Chapter 284: Wudang Sect, Sparing No One, Not Even Children!
Dragon bones were truly captivating! The abbot of Shaolin Temple gathered a few monks in a corner and instructed, “Write a letter immediately and have Senior Brother Jiechen bring the most insightful disciples from our sect here!”
One monk couldn’t understand, “Amitabha! Master, why?”
The abbot replied impatiently, “You’re clueless. Can’t you grasp such a simple concept? The dragon bone can aid enlightenment and enhance cultivation. It’s a top treasure in the martial world! If our disciples can comprehend the supreme martial arts from it, their skills will skyrocket. This will undoubtedly strengthen our sect’s power!”
“Oh… Master, you’re right!” The monks suddenly realized.
“That’s why I’ve asked Senior Brother Jiechen to bring more outstanding disciples here! The more disciples we have, the more who can comprehend martial arts from the dragon bone. It’s beneficial for Shaolin Temple, Amitabha!”
“But Master, this will cost a lot of money!”
The monks remembered the hundreds of thousands they had been conned out of by Lin Beifan and looked troubled.
The abbot remained resolute, “Amitabha! As the saying goes, opportunities are not to be missed. If we don’t seize this chance, we might be left behind by other sects, impacting Shaolin Temple’s status. So, no matter how much money it takes, we can’t afford to miss this opportunity!”
“Master is absolutely right, Amitabha!” the others echoed.
Similarly, Wudang Sect and other sects were following the same approach. They were eager to gather all their disciples, protect the dragon bone, and gain enlightenment from it.
Looking at Lin Beifan, a scholar with no martial prowess, being able to extract profound martial insights from the dragon bone, these martial artists were benefiting greatly from just a few dozen words. If one or two of their sect members achieved enlightenment, wouldn’t that be a substantial gain?
As the saying goes, when one person achieves the Dao, his companions ascend to heaven along with him. This principle applied here.
Within a few days, the square became increasingly crowded with representatives from various sects. They were divided by sect, facing off with a hint of hostility toward each other.
Among them, Shaolin Temple’s disciples were the most numerous. About one-third of them were bald, their heads gleaming in the night.
This made them the first to be criticized.
“Great Master Abbot, you’re taking this a bit too far!” The head of Kongtong Sect snidely remarked, “Sending so many disciples, are you planning to move Shaolin Temple to the capital?”
“Yeah, with so many monks, you’ve practically monopolized the dragon bone!” The head of Qingcheng Sect shouted.
“Are you here to seize the dragon bone or what?”
…
Facing their taunts, the abbot’s expression turned sorrowful, “Esteemed sect leaders, you’ve misunderstood me! The dragon bone concerns the martial world and the state’s stability. We can’t afford any mistakes! As the leader of the martial alliance, I have a responsibility. That’s why I’ve sent many disciples to protect the dragon bone. I hope you fellow martial artists can understand, Amitabha!”
The crowd was furious.
He clearly wanted to seize the dragon bone’s blessings, yet he was speaking so nobly?
Hypocritical and cunning!
At this moment, the head of Wudang Sect and a group of young Taoists approached noisily.
Judging by their Taoist robes, they were from Wudang Sect. Their numbers surpassed those of Shaolin Temple and had even included disciples from other sects.
This time, the abbot of Shaolin Temple couldn’t tolerate it anymore!
With hands clasped together, he loudly questioned, “Amitabha! Head of Wudang Sect, why have you sent so many disciples here?”
The head of Wudang Sect replied righteously, “They’ve also come to protect the dragon bone!”
“What about them? Are they here to protect the dragon bone too?” The abbot of Shaolin Temple angrily pointed at a group of innocent-looking young Taoists.
These young Taoists were around 13 or 14 years old, but there were even a dozen or so kids under 10 among them. They had no internal energy and hadn’t even started on the path of martial arts.
What were these young children doing here?
As the abbot of Shaolin Temple and the leader of the martial alliance, he still wanted to maintain some dignity. He could have sent some young monks with martial skills to represent their sect. But you, from Wudang Sect, are even including children!
This was too much, it was intolerable!
“They…,” the head of Wudang Sect had a kindly smile on his face, “They have been practicing martial arts within Wudang since they were young, and they’ve never left our mountain gate! So, taking this opportunity, I thought I’d let them see the world in the capital and have a glimpse of the dragon bone! It’s not a big deal, everyone doesn’t need to be concerned or take it seriously! Haha!”
The abbot of Shaolin Temple was furious!
The heads of various sects were furious!
You shameless old Taoist!
You can say such shameless words?
You tell us not to be concerned…
How can we not be concerned?
