บท 21: I Got Bald, and Stronger Too.

บรรณาธิการ: EndlessFantasy Translation

The Qielan Temple looked quiet and mellow. It seemed like no one was in there. Neither Buddhist chants nor the sound of wooden fish could be heard.

The man in green walked through the temple door with Shen Lian and arrived at the main hall.

The hall was flanked by rows of statues of the eighteen Qielan on both sides, including Meiyin, Fanyin, Tiangu, Tanmiao, Tanmei, Momiao, Leiyin, Shizi, Miaotan, Fanxiang, Renyin, Fonu, Songde, Guangmu, Miaoyan, Cheting, Cheshi, and Bianshi.

Qielan had its root in tranquillity. If one were to be rid of three poisons, to purify their six senses, to remain neutral and at ease, and to be tranquil in every aspect, that would be the Cultivation of Qielan.

Despite being a Buddhist teaching, this was applicable to Daoism too.

There was a person in the hall. He held a wooden fish in his hand. The wooden fish was greyish silver and had the lips and scale of a fish. The engravings were lively and natural.

The person looked like he was thirty years old at the same time, he looked as if he was in his twenties. There was no mustache on his fair and spotless face. His eyebrows were like a pair of a reclining silkworm; they were full of life and looked animated.

Of course, these were not the most eye-catching part of him. The most noticeable feature was his head - there was not a strand of hair on it.

Usually, there would be stubble on a monk's head.

However, his was a smooth and shiny one, it looked as though no hair had ever grown on his head before, not a single follicle on it.

Shen Lian noticed him and found his head to be too shiny and scarless to be a monk.

He knew that this was the man, Ling Chongxiao. That the man in green had been talking about. What a special person indeed.

"Ling Chongxiao oh, Ling Chongxiao, why have you become a bald donkey?" The man in green was surprised by what he saw. He laughed as the initial shock had passed.

"I got bald, and stronger too," Ling Chongxiao was not bothered by it and replied casually.

The man in green gave Shen Lian a toss. Shen Lian flew across the hall to the corner and landed right under the furthest Qielan statue.

Shen Lian's back was rested against the statue. He might not be able to move, but he had the entire hall in view.

"What you did was just unblocking the entry point, and have reached what the Daoists termed as the state of 'taming the white tiger'. What is there to gloat about?" The man in green snickered.

Hairs were the tip of Qi energy. Daoists would lose their hairs after 'taming the white tiger'; by obstructing the pores and the process of aging could be delayed. It would be no surprise if one could live till hundred and forty or fifty years old and still be as fit as a youth.

When a man had reached this state, it was known as 'taming the white tiger¹'. The female equivalent would be known as 'slaying the red dragon²'.

When one had reached this stage, although not invincible, the person would not be the same person anymore. That was the first step of laying down the groundwork of Daoism, also known as 'building a foundation'.

Besides 'building a foundation', the same could be said about all the other Kung Fu. Out of the hundreds and thousands of cultivators, there might not even be one person who could reach this stage. Of course, this observation would not apply to those with celestial affinity.

The martial sects that Ling Chongxiao and the man in green were in were, after all, a Jianghu sect. Though originated from Daoism, it was not part of Celestialism. Thus, his attainment could be akin to the son of the village chief becoming a municipal party committee – a carp leaping over dragon's gate.

"Why would I be pleased with myself? Do you not remember what master said when he gifted 'Tai Wei' to me? He told me to bring 'Tai Wei' along everywhere I go, as a gentle reminder to commit myself to Daoism. Fish do not close their eyes even at night, which resemble cultivators who are so committed to their cultivation and training that they do not notice the passing of days and nights."

Shen Lian found the words to be wise indeed. Fish stay awake at all times and sounding a wooden fish served as a warning to not be idle. One should commit themselves to cultivation, and should not give up until they have attained success.

As the saying goes, 'The human heart is treacherous, the Daoist mind is profound'; it served as a constant reminder to not stray onto the path of no return.

"If I haven't been adhering to the master's teaching when he was alive, what made you think that I will do so after his death? Death by my hand no less," the man in green snickered. In his eyes, to destroy and exterminate the progenitor was no big deal; he did not feel guilty at all.

"You thought that you can act on your whims and kill without restraint having understood the essence of Daoism? What you didn't know was being free has no connection with what you can do, but what you can choose not to do." Ling Chongxiao was not irritated by the man in green; he remained patient and offered his gentle advice.

"Even until today, you still think that you are superior to me, and posit yourself as my superior."

"Master's ashes are here. When you die, I will not disperse your ashes in the wind. Instead, I will allow you to stay here and accompany our Master so that you could deliver your apology to him in the afterlife." Ling Chongxiao wrinkled his brows and sighed.

He made it sounded as though the man in green was doomed to die.

"Nice one, Ling Chongxiao. If I were to die by your hands, do you dare to pass my Kung Fu on to him?" the man in green replied in a low voice.

It was hard to believe that he admitted that Ling Chongxiao was better, and his intention to entrust Shen Lian to him.

"To educate someone brimming with potential would be the most pleasing and joyous experience in the world," Ling Chongxiao replied neutrally.

"Shen Lian, if I have lost and if you are capable of doing so in the future, could you beat Ling Chongxiao once for me? If you agree, blink thrice," said the man in green.

Shen Lian did not blink, not even once.

"It seems like even your young companion here do not agree with your ways." Ling Chongxiao glanced toward Shen Lian and remarked nonchalantly.

"You thought too lowly of him. He is not too fond of me, indeed. However, what he intended was for me to defeat you with my own hands," the man in green replied merrily.

'This man is heinous and evil, but I must admit that he is a man through and through,' Shen Lian thought.

What Ling Chongxiao said was true, that was exactly what was on his mind. However, Shen Lian did not mean it as a gesture of kindness to the man in green.

Shen Lian refused to be a continuation of someone else; he was Shen Lian, just himself and nothing more.

The fact that the man in green guessed it, it said a lot about him as a person; despite being an atrocious man, he was candid and frank.

As these were going through in his head, there was a roar as loud as lightning in the hall.

The rain got heavier outside, it was a downpour of massive scale.

It was as if the raindrops were trying to mask the fight that was about to break out, a fight between the apprentice from the same sect.

As they were from the same martial sect, their knowledge mirrored each other.

Despite how laidback Ling Chongxiao looked, he struck like a lightning. Due to his enormous strength, he left behind a trail of cracks along with every step he took on the stone floor. This showed how aggressive he was and was a clear indication of his sheer robust strength.

The key was how all of his moves seemed clumsy, yet they were actually wisely orchestrated. His moves were potent and fluid, and he clearly was not going to stop anytime soon.

His palm method was akin to waves; one wave followed another, and they were closing up to the shore.

Ling Chongxiao's remarkable momentum was a result of 'taming the white tiger'; his Qi energy was locked in, and his physical strength was beyond comprehension.

Things were different with the man in green. His attacks used to be strong and vicious. However, having been through the extremities of the desert, he reached an epiphany about the ways of the world.

No Kung Fu was comparable to the power of natural disasters in the desert.

When a sandstorm came, no amount of cow, goats, and stallions, or even military troops could defend against it.

The only way to remain unscathed was by merging with the wind and embracing the sun and the dust.

The man in green let his sleeves flow with the wind and neutralized all of Ling Chongxiao's forceful attacks with the gentle breeze.

He looked like a green butterfly, dancing away to the rhythm of the wind.

In spite of the contrast in their move, one being forceful and the other flexible, the essence of Daoism was still evident in their moves. Their attacks were natural and free and were not restricted by the rigidity of martial arts routine.