Tianlong: Starting with Mantuo Manor as fertilizer

Doctor Xue has a deep connection with Shaolin Temple.

This is not because the Shaolin monks are afraid of death and like to seek out miracle doctors, but rather because the two sects had a past relationship.

Along the way, Doctor Xue was beaming with pride.

"My master truly possesses extraordinary abilities! I have only learned a few superficial aspects of his skills, yet I am already renowned throughout the martial arts world and known as a divine physician."

Xie Buruo chimed in, "Mr. Congbian is naturally a remarkable figure in the martial arts world."

Doctor Xue exclaimed "Ah!" and looked at Xie Buruo in surprise.

"How did you know, Young Hero Xie? Ah, that's right, it must have been my senior brother who told me; he's never one to keep a secret!"

Xie Bu Ruo casually passed the buck: "It was precisely because Senior Kang mentioned it."

Doctor Xue added, "My connection with Shaolin Temple began with my master's generation."

Xie Buruo shook his head inwardly.

"No, no. Your sect's Heavenly Mountain Child Granny has long been on equal footing with the Abbot of Shaolin Lingmen. From that time on, your Xiaoyao Sect has been colluding with the bald monk of Shaolin."

Xue Muhua continued, "Back then, there was a strange monk in Shaolin Temple named Xuancheng. Overnight, all his meridians were severed, leaving him a cripple, and all his cultivation was lost. The Shaolin monks and physicians were helpless, and somehow they ended up seeking help from my master."

"This happened decades ago, when I had just become a disciple. I only heard that Master Xuancheng's illness was incurable by medicine, and my master could only use acupuncture to soothe his meridians and prevent him from becoming paralyzed and bedridden. As for his martial arts, he could never recover them."

"Later... my sect was thrown into chaos. My master no longer got involved in the affairs of the martial world. Before he expelled me from the sect, he instructed me to go to Shaolin every now and then to give Master Xuancheng acupuncture to relax his muscles and blood vessels."

"That is why, over the years, the masters of Shaolin have always treated me with utmost respect. This time, when I was in trouble and went to seek refuge with them, they had no reason not to accept me."

"Shaolin martial arts are unparalleled in the world; the likes of the Crocodile God of the South China Sea and Ha Daba are nothing to mention!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, recounting the figures of Shaolin Temple in great detail.

It seemed that in no time at all, the high monks in the temple could be mobilized to defeat the South China Sea Crocodile God and his gang so badly that one Buddha was born and two Buddhas ascended to heaven.

Tan Qing's ability to track down and trace with that Soul-Chasing Staff is truly extraordinary.

Having been tricked by Xie Buruo at the ferry crossing, this man somehow managed to catch up with them again.

Fortunately, Xie has thoroughly studied the notes left by Island Master Yun during these days.

In addition to recording the methods of tracing clues, the notes also contain information about the methods used.

He also recorded all the skilled individuals he had encountered throughout his life, including Tan Qing, the Soul Chaser.

Tan Qing, the commander of Yun Island, clearly listed the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy's pursuit and concealment.

It was thanks to this notebook that Xie, a novice at tracking and hiding, was able to escape danger time and time again.

The two groups traveled north, engaging in numerous battles of wits and strategies along the way.

After passing Huaibei, Xie and Doctor Xue simply disguised themselves as a pair of itinerant doctors.

One master, one apprentice.

Xue Muhua was worried that his attire would easily give him away, as he was a doctor.

Instead of thanking him, it would be better to do the opposite, which would be the best way to deceive people.

Having been saved by him multiple times, Doctor Xue had long since placed his complete trust in him.

The two immediately changed into their new clothes, carried medicine boxes on their backs, and shouldered their medical banners, and calmly headed north.

On the way, they passed by Yue Laosan and his group without being noticed.

Since he was already a traveling doctor, he inevitably had to practice medicine and administer medication while traveling.

Doctor Xue dared not reveal his medical skills, so he could only patiently treat serious illnesses slowly and minor illnesses gradually.

Even so, he was far superior to ordinary quack doctors.

Fearing that his reputation would become too prominent if things continued this way, he asked his apprentice, Xie Buruo, to diagnose and prescribe medicine, while he provided guidance from the sidelines.

It's a pity that Xie Ruo has never understood the roles of ruler, minister, assistant, and envoy, nor is he familiar with the properties of herbs and medicines.

