Under the sky
Chapter 9 Side Story: Juekong
Chapter 9 Side Story: Juekong
When it comes to the Mu family, no one knows about it in Kaifeng, Henan.The Mu family started out in the silk business and is the largest prominent family in the area. There are more than 600 families in the area alone, with more than [-] relatives.In this world, the words "rich enough to rival the country" are outdated. Of course, such a boast is too much even for a family like the Mu family, but "rich enough to rival the faction" is more appropriate.Of course, it refers to sects other than the Nine Families.
In order to facilitate the exchanges between relatives, the clan leader Mu Kun surrounded a large area of land with a radius of five miles and built a four-foot-high city wall around the land.The city wall can be used for pedestrians, and there is also a guard station. There is a gate on the east and west sides, which can accommodate a four-horse carriage. The streets in the middle are neat and there are hundreds of manors and mansions for the tribesmen to live.This was a huge project, and thousands of craftsmen were recruited successively. Mu Kun did not make it to completion and left after waiting for 15 years.
The new patriarch is Mu Qing, Mu Kun's eldest son.Mu Qing followed his father's instructions and continued the project.Another seven years later, Mu Qing gave birth to a son with a single name and a nickname of Jie.Mu Qing's intention was that he hoped that the child would work hard and maintain the family business.Three more years later, Mujiazhuang was finally completed, and Mu Qingti was named.
This small town took a full 25 years to build.
This was originally the residence of the Mu family, so it should be named "Garden". However, "Mu Garden" is really unpleasant and taboo. Secondly, this scale can no longer be called a residence, but should be called a small city.But it would be too strange to name it "Mu's City", and it would have too much of a Jianghu flavor if it were called "Mu's Fort".The Mu family was just a businessman, and most of the people in the clan practiced martial arts just for their own entertainment. Mu Qing was a down-to-earth and simple person, and he didn't want to give him a fancy name, so he simply wrote a name and called it "Mujiazhuang".
On the day the Mujiazhuang was completed, Mu Qing opened a thousand tables and held a flowing banquet for seven days. Food was served day and night. Local residents, businessmen and travelers from the north and south, rich and poor, old and young, all were entertained with good wine and good food as long as they were willing to serve. .The completion of such a unique mansion made the residents of Kaifeng City feel proud. In addition, Mu Qing was a pious believer in Buddhism and had a good reputation in the local area. Everyone rushed to tell each other, and Kaifeng was really peaceful and festive in those days. .
However, amidst the joy, only an old fortune-teller in the east of the city was unhappy.He looked at the feng shui of Mu's village and saw that everything around him was watertight. He sighed and said, "Mu is surrounded by people. Isn't it just a sleepy character?" A bottle of bad wine went home to drown my sorrows.
In addition to the more than 600 members of the Mu family in more than [-] households, there are also [-] bodyguards, [-] servants, and hundreds of stables and horses living in this small town. The wine cellar contains hundreds of jars of Shaoxing wine.Mu Qing is not a person who likes wine and is extravagant. He only spends a few drinks. To the Mu family, these seemingly luxurious expenses are just normal expenses for daily life, not to mention the millet of corn in the granary and the chickens and ducks in the livestock pen. There is no shortage of cattle or sheep.
Mu Qing's father, Mu Kun, built this small city not just to enclose the land for his own entertainment, or to isolate himself from the world. He had witnessed too many martial arts vendettas, disputes and chaos. In that world that was first seeing peace, this was a precautionary measure.And even though 30 years have passed since the Kunlun Conference, there are still conflicts in the world from time to time.
Mu Qing understands this.Every year on the Buddha's birthday, he would go to Shaolin with his family to worship the Buddha and donate a considerable sum of money for sesame oil. On his way back, he would also visit the Songshan sect east of Shaoshi Mountain.No matter how much you pay homage to Shaolin that year, you still add the same amount of sesame oil to the Songshan Zhongyue Temple Sect.If we talk about the difference, the one given to Shaolin is out of piety, while the one given to Songshan is out of politeness.
One monk came together, separated only by Shaoshi Mountain.Shaolin is in the west and Songshan Mountain is in the east.
Kaifeng happens to be east of Shaoshi Mountain.
After the Kunlun Conference, the nine sects divided their territories. At that time, Songshan was just the largest sect under the jurisdiction of Shaolin. Thirty years have passed, and in the Shaolin Temple, only the sound of sutras and no sounds of the secular world are heard.
25 years ago, there were more and more Songshan disciples in Kaifeng, and the Iron Sword Sect in Shangqiu was vaguely more considerate to Songshan than to Shaolin.
22 years ago, the Taishan sect and the Songshan sect were married, and since then the Songshan sect has not separated.
18 years ago, all horse thieves in Shandong were wiped out.In the name of protecting their hometown and territory, Songshan disciples sent people to establish Taoist temples in Shandong and recruit apprentices to teach them.
Nine years ago, a wanted criminal in Wudang fled to Shandong, where he was captured and killed by Songshan disciples. His body was returned to Wudang, but the Shaolin monks stationed at Lingyan Temple knew nothing about it.
Nowadays, all the sects in Shandong, big and small, only listen to Songshan's orders.
Kaifeng and Shangqiu areas are at the choke point from Shandong to Shaolin Temple, so they have become embarrassing places.Because they are close to Shaolin, there are many monks walking around in these two places. Although there are many temples, there are also many Taoist temples.
It was not until the completion of Mujiazhuang that Mu Qing felt a little relieved.
Mu Jie has grown much taller than other children of the same age since he was a child.Ever since he was sensible, he had lived in Mujiazhuang. When he went out, he would meet either uncles, aunts or cousins. He had maids and slaves at his disposal, and he had good food and clothing. By the time he was five years old, There was a master who taught him how to read and write, and occasionally left the Mu family village. He was surrounded by bodyguards when he came in and out, making him look like the little prince in the middle of nowhere.
When Mu Jie was six years old, Songshan sent famous invitations to Wulin and held a Wulin banquet.This move directly bypassed the Shaolin Temple. For some reason, the Shaolin Temple didn't care and even sent an envoy to participate.At the martial arts banquet, envoys from the nine families gathered together, including Yan Yingqi, the brother of the head of the Huashan clan. The Beggar Clan also sent Peng Zhenhao, then the helmsman of the Fuzhou branch and a member of the Peng family of the Five Tigers and the Cutting Sword, to attend the meeting.Peng Zhenhao also has a nickname called Peng Lao Beggar.Although he is called old, he was actually only 35 years old at the time.Although his position as the leader of the Fuzhou branch is low, he is a heroic figure who has become famous in recent years.Everyone thought that he would be one of the three chief rudders after the Beggar Clan. His participation in the meeting showed that his status was not too high, but he also showed respect for Songshan.The etiquette is quite clever.
At the martial arts banquet, the Songshan Sect announced in public that it would change its name to the Songyang Sect, with the yang of Songshan as Songyang and the yin of Songshan as Shaolin, to avoid the partiality of Shaolin monopolizing the name of Songshan.He also asked Wudang envoys to report back to the leader of the Kunlun consensus alliance at that time - Taoist Master Gusong of the Wudang sect, saying that they were both of Taoist origin and were willing to form an alliance.
Now, no matter how stubborn Shaolin Temple is, it cannot remain silent.Since Songshan was mentioned as Shaolin Temple, the Songshan sect changed its name to Songyang. On the surface, it was to avoid misnomers, but in fact it was divided into two.Since the Songshan Sect is under the jurisdiction of Shaolin, what's wrong with calling Songshan Shaolin?What's more, the Songshan Sect is not one of the Nine Families, so how can it be qualified to form an alliance with Wudang?
So, at the martial arts banquet, the Shaolin envoy accused Songshan of violating the rules. Cao Lingxue, the head of Songshan, used the topic to accuse the Shaolin Temple of being unconventional and incompetent in governance, and drove the Shaolin monks out.The envoys from each faction knew that something was unusual, so they left one after another and reported back to the sect.Cao Lingxue specially stayed with Yan Yingqi of the Huashan School to talk secretly, and then Yan Yingqi left alone.
Then the Shaosong Controversy broke out, in the 33rd year of Kunlun, in May of Xia.
This was the biggest sect war since the Kunlun Conference, but the outcome of the battle was astonishing.Zhongyue Temple is only separated from Shaolin by a mountain. As soon as the Shaolin envoy stepped back to the temple gate, the Songshan sect had already come out in force, and more than a thousand disciples surrounded the Shaolin Temple.At that time, most of the eminent monks in power in Shaolin were of the Zhi generation, and Abbot Zhiquan ordered the temple doors to be closed tightly to avoid enemies.
This first step was already wrong. The strength of the Songshan Sect could not compete with Shaolin. Although they were caught off guard, there were still more than a thousand monks in the Shaolin Temple, so they would not be at a disadvantage in the battle.But Zhiquan is an eminent monk and cannot bear to fight and kill people. He just wants to refuse war with peace.
The Songshan Sect had already sent someone to report this delay, and members of all the gangs in Shandong responded and arrived one after another.In less than a month, the number of people surrounding Shaolin exceeded [-]. At this time, Shaolin thought it was impossible to fight.Not only that, there was a shortage of food and grass in the temple, but reinforcements from Songshan Mountain continued to arrive.
Cao Lingxue surrounded Shaolin, but was trapped but not attacked. The villains were ambushing everywhere.At this time, upon hearing that the Holy Land was under siege, Shaolin disciples from Hebei, Henan, and Shanxi rushed to the rescue.The abbots of each temple were highly practiced, but no one was good at fighting. The reinforcements went their own way and only said they would unite with Shaolin, but no one was in charge. Before they reached Shaoshi Mountain, they were ambushed in dangerous places, either dead or injured. This move to encircle the city and bring reinforcements defeated the Shaolin Temple. At a loss.
Abbot Zhiquan could not wait for reinforcements and saw that there was no food in the temple, so he had to go to war.The temple door opened wide, and thousands of monks poured out. The Songshan Sect was defeated in one battle and retreated deep into the woods outside the temple.The monks thought they had a chance of victory and took advantage of the situation to attack Zhongyue Temple, but they were ambushed halfway.A fire in the forest killed more than 1000 monks and injured more than 400. The chiefs of Samantabhadra Monastery and Guanyin Monastery, the abbots of Zhengjian, Zhengming and Zhengjin Halls died in the battle, and the leader of Wenshu Monastery led the monks. Fight to the death and escape back to the temple. More than [-] people went out to fight, but only [-] escaped. The rest were either killed or captured.
It is said that Beggar Peng, who was in Hubei at the time, commented on this incident: "This is good. At least the food problem has been solved. I just don't know if the monks can get used to the food of Taoists."
Abbot Zhiquan had nothing to do, but the Buddha's heart was filled with grief, so he held a ritual ceremony and chanted sutras for the deceased to liberate him.At this time, it was not difficult for Songshan to take down Shaolin. Seeing that this thousand-year-old temple was about to fall in an instant, Cao Lingxue suddenly stood still.
