Thus, under the anticipatory gaze of the four people, Ye Hao opened the box...

The moment the box was opened, a musty smell of old books wafted through the air. Ye Hao held his breath and patiently waited a moment before picking up the letter to read.

The handwriting on the letter was still as neat and sharp as before.

"When you see this letter, I know you must be a person of character and a patriot. I have lived a simple and mediocre life, but if I can let Shaolin disciples contribute even a small part to Huaxia before I pass, I shall have no regrets.

Yet, the legacy of Shaolin also spans over a thousand years. Although it is tied to the Zen Sect, over the years Shaolin martial arts has become its own tradition. I cannot bear to see the real skills of Shaolin buried, so I leave the true martial arts of Shaolin behind, hoping that one day someone will bring them to light again.

You could say my actions are precautionary, but hundreds of years ago, Master Xiangji had already calculated that Shaolin would face such a calamity. He had a disciple from the Tan family take a fragment of a map away, calculating that a hundred years after Shaolin's great calamity, someone would find it again. Now, I have no worries about Shaolin's true martial arts being buried.

So I leave with peace of mind. You are probably wondering what martial arts Shaolin has left behind, aren't you?

I hope the descendants of the Tan Family will kneel before the spiritual tablets of the forebears, hoping that one day they can expound the true essence of Shaolin martial arts. I do not ask the modern descendants of the Tan family to become monks, but I hope you can keep your original intent and practice the Eight Abstinences: abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, intoxication, wearing perfume and flowers, sleeping on wide and high beds, and eating at improper times..." Upon seeing this, Ye Hao turned to Tan Ming.

Tan Ming nodded, indicating that he had already done these things. After all, he was still a child; he could endure for ten or twenty years and lead a normal life once Shaolin's martial arts flourished.

"Boss!" Tan Ming called out to Ye Hao.

"It's up to you! If you worship, you must observe the Eight Abstinences, and we will keep an eye on you to make sure you don't break them. Think it over clearly." Ye Hao said to Tan Ming.

"Boss, I've thought it over. My ancestors were all from Shaolin. As a descendant, shouldn't I promote Shaolin's martial arts? I will worship..." Tan Ming finished speaking and went in front of the spiritual tablets to kowtow forcefully.

"Before the ancestral masters of Shaolin, Tan Family's descendant Tan Ming today reconnects with his roots and returns to Shaolin. Until Shaolin martial arts can flourish, Tan Ming abstains from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, intoxication, wearing perfume and flowers, sleeping on wide and high beds, and eating at improper times. May the ancestral masters guide Tan Ming to reinvigorate Shaolin's true essence..."

Ye Hao saw this and followed by saying, "Before the ancestral masters of Shaolin, today I, Ye Hao, bear witness. If Tan Ming speaks falsely, I, Ye Hao, will ensure he is punished."

"Haha, haha, good! Very good!" At this moment, a hearty laughter emanated from the spacious chamber.

Ye Hao and the others turned their eyes cautiously towards the skeleton head they had seen earlier, alertly focused. Ye Hao spoke up, asking, "Are you Abbot Jing Nian?"

"Indeed, it is I. Youngsters, you are very good! Very good indeed." The skull nodded towards Ye Hao and the others. Then, a phantom appeared above it.

"Greetings to Abbot Jing Nian." Ye Hao said respectfully, cupping his hands and bowing, though he felt quite tense inside.

Xue Zhaolong and the others followed Ye Hao's lead, saying, "Greetings to the elder."

"Shaolin disciple Tan Ming greets the abbot." Tan Ming also walked over from the spiritual tablets and knelt down.

"Haha, no need for such formalities." Elder Abbot Jing Nian said with a kind smile. Although his face showed no color, he was undoubtedly a blessed person; it was only unfortunate he was born during the Eight-Nation invasion.

"Abbot, you are..." Tan Ming looked at Abbot Jing Nian confused.

"Haha, I died long ago. My current form is merely a soul existence!" Elder Abbot Jing Nian laughed benignly.

Ye Hao held Xue Zhaolong back, fearing the abbot might suddenly act violently and invade their minds, even seize their souls.

"Young man, are you afraid of me?" Abbot Jing Nian looked at Ye Hao with a smile.

"To be frank, elder, I have been invaded by a soul body before, it nearly took over my soul's hiding place. Fortunately, I drove it away; otherwise, I would have long become a puppet." Ye Hao replied, cautiously watching Jing Nian.

"Oh? Soul possession?" Jing Nian paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Haha!"

Perplexed, Ye Hao asked, "Abbot, why the laughter? Did I say something wrong?"

"You said nothing wrong, but you've misunderstood. As a monk, seeing your present situation, I can already guess Huaxia's current state. Huaxia is thriving, the country is prospering, and the people are at peace. What more could a monk like me wish for rebirth? Besides, I am already dead, merely leaving my soul behind to pass on my relics to future generations." Jing Nian clasped his hands together and recited "Amitabha Buddha."

"It seems I was overthinking. I beg the elder's pardon." Ye Hao looked apologetically at Jing Nian.

"No worries! I have indeed heard of soul possession techniques, but in the pure land of Buddhism, we leave no room for such evil skills." Jing Nian laughed, waving his hand for Ye Hao and the others to sit.

Once they were seated, Elder Abbot Jing Nian asked, "Do you have any questions?"

"Abbot, I wish to ask, was my ancestor a Shaolin member?" Tan Ming queried.

"Your Tan family ancestor was indeed a member of the Buddhist community; by lineage, I should call him Grandmaster. But later, he was instructed by Old Ancestor Xiangji to descend the mountain, return to secular life, marry, and have children so that after Shaolin's great calamity hundreds of years later, someone could continue promoting Shaolin." Abbot Jing Nian replied.

"And you finding your way here today, with someone bearing the Tan surname among you, is no coincidence; it was all calculated by the elder ancestor centuries ago."

"Incredible!" Xue Zhaolong remarked with a bit of awe.

"Indeed, it's simply mind-boggling."

"Abbot Jing Nian, following what you said, does this mean Tan Ming will be a key figure in promoting Shaolin martial arts?" Ye Hao asked.

"Yes! But he could also choose to let his son or grandson accept the inheritance in the future." Elder Abbot Jing Nian smiled.

"No! I will accept the inheritance, and after I promote Shaolin, I will marry and have children; otherwise, I will remain a celibate for life." Tan Ming said resolutely.

"Very good! Since you are willing to accept the inheritance, my legacy may also be passed to you. I hope you do not let Shaolin decline again." Jing Nian looked kindly at Tan Ming as he spoke.

Then, with a wave of Jing Nian's hand, a relic slowly shot from within the skull towards Tan Ming's body.

Tan Ming gritted his teeth and held on for a while before fainting away... (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

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