LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 195: Mahavira Hall
Shaolin, as a millennium-old Buddhist temple, indeed has its own prestige.
It has always been the Mount Tai and Big Dipper of the Martial World.
The 72 Ultimate Arts of Shaolin and the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classics are well-known.
During the era of Heavenly Dragon, the 72 Ultimate Arts of Shaolin alone provoked much bloodshed and entangled in a web of grudges and affections.
It was just that there were too many incidents involving the monks of the generation bearing the 'Xuan' prefix, even dragging in the scandals of the Abbot Xuan Ci, which dealt a significant blow, leading to the temple closing its doors for self-cultivation.
After several generations, its fame in the Martial World also diminished considerably.
Apart from the influence in the Martial World, as a millennium-old Buddhist temple, Shaolin's incense fire has always been flourishing, and with the rent from tenant farmers and the land annexation, even the entire Mount Shaoshi continued to radiate outward with a large amount of Shaolin's farmland.
The temple also sustained enough warrior monks.
Whether it was the Jin court or the nomads descending from the north, they also primarily sought to appease Shaolin — a large household with hidden warrior monks, land, and grain.
The power of the government was far less effective on Shaolin Temple's turf than Shaolin itself was.
Most of the farmers here were also tenant farmers of Shaolin Temple.
When necessary, not just the warrior monks, these tenant farmers could also pick up weapons to bolster their presence.
Shaolin itself was also aware of the times, like this time when Huo Du came knocking, Shaolin widely opened its doors of convenience, gave alms to the destined ones, and sent out five thousand shi of grain...
"Those Tartars fled disastrously back to the north of the Yellow River, without the time to bring much baggage; lacking provisions, once they reached the Central Plains they began to burn, kill, and loot, even more odious than the Jins."
Wu Se was indeed still bearing a strong air of the jianghu and the unruly grasslands; while climbing the mountain, he kept informing Tao Yu about some of the nearby situations.
Although the Jin court was also founded by a nomadic tribe, once it took over the Central Plains and was dazzled by the glamorous world, it actually began to integrate fully with the Han culture.
Some of the bad habits from the nomadic period had greatly diminished, but this also caused their combat strength to plummet.
Now, the steppes were at their zenith and due to the scarce population, they adopted a 'fixed amount' model, where each large household had to regularly deliver a certain amount of goods, yet they were unable to change their habit of burning, killing, and looting.
Simple and brutal!
This time, they didn't bring baggage, which was a common occurrence for them; living off the spoils of war had always been their hallmark.
Therefore, after being pushed by the Titans, the situation in the Central Plains became even worse.
"So, Shaolin Temple is opening its doors to the destined ones to avoid trouble?"
"That seems to be the case..."
Wu Se couldn't help but sigh, making Tao Yu nod in agreement.
Being aware of the times is actually a good thing, ah. Since you find the steppe Tartars troublesome and are scared of them—
Am I then not a trouble?
...
Shaolin's position is very special; it is both a Martial Arts sect and a Buddhist holy place, and it is also a local landlord. It's impossible to get things done here without going through them.
However, as Tao Yu comes to visit as a disciple of the Eastern Heretic, Shaolin naturally must receive him with the protocol of a fellow martial artist.
Just as he arrived at the temple gate, a monk descended to block the way.
"Honorable masters, Shaolin is a place beyond the mundane world, and it has always been our rule not to allow weapons inside. Please leave your weapons here, and they will be returned to you upon your departure."
Upon hearing this, Tao Yu nodded but retorted,
"Did Huo Du leave his when he came up?
The question immediately stiffened the expressions of the reception monks, who then hurriedly explained,
"Huo Du, the young prince, only brought a folding fan; he did not carry weapons."
"But that's still bringing something."
Tao Yu curled his lips, not in the mood to deal with the pompous subordinates, then turned to Cheng Lixue and said,
"You stay here with them. I'll go for a walk by myself."
The words of Tao Yu made Cheng Lixue's face show a trace of worry,
"You're going alone? This..."
"Don't worry, monks do not like fighting and killing."
As Tao Yu spoke, he unfastened the Black Iron Heavy Sword and tossed it to Zhang Hao, who nearly didn't catch it steadily, and had to drop his weight and assume a horse stance, channeling his inner strength to barely stabilize it.
"Keep an eye on it for me. Master Wu Se, let's go."
Wu Se, seeing Tao Yu so easily lay down his weapon, felt a bit intrigued.
When he first saw the rather ostentatious Black Iron Heavy Sword, he had been somewhat curious, not expecting that it would be abandoned just like that.
"Please."
Even though the last two Mount Hua Sword Duels were without Shaolin's presence and the embarrassing incident of the Firework Monk had occurred, it was now their most vulnerable time.
Yet, during Tao Yu's visit, the Mahavira Hall was filled with Shaolin masters, demonstrating both their status as a Martial Arts sect and extending courtesy to Tao Yu, the disciple of the Eastern Heretic.
"Amitabha..."
Abbot Tian Ming still appeared to be a middle-aged man, which among the successive abbots of Shaolin was considered young.
The martial arts of Shaolin also emphasized accumulation; the older one got, the stronger one became.
Upon seeing Tao Yu stepping into the Mahavira Hall, many monks began to size him up.
Such a graceful and handsome man.
After Tao Yu had cultivated his inner strength and acquired a transcendent quality, coupled with his natural looks, his first appearance always drew attention.
"Junior Tao Yu, greets all the masters."
