Chapter 629: One Versus Three
Even someone as composed as Zhang Sanfeng couldn’t help but feel slightly irritated. In the past, although he had served Master Jueyuan at the Shaolin Temple, it was merely as a menial worker sweeping floors and brewing tea. He had neither taken monastic vows nor formally become a disciple, so it was inaccurate to label him as a Shaolin disciple. The martial arts of the Wudang Sect were entirely of his own later creation. Yet, the Shaolin Temple consistently claimed that he had stolen their martial arts, tarnishing the reputation of Wudang’s martial legacy.
However, Zhang Sanfeng was an easy-going individual. He also remembered that without Master Jueyuan passing on the ‘Nine Yang Scripture’ to him, all his subsequent martial arts achievements would have lacked a foundation. In a way, it wasn’t entirely wrong to say his martial arts originated from Shaolin.
But no matter how magnanimous he was, he couldn’t ignore Shaolin’s repeated mockery. Hearing Xuan Cheng’s thinly veiled ridicule, Zhang Sanfeng felt a flicker of anger. He replied calmly, “Although this poor Taoist doesn’t know much about Shaolin’s 72 Ultimate Techniques, all martial arts share a common principle. Over the years, I’ve created my own set of techniques. If Master is interested, our two sects could exchange pointers and perhaps benefit from mutual enlightenment.”
Xuan Cheng was slightly startled. His intention was merely to probe Zhang Sanfeng’s true skill, but the latter elevated the matter to a discussion between sects, making it difficult for him to accept lightly. Although Xuan Cheng prided himself as the greatest martial artist Shaolin had seen in over two centuries, Zhang Sanfeng was regarded as a near-mythical figure in the martial world. Xuan Cheng had no absolute confidence in victory, and losing would disgrace Shaolin’s reputation.
Yet Xuan Cheng, adept in mastering thirteen of Shaolin’s ultimate skills, was far from foolish. He quickly devised a plan and said loudly, “An exchange between Shaolin and Wudang would indeed be beneficial. However, as a senior figure in the martial world, if you face only one junior, it would neither enhance your reputation nor achieve the purpose of our exchange. Why not have my brother Fang Zheng, Junior Brother Xu Zhu, and I seek your guidance together?”
Xuan Cheng was known for his pride and would never normally condescend to join forces with others. But Zhang Sanfeng’s fame was too overwhelming. Although he believed he could hold his own against Zhang Sanfeng, Shaolin’s reputation was at stake, and he preferred to err on the side of caution.
Fang Zheng hesitated slightly. While he felt that ganging up was dishonorable, Shaolin monks had long been curious about the extent of Zhang Sanfeng’s skills. Yet, Zhang rarely left his mountain, and any Wudang matters in the martial world were handled by his disciples. This rare opportunity was too precious to miss, and Fang Zheng didn’t want to pass it up.
As for Xu Zhu, the chance to spar with a legend like Zhang Sanfeng thrilled him. He was more than eager to participate.
Seeing the three monks’ tacit agreement, Song Qingshu grew furious, “What a shameless Shaolin Temple, relying on numbers to bully the few! If you insist on seniority, then you two masters are also my elders. In that case, I will assist Esteemed Zhang. Surely, you have no objections to that?”