The appearance of the tiger felt like a disaster had struck, catching everyone off guard, including Huo Yuan Zhen.
Now, Huo Yuan Zhen regretted building the temple gate too large. The golden-painted iron gate stood over three meters tall and weighed over a thousand pounds. It was a massive task to close it; it needed to be moved slowly, inch by inch.
It certainly looked imposing, but in an emergency, it was inconvenient.
There was a side gate, but due to the large influx of visitors in recent days, the main gate had been left wide open, a practical choice to allow easy access.
But who could have imagined that a tiger, a ferocious beast, would appear in Shaoshi Mountain? In the past, even the rare sight of a wild boar was considered extraordinary.
And this tiger, it was massive—about four meters in length, with eyes as large as bells, claws as sharp as hooks, and a tail over a meter long that swayed menacingly. It was truly majestic.
Although Huo Yuan Zhen had some internal energy, he wasn't a fighter in actual combat. Even if the monk Jing and others joined him, they would probably be no match for this tiger.
The only solution was to close the gate as quickly as possible. Huo Yuan Zhen and the others pushed desperately, hoping the tiger wouldn't charge at them.
Despite their urgency, the gate moved incredibly slowly.
Fortunately, the tiger only stood there and didn't charge forward, which gave Huo Yuan Zhen and the others a glimmer of hope.
Just as the gate was about to close, a large hand suddenly grabbed it.
Huo Yuan Zhen and Jing pushed one side, while Yi Kong and Hui Zhen pushed the other, but the hand that grabbed the gate was the one Yi Kong and the others were pushing.
The hand was the size of a fan, and when it gripped the gate, the combined strength of Yi Kong and the others was completely ineffective.
With a pull, the gate was swung wide open again, and Yi Kong and the others were nearly knocked off balance.
Looking out, they were even more shocked to see a towering man, standing more than two meters tall.
Based on Huo Yuan Zhen's estimation, this giant was about the same height as Yao Ming, but his physique was far more imposing, extremely muscular. He wore a black beast-skin tunic, and his exposed arm muscles bulged, clearly containing immense strength.
"Is this tiger his?" Huo Yuan Zhen suddenly thought, feeling relieved. If the tiger was someone's pet, it would be easier to handle. Without the owner's command, the tiger wouldn't harm anyone. Dealing with a person who could reason was far easier than facing a wild tiger.
"May I ask, what brings you to Shaolin this evening?" Huo Yuan Zhen remained silent and gestured for Yi Kong to ask.
The giant did not respond.
Just as Yi Kong was puzzled, a voice came from behind.
"The Buddhist temple opens its doors wide, how could we refuse those who come to offer incense?"
The voice was clear and melodious, like pearls dropping on a jade plate—it was the voice of a delicate young woman.
The giant stepped aside, and the tiger obediently followed behind him. Two women appeared behind them.
One wore a green outfit and was quite beautiful, helping a slender white-clad woman with a veil. They walked gracefully towards the temple gate.
"Tie Niu, move aside with your Big Yellow, you're blocking the path, how can the young miss pass through?" The girl in green spoke sharply, and surprisingly, the giant listened, stepping back with the tiger.
"Miss, let's go. The temple door is still open, luckily we arrived just in time." The white-clad girl's voice was soft and elegant, her figure tall and graceful under the white veil. It was impossible not to imagine her as extraordinarily beautiful.
A fragrant breeze blew as the two women arrived at the temple entrance.
Seeing the five monks still standing at the gate, the green-clad girl wrinkled her nose and said, "Hey, what's going on here? Don't you see our miss has come to offer incense? Get out of the way!"
Yi Kong glanced at Huo Yuan Zhen and spoke, "Ladies, we are about to close the gate. If you wish to offer incense, please come earlier tomorrow."
"Shut up, you monk! It's a blessing for you that our miss is here to offer incense. We'll give you some extra incense money later, but don't keep babbling, or Big Yellow might bite you!"
"Xiao Cui, you're getting more and more unruly." The white-clad girl scolded the green-clad girl.
Just that simple sentence left Huo Yuan Zhen and the others feeling at ease, and a sense of serenity washed over them. It was the power of a beautiful woman.
Though they hadn't seen her face, Huo Yuan Zhen was certain that beneath the veil, she must possess an enchanting beauty.
The girl called Xiao Cui stuck out her tongue and fell silent.
The white-clad girl turned and looked at Huo Yuan Zhen and the others, asking, "May I ask if any of you is the abbot here?"