At the same time, another little-known incident was that Yan Yingqi caused trouble in Wudang.Many people thought this was an irrelevant matter, but no one asked why Yan Yingqi appeared in Wudang?
The war also spread to Mujiazhuang in Kaifeng.
After the Shaosong War began, Mu Qing ordered all tribesmen not to leave the Mujiazhuang, and more than [-] invited bodyguards patrolled day and night.
The first batch of martial arts people to enter Kaifeng were from the Songshan sect. They received instructions early to enter from Shandong and passed through Kaifeng.They immediately rushed to Shaolin for support and did not stay in Kaifeng.The same was true for the subsequent batches of Songshan troops, some fifty, one or two hundred.
It was not until two months later that news of the Shaolin Temple's defeat came, making people panic.Mu Qing had prepared for the worst. Even if Kaifeng fell into the control of the Songshan Sect, it would not affect the Mu family's livelihood.But if the war drags on, it will be hard to say.
It was September, and more than 200 Shaolin disciples from Xinyang bypassed the ambush and arrived in Kaifeng.They planned to gather troops here and attack the Songshan Sect from the rear.
They heard the news that another group of Songshan troops, numbering about 300 people, also arrived in Kaifeng from Shandong.
An encounter is bound to begin in Kaifeng.
Therefore, the castle and terrain of Mujiazhuang became the key to victory or defeat.Whoever occupies Mujiazhuang will be able to remain undefeated with the advantage of the city wall. Even for Shaolin Temple, Mujiazhuang will be a good base for them to gather their troops.
The Shaolin disciples came from the west gate, while the Songshan disciples arrived from the east gate. Both sides did not realize that they were only separated from the other group by a Mu family village. At the same time, they handed over their greeting cards and asked Mu Qing to enter the village in order to arrange the war.
Mu Qing immediately fell into trouble.Although he worshiped the Buddha, he did not want to offend Songshan, especially after hearing that Shaolin was defeated, it would be difficult for anyone to enter the village.What's more, he heard that a large number of Shaolin disciples were coming soon, and Shandong was nearby, and many disciples of the Taishan Sect were rushing to Kaifeng for reinforcements.
Mu Qing returned the invitation, declined both parties, and refused to help. This was the best solution he could think of.
However, the opposite happened.After he refused, more than a hundred disciples of the Songshan Sect immediately launched an offensive against Mujiazhuang.By occupying Mujiazhuang, they can gain terrain advantage, which is very important to them.
Mu Kun spent 25 years building a fortress to protect his family, but now it has become the cause of his disaster.The bodyguards who guard the courtyard are not as good as regular disciples in martial arts. Especially in the past few years, they have lived a leisurely life in Mujiazhuang and have no fighting spirit.More than a dozen Songshan disciples threw off their hooks and climbed up the city wall. Some were blocked and cut off, and their heads were bruised and bloody. Some were smart enough to jump onto the city wall and fight with the guards on the wall. In the blink of an eye, they were there. More than ten people were injured or killed.More Songshan disciples took the opportunity to climb up the city wall. Once the number of people increased, they quickly occupied several city tops and gradually moved towards the city gate.
Seeing this situation, Mu Qing knew that no matter whether he won or lost, he would definitely have a grudge with the Songshan Sect. He quickly sent someone to open the west gate and invite the Shaolin disciples to help defend.
When the Shaolin disciples rushed to the east gate, it had already been breached. Although more than twenty Songshan disciples were killed, the Mu family nursing home suffered more serious casualties.The Shaolin disciples shouted loudly to kill and rushed into the battle formation. They were all skilled in martial arts, which was completely different from the ordinary guards. The Songshan disciples were exhausted from the battle. After a fierce battle, more than thirty disciples died and the rest were injured. Get away.
Mu Qing immediately ordered the city gate to be closed.
He knew that Mujiazhuang had become a battlefield, so he asked his wife to clean up her family and take her son Mu Jie to Wudang to avoid trouble. He also let the Mu family members disperse, but he stayed to guard Mujiazhuang.
More than [-] years ago, when he was still young, he watched with his own eyes as this wasteland was swept out of the first clearing and the first bricks were stacked. Even if it would become scorched earth later, he would stay here and guard this place. The proud Mujiazhuang.
Before the clansmen could pack their belongings, early the next morning, Mu Qing climbed onto the city wall. By the east gate, dust could be seen flying in the distance.It was at least a procession of more than 500 people, with the Chinese flag "Song" flying in the wind.
On the city wall, the leading Shaolin disciple shouted: "Don't panic, everyone, Brother Zhang is about to come! When Brother Zhang comes, there is nothing to fear from these thieves!" All the Shaolin disciples shouted in unison, their morale was boosted, and they seemed to be worried about the thieves. "Senior Brother Zhang" is extremely confident.
Mu Qing didn't have any confidence.
Before the Songshan sect invaded, the Mu family members dispersed. They only took away some money and left the horses for the Shaolin monks to use in battle.Only Mu Jie and her son, because of their special status, had a carriage and two nursing staff to escort them away.
In this way, Mu Jie followed his mother to Wudang.On the way, two guards took advantage of the money and robbed the carriage of silver. The mother and son had to beg all the way and fled to Hubei. The ups and downs of the journey made Mu Jie, who had never experienced hardship, unforgettable for the rest of his life.
After finally arriving in Wudang, the then head of Wudang, Taoist Gu Song, was in Kunlun, and the acting head, Gu Xu, took them in.They lived in Wudang for three months and heard new news.
The eight-month Shaosong War was over.
The Songshan Sect was defeated. Cao Lingxue stepped down as the leader and gave way to his disciple Han Moying, who went to Shaolin to be imprisoned.Not to mention Cao Lingxue died of illness in Shaolin 15 years later. After the great defeat at that time, the Songshan Sect also left Zhongyue Temple and moved to Mount Tai.In order to avoid intensifying conflicts, although Shaolin is nominally the master of the Songshan Sect, in fact, affairs in Shandong, no matter how big or small, are mostly handled by Songshan itself without reporting.
The Shaosong Controversy changed many things. For Mu Jie, who was only seven years old, the biggest change was his home.
Mujiazhuang turned into a scorched earth.
The city walls have collapsed, and as far as the eye can see are ruins and ruins. Only the burned embers of the originally gorgeous manor remain. How can the gardens where we used to play still smell the birds singing and the fragrance of flowers? Twenty-five years of accumulation and hard work have resulted in less than three years of prosperity and a wasteland that needs to be cleaned up.
Mu Jie saw his mother kneeling in front of her old home and crying, but he did not see his father who came to greet him.
The person who came was a monk, about forty years old, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, quite heroic.
"The poor monk Ziqiu, who knows autumn with just one leaf. Is he the son of the Mu family?"
The Mu family was ruined, and the clan members never came back.Monk Ziqiu took in Mujie's mother and son and built a Jinglu Temple on the site of Mujie's family.
"Only by extinguishing the fire of karma with pure dew can we eliminate worries, eliminate disasters and appease the souls of the dead." Master Ziqiu said this.
Mu Jie discovered that Master Ziqiu was very different from other monks.When other monks of his generation recited morning and evening sutras, Master Ziqiu did not participate. Compared with the rigor of other monks, Master Ziqiu seemed a bit frivolous. As the abbot of Jinglu Temple, he actually had a wife and children.
"My name is Zhang Jizhi." Mu Jie first met Master Ziqiu's son when he was ten years old.He wanted to take Ziqiu as his teacher, so Ziqiu introduced his son to him.
"He is two years older than you and started school earlier than you. You will call him senior brother from now on."
Mu Jie saluted and called, "Hello, senior brother."
Zhang Jizhi raised his face, stretched out his hand to mark between their foreheads, and said in surprise: "You are so tall." He then said, "Come on, junior brother, I will take you to practice kung fu."
Ziqiu smiled and said, "You want to teach others the three-legged cat kung fu? Go ahead and walk on horseback."
Zhang Jizhi pouted: "Mom asked me to go to school."
Ziqiu said: "You also need to read books and practice martial arts. None of them should be wasted. Don't forget, what is your name?"
Zhang Jizhi said: "My name is Zhang Jizhi. I want to inherit my father's reputation, and I need to be both civil and military to live up to the name of Zhang Qiuchi, the iron-pen painter."
Ziqiu laughed and said, "That's it. After studying, you have to learn to write, you know?"
Boss Zhang Jizhi nodded unhappily and pulled Mu Jie away.
After that, Mu Jie and Zhang Jizhi practiced martial arts, wrote and read together.Mu Jie was taller than Zhang Jizhi not only in height but also in talent. He was also more diligent and diligent than Zhang Jizhi.
His efforts puzzled Zhang Jizhi.
One time, Zhang Jizhi asked: "I've known you for so long and I've never seen you take a break. Why are you working so hard?"
Mu Jie replied: "My father gave me the name Jie, which means that I should work hard and maintain the family business."
Zhang Jizhi asked: "Where did you get your family property? That shabby house?"
These words stung Mu Jie.He once had a family property, where Jinglu Temple was located. There used to be a road that could lead to horse-drawn carriages, and there were also splendid manors.The guardian stood on the city wall. He was flying a kite with his cousin. The servants were calling behind him, waiting for him to eat quickly.In the summer, he still had cold watermelons picked up from the well, with a mouthful of pulp and sweet juice. He only took two bites and threw them on the table because he wanted to eat lychees sent from the south.
But he doesn't blame Zhang Jizhi. He is the son of the abbot of Jinglu Temple and he has never experienced this.
When he was 15 years old, Ziqiu took him to his father's tomb.
In addition to flowers, fruits and vegetables, Ziqiu also prepared a plate of Kung Pao Chicken, a bowl of roasted elbow, a bowl of abalone fillet soup, and a bottle of Shaoxing wine.
It is really nondescript for a monk to prepare so many meat dishes for worship.
But he knew that his mother had said that these were the things his father loved to eat.But now, even I can't eat these things a few times.
Ziqiu bowed to Mu Qing's grave, pulled Mu Jie to kowtow three times, and then asked Mu Jie to sit down.
"I never told you how your father died, right?" Ziqiu said, "Do you want to know?"
"It was the Songshan sect that killed me," Mu Jie said. "They set fire to the Mu family village and killed my father."
"It was the Songshan sect that killed him. This is only mostly true, but not entirely." Ziqiu said, "The fire that burned your father to death was not set by the Songshan sect."
Mu Jie was stunned and asked, "If it's not the Songshan sect, who is that?" At this point, he seemed to have thought of something and looked at his master in horror.
Ziqiu said: "The Songshan sect knew that we would gather at Mujiazhuang and attack their retreat, so they sent 400 disciples from Songshan, together with 120 Taishan disciples from Shandong, to surround Mujiazhuang. At that time , there are only more than [-] Shaolin disciples guarding Mujiazhuang, and with a hundred people fighting against a thousand, even if they rely on the terrain of Mujiazhuang, they must be defeated."
