Chapter Thirty-Five: First Slay Shaolin
In fact, handling all the affairs of the Imperial Preceptor's residence was virtually effortless for Cai Yan. Her daily reading of hundreds, even thousands, of volumes, coupled with her photographic memory, made her omniscient and knowledgeable about the world.
After all, to some extent, omniscience is already very close to omnipotence. Especially in a low-level world like this, where inexplicable factors like the will of Heaven and destiny don't have a significant impact, even top strategists like Zhuge Liang and Guo Jia wouldn't have done any better than Cai Yan.
With the help of her maids, Cai Yan quietly stepped out of the sedan chair and looked at the Shaolin Temple in front of her.
At first glance, the surrounding environment is quite pleasant, truly a picturesque landscape. With mountains, water, trees, and flowers, the overall atmosphere is very Zen-like. Moreover, upon closer listening, one can hear the sounds of monks chanting sutras.
In response, Cai Yan could only say that no matter how dark their internal affairs were, they did a very good job of putting on a good show.
“My lord, once we get here, it will be difficult to conceal ourselves. After all, there are too many of us. If it weren’t for the fact that many of the Shaolin Temple’s masters had already left, we wouldn’t have even made it this far before being discovered,” Jin Jiuling continued.
The distance to Shaolin Temple was still several miles, but with their martial arts skills, they could see clearly. Shaolin Temple was closed today. It was said that due to special circumstances, they were not receiving visitors for the time being.
"You can sit at home and still be struck by misfortune. Some things can't be avoided simply by running away. These monks don't engage in production, yet they seize land recklessly. They lack virtue and are of extremely poor character; they are all false monks and must be eliminated. Keeping them in the world will only worsen the people's impression of Buddhism," Cai Yan said with a smile. Her words carried an air of righteous indignation, as if she were doing it for the good of the people.
To be honest, the more information I looked into, the worse my impression of Shaolin Temple became. On the surface, it's the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism, but in reality, it doesn't practice Buddhism, only martial arts. Or rather, it's all about martial arts.
Moreover, the biggest landlords in the entire Henan region are none other than this group of hypocritical monks. They drink alcohol and eat meat every day; otherwise, how could so many muscular martial monks have developed such impressive physiques from eating too much tofu?
“Yes, what you say is true, sir. Buddhism is good, and Buddha is good. But these monks are bad. They are all false monks, fake monks, and frivolous monks. If we attack Shaolin today, I believe that even Buddha would approve of it when he hears of it.” Jin Jiuling said, his eyes darting around.
Compared to the rulers throughout history who frequently persecuted Buddhism, Cai Yan's reasons were undoubtedly more acceptable.
Buddha is good, Buddhist scriptures are good, and Buddhist teachings are good. It's just a pity that these monks are bad.
"Alright, let's get started then," Cai Yan said calmly, and then returned to the sedan chair.
With a command, over a thousand fully armed third-rate martial arts experts headed directly and openly towards Shaolin Temple. They formed groups of one hundred to each other. From a distance, they presented a formidable sight.
tap tap tap
With a series of deafening footsteps, the tightly closed gates of Shaolin Temple finally opened.
Soon, led by a monk, hundreds of monks appeared. Most of them were carrying clubs, and many even had weapons such as swords and staffs.
"Amitabha Buddha, what brings you here, layperson?" the monk asked calmly.
Hearing this, and seeing the monks' impeccably shaved heads, Cai Yan felt even more distressed. It is a well-known fact that one's body, hair, and skin are gifts from one's parents, and should not be harmed; this is the beginning of filial piety. This concept is also very prevalent in the Christian world.
As a result, seeing so many bald monks who, theoretically, have no descendants (theoretically, monks have no offspring, but in reality, many are frivolous monks), Cai Yan felt a deep-seated dislike for them. Coupled with their doctrines, this only amplified her dislike.
After all, most pure Han Chinese are very proud. In the eyes of the people of the main world, the greatest being is God, the second greatest is their ancestors, and the third greatest is the emperor.
But then one day, someone suddenly tells you that Buddha is the greatest and everyone else is nothing. Isn't that a typical test of your limits?
After all, the main world at this time had not experienced the Yellow Turban Rebellion or the Five Barbarian Invasions, so Buddhism had not developed extensively. Under the pressure from Taoism, the entire Han Dynasty only had the White Horse Temple in Luoyang. Apart from that, monks were almost nowhere to be seen.
