The Desolation of the Five Senses and Six Consciousnesses

The Eight Min region is known for its frequent strong winds.

As soon as the fire started, the wind fanned the flames, and billowing black smoke quickly alerted everyone in the Southern Shaolin Temple.

Those with superior martial arts skills leaped onto the walls and rooftops, and looking around, they saw more than a dozen places filled with thick smoke and raging fire.

"All monks, heed my command! Descend the mountain to put out the fire! Dharma Hall, Arhat Hall, Prajna Hall Bodhi Courtyard, Precepts Courtyard, Medicine King Courtyard..."

Chan Master Miaokong stood on the eaves of the main hall and unleashed his Lion's Roar's Roar, the sound echoing throughout the entire Southern Shaolin.

He knew the number of monks in the three halls and three courtyards like the back of his hand, and was also eloquent.

With just a few concise words, the location of the fire was identified, and groups of monks were dispatched to fight the fire.

Zuo Ziqing also leaped onto the rooftop, letting out a long roar, "How can we, officials of the imperial court, stand idly by in the face of such a momentous event?"

"Everyone, come with me to put out the fire."

Before he could finish speaking, the eunuch darted away like a bird returning to its nest.

Everyone in the imperial envoy's entourage displayed their agility, scaling walls and leaping over rooftops to escape the temple.

Miaoyin flew onto the roof, his expression shifting slightly. He knew these people were trying to take advantage of the chaos and investigate the weapons workshop.

He and Miaokong exchanged a glance, but instead of chasing after them, they flew swiftly between the grand halls and courtyards, arriving at the Arhat Hall.

Miaofan and Xiahou Feishan also happened to return here.

Xiahou Feishan now held a sword with a sandalwood scabbard.

"Set the mountain on fire!"

Chu Tianshu gazed at the mountains and forests from atop the high wall. Sensing the crowd gathering behind him, he suddenly leaned forward and called out.

"Walk!"

The group of experts gathered together, determined not to give the enemy a chance to defeat them one by one, and headed straight for a mountain hollow.

The process of making ammunition was not only firmly controlled by the workshops directly under the Southern Shaolin Temple, but it was also divided into different steps.

The steps mastered by the other workshops are only one part of the process, without a beginning or an end.

Even if those craftsmen were abducted, they could not restore the entire process of making ammunition.

The workshop where Xu Ben and his nephew worked possessed the most crucial means and was the final place for verifying and packaging the finished ammunition.

Miaoguo has been stationed here for a long time.

Upon seeing the thick smoke rising from the mountains, he immediately instructed the artisans and Shaolin disciples on duty to take action.

Although surprised, the crowd remained calm, throwing some account manuscripts into the furnace and scattering all the gunpowder raw materials.

More than a hundred people were working so hard that they were sweating profusely from every pore, without slowing down for even a moment.

Chu Tianshu, Miaofan, and the others arrived at this moment and glanced at the situation in the arena.

"Very good, forget about the rest for now, the person is coming with us."

At Chu Tianshu's command, he led everyone to evacuate the workshop.

They hadn't gone far outside when they heard the sound of an iron whistle, very rhythmic, seemingly in harmony with the cadence of some kind of Buddhist chant.

Miaofan listened intently and immediately said, "Two fires have already been extinguished, and the arsonist has not been seen."

Xiahou Feishan asked, "Didn't you encounter any Japanese pirates?"

"It cannot be confirmed that they are Japanese pirates yet."

Chan Master Miaokong said, "That imperial envoy reacted very quickly; it's hard to say whether it was their underhanded manipulation that caused this disturbance."

Miaoyin's beard bristled like needles, and his voice was firm. "Even if he wants to kidnap people secretly, our most important people are still with us. Hmph, do you think this little thing can throw us into chaos?"

In the short time it took to say those few words, another whistle blew.

It still indicates that the fire has been extinguished.

Chu Tianshu frowned slightly. "Once someone hears this sound of the iron whistle once, can others imitate it?"

"It's not that easy. This is powered by the breathing techniques of my Shaolin internal energy cultivation. Only those with a focused and profound foundation can produce such a tone."

Miaokong explained, then added, "Besides, whether the fire has been extinguished or not can be determined once we return to the temple and look from a higher vantage point."

Chu Tianshu had no choice but to nod and protect the craftsman before heading up the mountain with the others.

When the Southern Shaolin was rewarded during the Hongwu era, the amount of money allocated was actually not much.

