novelapdf Chapter 195: Fang Zheng, Xiao Yuanshan, the Sweeping Monk, and the 3-Foot Qi Wall
Chapter 195: Fang Zheng, Xiao Yuanshan, the Sweeping Monk, and the 3-Foot Qi Wall
The group of martial arts practitioners were stunned when they heard this.
Not to mention Shaolin's long history and its dominance in the martial arts world, Shaolin Temple has just been named the "Guardian Temple of the Nation." Apart from Li Ping, it is unparalleled in the martial arts world. Who would dare to provoke it at this time?
Do you really think these Shaolin monks only know how to eat vegetarian food and chant scriptures?
Zuo Lengchan chuckled to himself. Why had he been so obsessed with unifying the Five Mountains Sects for so many years?
His ambition was one factor, but being so close to Shaolin and feeling suffocated by their power was another.
He was secretly delighted to see someone cause trouble for the Shaolin Temple!
The monks of Shaolin Temple are also human beings. They haven't yet attained Buddhahood, so how could they endure such a thing?
The two senior monks immediately rushed over, but Master Fangzheng dodged and blocked their way.
He chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Please calm your anger, benefactor! Since you say that Shaolin Temple harbors filth and evil, there must be a reason."
"Why not recount the whole story in front of all the heroes of the world?"
"If it is indeed my Shaolin disciple who has done wrong, this old monk will not show any favoritism."
Li Ping found it amusing.
In the original timeline of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, Master Fangzheng was always portrayed as a compassionate and virtuous monk who took it upon himself to protect the safety of the martial arts world.
Of course, some people say that he is the real mastermind behind the scenes in the world of Swordsman.
Li Ping didn't know who was right and who was wrong, and he was also very curious about what Fang Zheng's true colors were.
Judging from Fangzheng's behavior just now, if he is not a truly virtuous and eminent monk, then he must be a truly wicked person who pretends to be loyal but is actually treacherous.
Li Ping then sized up the man who had spoken. He was tall and robust, and in terms of appearance, he did indeed resemble Qiao Feng by seven or eight points.
Moreover, his aura is quite powerful. Could it really be Xiao Yuanshan?
Qiao Feng's eyes flickered. Could he really be my father?
The man who resembled Qiao Feng sneered: "If your Shaolin disciples use all sorts of despicable means to swindle farmers out of their land, turning them into your tenants who can't even afford three meals a day, wouldn't that be considered bullying men and oppressing women?"
Everyone was stunned when these words were spoken.
Because in everyone's eyes this was a very normal thing, which landlord or powerful person didn't take over land?
Shaolin Temple is essentially a large landowner, and it must have done a lot of land acquisition.
But no one thought it was a big deal.
Even Master Fangzheng was somewhat puzzled: "In years of famine, it is natural that some farmers at the foot of the mountain would borrow money from Shaolin Temple because they could not make ends meet."
"If they can't repay the loan by the due date, isn't it only fair to use land as collateral?"
Even if they become tenant farmers, they will still have food to eat and won't starve to death during years of famine.
In his view, this was clearly an act of saving all living beings!
The assembled heroes of the martial world all nodded in agreement, for this has always been the way of the world.
The man was indeed Xiao Yuanshan. As a Khitan nobleman, he didn't usually care about such things.
However, he harbored a deep hatred for Shaolin, and even though the Shaolin he was in was hundreds of years in the future, his hatred had not diminished in the slightest.
Therefore, it is natural to look for faults in Shaolin from all aspects and damage Shaolin's reputation.
However, he had only been in the world for a short time and hadn't found any leverage against the Shaolin leaders, so he had to start from other angles.
He also thought such a trivial matter was nothing special, and continued, "But if others can't repay their debts, forcing them to sell their children, or even raping their daughters, is that really acceptable?"
These words shocked everyone present.
Leaving aside Shaolin, even if it happened in other sects, this is still something that cannot be brought to light.
Adultery has always been a major taboo in the martial arts world!
Master Fangzheng exclaimed in surprise, "Is this really true?"
He chanted the Buddha's name again: "The Buddhist path is vast, yet it cannot shelter those who have no heart for Buddhism."
"Among the thousands of disciples of Shaolin, there may inevitably be one or two scoundrels who break our rules, but Shaolin has been established for thousands of years, and its original intention of being compassionate and disciplined has never changed."
"Please tell me this person's name."
When Xiao Yuanshan saw the old monk, he really didn't know where to begin. He snorted coldly, "Lay disciples Lu Guosheng and Zhang Guoyi, and formal disciples Juexin and Juechan..."
He named more than a dozen disciples of Shaolin monks, including lay disciples.
