Is the imperial court planning to suppress Buddhism?
This thought flashed through the minds of all the monks at Shaolin Temple.
Shaolin Temple, an outside religious organization that does not engage in productive labor, has indeed been the target of many ambitious and capable monarchs throughout history who have tried to eliminate it.
Unfortunately, these bald thieves have their own ways of hiding, and they often disappear completely during the years of crackdowns, only to quietly sprout up again later.
Therefore, despite the numerous attempts to suppress Buddhism throughout history, these bald thieves ultimately managed to survive on Huaxia soil.
The words spoken by Wu 6 were no longer mere harassment or coercion, but a complete attempt to destroy the very foundation of Shaolin Temple.
Disbanding the disciples, surrendering the scriptures Daoist Canon, and confiscating land and property—what difference is there between doing this and uprooting Buddhism?
Not to mention, monks are required to pay taxes and perform corvée labor just like ordinary people—how can anyone accept this?
"No, absolutely not!"
As the abbot of Shaolin Temple, Xuanci was the first to loudly object.
At the same time, he dropped his fake smile and glared at her coldly:
"I don't know what wrong my Shaolin Temple has committed that Your Excellency would treat us like this? Shaolin teaches the people to be good, and our disciples even participate in the struggle against the barbarians. How can we be treated like this?"
"Make a mistake? The adults need you to make mistakes to correct your behavior?" Wu 6 sneered. These guys still think too highly of themselves.
Xu Xiao doesn't need any reason to do things.
If I had to give a reason, it would be that he likes it!
"The lord's words are law. He has given you one hour to consider. Once that time is up, the army will burn the mountain and leave no one alive!"
"I have delivered the message. You should consider it yourselves and be careful not to make a mistake."
Wu 6 turned his horse around and headed down the mountain.
Suddenly, Xuanci, who was standing still, shouted angrily:
"Take him down, don't let him get away."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two old monks beside him, Xuannan and Xuanji, took a step forward and rushed forward using their martial arts skills.
One man used the Arhat Fist, and the other used the One Strike, Two Dispersals Palm. Using their light footwork, they caught up with Wu 6's BMW.
One person attacks with a fist, while the other pats the horse with a palm; even though the fight was hasty, their teamwork was impeccable.
Unfortunately, the crossbows in the hands of Wu 6's eighteen the Cavalry were even faster than them.
With a series of clicks, eighteen crossbows fired directly at the two men.
As early as when he led his the Cavalry up the mountain, Wu 6 had considered the possibility of the other side taking hostages. As someone who had been in the military for many years, he naturally had the confidence to come as an apostle.
The simultaneous firing of eighteen crossbows at such close range was virtually impossible to defend against. (The crossbow's power, at short distances, is greater than that of a rifle.)
The two approaching Yamato faced the arrow head-on. It was too late to dodge. They could only channel their powerful inner Internal Energy to create a deflecting energy that veered the arrow away from its vital points.
With a series of 'thud' sounds as the crossbow bolts pierced flesh, several bolts still managed to penetrate their bodies.
Taking this opportunity, the eighteen riders increased their speed and pulled away.
"How dare you attack an official of the imperial court! Shaolin Temple, you have already committed suicide!" Wu 6 turned around on his horse and shouted sternly.
Then, amidst the ashen faces of the Shaolin Temple monks, one of them pulled a watermelon-sized earthenware jar from a bag under the saddle, and the other dozen or so riders did the same.
He opened the jar, lit the fuse, and then, with all his might, threw the jar directly at the gate of Shaolin Temple from over a hundred meters away.
"This is a return gift for you, you bald thieves! Just wait for the army to encircle and annihilate you!"
The earthenware jar hit the ground with a loud bang, but fortunately, all the monks of the Xuan generation were experts and dodged before it hit the ground.
However, the Shaolin Temple's buildings were not so lucky. The pottery jars were filled with gunpowder and kerosene. When they exploded, sparks spread in all directions, and a fire broke out instantly.
"Fire! Firefighting!"
The ordinary disciples were busy putting out the fire, while the monks of the Xuan generation watched the departing cavalry with grim expressions.
"Abbot! What... what should we do next?" Xuanbei asked.
"Disaster! Disaster!" Xuanci muttered a couple of times, then shouted, "Summon all disciples! Shaolin is in dire straits; we should think about how to preserve some of its spirit."
The monks also looked troubled, but they still agreed with Xuanci's statement.
The other party has already sent someone to issue an ultimatum, so there's clearly no room for negotiation, and agreeing to their conditions is out of the question.
It seems now that the only option is to fight to the death.
Whether the net will break or not is uncertain, but these fish are certainly going to die today.
Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Xu Xiao sat on the imperial carriage, leisurely sipping wine, waiting for Wu 6's return.
Soldiers armed with spears were everywhere, with occasional Martial Command Office mixed among them.
Unlike the Beggar Clan' Shaolin, whose members are scattered, even if the Shaolin Temple were to break into its headquarters, it would be impossible to guarantee that they could be wiped out in one fell swoop. Therefore, Xu Xiao chose to use bribery.
Shaolin has a mountain gate, and all its disciples are located in Mount Song. Therefore, Xu Xiao dispatched tens of thousands of troops from several nearby prefectures to block it, all for the sake of winning a great battle that would make him famous throughout the world.
This is coercion!
Xu Xiao wanted to let all the martial arts sects in the world know that the Martial Command Office's orders were absolute, and that both the martial arts world and the imperial court had to obey him.
The burning of the mountain mentioned by Wu 6 was not meant to scare the Shaolin Temple, but rather was a method approved by Xu Xiao to make an example of them.
Outside the encirclement of this large army, countless martial arts practitioners were watching. Xu Xiao did not have them driven away; instead, he designated an area for them to observe.
Only by letting these people personally witness the methods of the Martial Command Office and see that it always keeps its word will the subsequent rectification process proceed smoothly.
Xu Xiao was originally curious about Shaolin's Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic, Divine Foot Scripture, and even the Seventy-Two Supreme Arts, but after obtaining clues about the Carefree Wind Riding from Wuyazi, he no longer cared about them.
In addition, as Wuyazi said, once the Innate Qi is born, all martial arts in the world will no longer be difficult to master. With the blessing of Qi, a single punch or kick will surpass any martial arts move.
Xu Xiao was so captivated that he chose to completely ignore Buddhist Sect martial arts.
"Don't bite off more than you can chew." Xu Xiao didn't consider himself a martial arts prodigy, but at least he had Wuyazi to guide and learn from the Carefree Sect's martial arts.
In the Buddhist Sect, these wicked monks are extremely evil. Their martial arts require Buddhist scriptures to neutralize their malevolent energy, and they can easily be ambushed if they are not careful.
Having made up his mind, Wu 6 quickly sped down the mountain road, bringing back news of Shaolin Temple's stubborn resistance.
"It's good that they're putting up a stubborn resistance. It'll make it easier for me to slaughter them like chickens," Xu Xiao sneered.
" Deputy Commander Qiao, you can notify the personnel in each location to set fire. Since they dared to attack the envoy I sent, there's no need to give them time to consider it."
"Yes, Your subordinate obeys." Qiao Feng bowed and went to relay the order.
Originally, he was reluctant to take action against Shaolin Temple, but after learning that the leader was Xuanci, he transferred his hatred to Shaolin.
In addition, after Xu Xiao recounted the various drawbacks of Shaolin Temple, Qiao Feng finally agreed to carry out the plan willingly.