Chapter 37

Disperse just like that? What kind of joke was this! Meng Qi grumbled inwardly, then stepped forward with righteous solemnity. "Abbot, do you take us for cowards who fear death?"

"Amitabha Buddha, that is not what this old monk means. Several benefactors are injured..." Master Xinji still tried to persuade them to leave, but he could not openly state that Shaolin had decided to abandon this foundation, that there was no point in defending it further. Du'er Cha might easily learn of it, force himself to attack despite his wounds, and leave the monks without time to evacuate.

"Abbot, could it be that you despise us for being wounded and useless?" Meng Qi wore a face of righteous indignation as he expertly twisted Master Xinji's meaning.

By then, Shaolin Temple's Chief Monks and Elders had all gathered behind Master Xinji, guarding against a sudden attack from Meng Qi and the others.

Hearing Meng Qi's words, the monks who prided themselves on being righteous figures of the martial world naturally could not openly say that they were indeed useless. They hemmed and hawed, yet no one answered.

"This old monk is gravely wounded, as are Benefactor Jiang and Benefactor Zhang, while Du'er Cha has not been harmed in the least. There is truly little hope in this battle. You benefactors are not disciples of Shaolin; why squander your lives by remaining in Shaolin and perishing together with it, jade and stone alike? Even within Shaolin, very few monks possess such resolve, for it is truly meaningless. I fear only old men like this old monk, whose time to enter nirvana is near, would be willing to cast aside this sack of foul flesh."

"Why not preserve your useful bodies and await the days to come?"

Master Xinji was practically saying outright that only this old monk intended to defend Shaolin to the death; everyone else might flee. Why were unrelated strangers like them playing the hero and going mad?

Meng Qi took a step forward, pressed his palms together, and solemnly proclaimed a Buddhist invocation. "Amitabha Buddha. Death may be lighter than a goose feather, or heavier than Mount Tai. Today, we shall sacrifice our lives for righteousness!"

Including Master Xinji, every monk was left staring dumbfounded. Never before had they seen people so utterly determined to sacrifice themselves just to save others!

And more importantly, we do not want you to save us at all!

After speaking, Meng Qi suddenly felt that "Amitabha Buddha" clashed somewhat with the passionate, impassioned words that followed. But he immediately consoled himself: anyway, mismatched styles were fashionable these days!

Seeing the monks frozen in place, Meng Qi raised his head, striking a pose of heroic gallantry and loyalty that reached the skies. "What happened today is not a matter of whether Shaolin wishes to save itself. It is a matter of showing all the living under heaven that there are still people in this world willing to march generously toward death!"

Jiang Zhiwei raised a hand to cover her mouth, suppressing her laughter with all her might. A flush of red emerged on her pale face. Qi Zhengyan's mouth twitched, and he silently rejoiced that he had not spoken much with Meng Qi...

Master Xinji fell silent for a long while. Looking at Zhang Yuanshan, who had hastily taken medicinal pills and was sitting in meditation to stabilize his wounds, then at Jiang Zhiwei, standing alone with her robes fluttering, he sighed. "Benefactor Zhang and Benefactor Jiang are seriously injured. Even if they descend the mountain now, they may find it difficult to break through the Iron Armor Soldiers' blockade. You should enter the temple and wait for an opportunity. De Kong, quickly fetch Small Rejuvenation Pills for the benefactors."

"After entering the temple, I ask that you benefactors guard the Back Mountain, to prevent Barbarian experts from climbing the cliffs and entering."

He had assigned Meng Qi and the others to the quiet Back Mountain, where virtually no one would attack, and kept them away from the Secret Passage used for the temple's evacuation.

"Thank you, Abbot." Meng Qi quietly let out a breath. This was the most ideal outcome!

"Abbot, is something wrong with that Little Monk's head?" Upon returning to Daxiong Baodian, Xin Chan spoke with some irritation. "Why did you keep them?"

Master Xinji was about to speak when his face suddenly turned the color of gold paper, then snow-white. After changing several times in succession, he finally managed to steady himself, but he looked as though he had aged twenty years in an instant.

"Master, are you all right?" his disciple asked anxiously.