Mu Jie asked: "Didn't you say there would be reinforcements? Aren't the Shaolin disciples going to gather in Kaifeng and cut off the retreat from Songshan Mountain?"
"There will be no reinforcements." Ziqiu shook his head, thought for a while, and continued, "I deliberately gave this false news to the Songshan sect. From the beginning, the only people guarding Kaifeng were Bai Yu who was the first to arrive. Disciple, and me."
Mu Jie was puzzled at first, and then suddenly realized: "Is this bait?"
Ziqiu said: "It's not just a bait." He thought for a moment and then said, "To break the siege of Shaolin, we must disperse the troops of the Songshan Sect surrounding Shaolin. As soon as we entered Mujiazhuang, in addition to defending the city, we also Everything is covered with straw, kerosene and other flammable materials. Your father will know what we are going to do when he sees it."
Mu Jie said: "You want to burn the city?!"
Ziqiu nodded and said: "You are very smart. It would be great if I could be half as smart and diligent as you." He sighed. Only when he mentioned his son, he could not help but sigh. Regarding the past events of Mujiazhuang , and said as if it was an ordinary thing, "Your father wanted to stop us, but I didn't agree to it. We asked him to leave, but he refused. He said that this place was the Mu family's 30 years of hard work, and he saw the high-rise building with his own eyes. Get up, but also to see if his building collapses."
"The day before the army attacked, we wanted to take him away by force. He first begged, and then threatened to die. He also said that once he left Mujiazhuang, he would yell so loudly that everyone would know, and finally said that he would He set fire to himself. At this time, the city is full of flammable materials, and a small fire is enough to cause a catastrophe and make the plan fail. I respect his determination and agree to let him stay in the village."
Mu Jie listened, and he had already guessed what happened next.
"We were lying in ambush outside the city. Your father closed the city gate and stayed at your former residence, Jinglu Temple, waiting for the disciples of the Songshan Sect to break through the city gate. They rushed in and saw an empty city before they could find your father. , about a hundred of us guarded the front and back gates, fired rockets into the city, and suddenly flames shot into the sky. The Songshan disciples fled in a hurry, and we blocked the city gate, unable to advance or retreat. We were either captured or killed. More than a thousand disciples only managed to escape by chance. People came, and the Mujiazhuang became a scorched earth." "So the nectar of Jinglu Temple is actually to extinguish the fire in my father." Mu Jie said, "It is to commemorate my father's sacrifice of life and the six generations of the Mu family. An inheritance for more than a hundred people?"
"Your father was a devout believer. It is said that he chanted the Buddha's name before his death and passed away peacefully."
Mu Jie shook his head and said: "That's impossible. Although my father believes in Buddhism, he is not that pious. His body was burned by the fire, so he must have died miserably."
Ziqiu did not deny Mu Jie's words, but only asked: "What else do you want to ask about your father?"
Mu Jie asked: "Master is only half right when he says that the Songshan sect killed my father, but not all of it. The rest, is it you, Master?"
Ziqiu said: "Although I have regrets, even if I had to do it over ten times, I would still set a fire. What should be done must be done, and your father's death cannot be blamed on me."
"Then who should be responsible for the other half?" Mu Jie asked, "Is it because my father is pedantic?"
Ziqiu pointed to the west and said, "It's the group of monks from Shaolin Temple."
Mu Jie asked: "How do you say it was the Shaolin Temple that caused the harm?"
"If it weren't for their incompetence, how could Songshan be so powerful, and how could it cause the Shaosong conflict, which resulted in so many casualties? What else can those monks who recite the Buddha's name do except pray? Relying on the Buddha to bless Shaolin and protect Kaifeng, To protect the people of the four provinces under the jurisdiction of Shaolin?" Ziqiu became more and more angry as he spoke, and in the end he gritted his teeth.
It was the first time that Mu Jie saw his master so angry and excited, and it was also the first time that he heard a monk insulting Shaolin and even the Buddha.Although he had long suspected that the master was not an ordinary monk.
"At a time when life and death are at stake, lay disciples are required to be ordained and enter the church in order to command the battle and lead the brothers. These arrogant monks are the other half of the culprits who killed your father! Mu Jie, you must remember to let power rest with you. In the hands of the incompetent, there will be disaster, and innocent people like your father will be killed! You must remember that it is not the Buddha who protects the residents of these four provinces, but the Shaolin Temple! You must remember..."
Then he heard that sentence, the most deviant sentence for Shaolin Temple:
"Buddha can be destroyed, but Shaolin cannot be destroyed!"
Mu Jie did not blame his master, he knew that his master was right.
When Mu Jie was 17 years old, Zhang Jizhi was still as lazy as ever. He did not inherit his father's intelligence and was far behind Mu Jie in terms of martial arts and literary talent.
Even without the upbringing of his father, even if he was taught by a master, Mu Jie would always walk upright, sit steadily, and behave in a measured manner.The older Mu Jie gets, the sharper his eyes become. What Zhang Jizhi doesn't know is that many years later, these sharp eyes will turn steady, then deep, until they are like a bottomless pool, which makes people despair. of fear.
Zhang Jizhi was a little jealous because his father also left important affairs in the temple to Mu Jie, including patrolling Kaifeng.
Ten years after the Battle of Shaosong, although most of the Songshan Sect has surrendered, there are still remnants that have not been wiped out and harbor the delusions of the past.On the surface, they have drawn a clear line with Songshan, but in fact they are dormant in the dark, disrupting and destroying Shaolin from time to time, trying to drain Shaolin's vitality, so as to fulfill their great wish, let Songshan break away from Shaolin and become an independent sect.
Mu Jie did not disappoint Zi Qiu. He only patrolled for a month and relied on clues to capture seven disciples who had rebelled against Songshan.At that time, these people were preparing to set fire to Jinglu Temple at night, and their goal was to assassinate Ziqiu.
After catching these seven people, Ziqiu finished interrogating them and beheaded them all without informing the Shaolin Temple. Not only did their heads hang on the city wall, but their bodies were also skinned and their bloody remains were hung up with seven long bamboo poles.
Zhang Jizhi felt disgusted and said to his father: "Just kill them. It's too cruel to do it like this."
Ziqiu sighed and shook his head at Zhang Jizhi, as if he was too lazy to explain. He turned to Mu Jie and asked, "Are you cruel?"
"Killing one person will serve as a warning to others. At least their followers will not dare to invade Kaifeng territory again."
Zhang Jizhi said: "What if they come to take revenge? Our Shaolin is an authentic Buddhist sect, and I, the Buddha, are compassionate..."
Before he finished speaking, Ziqiu yelled: "Shut up!" Zhang Jizhi was stunned, and Ziqiu continued, "When they kill people in Kaifeng, you can tell whether they are cruel or not! What is cruel? Innocent and innocent Death is called cruelty!"
Zi Qiu rarely reprimanded Zhang Jizhi loudly. After this roar, Zhang Jizhi hesitated and did not dare to speak again, so he could only whisper: "Father taught you this..."
Ziqiu said: "If they dare to come again, that would be very good. Get rid of them all, which will be very satisfying." After speaking, he turned his head and said to Mu Jie, "Follow me."
Mu Jie nodded and followed.
The two of them were walking outside the old city of Kaifeng Mansion. There were mottled traces etched by time on the ancient walls.Mu Jie looked at his master. After ten years, his back seemed to be a little hunched.
"Do you know that during the Battle of Shaosong, the Songshan Sect surrounded the Shaolin Temple, why did Cao Lingxue delay in attacking?"
Ziqiu suddenly asked a question, which has always been a major unanswered question in the martial arts world.No one knows Cao Lingxue's original intention of only besieging but not attacking. They only think that this was Cao Lingxue's huge mistake, and it was even the key to Shaolin's subsequent victory.
Seeing that Mu Jie did not answer, Ziqiu continued: "Because it is useless to capture Shaolin. Shaolin is the largest sect in the world today, and he cannot take it. Once Shaolin is destroyed, the counterattack of Shaolin disciples will be enough to destroy the Songshan sect."
"Since we can't win if we advance, and we can't win if we retreat, how will this Shaosong war end, and why should we fight?" Mu Jie asked rhetorically.
"In addition to asking Shaolin to recognize Songshan's independent sect, he also hopes to become the tenth sect after the Nine Families. He and others will come to mediate. As long as the Nine Families intervene, he can threaten Shaolin and get the other eight Families to recognize him. By then, If he breaks the siege of Shaolin again, not only will he be justified, but he will also get what he hopes for."
“No other sects are involved,” Mu Jie said. “All the major sects pretend that this is not the case.”
Ziqiu said: "This statement needs to be explained clearly in two ways. Let's talk about the nine families first. They all know it in their hearts. Kunlun's consensus is the nine families, and the nine families jointly recommend the leader. If there is one more family, their own interests will be reduced. Although Songshan It is powerful, but what does it mean compared to the Beggar Clan, Kongtong, Diancang, and Wudang? Shaolin is close to Wudang, Gu Song may help, but others are in Kunlun, and Gu Xu dare not take this idea. Kunlun will not intervene, and the other eight families will I won’t even intervene.”
Mu Jie said: "Cao Lingxue has been planning for a long time, how can he dare to provoke a dispute if he is not sure? He will never make this mistake."
Zi Qiu said: "This is about the second thing. Songshan is just a sect under Shaolin. It holds a martial arts banquet. The other sects can only send their disciples to send gifts and congratulations. If they can save face, only the Beggars Clan will let them do that. Old Beggar Peng, who is still working as a helmsman in Fuzhou, comes..."
The name Peng Lao Beggar and Mu Jie are no longer unfamiliar. It is a name that the self-confident master rarely shows respect when mentioning martial arts stories.Old Beggar Peng was promoted to the position of chief helmsman of Jiangxi Province just a few years ago. He is the one who can best afford the title of "Hero" among the nine major families, and perhaps the only one who can afford it.
"Only Huashan sent Yan Yingqi, the head's own brother, here. Why?" Ziqiu asked.
Mu Jie suddenly realized: "They have colluded for a long time, and they are prepared."
"Huashan and Shaolin have always had boundary disputes in Shanxi. Cao Lingxue promised to intimidate Shaolin by offering compensation for mediation afterwards, allowing Huashan to obtain these disputed boundaries in exchange for Huashan's intervention. But this faction alone was not enough. After leaving Songshan, Yan Yingqi When we arrived at Wudang, he went as a lobbyist on behalf of Songshan. Gu Xu might not be able to make the decision, but he could mediate and wait for Gu Song to intervene. Gu Song is the current leader of the alliance, and if he intervenes, Kunlun will all agree to intervene. In this way , Cao Lingxue will be able to get what he wants, and on the condition of withdrawing from Shaolin, he can win the qualification to become the tenth family in the Kunlun Conference." After saying that, Ziqiu laughed and said, "I didn't expect that idiot Yan Yingqi has always been lecherous. , unexpectedly fell in love with a woman on the way to Wudang, a bad guy. The woman was unwilling to be humiliated and hanged herself, and was found out by a small sect called Xianxia Sect under Wudang. The head of Xianxia Yang Jingyao was a man, and he wanted to pursue her. He chased Yan Yingqi all the way to Shaanxi, and the two fought, but Yan Yingqi was defeated and killed by him, and naturally the news could not reach Wudang."
