The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 420 Xiao Yuanshan was originally a Shaolin disciple

Murong Fu was quite flamboyant along the way, and it was precisely this unbridled and flamboyant nature that made the Xingxiu Sect disciples stay away and dare not provoke him. Or maybe it was because they were on the path of wealth and were not on the same path as those country bumpkin Xingxiu Sect disciples, so they never met him again, which made Xiao A Zi quite unhappy.

They soon arrived at Shaolin Temple in Songshan after traveling all the way without stopping. The news that Qiao Feng from the north and Murong from the south were together spread quickly everywhere. Master Xuannan and Master Xuanbei became supporting roles beside them. However, Ma Dayuan, the deputy leader of the Beggar Gang, was different. Wherever he went, he would always contact the Beggar Gang disciples first, and his presence was very strong.

Going up to Songshan and entering Shaolin, Abbot Xuanci led the crowd to welcome him. Seeing that Qiao Feng had a complicated expression but still treated him with courtesy, he couldn't help but smile. With Murong Fu around, he didn't think he could keep his position as the leader. However, his Murong family was also involved in the case thirty years ago, and no one could escape.

Although the vegetarian meal was delicious, no one enjoyed it very much except Murong Fu. Abbot Xuanci dismissed everyone and went to his own meditation room to have a secret talk with Qiao Feng, Murong Fu, Ma Dayuan and Master Xuanbei.

Murong Fu had someone inform Xu Zhu ahead of time, saying only that he had arrived and would check on his training later and teach him a few tricks. This left the many Xuan-generation monks feeling rather annoyed, thinking, "Can't you just try to trick a few more people instead of just one?" Xu Zhu was an honest monk, not one to be cunning, and now he'd been tricked even further.

No, it shouldn't be stupid, but it should be funny.

He chanted Buddhist scriptures loudly in all kinds of strange postures, and twisting himself into a pretzel was just a piece of cake. Although he had learned all the Arhat Fist, he performed it in a mess, causing a lot of criticism from the monks in the Arhat Hall. If it weren't for the fact that this little monk had too little influence, they would have had a serious talk with Murong Fu.

Inside the Zen room, Qiao Feng remained silent, while Abbot Xuanci and Master Xuanbei chanted Buddhist scriptures. Ma Dayuan watched the fun with a teacup in his hand. On the contrary, Murong Fu took out a stack of information and placed it on the table, recounting the incident from thirty years ago.

The cause and effect are clear. The Murong family's intelligence system is spread across various countries. Except for the Dali Kingdom, which is slightly weaker, the other Western Xia, Tubo, and Liao are all relatively good. Thirty years ago, they received a piece of information from Yelu Chongyuan and his son that the Liao Kingdom was preparing to send masters to Shaolin to steal secret books in order to train Liao warriors to fight against the martial artists in the Central Plains and to support the army's invasion of the Song Kingdom.

Murong Fu displayed the source of the news, the original (forged) intelligence letter from thirty years ago, the letters between Murong Bo and Abbot Xuan Ci, and other items one by one. After Qiao Feng and Abbot Xuan Ci browsed through them silently, they were both extremely shocked. You know, Yelu Chongyuan was the Grand Marshal of the Liao Dynasty's Emperor Taishu, and Yelu Nerugu was also the King of the Southern Court of the Chu Kingdom.

There were actually spies from the Murong family around them, and they had been there for thirty years.

"This is the latest intelligence." Murong Fu hesitated for a moment, then finally placed the thin piece of paper on the table. Qiao Feng took it and looked at it. His expression changed, and he blurted out, "Yelü Chongyuan is actually planning a rebellion?!"

Upon hearing this, Abbot Xuanci's eyes suddenly lit up with an intimidating light. The Liao Kingdom has always been a thorn in the side of the Song Dynasty. The border troops have been resisting invasions for years, but they still have to pay tribute to buy peace. However, a lot of money has been spent, and the Liao Kingdom still keeps its eyes on the Song Dynasty. If the civil unrest in the Liao Dynasty is greatly reduced, the Song Dynasty may be able to have peace for a while, and they, Shaolin, can continue to recuperate.

