Flower Stealing Master

Xuan Ci said, “If you had come to our temple alone, we would have welcomed you with due respect. However, since the three of you have arrived together with Daoist Zhang, I must remind you that when he was young, he left Shaolin Temple without permission. According to our sect’s centuries-old rules, Daoist Zhang should be aware that any disciple who betrays or abandons our sect is never allowed to step foot in this temple again. Otherwise, they will face the punishment of having their feet severed.”

Zhang Sanfeng merely smiled without speaking, but Song Qingshu was not as patient. He sneered, “When Grandmaster was young, he may have served under Master Jueyuan at Shaolin Temple, but he was merely performing menial tasks like sweeping the floors and brewing tea. He never took the tonsure nor formally acknowledged a master. How could he be considered a disciple of Shaolin?”

Xuan Ci coldly replied, “Yet Daoist Zhang secretly learned martial arts from Shaolin before leaving.”

Song Qingshu recalled Zhang Sanfeng once saying: “Although I later created the martial arts of the Wudang Sect through my own efforts, if not for Master Jueyuan passing down the ‘Nine Yang Scripture’ to me, and for Lady Guo gifting me the pair of Shaolin Iron Arhats, I would have had no foundation upon which to build. It is not unreasonable to say that my martial arts originated from Shaolin.”

However, while Zhang Sanfeng was broad-minded, Song Qingshu was not. Hearing Shaolin monks repeatedly refer to his grandmaster as a traitor, his anger surged. “You keep slandering my grandmaster, claiming he stole Shaolin’s martial arts. Yet the martial arts of Wudang are well known throughout the martial world. Tell me, which technique exactly belongs to Shaolin?”

Xuan Ci said calmly, “Daoist Zhang’s ‘Nine Yang Scripture’ belongs to our temple.”

Song Qingshu was momentarily speechless but quickly found his footing. “If Grandmaster truly knew the Nine Yang Scripture, he wouldn’t have had to bring Zhang Wuji to Shaolin and suffer your contempt back then. Besides, in this world, the only person who currently knows the Nine Yang Scripture is the leader of the Ming Cult, Zhang Wuji. His scripture was found in a valley in Kunlun, not from Shaolin. If anything, it is more likely that Shaolin managed to steal a few fragments of the Nine Yang Scripture from elsewhere and then claimed it as your own.”

Hearing his words, the monks opposite him erupted in anger, shouting accusations. 

Xuan Ci frowned, but as the abbot, he had some knowledge of past events. He slowly responded, “Back then, our temple’s ‘Nine Yang Scripture’ was stolen by Yin Kexi and Xiao Xiangzi. The scripture that Zhang Wuji found in Kunlun was likely the very same text stolen by those two. Daoist Zhang is well aware of this.”

Song Qingshu sighed and nodded helplessly. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly in his heart. ‘Grandmaster, oh grandmaster, why must you be so honest? If only you had denied it, I could have easily refuted Shaolin and prevented them from ever bringing up this matter again…’

But he understood well that Zhang Sanfeng was a man of great integrity and would never resort to lies.

“I did not come today to argue over past matters with your temple. I have another request,” Zhang Sanfeng said calmly.

Xuan Ci and Fang Zheng exchanged a glance, wondering, ‘What is he here for? Bringing so many experts with him, it certainly doesn’t seem like a friendly visit.’ Xuan Ci then asked, “Please explain.”

“Recently, several of my disciples have gone missing…” Zhang Sanfeng slowly recounted the disappearances of Zhang Songxi and Yin Liting, followed by Song Yuanqiao’s attempt to find them, only to vanish as well.

Xuan Ci was surprised. “I deeply regret the misfortune that has befallen heroes like Master Song. But why have you come to Shaolin? Do you suspect our temple is involved?”

Song Qingshu snorted and pulled out a wooden plank he had dug up from an abandoned temple, pointing to the palm imprint on it. “All of you are martial arts experts. Surely you recognize what kind of technique left this palm mark?”

