Chapter 006: Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!

Slave? Upon hearing these two words, Tai Shikun slowly released Qiu Xiaoyi. The money was already lost, and at this point, even if he killed Qiu Xiaoyi, it would be of no use. If he had obtained the contracts of sale for Qiu Xiaoyi and Cui Daocheng, he could perhaps find an opportunity to sell them off one day and possibly recover some of his investment. Therefore, although Tai Shikun's anger had not yet subsided, he had no choice but to agree to Qiu Xiaoyi's proposal and instructed several Lin households to fetch clean water and bandages to tend to Cui Daocheng.

Alas, what a predicament! Cui Daocheng had no choice but to flee overnight, and from that point on, he became a wanderer in the world. His mind, too, grows more and more confused by the day

Cui Daocheng is indeed quite stubborn; after a few Lin households splashed some cold water on his face, he slowly came to his senses. This fellow Cui Daocheng usually follows Qiu Xiaoyi's lead in his actions, so he had no objections to the proposal of selling himself into servitude. Dragging his two injured legs, he casually bowed twice to Taishi Kun, thus formally becoming his disciple.

"Brother Kun, you misunderstood!" Qiu Xiaoyi said with a mournful expression, "Brother Kun, look at the martial skills that both I and Cui Daocheng possess. At worst, we can sign a contract to sell ourselves and serve as your subordinates in your residence, can't we? To be honest, how many ordinary guards or estate workers possess martial prowess as high as that of my brother and me?"

Goodness gracious! Thanks to this child's cleverness! Taishi Kun wiped away a cold sweat, his heart gradually resuming its rhythm.

Tai Shikun summoned Qiu Xiaoyi and Cui Daocheng to his side and inquired about their backgrounds. The two had nothing to hide, so they recounted their life trajectories from childhood to the present to Tai Shikun, the new master.

Upon seeing Qiu Xiaoyi in such a state, Tai Shikun suspected that he was not pretending. Tai Shikun had come to Daoming Temple to seek wealth and did not wish to create more bloodshed. Therefore, he feigned concern and helped Qiu Xiaoyi to his feet, saying: "There is no need for excessive courtesy, Daoist Qiu! It is said that one does not truly know another without a fight. If we brothers do not spar a little, how can we sit down and chat in a friendly manner?"

Sometimes, indiscriminately taking in homeless individuals comes at a cost - illustrated in the book! - Excerpt from "Kunge's Diary"

Tai Shikun sensed the impending danger, quickly lifted his legs, and jumped away. Unfortunately, Cui Daocheng's legs were covered in fresh blood, making it nearly impossible for him to move. He could only be buried under a large pile of earth blocks, landing squarely on his bald head. With a tragic scream, Cui Daocheng fell straight down into the ruins.

"Meat compensation? I, Taishi Kun, have no interest in men"

An even more unacceptable event occurred; at that moment, the old monk happened to return with several officials!

Time flies, and the situation does not allow Tai Shikun to think too much! He tossed aside the long sword in his hand, flicked his fingers with both hands, and shot out the nine flying daggers from his waist in a continuous motion!

It turns out that the flying knife thrown in this critical moment was entirely instinctive for Taishi Kun! Usually, this guy practices throwing knives not to kill enemies, but for the grand finale of a circus act: throwing knives blindfolded at bikini-clad beauties!

Tai Shikun seized Qiu Xiaoyi by the chest, delivering two resounding slaps to his face, and angrily shouted: "Rob! Rob! You can't possibly keep what you've stolen. What are you even trying to gain? You may feel good about your theft, but what about my money? What am I supposed to do about my money?"

Thanks to Tai Shikun's swift throwing of the flying daggers, nine daggers were released in quick succession, grazing Qiu Xiaoyi's skin and firmly embedding themselves in the dilapidated wall, startling him to the point of believing he was witnessing a divine revelation. He thought Tai Shikun was intentionally trying to intimidate him with his remarkable skills and boldness. Consequently, he knelt on the ground, sincerely submitting to Tai Shikun.

Heroic and righteous! I, Qiu Xiaoyi, am convinced

"Don't! Don't!" Qiu Xiaoyi panicked and knelt down again with a thud. He trembled as he said: "Brother Kun, please see clearly! I, a poor Taoist, and Cui Daocheng have been wandering the rivers and lakes for many years, and we have no possessions! Yesterday, we robbed the Lin family of three hundred guan, and the two of us were still thinking of finding a proper place to turn over a new leaf and do business! I am truly destitute!"

With a thunderous crash, Cui Daocheng, weakened from blood loss and intoxicated, ultimately failed to strike accurately despite putting all his strength into the blow. His strike hit a slanted beam that was precariously suspended in the air, swaying unsteadily. Such a beam could hardly withstand the force of Cui Daocheng's heavy club. In an instant, the beam, along with a large chunk of earth, fell towards Tai Shikun and Cui Daocheng.