He was also a formally ordained disciple.
Upon hearing this, the disciples were drenched in sweat and trembled violently.
Anyone could tell at a glance that this person was not lying.
Master Fangzheng looked at his disciples and sighed, a rare occurrence for him: "I never imagined that you would use the reputation of Shaolin to commit such evil deeds."
"According to Shaolin precepts, the matter should be handed over to the Discipline Hall for processing, and then the martial arts skills should be recovered and the person escorted to the government."
The people of the martial arts world praised Master Fangzheng for his fair and just conduct.
But that wasn't all. Abbot Fangzheng continued, "During my tenure, such an evil deed occurred, which is clearly due to my failure to discipline them properly. According to the Shaolin precepts, what should be done?"
The head of the Discipline Hall remained silent for a moment: "Twenty strokes of the cane!"
Master Fangzheng removed his robe: "Then we shall proceed according to the law."
A group of people in the underworld couldn't stand it anymore. In their opinion, if someone below made a mistake, this was enough to deal with it. How could someone above take the blame when someone below made a mistake?
Who can handle that?!
Everyone tried to dissuade him, but Master Fangzheng still accepted twenty strokes of the cane according to the law, without even using his internal energy to resist.
This infuriated Xiao Yuanshan, giving him a headache. He had only been in this world for a short time and hadn't yet found any dirt on these Shaolin leaders.
Today is the most glorious day for Shaolin Temple, and he won't get through this without ruining Shaolin Temple's reputation today.
Seeing how easily Master Fangzheng resolved these issues, I simply couldn't stand it!
He continued, "What if a Shaolin disciple were to kill his own child without cause and then hand that child over to his enemy to raise?
Qiao Feng was shocked; he had confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed his father.
Master Fangzheng's eyes widened: "There really is something? Who on earth committed such an evil deed?"
Xiao Yuanshan's face turned red, but he still said, "Several hundred years ago, I took my wife and children out for a spring outing, but we encountered Abbot Xuanci of Shaolin Temple, who led a group of martial arts practitioners and killed my followers and wife."
"You even entrusted my son to your enemy to be raised. Shouldn't I avenge this? Does your Shaolin Temple even acknowledge this?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the martial arts world immediately realized that this person was an extraordinary individual!
Some people felt that his experience was truly tragic, and how could such a grudge not be avenged? You can run away from the monks of Shaolin Temple, but you can't run away from the temple itself.
Some people think it's ridiculous, asking how someone can settle scores from hundreds of years ago.
Everyone looked at Master Fangzheng, curious about his answer!
Master Fangzheng was learned and had a good memory. Moreover, because of the arrival of the Three Crossings and the appearance of a figure from the Northern Song Dynasty, he actually went to look up ancient books, and coincidentally, there was a record of this matter in the ancient books!
After all, the Sweeper Monk's "conversion" of Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo, two people with such deep hatred, was seen as an unparalleled merit by them.
Master Fangzheng chanted a Buddhist prayer: "So it is Xiao Yuanshan, Benefactor Xiao."
"I know a little about the old grudges from back then, and Master Xuanci paid for them with his life."
"Later, under the guidance of the eminent monks of our temple, the benefactor and the benefactor Murong shook hands and made peace. The benefactor shaved his head and became a monk, taking the Dharma name Xuankong."
"But as it is now, Benefactor Xiao is naturally unaware of this."
"Although this matter was caused by Benefactor Murong, the sin was committed by my Shaolin Temple. Therefore, today, I, as the current generation's senior, shall bear the consequences!"
Everyone felt that Master Fangzheng was a truly virtuous and eminent monk, but Xiao Yuanshan was furious. Back then, he had investigated for a long time and found that Xuanci and his group were instigated by someone, but he could never find out who was instigating them.
I never expected it to be Murong Bo!
He was well aware of the Murong family's great reputation back then.
Hearing that he and Murong Bo, such mortal enemies, had actually shaken hands and made peace under the "enlightenment" of a Shaolin monk, and that he had even become a monk at Shaolin, he was shocked.
He couldn't hear a single word that followed.
Feeling that he had been deceived by Shaolin Temple back then, he could no longer suppress his anger and strode forward, striking Master Fangzheng with a palm.
Qiao Feng saw this and knew it wouldn't do, so he immediately tried to stop him.
Unexpectedly, someone even faster than him blocked Xiao Yuanshan's path. Xiao Yuanshan's overwhelming palm strike seemed to encounter an invisible wall just three feet before reaching that person, and was directly stopped.
Li Ping's heart skipped a beat!
A three-foot-high wall of air?
A hidden monk!?
He did indeed come to the future!