9. The monk Hongye achieved success and withdrew from the world

At that time, no one noticed that, in Fuzhou, Fujian, which was a thousand miles away, the "Fu Wei Escort Agency" had also set up a mourning hall, hung white banners, and the chief escort Lin Yuantu was dressed in mourning attire, kneeling in prayer in the hall. The monks invited to conduct the ceremony were astonished to discover that although Chief Escort Lin appeared to be merely a martial man, he possessed profound Buddhist attainments, and more than half of the scriptures he recited were ones they had never even heard of.

Now the mystery is unveiled, the first seat of the Luohan Hall claps in approval and says to the first seat of the Damo Academy: "Master Brother, truly a hero!" The first seat of the Damo Academy smiles and replies: "Among the righteous teachings, it is my Shaolin that has been in a stalemate with the Demon Sect the longest, suffering the most losses. The new generation of the Five Mountains Sect, though they have made some noise and had minor skirmishes with the Demon Sect, has yet to exert any real effort. Now that the pretense has turned into reality, it is also a matter of cause and effect, Amitabha." The first seat of the Discipline Academy, Master Xuanzang, also laughed and said: "From now on, let him take the blame, and let him go to his death. My Shaolin can finally take a breather"

The funeral of Master Hongye was grand and extraordinary. He was the abbot of the Southern Shaolin Temple, yet his funeral was conducted according to the standards of the Northern Shaolin abbot. The eulogy for Master Hongye was personally drafted by the abbot of the Songshan Shaolin Temple, who praised him as "an outstanding disciple of the Tathagata, a great theorist of Zen Buddhism, an exceptional martial artist of Shaolin, and a proven leader of the Shaolin community." It was stated that "the passing of Master Hongye represents a tremendous loss for Shaolin and the orthodox teachings, for the great cause of maintaining world peace, and for the significant movement against evil sects and the defense of justice."

In the martial arts world, the news that "the Five Great Sword Sects have single-handedly withstood the invasion of the Demon Cult, suffering severe injuries" spread rapidly. Various renowned righteous sects expressed serious concern and sent representatives to offer condolences. Among them, Shaolin was the most sincere, dispatching group after group of monks to perform rites for the souls of the deceased, all free of charge

The message reached Songshan, and the abbot convened the head of the Dharma Academy, the head of the Arhat Hall, and other high-ranking officials for a celebratory tea gathering in the meditation room. The head of the Arhat Hall was a brash monk who had long harbored deep dissatisfaction with the arrogance of the Five Mountains Sword Sect. After the theft incident occurred, the Five Mountains Sword Sect was highly suspected, yet the abbot remained silent and did not take action. Not only did he refrain from seeking justice, but he also did not dare to mention the name of the Five Mountains Sword Sect. The abbot even hesitated to allow the Songshan Shaolin to intervene in this matter, permitting the Putian Shaolin to face setbacks at Mount Hua, thereby showing weakness to the world.

At the same time that the masters of the demonic sect were holding their breath, intensifying their studies for examinations and further education, the monk Hongye from Putian Shaolin fell gravely ill. As Master Hongye approached his final moments, he summoned his disciples to explain the origins and implications of this secret manual, and then proceeded to incinerate it in the furnace, stating: "This martial arts manual is intricate and profound, yet many key aspects were not adequately understood or clarified by its original author, leaving behind numerous unresolved issues. The first hurdle is particularly difficult; not only is it hard to overcome, it is practically insurmountable and should not be passed on to future generations, as it would not be a blessing for the martial world." He also left a letter for the abbot of the Songshan monastery, addressing this matter.

In a series of carefully orchestrated coincidences, Yue and Cai arrived at Putian Shaolin. Putian Shaolin was both expansive and secure, with a group of high-ranking Shaolin monks assigned to monitor the situation from the corners, providing covert assistance when necessary to ensure the success of Yue and Cai's book theft

It was not until five years later that everyone learned about the books. This time, the demonic sect had been severely offended and was serious about taking action. They spent several years specifically studying the martial arts of the Five Mountains Sword Sect, planning to strike when least expected and eliminate everyone in one fell swoop

A business associate asked General Lin, who has passed away

The Demon Sect was thwarted in the battle at Mount Hua, which dampened their spirit. The Demon Sect has a consistent style of retaliating with increased severity for even the slightest grievance, so at that time, the Five Mountain Sword Sects were quite anxious, each digging tunnels and air raid shelters in their respective back mountains. However, the Blackwood Cliff exhibited an unusual calmness, and for the following years, no retaliatory actions were taken.

Then, Master Duyuan became a martyr, driven by the noble intention of advising Yue and Cai not to practice the scriptures. He stirred up trouble on Mount Huashan, and after eight days, he disappeared and returned to secular life, while the Shaolin Temple in Putian collaborated to amplify the commotion. Subsequently, Master Duyuan castrated himself to practice swordsmanship, adopting the name Lin Yuantu to roam the martial world, becoming a mysterious escort.

Shaolin Temple and the Shaolin Group have declared that henceforth, all martial heroes who die in the fight against the demonic sect will be entitled to enjoy the high-quality spiritual services provided by the Shaolin Group free of charge, and their names will be inscribed on the stone tablets in the pagoda forest of Shaolin Temple, ensuring their legacy endures through the ages

Thus, the entire audience burst into laughter

Indeed, not long after, the Demon Sect launched an attack on Mount Hua, engaging in fierce combat with the Five Mountain Sword Sects

The obituary was announced to the world, and representatives from various sects and schools came to Shaolin to express their condolences, mourning the passing of Master Hongye.

This grand performance has reached the point where Lin Yuantou is escorting the goods, thus all the groundwork has been laid, and it is nearly time to conclude the show.

The head of the escort, Lin, choked with emotion as he said: "My father has passed away in our hometown..."

Not long after, the monk Hongye on Jiulian Mountain received a secret letter from Songshan, marked "Personally written by the Abbot of Shaolin, Songshan, and personally opened by the Abbot of Shaolin, Putian." Without even looking at it, Hongye tossed it into the fire pit, knowing that the content was nothing more than three words: Well done!