He laughed loudly and continued: "It's a pity that Yang Jingyao doesn't know the truth. He only knows that Huashan is the most vindictive. 'A drop of blood in Huashan is a head in the world.' He was afraid of retaliation, so he disbanded the Xianxia sect, resettled the old and young, and left alone Go to Huashan to accept the crime. Yan Yingqi has a lot of misdeeds, and the whole martial arts knows it. If he were not the younger brother of the leader of Huashan, it would be a question whether he could survive 25 years. This matter was originally wronged by Huashan, but the Huashan faction was afraid that Yang Jingyao would take advantage of Yan Yingqi. What do you know, you just killed Yang Jingyao to silence him, and even issued a complaint to conceal your revenge. What a pity for a man like Yang Jingyao... He just said cruelty, how do you call it cruelty? This is called cruelty!"
Mu Jie suddenly realized this.
"The Xianxia Sect is a member of Wudang's sect. Taoist Gusong has always valued Yang Jingyao as a talented person. After this incident, while he was still the leader of Kunlun's consensus, he made a new rule. Adultery of women was punished by the sect itself. From then on, it was changed to the world A common crime."
"How did Master come up with the whole story?"
"How could I have imagined it? Cao Lingxue said this himself. He is still a guest in Shaolin Temple." Ziqiu said, "He loves Shaolin so much that he has been here for half a year and will never leave for the rest of his life."
Mu Jie asked: "Even if Yan Yingqi made a mistake, the news should have reached Kunlun eight months before and after the Shaosong battle. Why hasn't Taoist Gu Song intervened for so long?" At this point, he suddenly understood and looked at Zi Qiu said, "Master, it was you who stopped Taoist Gusong from intervening in the Shaosong dispute?"
Ziqiu looked at Mu Jie and sighed again. Mu Jie knew that he was thinking of Zhang Jizhi again.Ziqiu said: "Songshan can't win, and it can't retreat. Shaolin will definitely win this battle. In this case, why let Kunlun intervene and let Songshan benefit?"
He thought for a while and then said: "You are a hundred times smarter than your successor, and your character is even more tenacious. Have you...ever considered becoming a monk?"
Mu Jie replied: "I am an only son."
Ziqiu said: "It doesn't matter if you are an only child. You can be a monk like me."
At this point, Mu Jie knew that in order to save Shaolin, five lay disciples were ordained and entered the temple. Ziqiu was the first of these five people. Known as Zhang Qiuchi in the world, he was a wizard with both wisdom and courage, and was a key figure in Shaolin's victory.After the Shaosong War, the other four lay monks stayed in Shaolin to handle temple affairs. Only Ziqiu did not want to stay in Shaolin and came to Kaifeng to serve as the abbot of Jinglu Temple.Firstly, Kaifeng is the border between Shandong and Henan, so he can monitor Songshan Mountain nearby. Secondly, he hates Shaolin's habits. Thirdly, he also has some intention of looking for Mu Qing's descendants.
Ziqiu said: "The struggle between Shaosong is a fight by force on the surface, but there are still many undercurrents lurking under the fight. This invisible fight is often a hundred times more dangerous than the fight on the stage. If you make a wrong move, you will be in trouble." The rope is full of ropes. You must think three times, four times, ten times, and a hundred times until you have missed nothing before you can take a step forward."
Mu Jie nodded and said, "Disciple understands."
"Everything I have from now on will be given to you." Ziqiu patted Mu Jie on the shoulder and said, "The future of Shaolin is in your hands."
From then on, Ziqiu handed over all affairs in the temple to Mu Jie. He also ignored Shaolin rules and passed on all his martial arts skills to Mu Jie.As for Zhang Jizhi, Ziqiu seemed to have given up on him. He neither wanted him to practice martial arts nor urged him to study.Zhang Jizhi also drifted away from Mu Jie. When they met, they would often leave without even saying hello, and Mu Jie never paid attention to them.
But Ziqiu's body seemed to be getting weaker.Two years later, Ziqiu developed a stroke and was in danger of dying. Although he was saved, he was bedridden and never got up.
He is old after all.
Seeing Ziqiu fall ill, Mu became worried about her health and often urged Mu Jie to get married, but Mu Jie refused to agree.
After Ziqiu fell ill, the entire Jinglu Temple was handed over to Mu Jie.The Shaolin Temple often sent some letters, all of which were difficult problems in the temple and required Ziqiu's opinion. Mu Jie also responded with them. His methods were sharp and his insights were brilliant, so no one doubted that they were not written by Ziqiu.
Another year, Mu Jie noticed that some embarrassing people had appeared in Kaifeng recently, and they were ready to take action.
"It's those bastards from Songshan again." Mu Jie thought to himself.
On this day, Mu Jie got up at the fourth watch and went to work at Jinglu Temple. As soon as he walked to the door, he saw that the door lock was crooked.
He has always been careful and self-restrained. When he leaves the door, he will lock it straightly and meticulously. If the door lock is crooked, it must have been tampered with.Only I and Master each hold the key to this door lock. Could it be that Master has been here?
He concentrated on alert and unlocked the door. As soon as he opened the door, a ray of white light hit him.Mu Jie was already prepared and moved sideways to avoid it.Four masked killers came forward to attack, and one of them, slim and tall, turned out to be a woman.
Mu Jie was only twenty years old at this time. With one against four, he shouted for help.Not long after, the supervisory monk from Jinglu Temple arrived, and more than a dozen monks surrounded the four people.
One of them hurriedly shouted: "Evacuate quickly!" The voice was very familiar.The four wanted to break out of the siege, but they were blocked by the monks and could not escape. It didn't take long for them to be captured one by one.
Mu Jie stopped the man who shouted to retreat and lifted his mask.
Sure enough, it was Zhang Jizhi.
Zhang Jizhi shouted nonchalantly: "Junior brother, spare your life! Junior brother... I... I didn't mean it, I was forced!..."
The woman cursed: "Why are you begging him? That son of a bitch, Mu Jie, killed seven people from our Songyang sect! That turtle grandson of Han Moying is afraid of you, but the heroes of Songyang are not afraid of death!"
Zhang Jizhi scolded: "You stinking bitch, shut up!" He turned around and begged, "Don't let my father know! Junior brother...I beg you, spare my life, spare my life..."
Mu Jie slowly closed his eyes, as if thinking.The north wind howled, and suddenly it began to snow.
※ ※ ※
"Please, spare his life." Ziqiu begged for mercy on the bed.This heroic figure who once presided over the Shaosong War and was both wise and brave is now just an old father, pleading with a weak voice, and his eyes are not even half as bright as before?
He held Mu Jie's shoulders, fell down from the bed and knelt down. Mu Jie wanted to help him, but he kowtowed to the ground: "I only have this son, my only bloodline! He is your senior brother, and you two grew up together! You guys grew up together! We have practiced martial arts together, fought against each other, eaten from the same pot of rice, and drank from the same bowl of soup!"
They all know the reason why Zhang Jizhi colluded with the remnants of Songshan and committed the crime of betraying Shaolin and assassinating his fellow disciples.But it's too late to find out why.
He screamed with all his strength, even though he was already extremely angry.
However, he didn't hear Mu Jie's reaction.
Ziqiu raised his head and saw a straight waist and a strong and thin face.That tall figure... Yes, I don't know how long ago, Mu Jie had grown much taller than himself, and his eyes that were originally sharp have now become mature and restrained.
Zhang Jizhi cannot stay, and the son of Shaolin hero Zhang Qiuchi joins the Songshan sect's anti-Shaolin ranks. How ironic is this?
If he doesn't die, he will even shake the prestige of Shaolin Temple's laws and regulations.
If Zhang Qiuchi's son would die if he broke the rules, who would dare to take any chances?
Mu Jie only said one sentence.The words that once came from Master's mouth touched his heart the most:
"Buddha can be destroyed, but Shaolin cannot be destroyed."
Ziqiu sat slumped on the ground and started to cry loudly. He just kept beating his chest and feet.
Zhang Jizhi was sentenced to death and was not sent back to Shaolin. Instead, he was executed directly in Kaifeng. Mu Jie did it himself.He let Zhang Jizhi walk away without any pain, as if he was sleeping.
Zhang Jizhi's mother, Ziqiu's wife, left Kaifeng after hearing the verdict.With white hair and black hair, she was unable to accompany her son on his last journey and never came back.
The three remaining assassins were not dead.The next night, a masked man broke in, secretly opened the cell, and let the three people go.
They call themselves the Songyang Sect, which is a taboo that is not allowed in Songshan Mountain. They are radical figures in Songshan Mountain who are unwilling to submit to Shaolin. From their words, we can know their dissatisfaction with the current leader Han Moying.
Shaolin can afford their attacks, and can Songshan afford their civil strife?If they are allowed to grow up, they will become a group of people within the Songshan sect who oppose Songshan. They will be dissatisfied with the governance of people like Han Moying, and will attack Songshan and cause Songshan to decline.The declining Songshan will no longer be able to harm Shaolin.
The fight on the stage was far less dangerous than the fight off the stage. It was Zhang Qiuchi's hands that lifted him up, so he had to do better than Zhang Qiuchi.His vision must be farther, broader, more thorough, and more capable.
In the last year of his life, Ziqiu handed over all his collection of books and contacts to Mu Jie, giving everything he had without reservation.There was only status, which Mu Jie later climbed up step by step based on his own ability.
He placed all his hopes on Mu Jie, hoping that he would become the next leader of the lay monks after him.
Then he died. When he was dying, his lips opened and closed, and he could not hear what he said clearly.Mu Jie came closer and heard only a faint murmur, constantly muttering: "Follow it...Follow it...Follow it..."
After that, Mu Jie stayed in Jinglu Temple and planned for Shaolin Temple as a lay disciple.
When he was 25 years old, Mu Jie got married and married the niece of the head of Kongtong. They gave birth to three sons and a daughter, leaving an heir for the Mu family.
At the age of 28, Mrs. Mu got her wish and passed away with her grandson in her arms. Mu Jie became a Shaolin layman and a leader of lay monks.
It was not until the age of 40 that Mu Jie was ordained and entered the church.He learned from Ziqiu, and successively served as the monk of Zhengjin Hall and the abbot of Zhengyu Hall. In just a few years, he became the head of Puxian Academy.
Experience is just a process for him. Even if he does not become the head of Samantabhadra Academy, no one will doubt his status.
