First Chapter: Craftiness

Realizing that the future he just envisioned is highly unlikely to come true, the man feels embarrassed and lowershis voice. He works his lips for a while, before changing his approach: "And even if the Golden Body is hard to achieve, the Seventy-Two Ultimate Techniques of Shaolin are all wonderous, and if you can learn some of them, then you can do as you please when you wander over Jiang Hu (Rivers and Lakes) in the future. Wouldn't that be great...."

The man's voice becomes smaller and smaller as he speaks, until eventually it becomes like a mosquito's buzzing. The man lifts his left hand to cover his face, and turn around and leave, leaving behind only a long sigh.

Meng Qi looks after the horse-faced man as he quickly disappeared within the lush forest, confused by the man's rambling nonsense. Meng Qi just wants to ask:

"Uncle, who are you?"

Seriously what is even happening!

By this time Meng Qi already realized that he is not in any familiar place, but rather a very strange environment.

A place similar to ancient China!

I just stayed up late watching the World Cup, why is this happening to me? How come the moment I woke up I am already in a different world?

Meng Qi doesn't suspect that this is someone's prank, nor does he think that this is a filming ground, because when the horse-faced uncle went away covering his face just then; while he seemed urgent like he was being chased by some bloodthirsty demons, his speed was amazingly fast, comparable to an astonished horse. That was definitely not something a normal person can do!

"Just one look and you can see that he is a martial arts expert!" This is Meng Qi's "conclusion" based on his experience reading novels and watching TV.

“"Namo Amitābha", please follow me into the temple." Just as Meng Qi starts to wildly fantasize, he heard a gruff Buddhist salutation from behind; and he was so scared he almost screams out loud.

Since when is there a person behind me?

How come I didn't realize that at all!

Almost snapping his neck turning back, Meng Qi saw a monk wearing yellow brown garment. He is extremely tall, yet thin as a bamboo pole; his face is otherwise average, expect for a listless pair of eyes which makes it difficult to gauge his age. He could be in his fifties, or he could be in his thirties.

Seeing that Meng Qi has acknowledged him, the yellow-robed monk did not say anything else. He gestured to Meng Qi with his eyes, then turning around and walking towards the temple's main gate.

With yellow walls, black roof tiles and dark red main gate, this temple's front doesn't seem any different than any other temples Meng Qi has visited before; except that it is much larger and wider.

But what surprised Meng Qi is a gold-plated horizontal tablet above the entrance, with three large characters in regular script written upon it:

"Shaolin Temple!"

To think this is actually "Shaolin Temple!"

And the script of this place is actually very similar to ancient Chinese regular script!

Seeing that he just arrived at an strange, unfamiliar place, Meng Qi didn't dare to ask anything. Instead, he suppressed his surprise and suspicion, and closely followed the yellow-robed monk.

Only until then did Meng Qi realize that his arms and legs are shorter than he expected. After careful consideration, Meng Qi didn't know if he should be happy or worried: " A different kind of "recovering one's youthful vigor"...."

From the size of his hands, the fairness of his skin, and the jade pendent he is wearing; he judged that this body is probably younger than fourteen, and used to live like a prince.

"I wonder how my current appearance is like, only people who looks good can have a youthful spring..."

"But within the Shaolin Temple, with green lamps and ancient Buddhas, there's no need for youth!"

"Not sure if I can refuse to enter the temple, but it's not like I can survive with my current tiny body. This place is a place with developed martial arts, maybe there are even yaoguais and demons... Man, and there's even quite a few ancient records detailing how some large and influential great clans fancy raising young boys as homosexual partner..."

"From what the horse-faced uncle said, even if this Shaolin is not the Shaolin I'm familiar with; it is still a great martial arts sect which also has the Seventy-Two Ultimate Techniques. I wonder if they have the "Yi Jin Jing" (Tendon-Changing Scripture)...."

"I used to regularly fantasize about becoming a great xia, doing as I please; and yet now that there's the chance, why am I not feeling happy? Computer, mobile phone, the Internet, and there's also my family...."

"I suppose learning some martial arts would be pretty good, wait, what is the Golden Body of an Arhat?" (Luo Han Jin Shen)

From the outside it seems like Meng Qi is quietly following the yellow-robed monk, walking pass numerous gray-robed monks, yellow-robed monks; but nobody knows that Meng Qi is violently assaulted by disordered, insuppressible thoughts.

No matter how much he thinks about it, in the end Meng Qi has to face the reality. With his body like it is and the fact that he was abandoned, he has no choice but to stay in Shaolin and learn martial arts for a while.

"I wonder if I can leave the monastic order later? I can give up alcohol, but not meat!" Meng Qi feels like he is truly thinking far ahead by thinking about what he is going to do after become accomplished in martial arts.

During the entire walk, the yellow-robed monk did not walk through the main halls with enshrined Buddha's statues, but went around the sides and passed over several courtyards. Finally he opened the gate of a main hall.