Therefore, Cai Yan truly loathed this sect with its numerous flaws. It was hard to imagine a proud Han citizen worshipping a foreigner.
"I'll just ask you one question: will your Shaolin Temple surrender?" Cai Yan said.
“Amitabha! Even if you are the third head of the Imperial Preceptor’s Mansion, you cannot be so domineering. Shaolin Temple has a long history and is the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism. Do you intend to destroy Buddhism?” the monk said excitedly.
At the same time, hundreds of monks behind them simultaneously raised their clubs and began striking the ground in unison. The rhythm was precise and synchronized, instantly creating a powerful aura.
If it were those inexperienced martial arts practitioners, they might have been intimidated. But who is Cai Yan? In the main world, what is such a small matter?
"Let's do it."
"Gentlemen, the time has come to serve the court! All those bald monks who know martial arts, regardless of age or gender, who dare to resist, shall be slaughtered!" Jin Jiuling shouted. After speaking, he led the hundred men assigned to him and charged forward.
At this time, Jin Jiuling's martial arts skills were far beyond what they used to be. Under the occasional guidance of Shi A and others, he had already reached the level of Abbot Dabei of Shaolin Temple and Dugu Yihe, the leader of the Emei Sect.
Of course, no one cared about how much lifespan was lost or how much vital energy was depleted in the process. Even Jin Jiuling himself didn't care.
At this moment, with a broadsword in hand, he was no match for the numerous Shaolin monks. Almost no one could withstand a single blow from him. Even if someone managed to block the first strike, they couldn't possibly withstand the second.
Kill, kill, kill
Kill, kill, kill
Faced with hordes of troops, the Lesser Arhat Formation, the Greater Arhat Formation, and even the legendary 108 Arhat Formation are all nothing but clay chickens and earthenware dogs. Even those with unparalleled lightness skills, once caught in the battlefield, will only face countless swords and blades if they cannot escape immediately.
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Chapter Thirty-Six: Lin Yang finally jumped off the cliff!
While Cai Yan was attacking Shaolin Temple, Lin Yang's side had already spent a full three hours, or six hours. When the fighting began, the sun hadn't even set yet. But now, many torches had been lit all around.
Moreover, as time went by, more and more martial arts figures rushed in from all directions. These sneaky, latecomers were at least top-tier masters in the martial arts world.
But at this moment, on this slaughterhouse-like cliff, the lives of top-tier experts were as fragile as a piece of paper. Whether it was the old man, the Jade Rakshasa, or the Wooden Taoist, once they had no more scruples, they truly killed anyone who stood in their way.
Moreover, fighters like Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng, who rely on explosive power, could initially hold their own against these three old monsters, even to a draw for a short time. However, as time went on, tragedy struck.
By this time, they had already taken several breaks. Even so, their fighting ability was becoming increasingly weak.
At least, the three old perverts still looked energetic. Moreover, only the Wood Taoist took a break once due to his advanced age; the other two didn't rest even once.
"Phew, this is insane. You old fogies, you're all so old, yet you still have so much energy. You even outlasted a strong young man like Ximen Chuixue. Look, he's gone to rest again. I wonder if he's planning to rest for half an incense stick's time or a full incense stick's time this time." Lin Yang complained, looking at the masked, silent Taoist across from him.
"Hehe, the Imperial Preceptor is no simple man either. We old fellows can only endure this long because of our rich experience, profound inner strength, and the fact that our external skills have long reached their peak. But you, Imperial Preceptor, are so young, yet you are in no way inferior to us old fellows. That is truly astonishing," said the wooden Taoist in a hoarse voice.
Needless to say, the voice had definitely been altered. Moreover, even now, Master Mu hadn't used his full strength. Because he hadn't yet used Wudang's martial arts techniques.
Whether it was swordsmanship or palm techniques, it was all the same old Knife Handle's style. All I can say is, his acting was superb! If Lin Yang hadn't known the plot, he would definitely have thought this was his full power.
Hearing this, Lin Yang smiled slightly. If it weren't for the fact that Lin Yang possessed the Longevity True Qi at this moment, and that the Yin and Yang Five Elements mutually promoted each other, allowing him to recover his energy and heal his injuries far beyond that of others, he truly wouldn't have been able to hold on until now.