80s Shaolin Abbot

The officers were from the Dengfeng County Yamen, and they lived within the county. They all knew each other, so it was surprising when they showed up at Shaolin Temple to arrest someone. The lay disciples at Shaolin weren't having it.

"Hey! Captain Wang, why are you arresting our Abbot?"

"You better stop acting up, Yamen officers. Many here are not people you can mess with!"

"Want to arrest someone? Let's see whose sticks are tougher, your cudgel or our fists!"

It wasn't clear who started it, but all of a sudden, the lay disciples of Shaolin roared in unison. They assumed combat stances, and if the officers dared to step forward, they were ready to fight.

Captain Wang and the officers jumped back in surprise.

Despite the officers' displays of power, in those days, they were only effective at intimidating regular civilians. People from the martial world didn't take them seriously. There were no firearms at the time—everyone was on the same playing field with swords and knives, so if they couldn't beat you, why should they be scared of you?

There were about ten officers, and the same number of lay disciples. While the officers had cudgels and chains, they were no match for these disciples, who trained in martial arts every day.

Captain Wang no longer acted as arrogantly as before. He glanced back and saw Huo Yuan Zhen standing there, so he quickly said, "Master Yijie, I recognize you. You are the Abbot. You see, we are just following orders. Please cooperate with us."

Before Huo Yuan Zhen could respond, Huang Feihong spoke up, "Cooperate? Why should we? What right do you have to arrest our Abbot? If you don't explain yourselves clearly, you're not leaving Shaoshi Mountain today!"

As the noise grew louder, more of the lay disciples gathered. When Tie Niu, now a lay disciple, appeared with his imposing figure of over two meters tall, even the officers couldn't help but tremble.

Soon, the officers were surrounded. Captain Wang looked around and realized that Shaolin Temple was not a place to linger. If these martial artists decided to go wild, it wouldn't be hard for them to lose two officers in the fight.

Looking around, the only person who seemed calm and reasonable was the Abbot. Captain Wang said, "Master, we are both from Dengfeng. You are known for your compassion and kindness. But we have no choice. Someone has accused you of harboring a fugitive. According to the law, we should immediately search Shaolin. However, the county magistrate said that since you are a high monk and Shaolin is a Buddhist temple, it would be inappropriate to cause a disturbance. It's better to bring you to the county Yamen and explain the situation."

"Who accused me?" Huo Yuan Zhen asked, his voice tinged with confusion. Why would someone accuse him of harboring a fugitive?

"I don't know," Captain Wang responded evasively.

"Speak!" Tie Niu, who had been silent, suddenly lost his temper. He grabbed Captain Wang by the neck, lifted him overhead with one hand, and growled, "If you don't speak, I'll snap your neck!"

Captain Wang immediately started rolling his eyes, his legs kicking in the air as he struggled, unable to speak.

"Tie Niu, what are you doing? Let him down!" Huo Yuan Zhen hurriedly ordered. But in his heart, he felt a sense of satisfaction. It seemed that Tie Niu had begun to embrace Shaolin and had grown fond of him as the Abbot. That was good; if Tie Niu could be loyal, he would be another strong ally.

At Huo Yuan Zhen's command, Tie Niu reluctantly let Captain Wang fall to the ground. The officer gasped for air, glaring at Tie Niu but too afraid to speak out.

Huo Yuan Zhen glanced at Captain Wang and said, "Captain Wang, I am sure I have not broken any laws. If you want to take me to the officials, you must provide a legitimate reason. Otherwise, I will not go with you."

After some time, Captain Wang regained his composure and, after a moment of hesitation, gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, Master. I'll tell you the truth. It was Chen Ding, the so-called 'hero,' who reported you."

"Bah! What kind of so-called hero is he? Just a despicable scoundrel!" Huang Feihong interrupted angrily.

"Yes, yes, he's a despicable man, but he has a formal complaint. He says there's a notorious bandit named Yue Shan, a violent criminal who has caused death and injury in many places. After he arrived in Dengfeng, Chen Ding caught him and was about to turn him over to the authorities, but Yue Shan fought his way out and sought refuge at Shaolin Temple. It is said that you, Master Yijie, hid him. Over a thousand people in Dengfeng witnessed it, so you cannot deny it."

