Master Xinji

Zhang Yuanshan pondered for a moment, then said with a slight smile, "Junior Brother Zhending is the disciple of my master's friend, known by the sobriquet 'Karma-Slaying Buddha Blade.'"

"Karma-Slaying Buddha Blade..." Lin Biexue repeated softly, then chuckled. "So Zhending Monk is also the disciple of a reclusive master."

Karma-Slaying Buddha Blade... Meng Qi's mouth twitched. He was rather dissatisfied with the nickname Zhang Yuanshan had given him. Do I even like using a blade?

He smiled, lifted his teacup, took a sip of clear tea, and answered with a Zen riddle: "All sink into the Sea of Suffering; how can there be any talk of being beyond the world?"

At this moment, Meng Qi deeply regretted why he was dressed in a tattered gray monk robe stained with blood, unable to display the transcendent bearing of an enlightened eminent monk!

"Interesting, interesting!" Lin Biexue laughed, raised his cup, tipped back his head, and drained the strong liquor within.

"Karma-Slaying Buddha Blade?" Wei Wuji and the others in the inn murmured to themselves, savoring this nickname they had never heard before. But since Young Master Zhang had said it, this Zhending Monk evidently was no ordinary man. Their own knowledge had been too shallow; they knew little of matters beyond the martial world of River Luo.

Zhang Yuanshan turned to glance at Qi Zhengyan and the others, who had not yet come closer, then cupped his hands toward Lin Biexue. "I have guests to attend to. Brother Lin, please forgive me."

Lin Biexue waved a hand dismissively. "I too must return to my room to meditate and regulate my breath. Du'er Cha's experts may launch a surprise attack here at any time. We cannot let down our guard; I must restore my strength."

After bidding Lin Biexue farewell, Zhang Yuanshan led Meng Qi and the others toward the inn's third floor, saying casually with a smile, "Junior Brother Zhending, Junior Brother Qi, you are covered in blood and your clothes are in tatters. This journey must have been difficult. Yet not a single person died—truly enough to make people look at you in a new light."

"We did not encounter enemies in the Orifice Opening Realm." Qi Zhengyan briefly explained the reason.

"Mm, perhaps they did not manage to catch up with you in time. I have made inquiries. Du'er Cha has four Innate experts under his command: 'Town River Luo' Guan Haoran, 'Shapeshifting Scholar' Kuang Chengwang, 'White-Browed Evil Wolf' Borhan, and 'Palm of the Universe' Tang Shun. You must be careful of the remaining three." Zhang Yuanshan stopped before a door and knocked lightly.

"Come in." Jiang Zhiwei's voice, like an oriole leaving the valley, drifted from inside.

Pushing open the door, Meng Qi saw Jiang Zhiwei sitting cross-legged in meditation. The "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun" sword lay unsheathed across her knees, reflecting the sunlight like a pool of emerald spring water.

Meanwhile, the seductive young woman sat idly beside the table, toying with the teacup before her.

"Little Monk, you certainly had an exciting time." Jiang Zhiwei sheathed her sword and greeted them with a smile. "Mine was utterly boring. I finally found an opponent, only for Senior Brother Zhang to snatch him away."

Since no one had died, she was in an excellent mood and made a joke of it.

"Amitabha Buddha. My Buddha is compassionate; this humble monk too does not wish to kill. Yet killing is to protect life, and slaying karma is not slaying people. If I do not enter hell, who will enter hell?" Meng Qi spouted some lofty-sounding words he had heard before.

"Haha, you really are an eminent monk only with your mouth. You make it sound quite reasonable—I nearly let you fool me." Jiang Zhiwei said without concealing her amusement. Zhang Yuanshan, meanwhile, shook his head with a laugh, clearly having never heard such crooked heresy.

Then Jiang Zhiwei pointed to the seductive young woman. "This madam is Ke Biqun. She has reached Minor Qi Accumulation, and she contributed greatly when we broke through the blockade."

Meng Qi nodded and greeted her, then turned to introduce Xiao Zi and Xiang Hui. Finally, he asked, "What about that one? Did he die in the pursuit?"

