80s Shaolin Abbot

The wait wasn't troublesome at first, but by the time the two men arrived, it was almost noon, and the sky was beginning to darken. As evening approached, the time for the lamps to be lit was drawing near.

At first, Huang Feihong stayed with them, but eventually, he was called away by his mother, leaving only Huo Yuanzhen and Qian Delu together.

In the afternoon, Qian Delu went out to buy some food, and the two of them had a simple meal.

Huo Yuanzhen had initially wanted to ask Qian Delu to buy some meat, but as the abbot of Shaolin Temple, he hesitated to ask. Instead, he hoped that Qian Delu would forget that his family followed a vegetarian diet. However, Qian Delu, being a considerate man, purposely bought only vegetarian food, leaving Huo Yuanzhen silently sighing. Not only could he not eat meat, but he also had to maintain the solemn image of a high monk. He silently endured, while Qian Delu anxiously kept checking on him, but Huo Yuanzhen didn't move.

The evening arrived, and finally, Huang Feihong appeared.

"Abbot Master, Master Qian, Master Zhao has invited guests to a banquet. He wishes to have Master Qian and you join him."

Qian Delu's face was somewhat displeased. They had been left here the whole day, and now it was evening before they were even invited to join someone else's banquet. This was not a proper way of receiving guests.

He had expected Huo Yuanzhen to be offended and leave in a huff, but the monk only smiled without saying anything and followed Huang Feihong into the back hall.

The two followed Huang Feihong to the back of the money shop.

It was a place Qian Delu had never been before—a garden in full bloom.

The flowers in the garden weren't just ordinary ones, but fruit trees like peach, plum, and apricot. The air was fragrant with the scent of blossoms, and as night fell, lanterns were lit, casting long shadows among the trees. The scenery was exceptional.

In the center of the garden, a banquet table was set, and three people were already seated.

When they saw Huang Feihong bring Qian Delu and Huo Yuanzhen over, a scholar-like man stood up and greeted, "Master Qian, over here, please sit."

Huo Yuanzhen took a good look from a distance, and this person was most likely Master Zhao. He certainly had an air of scholarly refinement.

Qian Delu noticed that Master Zhao greeted him but not Huo Yuanzhen, which made him even more upset. He had no choice but to introduce, "Master Zhao, this is the abbot of Shaolin, Master Yijie, who has been here all day."

"Oh, it's the abbot," said Zhao, not showing much regard. "Since you're here, let's sit down and eat."

Without any respect for Huo Yuanzhen, his words seemed to barely acknowledge the monk's presence.

"Abbot Master, what do you think...?" Qian Delu asked, looking at Huo Yuanzhen, who nodded and said, "Since we're here, we should stay calm and enjoy the hospitality. Since Master Zhao has kindly invited us, I must humbly accept."

With that, Huo Yuanzhen strode over and sat down on a stone bench.

Seeing this, Zhao's expression flickered with surprise.

The group settled in, and Zhao stood up. "Let me introduce everyone."

Huo Yuanzhen looked toward the other two. One was a man in his forties or fifties, sporting a black beard and holding a large folding fan, looking quite dashing and elegant. The other was a monk around forty years old, with a kindly face and a strong physique, suggesting he was skilled in martial arts.

"I'd like to introduce our local hero, the Iron Fan Immortal, Master Chen Ding, a gentleman of both character and skill," Zhao said.

The man holding the fan, Chen Ding, gave a slight salute to Qian Delu and Huo Yuanzhen but didn't speak much.

"Master Chen is a local celebrity. Not only is he an accomplished scholar, but he also possesses extraordinary martial arts skills. His fan techniques are said to be superb—he once defeated the four notorious villains outside the city, eliminating a great menace to the people. Everyone in our county knows him well."

Chen Ding lightly swirled his fan, seeming to take pride in his past deeds.

Huo Yuanzhen smiled faintly but said nothing. He knew about the so-called "four villains"—they were just some local ruffians. Chen Ding may have some martial skills, but his boasting of such trivial accomplishments made it clear he wasn't a man of great virtue.

