Old Qian said, "I'm afraid the Ice and Fire Demons are no match for this young man!"
Old Li replied, "You're absolutely right. Back then, that youth, all alone, defeated more than a dozen高手 of the Righteous Alliance in succession, shaking the entire martial world!"
At that moment, a middle-aged patron suddenly spoke up, "Could it be that even the Unaging Demon was defeated by him?"
Old Li nodded. "Indeed. Not only was the Unaging Demon defeated—he was utterly crushed!"
Old Qian was not surprised at all. He sighed and said, "This young man is no ordinary person. After all, he is the newly appointed Chief of the Loyalist Hall, a prodigy handpicked from tens of thousands by Wu Tong, the former chief!"
Just then, another patron asked, "Has the Martial Demon ever crossed hands with him?"
Old Li answered, "They did exchange moves, even clashing palms. But the Martial Demon dared not confront him head-on. Both sides stepped back, and their grievances were settled. However, there was still one earth-shaking event that day—something that took the entire martial world by surprise."
Old Qian was startled. "If both sides backed down, then the matter should have ended. What else could have happened?"
Old Li smiled. "Ah, there is more to the story. Listen carefully. Just then, from not far away, the blare of suona horns and the pounding of drums could be heard. A grand procession approached slowly, and a personal maid cried out loudly, 'The Western Holy Mother has arrived!' It was the Western Sacred Sect, arriving in full force with overwhelming momentum."
Old Qian frowned. "What is the Western Holy Mother doing here?"
A patron replied, "Chen Jinfeng, the Western Holy Mother, is no ordinary figure. Her martial arts are peerless, almost divine, and she has long harbored ambitions to dominate the martial world. She has likely come to recruit the Martial Demon."
Old Li nodded in approval. "Well said. That is indeed her purpose."
Old Qian scoffed. "The Martial Demon? Join her sect? Impossible!"
Old Li agreed. "As the leader of the Righteous Alliance, how could he serve under her command? Chen Jinfeng used both persuasion and coercion, while the Martial Demon merely humored her with evasive words. Enraged, she said, 'As the ancients said: fortune and misfortune have no gate—each is brought upon oneself. Disaster is upon you, yet you refuse to awaken!'"
The Martial Demon smiled faintly. "If I gain it, it is my fortune; if I lose it, it is my fate. That is all."
Chen Jinfeng then pressed her palms together, her expression solemn. "The Western Sacred Sect saves all sentient beings. With this merit, we wish to share it with all under heaven, that all beings in the Buddha realms may attain Mahāprajñāpāramitā."
Old Li paused to drink some wine and eat a piece of beef. Another patron then said, "The Western Sacred Sect borrows the name of Buddhism to deceive the ignorant. Outsiders mostly scoff at them—surely the true Buddhist sects cannot tolerate this."
Old Li nodded. "Exactly. At that moment, Master Liaoyin of Shaolin stepped forward and declared, 'Amitābha! The Western Sacred Sect falsely invokes the Buddha to deceive the masses. Their intentions are sinister—they are not a righteous sect.'"
Old Qian sighed. "This is bad… Master Liaoyin is too blunt. I fear this will not end well."
Old Li continued, "Seeing that Liaoyin openly criticized them, the Western Holy Mother refrained from responding directly. With a mere glance, she signaled one of her Four Holy Maidens—Peony—to speak."
Peony said, 'May I ask for the Master's name?'
Liaoyin replied, 'This humble monk is called Liaoyin.'
Peony smiled. 'So it is Master Liaoyin—an honor. You accuse our sect of deception and sinister intent—do you have proof? Our teachings are benevolent. How can we allow such slander? Today, it is Shaolin that has come with force, violating Buddhist precepts. We, on the other hand, have come to enlighten the Martial Demon. Yet beneath the robes, hearts have grown corrupt. Shaolin monks use the Buddha's name for profit—what right have they to criticize us?'"
Her words stirred the crowd. Many began to murmur in agreement. Some said, "The master has embarrassed himself," while others praised, "The lady speaks well!"
Old Li went on, "Chen Jinfeng declared, 'Since Shaolin prides itself on its martial prowess and dares to slander us repeatedly, we shall settle this by martial contest!' Unexpectedly, Liaoyin responded, 'Enough of words. Let strength decide!'"
The crowd was stunned, then erupted in cheers: "Settle it by combat!" "Shaolin may not win!"
Old Qian shook his head. "For a Buddhist monk to speak so bluntly before the entire martial world—he's asking for trouble."
Old Li continued, "With a mere gesture, Liaoyin knocked down two maidens. Another maiden, Li Hua, clapped and laughed, 'Defeating two women proves nothing!' Peony added, 'If Shaolin dares, challenge the Western Holy Mother herself!'"
"Although Liaoyin was highly skilled, he had been injured earlier by the Unaging Demon. The senior monk Benguang tried to mediate, saying, 'Your sect's teachings seem benevolent, and you have come from afar to enlighten the Martial Demon. If Shaolin has offended you, please forgive us…'"
"But Liaoyin suddenly roared, 'A heretical sect is still a heretical sect!' The crowd was thrown into an uproar. He continued angrily, 'How can we, as followers of the Buddha, stand by and allow such evil to spread?' And once again he declared, 'No more words—let strength decide!'"
Old Qian sighed. "As a high monk of Shaolin, it is only natural he cannot tolerate such conduct—but the Western Sacred Sect will not let this go easily."
Old Li said, "Indeed. Unable to contain her anger any longer, Chen Jinfeng shouted, 'Shaolin has gone too far! There is no need for further words—let combat decide right and wrong!'"
Liaoyin retorted, "You vile woman! Using the Buddha's name to deceive—this is intolerable!"
With that, he leapt into the arena and declared loudly, "What happens today has nothing to do with Shaolin! I stand here for the righteous path of Buddhism—if I must die, so be it!"