xiao Feng, seeing the appearance that was so similar to his own, was filled with both surprise and joy. He leaped over, knelt on the ground, and said with a trembling voice:

"You... you are my father..."

"Good child, I am indeed your father. We two have the same build and appearance; there is no need for recognition. Everyone knows I am your old man." Xiao Yuanshan reached out and pulled him up.

He looked at the young monk again:

"Although the mastermind was Murong Bo, among the great enemies who caused my family to be destroyed and my loved ones to die, there were Beggar Sect leaders and Shaolin masters. These people only wanted to cover up this bloody crime forever; they are truly hateful."

"Little Master, do you want to know who your biological father is? He is a high-ranking monk!"

Suddenly, the heroes, feeling overwhelmed, couldn't help but cast their gazes toward the group of old monks with floating white beards at Shaolin Temple.

Ye Erniang, however, was struck as if by lightning, looking at the young monk's silhouette with an incomparably complex expression.

Seeing Zhuang Buran silent, Xiao Yuanshan looked at Ye Erniang and sneered:

"I have lurked in Shaolin Temple for thirty years; what is there that I don't know? Do you want me to tell everyone about you meeting that high-ranking monk in Ziyun Cave, and him asking Qiao Popo to deliver your baby?"

When the heroes heard this, they felt even more incredulous. A high-ranking Shaolin monk actually had an affair with Ye Erniang, who committed all kinds of evil in the Jianghu; it was simply shocking.

Just as Ye Erniang appeared anxious and wanted to say something, the young monk suddenly smiled, and his internal energy shook.

The four sisters of Meijian and Ye Erniang were shaken five zhang away.

And the long swords in the four sisters' hands fell one after another, with their scabbards stuck in the ground.

His sudden action drew everyone's attention.

"The void is emptiness; the bamboo is purity. Only because it is empty and pure can it calmly accept everything in the world."

The young monk pulled out a long sword while speaking calmly:

"The so-called human body is merely a false combination of various conditions, hence it is called a false body. Ordinary people cling to this false combination of the five aggregates as 'self,' but that is a deluded self."

"The monk's true self is not within this body, nor is it outside this body."

"Therefore, this body is not my body; what do the causes and effects of the world have to do with me? If anything hinders me, kill!"

Having said that, he swung his sword, and an arm fell off, with fresh blood gushing out.

"Master!"

The four sisters of Meijian shouted anxiously, wanting to leap forward.

"Child!"

Ye Erniang also ran forward like a madwoman.

Abbot Xuanci in front of the Shaolin Temple gate could no longer hold back and immediately leaped over.

However, the young monk's one arm holding the bloody sword lifted, and a force, calculated with perfect precision, knocked them back one after another.

His expression was calm as he said:

"The birth mother of this false body stole another's child and brutally killed hundreds of infants; her sins are heavy, so she should cut off her flesh to repay them."

"The birth father of this false body looked on coldly, neither stopping nor persuading; his crimes are heinous, so he should have his bones removed to repay them."

As he finished speaking, he swung his sword again, and a leg fell to the ground, completely turning the place where he stood into a bloody color.

(End of chapter)