No one and no force in the world exists alone. The relationship between the Central Plains martial arts and the imperial court is quite complicated, but one thing is certain: everyone needs to contribute when facing foreign enemies. A few years ago, Qiao Feng, Murong Fu, and Abbot Xuan Ci met and assigned their respective external priorities. Murfu chose Tubo. The Beggar Gang has been fighting on multiple fronts, but the focus is on Western Xia. Shaolin only has the threat of the Liao Kingdom left.

Now Qiao Feng is no longer the leader of the Beggars' Sect, and Ma Dayuan is in charge of the power. However, his ability is still slightly insufficient to compete with the Yipintang of Western Xia, let alone support Shaolin in fighting against the Liao Kingdom. Now the news that Murong Fu has brought out is undoubtedly a blessing in disguise for Abbot Xuanci, making him extremely happy.

As the deputy leader of the Beggars' Sect, Ma Dayuan was also aware of the situation during the previous three-party meeting, so he said, "If a rebellion breaks out in the Liao Kingdom, there will inevitably be a period of peace. In the meantime, I would like to ask the Abbot to support our Beggars' Sect in resisting the invasion of the Western Xia Yipintang. Unfortunately, the Beggars' Sect has lost its pillar, Leader Qiao, and is now in decline. I am not a skilled fighter, and the Beggars' Sect cannot produce a top-notch expert, let alone a top-notch expert. It is truly..."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in surprise. Abbot Xuanci and Master Xuannan chanted Buddhist scriptures, and didn't know what to say to the Beggars' Sect. Abbot Xuanci suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Qiao Feng, which scared everyone. Qiao Feng hurriedly supported him with both hands.

Abbot Xuanci apologized. After all, he was also related to this matter. After all, he had a copy of the letter. Although the key lay with Wang Jiantong, he and Wang Jiantong were both leaders back then. They both had responsibilities in the matter of Qiao Feng, but he had been hiding behind the scenes.

Looking at the whole process, except for being a little wary, Abbot Xuan Ci was generally very nice to Qiao Feng. He fostered him in a farmer's home at the foot of the mountain, asked Master Xuan Ku to teach him martial arts, and recommended him to Wang Jiantong. Qiao Feng's current martial arts skills are inseparable from the support of Abbot Xuan Ci.

"This is the blood letter we copied at Yanmen Pass back then. Next to it is a translation made by merchants who frequently traveled to the Liao Kingdom. Your father, Xiao Yuanshan, was one of the Liao Kingdom's most formidable masters, the Xiao family's sea-stabilizing force. He was also the chief instructor of the Great Liaoshan Army, whom the Liao royal family desperately wanted to eliminate." Abbot Xuanci pointed at Murong Fu and said, "Much of this information comes from the Murong family. Young Master Murong must know even more about your father."

Murong Fu nodded slightly and said, "Your father, Xiao Yuanshan, was a descendant of the Khitan royal family. He trained with a Han Chinese master from a young age, and his martial arts skills were truly terrifying and unimaginable. He was also the chief instructor of the personal army of Empress Xiao of Liao, Shan Dazhan. He was highly regarded and trusted by the Liao Empress Dowager."

"Your mother is a pure Han Chinese. She doesn't know martial arts but is gentle and virtuous. Your father studied under a Han Chinese and received a good education. He also vowed not to kill Han Chinese. You can tell something about this from your father's suicide note." When Murong Fu said this, he looked at Abbot Xuanci with a slightly complicated look. The latter was puzzled by his look and asked why.

Murong Fu said slowly, "Senior Xiao Yuanshan's martial arts skills are superb. He had already reached the pinnacle of martial arts thirty years ago. Back then, he was driven mad by the murder of his wife and children, but he eventually spared the abbot and stopped. Don't you have any thoughts?"