Every prescription he wrote looked like an invitation to the King of Hell.

It was only thanks to Xue Muhua's timely intervention that the patient's life was saved.

Over time, Xie Buruo earned a resounding reputation among itinerant doctors as "Yan Wang You" (a nickname implying a friend of the King of Hell).

The enemy of Yama snatches people from Yama's hands, but he goes out of his way to deliver people to Yama. What else could they be but good friends?

Seeing that he really couldn't learn pharmacology, Doctor Xue thought to himself that he was a martial arts practitioner after all, so recognizing acupoints shouldn't be a problem.

So he passed on his family's acupuncture skills to him, which would also help cover up their disguise.

Xie was a beginner, but while he was very accurate in recognizing acupoints, he could never quite get the timing and precision in applying the needles right.

Doctor Xue shook his head as he looked at the needle: "If you used this acupuncture technique on a person, you would kill even a healthy person."

The strange thing is that he's bad at treating people, but he's an expert at treating livestock.

Often, a few stitches can turn a lazy donkey into a fast horse, and a lame horse into a fine steed.

The local landlords and wealthy people who passed by all praised it highly.

Over time, the reputation of "the miracle doctor of small animals" spread throughout the countryside.

On this day, the two traveled a long and dusty journey, encountering many dangers but ultimately arriving at the foot of Mount Song.

Doctor Xue was overjoyed and ran up the mountain in one breath, wanting to complain to the Shaolin monks.

The two arrived at the pavilion outside the mountain gate, and Doctor Xue was suddenly taken aback.

"Why is there no one here?"

Xie Buruo listened to his stories of Shaolin every day until his ears were calloused from hearing them. He knew that Shaolin usually had a welcoming monk waiting outside the pavilion.

He looked up at the sky; the moon was high in the sky. He said, "At this hour, it's not surprising that there's no monk to greet guests, is it?"

Doctor Xue shook his head repeatedly: "I wasn't talking about the guest monk. Alas, at this hour, there should be martial monks patrolling!"

Before he could finish speaking...

when!when!when!

Suddenly, a series of rapid bell tolled inside the Shaolin Temple.

Although the two did not know what had happened in the temple, they dared not be negligent and each used their lightness skills to head towards the mountain gate.

Not far away, Yue Laosan and his group had also arrived.

Tan Qing lowered his voice: "Second Uncle, we can't chase them any further! That's the Shaolin monks' territory ahead!"

Old Yue's voice was as loud as a bell.

"Didn't you say that all the signs indicated those two were heading towards Shaolin?"

"So what if she's a bald Shaolin monk? Ye Sanniang brags about how good Shaolin kung fu is all day long, but I, Yue Lao Er, just won't accept it!"

"If you're scared, stay here and don't go anywhere!"

He looked up and listened, then exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? That bald monk from Shaolin is so strange. Why is he ringing a bell in the middle of the night? Are they practicing martial arts so early?"

Tan Qing was immediately overjoyed: "This is a wake-up call! Something terrible has happened at Shaolin Temple!"

Upon hearing this, Ha Daba and Qu Island Master also showed strange expressions.

"Who dares to act so recklessly within the Shaolin Temple?"

"Never mind all that, this is a golden opportunity!"

"The only way to relieve the suffering caused by this life-and-death talisman is to rely on Doctor Xue."

Xie and Xue, still dressed as itinerant doctors, had arrived at the gate of Shaolin Temple.

Although Xue Muhua was a renowned physician in the martial arts world, most of the high-ranking monks in the temple only recognized him.

Even among the monks of the Hui generation, very few knew him.

Just then, a sudden theft of scriptures occurred in the temple, and the entire temple was on high alert, with everyone on high alert.

When the monks guarding the mountain saw Xue Muhua introduce himself as a divine physician, they found he was dressed as a traveling doctor.

They assumed they were monks stealing scriptures and meeting their accomplices outside the temple, and refused to believe a word they said.

At that moment, dozens of monks with sticks rushed forward and trapped Xie Buruo and Xue Muhua.

The leading monk shouted, "How could the esteemed Physician Xue, dressed in such tattered clothes, dare to trespass into the temple gates in the dead of night? You are clearly accomplices of evil Indian monks, here to steal scriptures amidst the chaos! Seize them!"