This old monk has registered the Shaocai Temple with the government, and it is protected by the laws of the Song Dynasty! Cui Daocheng set fire to the temple, leaving nothing behind; how can he avoid legal consequences?

After receiving two slaps, Qiu Xiaoyi felt a deep sense of grievance! He never expected that Tai Shikun, with his handsome and heroic appearance, was actually a miser at heart! Covering his cheek, Qiu Xiaoyi exclaimed in desperation: "Meat compensation! Meat compensation! Brother Kun, can I offer meat as compensation?"

Qiu Xiaoyi's complexion was even worse than that of Taishi Kun. He held a pair of butterfly knives, leaning against the earthen wall in a "大" shape, with nine flying daggers pressed against his face, throat, ribs, and other vital areas, pinned to his side. His face was ashen, his legs trembled uncontrollably, and a pea-sized red mole on his left cheek twitched incessantly, clearly indicating that he was terrified to the core by the perilous situation of the nine daggers.

A chill surged from Tai Shikun's feet to his forehead! He felt his hair stand on end, and an overwhelming sense of danger arose within him, accompanied by the sound of fabric tearing through the air from behind!

As he watched Cui Daocheng's corpulent body slowly fall, Taishi Kun finally let out a sigh of relief. However, at that moment, he suddenly heard a sharp scream from behind him: "Master! Be careful!"

Qiu Xiaoyi, upon hearing this, had no choice but to brace himself and explain: "Master Kun, please allow me to explain! Yesterday, a few of us robbed three hundred guan, but due to a moment of negligence, a newly joined young man secretly made off with it!"

It is said that Cui Daocheng was peacefully studying martial arts in the mountains, but unexpectedly, after only three days of training, the old monk disappeared without a trace. Two days later, they could not find any food on the mountain, and Cui Daocheng and his fellow disciples finally sensed that something was amiss

Qiu Xiaoyi saw Taishi Kun turn around, hurriedly dropped his twin daggers, and with a thud, knelt on the ground, saying: "Hero! Big brother www.hetushu.com! I, Qiu Xiaoyi, thank you for your mercy! Your marksmanship is extraordinary, taking my life would be as easy as lifting a hand! In this battle, I, Qiu Xiaoyi, admit defeat wholeheartedly!"

In the blink of an eye, time passed swiftly; Taishi Kun did not encounter the cold edge of a blade, but instead heard a voice of heartfelt gratitude behind him

Indeed, the nine flying daggers emitted a series of "thud thud" sounds as they embedded themselves into the earthen wall, indicating that the daggers had indeed grazed past the enemy and missed their mark. Tai Shikun had already released his long sword, and with the daggers having missed their target, he found himself devoid of any means of defense. In that moment, Tai Shikun was filled with despair, his heart as cold as an ice cellar, and he did not even dare to turn his head. He simply stood there, closing his eyes and awaiting death.

Cui Daocheng and his family cannot be precisely placed in a specific era when they found themselves in a small town in Ruzhou Prefecture. Cui Daocheng was not originally named Cui Daocheng; rather, due to his peculiar eyebrows, his father gave him the rather unflattering name "Cui Daomei." By the time he reached the age of sixteen or seventeen, he had grown into a robust physique, possessing strength akin to that of an ox. His father felt it was a waste for him to remain in the town doing farm work, so he gave him some copper coins and sent him to Shaolin Temple on Mount Song to learn martial arts.

With the liquor in his stomach emptied and a gust of mountain wind blowing, Qiu Xiaoyi suddenly became alert. Qiu Xiaoyi was skilled in wielding a pair of paired daggers and had also learned the art of leaping. Therefore, as he stealthily approached Taishi Kun from behind with his daggers in hand, Taishi Kun was completely unaware! If it had not been for Gu Shupi's sharp scream, Taishi Kun's large head might have already been in Qiu Xiaoyi's grasp!

Many apprentices have already settled on the mountain. The old monk taught the apprentices a set of staff techniques and earnestly told them: the true Shaolin Temple absolutely does not charge tuition fees! It is merely to prevent the apprentices from being troubled by the distractions of the worldly life and wasting their parents' hard-earned money. Therefore, the old monk, on behalf of the Shaolin Temple, will temporarily safeguard the financial assets of each apprentice, returning them one by one when the apprentices are ready to descend the mountain with their skills. Moreover, the old monk kindly bestowed a Dharma name upon Cui Daomei—Dao Cheng. It is merely to prevent the apprentices from being troubled by the distractions of the worldly life and wasting their parents' hard-earned money. Therefore, the old monk, on behalf of the Shaolin Temple, will temporarily safeguard the financial assets of each apprentice, returning them one by one when the apprentices are ready to descend the mountain with their skills. Moreover, the old monk kindly bestowed a Dharma name upon Cui Daomei—Dao Cheng.

