Mountains and rivers are waiting for you to return

Chapter 4 Zhongchuan Divine Monk
The blue bricks and black tiles are hidden among the layers of green leaves. It is so late, and there are not many shops still open in the suburbs.

A stone lion greets the door and two lanterns hang under the eaves.

Pei Nai walked in, and the waiter who was sitting and resting hurriedly stood up and walked over: "Sir, please sit inside, what would you like to drink?"

"Excuse me, a pot of Bamboo Leaf Green."

"Okay, wait a moment."

Pei Nai chose a table by the window and sat down. The window offered a view of the inner courtyard.

With a casual glance, I happened to see a seat in the corridor of the courtyard, and between the pillars, a half-robed robe was revealed.

Pei Nai's heart fluttered. Could it be the old monk?

She stood up and walked over the threshold.

The monk sat cross-legged on a cushion with a low table in front of him. His lotus robe trailed behind him, and he was sipping a cup of tea.

Pei Nai had never seen the old monk before. It seemed that the old monk only lived in the stories of others.

She was still thinking about how to ask this person's identity.

The old monk's eyes shifted from the tea leaves floating in the cup to her, and he slowly asked, "Awake?"

Pei Nai was stunned. This old monk seemed a bit familiar?
She wondered that they didn't know each other before, so why did they start with these two words?
"Awake." In order to find out the reason why she had partially lost her memory and the truth about waking up in someone else's body, Pei Nai finally gave in.

He put down the teacup and spread his palm to signal Pei Nai to sit opposite him.

The night was a little chilly, Pei Nai threw off her dress and knelt down, the strong breeze was gathered into her sleeves.

"Have you forgotten a lot of things?" The old monk's voice was extremely steady.

Pei Nai nodded vigorously. "I was on the way to Guancheng with the army before, and I woke up again on this girl's body, including the tree piece on my tongue. All of this makes me very confused. Please help me solve this puzzle."

"On the way to Guancheng?" The old monk thought for a moment, understood something, and said with a calm smile: "I guess you have forgotten the most painful memory, but it doesn't matter, when your body completely accepts the pure tree slices, you will remember it again."

Pei Nai frowned. The most painful memory? She was puzzled. Why did it happen?

"I have heard my father talk about you before, so you are his old friend?"

The old monk nodded slightly, "I guess so."

I guess so? Pei Nai pondered over it carefully and felt that there was some story behind this sentence.

Before she could ask, the old monk said, "I have a deep friendship with one of your ancestors." This was a supplement to the previous sentence.

"Then, can this piece of the tree save lives and bring the dead back to life?" Pei Nai asked doubtfully.

The old monk took a new porcelain cup from the side, picked up the teapot, and slowly poured the tea. "I once swore to an old friend that I would not tell anyone about this, so please forgive me."

The tender branches fall with the boiling water, and the tea aroma is strong.

Pei Nai's gaze fell on the old monk's right hand. The hands were rough and covered with frost, but on the other side of his little finger, there was an extra finger compared to ordinary people, which seemed a little abrupt.

"I would like to make a bold guess. Is the senior the divine monk Zhongchuan, or Senior Zhong?"

In the martial arts factions of Three Mountains and Five Peaks and Zhongchuan Six Rivers, Three Mountains and Five Peaks are both large families passed down from generation to generation, but Zhubei Spear, Xihan Knife and Nanqiang Sword are located in three large countries, standing at the top of the martial arts world.

They command troops and are responsible for defending the country. They are the embodiment of national military power and the guarantee for stability of the people's hearts.

These three families are respected by the world as the Upper Three Mountains. Everyone is clear in their hearts. As long as the guns, knives and swords are there, the country will be there.

The Five Mountains are also orthodox sects, all of which have centuries of history.

Only Liujiang refers to the new generation of heroes who have been the best in the past few decades and admired by the world. They are also called the Six Jiangs of Heroes.

In addition, there are legends about the Nakagawa lineage in the world.

They concealed their tracks and never showed themselves to the public, like a dragon that can only be seen from head to tail. All we know is that Zhongchuan has been a lonely monk for generations.

When they are old, they will adopt an orphan and teach him all they have learned throughout their lives. The magical skills of the Nakagawa lineage will also be passed down.

People in the world only know that the monk Zhongchuan practiced the Dingguang Compassion Palm. According to legend, the Dingguang Compassion Palm has the power to pierce through clouds and split the earth, and its force is so powerful that it can defeat ten thousand troops.

Anyone who inherits the Palm of Mercy will have their hands deformed due to the backlash of the power, and they are known to have six fingers.

"Yes and no, it's just an empty title."

Hearing the old monk's answer, Pei Nai's eyes widened, "Since we have met here, isn't it fate?"

Senior Zhong looked directly at Pei Nai with a subtle expression, as if telling her to speak frankly.

Pei Nai bowed and said, "I'd like to ask you for some advice."

Senior Zhong smiled up to the sky and said, "Your temperament is somewhat similar to that of my old friend. You are indeed a descendant of the same family."

He smiled and shook his head, flicking his sleeves and said, "Forget it, it's all karma."

"I have nothing but the Dingguang Compassionate Palm, which is barely good enough to stand out. If you don't mind, you can learn a couple of moves from me. It will be enough to protect yourself in an emergency without a weapon."

When Pei Nai heard this, she immediately knelt down on the empty space next to the futon. Her kneeling meant that she wanted to become a disciple.

Elder Zhong raised his hand to stop her from bowing before she could do so. "No need. It's getting late. We can skip the formalities. Calm down and we'll get started."

Pei Nai prepared himself and nodded.

Senior Zhong said, "The Dingguang Compassionate Palm is famous. Countless people have come to challenge Zhongchuan one after another, just to get a glimpse of the secrets of the palm. They just copied it, but they still couldn't master it. Why is that?"

Pei Nai shook his head curiously.

“People in the world don’t know that the Dingguang Compassionate Palm actually has two levels. Its predecessor is the Ten Thousand Hatred Palm. Only after experiencing great enlightenment and allowing the person holding the palm to truly let go, it is called the Dingguang Compassionate Palm,” explained Elder Zhong.

Pei Nai frowned, "Is it the Palm of Ten Thousand Hate that caused countless bloodshed in the martial arts world and wiped out two sects with its brutal and cruel methods?"

"good."

"But," Pei Nai was very confused, "Didn't the Palm of Ten Thousand Hate become extinct more than two hundred years ago?"

There was a faint mist in Elder Zhong's eyes.

It seems like a story emerges and disappears, twisting and turning, waiting to be told.

But he just smiled faintly, and you could see the silent joys and sorrows, but what you could feel was the ultimate peace.

Just in that brief moment, Pei Nai felt something mysterious and unspeakable through the eyes of Elder Zhong.

It was as if she had glimpsed a glimpse of the great perfection after Nirvana.

"These two palm techniques have long been combined into one. They are opposite to each other, but they also help each other. Without pain, there would be no compassion. The two complement each other and are inseparable. So it is better to say that the Palm of Ten Thousand Hate still exists in another form today."

Pei Nai listened quietly without saying a word.

Senior Zhong gently raised his hands, and Pei Nai immediately felt the air pressure around him change.

Countless air currents came from all directions, pushed open the door, and accumulated on the ground, ready to take off.

The lapels of his clothes fluttered wildly in the wind.

Senior Zhong raised his palm again, and the small table, broom and other items in the inner courtyard flew off the ground.

The strong wind that rushed up from the bottom made Pei Nai's long hair fly all over the place.

(End of this chapter)