Urban Martial Saint

The monk stood at the gate of Xiaolin Temple for quite a while. In the darkness, his appearance was completely indistinguishable, and it was unknown what expression he wore. However, it was clear that his gaze remained fixed on the signboard of Xiaolin Temple and did not move even a fraction for a long time.

After about an hour, the monk finally withdrew his gaze, walked around the signboard, and entered Xiaolin Temple.

Inside Xiaolin Temple, traces of the chaos during the Bloody Monk’s rampage remained everywhere. The once-prosperous Zen courtyard was mostly consumed in the great fire. The remaining meditation rooms were charred black, completely devoid of their past appearance.

The main hall of Xiaolin Temple was also half-destroyed; the remaining half creaked in the mountain wind, as if ready to collapse at any moment. No one dared to visit Xiaolin Temple anymore because nobody knew when this old building would suddenly come down, and being buried inside would be a certain death.

The monk seemed oblivious to the precarious state of the main hall, walking straight inside. Despite the hall swaying in the mountain wind, he paid no heed as if life or death mattered not to him.

In the main hall, half of the Buddha statue remained, the other half shattered. The half-statue still sat in its original place, but it had lost its former glory. Once revered by the world, after breaking, it was now just a heap of clay, with no trace of its past splendor.

Apart from the half-statue, the hall was empty. Everything once inside had either been burnt or pilfered, leaving only the half-statue behind, serving as a witness to Xiaolin Temple’s decline over the years.

The monk walked a circle around the main hall, checking every corner, with his thoughts unknown. In the end, he simply sighed softly, turned around, and left the hall, heading towards the backyard of Xiaolin Temple.

The backyard of Xiaolin Temple was in worse condition. On the night the Bloody Monk went berserk, most monks were asleep in the meditation rooms at the back. Hence, most were slaughtered by the Bloody Monk in the backyard, and the walls were still stained with blood. The bloody traces, paired with the ancient Zen court, evoked an indescribable feeling of eeriness.

The monk looked at the bloodstains on the backyard walls and fell into silence again, with his thoughts unknown, standing still the entire time. Until a cough sounded from the side, causing the monk to abruptly turn his head.

In the dark meditation room, someone was coughing. Judging by the sound, it seemed to be a very old person, incessantly coughing due to illness.

But who would be at Xiaolin Temple on a night like this?

The monk, without hesitation, tapped his toe on the ground, and his entire person darted into the meditation room like a ghost. Inside, it was pitch dark, and an average person would be unable to see anything within. However, the monk evidently had excellent eyesight; he immediately fixed his gaze on an old man on the bed inside.

But the old man did not notice him, continuing to cough incessantly. Clearly, his coughing illness was severe.

The monk stared at the old man for a while, seeing he truly did not seem to possess martial arts skills, and only then slightly relaxed his vigilance.

”Who are you?” the monk asked in a deep voice.

Upon hearing the voice, the old man seemed yet to comprehend. He turned his head, looking around, but the room was too dark for him to see the monk standing by the bed. He shook his head in confusion and lay back down, ready to sleep again.

”Who exactly are you?” the monk asked once more.

”Who is it...” the old man finally realized it wasn’t an illusion. He struggled to sit up, surprisingly looking around, and said: ”Who’s speaking? Who’s speaking?”

Seeing the old man’s behavior, the monk sighed softly. It seems the old man truly had no martial arts. He reached for a match on the table, lit the kerosene lamp, and the room finally brightened, also illuminating the monk’s face.

This monk was none other than the Wolf Monk, rescued by Ye Qing at Wan Yan Manor. He left with Sai Hua Tuo Baili Xi, but the two parted ways after leaving Tianzhao City. Sai Hua Tuo Baili Xi went on with his affairs, while the Wolf Monk intended to make a trip back to Xiaolin Temple.

However, the Wolf Monk had been confined for too long, leaving him unfamiliar with modern transportation. Therefore, he traveled all the way from Tianzhao City to Great Buddha Mountain on foot. Despite this, he had made impressive speed over the past few days.

Upon seeing the Wolf Monk, a trace of confusion flashed across the old man’s face, and he said in astonishment, ”Who... who are you?”

”I should be the one asking you that,” the Wolf Monk said in a deep voice. ”Xiaolin Temple has long been deserted. Who are you, and why are you sleeping here?”

”Who said Xiaolin Temple is deserted!” the old man retorted discontentedly. ”I’ve been here all along.”

