Shaolin, Shaolin, How Many Elders Sing Your Praises

Once the birthday gifts had been presented, the various sects could hardly wait to ask after Zhang Cuishan. They had heard that Wudang's Fifth Hero had returned and wanted to see him; they had been close friends with him back in the day...

Inside the hall, Zhang Cuishan listened with a strange look on his face. Since when had he become close friends with so many people? They were spread across every major sect in the Central Plains Martial World...

"I'm sorry, Master, and all of you, my brothers. I've brought trouble to Wudang," Zhang Cuishan said guiltily. Beside him, Yin Susu tightened her grip on his hand.

"Fifth Brother, why say that? The Wudang Seven Heroes are branches of the same tree. We've always stood or fallen together. How could we stand by and watch when you're in trouble?" Yu Daiyan was the first to comfort him. The bond among the seven truly was remarkable.

Meng Qi: The Master really knows how to teach disciples. The brothers care for one another, and every one of them is a formidable martial artist.

Daigu Madoka: The Wudang Seven Heroes are such a loving group!

Meng Chuan: Loving?

The Ancient One: Great Emperor...

Meng Qi: I'm ashamed to be in the same chat as you!

Zhang Sanfeng saw the scrolling comments and felt heartened by the brothers' affection for one another. As for a certain Nameless Great Emperor's remark—sorry, this old Daoist was getting on in years. His eyes weren't what they used to be.

Yin Susu looked at her husband's guilty face and could not help speaking up. "I'm sorry, Master, and all of you, my brothers. We've dragged Wudang into this."

"Sister-in-law, what are you saying? Once you enter Wudang's doors, you're family. There's no question of dragging anyone into anything," said Song Yuanqiao, eldest of the Wudang Seven Heroes. His tone turned rather curious when he mentioned being dragged into it.

"That's right! How could you have dragged Wudang into anything?" the others chimed in, apart from Yu Daiyan.

At Zhang Sanfeng's urging, the five members of the Wudang Seven Heroes had slowly begun to accept Yin Susu. They had not seen Zhang Cuishan in years, Little Wuji was especially lovable, and Yin Susu had observed every courtesy toward them. They were even calling her sister-in-law now.

Meng Qi: We're sorry, various sects. My wife and I have dragged you into this!

Meng Chuan: Shameless Fifth Hero!

Daigu Madoka: Why do I always feel like the Chat Group gets strange whenever you two are online at the same time?

The Ancient One: I get that feeling too...

Setting aside the four—two—fools, Zhang Sanfeng heard the commotion outside the hall and led the eight of them out.

Outside Wudang's main hall lay a vast square. More than a hundred people from assorted sects stood there, but the most conspicuous were the bald men huddled in a corner.

"Master, people from Shaolin?" Song Yuanqiao was surprised. Could this be the legendary lotus rising unstained from the mud?

Meng Qi: What a disgrace to Shaolin!

Meng Chuan: Yes, a certain someone has a strong sense of loyalty to his sect. He says he wants to return to secular life, but for all we know, he dreams of becoming abbot.

Meng Qi: This is too much! Today the Great Emperor has lost his way. We shall rise with bamboo poles in hand! Long live the group chat, long live Little Meng the King!

Daigu Madoka: Here we go again...

The Ancient One: I've gained more strange knowledge.

"The Vajra Sect is Buddhist too," Zhang Sanfeng replied. Understanding dawned on them all at once.

"This old Daoist, Zhang Sanfeng, thanks my fellow martial artists for coming to Wudang today to celebrate my birthday!" He had nearly introduced himself as "this poor Daoist," but that was out of the question. He would never be poor in this lifetime.

Zhang Sanfeng's full, resonant voice rang directly beside every ear. The louder someone had been shouting earlier, the louder it rang for them.

That small, seemingly unremarkable trick stunned the various sects into silence. Some even covered their ears. The square fell quiet in an instant.

The Shaolin monks in the corner sneered. These fools had argued themselves red in the face over who would get the Dragon-Slaying Saber, as though it were already in their pockets. Stumped now, weren't they?