The gate opened with a squeak. Meng Qi squinted his eyes, and saw several dozens young children younger than fifteen, with the youngest probably only eight or nine years old. They are sitting on praying mats, their eyes focusing on a monk with wide face and large ears sitting on the seat of honor. This monk is also wearing yellow robe, with solemn expression and a discipline ruler in his hand.

"Namo Amitābha, Brother Xuan Zang, what are you coming here for?" The wide-faced large-eared monk asked with a deep, throaty voice.

Wow, he can totally sings bel canto with this voice. The more nervous he is, the more Meng Qi thinks random thoughts. He also now knows that the thin-as-a-bamboo-pole monk who brought him into the temple has the Buddhist name of Xuan Zang.

Xuan Zang quietly intoned Buddhist salutations and then spoke: "Brother Xuan Ku, this is the child I mentioned earlier."

He is frank and straightforward, with no thought of keeping this matter on the down low. The one small defect is that he has a dried out voice, hugely different from Xuan Ku's.

Xuan Ku looked Meng Qi over once, then said with a grave expression: "Follow the queue."

Meng Qi looked at him without comprehension. Xuan Zang who is standing by pointed at an empty praying mat: "Sit and wait for questioning."

"Understood." No matter what, Meng Qi is someone who has experience working several years, so he can at least understand this situation. He swiftly imitated the other children and sit upon a praying mat.

Xuan Ku didn't look at Meng Qi again, and holding the discipline ruler, started questioning another child instead: "What is your lay name? Why do you want to enter Shaolin?"

The child is about more than ten years old, with red lips, white teeth, and a handsome countenance. However, his expression is somewhat wooden: "My name is Fang A Qi, I was sold to Shaolin because my family doesn't have enough to eat."

Pfft, quite a few children broke into laughter. They were all comparatively older, and so realize that this Fang A Qi was basically cursing the bald monks right in front of one! It seems there's something wrong with his head.

Xuan Ku frowned a bit, then said with with a slightly darken face: "From now on you should not use your lay name, instead your Buddhist name is "Zhen Hui". You are to enter the Temple of Odd Jobs.

A few thoughtful children's breaths were quicken, and from their expressions Meng Qi can tell that this Temple of Odd Jobs is not a good place.

"Fang A Qi is Zhen Hui, Zhen Hui is Fang A Qi..." Then-Fang A Qi now-Zhen Hui softly intoned.

Xuan Ku looked toward another relatively mature-looking child: "What is your lay name? Why do you want to enter Shaolin?"

This child should be about thirteen, fourteen years old; so even though he seems a bit nervours, he could still answer fluently: "Honorable Great Master, this disciple is named Liu Zhi. Because my family admires the Dharma and esteem the Way of Martial Arts (Wu Dao), I was brought to Shaolin."

Children like him were already filtered before, so their constitution is pretty good.

Xuan Ku lightly nodded: "At least you were honest. If you had only said that you admire the Dharma, you would have to enter the Temple of Odd Jobs. From today, your Buddhist name is "Zhen De"; and you shall enter the Temple of Martial Monks.

"Thank Uncle Xuan Ku." Zhen De said with his palms put together.

From what he knows, as soon as he is given a Buddhist name, he will belong to the hierarchy of "Xin Kong Wu Xuan Zhen, Qing Jing Zhi Hui Shen". And so before he is appointed an official Master, he can directly address Xuan Ku as Uncle.

Xuan Ku did not approve of Zhen De's wit; and started questioning other children instead.

Zhen De felt admonished. It seems Uncle Xuan Ku is just as the rumors say, he is a very square person who cannot be moved by flattering and fawning.

In the beginning, Meng Qi didn't think much of Xuan Ku's questions, and just figured he could leisurely listen and gather information. But suddenly, his expression is frozen.

"What is my name?"

"Or rather what is the name of this body?"

Meng Qi tried his utmost best to think, but he still couldn't remember this body's name. It seems he didn't inherit any memory at all!

"It's not as if I can just say my name is Meng Qi, since Xuan Zang is observing!"

"He definitely knows this body's history and name!"

"I have to think of some way!"

In front of the Xuan Ku who seems so strict and severe, Meng Qi didn't dare say too much, and he also didn't dare to go ask Xuan Zang or pretend that he lost his memory. The only thing is can do is to quietly think of some alternatives, in order not to expose the fact that he crossed over from another world. It seems there are actually genuine Arhat in this place!

"What is your lay name? Why do you want to enter Shaolin?" Meng Qi has yet to think of any good idea, but Xuan Ku was already standing before him with a discipline ruler in his hand.

Meng Qi opened his mouth, and blurted out: "If I am to enter Shaolin, then there is no need to remember my lay name."

After he answered thus, Meng Qi silently applauded himself; what a wise and fitting of the Dharma answer that was!

Xuan Ku looked over Meng Qi carefully, swaying the discipline ruler in his hand once or twice, then immediately severely said without any further questions:

"You are too crafty, go enter the Temple of Odd Jobs. Your Buddhist name is "Zhen Ding" "