"Great Hero Wang Jin is himself an expert who has opened his Eye Apertures. After arriving at Shaolin and completing the first Main Quest, he was not very willing to mingle with juniors like us. He is currently moving about everywhere, contacting outside reinforcements." Zhang Yuanshan answered calmly, without anger or irritation.

Meng Qi was quite concerned about the Main Quest. "You completed Main Quest One already? What is Main Quest Two?"

"We entered the temple last night and met the Abbot, completing the first Main Quest and receiving Merit Points as a reward. However, since our origins were unclear, they did not dare let us stay within the temple. They still sent us down the mountain, saying they would discuss it again after interrogating the traitors." Jiang Zhiwei concisely described yesterday's events. "Main Quest Two is to hold Shaolin until the very last moment. The reward for completion is one hundred Merit Points; otherwise, they will be deducted."

After a pause, she continued, "You need not worry too much. They will certainly summon you into the temple to verify your identities, lest we have deceived them."

Hearing Jiang Zhiwei's words, Meng Qi felt reassured. With a grin, he said, "Senior Brother Zhang, do you have any spare clothes I can borrow? Wearing this is truly uncomfortable."

Zhang Yuanshan chuckled. "I prepared clothes for you long ago. Junior Brother Zhending, Junior Brother Qi, Brother Xiang Hui, come with me next door to bathe and change."

After bathing and changing into clean clothes, just as Meng Qi and the others were enjoying the feeling of being refreshed from head to toe, De Guang arrived. They learned that Abbot Master Xinji would personally receive them and question them about breaking through the encirclement and the traitors.

The mountain path wound onward through lush green woods, and the farther Meng Qi walked, the more familiar it seemed.

Isn't this the mountain path I usually take to fetch water? Meng Qi suddenly realized. He turned to Jiang Zhiwei, Zhang Yuanshan, and Qi Zhengyan, receiving their confirming nods.

Could this place truly be exactly the same as my own Shaolin, aside from the people within it?

"Master Xinji is an expert at the peak of the Innate Realm. He is only one step away from entering the realm of 'Immortal True,' where inner and Outer World converge. Do not neglect proper etiquette." For some reason, Zhang Yuanshan suddenly began introducing the Abbot to Meng Qi and the others.

"Benefactor Zhang overpraises me. In our Buddhist school, however, it is not called the realm of 'Immortal True,' but the Zen Realm." De Guang explained with a calm expression.

At this moment, Jiang Zhiwei's Familiar Voice sounded in Meng Qi's ear: "The temple's layout is also identical to Shaolin's. Do not be surprised. The Reincarnation World has far too many mysteries."

With Jiang Zhiwei's reminder, Meng Qi showed no surprise as he stepped through the temple gates and passed the square, halls, and courtyards. Yet his mind was somewhat dazed, as though he were not completing a reincarnation mission at all, but walking through the temple with Junior Brother Zhen Hui and the others, methodically living out their daily routine of fetching water, learning to read, practicing martial arts, meditating, and chanting sutras.

Dong!

A long, profound peal of the bell rang out, jolting Meng Qi from his daze and soothing all the unease and doubts in his heart.

As he stepped into the Daxiong Baodian, Meng Qi saw more than ten monks dressed in yellow monk robes and red kasayas. The one at their head had sparse white brows, sagging skin, and a face full of wrinkles, yet his eyes were kindly, without the slightest cloudiness.

"You benefactors risked death to bring this report. This old monk is deeply grateful." Xinji pressed his palms together and intoned a Buddhist invocation.

"The Barbarians are vicious, enemies of all under heaven. This humble monk and the others merely did our small part to protect the pure land of our Buddhist school." Meng Qi was quite accomplished at speaking ceremonial pleasantries. Then he took out the list of traitors given to him by the Lord of Six Paths Samsara.

Xinji nodded slightly and beckoned with his hand. That thin page of paper immediately drifted into his palm like willow catkins carried by the wind.

Suddenly, Meng Qi's vision blurred. He saw the golden Buddha statue at the center of the hall smiling as it held a flower, while the candle flames below leaped up and intertwined into lines of text.