Lay monk No. 1: Feeling empty.
(End of this chapter)
When it comes to the Mu family, no one knows about it in Kaifeng, Henan.The Mu family started out in the silk business and is the largest prominent family in the area. There are more than 600 families in the area alone, with more than [-] relatives.In this world, the words "rich enough to rival the country" are outdated. Of course, such a boast is too much even for a family like the Mu family, but "rich enough to rival the faction" is more appropriate.Of course, it refers to sects other than the Nine Families.
In order to facilitate the exchanges between relatives, the clan leader Mu Kun surrounded a large area of land with a radius of five miles and built a four-foot-high city wall around the land.The city wall can be used for pedestrians, and there is also a guard station. There is a gate on the east and west sides, which can accommodate a four-horse carriage. The streets in the middle are neat and there are hundreds of manors and mansions for the tribesmen to live.This was a huge project, and thousands of craftsmen were recruited successively. Mu Kun did not make it to completion and left after waiting for 15 years.
The new patriarch is Mu Qing, Mu Kun's eldest son.Mu Qing followed his father's instructions and continued the project.Another seven years later, Mu Qing gave birth to a son with a single name and a nickname of Jie.Mu Qing's intention was that he hoped that the child would work hard and maintain the family business.Three more years later, Mujiazhuang was finally completed, and Mu Qingti was named.
This small town took a full 25 years to build.
This was originally the residence of the Mu family, so it should be named "Garden". However, "Mu Garden" is really unpleasant and taboo. Secondly, this scale can no longer be called a residence, but should be called a small city.But it would be too strange to name it "Mu's City", and it would have too much of a Jianghu flavor if it were called "Mu's Fort".The Mu family was just a businessman, and most of the people in the clan practiced martial arts just for their own entertainment. Mu Qing was a down-to-earth and simple person, and he didn't want to give him a fancy name, so he simply wrote a name and called it "Mujiazhuang".
On the day the Mujiazhuang was completed, Mu Qing opened a thousand tables and held a flowing banquet for seven days. Food was served day and night. Local residents, businessmen and travelers from the north and south, rich and poor, old and young, all were entertained with good wine and good food as long as they were willing to serve. .The completion of such a unique mansion made the residents of Kaifeng City feel proud. In addition, Mu Qing was a pious believer in Buddhism and had a good reputation in the local area. Everyone rushed to tell each other, and Kaifeng was really peaceful and festive in those days. .
However, amidst the joy, only an old fortune-teller in the east of the city was unhappy.He looked at the feng shui of Mu's village and saw that everything around him was watertight. He sighed and said, "Mu is surrounded by people. Isn't it just a sleepy character?" A bottle of bad wine went home to drown my sorrows.
In addition to the more than 600 members of the Mu family in more than [-] households, there are also [-] bodyguards, [-] servants, and hundreds of stables and horses living in this small town. The wine cellar contains hundreds of jars of Shaoxing wine.Mu Qing is not a person who likes wine and is extravagant. He only spends a few drinks. To the Mu family, these seemingly luxurious expenses are just normal expenses for daily life, not to mention the millet of corn in the granary and the chickens and ducks in the livestock pen. There is no shortage of cattle or sheep.
Mu Qing's father, Mu Kun, built this small city not just to enclose the land for his own entertainment, or to isolate himself from the world. He had witnessed too many martial arts vendettas, disputes and chaos. In that world that was first seeing peace, this was a precautionary measure.And even though 30 years have passed since the Kunlun Conference, there are still conflicts in the world from time to time.
Mu Qing understands this.Every year on the Buddha's birthday, he would go to Shaolin with his family to worship the Buddha and donate a considerable sum of money for sesame oil. On his way back, he would also visit the Songshan sect east of Shaoshi Mountain.No matter how much you pay homage to Shaolin that year, you still add the same amount of sesame oil to the Songshan Zhongyue Temple Sect.If we talk about the difference, the one given to Shaolin is out of piety, while the one given to Songshan is out of politeness.
One monk came together, separated only by Shaoshi Mountain.Shaolin is in the west and Songshan Mountain is in the east.
Kaifeng happens to be east of Shaoshi Mountain.
After the Kunlun Conference, the nine sects divided their territories. At that time, Songshan was just the largest sect under the jurisdiction of Shaolin. Thirty years have passed, and in the Shaolin Temple, only the sound of sutras and no sounds of the secular world are heard.
25 years ago, there were more and more Songshan disciples in Kaifeng, and the Iron Sword Sect in Shangqiu was vaguely more considerate to Songshan than to Shaolin.
22 years ago, the Taishan sect and the Songshan sect were married, and since then the Songshan sect has not separated.
18 years ago, all horse thieves in Shandong were wiped out.In the name of protecting their hometown and territory, Songshan disciples sent people to establish Taoist temples in Shandong and recruit apprentices to teach them.
Nine years ago, a wanted criminal in Wudang fled to Shandong, where he was captured and killed by Songshan disciples. His body was returned to Wudang, but the Shaolin monks stationed at Lingyan Temple knew nothing about it.
Nowadays, all the sects in Shandong, big and small, only listen to Songshan's orders.
Kaifeng and Shangqiu areas are at the choke point from Shandong to Shaolin Temple, so they have become embarrassing places.Because they are close to Shaolin, there are many monks walking around in these two places. Although there are many temples, there are also many Taoist temples.
It was not until the completion of Mujiazhuang that Mu Qing felt a little relieved.
Mu Jie has grown much taller than other children of the same age since he was a child.Ever since he was sensible, he had lived in Mujiazhuang. When he went out, he would meet either uncles, aunts or cousins. He had maids and slaves at his disposal, and he had good food and clothing. By the time he was five years old, There was a master who taught him how to read and write, and occasionally left the Mu family village. He was surrounded by bodyguards when he came in and out, making him look like the little prince in the middle of nowhere.
When Mu Jie was six years old, Songshan sent famous invitations to Wulin and held a Wulin banquet.This move directly bypassed the Shaolin Temple. For some reason, the Shaolin Temple didn't care and even sent an envoy to participate.At the martial arts banquet, envoys from the nine families gathered together, including Yan Yingqi, the brother of the head of the Huashan clan. The Beggar Clan also sent Peng Zhenhao, then the helmsman of the Fuzhou branch and a member of the Peng family of the Five Tigers and the Cutting Sword, to attend the meeting.Peng Zhenhao also has a nickname called Peng Lao Beggar.Although he is called old, he was actually only 35 years old at the time.Although his position as the leader of the Fuzhou branch is low, he is a heroic figure who has become famous in recent years.Everyone thought that he would be one of the three chief rudders after the Beggar Clan. His participation in the meeting showed that his status was not too high, but he also showed respect for Songshan.The etiquette is quite clever.
At the martial arts banquet, the Songshan Sect announced in public that it would change its name to the Songyang Sect, with the yang of Songshan as Songyang and the yin of Songshan as Shaolin, to avoid the partiality of Shaolin monopolizing the name of Songshan.He also asked Wudang envoys to report back to the leader of the Kunlun consensus alliance at that time - Taoist Master Gusong of the Wudang sect, saying that they were both of Taoist origin and were willing to form an alliance.
Now, no matter how stubborn Shaolin Temple is, it cannot remain silent.Since Songshan was mentioned as Shaolin Temple, the Songshan sect changed its name to Songyang. On the surface, it was to avoid misnomers, but in fact it was divided into two.Since the Songshan Sect is under the jurisdiction of Shaolin, what's wrong with calling Songshan Shaolin?What's more, the Songshan Sect is not one of the Nine Families, so how can it be qualified to form an alliance with Wudang?
So, at the martial arts banquet, the Shaolin envoy accused Songshan of violating the rules. Cao Lingxue, the head of Songshan, used the topic to accuse the Shaolin Temple of being unconventional and incompetent in governance, and drove the Shaolin monks out.The envoys from each faction knew that something was unusual, so they left one after another and reported back to the sect.Cao Lingxue specially stayed with Yan Yingqi of the Huashan School to talk secretly, and then Yan Yingqi left alone.
Then the Shaosong Controversy broke out, in the 33rd year of Kunlun, in May of Xia.
This was the biggest sect war since the Kunlun Conference, but the outcome of the battle was astonishing.Zhongyue Temple is only separated from Shaolin by a mountain. As soon as the Shaolin envoy stepped back to the temple gate, the Songshan sect had already come out in force, and more than a thousand disciples surrounded the Shaolin Temple.At that time, most of the eminent monks in power in Shaolin were of the Zhi generation, and Abbot Zhiquan ordered the temple doors to be closed tightly to avoid enemies.
This first step was already wrong. The strength of the Songshan Sect could not compete with Shaolin. Although they were caught off guard, there were still more than a thousand monks in the Shaolin Temple, so they would not be at a disadvantage in the battle.But Zhiquan is an eminent monk and cannot bear to fight and kill people. He just wants to refuse war with peace.
The Songshan Sect had already sent someone to report this delay, and members of all the gangs in Shandong responded and arrived one after another.In less than a month, the number of people surrounding Shaolin exceeded [-]. At this time, Shaolin thought it was impossible to fight.Not only that, there was a shortage of food and grass in the temple, but reinforcements from Songshan Mountain continued to arrive.
Cao Lingxue surrounded Shaolin, but was trapped but not attacked. The villains were ambushing everywhere.At this time, upon hearing that the Holy Land was under siege, Shaolin disciples from Hebei, Henan, and Shanxi rushed to the rescue.The abbots of each temple were highly practiced, but no one was good at fighting. The reinforcements went their own way and only said they would unite with Shaolin, but no one was in charge. Before they reached Shaoshi Mountain, they were ambushed in dangerous places, either dead or injured. This move to encircle the city and bring reinforcements defeated the Shaolin Temple. At a loss.
Abbot Zhiquan could not wait for reinforcements and saw that there was no food in the temple, so he had to go to war.The temple door opened wide, and thousands of monks poured out. The Songshan Sect was defeated in one battle and retreated deep into the woods outside the temple.The monks thought they had a chance of victory and took advantage of the situation to attack Zhongyue Temple, but they were ambushed halfway.A fire in the forest killed more than 1000 monks and injured more than 400. The chiefs of Samantabhadra Monastery and Guanyin Monastery, the abbots of Zhengjian, Zhengming and Zhengjin Halls died in the battle, and the leader of Wenshu Monastery led the monks. Fight to the death and escape back to the temple. More than [-] people went out to fight, but only [-] escaped. The rest were either killed or captured.
It is said that Beggar Peng, who was in Hubei at the time, commented on this incident: "This is good. At least the food problem has been solved. I just don't know if the monks can get used to the food of Taoists."
Abbot Zhiquan had nothing to do, but the Buddha's heart was filled with grief, so he held a ritual ceremony and chanted sutras for the deceased to liberate him.At this time, it was not difficult for Songshan to take down Shaolin. Seeing that this thousand-year-old temple was about to fall in an instant, Cao Lingxue suddenly stood still.
