He moved with lightning speed, tearing the belts of both men with a single tug. Two sharp clangs rang out as the two short knives fell to the ground, their gleaming blue light dazzling the eye.
At this, everyone's expression changed drastically.
west Hua Zi, his neck stiff, shouted, "That's right, if Zhang Wuxia refuses to tell us Xie Xun's whereabouts, then we might have to take action."
Just as Zhang Songxi was about to speak again, he suddenly heard a voice from outside the hall: "Amitabha!"
The chant of the Buddha's name reached everyone's ears clearly and loudly, as if it came from afar, yet it also sounded as if it were coming right next to their ears.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Sanfeng's heart stirred, and he said with a smile, "So it is Zen Master Kongwen of the Shaolin School who has arrived. Please invite him in quickly."
The voice outside the hall interjected, "Abbot Kongwen of Shaolin, along with his junior brothers Kongzhi and Kongxing, and all the disciples, respectfully wish Master Zhang a long and happy life."
Kongwen, Kongzhi, and Kongxing are three of the four great monks of Shaolin. Except for Master Kongjian, who is already dead, the other three great monks have come to Wudang Mountain together today.
Upon hearing Abbot Kongwen's voice, Kunlun Sect Leader He Taichong smiled and said, "I have long admired the name of the Shaolin monk. It is an honor to meet you today. This trip has not been in vain."
Outside the hall, another, deeper voice said, "This must be Master He, the head of Kunlun Sect. It's a pleasure to meet you! Master Zhang, please forgive us for being late in offering our birthday greetings."
Zhang Sanfeng said, "Today, Wudang Mountain is filled with distinguished guests. This old Taoist has only lived to be a hundred years old. How could I dare to trouble the three venerable monks to come in person?"
The four people, separated by multiple doors, communicated using their internal energy, as if they were talking face-to-face.
The Emei nuns Jingxuan and Jingxu, along with the Five Elders of Kongtong, were all too weak to get a word in edgewise.
As for the other gangs and factions, their skills and cultivation were even more pathetic, and they were all greatly shocked and ashamed of their inferiority.
Before long, three eminent monks led nine monks and slowly walked into the Zhenwu Hall.
Abbot Kongwen's white eyebrows drooped down to his eyes, making him look like a long-browed Arhat; Monk Kongxing had a majestic physique and imposing appearance; Monk Kongzhi, however, had a bitter look on his face, with the corners of his mouth drooping, as if someone owed him a million dollars.
Although Zhang Sanfeng and Kong Wen were both very famous figures in the martial arts world, they had never met.
Upon their first meeting, they were both astonished by each other's profound cultivation.
Zhang Sanfeng's heart stirred. The three monks of Kongwen were indeed worthy of being called the Four Great Divine Monks, and their cultivation was even slightly higher than that of Yuanqiao.
In his perception, Kongwen, Kongxing, and Kongzhi were all at the peak of the ninth level of the Acquired Realm, only a hair's breadth away from the Innate Realm.
These three are merely the experts on the surface. How many more peak-stage acquired masters are there in Shaolin Temple in secret? Are there even any at the innate realm?
Zhang Sanfeng sighed inwardly: It seems that Wudang is far from catching up with Shaolin!
On the other hand, Kong Wen and the others, after seeing Zhang Sanfeng, seemed to be like the moon in the water or a flower in the mist, unable to see him clearly at all, which made Kong Wen and the others feel horrified.
According to legend, Zhang Sanfeng was the greatest martial artist in the world, but Kong Wen and others always considered this to be a misconception.
Zhang Sanfeng became famous more than seventy years ago. All those who fought with him back then are now dead, and there is no one left in the world.
Just how extraordinary his martial arts skills were is only known through various miraculous legends circulating in the martial arts world. Apart from his seven direct disciples, no one had ever witnessed them firsthand.
Just before ascending Wudang Mountain, Kong Wen and his two companions planned to challenge Zhang Sanfeng and, incidentally, suppress the prestige of the Wudang Sect to prevent Shaolin's reputation from being threatened.
Now that they have met Zhang Sanfeng, they realize that his cultivation is unfathomable, far beyond what they had previously expected of him to be at the peak of the acquired realm. At this point, Kong Wen and the other two are hesitant and unsure whether to continue with their original plan.
This internal monologue, though seemingly taking a long time, actually lasted only a moment.
Kong Wen straightened his expression, raised one palm to his chest, and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha! We, the humble monks, have come uninvited, and hope that Master Zhang will forgive us!"
Zhang Sanfeng replied with a smile, "The venerable monk has come from afar. This old Taoist is overjoyed and would never blame you. Please, have a seat!"
After exchanging pleasantries, the Shaolin monks took their seats, and Song Yuanqiao instructed a young Taoist to serve them fragrant tea.
After Kong Wen and the others sat down, Kunlun He Taichong, Emei Jingxuan Shitai, Kongtong Guan Neng and others all stepped forward to pay their respects, exchanging words of admiration and pleasantries.
However, the monk Kongwen seemed extremely humble, greeting each junior disciple of every sect and faction with a clasped hand and a few words, causing quite a commotion before the introductions of hundreds of people were finally completed.
Afterwards, the three monks, Kongwen, Kongzhi, and Kongxing, finally had some free time and sat down in their seats.
After taking a sip of tea, Kong Wen spoke up and said, "Master Zhang, according to age and seniority, I am your junior! Today, apart from celebrating your birthday, we shouldn't be discussing anything else, but as the abbot of Shaolin, I have a few words to say frankly to you, Master Zhang. Please forgive me."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Sanfeng's heart skipped a beat, but he remained expressionless and asked bluntly, "Have the three of you come here for my fifth disciple, Zhang Cuishan?"
When Zhang Cuishan heard his master mention his name, he stood up.
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Chapter 19 First Move
Zhang Cuishan stood up and said, "I am Zhang Cuishan!"
It was a resounding statement, and there was no attempt to evade it.
Abbot Kongwen glanced at him, nodded noncommittally, then turned to Zhang Sanfeng and said, "Perfect! This humble monk has two matters to ask you, Fifth Hero Zhang."
Zhang Sanfeng smiled and replied, "Please speak!"
Kong Wen said, "First, Zhang Wuxia killed seventy-one members of the Longmen Escort Agency under my Shaolin Temple. Then, he killed six monks from my Shaolin Temple. How should we end the lives of these seventy-seven people?"
"The second matter is that my senior brother, Master Kongjian, was a compassionate and virtuous man who never quarreled with anyone, yet he was tragically killed by Xie Xun, the Golden-Haired Lion King. I heard that Zhang Wuxia knows the whereabouts of that villain, so please inform him."
As expected of the abbot of Shaolin, his words were impeccable, yet subtly barbed, carrying a hint of aggressiveness. He was far more astute than that hothead Xihua Zi.
Before Zhang Sanfeng could say anything, Zhang Cuishan spoke up loudly, "Master Kongwen, the seventy-seven lives of the Longmen Escort Agency and the Shaolin monks were not caused by me."
"Throughout my life I have been taught by my mentor. Although I am dull-witted and not destined for greatness, I have never dared to lie."
"As for who killed these seventy-seven people, I do know, but I cannot say it outright. That is the first thing!"