The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 463: The Sweeping Monk

In front of the Shaolin Scripture Pavilion, the brothers Tianzhu Zhe Luoxing and Polo Xing were lying straight on the ground, their eyes rolling around but they couldn't utter a word. Xiao Yuanshan was placed at the feet of the gray-robed man, who stood respectfully beside him, facing a skinny old monk in a green robe who was bending over and sweeping the floor with a broom.

The monk was not young, and his sparse long beard was already completely white. He moved slowly and weakly, and did not look like he had any martial arts skills. However, the two brothers Zhe Luoxing and Poloxing knew what kind of person he was. Even if they joined forces, they could not withstand more than three moves. The thought of it was terrifying.

The old monk sweeping the floor was sweeping the dusty ground slowly and leisurely. The man in gray didn't seem to be in a hurry either. He crossed his arms and watched the old monk's every move with a smile, as if he was looking for something. Voices kept coming from afar.

The wind blew, and a burly figure approached rapidly. The man in gray turned his head nonchalantly, casually pulled down his face scarf, smiled at the newcomer, and then pulled it up again to cover his overly young face.

The visitor was none other than Xiao Feng. He saw the gray-robed man's appearance without the slightest surprise, knowing he intended to conceal his identity. He didn't recognize the sweeping monk, but the two brothers, Tianzhu Zheluoxing and Poloxing, had strange appearances, clearly belonging to the Hu people. Although they lay on the ground, their eyes were still darting, indicating they were still conscious. Xiao Feng knew he wasn't going to reveal his identity immediately, so he quickly rushed forward and embraced the unconscious Xiao Yuanshan.

"My father..." Although he knew that the timing might not be right, his concern for his father outweighed everything else, forcing him to turn his gaze to the man in gray.

The gray-robed man continued in a hoarse voice, "Your father's original martial arts originated from the same school as Shaolin, but its roots weren't from any of the three schools: Yi Jin Jing, Xi Sui Jing, and Shen Zu Jing. Instead, it was a fusion of the essence of the seventy-two unique skills. Those seventy-two unique skills weren't created by Bodhidharma, but rather came from elsewhere. Their core is vastly different and they're not the same. Forcing them to practice is bound to cause conflict."

"If it was just a superficial dabble, it would be fine. But your father, driven by hatred, has been studying and practicing diligently for thirty years, which has harmed him instead. Although it cannot be said that his condition is irreversible, it is definitely not something that an ordinary person can cure. As far as I know, there are only a few people in the world who can cure your father, and I, a humble person, am honored to be one of them." As the gray-clothed man spoke, Jiumozhi followed not far away, and not far behind him, Xuzhu and Abbot Xuanci walked side by side.

The young monk Xuzhu's internal strength has reached the pinnacle, but he has learned few martial arts. His boxing and internal strength are very powerful, but lightness work is not his strong point. He has been following Jiumozhi all the way here just by relying on his profound internal strength. The abbot Xuanci taught him lightness work while they were on the road, and he found that Xuzhu was extremely talented, which was rarely matched by anyone in Shaolin.

Abbot Xuanci sighed secretly. Everyone used to say that the young monk Xuzhu was ugly and dull, but no one would have thought that he was actually a late bloomer with great wisdom and inner talent. Once his internal strength is fully developed, his other martial arts moves will be extremely powerful. Even the Shaolin Qinggong can be so powerful.

Compared with Nan Murong, who had a keen eye for talent, all the high monks of the Xuan generation in Shaolin were blind. How could his own son's aptitude be so poor? Abbot Xuanci felt somewhat proud in his heart, but he could not tell anyone else about it.

The gray-robed man ignored Jiumozhi, who had stopped three feet away, and Xuzhu and his son, who were rapidly approaching, and continued, "Besides me, the scholarly senior Wuyazi, who lives in seclusion at Chanhe Mountain Villa, can also heal your father. However, Buddhism and Taoism are different. After your father switched to practicing Taoist health-preserving exercises, his strength will inevitably decline, making it difficult for him to become a top-tier practitioner again."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng hurriedly said, "As long as my father's life can be saved, I can accept a slight loss in my martial arts skills. Moreover..."

What's more, he is the King of the Southern Court of the Great Yan Kingdom and a top master in the martial arts world. Can't he protect his old father?

Man in Gray: Your father has many enemies. If you include Shaolin, you may not be able to save his life. After all, Master Xuanku died at his hands.

After hearing Xiao Feng's words, the gray-robed man nodded gently and said, "The one who tied the bell must untie it. Your father has run into problems with his Buddhist cultivation. It would be best if he had a Buddhist master treat him. While he may not be able to reach a higher level, it should not be difficult for him to maintain his current strength."

Xiao Feng was overjoyed upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Which master possesses this magical power? I will personally come to your door and ask for your help. I will use my sincerity to persuade you to save my father. I will not hesitate to sacrifice my entire martial arts skills in exchange."