At the same time, another little-known incident was that Yan Yingqi caused trouble in Wudang.Many people thought this was an irrelevant matter, but no one asked why Yan Yingqi appeared in Wudang?
The war also spread to Mujiazhuang in Kaifeng.
After the Shaosong War began, Mu Qing ordered all tribesmen not to leave the Mujiazhuang, and more than [-] invited bodyguards patrolled day and night.
The first batch of martial arts people to enter Kaifeng were from the Songshan sect. They received instructions early to enter from Shandong and passed through Kaifeng.They immediately rushed to Shaolin for support and did not stay in Kaifeng.The same was true for the subsequent batches of Songshan troops, some fifty, one or two hundred.
It was not until two months later that news of the Shaolin Temple's defeat came, making people panic.Mu Qing had prepared for the worst. Even if Kaifeng fell into the control of the Songshan Sect, it would not affect the Mu family's livelihood.But if the war drags on, it will be hard to say.
It was September, and more than 200 Shaolin disciples from Xinyang bypassed the ambush and arrived in Kaifeng.They planned to gather troops here and attack the Songshan Sect from the rear.
They heard the news that another group of Songshan troops, numbering about 300 people, also arrived in Kaifeng from Shandong.
An encounter is bound to begin in Kaifeng.
Therefore, the castle and terrain of Mujiazhuang became the key to victory or defeat.Whoever occupies Mujiazhuang will be able to remain undefeated with the advantage of the city wall. Even for Shaolin Temple, Mujiazhuang will be a good base for them to gather their troops.
The Shaolin disciples came from the west gate, while the Songshan disciples arrived from the east gate. Both sides did not realize that they were only separated from the other group by a Mu family village. At the same time, they handed over their greeting cards and asked Mu Qing to enter the village in order to arrange the war.
Mu Qing immediately fell into trouble.Although he worshiped the Buddha, he did not want to offend Songshan, especially after hearing that Shaolin was defeated, it would be difficult for anyone to enter the village.What's more, he heard that a large number of Shaolin disciples were coming soon, and Shandong was nearby, and many disciples of the Taishan Sect were rushing to Kaifeng for reinforcements.
Mu Qing returned the invitation, declined both parties, and refused to help. This was the best solution he could think of.
However, the opposite happened.After he refused, more than a hundred disciples of the Songshan Sect immediately launched an offensive against Mujiazhuang.By occupying Mujiazhuang, they can gain terrain advantage, which is very important to them.
Mu Kun spent 25 years building a fortress to protect his family, but now it has become the cause of his disaster.The bodyguards who guard the courtyard are not as good as regular disciples in martial arts. Especially in the past few years, they have lived a leisurely life in Mujiazhuang and have no fighting spirit.More than a dozen Songshan disciples threw off their hooks and climbed up the city wall. Some were blocked and cut off, and their heads were bruised and bloody. Some were smart enough to jump onto the city wall and fight with the guards on the wall. In the blink of an eye, they were there. More than ten people were injured or killed.More Songshan disciples took the opportunity to climb up the city wall. Once the number of people increased, they quickly occupied several city tops and gradually moved towards the city gate.
Seeing this situation, Mu Qing knew that no matter whether he won or lost, he would definitely have a grudge with the Songshan Sect. He quickly sent someone to open the west gate and invite the Shaolin disciples to help defend.
When the Shaolin disciples rushed to the east gate, it had already been breached. Although more than twenty Songshan disciples were killed, the Mu family nursing home suffered more serious casualties.The Shaolin disciples shouted loudly to kill and rushed into the battle formation. They were all skilled in martial arts, which was completely different from the ordinary guards. The Songshan disciples were exhausted from the battle. After a fierce battle, more than thirty disciples died and the rest were injured. Get away.
Mu Qing immediately ordered the city gate to be closed.
He knew that Mujiazhuang had become a battlefield, so he asked his wife to clean up her family and take her son Mu Jie to Wudang to avoid trouble. He also let the Mu family members disperse, but he stayed to guard Mujiazhuang.
More than [-] years ago, when he was still young, he watched with his own eyes as this wasteland was swept out of the first clearing and the first bricks were stacked. Even if it would become scorched earth later, he would stay here and guard this place. The proud Mujiazhuang.
Before the clansmen could pack their belongings, early the next morning, Mu Qing climbed onto the city wall. By the east gate, dust could be seen flying in the distance.It was at least a procession of more than 500 people, with the Chinese flag "Song" flying in the wind.
On the city wall, the leading Shaolin disciple shouted: "Don't panic, everyone, Brother Zhang is about to come! When Brother Zhang comes, there is nothing to fear from these thieves!" All the Shaolin disciples shouted in unison, their morale was boosted, and they seemed to be worried about the thieves. "Senior Brother Zhang" is extremely confident.
Mu Qing didn't have any confidence.
Before the Songshan sect invaded, the Mu family members dispersed. They only took away some money and left the horses for the Shaolin monks to use in battle.Only Mu Jie and her son, because of their special status, had a carriage and two nursing staff to escort them away.
In this way, Mu Jie followed his mother to Wudang.On the way, two guards took advantage of the money and robbed the carriage of silver. The mother and son had to beg all the way and fled to Hubei. The ups and downs of the journey made Mu Jie, who had never experienced hardship, unforgettable for the rest of his life.
After finally arriving in Wudang, the then head of Wudang, Taoist Gu Song, was in Kunlun, and the acting head, Gu Xu, took them in.They lived in Wudang for three months and heard new news.
The eight-month Shaosong War was over.
The Songshan Sect was defeated. Cao Lingxue stepped down as the leader and gave way to his disciple Han Moying, who went to Shaolin to be imprisoned.Not to mention Cao Lingxue died of illness in Shaolin 15 years later. After the great defeat at that time, the Songshan Sect also left Zhongyue Temple and moved to Mount Tai.In order to avoid intensifying conflicts, although Shaolin is nominally the master of the Songshan Sect, in fact, affairs in Shandong, no matter how big or small, are mostly handled by Songshan itself without reporting.
The Shaosong Controversy changed many things. For Mu Jie, who was only seven years old, the biggest change was his home.
Mujiazhuang turned into a scorched earth.
The city walls have collapsed, and as far as the eye can see are ruins and ruins. Only the burned embers of the originally gorgeous manor remain. How can the gardens where we used to play still smell the birds singing and the fragrance of flowers? Twenty-five years of accumulation and hard work have resulted in less than three years of prosperity and a wasteland that needs to be cleaned up.
Mu Jie saw his mother kneeling in front of her old home and crying, but he did not see his father who came to greet him.
The person who came was a monk, about forty years old, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, quite heroic.
"The poor monk Ziqiu, who knows autumn with just one leaf. Is he the son of the Mu family?"
The Mu family was ruined, and the clan members never came back.Monk Ziqiu took in Mujie's mother and son and built a Jinglu Temple on the site of Mujie's family.
"Only by extinguishing the fire of karma with pure dew can we eliminate worries, eliminate disasters and appease the souls of the dead." Master Ziqiu said this.
Mu Jie discovered that Master Ziqiu was very different from other monks.When other monks of his generation recited morning and evening sutras, Master Ziqiu did not participate. Compared with the rigor of other monks, Master Ziqiu seemed a bit frivolous. As the abbot of Jinglu Temple, he actually had a wife and children.
"My name is Zhang Jizhi." Mu Jie first met Master Ziqiu's son when he was ten years old.He wanted to take Ziqiu as his teacher, so Ziqiu introduced his son to him.
"He is two years older than you and started school earlier than you. You will call him senior brother from now on."
Mu Jie saluted and called, "Hello, senior brother."
Zhang Jizhi raised his face, stretched out his hand to mark between their foreheads, and said in surprise: "You are so tall." He then said, "Come on, junior brother, I will take you to practice kung fu."
Ziqiu smiled and said, "You want to teach others the three-legged cat kung fu? Go ahead and walk on horseback."
Zhang Jizhi pouted: "Mom asked me to go to school."
Ziqiu said: "You also need to read books and practice martial arts. None of them should be wasted. Don't forget, what is your name?"
Zhang Jizhi said: "My name is Zhang Jizhi. I want to inherit my father's reputation, and I need to be both civil and military to live up to the name of Zhang Qiuchi, the iron-pen painter."
Ziqiu laughed and said, "That's it. After studying, you have to learn to write, you know?"
Boss Zhang Jizhi nodded unhappily and pulled Mu Jie away.
After that, Mu Jie and Zhang Jizhi practiced martial arts, wrote and read together.Mu Jie was taller than Zhang Jizhi not only in height but also in talent. He was also more diligent and diligent than Zhang Jizhi.
His efforts puzzled Zhang Jizhi.
One time, Zhang Jizhi asked: "I've known you for so long and I've never seen you take a break. Why are you working so hard?"
Mu Jie replied: "My father gave me the name Jie, which means that I should work hard and maintain the family business."
Zhang Jizhi asked: "Where did you get your family property? That shabby house?"
These words stung Mu Jie.He once had a family property, where Jinglu Temple was located. There used to be a road that could lead to horse-drawn carriages, and there were also splendid manors.The guardian stood on the city wall. He was flying a kite with his cousin. The servants were calling behind him, waiting for him to eat quickly.In the summer, he still had cold watermelons picked up from the well, with a mouthful of pulp and sweet juice. He only took two bites and threw them on the table because he wanted to eat lychees sent from the south.
But he doesn't blame Zhang Jizhi. He is the son of the abbot of Jinglu Temple and he has never experienced this.
When he was 15 years old, Ziqiu took him to his father's tomb.
In addition to flowers, fruits and vegetables, Ziqiu also prepared a plate of Kung Pao Chicken, a bowl of roasted elbow, a bowl of abalone fillet soup, and a bottle of Shaoxing wine.
It is really nondescript for a monk to prepare so many meat dishes for worship.
But he knew that his mother had said that these were the things his father loved to eat.But now, even I can't eat these things a few times.
Ziqiu bowed to Mu Qing's grave, pulled Mu Jie to kowtow three times, and then asked Mu Jie to sit down.
"I never told you how your father died, right?" Ziqiu said, "Do you want to know?"
"It was the Songshan sect that killed me," Mu Jie said. "They set fire to the Mu family village and killed my father."
"It was the Songshan sect that killed him. This is only mostly true, but not entirely." Ziqiu said, "The fire that burned your father to death was not set by the Songshan sect."
Mu Jie was stunned and asked, "If it's not the Songshan sect, who is that?" At this point, he seemed to have thought of something and looked at his master in horror.
Ziqiu said: "The Songshan sect knew that we would gather at Mujiazhuang and attack their retreat, so they sent 400 disciples from Songshan, together with 120 Taishan disciples from Shandong, to surround Mujiazhuang. At that time , there are only more than [-] Shaolin disciples guarding Mujiazhuang, and with a hundred people fighting against a thousand, even if they rely on the terrain of Mujiazhuang, they must be defeated."