If one or two outstanding disciples among them could comprehend supreme martial arts from the dragon bone, wouldn’t your Wudang Sect leave us all behind?
This was a contest of sect fortunes, and no one could afford to lose!
As a result, the representatives from various sects started quarreling.
Since the commotion was quite significant, Lin Beifan was called in to mediate.
“What’s going on? What happened? Everyone here is from distinguished sects, all significant figures in the martial world! Making such a fuss, is this proper conduct?” Lin Beifan scolded loudly. “Can’t you all just sit down peacefully and calmly exchange a few blows?”
Various sect leaders exclaimed, “What the hell!”
Are you here to mediate or provoke a fight?
Lin Beifan spoke with emphasis, “I know, all you heroes are here to protect the dragon bone! I’ve seen your sincere intentions! But why argue so much? Whoever pays can go in, isn’t that simple? If you don’t have money, no matter how much you argue, it’s pointless! Don’t you agree? Harmony is the way to prosperity!”
The sect leaders gave Lin Beifan annoyed glances.
We’re the ones being harmonious, and you’re the one prospering!
“Alright, stop arguing, follow the rules!” Lin Beifan commanded loudly.
“Lord Lin’s words are reasonable!” The abbot of Shaolin Temple reluctantly took out a silver note worth 1 million taels and said, “Lord Lin, this is Shaolin Temple’s contribution, please accept it!”
Lin Beifan accepted the money with a smile, “To all the masters of Shaolin Temple, thank you!”
The head of Wudang Sect grudgingly took out a silver note worth 1.5 million taels and said, “Lord Lin, this is Wudang Sect’s contribution!”
Lin Beifan once again accepted the money with a smile, “To all the masters of Wudang, thank you!”
…
In this way, Lin Beifan extracted money one after another from these sects. In the blink of an eye, it had crossed the 5 million mark. It had to be admired that these martial sects were indeed quite wealthy! Usually quiet and pretending to be poor, but when it came to giving money, they were not hesitant at all!
However, Lin Beifan noticed that there was still a great potential to tap into. Apart from Shaolin and Wudang, other sects were itching to join in, clearly not wanting Shaolin and Wudang to take all the glory.
And so, after a few more days, the number of martial artists in the city increased, and Lin Beifan earned another 5 million. As the martial artists were numerous, and with more people coming to view the dragon bone, it seriously impacted the city’s security and stability. As a result, Lin Beifan had to move the dragon bone out of the city.
Outside the city, a massive dragon-viewing platform was constructed, where the dragon bone was displayed for everyone to see. Beneath the platform were disciples from various sects, all sitting cross-legged, densely packed. They protected the dragon bone while trying to comprehend the profound martial principles from it.
During this period, many treacherous individuals attempted to break in and steal the dragon bone, but they were repelled by the disciples from various sects. They were ruthless, as if avenging a deep grievance.
“Evil must be exterminated by all!”
“If you want to lay hands on the dragon bone, first ask if my sword agrees!”
“Fellow martial artists, we must guard the dragon bone and prevent wicked individuals from touching it!”
“As martial sects, it’s our responsibility!”
…
Everyone united in opposition.
They had paid money; you can’t just freeload without paying, where is the fairness in that?
All these scenes were observed by Lin Beifan, and he felt satisfied.
You paid the money and helped me protect the dragon bone. This feeling is truly exhilarating!
Meanwhile, these scenes were also observed by the Empress.
The Empress was somewhat speechless, “Lin Beifan, using the matter of the dragon bone to make money again! Not only did he manage to extract a sum from the court officials and even my uncles, he didn’t spare the martial sects either. His audacity is growing!”
A white figure appeared on the beam, laughing, “Indeed, his audacity is growing! But Your Majesty, do you believe that’s really a dragon bone?”
The Empress chuckled softly, “How can I believe it? Qingxuan Sister, when has that guy ever spoken the truth? If he says it’s a dragon bone, then it definitely isn’t! He’s just trying to use this thing to get money from everyone! He’s quite cunning, fooling people from all over the world! Haha…”
Bai Guanyin nodded with a smile, “Yes, he has fooled the entire world once again!”
The Empress was quite vexed, “However, he’s becoming more and more audacious now. I’m afraid he will create a bigger mess, and it won’t be easy to contain! Qingxuan Sister, keep an eye on him for me, don’t let him cause chaos!”
“Your Majesty, rest assured, he is a sensible person and will stop in time!”
The Empress covered her heart with her hand, smiling wryly, “I just hope my heart can endure until he stops!”
Bai Guanyin couldn’t help but chuckle, and her figure gradually faded away.
At that moment, urgent memorials arrived from outside, and the Empress’s expression changed when she read them.
She sighed again, “He’s really stirred up a storm this time!”
