Sword Among Us

When he arrived in Shaolin Temple, the familiar surroundings caused Happy to be stunned. Then, he realized that this was his master, Master Xuan Jing’s zen garden.

“Senior brother, some time ago, didn’t you say that you can go down the mountain now since you’ve recovered? Master asked me to send word and told me to immediately have you go over.”

After the young novice monk finished speaking to Happy, he pushed his palms together before he turned around and left, leaving Happy alone in the zen garden while he sized up everything around him with great nostalgia.

The peach blossom poles, stone seats, and a water tub.

Everything was placed in their original positions, and very few secular disciples could be seen in the place.

‘Still the same as ever.’

Happy’s expression was very calm. He sucked in a huge breath of the air in the zen garden. It was clean and calm, because Master Xuan Jing loved the quiet. Hence, he deliberately built this zen garden in the empty space within the depths of the bamboo forest, and few players will usually come to this place.

Even Master Xuan Jing’s disciples will seldom come here, because it was far from the main temple.

A long time ago, Happy trained in this place for a few months in one go, and at the same time, he learned a few martial arts that were related to hidden forces from Master Xuan Jing, such as Dragon Claw and Demon Subduing Vajra Kick.

Even though they were ultimate techniques among the seventy-two ultimate techniques, they were different from other ultimate techniques. They symbolized Shaolin Temple’s profound martial arts, and those whose requirements had reached the standard can learn them. Hence, they were not actually qualified to be known as ultimate techniques.

Master Xuan Jing’s zen garden was very simple. One side of it was for zen meditation, and the other was for practicing martial arts.

The zen garden was quiet. It was just a small bamboo house.

The space used for practicing martial arts was rather big. It was the yard where Happy currently was. There were some items placed there.

When he remembered what the young novice monk said just now, Happy did not dare remain idle, he quickly walked toward the zen garden.

This garden was a place Happy was so familiar with that he can close his eyes and walk around eight to ten times without running into anything. With familiar ease, he arrived in front of the door to the house in the zen garden.

“Master.” Happy respectfully knelt down on the cushion in front of the door.

He still respected Master Xuan Jing a lot.

This master of his became a monk when he was twenty-eight years old, and he practiced twelve of the seventy-two ultimate skills from Shaolin Temple. He might not be as strong as Myth Realm elites, he taught Happy many of the zen martial arts that allowed him to cultivate his mind, thereby becoming the place that baptized Happy’s soul and made him diligent when it came to practicing martial arts.

“You’re here.”

The bamboo door opened, and Master Xuan Jing walked out with a gentle expression. His kind eyes were filled with compassion.

“My child, you’ve finally thought things through. I’m delighted. However, if you go down the mountain now and reenter the world of martial arts, you will be surrounded by danger. I do not wish to bring you back from a mountain of corpses while you are covered in blood, like last time.”

Happy knew that this was the background the system gave him. He could not help but fall prostrate on the ground. “I will remember it.”

“Sigh… Ambitabha.” Master Xuan Jing called out the name of Buddha. “Since you’ve already decided on your path, I will not force you to stay. However, before you go down the mountain, I hope that you will head to Punishment Mount and observe those monks who broke their vows. They had their eyes and souls blinded by hate and desire. That is why they are constantly trapped there and are isolated from the world. I hope that you will continue observing the teachings of Buddha.”

“I will remember your teachings, master.” Happy bowed again.

“Ah, fine. Go, my foolish son.” Master Xuan Jing released a long sigh with great lament. He called out the name of Buddha again before he returned into the bamboo house.

*****

The presence coming out of the cushion on the ground was incredibly familiar. Happy could not help but remember the time he asked to learn martial arts while he was in this garden. The previous cushion had been worn down because of how long he knelt there.

When he remembered this, Happy suddenly came to a realization that he still had some ties in this game.

A surge of warmth came out from the bottom of his heart, and he took the initiative to kowtow to the house again.

“Master, take care of yourself.”

After he got up and left, a voice calling out to the name of Buddha rose from Master Xuan Jing’s bamboo house, and it was filled with sentimentality. “Amitabha.”

