Volcanic Age

Hong Gao couldn't bring himself to move.

He straightened his back and bent his slightly spread legs. But before his Hundred Paces Divine Fist could be executed, he was stopped.

The face of the middle-aged monk was distorted in disbelief, his mouth hanging open.

His stance, which seemed ready to strike at any moment, was interrupted only when Hui Mian approached him and spoke in a stern voice.

"Amitabha. There's nothing else for me to tell you other than the idiom, a frog in a well. As someone who considered the Shaolin Temple to be everything, how does it feel to have your narrow-mindedness exposed and become aware of your ignorance of the vast world?"

"T-this loss isn't because the Shaolin Temple's techniques are lacking! It's because of the shortcomings of this incompetent monk!" Hong Gao belatedly came to his senses and protested.

"Ahem, it seems this incompetent disciple of mine hasn't come to his senses yet."

Hui Mian clicked his tongue and scolded Hong Gao sternly.

"When did this old monk say that the techniques of the Shaolin Temple were inferior to those of Mount Hua?"

"In the first place, there are only differences in types of learning. There is no such thing as superior or inferior learning. Not only have you treated studies of the path other than Buddhist studies as nothing special, but you've even shown a tendency to look down on Temples other than the Shaolin Temple, even though you are a monk just like they are. Is that not the very Moha we warn against?!"

Moha, a foolish delusion.[1]

Hong Gao bit his lips tightly and said nothing.

"To walk the Noble Eightfold Path, you must be careful with adhering to the Right Speech. Moreover, you lack the Right View and the Right Samadhi. From now on, you must be mindful of this and diligently study with the Right Effort."[2]

The Noble Eightfold Path referred to the eight paths of practice that liberated oneself from afflictions and sufferings to enter nirvana.

Hong Gao's actions weren't lacking in any way to his pursuits of the Noble Paths. On the contrary, as a monk, he actually behaved more righteously than anyone else.

He had entered the gangho to relieve the suffering of the poor and to help those in need.

He had learned respect and humility from those above him and, whether those he interacted with were monks or not, he was kind to those below him.

Unfortunately, he tended to look down on any path to the Dao outside the Shaolin Path and always considered the Shaolin Temple to be the greatest.

"You yourself know that you are lacking and work hard to correct yourself, but just being humble doesn't mean that you aren't arrogant. You think that the Shaolin Temple, your temple, is the only Right Path. That, too, is arrogance. Amitabha."

Hui Mian murmured and stroked his prayer beads.

"You know that the next change of generations isn't far off, and even the Shaolin Temple would face challenges during that time. How can I comfortably hand this seat over to you if you continue like this?"

The First Generation Disciples of the Shaolin Temple were few, and the Second Generation Disciples, the Hui Lineage, had also reached an age where they would soon have to step down.

The reason why Hong Gao was able to become Hui Mian's next successor wasn't simply because he was the abbot's disciple.

Hong Gao's excessive pride and arrogance in the Shaolin Temple weren't obvious, and thus, he was greatly respected.

Not only was his cultivation impressive, but he also worked hard to help the common people and kept himself busy running around solving issues.

It was only natural.

Hong Gao bit his lip tightly. He recited a mantra as if trying to suppress the ill feelings rising in his heart.

He'll be okay, right?

Zhou Xuchuan felt a little uneasy when he saw Hong Gao unable to raise his head.

Divine Fist Hong Gao's excessive pride in his previous life, which no one remembered, had gotten better with time.

However, no one knew why. It may have tempered on its own as he accumulated virtue and experience, or it may have been triggered by something.

"Thank you, master, for thinking of this worthless disciple and teaching me…"

Hong Gao said with a feeble voice, clasping his hands together and bowing.

It wasn't a sarcastic display but a genuine expression of gratitude.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Xuchuan was amazed.

He wasn't chosen as the next abbot for nothing.

As someone in his forties, while it should have been humiliating to be scolded in front of a young man who had only just appeared in the gangho, Hong Gao showed no sign of discomfort.

Even if he was a monk, as a martial artist, especially as an expert, he naturally had a lot of pride. So, this reaction was truly praiseworthy.

If it had been anyone else, even another monk, it was unlikely that they would have been able to hide their discomfort.

"Benefactor Zhou, I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive this worthless monk with your boundless generosity."

"It's nothing. I was actually the one who received incredible teachings today. If I had come a little bit later, I don't think I would have been able to win, either. As expected of the Shaolin Temple. Thanks to you, I was able to cultivate more insight."

Zhou Xuchuan responded to Hong Gao's apology with a cupped fist in kind.

What a relief. It looks like he's not upset.

Zhou Xuchuan sighed in relief.

Well, it makes sense. Since the Divine Monk is here, there isn't much to worry about.

Things may have been a little different if Abbot Hui Mian had passed away, but since the Divine Monk was still here, there was no need for Zhou Xuchuan to be too concerned.

