Huo Yuanzhen had obtained a small Pill of Rejuvenation in a gourd, which was quite a fortunate gain. However, he lacked the courage to attempt another dangerous endeavor, as he believed that the elder guarding the secret location must have placed the pill in a corner. To retrieve it, he would need to face the elder, whom Huo Yuanzhen did not think he could defeat. So, he decided to set this matter aside for the time being.
After all, he had the Abbot System. Once he gained more power, he could gather the monks from various Shaolin halls, setting up formations like the Staff Array, the Eighteen Copper Men Formation, and the Five Hundred Arhats Formation. A grand array layered with smaller ones, a sea of people rushing in. He wondered just how strong the old man could be.
For the next three days, Huo Yuanzhen stayed inside and devoted himself entirely to training the Pure Boy Skill.
His current weaknesses were his offensive abilities and internal martial arts methods, with the latter being a particular source of frustration. Whenever he participated in the lottery, he was lucky enough to obtain a few offensive martial arts techniques, but his internal methods were always a rare drop. At most, he'd get one, and sometimes none at all. Moreover, the chances of obtaining them were small.
Huo Yuanzhen also felt that even if he did acquire an internal martial art, it might not be as easy as other martial arts to reach the peak immediately.
Since his body was constrained by the Pure Boy Skill, and the system required that this skill be mastered completely, it seemed that the Pure Boy Skill wasn't something that could be quickly perfected. If he had instead drawn other internal martial arts manuals, he might have already become invincible in no time.
Thus, he spent his time and energy focusing on training the Pure Boy Skill to avoid any future mishaps. He needed to make the most of every opportunity.
It wasn't until the third night that Huo Yuanzhen decided to take a stroll.
The moonlight was like water, spilling onto the blue stone-paved ground of Shaolin Temple, leaving behind a faint silver glow.
Huo Yuanzhen's tall figure cast a long shadow in the moonlight.
The only flaw was that the carefree hairstyle from his previous life was long gone, and now only his shiny bald head reflected the moonlight, constantly reminding him of his current identity.
The reason for going out tonight was simple—it was the sixth of July, and tomorrow would be the seventh, the Qixi Festival. Huo Yuanzhen felt a little nostalgic for his previous world.
In his past life, he had just started dating a girlfriend when he was transported to this world. It was a regret in his heart.
Looking back now, everything felt like a dream, and sometimes Huo Yuanzhen couldn't even distinguish between dreams and reality.
The only thing that kept him grounded was his desire to return to layman life. However, this path was still far from his reach.
But Huo Yuanzhen quickly collected himself. He was someone who could easily let go and move on. No matter how much he thought about it, life had to go on, and the road to becoming the abbot had to be pursued resolutely.
Arriving near the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda, Huo Yuanzhen paused, thinking for a moment, then called out to Bai Ma in his mind.
Soon, Bai Ma galloped out of the forest outside the temple, the sound of hooves ringing clearly in the night, the bell around its neck jingling.
Since acquiring the white horse, Huo Yuanzhen had never ridden it, mainly because he thought that if he did, he would look absurd, like the Tang Monk. But tonight, with the silence of the night and no one around, he decided to give it a try.
He led the horse to the foot of the mountain, where the long stone steps led down.
The stone steps didn't seem suitable for riding, so Huo Yuanzhen decided to lead the horse down. However, Bai Ma suddenly bit at his sleeve and snorted impatiently.
Since Bai Ma was a product of the system, Huo Yuanzhen could easily sense its thoughts. He understood that the horse was displeased because it had never been ridden by him. As a horse, it believed its purpose was to carry its master, and it felt slighted that it had never been ridden.
"These are just steps. Can you handle it?" Huo Yuanzhen asked in confusion.
Bai Ma snorted again and proudly lifted its head, signaling Huo Yuanzhen to get on.
Seeing this, Huo Yuanzhen was amused. He mounted the horse in one leap.
"White Dragon Horse, hooves toward the West, carrying Tang Seng... err, go!" Huo Yuanzhen sang a tune, but quickly shouted to let the horse gallop freely.
Bai Ma's hooves struck the ground, and in an instant, it transformed into a white streak of light, charging down the mountain.
As it galloped, the horse's steps were so precise that each hooffall landed perfectly on the steps, as if the path had been calculated to perfection. Huo Yuanzhen, sitting on the back, felt no bumping or jolting, except for a slight tilt of his body.
"Such a fine steed! Truly a fine horse!"
Huo Yuanzhen repeatedly praised Bai Ma. His lightness skill might be good enough to cross rivers effortlessly, but when it came to speed, Bai Ma was in a whole other league. If it were on flat ground, it could probably rival a Ferrari.
Soon, Bai Ma exited the Shaolin Temple gates and galloped out into the wilderness.
Huo Yuanzhen let the horse run freely, not bothering to control it.
After a while, a broad official road appeared ahead.
There was only one official road leading from Mount Shaoshi to Zhengzhou, passing through Dengfeng County. The road was wide enough to accommodate four horse-drawn carts side by side. During the day, it would be crowded with people, but now, under the cover of night, it was deserted.
Seeing this ancient "highway," Huo Yuanzhen felt curious and decided to see just how fast Bai Ma could go.
However, before Bai Ma could reach its top speed, Huo Yuanzhen noticed some movement in the distance. A group of horse-drawn carts was coming from far ahead.
In the moonlight, he could make out at least five or six miles of distance, and he could faintly hear voices shouting, which alerted him.
Not wanting to cause trouble, Huo Yuanzhen urged Bai Ma off the road and into the woods, waiting for the group to pass.
After a while, the convoy approached, and Huo Yuanzhen could make out the details. There were around thirty soldiers guarding the convoy, and a luxurious carriage in the middle, faintly carrying a delicate scent.
As the convoy came near, the soldiers saw the riders blocking their way and quickly drew their weapons. The officer leading the soldiers shouted, "Who dares to block the official army?!"
The leader of the black-robed riders laughed loudly. "This mountain is mine, and these trees are mine. Everything within Mount Shaoshi belongs to me. If you are wise, hand over your valuables and let us check. If we find anything of value, we'll take it, and you may leave unharmed. Otherwise, you'll die!"
The officer's face changed drastically, and with a cold snort, he replied, "Do you know who you are robbing? Do you know who's inside the carriage?"
The leader of the riders laughed again. "Who cares who they are? Could it be the governor?"
The officer was stunned for a moment, then hurried to consult with someone inside the carriage. When he returned, he said, "Listen up, this isn't just anyone inside the carriage. This is the princess, the daughter of the Emperor, traveling back to the capital after meeting with the Emperor. You thieves better be smart and surrender now, or the consequences will be dire!"
Huo Yuanzhen, observing from afar, couldn't help but shake his head. The officer and the princess inside the carriage were both foolish. Revealing their identities like this would make it impossible for the robbers to spare them, even if they had originally intended to avoid killing. The robbers had likely been prepared for this, knowing exactly who was in the carriage.
It was clear to Huo Yuanzhen that if no one intervened, the princess and her entourage would soon be doomed.
"Ha! Little brat, don't try to scare me with big words. Let me see this princess of yours!" the leader of the riders sneered.
The officer's face changed drastically, and he shouted, "You bandits are courting death!"
"Hmph, you're the ones who are dying. Brothers, don't waste time with these soldiers. Kill them!" The leader of the riders shouted, and the group of black-clad bandits charged forward.
The soldiers, outnumbered and under pressure, had no choice but to draw their weapons and prepare for battle. But Huo Yuanzhen could already tell the outcome—if no one intervened, the princess and her guards would likely meet a tragic end.