As soon as the command was given, dozens of long sticks were swung in unison, their shadows like mountains, striking the two men head-on.

Xue Muhua secretly groaned.

Xie should draw his sword and meet the attack.

He held a sword, while the Shaolin monk held a wooden stick.

The sword flashed repeatedly, slicing through several long sticks.

These monk soldiers who were blocking the way were all of the lower ranks, with rudimentary martial arts skills, and were not to be feared.

Unfortunately, Xie Buruo and Xue Muhua were not particularly skilled, and they were also wary of taking any real action to hurt anyone.

In addition, the Shaolin staff formation is infinitely mysterious, with each step linked to the next. When the monks in front retreat, the monks behind take their place, and the staff formation remains perfectly orderly.

For a moment, the two were tightly entangled, unable to advance or retreat.

Just as the stalemate was at hand, a loud shout suddenly rang out.

Suddenly, Yue Laosan, the Crocodile God of the South China Sea, arrived and plunged into the formation, just like a tiger entering a flock of sheep.

The whip and scissors flew, and a series of loud bangs and cracks were heard.

The group of monk soldiers were immediately beaten and scattered.

Yue Laosan stood in the middle, roaring, "These two are mine!"

The scattered monks quickly regrouped. Seeing that Yue Laosan, Ha Daba, and their gang were all highly skilled in martial arts, they immediately turned their attention to them and joined forces to surround them.

Seeing the perilous situation, Xue Muhua did not hesitate any longer. He grabbed Xie Buruo and rushed into the temple.

He had been on good terms with Shaolin for many years and knew the temple's routes like the back of his hand. He kept walking and cursing all the while.

"These bald monks are blind and don't recognize a great man! I will definitely find Xuan Nan and Xuan Ji and punish them severely!"

The two of them darted through courtyards and yards, choosing secluded paths to run swiftly.

Behind them, Tan Qing and Island Master Qu, with their superb lightness skills, were already in hot pursuit.

After Yue Laosan and Ha Daba knocked down several monks, they chased after them, shouting and yelling all the way.

They encountered patrolling monks several times along the way, but before they could even engage in combat, the pursuers behind them had already caught up.

Being attacked from both sides actually gave Xie Buruo and his companion some space to maneuver and dodge.

Xue Muhua led Xie Buruo through a maze of turns, and soon they arrived at a courtyard.

"Master Xuanku is in charge of this monastery and often practices meditation here. He has a very close relationship with my senior brother and is also an old acquaintance of mine."

"Once we find him, the misunderstanding will be cleared up! The master's Burning Wood Saber Technique is unparalleled in the martial arts world; Yue Laosan and his group are no match for him!"

A young monk who served Xuanku in the courtyard heard someone intruding and immediately stepped forward to stop him.

The young monk had seen Xue Muhua before. Although he had changed his clothes and appearance, he couldn't help but hesitate when he heard the voice and saw the identity the monk had given.

The young monk clasped his hands in prayer and said, "Please stop, gentlemen. Our grandmaster is not in the courtyard..."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Yue Laosan had already landed behind the little monk and sent him flying with a single palm strike.

Then, with a palm strike containing wind and thunder, he struck Xie Buruo again.

Xue Muhua's expression changed. He stepped forward, pushed Xie Buruo behind him, and raised his palms to meet the attack.

The two were far apart in skill, so how could Doctor Xue's palm strike possibly withstand the force in such a hasty situation?

With a muffled thud, Xue Muhua's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground.

He hit the back of his head squarely on the stone slab and immediately lost consciousness.

Ha Daba was furious when he saw this, and stepped forward to block Yue Laosan.

"If you kill Doctor Xue, who will save me?"

"He brought it up himself. Hmm, this old guy's protruding head is perfect for my South China Sea School of martial arts. It just so happens that my disciple died."

"That's a fucking bump!"

"You audacious madman, how dare you injure people in Shaolin! Kill him! Kill him!"

The Shaolin monks arrived in an instant, and the two sides clashed.

Xie Buruo had already made a hasty escape, avoiding everyone's sight, and plunged into the back hall.

Upon entering the hall, one sees a huge bronze mirror, polished to a gleaming shine.

Under the dim yellow light, four lines of scripture were engraved in the mirror.

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should you contemplate them."