The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 461 The Man in Gray Talks About the Man in Black

In the world of warriors, the strong are respected after all. Murong Fu said so much, describing the future prosperity of the Great Yan Kingdom and the benefits of Buddhism in great detail, and even promised to follow the Confucian scholars. The monks were tempted, but he still couldn't make them bow down to him immediately.

However, it is unknown how many of them did not believe what he said was true, how many of them could really see through the connection, and how many of them were determined enough to resist temptation. In short, all the monks only chanted the Buddha's name and were unwilling to say or do more.

There are still some benefits. At least Abbot Xuanci and his family are no longer the focus. This "Murong Bo" who took on everything for Xiao Feng has become the target of public criticism. Xiao Yuanshan's mind is in chaos, and past events keep emerging in his mind.

His master was the Shaolin Lingmen Grandmaster? So, did that mean he and Abbot Xuanci were actually fellow disciples?

The kind-hearted old monk rescued himself from a declining family, cultivated him into a strong man step by step, found himself a gentle and virtuous southern wife, taught him many principles of dealing with people, helped him discover the beauty of peace in life, and passed away suddenly after pushing himself into the army.

In his memory, his master had indeed died in front of him, but Master Lingmen passed away in Shaolin, three months after his master's death. He had never seen Master Lingmen's portrait, and had no way of confirming whether he was his master. But when he thought about it carefully, the time trajectory seemed to match.

His trip to the Song Dynasty with his wife to visit relatives wasn't exactly a secret, but he certainly wouldn't publicize it with much fanfare, let alone ostentation. How could ordinary people tell he was a master? His wife wasn't a martial artist, and his son was only a baby. They didn't look like they were going to do anything bad.

Who betrayed him?

It can be confirmed that Old Monk Xuanci is the leader, but from his mouth we can know that his information comes from a gray-clothed man named Murong Bo, and the information about Murong Bo comes from the Liao Kingdom. Could it be that the Crown Prince and the ancestor of the Xiao family are really plotting against him?

But with their power, they have many ways to deal with me, right?

Wait, if they take action personally, or fight a big battle in Liao, it will easily cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. Killing with a borrowed knife may be a good move, but do they really have such means?

Xiao Yuanshan felt a headache coming on. Thirty years ago, he had to look up to both the Crown Prince and the Xiao family's ancestor. Back then, his status and position were far inferior to the Crown Prince's, and his martial arts were no match for the Xiao family's ancestor, the Liao Kingdom's Protector of the Nation Mage. But with Empress Dowager Xiao's support, his martial arts skills had reached superb levels, and his potential was enormous. Given enough time, he could definitely surpass the Protector of the Nation Mage in martial arts, and then gradually rise in the military, eventually replacing the Crown Prince as a formidable military leader.

Qiao Feng of the North and Murong of the South: "Old man, do you think too highly of yourself? Honestly, you're not cut out for this. You were easily destroyed."

But if that’s the case, what are the consequences of my thirty years of pain and suffering?

Regardless of whether this is the truth or not, the old monk Xuan Ci and the gray-clothed man named Murong Bo are both murderers. Even if there are other people behind them who act as middlemen and thugs, they cannot be let off easily.

Feeling that his brain was not enough, Xiao Yuanshan decided to give up his brain and make use of the strengths of his limbs. He pushed hard with his feet and instantly appeared next to the man in gray, and slapped him hard with his palm.

"One clap, two scatter palms!" The Xuan-generation monks cried out in shock. Even the elders of the Prajna Hall were far inferior to this kind of palm power. The gray-robed man pointed his finger and easily repelled him, letting out a faint laugh. "Your Excellency and I both lived in seclusion in Shaolin and often visited the Sutra Library. You have studied and mastered the martial arts currently practiced by the Shaolin monks, but I have mastered all seventy-two unique skills. My understanding is deeper and more comprehensive than yours. How can you defeat me with Shaolin martial arts?"

As if recalling something, the gray-robed man slapped his forehead and said, "I forgot. Your master was originally a high-ranking Shaolin monk. The martial arts he taught you were adapted from Shaolin. While they are considered advanced, they are ultimately not as authentic as the 72 Shaolin unique skills. Instead, they feel like a hodgepodge of miscellaneous techniques. You've been hiding in Shaolin for thirty years, practicing so many of these unique Shaolin skills that you've unknowingly abandoned all your previous martial arts."

"Wrong, absolutely wrong!" The gray-robed man couldn't help but shake his head and said, "Shaolin originated from Bodhidharma, but the only truly high-level martial arts passed down from this Indian monk are the Yi Jin Jing, Xi Sui Jing, and Shen Zu Jing. These three techniques originated from the same school, and practicing together is not difficult, and even complements each other. However, Shen Zu Jing and Xi Sui Jing have long been lost, and Yi Jin Jing has been hidden away by them. Only the guardians of the scriptures know where it is."

