Devouring Evil Martial Arts, Eliminating Demons from All Heavens

Chapter 152 Unwavering Loyalty to the Southern Shaolin Temple

Throughout history, establishing a personal identity has always been the first step in paving the way for collaboration.

Because sometimes, it's inconvenient to reveal the real reasons behind one's actions.

For example, when Chu Tianshu came to the Southern Shaolin Temple, his original intention was to integrate the temple's power, use it as a foundation to leverage various forces, and strengthen the temple so that he could thoroughly defeat the surrounding Japanese pirates and bandits.

The reason?
Because after he came into this world, he looked around and found that nothing was to his liking.

It's perfectly normal to want to change things if you don't like them.

Moreover, he also wanted to secure his future and accumulate experience to build up his influence in his hometown.

But these real reasons are not suitable to be told to the abbot of the Southern Shaolin Temple.

A master of unknown origin is unlikely to succeed unless he is powerful enough to control the entire Shaolin Temple, forcing them to rely on him.

Otherwise, the driving force that can be implemented at the lower levels of Shaolin will become very weak.

We need to give them a grand expectation, but also a tangible hope, to motivate them.

Fortunately, when you're out and about, you have to choose your own identity.

Regardless of its credibility, the claim of being a successor of the School of Diplomacy at least creates a preconceived notion.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of someone who is a descendant of the School of Diplomacy is the School of Diplomacy.

Historically, strategists were those who specialized in cultivating power amidst the chaos of the world, stirring up trouble and seeking fame and fortune in the process.

Su Qin served Duke Wen of Yan and used the strategy of alliance to ensure the stable development of the Yan state. He also helped Yan regain lost territory, laying the foundation for Yan's later expansion into Liaodong.

Zhang Yi's appointment as Prime Minister of Qin made Qin even stronger, which goes without saying.

Those who were assisted by the successors of the School of Diplomacy all escaped their predicaments and gained enormous benefits.

Upon hearing this, Abbot Miaofan did indeed think of the School of Diplomacy, but he also instinctively felt somewhat skeptical.

After all, the last time the strategists shone brightly was a long time ago.

But he couldn't help feeling a little tempted.

This is because the Southern Shaolin Temple has long been in dire straits.

"Namo Amitabha."

Abbot Miaofan used this Buddhist chant to calm his mind, "In this day and age, there are still people who have inherited the legacy of the School of Diplomacy. It is hard to believe that."

"Furthermore, if he is a successor of the School of Diplomacy, why doesn't he enter the imperial court as an official, but instead sets his sights on our martial arts world?"

Chu Tianshu didn't take it seriously and laughed, "The dynastic system has changed many times. With the current court structure, how much room for maneuver can the successors of the strategist school have?"

"Moreover, the Ming Dynasty is corrupt, and various forces in the martial arts world and among the common people are actively growing stronger."

"I see that the martial arts world today is full of talent, with no one bound by conventions, and there is great potential everywhere."

"Who knows if those who will rule the world in the future will not originate from the people of the martial arts world today?"

Chu Tianshu spoke calmly and slowly, but his tone softened towards the end.

"Of course, with the world so vast, it is not something that can be easily plotted against."

"I came to the Southern Shaolin Temple only to help it get out of its predicament and establish itself as a powerful force in the region before we talk about the future."

Abbot Miaofan remained silent in thought.

Chu Tianshu knew that the other party was already taking the bait.

With an identity label, the other person will fill in the gaps in their impression of you, and the more they fill in the gaps, the deeper the impression becomes.

When the time comes, demonstrating strength and intervening in specific matters will no longer be merely a matter of military coercion.

Instead, it was "truly the demeanor of a successor to the School of Diplomacy," and "I have actually received the strong support of the School of Diplomacy!"
This yearning for the achievements of the ancients, this sentiment that has been exaggerated and embellished in the legends of generations, is sometimes unimportant, but sometimes very important.

"Southern Shaolin is indeed in a precarious situation."

After a long silence, Abbot Miaofan spoke again, acknowledging the matter.

The Southern Shaolin Temple has grown rapidly in recent years, naturally making many enemies, especially its lay disciples who run businesses outside the temple, inevitably leading to conflicts with other gangs and sects.

When the dynasty had just changed, everything was in ruins and everyone still had room for development. Most of them had connections in the government and had to be mindful of the impact, so they tried to fight without breaking apart.

However, in recent years, the Ming court's control has been weakening, and the Japanese pirates have given too many people an excuse. When many gangs start to operate, they no longer follow the rules.

