Volcanic Age

"…?"

Zhou Xuchuan's tea had gone cold quite some time ago. It had been over an hour, far longer than the time it would take to finish a cup of tea. He couldn't help but tilt his head in confusion.

He might have used a secret code to enter, but wasn't this taking too long to deliver a simple message? If the Shaolin Temple knew what he had on his person, someone should've rushed here in less than fifteen minutes.

However, never mind someone rushing here to speak to Zhou Xuchuan, not a single person had entered the room. Zhou Xuchuan couldn't help but feel perplexed by the situation.

If only someone had told him they'd get delayed earlier! Zhou Xuchuan had no choice but to wait, since there had been no word from the Shaolin Temple's people.

However, just as he was about to get up and leave the room to ask what had happened, the door suddenly opened, and a monk stepped inside.

"Apologies for keeping you waiting," the monk said.

This monk's appearance was rather unusual.

Despite wearing the Buddhist monk's robe, his bulging muscles were on full display. However, Zhou Xuchuan wasn't surprised to see that since the Shaolin Temple was famous for its physical cultivation arts.

It was just that this monk was almost seven chi tall and blessed with a rough, ill-tempered countenance. Rather than a Buddha, he looked more like an Asura, instead![1]

Is he in the Transcendent realm?

Zhou Xuchuan estimated the monk's martial prowess to be in that realm. Not only that, the monk was in the upper half of the Transcendent realm, as well.

Mm?

The monk's face seemed familiar to Zhou Xuchuan, but he couldn't quite place a name on it. If he thought a little longer, he might remember who the monk was. However, he had to put it aside for the moment when the monk instructed him to follow.

Initially, he wondered if the monk was guiding him to the Abbot's chamber guarded by Eight Great Protectors, but they walked right past it.

They continued to walk past various large and small palatial structures, heading deeper into the temple grounds. The deeper they went in, the fewer the people they encountered.

The two of them received polite greetings from the passersby. Zhou Xuchuan began to suspect that his companion held a high position within the Shaolin Temple.

Zhou Xuchuan wondered if this monk had been someone famous in his past life, given how familiar his face seemed. He dug deeper into his memories, trying to figure out why.

Just as he reached the edge of something, the two men emerged from the forest dotted with stone pagodas and entered a deserted open area where the monk suddenly stopped.

Never mind all those people they had walked past, not even a single ant could be seen in this place!

Something's wrong.

Zhou Xuchuan's senses, honed through the Era of War and Chaos, warned him of incoming danger. The atmosphere felt heavy, prickling his skin.

"Plum Blossom Order Sword, Zhou Xuchuan…!" the monk growled, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. "Why did you burn it?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm talking about the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic."

For the first time, the monk turned to face Zhou Xuchuan fully.

The emotion written on his face wasn't rage, but it still vaguely conveyed his displeasure toward Zhou Xuchuan.

Something's gone wrong here.

Zhou Xuchuan quickly stepped back.

"That matter should have been handled by the Shaolin Temple, sir! To my knowledge, you already knew that was the case. Since I'm curious about why you did that despite being aware of the situation, I've decided that we need to talk to clear the air," said the monk.

Zhou Xuchuan asked, "I don't know who you are, but I'm not supposed to be here…"

"If you are referring to the ancient Buddhist scripture, Prajna Divine Art, then do not worry, I already know about it."

What is going on here?

Only a few people knew about the secret code for the Prajna Divine Art. That was why this situation startled and confused Zhou Xuchuan.

He couldn't understand why this monk, despite knowing about the Prajna Divine Art, still dragged him to a deserted place and interrogated him about the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic incident.

"I am grateful that you're delivering our sect's divine art back to us. Even so, wouldn't you say we still need someone to take responsibility for what happened?" The monk asked, his expression growing even more hostile.

Zhou Xuchuan asked quietly, "Who are you, venerable sir?"

"My apologies. Please forgive me for not introducing myself sooner. This monk is called Hong Gao."

"…!"

Zhou Xuchuan's eyes widened in surprise.

I was wondering why he looked so familiar. But he's the Divine Fist!

Divine Fist, Hong Gao!

That was the name of the monk who became the Abbot after the passing of the Divine Monk in the future.

After displaying a genius-level talent for cultivation at a young age, the Divine Monk took Hong Gao under his wings as his disciple. This meant his status was the highest among the Hong generation.

However, those weren't the most notable things about this monk.

He's the expert who led the Arhats to resist the Dark Heavens Association during the war, then worked together with the heroes to inflict the fatal wound on the Association Lord!

