326: Chapter 106 This is outrageous!

Hearing Abbot Xuan Ci call Xu Zhu over, Ye Erniang refused with a panicked expression, "No, don't!"

As she spoke, she tried to pull Xu Zhu away.

It was as if as long as they escaped from here, the matter would be resolved.

Abbot Xuan Ci sighed helplessly and advised, "Second Mother, things have come to this. Even if you take him away, it won't help. He has been in Shaolin for twenty-four years, yet I never knew he was my son. Truly, once the karmic cause is created, the karmic fruit follows."

Ye Erniang could not take it in; her mind was filled with only one thought—it's over!

Then, her head tilted, and she fainted on the spot.

Xu Zhu hurried to support her and check her condition.

Xiao Yuanshan mocked Abbot Xuan Ci, "Xuan Ci, you bald donkey, you've finally admitted it. I thought you would keep your head tucked in your turtle shell forever."

Abbot Xuan Ci said bitterly, "Old Benefactor Xiao, you and your son have been separated for over thirty years without meeting, yet you already knew of his rising fame and advancing Martial Arts, becoming a top-tier hero of the Jianghu. Xu Zhu and I saw each other every day, yet I never knew he was my son..."

At this point, he was momentarily speechless and could only change the subject, "In the battle outside Yanmen Pass all those years ago, this old monk committed a grave mistake."

"The brothers who helped this old monk cover up this matter were killed by you one by one."

"Today, this old monk will repay it with death; it's not too late, is it?"

Xiao Yuanshan snorted coldly, which was a tacit agreement, and then looked at Qiao Feng.

Qiao Feng said in a deep voice, "Great Master Xuan Ci, you indeed deserve to die! However, I respect you as a high monk of your generation and am willing to fight a life-and-death duel with you."

With that, he flung his cloak and struck a pose.

The Shaolin monks present saw this and knelt one after another, shouting "Abbot," hoping he would not agree.

Abbot Xuan Ci turned his head to look around, showing a troubled expression, and then said loudly, "Old Benefactor Murong Bo, please reveal yourself."

Meng Li's eye corner twitched.

Good heavens, Murong Bo hasn't even shown his face, and this old geezer Xuan Ci still wants to shift the blame to him and drag him down. Could it be that Abbot Xuan Ci made this preparation as soon as he discovered Murong Bo wasn't dead and was still active near Shaolin?

Since Murong Bo didn't come, the blame would likely be shifted onto him as the son.

With suspicion in his heart, Meng Li stepped forward and asked with a frown, "Abbot Xuan Ci, the truth about the Yanmen Pass incident has already come to light."

"Qiao Feng has invited you to a life-and-death duel to settle the old grievances."

"Since you've admitted your mistake and are willing to repay it with death, just accept the challenge and let Qiao Feng and his father help you achieve Parinirvana and liberation."

"Why on earth are you calling for my father to appear?"

"My father has been dead for many years. Even if he was an old friend of yours, he cannot return from the underworld today to assist you."

"If it's because you have a wife and son now and feel a lingering attachment to the world, unwilling to die, then it's simple. Exercise your authority as the Shaolin Abbot, gather the experts in the temple to swarm them, and beat the victims, Qiao Feng and his father, to death right here."

"I believe everyone present will surely cover this up for you, just like Zhao Qian Sun and the others, who would rather die than speak."

"After all, Shaolin is the leader of the Martial Forest, and you are the Shaolin Abbot, highly respected."

"Just making the best of a mistake, it's just killing two Khitans, nothing worth mentioning."

After these words were spoken, the scene fell silent.

Those clever people all had the same four words pop into their minds—Destroying the spirit!

Qiao Feng and Xiao Yuanshan were startled, their eyes showing vigilance.

If Abbot Xuan Ci really was shameless enough to have the Shaolin experts attack them, it would be difficult for them to end things well today.

Death, they did not fear, but they feared they wouldn't be able to get their revenge even in death.

However, on second thought, they relaxed again.

Because Meng Li's words had changed the way others looked at the Shaolin side and Abbot Xuan Ci.

In this situation, if Abbot Xuan Ci really disregarded his reputation and went to extremes, once word got out, Shaolin would not just have its reputation tarnished; its name would be completely ruined.