Moreover, the power of all parties is expanding, and the room for maneuver has been completely eroded. The disputes between them are about to reach an irreconcilable level.

Fortunately, the Southern Shaolin Temple had enemies with other sects, and these other sects also had their own grudges, so the situation was still manageable.

Until the leaders of the Japanese pirates at sea began selling Japanese swords to various coastal gangs that also engaged in piracy.

Liuyun Prefecture then sold the curved swords from beyond the pass to the southeast.

The situation changed suddenly, highlighting the Southern Shaolin Temple.

Why is it that each faction doesn't have enough weapons? Some factions' workshops can't produce enough, and some don't even have mining or iron smelting industries.

But the Southern Shaolin Temple is able to be self-sufficient and even sells a large amount of its products to other regions.

If the Southern Shaolin Temple were merely a workshop specializing in weapons, it would be lacking in food, clothing, medicine, and martial arts, and would be dependent on external sources.

Then everyone can tolerate it.

However, upon closer examination, it was discovered that the Southern Shaolin Temple had also done quite well in these areas.

Who could tolerate this?
It can be said that the Japanese pirates along the coast were already eager to make a move, waiting for an opportunity to reach a consensus and tear the fat ox, the Southern Shaolin Temple, to pieces and devour it alive.

Meanwhile, in the Central Plains, Liuyun Prefecture was also eyeing the situation covetously.

"Many insightful people can see the current crisis of the Southern Shaolin Temple and have kindly reminded me that I was just saving face and unwilling to easily reveal my true feelings to you."

Abbot Miaofan said regretfully, "However, our Southern Shaolin Temple never imagined that the situation would evolve to this point..."

The previous abbot's idea was that while the Southern Shaolin Temple managed these businesses well, it could also bribe officials of various dynasties and even offer them to the imperial court, thus maintaining a good relationship with the court.

As a result, while the Southern Shaolin Temple's assets continued to grow, they also continued to decline.

The overall size will not attract much attention, while the connections and resources will become more and more solid.

Who knew that after Zhu Yuanzhang died, the Jingnan Campaign would occur, and after Emperor Renxuan died, the Tumu Crisis would happen, and the emperor who was captured by foreign tribes would be able to return and ascend the throne again.

The changes in the political landscape are far too disruptive. For the past few decades, the Southern Shaolin Temple has dared not make any rash moves, quietly cultivating its influence in the martial arts world.

Since the sect's revival, the established tone has been very good, and the lay disciples are both united and capable.

Miao Fan and his generation also thought this was good when they were young, and even felt that the older generation was always admonishing and warning them, which was a bit too cautious.

When he became the abbot and head monk, and took stock of the whole situation, he suddenly realized just how much wealth the Southern Shaolin Temple had accumulated.

Once things cross a certain line, trying to relinquish assets or cultivate relationships will not be accepted by insiders, nor will it be trusted by outsiders.

Without thoroughly purging the original top leadership, who would dare accept the gifts from the Southern Shaolin Temple?

Even if the imperial court were to look at it, they would only think that the Southern Shaolin Temple is now a group of people with ulterior motives.

If the previous abbot had secretly revealed his true feelings, he would probably have said so.

Our Southern Shaolin Temple once had at least half of its members with unwavering loyalty, as heaven and earth can attest. It's just a pity that the Ming Dynasty was so disappointing!

In reality, the previous abbot was more of a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person who travels the world), and his ability to run such a successful business was mostly due to his talent, rather than the professional training he received from a young age.

Otherwise, he would know that in history, it is not uncommon for certain forces in the private sector to be unable to stop themselves due to changes in the times.

For example, the Quanzhen School flourished in the early Yuan Dynasty and could not stop its progress. Later, it was severely suppressed by the Yuan emperor.

There were also wealthy merchants who grew so powerful that they couldn't stop their momentum and were eventually killed by others.

"In my opinion, the biggest problem for the Southern Shaolin Temple right now is not that it is difficult to defend its territory in terms of strength, but that you leaders are indecisive and too weak."

Chu Tianshu said bluntly, "Abbot, why don't you dare to really fight them with swords and spears?"

Abbot Miaofan was taken aback and said, "If we attack one side first, wouldn't that give them an excuse?"

"Are you just going to sit idly by and wait for them to conspire and bring about a catastrophic disaster for the Southern Shaolin Temple?"

Chu Tianshu said calmly, "When that day comes, I imagine the sounds of battle will fill the air."