"I will not die yet." Master Xinji spoke blandly. "Fortunately, we frightened Du'er Cha away just now, giving us a chance to catch our breath." His injuries seemed to have worsened further.

He turned his head toward Xin Chan. "Benefactor Jiang and Benefactor Zhang truly fought desperately when they clashed with Du'er Cha. They are not spies. Moreover, this old monk saw that their resolve was exceedingly firm. If we did not let them enter the temple, I fear they would defend the mountain path to the death. Thus, I sent them to guard the Back Mountain, repaying their kindness this time and settling the karmic debt."

"Apart from the Sarira Pagoda, there is nothing important on the Back Mountain. There is no need to worry about Du'er Cha's people launching a sneak attack. Once the disciples have all evacuated through the Secret Passage, we can tell them the truth and have them leave through the passage as well. If Du'er Cha attacks early, given the terrain of the Back Mountain, they should be able to hold out until the end. By then, the situation will be beyond recovery, so they probably will not keep defending to the death..."

Master Xinji did not sound very certain. Meng Qi's "impassioned fervor" had left a deep impression on him.

Xin Chan said with a dark expression, "A blockhead of elm wood—there may be no cure for him. Abbot, the important manuals, medicinal pills, and such have been selected and packed. Shall we arrange for the disciples to evacuate now?"

"Mhm." Master Xinji nodded, then turned back to gaze at the golden Buddha statue. His expression became tranquil and detached.

"We finally got into the temple." On the road to the Back Mountain, Meng Qi sighed deeply. Good thing his "acting skills" were not bad.

Jiang Zhiwei walked very slowly, yet there was not the slightest confusion or sorrow on her face. She smiled lightly. "I wonder what Master Xinji and the other eminent monks think of you, Little Monk?"

Brain-damaged children have endless fun... Meng Qi silently mocked himself. If the mission were not pressing me, would I enjoy acting like this?

Then he said with a "solemn" expression, "They must have been shaken by my heroic gallantry and loyalty that reaches the skies. They were only a hair away from bowing down and acknowledging me."

"Anyway, seeing you, Little Monk, speaking those twisted words so earnestly, so solemnly, so passionately just now, I... I just wanted to laugh, haha..." Jiang Zhiwei could no longer hold it in and burst out laughing. But as she laughed, her voice abruptly stopped, and a trace of pain appeared on her face.

"Miss Jiang, how are your injuries?" Meng Qi asked worriedly.

Jiang Zhiwei took several breaths, regulating her breathing. "Even after opening Four Apertures, using 'Sword Comes Without Self' is still difficult at my level. After that one strike, although I was not completely exhausted, I had less than thirty percent of my strength left. Then Du'er Cha's force injured me as well. Less than ten percent remains out of ten. For the next half day, I estimate I can only rely on my swordsmanship to deal with Iron Armor Soldiers."

She described it in great detail, because if her companions misjudged her strength, strategic problems could easily arise when enemies attacked.

"What about Senior Brother Zhang?" Qi Zhengyan looked at Zhang Yuanshan's slightly sunken chest.

Zhang Yuanshan smiled bitterly. "Fortunately, I brought wound medicine this time, and Shaolin's Small Rejuvenation Pills helped as well. Otherwise, even walking would probably have been difficult. Heh, now even dealing with Iron Armor Soldiers is strenuous."

Wang Jin followed the group but had not spoken the entire time. His gaze wandered as he examined the Buddhist halls and roads they passed within the temple.

As they walked, Meng Qi suddenly froze. The Back Mountain before him was exactly the same as the Back Mountain of his own Shaolin! Even that Sarira Pagoda was identical!

No way... alike to this extent... An inexplicable chill of terror ran through Meng Qi.

"The same?" Jiang Zhiwei noticed Meng Qi's abnormality.

Meng Qi nodded, his tone grave. "Although I have only been to the Back Mountain once, it truly is exactly the same as this place."

Could there be demons and monsters sealed here too?

Er... probably not. Given the power level of this world, if there were demons and monsters, they would have long since ruled the world...

The two kept their voices extremely low, lest the Young Monk leading them hear.

After walking for a while, the Young Monk stopped and pressed his palms together with a serious expression. "Benefactors, please guard this place. Beyond the road ahead lies the Back Mountain's Sarira Pagoda, which is not convenient for outsiders to enter."

