The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 649 Who told you that the old monk is a monk?

From being chased and beaten by Hou Xibai, to fighting back and forth, and then to pinning Hou Xibai to the ground, Xu Ziling only took one night to truly demonstrate what it means to be talented and gifted.

Fortunately, Xu Ziling was also a kind-hearted man with a conscience. He knew that Hou Xibai was barely half his own, so he didn't really beat him up, but it was still inevitable that he would have bruises all over his body.

Monk Zhenyan swept the floor all night and watched the kid named Xu Ziling incorporate the Five Hundred Arhats statues into martial arts. His eyes almost popped out and he seriously suspected that Xiaoyaozi had passed this martial art to him in advance. But when he looked closely, he found that although the martial arts performed by this kid Xu looked similar, there were actually some differences from the handwritten copy given to him by Xiaoyaozi.

This is normal. As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Different people may gain different insights from the same thing, but in the end, it is unlikely that they can break free from the shackles of the original owner.

Seeing the booklet in his hand, Xu Ziling's expression was slightly strange. When he heard that the old monk across from him, who was over 90 years old, wanted to pass on a unique skill to him, he could not help but be even more surprised. "Master, please don't misunderstand me. Although I have gained some insights from these five hundred Arhats, they are all Taoist martial arts. There is not much so-called Buddha nature."

Monk Zhenyan curled his lips in disdain and said, "Although these five hundred arhats were originally created by a great Indian monk, they contain no Buddhist teachings, but rather the principles of heaven and earth. A great monk can understand Buddhism by looking at them, a Taoist can gain the Way of Taoism by looking at them, a warrior can practice martial arts by looking at them, a painter can capture their beauty, an artist can capture their rhythm. And this has nothing to do with the old monk's wish to teach you martial arts."

Doesn't it really matter?

Big mistake!

The Nine Seals of Mantra is the result of decades of hard work by Monk Zhenyan. This method is profound and mysterious, and only geniuses can get started. It is the kind of method where if you know it, you know it, and if you don’t know it, you don’t know it. It cannot be forced. Monk Zhenyan has been traveling around the world for decades, and apart from Xiaoyaozi, he has not found a second person who can learn it.

Ning Daoqi can't do it, Miaoying Zhenren can't do it, Fan Qinghui can't do it, Bi Xiuxin can't do it, the four great holy monks can't do it, and even Yang Xuyan's brother who became a Buddhist can't do it.

You mean the Demon Sect?

Haha, it’s not that Monk Zhenyan looks down on them, but he really doesn’t have any hope for those guys who act in extreme ways and habitually go astray in martial arts training.

Now, seeing such a genius as Xu Ziling, and testing him with the Lion Seal, he found that this boy was indeed talented, so he couldn't help but offer to teach him everything he knew, completely forgetting how ugly his face was when he received the letter from Yang Xuyan.

When I received the letter, I thought: "I've been searching for a suitable successor for decades and I haven't found one yet. And you just casually recommend someone who can learn it? Do you think I'm that easy to please?"

Now: Young friend Xiaoyao is truly a genius. It’s not enough that he is powerful himself, but even his disciples are half-geniuses. I have made up my mind to be his friend. Whoever opposes him will be my enemy, no room for negotiation.

"And I told you that what the old monk is going to pass on to you is the unique Buddhist knowledge? The old monk's Nine Mantra Seals are the real Taoist magical powers, the kind that have been certified by your master Xiaoyaozi. By the way, your master learned all of the old monk's Nine Mantra Seals a few years ago, and he is even better than the old monk, and his power is even greater than the old monk's." The words of the Mantra Monk left Xu Ziling speechless.

"Also, who told you that the old monk is a monk?" Monk Zhenyan's words almost confused Xu Ziling.

"Isn't the old monk a monk?"

"A monk is a monk, an old monk is an old monk, so an old monk is not a monk."

Xu Ziling: Are you kidding me?

Monk Zhenyan: Yes, I was just teasing you, but the Nine Seals of Zhenyan is indeed the true Taoist tradition. Don’t be ungrateful, you should know that your master also praises this unique skill of mine.

Hou Xibai was already accustomed to the contemptuous look from Monk Zhenyan. This was not the first time he had dealt with this old monk. His master and senior brothers were always away from home, and he was their spokesperson in the whole of Sichuan. He had to deal with him a lot.

Are you talking about fat Jia Anlong?

Haha, although I don't want to admit it, I, the heir of Huajian who has just entered the Grandmaster stage, am indeed far inferior to Uncle Anlong. The master comes to him when he has something to do, and the senior brothers also come to him when they have something to do, but he basically has nothing to do with anything that is even slightly important.

It wasn't that he couldn't understand. Although that fat man was old and ugly, his martial arts skills were far superior to his own. He was the fifth most powerful master in the Holy Sect, a true senior master, and had already reached the peak of the Grandmaster level. He was not comparable to a rising star like himself. His status was also extraordinary. Not only was he the leader of the Tianlian Sect, but he was also one of the few wealthy merchants in Sichuan and Shu, and even ranked in the top ten in the entire Great Sui Dynasty.

Stretching from Ryukyu in the east to Tuyuhun in the west, connecting to the grasslands in the north and Linyi in the south, this vast commercial empire was best understood by Fatty An, aside from his senior brother Yang Xuyan. Even his own master couldn't match his understanding. Furthermore, Fatty An had close ties with other branches of the Saint Sect. This was the power of money, something he could never match.

As for direct contact with the imperial court or even Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty, that was not something a mere playboy could do. It would be more appropriate for him to guard Sichuan and Shu honestly. At least with his handsome face, it should not be a problem for him to win over the little daughters of several major forces in Sichuan and Shu.

"Hurry up, I have booked a place at Sanhua Tower tonight, and we can't miss such a good time and beautiful scenery." Hou Xibai waved his hand and left casually, leaving behind Xu Ziling with a frown on his face and the kind-looking monk Zhenyan.

"By the way, Young Master Ling, your master once said that this old monk is not an honest man. He was originally a Taoist master with unfathomable strength. I guess he is at least a half-step grandmaster. Later, he converted from Taoism to Buddhism, gave up or sealed away his skills and started over again. Now he has reached the peak strength of a grandmaster." Hou Xibai's voice came from afar, "He is just an unscrupulous old Taoist wearing a cassock. As long as he tears off his disguise, he can transform into a Taoist grandmaster at any time."

"Amitabha, monks do not tell lies." Monk Zhenyan chanted the Buddha's name. Xu Ziling said quietly, "This sentence is the biggest lie."

Monk Zhenyan was speechless: Can you please speak properly?

"Do you want to learn this nine-word mantra seal of mine?" Monk Zhenyan stopped pretending and came straight to the point.

Xu Ziling laughed heartily and said, "Master, if I refuse such a magical Taoist skill, I will regret it for the rest of my life. Since you are so generous in teaching me, how can I not appreciate it?"

Monk Zhenyan curled his lips in disdain and said, "Although I know you're flattering me, I still feel very happy when I hear it. You're much better than your master who doesn't know how to respect the elders. I just hope your qualifications can surpass that guy who has lived for who knows how long."

Monk Zhenyan really couldn't tell for sure about Yang Xuyan. According to his own investigation, this man was Yang Yong's youngest son, who was only in his twenties. But from his own interactions with him, he was a complete old ghost, with more experience than even himself, an old man who was nearly a hundred years old.

So, when you don’t understand, don’t think about him. It doesn’t matter after all.

Yang Xuyan: Are you sure you really don't understand it? Or maybe you don't want to be discouraged?