Traitor list delivered to Shaolin. Main Quest One completed. Each person who entered the temple is rewarded fifty Merit Points.

Main Quest Two activated: Hold Shaolin until the very last moment. Escape is forbidden before then. Success rewards one hundred Merit Points; failure deducts one hundred Merit Points.

The sparks scattered and the words vanished. A great weight lifted from Meng Qi's heart. Lowering his gaze, he quietly waited for Xinji's questions.

Xinji nodded as he read, then finally sighed. "When faced with worldly **, even monks who have left home cannot entirely escape them. This time, we have you benefactors to thank for risking your lives to deliver this list. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

"Abbot, your divine skill is unrivaled. Even if Du'er Cha led many experts in a surprise assault, he would be unable to breach Shaolin. We merely added flowers to brocade." Zhang Yuanshan replied with great courtesy.

Xinji shook his head. "Monks do not speak falsehoods. If the traitors make a move, the mountain passes will be impossible to hold, and then Du'er Cha's army cannot be stopped. Moreover, this old monk is nearing nirvana. My martial arts have long since ceased to be what they were in my prime. Du'er Cha is also known as the foremost expert among the Barbarians; with every move, winds rise and clouds churn. This old monk truly has no confidence in stopping him. I can only cast aside this remnant body and seek an opportunity to suppress him."

"Abbot, absolutely not! Preserve useful body, for the sake of future plans!"

"Master, you have shaken the martial world for decades and are the symbol of our Shaolin. As long as you remain, even if the Mountain Gate is destroyed, Shaolin will still stand unharmed!"

One Chief Monk and Elder after another spoke up to dissuade him.

Xin Ji raised his right palm, silencing the clamor. "Amitabha Buddha. You are all monks—why can you not see through this stinking sack of skin?"

Having said that, he smiled at Meng Qi. "This old monk is quite interested in the pursuit you few have suffered. Might you tell me about it?"

Meng Qi knew this was the key to earning their trust. He nodded slightly. "Please ask whatever you wish, Abbot."

Xin Ji questioned Meng Qi, Qi Zhengyan, Xiao Zi, and Xiang Hui one by one, mainly about certain details.

So long as it did not involve their origins and backgrounds, Meng Qi and the others had clear consciences. They did not alter what they themselves had seen and heard based on each other's answers, saying exactly what had happened.

Xin Ji's expression did not change in the slightest as he patiently listened to everyone's answers.

"Getting old gives one all sorts of strange quirks. Thank you all for satisfying this old monk's curiosity." Xin Ji smiled, then turned his head and instructed the monk beside him, "Arrange accommodations for these benefactors..."

Before he could finish, a figure among Meng Qi and the others standing before him darted out like a ghost, striking a palm against his chest and abdomen.

His kasaya swelled, instantly flinging the figure away. Xin Ji spat out a mouthful of blood, which struck the man like iron sand and sent him staggering.

"Xiang Hui?" Only then did Meng Qi react. The person who had attacked the Abbot was actually his own companion, Xiang Hui!

"Hahaha, the Great General asked me to send his regards to the Abbot!" "Xiang Hui" laughed loudly and slipped toward the hall's exit as swiftly as a wisp of smoke.

The route he chose led toward Ke Biqun, whose martial arts were weaker.

Smack! He sent Ke Biqun flying with a palm strike and saw the empty gate ahead.

I succeeded! he thought excitedly.

Suddenly, a flash of sword light rose, its chill piercing straight toward the center of his brow, forcing his steps to halt as he changed direction.

Yet the sword light clung to him like gangrene to the bone. No matter how "Xiang Hui" dodged, he could always feel a prickling pain at the center of his brow!

"What kind of swordsmanship is this?" He was both shocked and terrified.

At this moment, a Chief Monk beside Xin Ji cried out in astonishment:

"Shapeshifting Scholar!"

Meng Qi suddenly understood. Xiang Hui had already died during the second attack and been replaced by the Shapeshifting Scholar!

Thinking that he had spent an entire day beside such a terrifying enemy, Meng Qi shuddered with fear.

Fortunately, I was not his target!