Abbot Xuanci was silent for a moment after hearing this. Then, facing everyone's puzzled gazes, he spoke in a deep voice, "Donor Xiao Yuanshan is extremely skilled in martial arts. Even if all we have joined forces, we can't defeat him. If that were all, it would be fine. Brother Wang and I have indeed seen hints of Shaolin's grappling techniques, including the Mandarin Duck Continuous Kick, the Bone-Splitting Hand, and the Dragon Claw Hand."

Qiao Feng stood up suddenly, "How, how is this possible?!"

Abbot Xuanci shook his head slightly, signaling Qiao Feng to remain calm. "When we saw his methods, we became even more certain that he was a master intent on entering Shaolin to steal the secret manuals. He'd even succeeded in obtaining some before, otherwise how could he possess these Shaolin martial arts? Judging by his methods, he must have mastered them and integrated them into his own martial arts. However, the influence of these techniques is not so easily erased. But thinking about it carefully afterwards..."

At this point, Abbot Xuanci was unable to continue. Seeing this, Murong Fu shook his head and said, "Master, if you are unwilling to speak, then let me, an outsider, speak. From Senior Xiao's suicide note, we know that his martial arts were not stolen from Shaolin. If that is the case, then there is only one possibility: his martial arts were taught by his Han master."

"This man has mastered the Shaolin martial arts to such an extreme level that he can even teach according to individual needs, modifying and integrating them." Murong Fu paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Abbot Xuanci and Master Xuannan. He sighed softly, "Masters of this kind are rare in the world. Xiao Yuanshan had already completed his apprenticeship thirty years ago, so it would be reasonable to assume he became their disciple ten or twenty years earlier. Furthermore, considering that Xiao Yuanshan actively promoted peace between Liao and Song after his indoctrination, it's clear that he possesses a compassionate heart. Speaking of which, Master Abbot, do you have anything to say?"

Abbot Xuanci hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "My master, Master Lingmen, is a man of profound Buddhist knowledge and extraordinary martial arts skills. In his youth, he often traveled extensively, and many years ago, he even journeyed west for a period of time. If anyone could cultivate a talent like Master Xiao, who is so proficient in Shaolin's unique martial arts and yet has such a unique and ingenious way of integrating them, there is no one else in the world but my master."

Even Master Xuanbei was stunned. Master Lingmen had secretly passed on the Shaolin secrets decades ago? How could this be possible?!

Seeing his expression, Murong Fu couldn't help but snort, waking him up. He then exclaimed in admiration, "I have to say, compared to Master Lingmen, you are far behind. You know how rare it is to find a Liao master who holds a high position and is pro-Song. His influence is so immense. How can a few unique skills be compared to him?"

"Although it may seem disrespectful, I have to say that Master Lingmen's methods are brilliant. He taught Xiao Yuanshan the martial arts of the Central Plains and, incidentally, found him a gentle and virtuous Song Dynasty wife who had no martial arts skills. With these two combined efforts, he forcibly transformed a ruthless Liao general into a pro-Song Dynasty peace ambassador, actively campaigning for peace between Liao and Song. Do you recognize this achievement or not?"

Abbot Xuanci and Master Xuanbei exchanged bewildered glances. Previously, they had focused solely on the possibility that Master Lingmen had accepted a foreign disciple and thus leaked the secrets of Shaolin's martial arts, but they hadn't considered the many underlying reasons behind this. Upon hearing this, Qiao Feng's expression grew strange. "My father was actually a Shaolin disciple, too? He originally learned the secrets of Shaolin. Buddhism flourished in the Liao Dynasty, but it was rife with false teachings and numerous schools. So, what role did Liao Buddhism play in the events of the past?"

Murong Fu looked at Qiao Feng, who was overthinking, and hurriedly shouted to stop him. "Speaking of which, Yelu Chongyuan seems to have a strong connection with Liao Buddhism. After all, his brother, the previous Liao ruler, was a Confucianist. If he wanted to compete with him, he could only lean towards Buddhism. But what happened back then doesn't necessarily have anything to do with Liao Buddhism. Even if Yelu Chongyuan learned the source of your father's martial arts from Buddhism, it was still Yelu Chongyuan himself who truly intended to kill him."

"Brother Qiao, it's not the manly thing to do to incriminate others."