*****

After he left the zen garden, Happy brought out a Bamboo Hat from his Universe Bag to conceal his original appearance. At the same time, he checked the items in his Universe Bag.

Aside from a few bottles containing Small Reversion Pills and a bottle of Origin Leopard Pills, there were only a few grade one masterpieces he did not manage to sell in his bag.

He had a Bright Moon Heart Protection Mirror on him, which he obtained from Taichi Cave, and it was embedded on a soft, silver robe. The other parts of his body were all created by silver cloth and wild silk. It was the creation of the top tailor at that time, and the attributes for this set of equipment could rival a low-grade demon vessel at the third echelon.

By the looks of it now, this Silver Robe Set should not have completely gone out of date. At the very least, if a first class elite wore this, he will not appear to be lowering his status too much.

However, after he left the zen garden, Happy felt lost for an instant.

It had been one year and a half since he logged in. Where should he go now?

When he walked on the mountain trails in Mount Song, which were filled with people, Happy felt a slight chill down his spine.

He had no connection whatsoever with One Emperor, and it was the same case for Lin Xiao and Red Dust.

The Three Lonely Wolves might be shocked when they received his messenger pigeon and will talk to him for a long while, but Happy did not want to continue immersing himself in the pain of the past.

As of right now, he was in a hurry to learn of how his strength ranked in the current World of Martial Arts. He knew that right now, most players were already in Moksha Realm.

Without his realization, the temperature around him began to drop. His qi cultivation technique, which was an orthodox Shaolin Temple technique, automatically helped him chase away the cold. It was only then that Happy realized he had already arrived at a cliff.

There were around ten players with strong qi flying over Iron Chain Bridge to head to Punishment Mount.

He can tell with just one glance that they were Shaolin Temple disciples with a solid foundation for their lower bodies.

Some of them stood on the iron chains with steady footsteps, and they formed one line while they seriously and carefully walked toward the cliff across them in the face of the howling wind between the mountains.

A few people can be found in each chain, and as the chain swayed, their bodies swayed as well. It looked incredibly terrifying and dangerous.

On both sides of the cliffs were a few Shaolin Temple disciples who defended the area with their weapons out and ready to fight. They will greet each unfamiliar face who came to them with these words.

“Those who passed through the cliff, please use the chain you used yesterday. Do try not to affect our senior brothers in their training.”

Happy also received the warning from these Shaolin Temple disciples, and he cannot help but let out a faint cry of surprise. So, he stopped to ask, “What are your senior brothers training?”

“Affinity, body movements, and will!”

When the Shaolin Temple disciples saw that Happy seemed to have no idea of what was going on, they did not show any sign of impatience. They just explained patiently. “You’re not a Shaolin Temple disciple, are you? Our senior brothers discovered half a year ago that if we train on the chains in this place, you can increase the speed in which you increase the stats for your Body Movement and Affinity. You can also train your hidden attributes, which is willpower. You’re not a Shaolin Temple disciple, so your lower body isn’t stable enough. You won’t be able to train using this method. There’s a possibility that you will fall to your death and have al, your bones shattered.”

“Who said I’m not a Shaolin Temple disciple?” Happy laughed.

He removed his Bamboo Hat, and Happy circulated his orthodox Shaolin Temple’s Demon Subduing Qi Cultivation Technique. Then, like a huge bird, he landed steadily on the chain between the cliffs while the group of people cried out in surprise and tried to warn him.

The chain was already withstanding the weight from many people, and it rose and fell nonstop.

An average player will face danger when he or she landed on the chain without prior preparation, and it was very easy for the player to fall off.

However, Happy’s lower body was incredibly stable. He landed on the chain steadily and circulated his qi cultivation technique. Then, as if his feet were stuck on the chain, he moved along the oscillation of the chain. His upper body did not even sway once.

By the looks of it, he was a veteran who had countless experience climbing the chains.

The group of Shaolin Temple disciples on the cliff also released a sigh of relief, and they wrapped their fists in their palms before they shouted loudly. “So it’s a senior from the sect. We’ve been impolite to you just now.”

