Ho Yuanjin grabbed a yellow gourd and swiftly ran down the back mountain.
He didn't stop until he reached the side of Drinking Horse Lake.
The slap from the old man earlier still made his heart race. Today, he had truly witnessed the power of an internal martial arts master's palm. The old man had struck from dozens of feet away, and if it hadn't been for his lightness skill, he would have been shattered by the palm. Even if it had hit his head, his Iron Head Skill might not have been able to withstand it, since internal power is different from external force. No matter how good Iron Head Skill is, it's still an external technique.
Thinking back to the situation in the cave, the old man probably mistook him for the tiger. He thought that the gourd he kicked would be enough to kill or drive away the tiger, but instead, it hit his Iron Head. Not only did it not harm him, but he had also taken the gourd for himself.
Although he hadn't been injured, the gourd still made him dizzy after hitting his head. Ho Yuanjin made up his mind: he would not enter the cave again unless he was sure he could deal with that old man. After all, the old man was chained to a massive Dan furnace in the cave and could not leave. If he could, he would have done so by now.
Calming his mind, Ho Yuanjin carefully examined the yellow gourd.
The gourd was huge, bigger than a typical ripe gourd by two sizes. It was golden and round, very beautiful.
When held in his hand, it felt quite heavy. Ho Yuanjin shook it a few times, and he heard a clinking sound inside.
"Could it be filled with pills?" he wondered.
The gourd had a mouth, and Ho Yuanjin removed the stopper.
A pleasant fragrance wafted from inside. Ho Yuanjin inhaled the scent and felt his head clear.
He turned the gourd upside down, and a few red pills rolled out.
Ho Yuanjin picked one up, smelled it, and examined it. The fragrance was delightful, and it seemed like a healing medicine.
However, he didn't dare to try it right away. He thought it would be better to ask Guan Shan Yue about it. After all, he was much older and had been in the martial world for many years. He had probably seen many kinds of medicine.
Looking around, Ho Yuanjin didn't see the tiger, but he wasn't concerned. He took the gourd back to Shaolin.
As he was about to enter through the back gate, he ran into some Shaolin monks who were preparing to practice martial arts by Drinking Horse Lake. Ho Yuanjin quickly stopped Guan Shan Yue.
The two returned to Shaolin, and after locking the door to the temple, Ho Yuanjin brought out a pill and showed it to Guan Shan Yue.
"Yichen, do you recognize this pill?"
Guan Shan Yue took the pill, studied it for a while, and hesitated before saying, "Abbot, I've never seen this medicine before."
Ho Yuanjin felt slightly disappointed and was about to take the pill back when Guan Shan Yue added, "But this pill is made very well. The fragrance is refreshing. It seems to resemble a legendary medicine."
"What kind of medicine?" Ho Yuanjin asked, his curiosity piqued.
Guan Shan Yue sat down, thinking for a while before answering, "When I arrived here, I saw that this place was called Shaolin Temple. I wasn't entirely convinced, because I've heard of another Shaolin Temple in the south."
"Another Shaolin Temple? Where is it?" Ho Yuanjin's heart stirred.
"In the south, there's a place called Putian. It's said that there's also a Shaolin Temple there. I've never been there, but in our Central Plains, that Shaolin doesn't have much fame. However, in Putian, Shaolin Temple is very famous. The monks there don't beg for alms or perform rituals. Their main source of income comes from making and selling medicine. They give free treatment to the poor, and to the rich, they sell their medicine. Their reputation is good, but they never involve themselves in the martial world. They're truly a secluded sect."
"South Shaolin?" Ho Yuanjin thought for a moment. He suddenly remembered the old monk Xuanming. He seemed to have mentioned something before his death, but he couldn't recall the details since that was when he had first traveled through time.
Guan Shan Yue continued, "There are three famous medicines from that Shaolin Temple. The first is a common one, called Jin Chuang Yao, a healing medicine for external injuries. Anyone with a bruise or wound will go to Shaolin to ask for it."
Hearing the mention of Jin Chuang Yao, Ho Yuanjin remembered the pile of ointments he had seen in the cave. Could they be Jin Chuang Yao?