”You?” The Wolf Monk looked the old man up and down, and said in a deep voice, ”Who exactly are you? How come you’re living in the Xiaolin Temple?”

The old man said, ”I belong to Xiaolin Temple, I’ve lived here from beginning to end, why can’t I stay here?”

”You’re from Xiaolin Temple?” A gleam flashed in the Wolf Monk’s eyes, ”Impossible, I don’t know you.”

”You... are you also from Xiaolin Temple?” The old man stared at the Wolf Monk for a while, then suddenly exclaimed, ”No way, I... I’ve seen you before, you... you’re from Xiaolin Temple, you’re... you’re that Wolf Monk, yes, yes, the Wolf Monk!”

The Wolf Monk’s face slightly changed, ”You know me!?”

The old man’s expression changed even more dramatically. After recognizing the Wolf Monk, it was as if he had seen something terrifying, he quickly backed away, seemingly very afraid of the Wolf Monk.

”Who are you really? Why do you know me?” The Wolf Monk grabbed the old man’s arm, preventing him from retreating.

”Don’t you recognize me?” The old man said, ”I’m not a monk from Xiaolin Temple, but I’m one of the people of the temple. I’ve always been in the kitchen of Xiaolin Temple, working as a cook. I... I saw you once, you were Master Shijia’s junior brother...”

”You’re a cook?” The Wolf Monk was caught off guard, and looked the old man up and down, ”I don’t see how that’s possible?”

The old man said, ”Of course not, it’s been over thirty years. The last time you saw me, I was in my forties, now I’m seventy or eighty, does it make any sense? Besides, I’m not like you with martial arts skills, aging comes fast, and I’ve changed so much even I can’t recognize myself.”

”That is true.” The Wolf Monk nodded. He left the Xiaolin Temple many years ago. Back then, the cook was young, but now he’s seventy or eighty. Without his old appearance, it makes sense not to recognize him.

”Why do you live here? Isn’t Xiaolin Temple deserted? You live here alone?” The Wolf Monk glanced around. This should be the best room on the mountain. But the walls were burned black, making the entire room look like a dark prison, which was quite unpleasant.

”If not here, where else could I live?” The old man said helplessly, ”I came to Xiaolin Temple as a cook back in the day because I was utterly desperate. I have no other skills, nothing else I can do if I leave, I’d probably starve to death. Staying at Xiaolin Temple is better since the back mountain has some land for cultivation, and food and drink aren’t a problem. Even though I’m alone on the mountain, it’s better than starving to death down there.”

The Wolf Monk couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration. This old man was easily content, living alone on this mountain for so long. He was the last person in Xiaolin Temple, yet he persisted. It’s truly admirable.

While the Wolf Monk was in thoughtful admiration, the old man quietly moved backward, seemingly trying to escape the room. However, his small movements could not escape the Wolf Monk’s notice.

As the old man was about to leave the room, the Wolf Monk stepped in front of him, ”Where are you going?”

The old man shivered in fear, quickly shook his head and waved his hand, ”I...I’m not going anywhere, not going anywhere...”

The Wolf Monk slightly frowned, ”You seem very afraid of me? Why?”

”I...I’m not very afraid of you, don’t misunderstand...” The old man spoke, but couldn’t help swallowing his saliva, his frightened expression clearly showing he was lying.

”You’re lying to me!” The Wolf Monk said in a deep voice, ”I’ll ask again, why are you afraid of me?”

The old man opened his mouth, but didn’t dare to deny it any longer. He sighed, ”Master, I’m just a cook, not a monk. And, I’m so old now, just let me go... I don’t have many years left...”

”I never intended to kill you.” The Wolf Monk said solemnly, ”What, in your eyes, am I someone who enjoys killing innocent people?”

”That’s...that’s not it...” The old man quickly waved his hands. Under the Wolf Monk’s gaze, he was full of embarrassment and helplessness, finally gritting his teeth and quietly said, ”Master, to tell you the truth, I’m scared of you because you... you have many similarities with the Bloody Monk from back then.”

The Wolf Monk frowned, ”Where am I similar to him?”

”When the Bloody Monk was at Xiaolin Temple, he didn’t follow Buddhist rules, nor did he obey the precepts of the sect. Killing and committing sins, he did everything.” The old man glanced at the Wolf Monk, and said in a low voice, ”You... you were the closest to him at that time, your situation was similar. Moreover, I remember back then, you... you were even fiercer than him, so... so Master Shijia named you the Wolf Monk...”