Chapter 66: Extinction

The old nun left the Zen Forest Inn, stubbornly searching for another inn. At each one, she would first scold the abbot of Shaolin, and then, without exception, be kicked out.

Poor Lin Yi followed behind her, also receiving disdainful glances.

There were five inns in Greenwood Town, and they had already been to four. Now, ahead was the last one, called the "Buddha Forest Inn."

The old nun stood at the door of this inn, hesitating for a moment.

Lin Yi followed closely behind and whispered, "Master, this is the last inn. Should we speak as we did earlier when we enter?"

The old nun looked around and finally sighed. "Although the Shaolin abbot is despicable, his methods are impressive. He has deceived the people to such an extent. Forget it, this time we will do the opposite and see what treatment we receive."

Though she still held onto her pride, the old nun was no longer as reckless. She didn't know what kind of witchcraft the Shaolin abbot had used on the people to make them speak for him. If she continued her tough stance, she might end up sleeping on the streets.

The two entered the inn, and a waiter came to greet them.

As before, after ordering their meal, the old nun said to Lin Yi, "Lin Yi, when we go to Mount Shaoshi to meet the abbot, you must be more polite. I heard that the Shaolin abbot can communicate with the Buddha. A person like that must not be disrespected."

Before Lin Yi could respond, another guest spoke up, "Master, what you say is absolutely right! Master Yijie is a divine monk. People like you, from the Buddhist sect, should really learn from him. Disrespect is absolutely not allowed. If you offend Master Yijie, his mercy won't blame you, but the Shaolin followers certainly won't forgive you."

The old nun, as the leader of Emei, had never heard such words before. Shaolin was a lesser sect, and yet people thought she couldn't be disrespectful to it.

Although her heart burned with anger, after many lessons, she had grown wiser. She asked, "This benefactor, I come from Bashu and don't know much about Shaolin. Is Master Yijie really as extraordinary as the rumors say?"

"Heh, extraordinary is an understatement! Let me tell you, Master Yijie is beyond amazing! There's nothing he can't do. If you can think of it, he can do it!"

"That's right, Master Yijie is a true expert. He can talk to the Buddha. He must be the reincarnation of Buddha."

"Master Yijie is so capable, there's nothing he can't solve. My wife has been barren for years. We went to Shaolin to pray at the Wanfo Pagoda. Guess what? Not long after, she was pregnant!"

"Wha... what?" The old nun broke into a cold sweat. Was he saying that his wife's pregnancy had something to do with Master Yijie?

Seeing the old nun's expression, the man quickly realized she misunderstood and said irritably, "What are you thinking? We've been unable to have children for eight years. We went to Shaolin's Wanfo Pagoda to pray to Guanyin Bodhisattva. A few months after, my wife was pregnant. Isn't that miraculous?"

"Oh, I see. It seems Shaolin really is quite remarkable."

"Of course! If you're going to Shaolin, you should leave early tomorrow morning, preferably before dawn. Otherwise, if you go to the Wanfo Pagoda to burn incense, you'll have to wait until the afternoon."

The more the old nun listened, the more she felt disconnected from these people.

It was over. They had all been brainwashed and had become the pawns of Shaolin, the abbot's supporters.

Although she felt dissatisfied, a sense of jealousy also arose in her. While Emei was a famous sect, it had never received such attention from the people.

However, even so, the old nun remained confident in her mission to expose the Shaolin abbot's lies.

She didn't believe in such so-called miracles, and with her many years of Buddhist practice, the abbot could never outwit her in conversation. Even if they had to face off, she was confident that she could intimidate everyone at Shaolin.

After all, as the leader of Emei, her martial arts skills were certainly exceptional.

Early the next morning, Yi Jing woke up early and went to the bell tower to strike the bell.

To be a monk meant to ring the bell every day. That was his destiny.

The melodious sound of the bell echoed through Mount Shaoshi.

The bell of Shaolin had become a time standard for the local people. Wives would tell their husbands, "The Shaolin bell has rung, and you're still not up to work?"

Elders would tell children, "The Shaolin bell has rung, get up and go to school."

The women of the brothels would tell their clients, "Sir, get up! The monks are already up. What's happened to your energy?"

When the Shaolin bell rang, the temple gates opened, and pilgrims began ascending the mountain.

Huo Yuanzhen stood at his door, watching the pilgrims enter the temple.

