80s Shaolin Abbot

Huo Yuanzhen's plan was clear: he wanted to bring Yue Shan into Shaolin. By doing so, his faction would grow stronger while the forces of Chen Ding and the others would gradually weaken, giving him a better chance of victory.

Initially, Huo Yuanzhen had intended to recruit Yue Shan himself, should the opportunity arise. But he hadn't expected Yue Shan to stir up such a huge commotion—fighting against ten men from the Songshan Sect and injuring nine severely while only lightly injuring one. Meanwhile, Yue Shan himself was severely wounded in the process.

At this point, if Huo Yuanzhen wanted Yue Shan to recover, he could make do with some basic healing herbs. But if he wanted Yue Shan to heal quickly, he would need high-quality medicine, and there was no better gold wound medicine than the one from his own mountain. The only problem was that there was an old man with extraordinary martial arts guarding it, and Huo Yuanzhen didn't have the skill to retrieve it himself.

But he couldn't stand by and watch Yue Shan suffer. After thinking for a while, Huo Yuanzhen decided to go to the back mountain to have a talk with the old man.

Of course, he wouldn't be reckless like last time when he tried to steal the medicine. This time, he planned to negotiate with the old man.

The old man was bound to a medicinal furnace by strange chains, unable to leave the cave. As long as Huo Yuanzhen spoke to him from outside the cave, there was a chance of achieving unexpected results.

With this in mind, Huo Yuanzhen asked Guan Shanyue to look after Yue Shan while he left Shaolin and headed toward the back mountain.

When he reached the edge of the Drinking Horse Lake, he ran into the young monk Puyin, walking towards him.

Huo Yuanzhen narrowed his eyes. It seemed that the two monks from Wutai Mountain had some ulterior motives. However, seeing that Puyin appeared normal, it was likely he hadn't discovered anything.

The entrance to the cave was hidden, and if Huo Yuanzhen hadn't happened to see a tiger heading that way, he would never have found it.

Puyin had been walking with his head down, but when he saw Huo Yuanzhen approaching, he immediately noticed him. His face showed a hint of panic, and he quickly saluted, "Greetings, Abbot Yijie."

Huo Yuanzhen nodded. "Puyin, why are you here on the back mountain?"

"Oh, no particular reason," Puyin replied hastily. "I just thought the scenery here was nice, so I came for a walk."

After learning that Huo Yuanzhen had remarkable martial arts, Puyin had lost his previous arrogance. He quickly answered a few words and started walking back.

Huo Yuanzhen didn't stop him, as there was no point in confronting him now. After all, Puyin was still within Shaolin's grounds, and if anything unusual happened, he would eventually learn of it.

Only when Puyin disappeared from view did Huo Yuanzhen continue on his way. After walking for a while, he suddenly used his light-footed technique, executing the Yiwei Crossing the River and twisting around until he disappeared into the back mountain. If Puyin had been watching from a distance, he would have lost track of him.

After turning several corners, Huo Yuanzhen finally reached the giant rock in front of the cave.

Walking through the overgrown grass, Huo Yuanzhen approached the entrance. The faint smell of medicinal herbs wafted from inside, and he was now less than ten meters from the cave entrance.

He cautiously stepped forward another two steps and then stopped. Sitting down, he waited.

As soon as he sat down, a hoarse voice came from inside the cave. "Who's there? Is that the bald monk who stole my medicine the other day?"

Huo Yuanzhen figured the old man couldn't escape, so he replied, "Old man, don't call me bald monk. You're nothing more than a rat in the ground now, and your life is in my hands. You still dare speak disrespectfully?"

"My life?" The old man paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Ridiculous. You're just a little monk, and you dare say my life is in your hands? What makes you think you can control me?"

Huo Yuanzhen raised his voice, "I admit, your martial arts are impressive, but you're nothing more than a turtle in a jar. You can't leave this cave. If I pile dry wood and wolf dung at the entrance and light it, blowing the smoke into the cave for three days and nights, I don't believe you'll be able to hold your breath that long!"