Meng Qi was suddenly struck by a dreamlike sense of déjà vu, because this was precisely the place he had guarded several days ago!

Two cliff faces stood opposite one another, enclosing a narrow path. Ahead, dense forests lay to both the left and right.

"Was that a coincidence, or was some kind of connection hidden within it...?" By this point, Meng Qi knew without looking that although the woods on either side seemed to stretch endlessly, a few more steps would bring them to the cliff's edge.

He pondered this, startled and suspicious, while the others listened to the Young Monk introduce the surrounding terrain, so they could retreat more easily at the end.

The Young Monk seemed to have received instructions from above, for he explained the terrain in exceptional detail.

"Eh, he didn't mention that Secret Passage in the cliff face? No, I'm overthinking it. There are no demons or ghosts in this world—who would have carved out that Secret Passage? The Shaolin of the two worlds must differ in the end. After all, this is Shaohua Mountain, not Lotus Platform Mountain..." As Meng Qi listened, the Secret Passage Zhen Guan had emerged from abruptly surfaced in his mind.

"Senior Brother Qi, Little Monk, I'll be relying on you two for the next while." Once the Young Monk had left, Jiang Zhiwei took out the thumb-sized White Jade Bottle, poured out a bright red pill, swallowed it along with a Small Rejuvenation Pill, and began meditating to regulate her breathing and recover from her injuries.

Zhang Yuanshan's injuries were even more severe. Not caring that Wang Jin was nearby, he likewise sat down directly and began regulating his blood and qi.

Wang Jin watched them silently for quite a while, then glanced at the wary Meng Qi. He paced to one side, shut his eyes, and meditated, seemingly restoring his mental strength.

Meng Qi and Qi Zhengyan took turns standing guard. About half an hour later, faint clamor suddenly drifted over from the distance.

"Du'er Cha has come again?" Meng Qi raised his head toward the monastery. Sure enough, Dark Clouds blanketed the area, silver serpents danced wildly, flames rose in places, and thick smoke billowed.

He unconsciously tightened his grip on his blade, waiting for the final battle to begin.

At this moment, Wang Jin abruptly rose to his feet. Without greeting Meng Qi and the others, he sprinted straight toward Shaolin.

"What is he trying to do?" Meng Qi asked in astonishment.

Qi Zhengyan answered expressionlessly, "Ignore him. If he stayed, it would only be a Prickling Sensation at our backs."

Wang Jin ran as swiftly as a galloping horse, faint excitement stirring in his Inner heart. He had come from the jianghu's undergrowth, and all the martial arts he had acquired were ordinary. Only after great difficulty had he reached Orifice Opening, becoming a passable expert. Yet if he wished to advance further, he lacked the manuals for this realm. Thus, the Reincarnation World was an opportunity for him—and so was this moment!

Though this Shaolin was far inferior to the true Shaolin, Abbot Xin Ji showed that their martial arts pointed directly toward Outer Scenery. They did not lack the methods for tempering acupoints and opening Heaven-born Nine Orifices!

Now that Shaolin was in chaos, he could seize a Chief Monk or Elder and interrogate him for martial arts manuals. No one would notice; they would only assume the man had died at Du'er Cha's hands.

In any case, their mission only required them to defend Shaolin. It never said they could not harm Shaolin monks!

"Maybe he wants to take advantage of the chaos to gain something..." Meng Qi casually guessed as he watched Wang Jin's retreating back.

Suddenly, Sound after sound of silver gleams shot out from the nearby forest, unimaginably fast, striking Wang Jin directly.

A chaotic patter like rain lashing banana leaves rang out. Small jets of blood erupted all over Wang Jin's body, as though he were a punctured waterskin. Then, with a trace of joy still lingering on his face, he fell backward onto the ground.

"What a waste of my Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle... But then, the Great General ordered me not to let a single one escape. Heh, you actually dared to blind one of the Great General's eyes!" A Young Man with Sword Eyebrows and Star Eyes stepped out from the forest, smiling as he tossed the black cylinder in his hand to the ground. He cupped his hands politely. "I am Tang Shun, known as 'Palm of the Universe.' I have come to send you to meet the Buddha in the Western Heaven. Namo Amitabha."