“Oh?” Master Fang Zheng took the wooden plank and examined it closely, still uncertain. He then passed it to Xuan Ci. “Senior Brother, do you think this is…?”

Xuan Ci nodded. “Indeed, this was caused by our temple’s Prajna Palm technique.”

Hearing their confirmation, Song Qingshu reached out and, with a distant motion, pulled the wooden plank back into his hand. The effortless display of skill left everyone in the hall stunned.

Xuan Ci was inwardly shocked. ‘Although I was unprepared, the object in my hand should not have been so easily taken. With just a simple gesture, he pulled it away—could this be the long-lost Dragon Capturing Hand?’

Jiumozhi was also secretly alarmed. It had only been a short time since he last saw Song Qingshu, yet his martial skills seemed to have advanced. He wondered, ‘How does my Crane Control Skill compare to this technique? Who would win?’

Even Ren Woxing was deep in thought. ‘My Cosmic Absorption Technique has a similar effect, but it usually only works against those whose internal strength is far inferior to mine. To seize an object from the Shaolin abbot so effortlessly—I’m afraid I would struggle to do the same.’

“Surnamed Song, what do you mean by this?” Xuan Cheng, who had once lost to Zhang Sanfeng and had since been in seclusion, had just emerged upon hearing the temple’s alarm bells. Seeing this scene, he couldn’t help but furiously demand an explanation.

“I was afraid you might destroy the evidence,” Song Qingshu said indifferently.

Hearing the sarcasm in his tone, Xuan Cheng could not hold back. “Surnamed Song, make yourself clear!”

“I may not have read much Buddhist scripture, but I do know that those who follow Buddhism must avoid greed, anger, and ignorance. Given your temper, it seems your cultivation is far from complete,” Song Qingshu remarked.

Xuan Cheng was so enraged he almost fumed on the spot, but he ignored Song Qingshu and turned to Xuan Ci. “Abbot, do you know where this wooden plank was found?”

Xuan Ci had a vague but ominous feeling. Still, he had no choice but to ask, “I do not. Please enlighten me, Golden Serpent King.”

Song Qingshu’s expression was cold. “The site where my uncles Zhang and Yin disappeared was full of battle marks, and this wooden plank with a Prajna Palm imprint was left there. Now, we await an explanation from the masters of Shaolin.”

Although Xuan Ci had already suspected as much, hearing it confirmed still sent a chill through his spine. The surrounding monks also turned pale.

“This matter was absolutely not done by Shaolin! Daoist Zhang, please investigate thoroughly,” Xuan Ci quickly said.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Zhang Sanfeng sighed. “I do not believe your temple was behind their disappearance either. However, my two disciples, though not the strongest, were not easily subdued. The Prajna Palm is a secret technique of Shaolin. Aside from the masters here, I cannot think of anyone else in the martial world who could have executed it to this level.”

Hearing this, Kong Zhi could no longer hold back and angrily pointed at Zhang Sanfeng. “Are you accusing us of being the masterminds behind this?”

Among Shaolin’s Four Holy Monks, Kong Jian was compassionate, but unfortunately he died the earliest; Kong Wen was very cunning and never showed his emotions; Kong Xing was muddleheaded, innocent, and ignorant of worldly affairs; Kong Zhi was narrow-minded and often felt that Zhang Sanfeng had secretly learned a lot of martial arts in Shaolin Temple, which made the reputation of Wudang Sect surpass that of Shaolin Sect. He was always resentful, and he was like a powder keg waiting to explode at any time.

Ren Woxing, ever sharp-tongued, sneered when he saw Kong Zhi’s rude behavior, “I’ve heard that Shaolin’s four great monks are highly skilled, but after meeting you today, I am unimpressed. Kong Zhi, you bald donkey, with your scrawny frame and constant frown, you look like you won’t live long. You’d better watch your words.”

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