"Oh, that little monk named Xuzhu is practicing this magical skill." When the gray-clothed man said this, everyone was shocked and looked at him with jealous and hateful expressions. Ye Erniang was worried and happy at the same time, and Abbot Xuanci had a complicated expression, which finally turned into a long sigh, but he no longer worried about his son's future.

He knew that Xu Zhu's martial arts were derived from Murong Fu, but when did this young benefactor Murong obtain this scripture? Why didn't he practice it himself or return it to Shaolin, but instead passed it on to his own son? Could it be that he knew the child's background from the beginning?

No, maybe what he knew was not the child's background, but his qualifications. You know, the magical skills passed down from Bodhidharma are not so easy to practice. Not only have the Xisui Jing and Shenzu Jing been lost, but the Yijin Jing is in Shaolin. No one has really succeeded in practicing it for many years. Instead, his own silly son actually learned it, and became a top master at such a young age. It is really rare!

Could it be that this magical skill requires a careless mind to achieve, and those who are fully focused on practicing it cannot learn it?

It must be said that Abbot Xuanci accidentally guessed the point in his heart.

"However, while many of the Shaolin 72 unique skills bear Buddhist names, they are actually quite diverse, and most of them are rife with violence. As we all know, martial arts have attributes. If the attributes are similar, compatibility is strong. However, if the attributes are drastically different, a single mistake can lead to obsession. Even within a single martial art, deviations from its core can easily lead to disaster, let alone these numerous first-rate, super-first-rate, and even supreme martial arts created by different individuals."

"The martial arts that Master Lingmen tailored for you aren't considered pinnacle, but they incorporate many unique Shaolin techniques, making them a perfect match for you. Without them, you wouldn't have achieved top-tier status thirty years ago, inflicting heavy casualties on so many heroes from the Central Plains. Given Master Lingmen's martial arts expertise, the upper limit of the martial arts he tailored for you is just around the corner, but the damage to your body from overexertion is definitely minimal. With perseverance, you'll definitely have a place in the martial arts world."

"It's a shame you didn't cherish them. Instead, you found so many unique skills in Shaolin. You found every one of them exquisite, but you were completely unaware of the issues of compatibility and conflict. As a result, while your martial arts skills improved, your body suffered from numerous health problems." The gray-clothed man suddenly asked, "Have you experienced a dull pain in your lower abdomen's Liangmen and Taiyi acupoints lately? And have you experienced any changes in the numbness in your Guanyuan acupoint recently?"

Xiao Yuanshan was shocked when he heard this, and couldn't help but sweat profusely. "How do you know? This numb area was only the size of a little finger ten years ago, and now... now it's almost as big as the mouth of a teacup."

"Your Excellency knows the cause of my father's illness, and I pray for your mercy and rescue." Xiao Feng was very anxious after hearing this. He had just found his biological father, but he didn't want to see him leave him immediately.

The gray-robed man chuckled and said, "All martial arts problems, aside from innate physical abnormalities or problems with the martial arts themselves, are caused by insufficient realm to control. If one's own realm is insufficient and one attempts to control martial arts beyond one's capabilities, the end result will be like a small horse pulling a heavy cart, harming oneself."

Jiumozhi suddenly pointed at Xu Zhu and said, "When you said this, did you consider this young monk from Shaolin who was born under the name Xu?"

The gray-robed man laughed heartily and said, "The fact that the Imperial Master pointed out this person is the perfect proof of what I said. This little monk may possess no other skills, but he is an exceptionally skilled chanter, his comprehension and aptitude being considered the best in Shaolin. He specializes in the Yi Jin Jing, a form of internal energy, and has elevated this knowledge and Buddhist teachings to the pinnacle. He has also diligently practiced the Arhat Fist, memorizing the meaning of the 108 Arhats by heart, enabling him to wield it with such ease. If we're talking pure mastery, even the Imperial Master can't match this little monk."

"With this young monk here in Shaolin, there will be no worries for sixty years. But..." The gray-clothed man's face suddenly darkened. Without moving his feet, he floated in front of Xu Zhu, pinched his fingers into a sword and pointed it at his throat. Xu Zhu instinctively threw a punch, but was deflected by Xu Zhu's finger. The Shaolin monks cursed angrily and rushed over in indignation.

Shaolin finally produced a top-notch master who was young, had a good character, and was born and raised in the Shaolin Temple. How could they possibly watch him being beaten to death?

"Hahaha, you're coming at right time, but it seems it's not enough. King Xiao and King Ming, why don't you attack together and let you see how the pinnacle of martial arts suppresses the world!" The gray-clothed man stepped on the Lingbo microsteps and moved freely with more than a dozen high monks of the Xuan generation. With the Canhe Finger in one hand and the Longcheng Sword Finger (using the finger to represent the sword) in the other, he was not at all inferior.