The Shaolin Abbot Born in the 1980s

Chapter 9: The Grand Prize

After locking the door, Huo Yuanzhen returned to bed and began checking the system. Once again, there were thirty-six options: six scriptures, six secret manuals, six construction tokens, six silver taels, six magical artifacts, and six miscellaneous items—all unchanged. Although the categories remained the same, the specific items inside had indeed changed, just as Huo Yuanzhen had expected. Some items that had appeared last time were missing this time—it seemed the items offered here were indeed randomly generated. Huo Yuanzhen examined them closely and was delighted to discover that the “pin-shaped” grand prize was still present among the miscellaneous items. This “grand prize” consisted of three draw opportunities: as long as he spun the system and the light dot landed on this spot, another light dot would appear, allowing him to make a total of three selections. Last time, Huo Yuanzhen had missed the jackpot by a hair’s breadth, a fact that had weighed heavily on his mind ever since. Seeing it again now, he naturally hoped to claim it. In addition to the jackpot, the silver rewards this time were also generous—at least ten taels, with gold bars as the top prize. “I’m going to strike it rich! If I can just win the grand prize, who knows—I might even snag three great items this time.” Huo Yuanzhen rubbed his hands together excitedly, his heart racing. He waited a while to calm down before he began spinning the light spot to make his selection. At first, the light spot spun so fast that it was impossible to tell what he was about to draw. Huo Yuanzhen was even a little afraid to look; he closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. The speed of the light dots finally slowed down. Huo Yuanzhen estimated it would stop after about three images. And among the first three patterns, there really was a grand prize. The light moved one step and landed on a Wooden Fish. Huo Yuanzhen didn’t think much of the Wooden Fish. What kind of prize was this? He could make one himself—it would cost just a few copper coins—and yet here it was in a raffle. In his heart, he prayed fervently for the light dot to take one more step forward—just one more step, and it would be the grand prize. Sure enough, the light moved forward again, landing on the grand prize spot. If it moved just one more step, it would be a Construction Permit for the Discipline Hall—an indispensable item, but somewhat meager compared to the grand prize. “Stop! Stop right there, old monk!” Huo Yuanzhen stood there, his face flushed, channeling his energy. The light wavered unsteadily but finally came to rest on the grand prize spot. Huo Yuanzhen was so excited his body was trembling slightly. To win the grand prize from among thirty-six items was truly a stroke of good luck—his palms were even sweating. Once he was certain the Grand Prize was secure, Huo Yuanzhen kept his eyes fixed on it. The light dot flickered a few times, then shot out again, spinning rapidly. After spinning a few times, the light spot came to a stop—and Huo Yuanzhen’s first prize of the Dragon Boat Festival was revealed. “Wooden Fish！” “This thing…” Huo Yuanzhen sighed inwardly. In the end, he hadn’t been able to avoid this Wooden Fish after all. He had no idea what the system was trying to accomplish by including such a thing—would it really help him in his future quest to unify the martial arts world? Although I wasn’t satisfied, there wasn’t time to dwell on it now—the light had already begun to spin again. “The Lotus Sutra.” The importance of a sutra to a temple goes without saying. Feeling satisfied, Huo Yuanzhen turned his attention to the final draw. As the light was about to stop, the first three items were the Plum Blossom Pillar Footwork, the Demon-Warding Robe, and a construction order for the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda. Faced with these three items, Huo Yuanzhen didn’t know which to choose. The Plum Blossom Pillar Footwork goes without saying—it’s an essential skill for any skilled monk, much like a model on the runway; if you can’t walk the catwalk, you’re unqualified. When paired with other martial arts, this footwork greatly enhances their power. Currently, he only knew the Iron Head Technique, and his combat effectiveness left much to be desired. If he could combine it with this footwork, he’d have a few more angles to choose from when ramming his head into opponents. The Demon-Warding Robe was even better. Just looking at the pattern—it shimmered with golden light—it was clearly no ordinary item. Even if it couldn’t quite compare to Tang Sanzang’s Brocade-Laced Robe, it probably wasn’t far off. It was perfectly suited for someone like Huo Yuanzhen, with his flamboyant, show-off personality. And that construction order for the Shaolin Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda is even more remarkable. A seven-story pagoda—never mind what’s inside—a structure of this magnitude alone is enough to make the Shaolin Temple a force to be reckoned with. For now, though, the Plum Blossom Piles were the most practical. “Just accept your fate!” Huo Yuanzhen didn’t dare look anymore—it was an agonizing choice. He wanted all three items, but couldn’t have them all, so he could only close his eyes and leave it to fate. About five seconds later, Huo Yuanzhen opened his eyes. The light had stopped, resting on the construction order for the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda. The draw was complete, and Huo Yuanzhen claimed his prize. It was an ordinary-looking Wooden Fish, accompanied by a small hammer used to strike it. Huo Yuanzhen picked it up and felt that the Wooden Fish