The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Fortunately, Kong Wen had only been practicing silent meditation for a short time. If he had been practicing the corresponding internal energy cultivation of silent meditation since childhood, and had broken through the silent meditation now, he would have either lost all his internal energy or died on the spot.

Even so, Kong Wen was not in a good mood, but he still spoke up: "Young layman, you have attained enlightenment and seen the Tathagata without reciting Buddhist scriptures. If you receive the true teachings, you will surely attain enlightenment. This old monk can accept you as a disciple on behalf of your master. I wonder what you think?"

Kongxing was shocked upon hearing this, looking at his senior brother with surprise, as if he wanted to say something—is taking on a disciple on behalf of the master something you can do so casually? Do you really think everyone is Zhou Botong, able to act recklessly?

If he had the prestige of the Venerable Monk Kongjian back then, there would be some justification for accepting disciples on behalf of his master. But Kongwen... had already stepped down from the position of abbot because of a scandal. If he were to accept disciples on behalf of his master without authorization, he would probably only invite ridicule.

Kongxing had no objection to his senior brother accepting disciples on behalf of their master, but he was worried that it would damage his senior brother's reputation.

Fang Zheng, on the other hand, seemed to understand, and also put his palms together and chanted, "Amitabha."

Dog Bastard hesitated upon hearing this, and just as Kong Wen was about to persuade him again, Dog Bastard asked, "What...does the master mean?"

Kong Wen: ...

"I want you to become a monk," Chu Luren said, rolling his eyes.

"Become a monk?" Upon hearing this, the bastard's expression darkened. "Do I still have a home? I can't find my mother, Ah Huang is gone... Dingdingdangdang and Ah Xiu are nowhere to be found either..."

Kong Wen's eyes lit up upon hearing this—wasn't it perfect that he didn't have a home?

However, Chu Luren then explained, "This isn't about whether or not you have a home. It's about leaving home and never having a home again... You can't become sworn brothers with men you get along with, and you can't marry women you get along with. Our sworn brotherhood is invalid, and all the sweet talk you and Ah Xiu said is just a lie."

Upon hearing this, the bastard exclaimed in shock, "What sweet talk? Ah... Anyway, I'd better not become a monk. I still need to go find Ah Xiu, and... if I betray my sworn brother, I'll be roasted like a wild boar." He shook his head repeatedly as he spoke.

Kong Wen and Fang Zheng looked at Chu Luren with sullen eyes again—you're just messing with Shaolin!

However, Shaolin is not Liangshan. If the other party is unwilling, there is nothing Kongwen can do. Kongxing, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that if his senior brother really wanted to take on a disciple on behalf of the master, he didn't know how much controversy it would cause.

At the same time, he was somewhat dissatisfied that the young lay Buddhist did not appreciate kindness, and thinking that his senior brother had specially broken the silence meditation... So he said in a deep voice, "Benefactor Chu, this young lay Buddhist destroyed the Buddha image in the cave. Shouldn't he give our Shaolin Temple an explanation?"

"Alright! You really are trying to extort money! You asked my brother to sit down, and it was your Shaolin who lost the shadow. As for the demonic energy damaging your mind, I think it was your Shaolin who tricked Master Ren into coming and killing him, and the Holy Maiden fainted because of the shock!" Chu Luren immediately raised his voice three octaves.

"You...you've already met Miss Ren, you know who she is..."

"What do you know? You've been talking the whole time. I think you might have even harmed the Tibetan National Preceptor and the Guihai spy! I heard in Manjing that Shaolin Temple is going to receive an imperial edict to welcome the Emperor's monks to the temple for cultivation... Ah! Could there be another secret edict?" Chu Luren looked astonished, as if he had witnessed a major conspiracy of the Qing Dynasty.

"Nonsense! It was clearly Guihai Yidao who was cruel and ruthless; many people in the martial world have been killed by him..."

"You're getting impatient, you're getting impatient. Guihai Yidao killed people indiscriminately in the martial arts world because Kongzhi killed his father? Good heavens, good heavens, why does this sound so familiar? One trick, and you can eat it all up?" Chu Luren jumped up slightly when he saw that the Sweeper Monk was nowhere to be seen.

