Chapter 37 — One Shout Startles Awake the Long-Deafened Soul

Old Man Ma's chest rose and fell; plainly he was not calm at heart. He said coldly, "I cut off my own arm and sent it to the Great Thunderclap Temple, returning the Great Thunderclap Temple's divine powers. Why then did you still hunt me down and scatter my wife and children? Since you are so set on my death, why may I not pass the Great Thunderclap Temple's divine powers on to outsiders?"

The old monk shook his head. "Junior brother, one arm does not stand for all of your divine powers."

Old Man Ma chuckled low. "The divine powers in my body did not all come from the Great Thunderclap Temple either. Do you mean to strip away my other powers as well? I was born of the Great Thunderclap Temple, but in those years I fought my way out with my own two hands, and you did not dare to bar my way then. When I had a wife and child, you came looking for me again, and for their safety I was willing to cut off one arm and give you back the Great Thunderclap Temple's divine powers!"

His face darkened. "And then? You hunted me down and scattered my wife and children, destroyed my home and killed my family!"

The old monk's white eyebrows twitched. "Rules are rules; change them and they are no longer rules. The red dust of the world, the vulgar world, hinders cultivation. Junior brother, in truth we do not mean to kill you, but to save you from the bitter sea of the red dust, to bring you back to the Great Thunderclap Temple to cultivate, that you may attain the true fruit. Had you not stirred worldly desire in those years and fought your way out of the Great Thunderclap Temple, the seat of Tathagata would be yours today. If you are willing to return to the temple with me, the old Tathagata will surely be greatly pleased, and the seat of Tathagata will still be yours." (Zhaizhu's note: in common parlance Tathagata means Shakyamuni, but in the specialized language of the Buddhist order Tathagata means Buddha; any Buddha is a Tathagata. The scriptures say that because he speaks according to reality as it is, he is called Tathagata, which denotes the state of Buddhahood.)

"Go back?"

Old Man Ma said woodenly, "In those years I fought my way out. If I am to go back, then naturally I must fight my way back in!"

The old monk's face fell, and he sighed. "The Tathagata will be greatly disappointed. This youth on the platform — he is your disciple, is he not? You taught him the Thunderclap Eight Formulae, but you did not teach him our Great Thunderclap Temple's heart method, the Thunderclap Mahayana Sutra."

He looked toward Shen Mu, who was fighting a young man on the platform, and said, "The Thunderclap Mahayana Sutra is the dharma for subduing demons. Without cultivating this heart method, the Thunderclap Eight Formulae, however strongly refined, are but an empty show. Today I have brought my disciple with me. Mingxing, come and pay your respects to your uncle-master!"

Behind him a tall, lean young monk stepped forward, a string of prayer beads hanging from his hand, and saluted with palms joined. "Uncle-master."

The old monk's white eyebrows fluttered upward. "Mingxing is also a martial artist of the Spirit Embryo realm. I stake my Zen staff here. Will you take the bet, junior brother?"

Granny Zhu's eyebrows rose and she was about to speak, when Old Man Ma said without expression, "Monastic rules and precepts are all dog shit. I will bet with you: my head — how does it weigh against your Ximilo?"

The old monk nodded. "The weight is about the same."

The Blind Old Man, Granny Zhu, Grandpa Alchemist and the others frowned deeply and were about to dissuade him, when Old Man Ma said decisively, "If my Mu'er loses, take my head back to the Great Thunderclap Temple to see the Tathagata. If Mu'er wins, the Zen staff stays, and you get as far away as you can."

"Sadhu."

The old monk said to the little monk Mingxing, "Today your master will take back the Great Thunderclap Temple's divine powers from this betrayer of the temple. If you win, it shall be your merit."

Mingxing assented and strode toward the platform.

On the platform, the young man contending with Shen Mu was a master of the sword who followed the path of Senior Brother Qu of the Five Masters of the Surging River. His precious sword never left his body by more than three feet. Unlike Senior Brother Qu, his sword was not large; it was more like a dagger, eight inches long — small, and all the more vicious for it!

This little sword would thrust out from outlandish places — from under his armpit, from between his legs — and would even slip inside his clothes, darting out from his sleeve when Shen Mu traded palm force with him!

To drive a flying sword with qi, to control the sword with such high skill — he was not much inferior to Qianxun, a disciple of the Li River, and far surpassed Senior Brother Qu.

What was more, this man had actually attained great skill in combat techniques as well. His palm method was deep and profound, its momentum like a towering mountain; when the force at his palm burst forth, mountain patterns would appear in the center of his palm.

But by now the outcome on the platform was already decided. Shen Mu was mighty in strength and fierce in attack, swift in his footwork; the young man had suffered badly the very moment they traded their first palms — Shen Mu's vigorous vital essence crushed his outright!

What Shen Mu wielded was the Nine Dragons Riding Wind and Thunder; though only three of the nine layers of force had burst forth, it had already injured the young man's inner organs. Exquisite though his swordsmanship was, his defeat was settled.

Shen Mu's footsteps ran in confusion, like a thousand serpents writhing through the grass, now east, now west, now forward, now back, so that the young man could not tell from where his attacks came. The next moment, pain struck his back, and a palm from Shen Mu sent him flying.

The young man landed, stared blankly for a moment, then bowed to Shen Mu on the platform and thanked him. "Many thanks, little brother, for staying your hand."

That palm just now, though it had landed on his back with great force, had not been fierce and hard, and had not injured his heart or lungs; otherwise, with Shen Mu's strength, he could absolutely have smashed his five viscera and six bowels to powder!

"Does my junior brother need rest?" Mingxing had been standing quietly there waiting all along, and only when Shen Mu had defeated the young man did he speak.

Shen Mu's gaze fell upon him. This monk was young, dressed in white monk's robes unstained by a speck of dust; even the shoes on his feet were white, and he himself was fair and pure. Though his head was shaved, he still looked quite handsome, making one feel goodwill toward him without knowing why.

He was about to answer that there was no need, when Granny Zhu's voice suddenly came. "Rest — you must rest!"

Shen Mu did not understand her meaning, but he did as Granny Zhu said, sat down to rest, and regulated his breath. His Mystic Body Three Elixirs Art was suited to cultivation while running; though he had already fought more than ten martial artists, his vital essence had not been depleted by much, and he remained at his peak, only somewhat weary in body.

Granny Zhu carried a cup of water up onto the platform and put it into Shen Mu's hand, saying in a low voice, "Mu'er, no matter what means you use, this time you must win — you absolutely must not lose! Your Grandpa Ma has taken a bet with that old bald thief and staked his own life on it!"

Shen Mu's heart jumped. He hurriedly looked toward Old Man Ma, whose face was calm; his voice came over. "Mu'er, the peerless Overlord Body can never lose! I believe in you."