was somewhat heavy. Out of curiosity, he gave it a tap. “Thwack!” The crisp sound of the Wooden Fish resonated, and to his surprise, Huo Yuanzhen felt his previously restless mind grow calm! It wasn’t just ordinary calm—it was a state of complete mental clarity! “This Wooden Fish…” Huo Yuanzhen was overjoyed—this Wooden Fish didn’t seem to be an ordinary object. After testing it a few more times, Huo Yuanzhen finally confirmed it: this Wooden Fish had the power to calm the mind! Upon hearing its sound, his mind grew serene, and all the sufferings of the world seemed as fleeting as passing clouds. This ability might not seem like much to martial artists, but for Huo Yuanzhen, it was of the utmost importance. What is the foundation of a temple’s development? People! Without new members joining the Shaolin Temple, there can be no talk of growth. But with this Wooden Fish, a single strike when the crowd gathers might just inspire many to voluntarily join the Shaolin Temple. Of course, Huo Yuanzhen would never recklessly tear apart happy, secular families, but allowing those suffering from hardship or who have lost the will to live to enter the Shaolin Temple is certainly a good thing. Or perhaps, in the future, using this Wooden Fish to conduct religious ceremonies could help ease people’s grief—which would also be a significant source of income for Yu Shaolin down the road. My treasure! The Wooden Fish had been found among the odds and ends, and from now on, Huo Yuanzhen would never dare to underestimate such items again. He carefully put the Wooden Fish away; it wasn’t yet time to reveal it to the world. Only when the Shaolin Temple had grown to a certain size would the time come to use it. The second item was the Lotus Sutra—an ancient, unadorned scripture that still carried the scent of ink. Huo Yuanzhen picked it up and began to leaf through it. Just as Huo Yuanzhen had imagined, the sutra was much like a martial arts manual: after reading through it himself, its contents immediately entered his mind. In about half an hour, Huo Yuanzhen had fully understood and mastered the entire sutra. Although Huo Yuanzhen didn’t particularly care for these items, it was always good to know a little more. After studying the entire sutra, it, like the martial arts manuals, reverted to its normal form as a sacred text. However, since the Shaolin Temple didn’t have such items, Huo Yuanzhen put the sutra away. The last item was the construction order for the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda. The construction order for the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda was quite small—a tiny token stating that using it would grant him the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda. Holding the token in his hand, Huo Yuanzhen’s mind raced. The Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda—could there really be over ten thousand Buddha statues inside? If that were the case, it seemed he might be able to make something of it. In his previous life, Huo Yuanzhen had heard that during the consecration ceremonies of certain temples, miraculous phenomena would manifest. Although he didn’t believe in such things himself, many people certainly did. Word spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, eventually turning the stories into vivid, detailed accounts—such as clouds in the sky transforming into the likeness of Bodhisattvas to manifest their divine presence, or golden light enveloping the temple grounds—which led to an ever-growing number of devout followers. If even those fake miracles could attract such a large following, then when he used the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda and a massive pagoda suddenly appeared out of thin air, wouldn’t the people around him be utterly amazed? If he then stirred up some publicity at that moment, it would surely have a powerful effect. Moreover, based on my experience from my previous life, the Buddha statues inside the pagoda serve a very important purpose: anyone who donates money to support the temple’s operations can receive a Buddha statue from within the pagoda. These statues aren’t meant to be taken home; instead, they’re kept inside the pagoda, with each one inscribed with the donor’s name, the amount of silver donated, and a message stating that the Buddha will bless their household with peace in the future. Leaving these statues inside the pagoda had another benefit: donors could use the opportunity to flaunt their wealth. After all, virtually everyone who visited the temple would enter the Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas to admire it, and having their names on display for others to see was certainly a source of prestige. Later generations of Buddhists also turned their attention to money and had a keen understanding of people’s vanity. Whether the Buddha’s blessings were real or not, the goal of raising funds was ultimately achieved. Naturally, Huo Yuanzhen would not fail to capitalize on this insight, which is why, in his eyes, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda had become an invaluable treasure. However, the timing of its use had to be just right; he had to choose the moment when the crowd was at its peak. When people saw a pagoda appear out of thin air, they would naturally assume the Buddha had manifested—only then would the effect be most striking, and there would surely be many willing to donate money for Buddha statues. This time, he drew three items. The only slight regret was not obtaining a martial arts manual, but Huo Yuanzhen was content nonetheless. He hadn’t expected such good fortune during the holiday; without it, he would have had to wait until next month to draw again.