Kongxing was so angry that he choked and couldn't speak. After a long while, he could only say, "Senior Brother Kongzhi... may not be the one who killed him. If it really was Senior Brother Kongzhi who killed him, then it must be Guihai Bailian who has become a demon!"

Seeing this, the dog looked at Kongxing with some concern and said, "Master, you've been angered again."

Kongxing was so angry he almost vomited blood, but Kongwen put his palms together and said, "Amitabha, the young layman is right. Junior brother... from now on, cultivate well in the Bodhidharma Cave!"

Well, although it's gone, the Dharma Cave is still quite secluded...

Chu Luren then questioned, "Where is Yuanzhen from your temple? I can't find him."

In fact, Chu Luren knew that Yuanzhen was probably reflecting on his mistakes in meditation. However, if Shaolin wanted to extort money from him, he couldn't give them a shadow in return. So, he naturally had to take the initiative!

"Junior Brother Yuanzhen, upon learning of Xie Xun's situation, has already taken the initiative to head south to resolve the grudges," Fang Zheng said with a troubled expression.

It was as if Yuanzhen was truly going to her death...

Chu Luren frowned, sensing that things were not so simple!

Fang Zheng then preemptively asked the dog-like creature, "Young layman, when you were just beginning your meditation, did you sense anything?"

"Enlightenment? I wasn't craving anything! I came here after I've eaten." The bastard quickly shook his head.

Prescription: ...

"What I mean is, young layman, did you... sense anything just now?"

"Ah! You mean the martial arts that old man taught me?" Dog Bastard finally realized.

“That’s right, then it must have been passed down to you by Bodhidharma. Brother, you shouldn’t talk about this with others in the future, otherwise it might arouse their covetousness,” Chu Luren reminded him.

Prescription: ...

“Amitabha, young layman, the old man you saw... should be Bodhidharma, the founder of Shaolin…” Fang Zheng was speechless, choked by Chu Luren’s words.

The bastard didn't understand Fang Zheng's hint, which made Fang Zheng feel ashamed. He secretly realized that he too had been tempted by a foolish thought—not greed, after all, what was wrong with asking for the cultivation method left by Bodhidharma? It was just that Chu Taisui's foul mouth made his perfectly honest matter unspeakable, so it could be considered a foolish thought…

Chapter 739 Sweeping?

Dog Bastard was an honest boy. After hearing that the "old man" was the founder of Shaolin, he recited the cultivation method of the Marrow Cleansing Classic to Fang Zheng—Chu Luren was also listening nearby.

"Amitabha! The two fundamental teachings of my Zen school, the Book of Changes and the Marrow Washing Classic, have been reunited today. Thank you for your help, young layman!" Fang Zheng only realized at the very end that this was the legendary Marrow Washing Classic.

"The Marrow Cleansing Classic was lost before?" Chu Luren asked curiously upon seeing this.

"Yijing Xisui" has always been a symbol of Shaolin's supreme internal strength, but indeed, the "Yijinjing" is more often praised in the martial arts world, while the "Xisuijing" is rarely mentioned.

Fang Zheng, seeing that it was Chu Luren who was asking, hesitated for a moment before replying, "Layman Chu, you may not know this, but the Marrow Washing Classic in our temple has been incomplete since the time when Bodhidharma transmitted the Dharma to the Second Patriarch Huike. The existing Marrow Washing Classic is what the Second Patriarch Huike comprehended and extended from the Yi Jin Jing based on the remaining fragments. I never imagined that the real Marrow Washing Classic was actually in this Bodhidharma Cave."

Upon hearing this, Chu Luren nodded knowingly. At the same time, Fang Zheng said to Gou Zazhong, "Young layman, the most taboo thing about Zen martial arts is for someone without a Zen mind to force themselves to practice it. Therefore, if you want to pass it on to others in the future, you should be even more careful."

Fang Zheng didn't say anything about it not being allowed to be spread, after all, it was Gou Zazhong who originally passed it back to Shaolin, and... Chu Luren was standing to the side with his eyes practically glowing green, so it was obvious that it couldn't be kept secret! So he didn't refuse to let him listen from the side.

Otherwise, he would definitely start yelling about what he had done to his sworn brother...