What exactly happened just now? It turns out that Qiu Xiaoyi has a low tolerance for alcohol, and therefore did not drink much liquor. When Tai Shikun first appeared, Qiu Xiaoyi was indeed a bit dizzy and disoriented for a moment, but soon he gagged and vomited out a mass of filth from his stomach

Tai Shikun glanced at Qiu Xiaoyi's tattered Daoist robe and then at the dilapidated bricks and tiles of Daoming Temple. He realized that these two bandits were indeed genuine paupers. He then thought to himself that it would not be long before he too would end up like these two destitute souls, in tattered clothes and without a fixed abode. A deep sorrow welled up within him, leaving him in tears without the ability to cry.

It does not matter if one does not listen; after hearing the personal resumes of Qiu Xiaoyi and Cui Daocheng, Taishi Kun finally understood why these two individuals were in such dire financial straits. It turns out that they are both fools.

He was stunned, as if he had just experienced a spring dream! Trembling, he turned around and saw the timid Taoist priest Qiu Xiaoyi.

Indeed, as Cui Daomei arrived in Dengfeng County, he was surrounded by a group of recruiters. Cui Daomei smiled slightly and immediately saw through the words "small," "five," "wonderful," and "sharp" on the recruitment brochure, leaving the group of wrongdoers blushing with shame. Ultimately, in the hands of a kind-eyed old monk, Cui Daomei finally saw the three characters "Shaolin Temple." Thus, he followed the old monk up the mountain to learn the arts.

"Damn it!" Tai Shikun felt a wave of darkness before his eyes, nearly toppling over. In his attempt to scheme against Qiu Xiaoyi and Cui Daocheng, he had spent his last few coins on wine. Now, having finally caught the bandits, he was taken aback to find that they were two penniless wretches! This truly was a case of losing both the lady and the soldiers.

Qiu Xiaoyi looked at the two corpses of the young men at his feet, and not far away, Cui Daocheng lay in a pool of blood. He felt a deep sense of bitterness regarding Taishi Kun's claim of having "exchanged blows". However, despite the bitterness in his heart, Qiu Xiaoyi did not dare to voice it. He forced a few laughs and said, "I presume that you, Brother Hero, brought these Lin households here for the matter of the three hundred guan from yesterday afternoon, right"

Cui Mhetushu and his fellow disciples quickly took out the enrollment brochure from a few days ago and carefully studied it. They finally discovered that in the three characters "少林寺" (Shaolin Temple), the character "少" (shao) was correct, the character "寺" (si) was also correct, but the character "林" (lin) was missing a stroke, and instead, it was the character "材" (cai)! It turned out that the old monk had established the "少材寺" (Shaocai Temple)!

First, let us speak of Cui Daocheng. This individual, Cui Daocheng, hails from a lineage that was once a prominent family ten generations ago. This prominent family is none other than the illustrious Cui family of Qinghe, which has stood for thousands of years in China. However, since the turmoil at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Qinghe Cui family has gradually faded into the annals of history.

"What? The scroll has run away?" Tai Shikun's expression changed upon hearing this. He twitched his lips and, maintaining his composure, said: "Daoist Qiu, you speak so lightly! Why did that young man not run away with your property, but instead chose to take my three hundred guan? Do you still wish to experience the taste of my flying daggers?"

It is extremely insulting! I encountered a fraud! Cui Daocheng, who considered himself exceptionally clever, did not expect to be deceived in the end! In a fit of rage, he smashed several rooms of Shaocai Temple with his staff, and then set fire to the temple's main gate, reducing it to ashes!

As soon as the flying knife left Fang's hand, Tai Shi Kun felt a sudden jolt in his heart and cried out in distress: This is bad!

At that time, Cui Daomei was not truly foolish; he understood that many people paid to become disciples at the Shaolin Temple. Consequently, a group of unscrupulous individuals was attracted to the area, establishing fake temples and hanging up signs like "Xiaolin Temple" and "Wulin Temple." They deliberately blurred the characters for "Xiao" and "Wu" to deceive those seeking martial arts training and swindle their money. Thus, Cui Daomei remained vigilant, repeatedly examining the character "Shao" until he memorized it thoroughly.

"Why do you address me so formally, Daoist Qiu? You can simply call me Tai Shi Kun!" Tai Shi Kun looked at Qiu Xiao Yi with a beaming smile, appearing noncommittal, completely ignoring the matter of the three hundred guan.

The secret technique that Tai Shikun mastered with his flying daggers was to let the daggers graze the delicate bodies of beautiful women before embedding themselves into the wooden boards. When Tai Shikun threw the flying daggers, it was precisely according to this technique that he acted