"The blood spilled in the Great Hall of the Buddha and the fire that burned the Southern Shaolin Temple were like red lotuses blooming in the mountains, which must have been a magnificent sight."

He slowed his pace and said sincerely, "The fact that large quantities of curved swords and Japanese swords flowed into the Southeast indicates that they were bound to take action against the Southern Shaolin Temple."

"Your preemptive strike, your momentum and your prestige, will not only enable the Southern Shaolin to undergo a transformation, but will also make many people who only see the sweetness but not the knife reconsider."

Abbot Miaofan pondered and said, "What insightful opinions do you have, benefactor? Please share them."

"Liuyun Mansion is, after all, a Central Plains gang. Although it has a bad reputation, provoking them first will easily be seen by the public as a martial arts dispute."

As Chu Tianshu spoke, his eyes lit up, he raised a finger, and spoke with a strong, resonant voice.

"Therefore, the first priority is to fight the Japanese pirates!!"

"Although some of the Japanese pirates were fake pirates, they were originally merchants and fishermen. However, they roamed around and caused havoc, harming countless people. The crimes of the real Japanese pirates need not be elaborated."

“Killing the Japanese pirates is a righteous cause and the best opportunity to change the status of the Southern Shaolin Temple. It will also be beneficial to recruit local militia, expand our disciples, and strengthen our faction in the future.”

Abbot Miaofan hesitated and said, "Among the Japanese pirates, there is a leader named Chen Zuqi, who is known as the Heavenly King Commander. He has more than 10,000 men under his command, as well as more than 1,000 real Japanese pirates, who are brave and good at fighting."

“The disciples of the Southern Shaolin Temple are not necessarily afraid to fight against other Japanese pirates, or even against this group of ruthless bandits under his command.”

"But he himself is the biggest problem."

Many prominent leaders among the Japanese pirates were originally wealthy maritime merchants who already possessed considerable wealth.

Chen Zuqi was initially just a lowly disciple of a gang on the coast.

He was able to become the most powerful commander-in-chief among the Japanese pirates because of his outstanding talent, superb martial arts skills, and ever-increasing skill, which brought him immense prestige through his martial prowess.

In the early years, during several major battles between the Japanese pirates and the government troops, he always took the lead and charged into the city.

In the martial arts world of Southeast China, there were originally several families with a strong sense of pride and confidence in their superior martial arts skills. Even when they encountered large numbers of pirates, they were able to fight them off and achieve considerable success. They declared that they would specialize in killing Japanese pirates.

Chen Zuqi made several trips, traveling light and with few followers, and slaughtered almost all the masters of these sects.

He had become the highest authority in the hearts of the Japanese pirates, who revered him as a god.

The Southern Shaolin Temple had considered taking action against the Japanese pirates, but the thought of this man leading his personal guards in such an attack made them uneasy.

If this person is angered and disregards the risks, he might actually attack the Southern Shaolin Temple, which would likely lead to its downfall even sooner.

Abbot Miaofan even considered inviting several true masters from Shaolin Temple on Mount Song to come and help.

But such an invitation is not a long-term solution.

Moreover, the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song is located in the Central Plains, and the largest gang in the Central Plains right now is the Liuyun Clan.

The Southern Shaolin Temple doesn't have many spineless people.

However, the power of people like Chen Zuqi and Lord Liuyun was too great, forcing them to think twice.

"I've heard that among the senior monks of the Miao generation at the Southern Shaolin Temple, four are top-tier martial arts masters."

Chu Tianshu asked, "If the four of you joined forces against Chen Zuqi, what would the outcome be?"

Abbot Miaofan smiled wryly, "With the lives of the four of us, we should be able to inflict some injuries on him."

Chu Tianshu asked, "What if there are five members of the 'Miao' generation?"

Abbot Miaofan stared at him and said, "Does the benefactor have such confidence in his own martial arts skills?"

"What if it's the sixth generation with the character '妙' in their name?"

Chu Tianshu continued, "If we add two more Abbots Miaofan in addition to the four masters, would that make Chen Zuqi back down after the fight?"

Miao Fan's heart was greatly moved.

There were other masters among the pirates, but the Southern Shaolin Temple wasn't just comprised of those four old monks.

If we can truly contend with Chen Zuqi, there are many things we might as well try.

"Amitabha."

Miao Fan solemnly asked, "When you say 'add two more old monks,' do you mean you and your fellow disciples, or...?"

Chu Tianshu chuckled softly, turning his gaze back to the boulder.

"Master, if two Miaofans were to fight you, how many moves would it take for them to defeat you?"

(End of this chapter)