Chapter 661: One Sharper Tongue Than the Other
As soon as Jiumozhi finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the scene.
The Shaolin monks were all stunned, momentarily unsure how to react. As the towering beacon of the martial world, how many years had it been since someone dared to provoke them in such a way?
Ren Woxing opened his mouth but eventually sighed in resignation. “My dear son-in-law, I thought my tongue was already sharp enough, but compared to your senior brother, I am utterly outmatched.”
Even Zhang Sanfeng couldn’t remain seated any longer. He approached Song Qingshu and said, “Qingshu, this friend of yours…” He hesitated before sighing. “I fear our journey will not be smooth.”
Song Qingshu could only smile bitterly. “I didn’t expect him to take this approach either.”
By this time, the Shaolin monks had regained their composure and began denouncing Jiumozhi in anger. If it had been any ordinary martial sect, he would have already been drowned in a tidal wave of curses.
Fortunately, Abbot Xuan Ci maintained the composure befitting a great master. Raising his hand to quiet the monks, he slowly said, “It is true that both our Buddhist teachings and martial arts originate from Bodhidharma. According to the Grand Preceptor, these are indeed techniques from Tianzhu. However, the martial arts passed down by Bodhidharma comprise only a small portion of Shaolin’s 72 Ultimate Techniques. The majority were developed over the nearly thousand-year history of Shaolin Temple through the research and innovation of generations of eminent monks. For example, the Prajna Palm was created by Yuan Yuan, the eighth abbot of our temple. The Maha Finger was invented by a seven-fingered monk who resided here for forty years. The Vajra Fist was the result of thirty-six years of study by six high monks of the eleventh generation, all bearing the ‘Tong’ surname. These supreme techniques are all authentic Central Plains martial arts, fundamentally different from Tianzhu’s methods of using intent to guide strength and strength to generate power. Many esteemed martial artists are present; the differences are obvious at a glance, and there is no need for this old monk to elaborate further.”
His argument was well-reasoned and convincing, even earning a nod of approval from Zhang Sanfeng. With his vast knowledge, Zhang Sanfeng naturally understood that most of Shaolin’s 72 Ultimate Techniques were self-developed and bore little relation to Tianzhu martial arts.
Jiumozhi smiled slightly and said, “The abbot’s words are indeed wise, but they seem to deliberately draw a distinction between the martial arts of the Central Plains and Tianzhu. Yet, in the eyes of the Buddha, all beings are equal. Whether Central Plains or Tianzhu, these are but illusory names. Furthermore, according to the abbot, the Prajna Palm, Maha Finger, and Vajra Fist were created by Shaolin itself. However, in my early years in Tubo, I heard many Vajrayana monks describe the moves of these techniques. For instance, the Prajna Palm has a move called ‘Seamless Sky Robe,’ which in Sanskrit is ‘Avakirya,’ meaning ‘indescribable.’ This move uses a light yet substantial force in the right palm and a heavy yet empty force in the left, alternating between real and feigned attacks to deceive the opponent. Abbot, may I ask if my words are correct?”