At this, the old man fell silent for a long time before responding with a low voice, "Little bald monk, you have a vicious heart."

"Same to you. If it weren't for my stubborn head, I'd probably be rotting away right now," Huo Yuanzhen remembered how the old man had made him feel dizzy even with his Iron Head Skill. That gave him an idea of the old man's power.

The old man spoke again. "Little monk, who is your master? Is it Mingxin? Or Mingxing?"

Huo Yuanzhen's heart stirred. He had never heard these names before, yet the old man specifically asked. Unsure of how to respond, Huo Yuanzhen simply replied, "Guess."

The old man sneered. "Hmph, there's nothing to guess. Your master must be one of those three—Mingxin, Mingxing, or Mingxuan. Mingxin is the best at martial arts, Mingxing is the best at Buddhist teachings, and Mingxuan is useless. Yet, for some reason, even Kongfan, the revered monk, favors him. From the way you perform your light-footed technique, you must be a disciple of Mingxin."

"Hmph, you're completely wrong," Huo Yuanzhen was completely confused by the old man's deductions. He had no idea how to respond.

"Even if I'm wrong, let me ask you this: Where is that old bald monk Kongfan now? It's been almost twenty years. He told me to do something, and I've done it, yet he still hasn't shown up. How long does he intend to keep me trapped here?"

Huo Yuanzhen thought to himself. The old man's words, though rambling, weren't without clues. When Huo Yuanzhen first met him, the old man had called him a "bald monk from Shaolin," yet Shaolin had only been established a little over ten years ago. This old man said he had been trapped for nearly twenty years. This suggested that when he was imprisoned, Shaolin hadn't even existed, and the "Shaolin" he was referring to might be the Southern Shaolin Temple.

As for Mingxin and the others, they were likely monks from Southern Shaolin, and Kongfan might have been the old monk in question.

Huo Yuanzhen was still in the dark about these matters, but he knew he shouldn't speak carelessly. After a moment of thought, he said, "Forget about it. I'm here today to ask for something: give me a gourd of your Great Rejuvenation Pill."

"Great Rejuvenation Pill! You want a whole gourd? You're dreaming! I've only managed to make three gourds of it over the years, each with thirty pills. You think this is like selling peanuts?" The old man's tone turned hostile.

Huo Yuanzhen knew it wouldn't be that easy. This was just the starting point, a way to raise the price. "If you don't have the Great Rejuvenation Pill, I'll settle for two gourds of the Lesser Rejuvenation Pill."

"No way. These pills are for my own use. After you took one gourd from me, I'll need at least another month to make more. I won't give you any more."

"Then you won't give me anything? Old man, let me tell you this: if you don't give me anything today, then prepare to enjoy a smoky feast. I don't have such a good temper."

Huo Yuanzhen acted as if he was about to explode with anger, trying to see how the old man would respond.

The old man sighed. "Mingxin, that little monk... Did he never tell you that his special palm technique was taught to him by me? He's truly ungrateful. Fine. If you really want something, take this gold wound medicine. Afterward, tell Kongfan or your master to come get what's theirs."

With a rustling sound, a bundle dropped outside the cave.

Huo Yuanzhen looked down and saw a cloth bag containing what appeared to be about ten pounds of gold wound medicine in the form of a paste.

This was exactly what he came for.

He picked it up and thought for a moment before replying, "Old man, I apologize for any offense. I really enjoyed listening to the stories you shared. If I have time in the future, I'll come back once a month to discuss with you."

"Go on, and remember to tell your masters. I've been waiting here too long, too long..."

Huo Yuanzhen packed up the medicine and left the cave.

Instead of taking the shortest route back, he circled around a few times and went to the highest point on the back mountain. After scanning the surroundings, he didn't spot Puyin or the tiger.

Finally, Huo Yuanzhen returned to Shaolin.

Back in his room, Guan

Shanyue was still waiting with a worried expression on his face.

"Master, did everything go well?" he asked.

Huo Yuanzhen nodded. "Yes, don't worry. Yue Shan will recover soon."