It wasn't until the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Ming that the rewards were very generous, and the Southern Shaolin had a solid foundation, which led to a major renovation of the entire Southern Shaolin.

At that time, the thing I put the most effort into was this main hall.

The main hall's foundation is entirely constructed of large stones, rising above the ground. It is surrounded by white stone railings on all four sides, and there are stone steps at both the front and rear main entrances, creating a grand and spacious atmosphere that is easy to admire.

The hall is deep and spacious, and when you are inside, you feel as if you can hear an echo when you speak loudly.

After entering the main hall, it takes more than twenty steps to reach the prayer cushion in front of the Buddha.

The main deities enshrined in the hall are the Three Buddhas of the Present: Medicine Master Lapis Lazuli Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha.

On both sides of the main hall are Eighteen Arhats statues, much smaller than the statues of the Three Buddhas, and similar in size to ordinary people. They are all painted arhats, with exquisite craftsmanship and lifelike appearance.

Of all the buildings in the Southern Shaolin, this main hall is situated at the highest point, and the plaza in front of it is also the most spacious.

When Chu Tianshu and his group returned, they saw dozens of monks sitting cross-legged and chanting scriptures in the square.

More monks kept arriving; they all seemed to be preaching monks without any martial arts background, mostly teenagers and elderly people.

Chu Tianshu recalled reading relevant records when he was perusing the Southern Shaolin scriptures.

Whenever there is a disaster in the countryside, the martial monks will do their best to go out and help, firstly to build up their prestige, and secondly to promote the principle of compassion.

As for these monks who do not know martial arts and are not physically strong, they will gather in front of the main hall to chant sutras and pray to the Three Buddhas of the Present.

If the disaster persists for a long time, many more victims from the foot of the mountain will come up together to pray for blessings.

Although today's wildfire was caused by human error, the billowing smoke was quite frightening.

These monks followed the old custom and came here to pray for blessings.

Chu Tianshu's heart stirred slightly as he carefully scanned the monks, his eyes gleaming as he observed the smoke rising from their heads.

However, after looking around, he couldn't find anything unusual about these monks.

Miaofan and the others were also observing these monks, but they couldn't discern anything unusual either.

"Regardless, if we allow them to gather here, there's a chance they'll be mixed in with the genuine article."

Miaofan whispered something, then loudly chanted Buddhist prayers, claiming that the wildfire was under control and instructing all monks to return to their meditation rooms and not to go out unnecessarily.

The monks looked at each other, their faces blank, but hearing the abbot's solemn voice, they did not dare to disobey. They rose one after another, bowed, and dispersed.

Miaokong flew up to the eaves of the main hall again, surveyed the mountains and forests, and said loudly, "The fire is indeed getting smaller and smaller; several areas have already been extinguished."

The craftsmen were already exhausted from their labor, and they had just rushed up the mountain to the temple to move gunpowder raw materials.

Seeing that there was nothing serious going on, the group couldn't resist sitting down to rest on the shady stone steps in front of the hall, fanning themselves with their hands.

Miaofan and the others entered the main hall and let out a long sigh of relief.

They weren't physically tired, but the journey back and forth had kept them mentally on edge, so they were inevitably showing signs of fatigue.

Inside the main hall, the Three Buddhas remain serene, while the Eighteen Arhats laugh and frolic in their own ways.

Inside the large incense burner in front of the Buddha, there was a thick layer of incense ash, with many incense sticks stuck inside.

The air throughout the main hall was often filled with the scent of sandalwood.

Miaofan gazed at the Buddha statue, couldn't help but clasp his hands together in prayer, and uttered, "Amitabha Buddha, may the Buddha protect us."

Xiahou Feishan muttered, "Such a big commotion, but nothing really happened. It feels like it started strong but ended weakly."

Despite his young age, he is very experienced in chasing criminals and apprehending thieves. Recently, his mindset has gradually become more stable. At this moment, his eyes are still scanning his surroundings, and he has not relaxed.

Chu Tianshu was also alert. He scanned the main hall and saw Miaokong fly down to the front of the hall and step in.

"Perhaps today's incident really wasn't caused by the Japanese pirates."

Miaokong said, "I just saw that several groups of disciples are already on their way back."

In the mountains and forests, there are places where trees are lush and trees are abundant, and there are also places where vegetation is sparse.

As the many monks retreated, they were naturally spotted as they passed through sparse areas of the forest.

Chu Tianshu pondered, "Chen Zuqi has been in contact with the ninja schools of Dongying, right? If his men had prepared monk robes in advance, wouldn't they be able to switch out an entire group in an instant in the dense forest?"