Huo Yuan Zhen stepped forward and said, "Amitabha, lady, I am the abbot of this temple."
The white-clad girl seemed surprised. She had assumed that the abbot would be Yi Kong or Hui Zhen, not the young, handsome monk in front of her. It was a bit unexpected.
Nevertheless, she greeted him with a slight bow. "Abbot, I apologize for disturbing you this evening. There were so many visitors during the day, and I prefer peace and quiet. I didn't know the temple would close so early, so I came at this hour. I hope you won't mind."
"The Buddha says, those who do not know are not to be blamed. Lady, you need not apologize."
"Thank you, Abbot. May I enter the temple to offer incense?" The white-clad girl asked politely.
"Please, lady."
Huo Yuan Zhen did not refuse. Although the white-clad girl exuded an air of mystery, he wasn't particularly curious. His decision to accept her was mostly out of respect for the tiger.
Just as the white-clad girl was about to enter, the green-clad girl suddenly spoke, "Miss, wait. Let Tie Niu and Big Yellow go in first to check if there are any traps. It wouldn't be good if someone is hiding inside and scares the miss."
"Xiao Cui, why are you so paranoid?" The white-clad girl responded, though her steps still didn't move, clearly agreeing with the suggestion.
While they were unconcerned, the monks outside looked grim.
Having a giant and a tiger search Shaolin? This was an insult!
However, given the intimidating presence of the giant and the tiger, none of the monks dared to stop them, except Yi Kong, who was eager to prevent the giant and tiger from entering.
Before he could act, Huo Yuan Zhen stepped forward and blocked the path of the giant and the tiger.
"Sorry, lady, if you wish to offer incense, you are welcome, but if you think Shaolin is a place where you can perform searches, I must ask you to leave."
The white-clad girl and the green-clad girl were taken aback. They hadn't expected the young abbot to dare stop Tie Niu and Big Yellow. Most people would be intimidated by such a combination, but this abbot had courage.
They said nothing, but the giant grinned.
"You little monk, daring to block my way, you're courting death. Big Yellow, go, show him what happens when you challenge me."
At the giant's command, the tiger let out a loud roar, shaking the monks nearby.
But before the tiger's roar could fully fade, Huo Yuan Zhen suddenly shouted, "Vile beast! Begone! The dignity of Shaolin shall not be infringed!"
With his powerful Lion's Roar skill and the internal energy in his dantian, Huo Yuan Zhen let out a deafening roar, causing Tie Niu to stagger backward. The giant was momentarily dizzy, almost losing his balance.
The tiger, too, was startled and jumped back, its eyes filled with unexpected fear.
In its animal mind, it couldn't understand how a mere human could produce such a mighty sound, one that even made the king of the mountains, itself, afraid.
Huo Yuan Zhen's roar stunned the giant and the tiger, and although the two women were unaffected by the internal energy, they still winced from the overwhelming sound.
For a moment, the white-clad girl seemed to regain her composure and looked directly at Huo Yuan Zhen.
Although Huo Yuan Zhen could not see her face, he could feel the shock in her gaze, as if she had truly seen his power. He bowed slightly, "Lady, as the abbot, I must uphold the dignity of Shaolin. I cannot allow unwarranted searches within our temple."
At first, Huo Yuan Zhen expected the white-clad girl to be angry, but instead, she bowed again.
"Abbot, you are young, yet your inner strength is profound. I misjudged you earlier. Please accept my apologies for my recklessness."
Huo Yuan Zhen could tell that her polite words were now sincere, and that she truly respected him.
"It is nothing."
"Once again, I humbly request to enter the temple to offer incense."
"Please, lady."
This time, the white-clad girl had Tie Niu and the tiger wait outside while she and the green-clad girl, Xiao Cui, entered the temple.
Yi Kong and the others looked at Huo Yuan Zhen with admiration. This abbot truly knew how to hold his ground. With such a leader, at least their lives would not be miserable.
Ever since the two women arrived at Shaolin, their actions and demeanor had given off an air of superiority, making the monks feel inferior. However, with Huo Yuan Zhen's roar, the balance shifted, and they all felt a surge of pride.
Huo Yuan Zhen, however, waved his hand. "Everything is illusory. You have all shown signs of anger, and for that, you must be punished. Go back to your rooms and copy the Heart Sutra ten times."
The monks, feeling chastised, quickly acknowledged their mistake and respectfully departed.
Only then did Huo Yuan Zhen turn his attention to the two women walking towards the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda.