A brother named Lin fell from the sky

Regarding the matter of Master Duyuan's journey to Mount Huashan in those years, Master Fangzheng explained as follows

Upon seeing each other's cunning, Yue and Cai were unable to contain their anger. Naturally, "two brothers who were originally as close as flesh and blood eventually became bitter enemies."

In light of the numerous unreasonable aspects mentioned above, one has reason to believe that the "journey of Master Du Yuan to Mount Hua" spoken of by Master Fang Zheng is not a historical truth

However, Master Du Yuan is merely a second-generation disciple of the Putian Shaolin Temple (not to mention that the Putian Shaolin is far inferior to the Songshan Shaolin), and he is still young. Even if he is exceptionally intelligent, his cultivation is likely limited. The fact that he could 'casually explain' and 'upon hearing a verse, interpret a few lines according to his own understanding,' and manage to deceive the entire Huashan Sect is truly astonishing.

At that time, although Yue and Cai may not have had high martial arts skills or extensive knowledge, they had the entire upper echelon of the Huashan Sect and even the higher-ups of the Five Mountains Sword Alliance backing them. Those individuals were seasoned veterans; even if they had not mastered superior martial arts themselves (the term "superior martial arts" here is based on Feng Qingyang's standards, who believed that the ten elders of the demonic sect trapped in the cave on the back mountain of Huashan "could not be said to have truly glimpsed the door to superior martial arts"), they had certainly seen enough to understand what superior martial arts generally looked like. The Huashan Sect was willing to offend Shaolin in order to seize the "Sunflower Manual," which indicates their high expectations for the martial arts contained within the manual.

What is going on

In such a world, it is indeed suspicious that a sage is thriving so well; the true nature of this sage is questionable, and one must listen to the sage's words with caution.

Yue Su and Cai Zifeng successfully stole the book and joyfully returned to Mount Hua. After the celebration banquet, the senior members of the Huashan Sect, reeking of alcohol, gathered in a secret room to compare the "Sunflower Manual" recorded by Yue and Cai. Damn it, something went wrong! "When the two compared the techniques in the book, they found that they did not match at all, completely failing to align." (From Chapter 30 of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", spoken by Master Fang Zheng) "When the two compared the techniques in the book, they found that they did not match at all, completely failing to align." (From Chapter 30 of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer", spoken by Master Fang Zheng)

Therefore, Master Fangzheng stated that Master Duyuan had not seen the "Sunflower Manual" before arriving at Mount Huashan, and it was only after reaching Huashan that he became interested in the "Sunflower Manual." Is this really the case?

It is unlikely, for three reasons

This is akin to a thief who has stolen someone's computer, only to have the owner come knocking at the door. The owner, being a good person, says, "I am not here to investigate the theft; I just want to remind you that the hard drive is filled with inappropriate content for minors, so please do not open it to take a look." The thief nods and apologizes profusely, showing great contrition, yet the first thing he asks is, "What is the password to log in?" I have seen shamelessness before, but to be so brazen and so lacking in subtlety is truly bizarre. The first thing he asks is, "What is the password to log in?" I have seen shamelessness before, but to be so brazen and so lacking in subtlety is truly bizarre.

Master Fangzheng shares a flaw with certain contemporary historians, lacking in-depth understanding and mistakenly believing they possess knowledge. When explaining this matter, he stated: "Both individuals firmly believe that the other has misread the text, convinced that only their own recollections are correct." Implicitly, this suggests that Monk Hongye produced a counterfeit "Kuaihua Baodian," while Yue and Cai mutually accuse each other: "What you read is a counterfeit."

Master Duyuan is a favored disciple of Master Hongye, known for his exceptional martial skills and remarkable intelligence. This indicates that Master Hongye invested considerable effort in his training. Master Duyuan's understanding of Buddhist teachings must be commendable, and he has also traversed the world, demonstrating strong adaptability. Otherwise, Master Hongye would not have singled him out from among his many disciples to persuade Yue and Cai to return from their misguided paths.

However, all four points are in stark contrast to common sense, exuding an eerie atmosphere, and the expressions of everyone involved in this matter are quite strange

4. The return to secular life by Master Duyuan is a personal decision and has no relation to Shaolin; ("It is said that Master Duyuan stayed on Mount Huashan for eight days before bidding farewell, but from then on, he never returned to Putian Shaolin Temple again.") Not long after, Master Hongye received a letter from Master Duyuan, in which he expressed that he found it difficult to suppress his worldly desires and had made the firm decision to return to secular life, feeling unworthy to meet his master again.

The copy of the "Sunflower Manual" in the Shaolin Temple of Putian is undoubtedly genuine, but after reciting it, Yue and Cai produced a version that was counterfeit. The reason is quite simple: both Yue and Cai intended to use their half of the fake book to deceive the other into giving up their half of the genuine book, hoping to assemble a complete "Sunflower Manual." Unfortunately, both were clever individuals who employed the same trick, resulting in two counterfeit versions that did not match, leading to a situation where both suffered losses without any recourse. The reason is quite simple: both Yue and Cai intended to use their half of the fake book to deceive the other into giving up their half of the genuine book, hoping to assemble a complete "Sunflower Manual." Unfortunately, both were clever individuals who employed the same trick, resulting in two counterfeit versions that did not match, leading to a situation where both suffered losses without any recourse.

The truth of the matter is that Yue and Cai are well aware; they did not "read the wrong book," but rather "wrote the wrong book"

According to this statement, Master Duyuan's visit to Mount Hua was entirely well-intentioned. Master Hongye, upon encountering a thief, did not express anger or resentment; instead, he was concerned that Yue and Cai might fall into madness. Therefore, he specifically dispatched his favored disciple from Fujian to Shaanxi to persuade the two not to practice the "Sunflower Manual." Master Hongye truly possesses a compassionate heart akin to that of a Bodhisattva

The phrase "The Journey to Mount Huashan by Master Duyuan" spoken by Master Fangzheng contains four key points

1. The motives are exceedingly benevolent; ("The two, Yue and Cai, privately reading the 'Sunflower Manual,' were soon discovered by Master Hongye... This 'Sunflower Manual'... requires absolute precision during practice; any slight deviation will result in either death or injury. Therefore, he dispatched his favored disciple, Master Duyuan, to Mount Hua to advise Yue and Cai against practicing the martial arts contained in the manual.")

Doubt Three: Both Yue and Cai "admit to privately reading the 'Sunflower Manual'" and express their "deep apologies," yet they immediately turn around and "seek his guidance on the martial arts contained within the text." In the face of such shameless behavior, anyone else would likely have left in anger, yet Master Duyuan surprisingly does not take offense and even earnestly begins to explain the scriptures to Yue and Cai.

For instance, the red leaves and the illustrated book of monks, he is excessively kind, which appears quite strange

The explanation provided by Fang Zheng the monk is certainly untenable. Not to mention that later historical facts have proven that the "Kite Flower Classic" recorded by Yue and Cai is indeed authentic, and a century later, there was indeed a person named Dongfang Bubai who successfully practiced it. Even if what Yue and Cai read at that time was indeed a "fake Kite Flower Classic," the forger of the classic would necessarily maintain a consistent style throughout; it makes no sense for it to be half sea water and half flame.

Moreover, the rewritten version of the "Sunflower Manual" appears in Chapter 31 of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" as "a thin, old booklet." This suggests that the original version of the "Sunflower Manual" was also a small booklet. Yue and Cai each read half of it, so how could they possibly misinterpret the text? When Yue and Cai were pointing fingers at each other and hurling insults, they probably did not believe it themselves.

For instance, the Huashan Sect, having stolen another's treasure, found themselves confronted by the aggrieved party. The Huashan Sect displayed a commendable attitude of confession, "acknowledging the unauthorized reading of the 'Sunflower Manual'" and expressing "sincere apologies." However, upon turning around, they unexpectedly "sought his guidance on the martial arts contained within the text."

The matter of Master Yue and Master Cai privately reading the "Sunflower Manual" was soon discovered by Master Hongye... This "Sunflower Manual"... requires absolute precision during practice; even the slightest deviation can result in either death or injury. Therefore, he dispatched his favored disciple, Master Du Yuan, to Mount Hua to advise Masters Yue and Cai against practicing the martial arts contained in the manual

Then, such a promising newcomer, a future eminent monk, was easily seduced by the worldly temptations and, merely eight days after leaving Mount Hua, returned to secular life. Although it is said that an orange grown in the south of the Huai River is an orange, while one grown in the north is a trifoliate orange, even if the soil of the Huashan School is not ideal, it should not be capable of ruining a person so swiftly and violently

Looking again at the world depicted in "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," it is filled with tyrants and extraordinary figures, where the likes of Yu Canghai, Zuo Lengchan, and Ren Woxing are increasingly ruthless. Lin Pingzhi, Yue Buqun, and Dongfang Bubai are even more perverse, each more twisted than the last. Mo Da, Feng Qingyang, and the "Three Determinations of Hengshan" illustrate that the better a person is, the more tragic their fate becomes. In the end, even the protagonist Linghu Chong chooses to retreat into seclusion, filled with fear and weariness.

2. The process was smooth and harmonious; ("Master Duyuan ascended Mount Huashan, where Yue and Cai treated him with great respect. They acknowledged their private reading of the "Kuhua Baodian," expressing deep apologies while simultaneously seeking his guidance on the martial arts contained within the text.")

1. Master Duyuan's visit to Mount Hua this time is to act as a mediator. According to common reasoning, Monk Hongye expects Master Duyuan to persuade others, which means he must first persuade Master Duyuan himself, and will certainly begin by presenting a cost-benefit analysis to him.

The esteemed disciple of Master Hongye, whose secular name is Lin Yuantu, visited Master Duyuan.

The pros and cons cannot be simply summarized by the phrase "to cultivate divine skills, one must castrate oneself". These eight characters are clearly written in the secret manual, and both Yue and Cai are not illiterate; they naturally already know this. Therefore, using this to intimidate them from practicing the "Kuhua Manual" is evidently insufficient. To uncover other drawbacks within the manual, one must be familiar with the martial arts contained in it

The main and secondary branches of the Huashan School (later renamed the Qi Sect and the Sword Sect) expended considerable effort, only to achieve a half-finished product, which was regrettable to discard yet unmanageable to utilize. Just as they were each shutting their doors in sorrow and indignation, good fortune arrived, and a certain Lin Ge fell from the sky.

In Jin Yong's works, if arranged chronologically, the Shaolin temple that is closest to the one mentioned by Fang Zheng, which existed a hundred years ago, should appear in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber." The monks in the Shaolin temple depicted in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" exhibit such hideous faces, outdated thoughts, and narrow-mindedness that it reaches an appalling level. Considering that Shaolin temple, would you believe it if I said the one Fang Zheng referred to was as beautiful as a flower?

However, there is ample reason to believe that the explanations provided by Master Fangzheng and the *Tushu* are not entirely accurate, and the history of the martial arts world he speaks of is a mix of truth and falsehood. This is not to question Master Fangzheng's character; as the abbot of Shaolin, he holds a special status and must be cautious with his words. The martial arts history he refers to is essentially the official version from Shaolin.

There is reason to believe that the return to secular life of Master Du Yuan involves other hidden circumstances

However, the most peculiar figure throughout the entire event was Monk Duyuan, who exhibited three strange aspects that left people perplexed

Doubt Two: How did Master Duyuan undergo such a rapid transformation

One of the doubts: Did Master Duyuan really not come into contact with the "Sunflower Manual" before ascending Mount Hua

Official historical texts tend to lose credibility when discussing their own narratives. For instance, in the history of World War II in our country, both the Kuomintang and the Communist Party claim to be the main forces in resisting Japan, which leaves the Japanese quite perplexed. This is because there are still hundreds of thousands of American soldiers occupying their territory, occasionally committing acts of violence against Japanese women, and the Northern Territories are still held by Slavs. These realities, which are deeply humiliating for the Japanese, do not involve any participation from the Chinese.

3. The Red Leaf Monk possesses a compassionate heart, wholeheartedly wishing to eradicate the harmful influence of the "Sunflower Manual," a nefarious martial art, from the martial world. Not only does he maintain his own integrity, but he also prohibits his disciples from practicing it. In summary, he is selfless; (Although Master Duyuan is a favored disciple of Master Hongye, the martial arts contained in the manual have not been imparted to him. This is because Master Hongye himself does not fully understand it, and thus cannot pass it on to his disciples. Yue and Cai both assumed that he must be well-versed in the knowledge contained in the manual, unaware that there was another reason behind it. Master Duyuan did not clarify this at the moment; he listened to them recite the scriptures and casually explained them, while secretly committing them to memory. Master Duyuan's martial skills are exceptionally high, and he is an extremely intelligent person. Upon hearing a line from the scripture, he would interpret it in his own way, and surprisingly, he would articulate it quite convincingly.

I said to Master Duyuan, what brings you to Mount Hua? Your master did not send you here to be a tutor, did he