What's more, since there wasn't a war going on, there shouldn't be any problems.

Zhou Xuchuan smiled faintly in relief.

The sun, once high in the sky, began its slow descent, painting the ground a deep red.

Zhou Xuchuan, who had escaped the Temple gate where the long line was still visible, stood in front of the back door of the inner garden and greeted Hui Mian.

"I'll be taking my leave now. Though my time here was short, I've received many blessings."

"Hoho. What do you mean, blessings? You're the one who matched this old monk's stubbornness with grace. Thank you."

"Also, there's something I forgot to mention."

Zhou Xuchuan carefully drew something from his robes, a wooden box.

Tsk.

He had agonized over whether or not to reveal the box to the monks. Although he had wanted to keep it a secret, he couldn't hold it in when he saw the face of his master in his mind.

"This is…"

Hui Mian's eyes widened when he opened the box.

"I found it with Prajna Divine Art."

It was a single Lesser Circulation Pill.

Master told me to return at least one pill, didn't he?

Originally, Zhou Xuchuan had ten pills in his possession. He and Zhuge Shengji had taken two pills each.

Of the six remaining, he had given four to Li Yicai for safekeeping, while the remaining two had originally been intended to be given to his master as gifts.

However, Liu Zhengmu refused, saying that he couldn't take anything that wasn't rightfully his. Initially, there had been two pills to return, but Zhou Xuchuan had been forced to feed one to his master due to the critical situation they were in.

Although Zhou Xuchuan suggested that his master take the remaining pill, Liu Zhengmu refused to the very end.

Even if Zhou Xuchuan had wanted to use it elsewhere, Liu Zhengmu insisted it be returned, leaving him no choice but to take it back to the temple.

Since there were still four pills left, it would be fine to give the abbot one.

Liu Zhengmu didn't know about the other pills, so Zhou Xuchuan felt better as long as he returned the one his master was aware of.

"Though it's a little late to ask, where exactly did you find the Prajna Divine Art?" Hui Mian asked, stroking his beard curiously.

"I found it in a deserted mountain valley before the start of the Seven Swords War while roaming the gangho on my cultivation journey. I had been starving and confused at the time, just trying to find my way to a village. To be honest, I don't remember it very well."

The Prajna Divine Art had been in the Three-Eyed Godly Thief's treasury. However, that didn't mean that the Three-Eyed Godly thief had infiltrated the Shaolin Temple to steal it.

While the Three-Eyed Godly Thief had been active around three hundred years ago, the Prajna Divine Art had been lost long before then.

There was no record of how it was lost.

Although countless efforts had been made since the generation that had lost it, the art was never found, and it remained a long-held wish of the Shaolin Temple.

That was why Hui Mian felt so conflicted when he looked at Zhou Xuchuan.

He had missed his opportunity to fulfill a long-cherished wish because of this young man, yet at the same time, Zhou Xuchuan had become the benefactor who fulfilled that wish for him.

It left him with deeply mixed feelings.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of any help."

"There's no need to be sorry. Thank you for finding it and returning it to us."

Although Hui Mian was suspicious, he chose not to press further.

It might have been because Zhou Xuchuan had safely delivered the Divine Art to them or because he had stayed and helped teach Hui Mian's disciple.

"Also, put that away."

"But…"

"I was quite uncomfortable sending away our benefactor without a proper reward. Please, take it."

To be frank, even though he was their benefactor, Zhou Xuchuan's position in the Shaolin Temple was extremely ambiguous, making it a bit awkward to reward him.

Hui Mian had felt sorry for Zhou Xuchuan while, at the same time, grateful.

"Then I will accept it gratefully." Zhou Xuchuan replied with a faint smile, bidding his farewell.

"Then, until we meet again."

With that, Zhou Xuchuan left Mount Song.

A short while later, Hui Mian called the leaders of the temple and held a meeting.

He had gathered not only the monks of the Hui lineage but also the monks of the Hong Lineage, who would lead the next generation of the Shaolin Temple.

When even the monks' patience was wearing thin, the Prajna Divine Art that they had been waiting for had finally been delivered, causing them all to recite mantras and scripture.

The darkness that had clouded the temple for half a year was lifted, replaced with bright light.

However, their expressions grew complex when they heard the name of the person who had delivered the Divine Art.

"What?!"

"If it was Zhou Xuchuan, that must have been the Plum Blossom Order Sword…"

The Plum Blossom Order Sword, Zhou Xuchuan.

There was no way that they wouldn't know that name.

As expected, most of them looked confused.

He was the one who had burned the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic and prevented the Shaolin Temple from having the chance to erase its shame. However, at the same time, he was the one who had found the Prajna Divine Art.

The value of the missing Prajna Divine Art was immeasurable, making it difficult for them to know how to react.

Aside from that, since Zhou Xuchuan had burned the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic for the peace of the murim, their feelings toward him were ambiguous.

