Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

At the foot of Mount Song lies Shaolin Buddhist Town.

A little over a year ago, this area was still very remote. Only a few scattered village vendors set up small stalls at the foot of the mountain, brewed a few pots of coarse tea, and sold it to pilgrims and martial arts practitioners who passed by seeking martial arts or going up the mountain to offer incense, earning a meager living.

At that time, although Shaolin was already the number one Buddhist sect in the martial arts world, it still adhered to its pure cultivation and did not get too involved in worldly affairs.

Today, with the growing influence of Shaolin, the three major Buddhist sects reign supreme in the martial arts world.

This area has developed into a bustling town, teeming with people and vehicles, with a constant stream of pedestrians, rivaling even the small county towns in the heart of the Central Plains.

Merchants and travelers passing through the area would often stop to admire the scenery and rest in the town.

While you're at it, inquire about the grandeur of Shaolin Temple, or perhaps buy some incense and candles to prepare for your pilgrimage to the Buddha.

Chen Zhan, dressed in a plain-colored long robe, mingled among the crowd and slowly walked into the Buddhist town.

As soon as I stepped into the town, a hint of surprise flashed in my eyes. In this Buddhist town, almost everything was closely related to the word "Buddha," exuding a deliberately created solemnity and piety.

The shops lining both sides of the street have signs with words like "Buddha," "Zen," and "incense" carved on them, all decorated in a uniform plain color, without a single bright color.

The town has a strict ban on the sale of meat. Whether it is an inn, a restaurant, or a street stall, all that is sold is vegetarian food. Even the tea is mostly Zen tea with sandalwood added.

In this Buddhist town, the largest and most prosperous business is the incense shop. One shop after another is filled with all kinds of incense and candles, from coarse grass incense to fine sandalwood and agarwood. The prices vary greatly, but the business is still booming.

Buying incense and going up the mountain to worship Buddha shows sincerity.

This is a rule known to everyone in the Buddhist town, and it is also a concept subtly instilled by Shaolin.

It seems that only in this way can one receive the Buddha's blessing and have one's wishes fulfilled.

Looking at the scene before him, Chen Zhan curled his lips into a sneer and muttered to himself, "They're really developing fast. Their methods of exploiting the people are becoming more and more sophisticated. They're just one step away from registering a company and openly raising money."

In the town of Buddha, not just anyone can run a shop.

To open a shop in town, one must obtain permission from Shaolin Temple. Those qualified to obtain permission are mostly family members, relatives, or friends of Shaolin disciples, or lay disciples who are affiliated with Shaolin.

These people, taking advantage of the power of Shaolin, monopolized all the businesses in the town, inflated prices, and made huge profits, while ordinary people had no right to get involved.

Ordinary people can only rely on these shops, working for others and earning meager wages to barely make ends meet.

Chen Zhan walked along the street step by step, his eyes scanning the pedestrians on the side of the street, and gradually gathering more information. The chill in his heart grew stronger.

Only a minority of people even earn wages.

Most ordinary people sold themselves into slavery, signing long-term contracts with shop owners or Shaolin disciples, thus losing their personal freedom and becoming completely at the mercy of their employers.

These people are only provided with food and drink on a daily basis, without any wages. If they are not careful, they will be beaten and scolded, and their bodies are often covered with old and new scars.

In the Song Dynasty, such contracts of servitude did indeed exist; calling them servitude was no exaggeration.

Ordinary people would never sign such a contract easily. Only those refugees who had fled from remote places, who were desperate, hungry and cold, and who only wanted to have a bite to eat and survive, would be forced to sign such a contract and become slaves.

The Song Dynasty is now in the early years of the Taichang era, with thriving commerce and the people living in peace and prosperity in the heart of the Central Plains.

Whether they run a small business or farm, they can barely make ends meet and avoid being driven to desperation and forced into slavery.

Located at the foot of Mount Song, in the heart of the Central Plains, it is not a remote or barren place.
The fact that so many people signed contracts and sold themselves into slavery clearly indicates a problem.

Chen Zhan paused slightly and walked into a fairly tidy-looking inn on the side of the street.

There weren't many guests inside the inn; most were pilgrims and monks coming and going, and the atmosphere was somewhat somber.

A waiter hurried up to greet them, his expression unfriendly, his eyes dull and lifeless, and his face devoid of any smile.

"Sir, would you like a meal or a room?" The waiter's voice was hoarse and dry, and he kept his head down, not daring to meet Chen Zhan's gaze.

Chen Zhan found a table by the window and sat down, saying casually, "Let's eat. Bring all the best vegetarian dishes in your restaurant."

The waiter nodded slightly and replied in a low voice, "Please wait a moment."