However, those who should be reminded should still be reminded, otherwise it might cause trouble for the martial arts world. But given Chu Luren's Zen martial arts and mental cultivation... although I don't want to admit it, he is definitely among those who can be taught.

"Young layman has brought the fundamental teachings of Zen to our temple. Although Shaolin is a place beyond the reach of civilization, we should repay this kindness. Abbot, I think it would be better to send a letter to the Southern Shaolin Temple and allow the young layman to enter the Sutra Repository to study martial arts and Buddhism for a month." Kongwen suggested to Fangzheng.

Fang Zheng was taken aback upon hearing this—what was wrong with his martial uncle? Sending this young brother to the Scripture Pavilion for a month was certainly not a bad idea, but… he and Chu Taisui were sworn brothers!

Wouldn't that be...?

Upon further reflection, Fang Zheng also realized what was going on.

It seems that Chu Luren has already learned most of Shaolin's most essential martial arts, and he may have even traded with Kumārajīva. In other words, no matter how much he reveals to him, there's really nothing to reveal!

On the contrary, given this young lay Buddhist's temperament, if he were to enter the scripture library, he might not necessarily look at those martial arts manuals; instead, he would likely be more interested in Buddhist scriptures. After reading them for a month, he might just achieve complete enlightenment...

But just then, the bastard hurriedly said, "No need, no need, I can't read, there's no use going to the library or anything like that."

Prescription: ...

That's a reason that's hard to refuse!

“It’s alright, my brother, I can go in with you and read it to you!” Chu Luren said very righteously.

"Ah? That would be too much trouble for you, brother..." The bastard looked embarrassed.

"That won't be necessary. We can just have the monks from the Southern Shaolin Temple accompany us." Fang Zheng didn't want to trouble Chu Luren either.

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all. I also have questions to ask Abbot Xuanci of the Southern Shaolin Temple!" Chu Luren said, looking like he was about to interrogate someone.

Before Fang Zheng could say anything more, Chu Luren asked first, "Is the Scripture Pavilion only available at the Southern Shaolin Temple?"

These words were exactly what Fang Zheng wanted to hear, and he immediately replied, "That's right! When the Qing army entered the pass, in order to prevent our scriptures and martial arts collection from being destroyed, eighteen warrior monks escorted the scriptures and secret manuals to the Southern Shaolin Temple."

Fang Zheng can finally say openly and honestly that Shaolin Temple has not colluded with the Qing Dynasty!

They just didn't resist...

Chu Luren didn't care, after all, he was the one who spread these rumors, so how could he not know whether Shaolin was wronged or not?

Chu Luren, on the contrary, focused on the fact that the Northern Shaolin Temple did not have a Sutra Repository!

"If there's no scripture pavilion... then is there someone to sweep the floor?" Chu Luren asked, puzzled.

Fang Zheng, Kong Wen, and Kong Jian were all stunned upon hearing this, and remained silent for a long time, as if they were pondering some Zen debate topic—they didn't understand! This must be Chu Taisui trying to be sarcastic and sarcastic again...is he trying to say that our reputation is ruined?

In short, you must not answer lightly!

"Does the Bodhidharma Cave have anyone sweeping it? Never mind, I'll just be blunt... Who exactly is the person from your temple who knocked on the Heavenly Gate?" Seeing the three of them looking so secretive, Chu Luren asked directly.

Previously, Chu Luren had always believed that the person who knocked on the Heavenly Gate must be the Sweeping Monk, and there was a small-scale, short-term earthquake as proof that it was indeed from the Songshan area—it couldn't possibly be someone from the Songshan Sect, could it? Then Chu Luren wouldn't have been able to turn the tables so easily at the Fengchan Terrace.

Fang Zheng paused for a moment upon hearing this, then put his palms together and said, "Amitabha, Zen is also the school of the Buddha's mind, emphasizing the mind rather than external methods... Perhaps some master had an epiphany in one day."

In short, they don't even know the prescription!

For other sects, it's not only unbelievable that a powerful figure from the Knock Heaven Sect has emerged from their own sect, but they don't even know who that person is. It's downright terrifying, and they'll be living in constant fear and suspicion about the other party's motives.

