Chapter 82: The Drunken Eight Immortals Staff Technique

Hearing Huò Yuánzhēn's words, Mò Lán froze for a moment. Being a clever woman, she quickly understood the meaning behind his words. Her cheeks flushed red, and she didn't know how to respond.

After walking another twenty meters or so, Huò Yuánzhēn suddenly asked, "Miss, do you often offer incense?"

"Yes," Mò Lán answered with a naive tone, her hand still waving her long braid. "I offer incense regularly for Ah Niú, but it's always been in other temples. This is the first time I've come to Shaolin Temple."

Her voice carried an innocent air, and it made one reluctant to see her saddened.

Huò Yuánzhēn smiled, but his tone grew cold as he continued, "Then do you know that when offering incense, one must offer three sticks?"

Mò Lán's body trembled, and her voice became softer. "Ah Niú, what do you mean?"

"Miss," Huò Yuánzhēn said, his voice firm, "offering only two sticks of incense for a first-time visit is rather rushed, don't you think? Maybe you're overly confident in your seduction techniques?"

Mò Lán stiffened, her hand that had been swirling around Huò Yuánzhēn's chest froze mid-air.

By now, they had arrived at the entrance of the third area. Huò Yuánzhēn stopped, placed Mò Lán down, and turned around coldly, saying, "This poor monk isn't worthy of such elaborate schemes from you. I must apologize, but your skills haven't swayed my devotion to the Buddha."

With that, he turned and walked away, as though Mò Lán had never existed.

Mò Lán stood frozen for a moment, her expression darkening. After seeing Huò Yuánzhēn's back, her mood shifted, and she smiled. "Little monk has some skills. It seems I underestimated you this time. But if you're so indifferent, why is your walking posture so odd? Are you worried about something unsightly being seen by others?"

She turned to Xiao Wei and said, "Let's go. There's no opportunity here."

Meanwhile, Huò Yuánzhēn was walking back, his body slightly recovering. He silently cursed at his own near mishap, thankful that he had noticed her mistake early on. If he hadn't caught on to the fact that she only offered two sticks of incense, things could have gone terribly wrong.

"Golden staff... so you're good with metaphors," he thought to himself, unable to suppress his frustration.

At that moment, a furious voice shouted from behind, "Yi Jiè, as the abbot, what is the meaning of carrying a young woman on your back? Have you no sense of propriety?"

Huò Yuánzhēn ignored him, continuing his walk.

The voice followed, growing more agitated. "How dare you, Yi Jiè! Disregarding the rules of the monastic order, you have skin-to-skin contact with a woman! You are unfit to be a monk."

"Are you referring to the woman I was carrying earlier?" Huò Yuánzhēn turned back and glanced at Yī Yīn. "I've already set her down. Is there still something you can't let go of?"

Yī Yīn stood there, speechless, unable to come up with a response.

Back in his room, Huò Yuánzhēn immediately called for his Golden-eyed Eagle, instructing it to keep a close watch on Mò Lán's every move.

This woman was certainly not simple. Her martial skills might not be impressive, but her seductive techniques were well-honed. He had almost fallen into her trap, only managing to escape because he had noticed her mistake.

As the wise say, "There is no love or hatred without reason." Huò Yuánzhēn didn't believe he was charming enough to make a beauty like her fall for him, especially someone as skilled in inner seduction as she was. Moreover, he was a monk, which should deter most women from pursuing him.

So, someone must be plotting against him, and Huò Yuánzhēn was determined to figure out who that was.

The Golden-eyed Eagle took flight, monitoring Mò Lán's movements from the sky. After a while, the information was relayed back to Huò Yuánzhēn, who received it directly into his mind.

It turned out that Mò Lán was staying at the Zen Forest Inn at the foot of the mountain. The Golden-eyed Eagle had seen her room and reported that apart from some changes of clothes, no one else had appeared.

Huò Yuánzhēn studied the brief glimpse of her changing clothes but found no signs of deception. The only thing he could confirm was that Mò Lán was definitely not a man in disguise.

"Perhaps her contact hasn't arrived yet," Huò Yuánzhēn mused. "Maybe she's waiting for another opportunity, but now that I've seen through her scheme, she won't get another chance."

As Huò Yuánzhēn pondered further, sweat began to bead on his forehead. He suddenly remembered that Ning Wànjūn and the others were also staying at the same inn.

This could not be a coincidence. Mò Lán had a plan, and if Huò Yuánzhēn had been fooled by her seductive skills and gone to the inn, it would have been a most unpleasant situation.

His mind briefly pictured an embarrassing scene: himself stripped of his robes, kicked out of the inn, running through the streets naked, with the townspeople laughing and pointing. Ning Wànjūn and the others would look at him coldly before turning away.

Shaolin Temple would surely be doomed. The authorities would come to seize it, and Huò Yuánzhēn would either be beaten to death or reduced to begging in the streets.