Such a stable lower body and body movements was something that cannot be formed without years of practice. Hence, they believed that this unfamiliar elite might be a successor of a Shaolin erudite monk.

Even the Shaolin Temple disciples on the chains gave him kind smiles, as if they acknowledged Happy as one of them. Most of the Shaolin Temple disciples training in this dangerous place were familiar to each other, and they were all Shaolin Temple elites. Right now, when they saw that an unfamiliar disciple of the same sect had easily displayed such an amazingly stable lower body, they cannot help but feel affection toward him, and they showed him respect.

Once he responded to their salutes, Happy composed himself.

Under the dual threat from the wind and oscillations from the chain, he soon entered a profound state and calmly moved forward. He stepped on the chain while it danced madly in the wind and headed to the cliff ahead of him.

This was the first time Happy walked so slowly to the chain leading to Punishment Mount. When he was halfway there, he can already sense just how amazing was the effect of walking on the chain so slowly.

The strength of the wind around him varied, but if he can just retain his state of mind and be able to quickly tune his qi cultivation technique and circulate his qi, he will indeed feel as if he was lingering between life and death, and that sort of feeling can give someone a break through.

Before he even finished walking one round, Happy could already sense that his Affinity and Body Movement had increased, as if a miracle had happened.

When he arrived at the other cliff, the Shaolin Temple disciples defending that place seemed to be able to see Happy’s surprise and delight. They explained, “The first time you train here, the results are very clear. You just need to walk five to six times here everyday, and as time passed, the results will slowly diminish. The increase of your attributes will remain below fifty points. Many of our senior brothers have tested and verified it.”

“Why aren’t you walking on the chains?”

“Hehe, our senior brothers asked us to observe and protect the place first. Once our hearts calm down, we can slowly walk on it. The process will last around one month. We’re unlike you, who managed to clear it in just one go. Senior brother, have you truly never come here before?”

“Last time, I often came to Punishment Mount to train.”

“Ah… no wonder, then.”

“Please take care of us in the future.”

“Haha, I might seldom have the chance to come here in the future.” Happy’s tone changed, and he smiled wryly. “I came here today because of my master’s orders.”

“Oh, that’s a pity.”

The Shaolin Temple disciple stopped talking for a moment before he suddenly put on a worried look. “A sect related quest? Could it be that you are going to Mad Monk? Senior brother, I’d advise that you don’t go. Over the years, there are plenty who tried their luck, just like you, because they wanted to get Mad Monk’s legacy, but none of them can last through ten moves in his hands, and all of them are sent down the cliff by Mad Monk.”

“No, my master asked me to come here and meet the monks who broke their vows.”

A thought appeared in Happy’s mind. “Is Mad Monk really popular nowadays?”

“Of course.” The Shaolin Temple disciple said proudly, “Ever since One Emperor entered Inaction Realm but was pushed down the cliff with one just one strike from Mad Monk, the legend of those getting his legacy after lasting through ten moves became even more exaggerated. They said that Mad Monk might have already reached the qi realm about Myth Realm, which is One with the World Realm.

“Everyone wants to get the legacy of a martial art in One with the World Realm, after all.

“But there are some people who say that One Emperor might not have received Mad Monk’s legacy because Mad Monk wants to choose a Shaolin Temple disciple as his successor.”

“I see. It’s been a long time since I returned to Shaolin Temple, so I don’t know about this news. Thank you for telling me, junior brother.”

“Senior brother, you’re welcome.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Happy wrapped his fist in his palm and bad farewell.

He suddenly remember how Mad Monk kept himself in Punishment Mount after his slaughter of thousands, and he remembered the situation he encountered when he carried out his Nine Yang Divine Skill Quest.

In the end, he remembered Master Xuan Jing’s words before he left.

He asked Happy to come and meet the monks who broke their vows at Punishment Mount.

There was naturally nothing to see about the monks who broke their vows, and there was no proper quest with them either. Could it be… that the monk Master Xuan Jing asked him to see was actually Mad Monk?