However, the situation is different for Shaolin Temple.

That night, the abbot and the others did know that someone had successfully knocked on the Heavenly Gate, and... most likely, it was someone from Shaolin Temple—after all, if it were someone from Songshan Sect, Zuo Lengchan would have come to confront them long ago!

However, since the eminent monk who knocked on the gate of heaven did not come out on his own initiative, Shaolin Temple did not make a special effort to look for him, and did not even mention the matter to the ordinary disciples.

Because Zen Buddhism has always had the idea of ​​sudden enlightenment. For example, the founder of the "Arhat Subduing Demon Skill" never practiced martial arts in his life and focused on Zen practice. As a result, when he was old, he became an unparalleled master in a short period of time.

Such examples are rare in Zen Buddhism, but they are not without precedent and are logically sound. Therefore, Fangzheng simply considered it to be a high-ranking monk who did not usually practice martial arts or fighting, who suddenly attained enlightenment and became an Arhat...

Among the martial arts world, the Bodhidharma Hall, Prajna Hall, and Arhat Hall of Shaolin Temple are the most famous. They are respectively places for studying the profound martial arts of Zen Buddhism, learning from the strengths of other schools of martial arts, and for newly initiated disciples and lay disciples to practice martial arts.

However, there are many halls and courtyards within Shaolin Temple. Among them, the Zhengdao Courtyard is dedicated to the study of scriptures. The monks of Zhengdao Courtyard are not well-known in the martial arts world, but when it comes to Buddhism, they are stronger. Many monks who have gone astray and crippled their martial arts have entered Zhengdao Courtyard!

Because the person who knocked on the Heavenly Gate did not reveal himself, Fangzheng did not go looking for him. Instead, he used this to encourage his fellow disciples, urging them to study the scriptures more and not to pursue martial arts blindly, thus losing sight of the true essence of Zen.

Chapter 740 Sweeping

After hearing Fang Zheng's explanation, Chu Luren was also somewhat confused. Could it be that the one who knocked on the Heavenly Gate was not the Sweeping Monk? Was it not sweeping the Sutra Repository? Or was it really as Fang Zheng said, that a high-ranking monk from the Zhengdao Academy knocked on the Heavenly Gate, and it had nothing to do with the Sweeping Monk?

"Layman Chu just asked if anyone was sweeping the floor of Bodhidharma Cave... Why is that?" Kongxing asked again.

Kong Wen coughed twice, interrupting his junior brother, and said, "Originally there was nothing, so where can dust settle... Junior brother is attached to appearances!"

Aren't you giving Chu Taisui a chance to mock you? Does he really want to know if anyone is sweeping the floor?

Chu Luren rolled her eyes at him—you talk too much nonsense…

Kongxing said awkwardly, "I thought that Layman Chu knew something because I saw that the old monk sweeping the floor was gone."

Chu Luren's eyes lit up upon hearing this, but he didn't ask directly. Instead, he feigned an answer and said, "Old monk? Even you, Kongxing, are called 'old monk,' so you must be in your seventies? Your Shaolin Temple uses old monks of such seniority to sweep the floor? Did you lose the battle for abbotship with Master Kongwen back then?"

Shocking! Why do elderly monks at Shaolin Temple, some in their seventies, endure such arduous cleaning and sweeping every day?

Kong Wen glared angrily: "Layman Chu, watch your words! What do you mean by 'fighting for the abbot'... What do you think Shaolin is? That old monk..." He glanced at Kong Xing, who had no idea what this old monk was.

Kongxing then said, “It’s not a Shaolin monk. I just happened to see it a few times, so I asked the people at the guest house. It’s a wandering monk who came to the temple more than ten years ago. Since he lives in the temple regularly, it’s not good to stay for free, so he comes to sweep outside the Bodhidharma Cave at the beginning of each month.”

In the Central Plains, generally speaking, as long as conditions permit, both Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries accept monks and nuns for temporary lodging. Some large temples and monasteries, and even Taoist priests and Buddhist monks, can provide lodging for them...

"Well, since he's just an old monk staying here, let him eat and stay in peace. Why bother with any work?" Kong Wen said, perhaps a little embarrassed.

If it's been more than ten years...