But of course, Huo Yuanzhen had to keep his thoughts to himself.

"This is the abbot of Fawang Temple on Mount Shaoshi, Master Lixuan," Zhao continued, introducing the other monk. "He is the younger brother of Master Likong, the abbot of Fawang Temple, and is skilled in both martial arts and Buddhist teachings."

"Amitabha," Lixuan said with a Buddhist chant, greeting them.

Huo Yuanzhen and Qian Delu returned the greeting with respect.

After introducing the others, Zhao then introduced Qian Delu and Huo Yuanzhen.

"This is the master of the Green Leaf Town Money Shop, Master Qian Delu."

Qian Delu hurriedly greeted the two martial artists with a bow, aware of the volatile nature of these people. In this age, laws were loose, and for those in the martial world, murder was trivial—he couldn't afford to offend them.

"This one... Master Qian, you said he's from what temple?" Zhao asked.

"Shaolin, Shaolin Temple," Qian Delu reminded him quickly.

"Oh, yes, Shaolin Temple... where exactly is that?" Zhao asked, feigning ignorance.

Huo Yuanzhen's brow twitched slightly. It was clear that Zhao was deliberately demeaning him. He didn't know why Zhao was acting this way, especially since they hadn't even known each other before today.

Before Qian Delu could respond, Lixuan spoke up. "Amitabha, I know Shaolin Temple. It is indeed on Mount Shaoshi, on the highest peak, Yuzhai Mountain. Its location is quite superior, though it's a newer sect and still not well known."

Huo Yuanzhen frowned slightly but remained silent. However, what came next was more unpalatable.

"Also, Shaolin's population is dwindling. The previous abbot had poor martial arts skills and has passed away. Now there are only a few disciples left, and I'm not sure of their abilities. Looking at the age of this Master Yijie, it seems that, whether in martial arts or Buddhist teachings, his attainments might not be that high."

These words were pure mockery. Huo Yuanzhen's heart simmered with anger, but he maintained his composure, smiling and responding, "Master Lixuan, I respectfully disagree. Shaolin Temple is located on Yuzhai Mountain, the center of Shaoshi, the most geographically advantageous peak. Though we currently have few monks, we are united in spirit, and recently, new disciples have started joining our temple."

After a pause, Huo Yuanzhen continued, "As for martial arts and Buddhist teachings, Master Lixuan, your words are somewhat misplaced. The study of both is endless. Those who excel in these areas stand above others. I believe that in time, Shaolin will surpass all other sects, and the world will know that all martial arts come from Shaolin."

Lixuan's loud laughter broke out, as if he had heard the funniest joke. He laughed for a long while before saying, "Master Yijie, your words are quite bold. To say all martial arts come from Shaolin, even my Master Likong, with his superb martial arts, would not dare to make such a claim. No sect would say such a thing. And you, a young monk, just became an abbot—how arrogant you are! Truly laughable!"

"I speak of the future," Huo Yuanzhen replied, "Master Lixuan, you'll see for yourself. Within three years, Shaolin will be the leading sect on Mount Shaoshi."

"Such arrogance from a young monk. Since you're so confident, how about we have a little sparring session?" Lixuan said with a smile, clearly eager to challenge him.

Huo Yuanzhen waved his hand, still smiling, "Not today. This is Zhao's money shop, and Zhao is a learned man. I'm sure he doesn't appreciate martial disputes in his place. As guests, we should respect the host's rules. After today, I'd be more than happy to spar."

Lixuan had come here primarily to borrow money, not to spar. If he started a fight here, it would be troublesome, and Zhao's displeasure was obvious. After weighing his options, Lixuan reluctantly gave up on the idea.

Yet, he wasn't quite satisfied. He quickly changed the subject, still not willing to let it go.

"Since we can't spar, let's have a contest of wits. As a scholar, Zhao enjoys poetry, and Master Chen is also known for his scholarly skills. Why don't we have a poetry contest?"

Seeing that Zhao and Chen seemed interested, Huo Yuanzhen inwardly smirked. He was more than happy to compete in poetry