"Senior Brother Abbot, did he foresee this and take advantage of it?" the head monk of the Religious Precepts Office, Hui Zheng, who oversaw the laws of the Shaolin Temple, narrowed his eyes suspiciously and asked.

As the head monk of the Religious Precepts Office, he was different from other monks. He was merciless, cold-hearted and objective.

Not only the abbot but the other high-ranking monks also had to follow the law, meaning that they couldn't ignore the opinion of the head monk of the Religious Precepts Office.

"That's right. Since he possessed the Divine Art, he may have exploited the fact that he could be forgiven for burning the Blood Muscle and Tendon Classic."

The monks of the Hong Lineage all clamored in response as they agreed with Hui Zheng.

"Wasn't the Plum Blossom Order Sword virtually unknown before the Seven Swords War? In order to instantly raise his honor, what if he…"

"That's going too far."

Contrary to the stern look he had shown his disciple, Hui Mian smiled compassionately and stopped the commotion.

"But isn't that still a possibility?"

It wasn't that Hui Zheng harbored ill will toward Zhou Xuchuan.

It was just that, as the head monk of the Religious Precepts Office, he needed to maintain a little distance and judge impartially.

If even the abbot couldn't tell right from wrong, the Shaolin Temple would go down the wrong path.

The Religious Precepts Office existed to guard against such cases and protect the Shaolin Temple with the precepts of Buddhism.

"I know what you're trying to say, Junior Brother, but Benefactor Zhou isn't the kind of person who would have such intentions. Most importantly, he has the cultivation to make a name for himself without resorting to such measures."

"While we know that the Flower Scattering Palm is an expert, I heard that he had been exhausted at the time," the head monk of the Guest Reception Hall, Hong Shou, refuted as if he had been waiting for this moment.

The rest of the Hong Lineage sitting behind him nodded in agreement.

But where's Hong Gao, and what is he doing?

It was odd that he wasn't here at such an important time.

Normally, Hong Gao would have been the one taking the lead in criticizing Zhou Xuchuan. However, that question was soon resolved.

"Even if the Flower Scattering Palm was in perfect condition, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Benefactor Zhou."

"Impossible."

Even if the Flower Scattering Palm was from the Evil Faction, he was still a renowned expert. He was an expert who could make even the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes, the best of the younger generation, nervous.

"No, it's possible. Because I witnessed it with my own eyes."

"What do you…?"

"Before he left, he fought Hong Gao and won."

Gasp!!

The monks' eyes widened in shock.

Even Hui Zheng's pupils trembled violently.

The Hundred Paces Fist Monk, Hong Gao.

He was the strongest even among the Arhats, and he not only had talent but also worked incredibly hard.

Not only had he become one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes early on in his cultivation journey, but he had also quickly joined the ranks of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven and was renowned as a master of the Shaolin Temple. It was truly shocking that someone like Hong Gao had lost to Zhou Xuchuan, who wasn't even in the current generation of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

"So he's the great fortune of the murim, then. Amitabha."

Hui Zheng closed his eyes and recited an incantation.

The Plum Blossom Order Sword, Zhou Xuchuan.

That was the moment when that name was engraved deeply in the Shaolin Temple.

1. One of the three poisons of Buddhism alongside Raga (greed and lust) and Dvesha (hate and aversion). See TL/N, as this is a very Buddhism-heavy chapter. ☜

2. Each of these is capitalized and written in this manner as they are each a path of the Noble Eightfold Path. ☜

Cyncoco's Thoughts

Moha translates to delusion/illusion and is the concept of allowing oneself to fall into the illusion brought on by a foolish attachment to something (or at least in Korean Buddhism).

It's a key point of Shaolin in the RMH universe, as the counter to Moha is Prajna, or True Wisdom, the Divine Art they had lost.

In Buddhism, the three poisons are considered the key factors that keep sentient beings trapped within samsara. These three poisons are what create karma and, thus, force people to enter reincarnation continually.

The opposing three truths are Prajna (Wisdom), Dana (Generosity), and Metta (Benevolence).

Now, for the Noble Eightfold Path, specifically for the portions mentioned in this chapter: Right Speech - To not lie, speak harmfully, or cause discord. To only speak out of kindness and love. Hong Gao's issue is he doesn't care about the other party when he speaks, hurting people purposefully.

Right View - The understanding that our actions have consequences and that our view of this world and the next needs to account for our actions and their consequences (karma). One needs to clear their mind of delusion (Moha)

Right Samadhi - To look into one's mental defilements and burn them away, reaching a point where the negative karma within one is eradicated.

Right Effort - Prevent unworthy and karma-inducing aspects of oneself from materializing, making the right effort to reach nirvana.

While I have a cursory understanding of Buddhism, I don't know enough to teach y'all officially, so take everything I say with a grain of salt and look it up yourself.