Tao Yu stepped in and was the first to cup his fists in salute, greeting everyone in a clear, loud voice.
"Benefactor Tao is a disciple of the Five Greats, truly a young talent,"
Abbot Tian Ming placed his hands together and slowly began to speak.
Considering that Dongxie Huang Yaoshi should be on par with the Ku-generation seniors, as Huang Yaoshi's disciple, Tao Yu's seniority was on par with that of the abbot himself.
"Junior has come to Shaolin this time for two matters and seeks the abbot's indulgence."
Tao Yu got straight to the point, prompting Abbot Tian Ming to nod slowly with a smile.
"Benefactor Tao may speak freely. If we can provide convenience, Shaolin will open its doors of facilitation," the abbot replied.
A disciple of the Five Greats personally visiting—if the matter wasn't too troublesome, Shaolin would give him face.
"Firstly, junior wishes to exchange some intelligence with Shaolin, information concerning the people from beyond and the northern Titans, as well as the connection between this world and the Abyss."
Tao Yu immediately threw out information that the monks of Shaolin could not overlook.
Upon hearing what Tao Yu said, they were nearly all shaken to their cores.
"People from beyond?" Continue reading at empire
"Intelligence on the northern Titans?"
"This world, what is meant by that?"
"A grain of sand, a world..."
"The Abyss..."
"..."
Even many years of Zen practice could not keep the monks of the Mahavira Hall calm.
Looking at Tian Ming's age made it clear—most of the backbones of Shaolin were still middle-aged, which required the recruitment of newly-converted outlaws like Wuse to bolster their presence. Their meditative fortitude was not yet fully cultivated.
"Amitabha, such clamor in the Mahavira Hall is most unbecoming," Abbot Tian Ming recited the Buddha's name, which quelled the murmuring of the monks.
Though he was a newly appointed abbot, he had begun to establish his authority. With a single utterance, he calmed the chaotic noise, and then he took the initiative to ask,
"What exactly does Benefactor Tao mean by these things?"
Tao Yu didn't give them much time to ponder. After capturing their attention and hearing Tian Ming's inquiry, he began to explain slowly,
"Gentlemen, please allow me to elaborate..."
Tao Yu had never treated the news about the Abyss as confidential, whether speaking with Cheng Lixue, Pharmacist Huang, or even Jack from the beginning; he tended to disclose such information quite freely.
The will of the world had never stopped the transmission of any information. The confidentiality towards the natives was mostly initiated by Pioneers themselves for greater benefits.
If one were heading to a farther world that no Pioneer had reached, it might be possible to keep things under wraps.
But Tao Yu felt that being sincere with some of the key figures in worlds where other Pioneers might come was more advantageous.
Otherwise, continuously hiding and withholding information would be futile if another Pioneer arrived and disclosed everything to gain favor, upsetting the entire situation to no end.
But!
For Cheng Lixue and the others, Tao Yu considered them potential Chosen Ones.
As for Pharmacist Huang, he felt their temperaments matched, and he was an important figure; later, they even became master and disciple.
There is no need to mention Guo Jing and Huang Rong.
However, at Shaolin Temple, this information was intended for exchange. As for what to exchange it for?
"...As I have said, this world has fallen into the Abyss. The eastern seas already bear witness to the Abyssal Chasm, and the northern steppes have seen the calamity of the Titans. Thus, for the entirety of Shaolin, the martial world, and even the whole world, there have been truly revolutionary changes."
At this point, Tao Yu paused to let them digest the information.
"Amitabha, it is truly a blessing for the world that Elder Dongxie has discovered the secrets of the Abyss. Thank you, Benefactor Tao, for alleviating our perplexity. You mentioned wanting to exchange with Shaolin, so may I ask what exactly you wish to exchange?" Abbot Tian Ming was quite shaken by this barrage of information.
The times have truly changed!
Even with Pharmacist Huang's temperament, when he foresaw the Abyssal Chasm and learned of the Titans and the people from beyond, he was shaken when accepting Tao Yu's enlightenment.
Although the Shaolin monks were already aware of the northern Titans, they regarded the Titans as part of this world, simply not knowing where these demonic beings had sprung from.
But once Tao Yu introduced the information about the Abyss, it completely refreshed their worldview.
Fortunately, the monks of Shaolin were relatively 'younger' and more receptive to new things.
And for them, the concept of 'a grain of sand, a world' was quite comprehensible.
In fact, the ancients often had a stronger capacity to accept these deeply mystical matters.
And Tao Yu had the backing of the title 'Disciple of the Five Greats'; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so smooth for them to believe him.
Seeing the monks were beginning to digest the bombshell he had dropped, Tao Yu's face showed a hint of a smile as he calmly spoke,
"Such important information naturally has its value. An appropriate exchange from Shaolin would be the scriptures in the Scripture Depository and The 72 Ultimate Arts of Shaolin. That is one of the reasons for my visit..."
While the monks were waiting for Tao Yu to state his demands, upon hearing his words—even though they were still recovering from the previous shock—one of the monks couldn't help but reprimand him,
"Impudent! A disciple of the illustrious Dongxie covets the heritage of our Shaolin—are you not afraid of being laughed at by the whole world?!"
After all, he was a respected monk and, despite not minding the young man before him, still maintained consideration for Elder Dongxie behind Tao Yu. He spoke from a position of moral high ground without resorting to outright insult.
Yet hearing this, Tao Yu merely chuckled,
"Elder monks, the times have changed..."
There's no point in taking frustration out on the underlings—it's always better to deal with the person in charge directly...