Before long, the waiter brought over the food, very quickly.

The five dishes were all vegetarian, including stir-fried greens, cold tofu salad, stir-fried mushrooms, and two delicate vegetarian desserts. They were neatly arranged, with a light aroma, and looked quite appetizing.

Chen Zhan glanced at the food on the table, then turned his gaze to the table next to him.

There were three people sitting at the table, dressed in monks' robes and wearing monks' hats, but they had not shaved their heads and had short hair. They looked like monks who had come from afar, and their temperament was quite arrogant, unlike the humble demeanor of ordinary ascetic monks.

On their table, besides the dishes Chen Zhan had ordered, there was also an extremely exquisite vegetarian dish. The presentation was meticulous, and the aroma was rich, clearly making it much more upscale than the other dishes.

Chen Zhan raised his hand and called to the waiter who was about to turn and leave: "That dish looks very exquisite, why didn't you serve it to me?"

As he spoke, the three monks at the next table also turned their heads.

His gaze fell on Chen Zhan, his eyes filled with a hint of hostility and contempt, as if he was dissatisfied with Chen Zhan's question.

The waiter stiffened, slowly turned around, lowered his head, and said in an even softer voice, "Excuse me, sir, but some of our dishes are only available to monks. Lay guests cannot order them. Please order something else."

Chen Zhan was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said in a calm tone, "Only open to monks? Only for monks to eat?"

"Yes."

The waiter kept his head down, not daring to look up at him or at the monk at the next table. "These are the rules set by the master, and I dare not disobey them."

"Hehe, okay, then forget it, thank you."

Chen Zhan didn't press the matter further. He took out a piece of silver from his pocket and handed it to the waiter.

The value of this silver coin far exceeds the price of the dishes on the table; it can be considered a reward for answering his questions.

The waiter looked up, a glint of light flashing in his eyes—a desire for money—but that light dimmed in an instant.

He carefully accepted the loose silver and whispered, "Thank you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around, walked quickly to the counter in the center of the inn, and respectfully handed the loose silver in his hand to the old manager sitting behind the counter.

Chen Zhan sat at the table watching this scene without saying a word, picked up his chopsticks, and slowly began to eat.

It must be said that the vegetarian food at this inn was indeed quite delicious. He didn't have much of an appetite to begin with, but he found it rather appetizing, and in no time at all, he had finished all the food on the table. He stood up and slowly walked to the counter.

The old shopkeeper looked up, a polite smile plastered on his face, but his eyes held a scrutinizing gaze. He asked, "Sir, are you inquiring about the procedure for going up the mountain? Judging from your appearance, this must be your first time visiting Mount Song. Are you perhaps going up to pay respects to the Shaolin monks or offer incense to Buddha?"

Chen Zhan was taken aback again, then asked calmly, "Is there a procedure required to go up the mountain?"

The old shopkeeper stroked his white beard: "Of course there is a procedure. Shaolin Temple on Mount Song is a sacred Buddhist site, pure and solemn. If you want to go up the mountain, you must follow the procedure set by Shaolin. First, register and explain your purpose for going up the mountain. Then, go up the mountain one by one according to the schedule. You cannot trespass."

"How do I register? How is the registration process scheduled?"

Chen Zhan asked calmly.

The old shopkeeper smiled and said, "There is a martial arts school run by lay disciples of Shaolin Temple on the east side of the town. Registration can be done at that martial arts school."

"Guests only need to go to the martial arts school, state their purpose for coming up the mountain, such as offering incense to Buddha, seeking martial arts knowledge, or visiting a high monk, and provide the corresponding incense money, explain their identity and background, and they can complete the registration and wait for their turn."

"The scheduling results will be posted on the notice board at the entrance of the martial arts school the next day. You will see them when you arrive."

Chen Zhan smiled and nodded, then changed the subject, asking, "I understand. However, I have another question for you, shopkeeper. Why did that young man give you the reward money I just gave him?"

Upon hearing this question, the old shopkeeper's smile remained unchanged, instead becoming even more matter-of-fact. He said calmly, "Sir, you may not know this, but he is a servant of this shop. He has signed a contract of servitude, and his person belongs to the master. Naturally, he has no right to collect rewards privately. All rewards must be handed over to me for safekeeping before being given to the master."

"servant?"

"Judging from his accent, he's from the Central Plains. And his manner of speaking doesn't seem like that of a refugee. He probably didn't come from a remote place, right? If that's the case, why would he sign a contract to sell himself into servitude and become a slave?"

The old shopkeeper's smile froze slightly, then he waved his hand dismissively, "Uh, this old man doesn't know. We only take care of the trivial matters in the shop and the food and lodging of the guests. As for the origins of the servants, that's the owner's business. This old man is not in a position to ask, nor dares to ask."