Mu Jie asked: "Didn't you say there would be reinforcements? Aren't the Shaolin disciples going to gather in Kaifeng and cut off the retreat from Songshan Mountain?"
"There will be no reinforcements." Ziqiu shook his head, thought for a while, and continued, "I deliberately gave this false news to the Songshan sect. From the beginning, the only people guarding Kaifeng were Bai Yu who was the first to arrive. Disciple, and me."
Mu Jie was puzzled at first, and then suddenly realized: "Is this bait?"
Ziqiu said: "It's not just a bait." He thought for a moment and then said, "To break the siege of Shaolin, we must disperse the troops of the Songshan Sect surrounding Shaolin. As soon as we entered Mujiazhuang, in addition to defending the city, we also Everything is covered with straw, kerosene and other flammable materials. Your father will know what we are going to do when he sees it."
Mu Jie said: "You want to burn the city?!"
Ziqiu nodded and said: "You are very smart. It would be great if I could be half as smart and diligent as you." He sighed. Only when he mentioned his son, he could not help but sigh. Regarding the past events of Mujiazhuang , and said as if it was an ordinary thing, "Your father wanted to stop us, but I didn't agree to it. We asked him to leave, but he refused. He said that this place was the Mu family's 30 years of hard work, and he saw the high-rise building with his own eyes. Get up, but also to see if his building collapses."
"The day before the army attacked, we wanted to take him away by force. He first begged, and then threatened to die. He also said that once he left Mujiazhuang, he would yell so loudly that everyone would know, and finally said that he would He set fire to himself. At this time, the city is full of flammable materials, and a small fire is enough to cause a catastrophe and make the plan fail. I respect his determination and agree to let him stay in the village."
Mu Jie listened, and he had already guessed what happened next.
"We were lying in ambush outside the city. Your father closed the city gate and stayed at your former residence, Jinglu Temple, waiting for the disciples of the Songshan Sect to break through the city gate. They rushed in and saw an empty city before they could find your father. , about a hundred of us guarded the front and back gates, fired rockets into the city, and suddenly flames shot into the sky. The Songshan disciples fled in a hurry, and we blocked the city gate, unable to advance or retreat. We were either captured or killed. More than a thousand disciples only managed to escape by chance. People came, and the Mujiazhuang became a scorched earth." "So the nectar of Jinglu Temple is actually to extinguish the fire in my father." Mu Jie said, "It is to commemorate my father's sacrifice of life and the six generations of the Mu family. An inheritance for more than a hundred people?"
"Your father was a devout believer. It is said that he chanted the Buddha's name before his death and passed away peacefully."
Mu Jie shook his head and said: "That's impossible. Although my father believes in Buddhism, he is not that pious. His body was burned by the fire, so he must have died miserably."
Ziqiu did not deny Mu Jie's words, but only asked: "What else do you want to ask about your father?"
Mu Jie asked: "Master is only half right when he says that the Songshan sect killed my father, but not all of it. The rest, is it you, Master?"
Ziqiu said: "Although I have regrets, even if I had to do it over ten times, I would still set a fire. What should be done must be done, and your father's death cannot be blamed on me."
"Then who should be responsible for the other half?" Mu Jie asked, "Is it because my father is pedantic?"
Ziqiu pointed to the west and said, "It's the group of monks from Shaolin Temple."
Mu Jie asked: "How do you say it was the Shaolin Temple that caused the harm?"
"If it weren't for their incompetence, how could Songshan be so powerful, and how could it cause the Shaosong conflict, which resulted in so many casualties? What else can those monks who recite the Buddha's name do except pray? Relying on the Buddha to bless Shaolin and protect Kaifeng, To protect the people of the four provinces under the jurisdiction of Shaolin?" Ziqiu became more and more angry as he spoke, and in the end he gritted his teeth.
It was the first time that Mu Jie saw his master so angry and excited, and it was also the first time that he heard a monk insulting Shaolin and even the Buddha.Although he had long suspected that the master was not an ordinary monk.
"At a time when life and death are at stake, lay disciples are required to be ordained and enter the church in order to command the battle and lead the brothers. These arrogant monks are the other half of the culprits who killed your father! Mu Jie, you must remember to let power rest with you. In the hands of the incompetent, there will be disaster, and innocent people like your father will be killed! You must remember that it is not the Buddha who protects the residents of these four provinces, but the Shaolin Temple! You must remember..."
Then he heard that sentence, the most deviant sentence for Shaolin Temple:
"Buddha can be destroyed, but Shaolin cannot be destroyed!"
Mu Jie did not blame his master, he knew that his master was right.
When Mu Jie was 17 years old, Zhang Jizhi was still as lazy as ever. He did not inherit his father's intelligence and was far behind Mu Jie in terms of martial arts and literary talent.
Even without the upbringing of his father, even if he was taught by a master, Mu Jie would always walk upright, sit steadily, and behave in a measured manner.The older Mu Jie gets, the sharper his eyes become. What Zhang Jizhi doesn't know is that many years later, these sharp eyes will turn steady, then deep, until they are like a bottomless pool, which makes people despair. of fear.
Zhang Jizhi was a little jealous because his father also left important affairs in the temple to Mu Jie, including patrolling Kaifeng.
Ten years after the Battle of Shaosong, although most of the Songshan Sect has surrendered, there are still remnants that have not been wiped out and harbor the delusions of the past.On the surface, they have drawn a clear line with Songshan, but in fact they are dormant in the dark, disrupting and destroying Shaolin from time to time, trying to drain Shaolin's vitality, so as to fulfill their great wish, let Songshan break away from Shaolin and become an independent sect.
Mu Jie did not disappoint Zi Qiu. He only patrolled for a month and relied on clues to capture seven disciples who had rebelled against Songshan.At that time, these people were preparing to set fire to Jinglu Temple at night, and their goal was to assassinate Ziqiu.
After catching these seven people, Ziqiu finished interrogating them and beheaded them all without informing the Shaolin Temple. Not only did their heads hang on the city wall, but their bodies were also skinned and their bloody remains were hung up with seven long bamboo poles.
Zhang Jizhi felt disgusted and said to his father: "Just kill them. It's too cruel to do it like this."
Ziqiu sighed and shook his head at Zhang Jizhi, as if he was too lazy to explain. He turned to Mu Jie and asked, "Are you cruel?"
"Killing one person will serve as a warning to others. At least their followers will not dare to invade Kaifeng territory again."
Zhang Jizhi said: "What if they come to take revenge? Our Shaolin is an authentic Buddhist sect, and I, the Buddha, are compassionate..."
Before he finished speaking, Ziqiu yelled: "Shut up!" Zhang Jizhi was stunned, and Ziqiu continued, "When they kill people in Kaifeng, you can tell whether they are cruel or not! What is cruel? Innocent and innocent Death is called cruelty!"
Zi Qiu rarely reprimanded Zhang Jizhi loudly. After this roar, Zhang Jizhi hesitated and did not dare to speak again, so he could only whisper: "Father taught you this..."
Ziqiu said: "If they dare to come again, that would be very good. Get rid of them all, which will be very satisfying." After speaking, he turned his head and said to Mu Jie, "Follow me."
Mu Jie nodded and followed.
The two of them were walking outside the old city of Kaifeng Mansion. There were mottled traces etched by time on the ancient walls.Mu Jie looked at his master. After ten years, his back seemed to be a little hunched.
"Do you know that during the Battle of Shaosong, the Songshan Sect surrounded the Shaolin Temple, why did Cao Lingxue delay in attacking?"
Ziqiu suddenly asked a question, which has always been a major unanswered question in the martial arts world.No one knows Cao Lingxue's original intention of only besieging but not attacking. They only think that this was Cao Lingxue's huge mistake, and it was even the key to Shaolin's subsequent victory.
Seeing that Mu Jie did not answer, Ziqiu continued: "Because it is useless to capture Shaolin. Shaolin is the largest sect in the world today, and he cannot take it. Once Shaolin is destroyed, the counterattack of Shaolin disciples will be enough to destroy the Songshan sect."
"Since we can't win if we advance, and we can't win if we retreat, how will this Shaosong war end, and why should we fight?" Mu Jie asked rhetorically.
"In addition to asking Shaolin to recognize Songshan's independent sect, he also hopes to become the tenth sect after the Nine Families. He and others will come to mediate. As long as the Nine Families intervene, he can threaten Shaolin and get the other eight Families to recognize him. By then, If he breaks the siege of Shaolin again, not only will he be justified, but he will also get what he hopes for."
“No other sects are involved,” Mu Jie said. “All the major sects pretend that this is not the case.”
Ziqiu said: "This statement needs to be explained clearly in two ways. Let's talk about the nine families first. They all know it in their hearts. Kunlun's consensus is the nine families, and the nine families jointly recommend the leader. If there is one more family, their own interests will be reduced. Although Songshan It is powerful, but what does it mean compared to the Beggar Clan, Kongtong, Diancang, and Wudang? Shaolin is close to Wudang, Gu Song may help, but others are in Kunlun, and Gu Xu dare not take this idea. Kunlun will not intervene, and the other eight families will I won’t even intervene.”
Mu Jie said: "Cao Lingxue has been planning for a long time, how can he dare to provoke a dispute if he is not sure? He will never make this mistake."
Zi Qiu said: "This is about the second thing. Songshan is just a sect under Shaolin. It holds a martial arts banquet. The other sects can only send their disciples to send gifts and congratulations. If they can save face, only the Beggars Clan will let them do that. Old Beggar Peng, who is still working as a helmsman in Fuzhou, comes..."
The name Peng Lao Beggar and Mu Jie are no longer unfamiliar. It is a name that the self-confident master rarely shows respect when mentioning martial arts stories.Old Beggar Peng was promoted to the position of chief helmsman of Jiangxi Province just a few years ago. He is the one who can best afford the title of "Hero" among the nine major families, and perhaps the only one who can afford it.
"Only Huashan sent Yan Yingqi, the head's own brother, here. Why?" Ziqiu asked.
Mu Jie suddenly realized: "They have colluded for a long time, and they are prepared."
"Huashan and Shaolin have always had boundary disputes in Shanxi. Cao Lingxue promised to intimidate Shaolin by offering compensation for mediation afterwards, allowing Huashan to obtain these disputed boundaries in exchange for Huashan's intervention. But this faction alone was not enough. After leaving Songshan, Yan Yingqi When we arrived at Wudang, he went as a lobbyist on behalf of Songshan. Gu Xu might not be able to make the decision, but he could mediate and wait for Gu Song to intervene. Gu Song is the current leader of the alliance, and if he intervenes, Kunlun will all agree to intervene. In this way , Cao Lingxue will be able to get what he wants, and on the condition of withdrawing from Shaolin, he can win the qualification to become the tenth family in the Kunlun Conference." After saying that, Ziqiu laughed and said, "I didn't expect that idiot Yan Yingqi has always been lecherous. , unexpectedly fell in love with a woman on the way to Wudang, a bad guy. The woman was unwilling to be humiliated and hanged herself, and was found out by a small sect called Xianxia Sect under Wudang. The head of Xianxia Yang Jingyao was a man, and he wanted to pursue her. He chased Yan Yingqi all the way to Shaanxi, and the two fought, but Yan Yingqi was defeated and killed by him, and naturally the news could not reach Wudang."
