Chapter 33: Let Him Go

"Sir, how could you... how could you know the Arhat Subduing Demon Skill?"

Moonlight shone, and Master Jue Zhen's old face turned pale; at that moment his face was full of disbelief, and even his words trembled.

Arhat Subduing Demon Skill?

The Shaolin Temple disciples around them, even Jue Xin, who had just collapsed at the temple gate, looked bewildered at the name, as if they had never heard of it.

The Arhat Subduing Demon Skill has been lost at Shaolin Temple for centuries, and legend says the technique was created by a mysterious senior monk of Shaolin, blending all of Shaolin's internal cultivation essence.

It is also a first‑rank Shaolin internal cultivation method, whose subtlety even surpasses the Muscle Tendon Classic and the Bone Marrow Washing Classic.

Such a secret was recorded only in Shaolin's top‑secret scriptures, and as the abbot of Shaolin he had naturally read it.

The internal force is abundant and solid, as if a substantial yet formless power flows, seemingly endless and never depleted. When practiced deeply, the body follows the mind, nothing is impossible, all directions are mastered, everything proceeds as one wishes; body and soul merge, a treasure shields the body, the heavenly mind clears, a single thought makes a flower bloom.

This is what the Shaolin scriptures record.

In just a few dozen characters, each time Jue Zhen reads them, his heart yearns.

He never imagined he would witness the power of this divine skill in an outsider today; his mind was thrown into chaos, and he could no longer attend to his injuries.

After concluding his cultivation, Niu Dingtian remained standing in place, his blue robe fluttering in the moonlight.

"Indeed, it is the Arhat Subduing Demon Skill! Master Jue Zhen, do you have any regrets?"

Hearing Jue Zhen's words, Niu Dingtian glanced aside and asked softly.

Jue Zhen sat on the ground in silent response.

Niu Dingtian, seeing this, continued:

"As for how it happened, I won't trouble Master Jue Zhen with that. If Master Jue Zhen and your temple are interested in this technique, we can put today's matter aside. On the eighth day of the eighth lunar month two years from now, I will establish a sect on Jiugong Mountain outside Xiangyang City; at that time, please have your temple come to attend the ceremony, and I will give your temple a satisfactory answer."

He paused at this point, as if recalling something, then continued in a low voice:

"Of course, provided that the old monk in the Scripture Repository does not break the precept of killing tonight!"

"May we borrow your temple's Brahma Bell for a moment; today we part here, and on another day on Jiugong Mountain I will respectfully welcome you all. Farewell!"

Having said that, Niu Dingtian leapt, turned back into the temple, and sprinted toward the Bell Tower.

"Senior brother!"

"Abbot!"

Jue Xin and the many Shaolin disciples, seeing this, hurriedly looked to Jue Zhen, awaiting his order to continue the pursuit.

"No problem!"

After pondering briefly, Jue Zhen waved his hand to halt them, then sat cross‑legged and began circulating his energy to heal his wounds.

Jue Zhen did not wish to block any further, nor had the ability to do so.

The man before them today, though he seized the scriptures, never actually killed anyone; moreover, his power is terrifying, and taking the lives of his two senior brothers just now would have been effortless.

He probably also guessed Niu Dingtian's purpose in heading to the Bell Tower.

Jue Xin and the disciples, seeing this, asked no further; Jue Xin sat cross‑legged, gathered his internal force, and began restoring his injuries.

The disciples, seeing this, took up their staffs and silently went on guard.

The bell holds an important place in Buddhism and Buddhist rites.

Especially in major Buddhist ceremonies, it can be used for prayer, enlightenment, transference, reminders, and the like.

Some bells are cast with copper inscriptions, such as the common epitaph: 'Hear the bell, troubles lighten; wisdom grows; Bodhi arises; depart from hell; emerge from the fire; may one become a Buddha; liberate sentient beings.'

The Brahma Bells in Shaolin Temple are mostly used for time‑keeping.

For example, at dawn and dusk they strike once, each time a rapid eighteen strikes, then a slow eighteen strikes, finally a peaceful eighteen strikes; this pattern is repeated twice, totaling 108 strikes.

Just as Niu Dingtian, in the evening inside the Scripture Repository, first heard the time‑keeping bell.

The 108 strikes also have origins; Buddhist tradition holds that a year has twelve months, twenty‑four solar terms, seventy‑two micro‑seasons, symbolizing the world's yearly cycle and representing eternity.

At the same time, the number 108 in Buddhist implements represents the 108 worldly afflictions; each strike thus signifies the removal of one human trouble.

But the Brahma Bell in Shaolin also serves a crucial purpose: rallying the monks to repel external enemies.

Moreover, its tempo indicates urgency; when the most urgent bell sounds, all monks must return to the temple.

For instance, the bell Niu Dingtian heard last inside the Scripture Repository was a call to defense, though not yet at the highest urgency.

Niu Dingtian employed his body technique to speed along; within ten breaths he arrived at an old building, the source of the evening bell.

He leapt, surged into the top floor, and saw a massive bronze bell hanging from the beam, its clapper hanging beside it.

Niu Dingtian, unwilling to delay, gathered his internal force, gripped the clapper tightly, and struck the great bell swiftly.

"Dong dong dong dong dong~~"

The rapid, ear‑splitting bell rang explosively through the Bell Tower, blasting out of the temple toward the mountain foot.

"Abbot! Abbot!"

"Abbot senior brother! The warning bell has sounded!"

When the bell rang, the crowd outside the temple was thrown into panic; Jue Xin also withdrew his internal force and, nervous, shouted to Jue Zhen.

"Amitabha! Ah, let him go."

Jue Zhen remained calm, let out a long sigh, and continued to close his eyes and heal.

Mid‑mountain

"Puff"

"Puff"

The old monk in a hemp robe, after two palm strikes sent the last two blockers flying, came to the cliff edge, looked down, saw the carriage racing nonstop toward the mountain foot, and without a moment's delay, activated his lightness skill and immediately pursued down the mountain.

Below Shaoshi Mountain's mid‑slope, Niu Ben drove the carriage, daring not to slow; as it neared the mountain foot, the figure behind chased again, the distance closing.

"Dong dong dong dong dong~~"

At this moment, a rapid, unending bell sound rang through the mountains.

Deep, rapid, resonant, lingering

Heart‑shaking!

The old monk in hemp robes watched the distance to the carriage ahead shrink, now less than a hundred zhang.

He heard the mountain again sending out such urgent bell sounds, and his complexion changed in an instant.

He instantly froze, watched the departing carriage, hesitated a moment, then decisively turned around and sped up the mountain.

If there are typos or garbled sentences, please let me know, thank you.

(End of chapter)