The young novice monk turned his head alertly and gave Brian Morgan an innocent smile. “The benefactor is awake!”

Brian Morgan nodded, staring in a daze at the ground covered with yellow leaves. If he remembered correctly, it should be June now, the hottest season of the year. Why were there so many fallen leaves? The weather also seemed to have suddenly become much cooler.

“Where’s my uncle?”

The young novice pointed due west. “The abbot is shaving Jason Reed Shishu’s head!”

“What?” Brian Morgan immediately realized that the Jason Reed Shishu he mentioned was his own uncle.

“Where exactly is this place?”

“Shaolin Temple!”

Brian Morgan didn’t bother to continue talking with the young novice and hurried off in the direction he indicated. The melodious sound of bells and chimes drifted to his ears, and the cool morning breeze carried the fragrance of bodhi trees.

After walking along a winding path, he saw hundreds of warrior monks on the square ahead, practicing their morning exercises under the guidance of the duty monk. With their passionate shouts, they punched and kicked like fierce tigers. When they landed, the ground trembled slightly.

Everyone was focused on their training; no one paid any attention to Brian Morgan’s appearance.

Skirting the square, Brian Morgan followed the bluestone path to the outside of the Mahavira Hall. A black plaque hung above the door, with three large golden characters written on it: ‘Shaolin Temple’. Brian Morgan blinked hard. Was he dreaming? He had been to Shaolin Temple before and still remembered the layout of the buildings clearly. There were tourists everywhere, and many places were fenced off. This place was obviously much larger than the Shaolin Temple he had visited. Could this be the Southern Shaolin in Putian, Fujian?

Full of confusion, Brian Morgan walked into the Mahavira Hall. The hall was filled with monks, and at the very front, a middle-aged monk in a gray kasaya was kneeling, preparing to receive the head-shaving ceremony from the abbot.

Brian Morgan saw clearly that the middle-aged monk was indeed his uncle—James Morgan!

“He said he wanted to cure my illness, but actually brought me to Shaolin Temple. Could it be that Uncle wants to become a monk and take me with him?” As he thought about it, his head began to ache again. Brian Morgan leaned weakly against a pillar, relying on its support to keep from collapsing to the ground.

The white-browed old abbot, who was shaving James Morgan’s head, flashed a glint in his eyes. He had already noticed Brian Morgan’s presence. While chanting the precepts, he stretched out his withered right hand and gently swept it over James Morgan’s head. James Morgan’s long hair fell away with his palm, leaving a bald head in an instant.

Brian Morgan marveled inwardly: “This abbot is truly formidable. That must have been the legendary invisible blade energy. It seems being an abbot isn’t easy—just mastering this head-shaving skill must take many years of practice.”

The abbot sighed softly and said, “Jason Reed! You have been at Shaolin for twenty years, and only today have you finally let go of your worldly attachments!”

James Morgan replied respectfully, “This disciple is dull and has wasted Master’s teachings for so many years!”

“Though there is an order to learning the Way, there is no early or late in enlightenment.” The abbot smiled, then pointed in Brian Morgan’s direction. “There are some things you should explain yourself.”

A warm current of energy came across the air, striking Brian Morgan’s Zhìtáng acupoint precisely. The unbearable pain in his body instantly vanished. Brian Morgan gave the abbot a grateful look, knowing he had secretly used his energy arts to help him.

James Morgan slowly walked over to Brian Morgan, put his palms together, and said, “Please, little benefactor!”

His gaze was as calm as an ancient well, without a trace of warmth. Brian Morgan suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity. It seemed his uncle had decided to embrace the monastic life, and would soon sever the worldly ties with his nephew.

Brian Morgan followed his uncle back to the meditation room from earlier. James Morgan sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, while Brian Morgan sat on the bed opposite him. “Uncle, please stop keeping me in suspense. Can you tell me what exactly has happened?”

James Morgan sighed. “Xiao Nan! To be honest, the world you are in now is not the same as the one you used to know.”

Brian Morgan didn’t quite understand what he meant and pointed to his own head. “Are you saying there’s something wrong up here?”

James Morgan shook his head. “To use terms you can understand, this is another world, completely different from the one we used to live in. Do you understand?”

Brian Morgan nodded. “I get it. There really is something wrong with your head!”

James Morgan sighed helplessly. “I brought you here from Earth’s teleportation point. This is not Earth…”

“You mean this is an alien planet?” Brian Morgan’s tone was full of sarcasm.

“Not an alien planet either. This is another world, a parallel world to the one you know.” James Morgan explained patiently.

“All right, let’s just say I understand. Go on—why did you bring me here?” Brian Morgan interrupted impatiently.

James Morgan looked out the window. “The reason I went back this time was to confirm that our Meng family has descendants…” He gave Brian Morgan a slight smile. “I could never let go of this concern in my heart, so I was never able to truly enter the monastic life.”