Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 100: The Light of a Grain of Rice

Three days later, at night, the spring breeze carried a hint of warmth. Inside the Shaolin monastery’s secluded courtyard nestled in the mountains, the lights were still on, but everything was silent. Only a few monks guarding the entrance stood solemnly at their posts.

Suddenly, birds in the mountains flew away in panic as a long howl, accompanied by several sounds of something cutting through the air, reached the temple…

“Who’s there?” Before the guarding monks could finish speaking, they were blown down by a gust of wind. Judging from the blood in their mouths, their injuries were severe.

At that moment, eleven figures descended into the courtyard. The leader was tall and strong, with a massive build, yet his face was pale and stiff—clearly he wore a mask. The other ten also had distinct heights and builds, dressed in strange outfits, all with blank expressions, obviously wearing masks as well.

“Amitabha. These guests possess great martial skills and have come here. Why bother with just a few monks to greet them?” Wu Jing stepped forward from the crowd and spoke in a calm voice.

“Haha! I heard that even Shaolin cooks are skilled. I thought the guards here would be even more formidable! Sorry, I guess I was wrong!” the burly man said arrogantly.

“Amitabha. May I ask your name?” Wu Jing ignored his derogatory remarks and asked calmly.

“Well, I don’t deserve to be called ‘Gao’. People just call me ‘Ah’ because of my burly appearance. Later, others started calling me ‘Brother Han’. Now? They all have to call me ‘Lord’—‘Lord Han’!” The man introduced himself in a mocking tone, though his words were half true and half false.

Even Wu Jing, usually so composed, grew annoyed. Wasn’t this clearly insulting monks by calling them bald fools? And according to him, they should even call him “Lord”?

“Surely you are the ones who issued the challenge ten days ago? But I really can’t understand—why do you resort to killing again? The external Shaolin is just a group of people who chant scriptures and pray; they have no real martial skills. Don’t you find that cruel?” Wu Jing asked, his tone rising sharply at the end.

“Hehe, that’s not my concern. I’m just here to cause trouble!” Lord Han said domineerously.

“Then… aren’t you all part of the same group?” Wu Jing asked in confusion.

“Someone else is in charge of those high-tech things. As for giving you that warning, it’s just to get some compensation for the many people we lost!” Lord Han said in a sinister tone.

“You wretched demons! You stole my Chixuan, killed my Shaolin disciples, and now even dare to turn the tables? How utterly arrogant! Do you think because Shaolin has few people, you can bully us? You wanted to fight one-on-one, didn’t you? Then let this humble monk see if you’re up to the task.” Han Ye’s words immediately stirred up resentment among the Shaolin disciples behind Wu Jing, who all glared angrily. One burly martial monk stepped forward and shouted in fury.

Wu Jing found it hard to argue with such perverse people. The compassion of Buddhism clearly didn’t suit them. A fight was now inevitable! Seeing that a disciple from the “Zhi” generation stepped forward to challenge them, he stepped back as well—just to assess their strength.

Han Ye smirked disdainfully and also stepped back a few paces. Without any warning, a dark figure suddenly appeared behind him, rushing forward like a whirlwind. A cold glint appeared in his hand. By the time he stopped in front of the Shaolin martial monk, the disciple from the “Zhi” generation was instantly flung backward, crashing hard to the ground and rolling several times before lying still.

His fellow monks rushed to help him up, only to see that his chest and abdomen were riddled with deep wounds—especially one deep cut below, exposing his intestines. The sight was gruesome and unbearable.

One might deceive a gentleman, let alone a monk!

Moreover, these Shaolin monks had grown up in a peaceful era. Apart from practicing in the temple, they had little experience of the outside world. Modern life had further deprived them of the experiences that once allowed them to roam the martial world.

Although Shaolin’s leadership had realized this and gradually arranged for their disciples to secretly join the Dragon Soul program—both to serve the country and to instill a fighting spirit and experience in the young monks, thus preserving Shaolin’s martial traditions!

Who would have thought that in the face of such a great threat, before even fighting, they would be ambushed and utterly defeated, unable to recover from the severe injuries. It was a complete loss.

Now, the Shaolin monks were furious. Shouting insults like “Despicable!” and “Ambush!” they rushed forward. Before Wu Jing could stop them, two loud shots from heavy sniper rifles echoed from the outskirts, hitting the road in front of the monks and sending dust and debris flying, filling the entire courtyard in an instant.

Such powerful long-range weapons—unknown to these Shaolin monks who had spent their lives in seclusion—were probably even unseen by ordinary soldiers.