"The second one is very famous in the martial world, called Xiao Huan Dan. It not only heals external wounds, but is also effective for internal injuries. Whether injured by palm force or internal energy, it can cure the wounds. Even if a person is not injured, it can help strengthen the body."
"Xiao Huan Dan is said to be a red pill with a fragrant and smooth texture, made with various rare herbs. Even in Shaolin Temple, there aren't many of these pills. Xiao Huan Dan is not easily given away, and those who want to buy it in the martial world often have to pay a hefty price. I believe the pill you have in your hand resembles Xiao Huan Dan."
At this point, Guan Shan Yue hadn't even finished his sentence, but Ho Yuanjin had already figured it out. The pills in the gourd were likely Xiao Huan Dan.
There was also a pile of Jin Chuang Yao in the cave. If so, the cave contained many gourds of Xiao Huan Dan.
And the two larger red gourds in the cave? Those were likely to be the legendary Da Huan Dan.
Sure enough, Guan Shan Yue continued, "The last one is even more legendary. It's called Da Huan Dan, the treasure of their temple. There have been few occurrences of Da Huan Dan in the martial world. It is said that no matter how severe the injury, whether external or internal or even poisoned, as long as the person still has a breath left, Da Huan Dan can bring them back to life and restore them to full health in a short time."
"Is it really that miraculous?"
"Yes, but few people know about Da Huan Dan. I heard about it by chance, but never believed it until now, after seeing the Xiao Huan Dan in your hand."
Ho Yuanjin examined the Xiao Huan Dan carefully, then said, "It seems these pills are from the South Shaolin after all."
Guan Shan Yue nodded, saying, "Indeed. The two Shaolin temples must have some connection. And you, Abbot, are in possession of Xiao Huan Dan. Perhaps you originally came from the South Shaolin Temple?"
Ho Yuanjin shook his head. "This is the first time I've heard of South Shaolin."
"Then how did you come by these pills?"
"I found them by chance. Alright, you may go."
Guan Shan Yue handed the Xiao Huan Dan back to Ho Yuanjin and said, "With this medicine, the lives of our Shaolin monks are more secure. But this medicine is extremely precious. Even though some in the martial world are willing to pay a thousand taels of silver for Xiao Huan Dan, it's still rare and hard to find. Please be careful not to reveal it in front of others."
Ho Yuanjin nodded in agreement, and Guan Shan Yue left to continue instructing the other monks in martial arts.
After Guan Shan Yue left, Ho Yuanjin carefully poured out the entire gourd. Counting them, he found there were exactly one hundred Xiao Huan Dan pills.
This was a real treasure, and Ho Yuanjin carefully stored them away. He thought about the many gourds in the cave. If they were all filled with Xiao Huan Dan, that would amount to thousands of pills. The pile of Jin Chuang Yao was also quite useful.
And the two large red gourds? He really wanted to get them, as they might contain Da Huan Dan.
However, Ho Yuanjin didn't dare to act now. Even if he went to the back mountain with Guan Shan Yue, they might not be able to defeat the old man. He would have to wait for the right opportunity.
Storing the Xiao Huan Dan away, Ho Yuanjin began searching through his room, as he remembered something. Xuanming, the old monk, had left a letter for him about his origins, something he was supposed to read later. But at the time, he had forgotten due to his time travel.
After rummaging for a while, Ho Yuanjin finally found the letter under the bed. It was covered in dust, as it hadn't been touched in a long time.
Ho Yuanjin opened the letter and carefully read it.
Perhaps because it had been hidden for so long, the letter was a bit damp, and many of the words were now smudged. From the decipherable words, Ho Yuanjin learned that Xuanming had been a disciple of the South Shaolin Temple but had left the sect for some reason.
The person in the back mountain, Xuanming had warned, was a dangerous figure, but Ho Yuanjin couldn't make out the rest due to the smudged words.
At the end of the letter, Xuanming asked Ho Yuanjin to complete the task he had entrusted to him and then return to the South Shaolin with his ashes to reunite with his ancestors.
However, the most crucial part about the mysterious figure's identity and the task Xuanming had given him was unreadable.
After pondering for a long time, Ho Yuanjin sighed and put the letter away. What was his master asking him to do?