"As expected of you, you're the loyal, filial, benevolent, and righteous Boss Qiao." The gray-robed man gave a thumbs-up and laughed heartily. "This man is both far away and yet right before our eyes. He's the one who's lived in seclusion in the Shaolin Scripture Pavilion for who knows how many years. He captured two Indian monks alive in a few moves, and he's been watching your father's every move in the pavilion. He's the guardian of the Shaolin Scripture Pavilion, the Shaolin's number one master, and the perfect candidate for the title of the number one master in the Central Plains martial arts world, and perhaps even the world."

Xiao Feng, Jiumozhi, Abbot Xuanci and the other masters who arrived one after another were shocked when they heard this. How could this skinny old monk with an unremarkable appearance be the best candidate to be the world's number one master?

If other people said this, they might not believe it and would sneer at it. However, this man in gray was different. He fought against many martial arts heroes in front of Shaolin Temple. Even those many masters could not defeat him. They could not even force out all his martial arts. Just the power of Dou Zhuan Xing Yi made them return empty-handed.

The man in gray: Haha, it's impossible for Dou Zhuan Xing Yi alone to be so powerful. It's a pseudo Tai Chi realm achieved by combining Tai Chi with Qian Kun Da Nong Shift, Dou Zhuan Xing Yi, and the three into one. This is also the fusion technique that I painstakingly created. Unfortunately, my accumulation is still a little insufficient, and the technique still has many imperfections. It's only at the level of a half-step grandmaster, and cannot compare to Xiaoyao Yufeng's completeness.

Fortunately, Tai Chi is profound and extensive. If I give myself some time, I will definitely be able to deduce it to the level of a grandmaster, and even continue to advance. However, this may be the limit of this world.

At this time, Xuansheng, Xuanmie, Master Shenshan, Master Daoqing, Master Guanxin and other foreign monks had already arrived. Behind them, the monks of the Xuan generation, Duan Yu, Duan Zhengchun, Elder Xu of the Beggars' Sect, Elder Chuan Gong and others followed closely behind. Everyone listened to the gray-robed man's words but did not hear them all. At this time, the sweeping monk spoke up, "You are too kind, benefactor. I am just a monk sweeping the floors of Shaolin. I have lived in seclusion in Shaolin for over forty years, not caring about worldly affairs. I have no intention of competing for the world's best position."

The gray-robed man laughed heartily and said, "Master, as the current guardian of Shaolin's scriptures, guarding the Shaolin Sutra Library, how have you ever truly known peace? Without the strongest power in the Central Plains, how could you possibly guard this vast Sutra Library of the world's number one power when Shaolin is not closed?"

Upon hearing this, the Sweeping Monk couldn't help but sigh softly, and began to narrate the experience of Xiao Yuanshan, Murong Bo, Polo Xing and others sneaking into the Sutra Repository. At some point, Xiao Yuanshan woke up and had a one-on-one conversation with him, shocking many people.

His martial arts theories benefited many top-tier and super-top-tier masters present. Even Jiumozhi was intimidated and dismissed. Only the gray-robed man continued to watch with a smile. The sweeping monk suddenly asked, "Old donor Xiao, only by letting go can you find liberation. Use the peace of Buddhism to dissolve the violence of martial arts. It seems that you haven't finished what you said just now."

The gray-robed man nodded gently and said, "I learn martial arts for the sake of martial arts. I cultivate all of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. In my eyes, there is only the essence of martial arts and human cognition. You, me, and Senior Wuyazi have taken that crucial step to reach a new realm. From a high position, we can slowly resolve Xiao Yuanshan's pain through our own methods. This is the power of realm, regardless of Confucianism, Taoism, or Buddhism."

"Besides that, if the right medicine is used, even if his realm is not higher than Xiao Yuanshan's, he can be cured. Among them, Dali Tianlong Temple has a 60% to 70% chance of being able to cure him. The Dali Duan family's Six Yang Melting Snow Technique and Kuruo Zen Technique are combined, and with the personal guidance of Kuruo Zen Master, who is half a step away from the peak, and the One Yang Finger as a foundation, it is impossible for him to get worse." The gray-clothed man's words made Duan Zhengchun and Duan Yu feel proud.

However, Xiao Feng did not care, probably because he had seen the list of these martial arts in the Huanshi Water Pavilion, so it would not be difficult for him to obtain them.

"Besides, my father is about 50% sure he can cure him," the gray-robed man said, looking at the sweeping monk. "Xiao Yuanshan has been hiding in Shaolin for thirty years, and you didn't stop him. I'm afraid you want him to be the next keeper of the scriptures. But now the Great Yan Kingdom has revived, annexing Goryeo, traversing the northern desert, swallowing up the Liao Kingdom, and now invading the Great Song Dynasty with unstoppable force. The Great Yan Kingdom intends to establish a Buddhist academy. What will become of Shaolin? Master, have you given this serious thought?"

The Sweeping Monk froze slightly, his heart suddenly unsettled. This news was so sudden that he was a bit unprepared. His gaze fell on the gray-clothed man's face like lightning. "With the help of the Xiaoyao Sect, has the Murong family finally helped support Dayan? I never thought that the descendants of two losers would actually succeed when they met."

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. What was the Xiaoyao Sect? Why hadn't they heard of it before?