He laughed loudly and continued: "It's a pity that Yang Jingyao doesn't know the truth. He only knows that Huashan is the most vindictive. 'A drop of blood in Huashan is a head in the world.' He was afraid of retaliation, so he disbanded the Xianxia sect, resettled the old and young, and left alone Go to Huashan to accept the crime. Yan Yingqi has a lot of misdeeds, and the whole martial arts knows it. If he were not the younger brother of the leader of Huashan, it would be a question whether he could survive 25 years. This matter was originally wronged by Huashan, but the Huashan faction was afraid that Yang Jingyao would take advantage of Yan Yingqi. What do you know, you just killed Yang Jingyao to silence him, and even issued a complaint to conceal your revenge. What a pity for a man like Yang Jingyao... He just said cruelty, how do you call it cruelty? This is called cruelty!"
Mu Jie suddenly realized this.
"The Xianxia Sect is a member of Wudang's sect. Taoist Gusong has always valued Yang Jingyao as a talented person. After this incident, while he was still the leader of Kunlun's consensus, he made a new rule. Adultery of women was punished by the sect itself. From then on, it was changed to the world A common crime."
"How did Master come up with the whole story?"
"How could I have imagined it? Cao Lingxue said this himself. He is still a guest in Shaolin Temple." Ziqiu said, "He loves Shaolin so much that he has been here for half a year and will never leave for the rest of his life."
Mu Jie asked: "Even if Yan Yingqi made a mistake, the news should have reached Kunlun eight months before and after the Shaosong battle. Why hasn't Taoist Gu Song intervened for so long?" At this point, he suddenly understood and looked at Zi Qiu said, "Master, it was you who stopped Taoist Gusong from intervening in the Shaosong dispute?"
Ziqiu looked at Mu Jie and sighed again. Mu Jie knew that he was thinking of Zhang Jizhi again.Ziqiu said: "Songshan can't win, and it can't retreat. Shaolin will definitely win this battle. In this case, why let Kunlun intervene and let Songshan benefit?"
He thought for a while and then said: "You are a hundred times smarter than your successor, and your character is even more tenacious. Have you...ever considered becoming a monk?"
Mu Jie replied: "I am an only son."
Ziqiu said: "It doesn't matter if you are an only child. You can be a monk like me."
At this point, Mu Jie knew that in order to save Shaolin, five lay disciples were ordained and entered the temple. Ziqiu was the first of these five people. Known as Zhang Qiuchi in the world, he was a wizard with both wisdom and courage, and was a key figure in Shaolin's victory.After the Shaosong War, the other four lay monks stayed in Shaolin to handle temple affairs. Only Ziqiu did not want to stay in Shaolin and came to Kaifeng to serve as the abbot of Jinglu Temple.Firstly, Kaifeng is the border between Shandong and Henan, so he can monitor Songshan Mountain nearby. Secondly, he hates Shaolin's habits. Thirdly, he also has some intention of looking for Mu Qing's descendants.
Ziqiu said: "The struggle between Shaosong is a fight by force on the surface, but there are still many undercurrents lurking under the fight. This invisible fight is often a hundred times more dangerous than the fight on the stage. If you make a wrong move, you will be in trouble." The rope is full of ropes. You must think three times, four times, ten times, and a hundred times until you have missed nothing before you can take a step forward."
Mu Jie nodded and said, "Disciple understands."
"Everything I have from now on will be given to you." Ziqiu patted Mu Jie on the shoulder and said, "The future of Shaolin is in your hands."
From then on, Ziqiu handed over all affairs in the temple to Mu Jie. He also ignored Shaolin rules and passed on all his martial arts skills to Mu Jie.As for Zhang Jizhi, Ziqiu seemed to have given up on him. He neither wanted him to practice martial arts nor urged him to study.Zhang Jizhi also drifted away from Mu Jie. When they met, they would often leave without even saying hello, and Mu Jie never paid attention to them.
But Ziqiu's body seemed to be getting weaker.Two years later, Ziqiu developed a stroke and was in danger of dying. Although he was saved, he was bedridden and never got up.
He is old after all.
Seeing Ziqiu fall ill, Mu became worried about her health and often urged Mu Jie to get married, but Mu Jie refused to agree.
After Ziqiu fell ill, the entire Jinglu Temple was handed over to Mu Jie.The Shaolin Temple often sent some letters, all of which were difficult problems in the temple and required Ziqiu's opinion. Mu Jie also responded with them. His methods were sharp and his insights were brilliant, so no one doubted that they were not written by Ziqiu.
Another year, Mu Jie noticed that some embarrassing people had appeared in Kaifeng recently, and they were ready to take action.
"It's those bastards from Songshan again." Mu Jie thought to himself.
On this day, Mu Jie got up at the fourth watch and went to work at Jinglu Temple. As soon as he walked to the door, he saw that the door lock was crooked.
He has always been careful and self-restrained. When he leaves the door, he will lock it straightly and meticulously. If the door lock is crooked, it must have been tampered with.Only I and Master each hold the key to this door lock. Could it be that Master has been here?
He concentrated on alert and unlocked the door. As soon as he opened the door, a ray of white light hit him.Mu Jie was already prepared and moved sideways to avoid it.Four masked killers came forward to attack, and one of them, slim and tall, turned out to be a woman.
Mu Jie was only twenty years old at this time. With one against four, he shouted for help.Not long after, the supervisory monk from Jinglu Temple arrived, and more than a dozen monks surrounded the four people.
One of them hurriedly shouted: "Evacuate quickly!" The voice was very familiar.The four wanted to break out of the siege, but they were blocked by the monks and could not escape. It didn't take long for them to be captured one by one.
Mu Jie stopped the man who shouted to retreat and lifted his mask.
Sure enough, it was Zhang Jizhi.
Zhang Jizhi shouted nonchalantly: "Junior brother, spare your life! Junior brother... I... I didn't mean it, I was forced!..."
The woman cursed: "Why are you begging him? That son of a bitch, Mu Jie, killed seven people from our Songyang sect! That turtle grandson of Han Moying is afraid of you, but the heroes of Songyang are not afraid of death!"
Zhang Jizhi scolded: "You stinking bitch, shut up!" He turned around and begged, "Don't let my father know! Junior brother...I beg you, spare my life, spare my life..."
Mu Jie slowly closed his eyes, as if thinking.The north wind howled, and suddenly it began to snow.
※ ※ ※
"Please, spare his life." Ziqiu begged for mercy on the bed.This heroic figure who once presided over the Shaosong War and was both wise and brave is now just an old father, pleading with a weak voice, and his eyes are not even half as bright as before?
He held Mu Jie's shoulders, fell down from the bed and knelt down. Mu Jie wanted to help him, but he kowtowed to the ground: "I only have this son, my only bloodline! He is your senior brother, and you two grew up together! You guys grew up together! We have practiced martial arts together, fought against each other, eaten from the same pot of rice, and drank from the same bowl of soup!"
They all know the reason why Zhang Jizhi colluded with the remnants of Songshan and committed the crime of betraying Shaolin and assassinating his fellow disciples.But it's too late to find out why.
He screamed with all his strength, even though he was already extremely angry.
However, he didn't hear Mu Jie's reaction.
Ziqiu raised his head and saw a straight waist and a strong and thin face.That tall figure... Yes, I don't know how long ago, Mu Jie had grown much taller than himself, and his eyes that were originally sharp have now become mature and restrained.
Zhang Jizhi cannot stay, and the son of Shaolin hero Zhang Qiuchi joins the Songshan sect's anti-Shaolin ranks. How ironic is this?
If he doesn't die, he will even shake the prestige of Shaolin Temple's laws and regulations.
If Zhang Qiuchi's son would die if he broke the rules, who would dare to take any chances?
Mu Jie only said one sentence.The words that once came from Master's mouth touched his heart the most:
"Buddha can be destroyed, but Shaolin cannot be destroyed."
Ziqiu sat slumped on the ground and started to cry loudly. He just kept beating his chest and feet.
Zhang Jizhi was sentenced to death and was not sent back to Shaolin. Instead, he was executed directly in Kaifeng. Mu Jie did it himself.He let Zhang Jizhi walk away without any pain, as if he was sleeping.
Zhang Jizhi's mother, Ziqiu's wife, left Kaifeng after hearing the verdict.With white hair and black hair, she was unable to accompany her son on his last journey and never came back.
The three remaining assassins were not dead.The next night, a masked man broke in, secretly opened the cell, and let the three people go.
They call themselves the Songyang Sect, which is a taboo that is not allowed in Songshan Mountain. They are radical figures in Songshan Mountain who are unwilling to submit to Shaolin. From their words, we can know their dissatisfaction with the current leader Han Moying.
Shaolin can afford their attacks, and can Songshan afford their civil strife?If they are allowed to grow up, they will become a group of people within the Songshan sect who oppose Songshan. They will be dissatisfied with the governance of people like Han Moying, and will attack Songshan and cause Songshan to decline.The declining Songshan will no longer be able to harm Shaolin.
The fight on the stage was far less dangerous than the fight off the stage. It was Zhang Qiuchi's hands that lifted him up, so he had to do better than Zhang Qiuchi.His vision must be farther, broader, more thorough, and more capable.
In the last year of his life, Ziqiu handed over all his collection of books and contacts to Mu Jie, giving everything he had without reservation.There was only status, which Mu Jie later climbed up step by step based on his own ability.
He placed all his hopes on Mu Jie, hoping that he would become the next leader of the lay monks after him.
Then he died. When he was dying, his lips opened and closed, and he could not hear what he said clearly.Mu Jie came closer and heard only a faint murmur, constantly muttering: "Follow it...Follow it...Follow it..."
After that, Mu Jie stayed in Jinglu Temple and planned for Shaolin Temple as a lay disciple.
When he was 25 years old, Mu Jie got married and married the niece of the head of Kongtong. They gave birth to three sons and a daughter, leaving an heir for the Mu family.
At the age of 28, Mrs. Mu got her wish and passed away with her grandson in her arms. Mu Jie became a Shaolin layman and a leader of lay monks.
It was not until the age of 40 that Mu Jie was ordained and entered the church.He learned from Ziqiu, and successively served as the monk of Zhengjin Hall and the abbot of Zhengyu Hall. In just a few years, he became the head of Puxian Academy.
Experience is just a process for him. Even if he does not become the head of Samantabhadra Academy, no one will doubt his status.
Lay monk No. 1: Feeling empty.
(End of this chapter)
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