Chapter 60: 【056】Aged Past Events
"This matter, it’s a long story that stretches back through history," the great monk couldn’t help but sigh.
"During the Tang Dynasty, because the Thirteen Stick Monks made significant contributions by saving the Tang sovereign, Emperor Taizong specially decreed that Abbot Tanzong of the Northern Shaolin establish a new Shaolin Temple in the south, named ’Southern Shaolin Temple.’
Not only did he transfer sutras to the temple, but Abbot Tanzong also moved a lot of martial arts materials to the Southern Shaolin Temple, including the Marrow Cleansing Scripture, Bone Transformation Scripture, and Boy Skill, three of the four great internal martial arts of Shaolin.
With the rich heritage of Northern Shaolin, Southern Shaolin also had quite a reputation in the south. Until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, many people from the martial world sought to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming. The court saw Chinese Martial Artists as a major threat,
regarding the Shaolin Temple as a thorn in their side. They dispatched troops to attack, leading to the famous event ’The Burning of the Southern Shaolin.’ At that time, the five ancestors of Shaolin narrowly escaped the Qing soldiers’ pursuit, taking with them the Marrow Cleansing Scripture, Bone Transformation Scripture, and Boy Skill."
Wang Longhu, both curious and puzzled, scratched his head: "I’ve heard about the burning of Southern Shaolin, but that was two or three hundred years ago. How is it related to Dong County, this small island?"
"Without the protection of the Shaolin Temple, the five ancestors carrying Shaolin’s internal arts became a coveted target for the southern martial world. Many martial artists wanted to witness the mysteries of Shaolin’s internal arts,
Internal arts are different from ordinary martial arts. If you haven’t seen it, it’s hard to understand. Let me explain it to you like this: if you possess internal arts, you don’t need to practice Pile Skill for martial arts training. You understand how remarkable this is, right?" the great monk asked.
"So remarkable!" Wang Longhu finally showed a look of astonishment.