Due to his advanced age, the Divine Monk did not last long and entered Nirvana during the Era of War and Chaos. And the monk who was selected to serve as the Shaolin Temple's Abbot in his place was none other than Hong Gao standing right before Zhou Xuchuan.

On a side note, Hong Gao earned the title 'Divine Fist' only after his brows turned white with age. As for the current Hong Gao, he was still a middle-aged monk.

"I greet the Hundred Paces Fist Monk," Zhou Xuchuan said in a rushed greeting.

Although this greeting was him being polite to a senior of gangho, it was also not as simple as that. He wanted to pay his respects to a hero who had saved so many lives during the Era of War and Chaos in the past, which was also his future.

Hong Gao responded with a simple Buddhist greeting. Unfortunately, the tone of his reply still conveyed how displeased he was.

This is bad!

Zhou Xuchuan inwardly sighed.

Meeting the future hero who would become the Abbot of Shaolin, as well as one of the Ten Empyrean Overlords, was a good thing, but this timing wasn't the most ideal.

Honestly speaking, Hong Gao was the person Zhou Xuchuan wanted to meet the least right now.

To think I'd run into a man who values the Shaolin Temple's honor more than his own life to the point of unhealthy obsession! I definitely have rotten luck.

The future Abbot and Divine Monk, Hong Gao, was the textbook righteous faction cultivator who valued honor above everything else.

As a fellow member of the Nine Sects and One Gang, Zhou Xuchuan understood where Hong Gao was coming from. Even so, for a monk studying Buddhism, Hong Gao's pride seemed excessive.

Apparently, that pride of his was even worse when he was younger, and he'd always cause trouble whenever he went to Jianghu. Notably, though, he wasn't obsessed with his own honor, but the Shaolin Temple's.

In other words, Hong Gao didn't mind getting insulted. He'd even consider what he had done and reflect on his actions.

However, if the insults or criticisms were directed at the Shaolin Temple, his temper flared uncontrollably.

When in front of Divine Fist, you can insult him but never insult the Shaolin Temple!

That advice would start circulating in Jianghu in the future.

Since that obsession has helped the Shaolin Temple reach its prime, you can't say it's all bad, but…

Hong Gao's pride in the Shaolin Temple was extraordinary, and to not sully the sect's honor, he diligently cultivated. Although he was gifted since birth, his obsession also played a part in him blooming early in the ways of martial arts, which earned him the title of 'Divine Fist' in his later years.

However, what made Hong Gao even more remarkable wasn't his individual martial prowess, but his efforts to nurture the future generations even before he became the Abbot.

Not wanting to see Shaolin's prestige or authority diminish, Hong Gao worked hard to maintain his sect's honor, and his efforts went on to produce several experts in later generations.

At the time, his peers in the Shaolin Temple criticized him for being too greedy toward martial arts and accused him of falling victim to the three poisons of Buddhism.[2]

But then, the Era of War and Chaos broke out shortly after. When he achieved great fame, forget criticisms, everyone praised him for his actions. He even became the Abbot through the unanimous decision of his peers.

In short, he's someone I don't want to deal with right now!

At least Hong Gao had mellowed out in his later years. But now, his temper was at its prime, and he even regularly clashed with the current Abbot because of his hot-headedness.

"Sir. Would you mind answering this monk's question?" Hong Gao asked, his eyes glaring sharply, exerting subtle pressure on Zhou Xuchuan.

Out of all the monks in the Shaolin Temple, why does it have to be him?

Zhou Xuchuan barely suppressed a groan. His head ached as if to warn him of an impending migraine.

To think that the one person he did not want to meet in this situation showed up first like this! This was the absolute worst.

No, hold on.

Zhou Xuchuan's eyes narrowed to slits.

Something doesn't add up.

Hong Gao's status was not low. However, it wasn't high enough for him to recover not just a lost secret manual, but one containing a divine cultivation art by himself.

Even if his position within the Shaolin Temple was high, he still shouldn't be able to do that unless the Abbot himself was present, or at the very least, the Master Archivist responsible for handling The Shaolin Temple's scriptures and various secret manuals was accompanying him.

"Before I answer, I'd like to know if the Abbot is aware of my attempt to deliver the divine art," Zhou Xuchuan asked.

Hong Gao's thick brows quivered suspiciously.

I knew it!

Regardless of what anyone said, recovering the Prajna Divine Art should have taken priority for the Shaolin Temple. So, delaying that task seemed rather odd to Zhou Xuchuan.

Besides, didn't they agree to gloss over Zhou Xuchuan ruining the Shaolin Temple's chance to fulfill its long-cherished wish with the gift of Prajna Divine Art?

Since this hostile-looking monk couldn't be an imposter, the odds of him acting alone seemed high.