Of all the sects that had come to offer birthday wishes, Emei and Shaolin had behaved the best.

Abbess Jingxuan smiled faintly at the silent crowd and stepped forward. Facing Zhang Sanfeng, she said, "Sect Leader Miejue has always preferred peace and quiet, so she sent me to Wudang today to offer you her birthday wishes. She also asked me to apologize for being unable to attend your celebration in person."

She then took a birthday gift from a disciple beside her: a Daoist robe embroidered with a hundred longevity characters in gold thread.

"This is Emei's gift to you. Our disciples embroidered it together." She handed it to Zhang Sanfeng herself.

"I've always known Miejue's temperament. This was thoughtful of her." Zhang Sanfeng accepted the Hundred Longevity-Character Robe with a smile. He had always been fond of Emei.

He looked at the robe in his hands, then at the perfunctory gifts the other sects had brought. His eyes narrowed.

Seeing Emei step forward, the Shaolin delegation refused to be outdone.

"You remain vigorous despite your years, Master—a man worthy of being called an arhat or a bodhisattva. These are Shaolin's gifts. Please accept them."

The Shaolin monks looked rather nervous. They could barely speak straight and were babbling nonsense.

But these gifts... Zhang Sanfeng looked over what Shaolin had brought. There were the customary birthday offerings—wine and the like—as well as red-jade longevity peaches the size of a baby's fist and several rare copies of Daoist scriptures.

There were more than a dozen rare Daoist texts. Shaolin was a Buddhist sect, after all, and these were every Daoist text in its scripture repository. They had brought the entire collection as a birthday gift.

It was a generous gift by any measure. Beside it, even Emei's paled. Everyone present stared in surprise at Shaolin, whose behavior had been unusual ever since its delegation came up the mountain.

Feeling those gazes on them, the Shaolin delegation suffered in silence. How could they not give something generous?

The Vajra Sect's ashes had not even finished scattering, and these people had come here looking for death. Fire-Worker Tuo had dealt Shaolin a devastating blow. Did they think the Vajra Sect he had left behind was much weaker than any of these dead men's sects?

The Vajra Sect had been enormous!

Smack!

And just like that, it was gone—wiped out by Zhang Sanfeng alone. At the thought of celebrating his hundredth birthday alongside these dead men, the Shaolin monks felt a little... nervous.

In the end, Shaolin had discussed it, and its abbot had brought his palm down. They would celebrate! They absolutely had to celebrate this birthday! Not only that, they had to do it splendidly, show Shaolin at its finest, and make Master Zhang happy!

Look how valuable our gifts are. You can't lump us in with those bastards now, can you?

Besides, Shaolin is already one of the foremost righteous sects without the Dragon-Slaying Saber. Why fight over the thing? Empty glory. It's all empty glory.

Zhang Sanfeng gave the Shaolin representative a meaningful look, then nodded. "Shaolin has been thoughtful."

Meng Chuan: Young man, you've opened up a broad road for yourselves.

Meng Qi: Is Shaolin afraid of trouble? No! Shaolin simply respects a venerable elder who's still roaming the martial world at a hundred!

Meng Chuan: Sure, that elder wiped out a first-rate sect by himself. But we, leaders of the righteous path—would we be afraid? Never!

Meng Qi: We simply respect the old and cherish the young!

Madoka: I always feel out of place with you two because I'm not quite foolish enough.JPG

The Ancient One: Someone like me, left behind by the great age of the Multiverse... Great Emperor Looking Forlorn.JPG

Meng Chuan: ???

Meng Chuan: Why are there so many reaction images of me?

Meng Qi: Great Emperor Looking Confused.JPG

Zhang Sanfeng: Enough, you lot!

Zhang Sanfeng: Don't interfere with what I'm about to do.

Watching the scrolling comments, Zhang Sanfeng held back a laugh and sent his message to the group with a thought.

Meng Chuan: @Meng Qi @Daigu Madoka @The Ancient One, you're getting in the way of the Master's next grand display.

Zhang Sanfeng: ...