Miaokong also showed a look of alertness.

At this moment, Miaofan had already picked up three incense sticks, used his internal energy to light the tips, and was preparing to insert them into the incense burner to pay homage to the Buddha before turning back to discuss with the others.

In my humble opinion...

As he was speaking, the lower half of his palm touched the incense ash, and he suddenly let out a soft exclamation.

"Ee--Eek--"

Miaofan discovered that her exclamation of surprise was unexpectedly low.

The word, which was merely a word expressing doubt, was uttered with extraordinary difficulty, becoming low and drawn out from the beginning to the change of tone.

In his five senses Six Consciousnesses, this fleeting moment seemed so desolate.

In the desolate landscape, the glistening corner of his right eye reflected a suddenly magnified painted clay Arhat.

On the east and west sides of the main hall, there are nine painted clay Arhat statues on each side, making a total of Eighteen Arhats.

On the east side is an Arhat statue, named the Alms-Bowl-Holding Arhat, who holds a bowl in his hand.

Suddenly, this Arhat statue moved and reached out its hand towards Abbot Miaofan.

In that instant, neither Miaofan, who was being attacked, nor even Chu Tianshu had the chance to intervene.

Rather, it was Miaoyin and Miaoguo, because the two great monks were standing on the east side.

If the clay Arhats want to attack Miaofan, they must deliberately pass through the area where the two of them are located.

Unlike the abbot, who possessed numerous unique skills, Miaoyin focused solely on mastering the Shaolin Great Vajra Fist, honing his skills to a level comparable to its creator.

At that moment, a thought struck him, and his fist landed on the right rib of the painted clay Arhat.

Its fierce and imposing demeanor made it resemble a living Arhat even more than a painted clay Arhat.

Miaoguo was still in a relaxed state, seemingly unaware of what was happening, when suddenly her palm struck out.

I awoke with a start, the sound of the tide beside me.

This palm strike successfully hit the left waist of the painted clay Arhat.

However, after the two monks hit the painted clay Arhat, they were completely unable to stop the Arhat's lunge.

Instead, it caused their bodies to be absorbed and pulled away, like two plasters.

Bass!

Xiahou Feishan's sword traveled faster than sound; by the time the group heard the sound, the sword tip had already pierced the left hip of the painted clay Arhat.

There were no falling maple leaves this time.

Only his hand, like a maple leaf, wrapped around the hilt of the sword, staining the entire blade a maple red.

Most superior internal martial arts techniques in the world have the function of automatically protecting the body and deflecting force, but their effectiveness is lower against sharp weapons.

Furthermore, the effects vary depending on the part of the body.

Xiahou Feishan was a first-rate swordsman, and the stab was aimed at the hip bone, a situation that was extremely difficult to deflect.

But when he thrust his sword forward, he felt his hand go empty. The Sword Qi Sword Intent, and even the strength of the tendons and bones in his hand seemed to be swallowed by an invisible giant mouth and then spat out in an instant.

The longsword suddenly curved in a heart-stopping arc, Xiahou Feishan's entire body slid backward.

He only slid half a step, and the hand of the painted clay Arhat was already close enough to touch the abbot.

Abbot Miaofan managed to intercept him in time.

BOOM!!

Miaofan shuddered, her eyes trembling. She felt a strong metallic taste rise in her throat. She was adrift in the wind and rain, alone and lost, not knowing where she was.

His decades of arduous training were completely unable to withstand the force of this single palm strike.

Because in the opponent's palm, there was not only a chilling, bone-piercing power, but also the "Vajra Tide Sound" unleashed by his two junior brothers at full strength.

Just then, Chu Tianshu struck Miaofan and Xiahou on the back with both of his hands.

In that instant, everyone reacted and made movements, which actually interfered with Chu Tianshu.

Unable to go directly there, and going around would be too slow, he decisively spent an extra moment adjusting his internal energy.

When Miaofan and Xiahou were hit by him, inch-long blue rays of light shot out from their seven orifices, and then their bodies shone with a bright blue light.

Click!!

A deafening roar, like lightning striking the earth.

The painted clay Arhat suddenly retreated, passing through the wall and landing on the railing outside the hall.

A large, human-shaped hole appeared in the wall, and the powder from the brickwork, along with the fragments of the painted plastic shell, floated in the air.

Chen Zuqi revealed his true form and exclaimed, "Such refined internal energy! This must be the number one internal skill in the world!"

(End of this chapter)