It was then that the Shaolin monks, including Wu Jing, realized the power of modern technology. They had still been stuck in the outdated notion that close-range dodging could fully avoid modern firearms…

As the dust settled, Han Ye’s towering figure became visible, accompanied by his arrogant voice: “Save your effort! Hundreds of snipers can cover every corner here. Hehe, it’s because Shaolin is so good at choosing locations—beautiful mountains and clear waters, a naturally favorable site for gathering spiritual energy. But have you ever thought about what it’s like to be under fire from above?”
“Amitabha. Judging by your appearance, it seems you’re more intent on intimidating us than seeking revenge. What exactly do you want?” Wu Jing asked, trying to stay calm.
“Hehe, the head of Shaolin is indeed smart. We’re not here to deliberately make things difficult for you this time. To be honest, Shaolin’s strength is no longer what it used to be!” At that moment, Han Ye suddenly stopped smiling, his expression turning cold as he continued, “It’s not that I look down on you, the leader of Shaolin. Any one of the ten top killers behind me could defeat you! Moreover, as for this tiny Shaolin, first, we want you to hand over those who keep ruining our plans. Second, I heard Shaolin has a close relationship with the Dragon Soul. Tell them this—whether through pleading or pressure, just one thing: stop interfering in our spiritual affairs!”
“Damn it! I’ve always disliked you! Take this punch from your grandmother!” With that, two figures burst out from a room inside. One of them, as he had said, rushed forward with a powerful wind, delivering a punch.
Han Ye wasn’t flustered. He stepped back, and before the punch reached him, one of his assassins intercepted it, engaging in a fierce fight.
With a loud “Boom!”, Han Ye’s assassin was sent flying back several steps, as if blasted away.
Surprised, Han Ye stared at the two who had suddenly appeared. “Who are you?”
“Rare treasures!” they replied in unison.
Wu Jing, standing nearby, saw them come out. Without needing to ask, he knew his disciple must have either fainted or been tied up, so he chose not to intervene.
“Heh, interesting. It seems you’re twins. Coincidentally, I also have four twin brothers. Perfect—let’s meet! ‘Fight a thousand armies’—go!” At Han Ye’s command, four figures rushed forward and immediately engaged in a fight with the two rare treasures.
Indeed, the four of them worked in perfect harmony, their coordination and tactics showing not only innate talent but also years of hard training.

Tian Cai Di Bao were immediately at a disadvantage. Although their skills seemed inferior to those of the Ghost King from the Heaven Demon Sect, their coordination was even better than that of the two brothers. Their seamless attacks seemed to rely on some kind of formation. As a result, Tian Cai Di Bao were forced to retreat repeatedly, shouting in anger as they tried to counterattack, but their efforts were suppressed by the attacks of the four men, leaving them helpless and in extreme distress—unable to exert any strength!

“A grain of sand dares to compete with the bright moon!” Han Ye said smugly from the sidelines.

“Are you talking about yourself?” A calm voice rang out. Though not loud, it seemed to resonate in everyone’s hearts.

Han Ye was instead pleased rather than alarmed, realizing that the real opponent had finally been lured out! He quickly sent secret signals for all units to be on high alert.

Suddenly, accompanied by a chaotic “BB～～” sound, a dark figure flashed into view and stopped in the center of the arena. Before he could move, the four brothers fighting against Tian Cai Di Bao were flung aside and landed beside Han Ye, motionless.

The “BB～～” sound continued, sounding increasingly familiar to Han Ye. When he saw who had arrived, the first thing he noticed were two gaunt, white-haired old men, each seemingly on the verge of death. Though their fate was uncertain, it seemed inevitable. The “BB～～” sound came from them!

The newcomer had a expressionless face and said coldly, “Were you sending them messages? Their charm techniques are quite good—perfect for ambushes and assassinations! And both of them possess skills beyond sixty years of practice. You really invested a lot!”

When Han Ye recognized the two men mentioned by the newcomer, his shock was beyond measure! He wasn’t the kind to hesitate or waste words. Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, he quickly sent a signal for an ambush.

“Even if I can’t kill you, I can create a chance to escape…” Han Ye thought to himself. He made a quick retreat signal and turned to flee at full speed.

As expected, the sound of sniper shots rang out. Just as he thought his plan had succeeded, he suddenly felt a searing pain in his right leg, and blood sprouted instantly…

“Ah～～Ah～～” His subordinates, who had just flown into the air, were knocked down like novices, all hit in the right leg without exception!

Han Ye panted heavily, looking at his right leg, which had been blown apart by a high-powered sniper rifle—now a mess of flesh and blood with torn tendons and broken bones. At the same time, he saw the person who had arrived later striding over to him and said from a higher position, “A mere glimmer of light, daring to compete with the bright moon!” Hearing this, Han Ye spat out a mouthful of blood and felt an urge to charge at him right away and kill him!