When I heard Divine Fist was hot-blooded during his younger days, I figured that would be around his thirties. However, I had no idea he'd still be this reckless in his later years.

Judging by his appearance, Hong Gao seemed to be around forty years old. He wasn't exactly middle-aged, but his period of hot-bloodedness should have ended. However, he still couldn't separate personal feelings from official matters when it came to the Shaolin Temple's honor.

This obsession was a double-edged sword. It ultimately strengthened the Shaolin Temple in the end, but for now, it made him blind, too.

Zhou Xuchuan began to wonder if this monk truly had what it took to become the hero who would lead the Shaolin Temple to greatness during the Era of War and Chaos.

"I'm honored that you've taken an interest in me. However, as you know, I'm currently on a mission. Please forgive me for my eagerness to deliver this item as soon as possible," Zhou Xuchuan said politely, bowing. If he could, he'd like to stay on friendly terms with Hong Gao.

"This monk isn't trying to interrogate you, sir. It's merely a simple question, and I'd appreciate an answer."

Unfortunately, it seemed Hong Gao wasn't interested in letting it go.

Even though Zhou Xuchuan implied that he knew Hong Gao was acting alone, the monk feigned ignorance and remained insistent.

"Why did you burn the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic?"

Argh, give me a break!

Zhou Xuchuan remembered hearing that birds called parrots could be found in Southern Man that repeated what humans said. Hong Gao here seemed to fit that description.[3]

Instead of reciting a Buddhist sutra, the monk glared sharply and repeated the same question!

Judging from his attitude, he might threaten to use his large hands on his victim if Zhou Xuchuan didn't answer immediately.

Well, I can use the excuse of my mission and be more overbearing, but…

Zhou Xuchuan didn't want to worsen the situation and potentially damage his future relationship with Hong Gao.

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the battle to snatch the secret manual back then had been truly fierce. Is it not utterly foolish to murder another cultivator in good conscience over something left behind by an ancient demonic cultivator, Blood Monk?"

Having learned a few tricks over the years, Zhou Xuchuan could lie his butt off with a dignified voice. Technically speaking, not everything he said was a lie.

"It seems you have rather thick skin, Plum Blossom Order Sword, sir!"

Forget Buddha's benevolence, all Zhou Xuchuan could see from Hong Gao was Asura's wrath.

"As I've said earlier, that decision did not lie with you, Mount Hua, nor the Martial Alliance, but with us at the Shaolin Temple. Most of all, did everyone not hear that the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic must be delivered to the Shaolin Temple? I'll say this just in case, sir. Do not say you were not aware. I would not be this puzzled had you done what you did out of genuine ignorance."

To think that would bite me back like this.

It sounded as if Hong Gao was planning to go all the way, regardless of what Zhou Xuchuan said. This situation was hurtling toward the worst possible conclusion.

Just as he began pondering how to resolve this situation, a loud roar resounded in the air.

"That's enough!"

"…!"

Hong Gao flinched, while Zhou Xuchuan quickly turned to see who had spoken.

Could that man be…?

The owner of that voice wasn't a big person. Unlike his appearance, however, the aura radiating from him was overwhelming.

His white eyebrows were especially long, and his well-groomed beard was as white as snow.

Zhou Xuchuan instinctively realized this old monk was none other than the current Abbot of the Shaolin Temple and one of the Ten Empyrean Overlords, the Divine Monk!

"M-master…"

Sure enough, Zhou Xuchuan's guess was confirmed by Hong Gao's muttering.

"Do you understand what you've done?!"

The Divine Monk, Hui Mian, asked with a hint of anger in his voice. However, all Hong Gao could do was keep his head down in silence.

"You should've informed me regardless of who heard of the divine art's arrival. Knowing this, why did you choose to hide it from me? If it hadn't been for the young monk finding your gag order strange and reporting it to me directly, we could have had a serious trouble on our hands!"

The monk manning the gates was the first person to receive the visitor's log, which had been temporarily morphed into a book of secret codes. However, the report somehow ended up reaching Hong Gao afterward.

The situation wouldn't have happened if the courier of the divine art had been somebody else. But Hong Gao changed his mind upon discovering that the courier was none other than Zhou Xuchuan.

"Do not think I'll overlook this matter, Hong Gao." Hui Mian said.

1. Over 2.1 meters tall. ☜

2. Three poisons of Buddhism refer to three negative qualities Buddha had identified early in his teachings that cause most of humanity's problems, namely greed (also translated as lust), hatred, (or anger) and delusion (or ignorance). ☜

3. Southern Man, also referred to as Nanman, were ancient indigenous peoples who lived in inland South and Southwest of China. ☜