Old Man Mu had been trapped in the Four Truths Blue Lotus out of a momentary fit of curiosity, and he still regretted it bitterly. Yet he continued grinning from ear to ear as he traded barbs with the five eminent monks surrounding him, not yielding an inch.
"I truly feel sorry for the abbot. He worked so hard to raise such a large temple, yet when bandits came to seize it, not a single person lifted a hand to save him. What a fine bunch of sanctimonious monks, and what a splendid scheme of borrowing a knife to kill! You eliminated the current abbot—who are you paving the way for?"
The four monks rarely spoke. Each guarded one direction, heads bowed as they murmured sutras. The moment Old Man Mu made even the slightest move, they would immediately step in to stop him. Only Fa Chong was willing to answer Old Man Mu's wild questions.
"Old Man Mu, your luck has run out. Surrender quietly. The abbot's life is none of your concern."
"Old monk, aren't you ashamed? You call this a debate, yet you're using such underhanded tricks."
"Indeed. The debate between you and me isn't over yet. Please, continue."
Old Man Mu had been debating merely to show off. Once Shangguan Ru left, he lost all interest. His eyes darted in every direction as he searched for a chance to escape his predicament.
It was a tiny courtyard. There were rooms to the east and south, while the north side had a wall and the entrance. To the west towered a cliff thick with vines. He could flee in any direction, but Old Man Mu personally favored the cliff. He trusted that with his Lightness Skill, he could easily climb it and leave the monks of the