The Shaolin Abbot Born in the 1980s

Chapter 33: Southern Shaolin

Grabbing a yellow gourd, Huo Yuanzhen raced down the back of the mountain like a whirlwind. It wasn’t until he reached the shore of Yinma Lake that Huo Yuanzhen finally came to a stop. He was still shaken by the palm strike the old man had delivered moments ago; today, he had truly witnessed the power of a master of internal martial arts’ palm wind. From dozens of zhang away, a single “Splitting the Air Palm”—had his lightness skills not been sufficient, he would likely have been blown to pieces by that strike. Even if it had struck him on the head, his “Iron Head Technique” might not have been enough to withstand it—after all, internal palm power differs from external force, and no matter how good the “Iron Head Technique” is, it’s still an external art. Thinking back on what happened in the cave, that old man probably mistook me for the tiger. He must have thought the gourd he kicked with his foot would be enough to kill or scare the tiger away. Little did he expect it would hit my Iron Head—not only did it fail to hurt me, but it actually allowed me to seize the opportunity and make off with the gourd. Although he wasn’t injured, being struck on the head by the gourd still left him feeling a bit dizzy. Huo Yuanzhen secretly resolved that as long as he wasn’t confident he could handle that old man, he would never enter that cave again without good reason. After all, the old man was chained to that enormous alchemical furnace with those strange iron chains and couldn’t leave the cave; he likely couldn’t come out to cause trouble either—otherwise, he would have done so long ago. With his mind at ease, Huo Yuanzhen picked up the yellow gourd and examined it closely. The gourd was enormous—at least twice the size of a typical ripe gourd—with a smooth, golden-yellow surface that was exceptionally beautiful. Holding it in his hand, he found it surprisingly heavy. Huo Yuanzhen shook it a few times from side to side, and a clattering sound came from inside. “Could it be that it’s filled with elixirs?” There was a spout on top of the gourd, and Huo Yuanzhen pulled it off. As he opened the spout, a delicate fragrance wafted out; the moment Huo Yuanzhen inhaled it, he felt his mind clear instantly. He turned the gourd upside down and gave it a gentle shake; several red pills rolled out. Huo Yuanzhen picked up one pill, sniffed it, and examined it closely. The fragrance was overwhelming; it must be some kind of medicinal remedy for injuries. However, he didn’t dare try it rashly. He thought he’d better go back and ask Guan Shanyue—after all, the old man was quite advanced in years and had spent many years in the martial arts world, with a wealth of experience; perhaps he would recognize this type of medicine. He looked around but couldn’t find any sign of the tiger. Not bothering to search for it, Huo Yuanzhen took the gourd back to the Shaolin Temple. Before he reached the back gate, he happened to run into a group of Shaolin monks who were preparing to go to Yinma Lake that afternoon to practice martial arts. Huo Yuanzhen hurriedly stopped Guan Shanyue. The two returned to the Shaolin Temple. Once inside, Huo Yuanzhen locked the door and took out one of the pills to show Guan Shanyue. “Yichen, do you recognize this pill?” Guan Shanyue took the pill, examined it for a moment, and said hesitantly, “Senior Brother Abbot, I’ve never seen this kind of pill before.” Huo Yuanzhen was slightly disappointed and was about to take the pill back when Guan Shanyue added, “However, this elixir is very well crafted. It has a refreshing fragrance. It seems somewhat similar to a medicinal substance mentioned in legends.” “What medicine?” Guan Shanyue sat down and thought for a while before saying, “Senior Brother, when I first arrived here and saw that this place was called Shaolin Temple, I felt a bit skeptical, because This Humble Monk has heard that there’s another temple in the south also called Shaolin Temple.” “Another Shaolin Temple? Where is it?” Huo Yuanzhen’s interest was piqued. “In the south, there’s a place called Quanzhou. It’s said there’s also a temple there called Shaolin. However, this old man has never been there. In our Central Plains region, that Shaolin isn’t well-known, but in the Quanzhou area, the Shaolin Temple is quite famous. The monks there rarely go out to beg for alms or perform religious rituals; their main source of income comes from making and selling medicine. If they encounter someone wealthy, they accept payment; if they encounter someone without money,they treat them for free. They seem to have a very good reputation, but they never get involved in the affairs of the martial arts world—they’re truly a reclusive sect.” “The Southern Shaolin Temple?” Huo Yuanzhen thought for a moment, then suddenly recalled the Old Monk Xuanming. It seemed the Old Monk Xuanming had said something as he was dying, but since that was right around the time he had been transported here, his memory of it was a bit hazy. Guan Shanyue continued, “There are three most famous medicines at the Shaolin Temple. The first is the most common—the ‘Golden Wound Ointment,’ an excellent remedy for external injuries. Whenever locals suffer from bruises or sprains, they go to Shaolin to seek this medicine.” Upon hearing Guan Shanyue mention the wound ointment, Huo Yuanzhen recalled the pile of ointment-like substances he’d seen earlier in the cave. Could that have been the wound ointment? “Their second remedy is extremely famous throughout the martial arts world; it’s called the ‘Elixir of Immortality.’ Not only can the Elixir of Immortality treat external injuries, but it’s also remarkably effective for internal injuries. It can heal wounds caused by palm strikes or internal energy, and even when taken by someone uninjured, it serves to strengthen the body’s foundation and nourish the vital energy.” “It is said that the ‘Elixir of Immortality’ is a red pill—fragrant and smooth—refined from a variety of rare medicinal herbs. Even the Shaolin Temple does not possess many of them, so this elixir is not easily given away. Those in the martial arts world often have to pay a heavy price to purchase a single pill. I see that the one I hold in my hand now bears some resemblance to the legendary ‘Elixir of Immortality.’ ” Before Guan Shanyue could finish speaking, Huo Yuanzhen had already become almost certain that this gourd full of pills was indeed the Elixir of Immortality. There was a huge pile of wound medicine in the cave, and if these were indeed the Elixir of Immortality, there were also dozens of gourds of them inside. Even before Guan Shanyue mentioned the final type, Huo Yuanzhen had already guessed it: the last elixir must be the Elixir of Immortality. Inside the cave were two even larger red gourds, which most likely contained the Elixir of Immortality. Sure enough, Guan Shanyue continued, “The legend surrounding the last one is even more extraordinary. It’s called the Elixir of Immortality, the treasured artifact of the Shaolin Temple. It seems the Elixir of Immortality has rarely appeared in the entire martial arts world. Legend has it that no matter how severe a person’s injuries—whether external, internal, or from poison—as long as there is still a breath of life left, the Elixir of Immortality can save them and restore them to their former self in no time.” “Is it really that miraculous?” “Yes, but not many in the martial arts world know about the Elixir of Immortality. I, too, first heard the story of it by chance, though I never took it seriously before. Now that I’ve seen the Small Elixir of Immortality the Abbot is holding, I’m beginning to believe it a little more.” Holding the Elixir of Immortality in his hand and examining it closely, Guan Shanyue suddenly asked, “Abbot, since you were able to obtain such a miraculous elixir as the Elixir of Immortality, could it be that you have some connection to the Shaolin Temple in the south?” As Guan Shanyue spoke, he nodded repeatedly to himself: “It must be so. We’re called Shaolin here, and the one in the south is also called Shaolin—there’s bound to be some connection. Plus, since you have that Elixir of Immortality from Shaolin, Abbot, I imagine you must have originally come from the south.” Huo Yuanzhen shook his head. “This Southern Shaolin Temple—it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of it.” “Then what about this elixir?” “I came across it by chance. All right, you may go now.” Guan Shanyue handed the ‘Elixir of Immortality’ to Huo Yuanzhen, then said, “With this elixir in the Abbot’s possession, the lives of us Shaolin disciples are one step safer. However, this elixir is extremely precious. Although some in the martial arts world are willing to pay a thousand taels of silver for it, it remains a rare commodity—hard to find on the market. The Abbot must under no circumstances bring it out in public.” Huo Yuanzhen nodded in agreement, and Guan Shanyue went back outside to continue teaching the others martial arts. After Guan Shanyue left, Huo Yuanzhen emptied a gourd of pills onto the ground, counted them, and discovered that the gourd contained exactly one hundred Elixirs of Immortality. These were true treasures. Huo Yuanzhen carefully put them away, thinking to himself that there were still dozens of gourds in the cave; if they all contained the Elixir of Immortality, that would amount to several thousand pills. Moreover, that pile of wound medicine was also very useful. As for those two red gourds, Huo Yuanzhen was even more eager to get his hands on them—after all, they might very well contain the divine Elixir of Immortality. However, Huo Yuanzhen dared not make a move just yet. Even if he went with Guan Shanyue, they would likely be no match for the old man on the back mountain; he could only plan to tackle this gradually in the future. After putting the Small Elixir of Immortality away, Huo Yuanzhen began searching the room. He had recalled certain details: back then, the old monk Xuanming had indeed given him instructions regarding his martial arts lineage and had apparently left a letter for Huo Yuanzhen to open at a later date. However, since that was precisely when Huo Yuanzhen had been transported to this world, he had completely forgotten about it. After rummaging through the room for quite a while, relying on his vague memories, Huo Yuanzhen finally unearthed the letter from under the bed. The letter was covered in dust; it hadn’t been touched in a long time. It must have been written by the Old Monk Xuanming long ago and placed there. Huo Yuanzhen opened the letter and read it carefully. Perhaps because so much time had passed, the space under the bed was still somewhat damp. When Huo Yuanzhen pulled out the letter, he discovered that much of the handwriting had already become blurred and illegible. From the legible portions, Huo Yuanzhen learned that Xuanming had originally been a disciple of the Southern Shaolin Temple but had apparently left the sect due to some incident. As for the man on the back mountain, Xuanming described him as a dangerous figure, but Huo Yuanzen could not make out the rest of the text. At the end of the letter, Xuanming expressed his hope that Huo Yuanzhen would complete the task he had entrusted to him, then return to the Southern Shaolin Temple with the items and his ashes so that he could be laid to rest among his ancestors. However, the most crucial details—the identity of the mysterious figure and the task Xuanming had entrusted to him—remained illegible. After poring over it for a long time to no avail, Huo Yuanzhen put the letter away in frustration. What on earth did this master want him to do?