These days, about 800 pilgrims arrived daily. However, Shaolin was struggling to accommodate so many, primarily because there were too few Buddha halls.

Only the Wanfo Pagoda could accommodate worshippers. Fortunately, the Wanfo Pagoda had nine floors, so if they hadn't drawn it in the lottery, Shaolin wouldn't have such a bustling scene. After all, without a place to burn incense and worship, it wouldn't even be considered a temple.

But the construction tokens for the sect weren't easy to obtain. There were limited opportunities to draw.

Now, Huo Yuanzhen's focus had shifted toward sect construction, aside from the urgent need for a martial arts technique. He was hoping to draw more construction tokens and scriptures or magical artifacts.

With only a few days until August 28th, Huo Yuanzhen hoped for a big prize to improve the temple's infrastructure.

As he was lost in thought, he noticed two nuns approaching from a distance.

Huo Yuanzhen was puzzled. Although monks and nuns both belonged to the Buddhist sect, they usually had no contact with one another due to gender differences. It was strange for nuns to come to Shaolin today.

After thinking for a moment, he instructed Yi Kong, "Go and see what those two nuns are here for."

"Yes, Abbot."

"Be polite, but also keep an eye on them. They might be from the martial world."

Yi Kong nodded and left.

Lin Yi followed her master and overheard all the praises for Shaolin, secretly admiring them.

At sixteen, Lin Yi was old enough to have her own opinions. She didn't necessarily agree with everything her master said. Shaolin had indeed been successful. Although they had some money-making motives, the people were willingly supporting them. She had also heard that Shaolin treated the truly poor with great care.

Not only did they offer free incense, but during lunchtime, they also allowed pilgrims to eat for free. Every day, many people came to Shaolin for lunch, which was quite costly.

Although Emei was a big sect, they hadn't been able to do something like this.

However, Lin Yi didn't dare voice her thoughts. Her master was too domineering, and her status and martial skills in the martial world made it difficult for anyone to express differing opinions. Her master's Dharma name was Jue Min, but in the martial world, she was known as Jue Mie, meaning "Extinction," because her ruthless actions had made her feared. If Emei wasn't a righteous sect, her master might even be considered a heretic.

Her master intended to groom Lin Yi as Emei's next leader and had taken her on a journey to visit various places. After hearing about Shaolin's deeds in Henan, Jue Min decided it was a good example of what not to do, and immediately led Lin Yi to Mount Shaoshi.

Her master believed that Emei, as a renowned sect, was superior to other Buddhist sects, especially those male-dominated ones. She always carried herself arrogantly, and when meeting other Buddhist or Daoist figures, she would either criticize or teach them, which had caused her to have few friends.

The people only feared her martial arts skills and didn't dare speak up. Over time, many had started to avoid Emei.

Unfortunately, her master was oblivious to this and continued with her domineering ways. This time, before even reaching the mountain, they had already encountered resistance from those who worshiped Shaolin.

Lin Yi couldn't help but think that going to Shaolin might not have been the wisest choice, but her master insisted. Last night, she vowed at the inn to expose the lies of the Shaolin abbot and reveal the truth to the people.

Lin Yi didn't want to come but had no choice. As a disciple, she had to follow her master. She only hoped her master would tone down her actions and avoid embarrassment or confrontation.

Clutching the treasured sword "Duantian" behind her back, Lin Yi reflected. This sword, a powerful weapon, was the reason her master, with her innate early-stage skills, had earned such a fearsome reputation in the martial world.

While lost in thought, Jue Min spoke up. "Lin Yi, look at this Shaolin. What does it have? Apart from the neatly paved roads and abundant trees, there's nothing special. The mountain gate is grand, the bell tower is magnificent, but beyond that, there's just the Wanfo Pagoda. I don't understand how such a small temple could attract so many people."

"Master, where there's existence, there must be reason. Shaolin must have its own merits," Lin Yi replied softly, though her words were clear, her innocent tone still quite strong.

"What merits? It's all about trickery!" Jue Min retorted. "Let's find out for ourselves."

Just then, a monk appeared before them.

"Amid all, Amitabha. Esteemed masters, I greet you," the monk said.

The one who appeared was Yi Kong, sent to receive them.

Jue Min gave him a sharp look. "Are you the abbot?"

"I am but a humble monk, not the abbot," Yi Kong replied.

"Then go back. You're not qualified to speak to me. Tell your abbot, the leader of Emei, Jue Min, has come!"