In other words, while Meng Li's words seemed like advice, they actually prevented this worst-case scenario.

This could be considered helping Qiao Feng and Xiao Yuanshan.

The person involved, Abbot Xuan Ci, his face turned blue, then white, then red, changing for a good while before he suppressed his emotions and said, "Amitabha, Benefactor Murong has misunderstood. This old monk asked your father to appear not for so-called assistance, let alone to escape past karmic retribution."

"But rather that the matter of Yanmen Pass is inextricably linked to your father."

"The reason this old monk led the brothers to intercept and kill Old Benefactor Xiao's family outside Yanmen Pass was because I received news that Old Benefactor Xiao had stolen Shaolin's ultimate techniques and intended to send them back to the Liao Kingdom to train experts to target the Great Song's Martial Forest in the future."

"The person who sent that message was your father, Old Benefactor Murong Bo."

Once this twist came out, everyone looked at Meng Li.

Meng Li's expression remained unchanged as he said deliberately, "My father never mentioned this to me. Now that he has long since passed away, there is no way to verify it. Since the Abbot speaks so confidently, there must be evidence. Why not bring it out for me, Qiao Feng and his father, and everyone present to see?"

"If the matter is true, the son shall pay the father's debt. I will naturally bear the consequences for the mistakes my father made."

"Abbot, please bring the evidence."

With a swish, the focus returned to Abbot Xuan Ci.

Abbot Xuan Ci's expression froze, and then he said helplessly, "This old monk has been friends with your father for many years and trusted him implicitly. When I received the letter, I burned it after reading it, so there is no evidence."

"Since there's no evidence, then this is just your side of the story. Why should I believe it?"

"A monk does not lie."

"A monk?" Meng Li laughed and pointed at Xu Zhu, "If you are truly a monk, then where did this son come from?"

Abbot Xuan Ci was speechless and could only change the subject, "This old monk is absolutely telling the truth. Additionally, your father has not passed away; you will know if you invite him here to verify."

Meng Li's face darkened, and he said angrily, "Absolute nonsense!"

"My father has been dead for many years; this is common knowledge."

"I personally saw his body being placed in the coffin and sealed, and many people were present to offer their condolences at the time. Now that so many years have passed, you tell me he's not dead and even ask me to bring him here for verification. This is the height of absurdity!"

"While my Murong Family's prestige in the Jianghu may not compare to your Shaolin, we are not to be bullied."

"You had better take back your nonsense, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Abbot Xuan Ci pressed his palms together and said, "Amitabha, Benefactor Murong, it is a fact that your father is still in the world."

"If you don't believe it, you can return to his tomb and open the coffin to check; there will certainly be no remains inside."

"Ha!" Meng Li laughed out of extreme anger and then said in an icy tone, "You mean to say that because of your baseless words, I, as his son, have to go and pry open my father's coffin just to verify the truth?"

Abbot Xuan Ci was at a loss for words, secretly realizing he had misspoken.

The looks others gave him became strange.

Because this matter was indeed excessive.

For an ordinary person, just based on these words, getting a beating would be considered light.

"You Thieving bald donkey, you've gone too far!"

Meng Li shouted angrily and waved his hand, striking a palm towards Abbot Xuan Ci from a distance.

Though it was a single palm, palm shadows locked in from all directions, shifting between substance and illusion, like a sudden gale in a peach forest where ten thousand flowers fall at once, hiding killing intent within the beautiful dream.

A warning bell rang in Abbot Xuan Ci's heart, and he hurriedly focused his attention, yet he could not distinguish the real from the illusory.

In desperation, he could only wave his kasaya, performing a defensive Move of the Kasaya Demon-Subduing Technique to protect himself.

In the next instant, the ten thousand flowers converged, condensing into a palm print as sharp as a sword that slashed onto Abbot Xuan Ci's kasaya shield, which was bulging from the injection of True Qi.

With a ripping sound, the kasaya shield was split open, and the sharp palm print continued unabated, landing on Abbot Xuan Ci and sending him flying through the air, crashing heavily into the stone wall behind the Shaolin crowd, which was engraved with a giant red character for 'Buddha.'

"Abbot!"

"Abbot!"

...