In the end, the only thing that would remain by his side would be the golden staff he had never used.

Taking a deep breath, Huò Yuánzhēn swore to himself, "This demoness is too cunning. She's been plotting against me, but I will not let her go. If I ever leave the monkhood, it will be the day I strike at the Water Curtain Cave."

With some understanding of Mò Lán's background, Huò Yuánzhēn felt a bit more at ease. As long as he stayed vigilant, she would not succeed. Once the matters on the back mountain were settled, he would turn his attention to dealing with the one plotting against him.

For the time being, Huò Yuánzhēn stopped focusing on Mò Lán and directed the Golden-eyed Eagle's attention back to the back mountain.

Míng Xīn and Yī Yīn had already set up a grass hut on the back mountain and were living there. Huò Yuánzhēn had strictly instructed the monks that the back mountain was now a forbidden area, and no one was allowed to approach.

Yī Yīn, whom Huò Yuánzhēn had ridiculed earlier, was now sulking on the back mountain, while Míng Xīn was still concocting a sticky substance. Several days ago, he had brought back some items from Shaolin Temple, and after simmering them for a long time, he had ended up with a small jar of something that emitted a terrible stench, which even the Golden-eyed Eagle could smell from the air.

Fortunately, the wind wasn't blowing toward Shaolin at the moment. Otherwise, Huò Yuánzhēn would never have allowed Míng Xīn to continue his experiments.

Míng Xīn had visited the underground cave and spoken with the old man there. The Golden-eyed Eagle had barely overheard Míng Xīn referring to the man as "Du Lao Guài," but not much else had been revealed.

Aside from that, no other actions had been taken.

Since they weren't moving, Huò Yuánzhēn dared not act recklessly. Both Du Lao Guài and Míng Xīn were stronger than him, and any rash move would likely backfire.

Although Shaolin now had many monks, very few could be of real use. If people like Guān Shānyuè were around, Huò Yuánzhēn might have had more options. But for now, that wasn't the case.

Just as he was lost in thought, a messenger arrived with news: Guān Shānyuè had returned.

Soon, Guān Shānyuè entered, followed by someone behind her.

Huò Yuánzhēn looked at the person behind her and couldn't help but laugh.

The person was Yuè Yīng, who had shaved his head to blend in, though it had been done in haste, leaving uneven patches of hair.

Yuè Yīng immediately knelt in front of Huò Yuánzhēn, saying, "Yùe Yīng is forever grateful for the abbot's help. I've not had the chance to express my thanks properly, and for that, I am most sorry."

"No need," Huò Yuánzhēn said lightly. "Please, rise and speak."

Before others, Huò Yuánzhēn resumed his dignified, monk-like demeanor, speaking calmly as ever.

However, to his surprise, Yuè Yīng didn't get up. Instead, he continued, "Yùe Yīng has no way to repay the kindness. I wish to join Shaolin as a monk, to serve the Buddha for the rest of my life, and hope the abbot will show mercy and accept me."

Yuè Yīng was worried that Huò Yuánzhēn would refuse due to his past bloodshed. From his previous encounter with the abbot, he knew that the monks of Shaolin, especially someone of Huò Yuánzhēn's rank, would highly value such matters.

To his relief, Huò Yuánzhēn replied, "If you kill, others will kill you. Even insects struggle to survive. As for you, if necessary, you must not hesitate to kill those who deserve it. Rise."

Yuè Yīng's eyes shone with joy. He thought to himself that this young abbot was exactly his type. After a moment of consideration, he took out a book from his chest and handed it to Huò Yuánzhēn. "Abbot, your generosity deeply moves me. Before I came, Yīchén Dàshī shared much about Shaolin. Since I have nothing of value to offer, I'd like to give you this 'Drunken Eight Immortals Staff Technique,' a skill I obtained by chance."

Huò Yuánzhēn was deeply moved. The Drunken Eight Immortals Staff Technique! He hadn't expected to encounter such a martial art in circulation in the martial world. This was precisely the staff technique that had appeared in his old lottery system. It would be perfect for the Shaolin monks to practice.

He took the book and looked through it. It was complete, with no missing parts. The only difference was that it lacked the supernatural qualities of the books he had gotten from the system. He couldn't immediately master it by reading it.

But even so, it was useful. Learning a new staff technique wasn't a big deal for him, but passing it on to the Shaolin monks would elevate their fighting ability.

Delighted, Huò Yuánzhēn took the book and said, "Since you have such intentions, I'll accept your offering. You may stay at Shaolin. Go find Yī Kōng to have your head shaved again. Your new Dharma name will be Huì Jiàn."

"Thank you, Abbot!"

From then on, Yuè Yīng was known as Huì Jiàn. After giving a few more kowtows, he left with Guān Shānyuè.

With another talented expert joining and a new staff technique for the monks to practice, Huò Yuánzhēn was in high spirits. Shaolin was taking another step forward in its development.