"I see," Huo Yuan Zhen said with a slight nod. This was clearly a plot by Chen Ding, who couldn't handle Yue Shan and had concocted this story. The fact that people had died or been injured was irrelevant in the martial world. Such things were commonplace.

In the vast world of martial arts, countless battles happened every day, with people dying and others stepping forward to make a name for themselves. If you hadn't killed or injured someone, you weren't even considered a real martial artist.

Even if there was a conflict, the authorities never interfered unless someone filed a report, and even then, they were powerless to stop it.

But now Chen Ding was using this as an excuse to attack, using his claim about Yue Shan and the deaths to back up his argument.

Huo Yuan Zhen could see right through it. This was all to get rid of him and gain an advantage over Shaolin.

Looking around at the lay disciples surrounding them, Captain Wang added, "Master, this situation is not trivial. The military stationed in Zhengzhou has four thousand soldiers just fifty miles away from Shaoshi Mountain. Before we came, the county Yamen contacted the military. If we don't return within three hours, they will send troops to Shaoshi Mountain to take someone by force. Master, please consider."

Upon hearing this, the lay disciples hesitated. The officers were one thing, but the military was another. The military was a real threat—thousands of soldiers, which Shaolin could not stand against.

However, Guan Shan Yue frowned and said to Huo Yuan Zhen, "Master, there's no need to worry. I can go speak to the military commanders. They won't dare do anything."

The military commanders in Henan were directly under the command of Guan Tian Zhao, and as a senior officer, Guan Shan Yue knew them well. If he intervened, the problem could be resolved.

Huo Yuan Zhen nodded. "You should handle this matter. We cannot let the army come to trouble Shaolin."

Guan Shan Yue agreed and set off. Huo Yuan Zhen, feeling a sense of anger rising within him, muttered under his breath, "Damn Chen Ding, that bastard. How dare he interfere with matters of the martial world using the government's power? If this goes on, even the Buddha might get angry."

Upon hearing Huo Yuan Zhen's curse, Guan Shan Yue paused for a moment and said, "Master, please be careful with your language. The Buddha might not be pleased."

Huo Yuan Zhen turned back to Guan Shan Yue, his voice filled with deep seriousness. "One dust, a monk does not lie. You know that, don't you?"

Guan Shan Yue nodded in understanding.

Huo Yuan Zhen continued, "Since that's the case, tell me, do you want to curse Chen Ding and Li Xuan? Do you want to beat these officers out of our temple?"

Without hesitation, Guan Shan Yue answered, "Of course, but we are monks."

"A monk does not lie. If we want to curse, then curse; if we want to fight, then fight. How can Shaolin allow these lowlifes to bully us?"

Seeing Huo Yuan Zhen speak with such conviction, Guan Shan Yue and the other disciples felt a deep sense of admiration.

With the mood of the disciples stirred, Huo Yuan Zhen quietly told Guan Shan Yue, "You handle the military; if this causes trouble with the governor, you settle it."

"All of it?" Guan Shan Yue asked.

"Who told you that you're the father of the military leader? Brothers, no army will come to Shaolin. Only these officers. Move in! Let's beat these government lackeys down the mountain!"

Huo Yuan Zhen whispered to Guan Shan Yue, then shouted out the order.

The lay disciples of Shaolin, who had been waiting impatiently, leaped into action. In the blink of an eye, the officers were overwhelmed. Three or four disciples ganged up on a single officer, fighting hand-to-hand, throwing punches and kicks that left the officers howling in pain.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuan Zhen quietly retreated, feeling secretly pleased. 

Shaolin wasn't just about strong martial arts; it was also about being the greatest sect in group fights. If all the martial world heroes were obsessed with one-on-one duels, how could they maintain an undefeated reputation?

Once he recruited enough strong followers and perfected Shaolin's formations, anyone who dared cause trouble at Shaolin would be beaten into submission.