Chen Zhan nodded: "Understood, thank you for informing me, shopkeeper."

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to leave the inn.

At this moment, it is a bright and sunny day with clear skies and radiant sunshine.

Golden sunlight shone on the Buddha Town, enveloping the entire town in a golden halo.

The buildings in the town are mostly decorated in yellow and gold. The smoke from burning incense and candles lingers on the streets, creating a golden glow that looks peaceful and solemn, like a pure land on earth.

But Chen Zhan's gaze grew colder and colder, and a murderous intent was quietly growing in his heart.

Originally, when he decided to destroy Buddhism, he did not intend to take an extreme approach.

Although Buddhism is a place that harbors filth and evil, with many wicked individuals such as Faling and Xuanci, who appear virtuous but are actually corrupt, it is not without its flaws.
But ultimately, not all of them were evil. There were also some monks who were truly devoted to spiritual practice and compassionate, upholding the original intention of Buddhism and never doing evil.

His original plan was to kill those who deserved to die and to destroy those Buddhas who deserved to perish.

Destroy those filthy temples, intimidate the three major Buddhist sects, and make them dare not act recklessly, exploit the people, or raise private armies.

As for those monks who truly practice asceticism, they are spared and allowed to retreat to the mountains and forests, no longer involved in worldly disputes.

Now, having witnessed the scene in the Buddhist town firsthand, seen the exploited and enslaved people, and seen Shaolin Temple using the name of Buddhism to monopolize business and oppress the people, he has changed his mind.

From his perspective in later generations.

Tolerating crime is itself a crime.

The seemingly innocent monks, those who never personally oppressed the people or committed evil, enjoyed the benefits brought by the power of Shaolin and the fruits of exploiting the people.

They turn a blind eye to the evil around them, remain indifferent, or even tacitly approve and condone the occurrence of such evil.

Are they really innocent?

Chen Zhan walked along the street, step by step, out of Shaolin Buddhist Town. When he reached the town gate, he stopped, slowly turned around, and looked back at the Buddhist Town behind him.

The town was bustling with activity, filled with the aroma of incense, and appeared peaceful and serene.

His gaze passed over the town of Fo and looked toward the distant Songshan Mountain.

On Mount Song, ancient temples stand in rows, silent and solemn, with the fragrance of sandalwood rising into the clouds, like a true Buddhist sanctuary, far from the hustle and bustle and sins of the secular world.

At the foot of Mount Song, the entrance to the mountain climbing stone steps outside the Buddhist town was already guarded.

Two monks dressed in gray robes, holding staffs, stood solemnly on either side of the stone steps.

Passersby come and go in an endless stream, some stopping to gaze at the ancient temple on Mount Song, which soars into the clouds, their eyes filled with awe.

Someone respectfully handed the name card to the gatekeeper monk with both hands, waiting to be informed of the arrival at the mountain.

Some pilgrims were devoutly tidying their robes, waiting patiently for their turn, and no one dared to overstep the bounds in the slightest.

Only Chen Zhan, dressed in a plain long robe, his face already disguised, walked calmly and openly toward the mountain steps.

There were no name cards, no announcements, and the guards remained indifferent, as if the presence of the officers was merely a formality.

He reached the entrance to the stone steps and happened to catch up with someone in front of him who handed him a name card. The gatekeeper monk then allowed him to go up the mountain.

Chen Zhan did not stop walking; he took a step forward and was about to step onto the stone steps leading up the mountain.

"Amitabha."

Two deep Buddhist chants rang out, and two gatekeeper monks stepped forward simultaneously, their staffs crossed, blocking Chen Zhan's path. Their expressions already showed some displeasure. "This guest has not presented his visiting card and is not allowed to enter the mountain. Please stop here."

Chen Zhan raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the two men indifferently, and asked calmly, "Which generation of Shaolin monks are you two from?"

The older monk on the left, with his hands clasped together, spoke with a hint of arrogance: "I am a monk of the Xu generation from Shaolin, my Dharma name is Xuming. This is my junior brother, Xuyan."

"The 'empty' generation?"

"If I go to Mount Song but don't join Shaolin, do I still need your permission?"

Xu Yan frowned, his displeasure and disdain deepening, and said coldly:
"Oh, you flatter me, sir."

"Above Mount Song is the Shaolin Temple, a sacred Buddhist site in the world, which is incomparable to ordinary mountains and rivers."

"Entry is not permitted without a formal invitation. This is a rule established by Shaolin Temple. Please abide by it and do not invite trouble." (End of Chapter)