“Did you renounce worldly attachments and devote yourself to Buddhism because of my existence?” Brian Morgan wondered to himself. If his parents hadn’t given birth to him, would his uncle have planned to marry and have children to fulfill his duty to their ancestors before shaving his head and becoming a monk?

Chapter Two: The Ancient Shaolin Monastery (Part Two)

James Morgan nodded. “I just didn’t expect your lifespan to be so short!”

“Stop it! Aren’t I standing here alive and well in front of you?” Brian Morgan said angrily.

“From the very first moment I saw you, I knew you were supposed to have died in that car accident that night!” James Morgan said with utmost seriousness.

Brian Morgan replied with a bitter smile, “You don’t have to curse me like that!”

“I’m not cursing you. That mysterious girl you met that night definitely wasn’t human. If she hadn’t fed you that pill, you would have died long ago.”

Brian Morgan drew in a sharp breath. He remembered that night clearly—the effect of that pill was truly miraculous. He asked curiously, “But that girl didn’t seem any different from a normal person…”

James Morgan said, “How could a normal person possess such a strange pill? That pill contained some unknown, powerful energy. I can say for certain that it’s not something humans could have made. The girl who gave you the pill is most likely from the demon clan, and she should be from this world. Unfortunately, although she gave you the pill out of kindness, she overlooked the fact that you’re human. With your constitution, you simply can’t withstand such potent medicinal power. The energy from the pill gathered in your meridians, forming a blockage in the meridian at the back of your head—that’s what those doctors saw as an aneurysm.”

“Since you know so much about my condition, why don’t you cure me? Why bring me all the way here?” Brian Morgan asked indignantly.

James Morgan stood up from the meditation cushion and took two steps toward Brian Morgan. “Even though I know the cause of your illness, I have no way to cure you.”

“You could take me to the people who made that pill—they must have the ability to heal me!”

James Morgan shook his head. “As disciples of Buddhism, we would never seek help from those demons. Besides… in this vast world, even if I wanted to find her, I might not be able to.”

“So you mean I’m doomed?” Brian Morgan said with a bitter smile.

“Not necessarily. The abbot has already used his inner strength to suppress the foreign energy in your body. It shouldn’t flare up for the next four years. If fate allows, you might be able to completely dissolve the foreign energy within you!”

Brian Morgan asked loudly, “What do you mean by ‘if fate allows’?”

“Your illness can only be resolved with the Shaolin secret art, the ‘Yi Jin Jing’. But the ‘Yi Jin Jing’ is the supreme martial art of Shaolin and has never been taught to outsiders!”

Brian Morgan said disdainfully, “You could have just told me that from the start. Where I come from, you can buy the ‘Yi Jin Jing’ on any street corner.”

James Morgan laughed. “Such childish talk! The real ‘Yi Jin Jing’ would never be spread so widely!”

“So after all this, are you trying to persuade me to become a monk?”

“You’re the only direct descendant of the Meng family. Even if you were willing, I might not be!” James Morgan’s words betrayed that he still hadn’t severed all worldly ties.

“If I don’t become a monk, I can’t learn the Yi Jin Jing. If I can’t learn the Yi Jin Jing, I can’t dissolve the foreign energy in my body. If I can’t dissolve the foreign energy, won’t I still end up dead?”

“Not necessarily…” James Morgan took a red booklet from his robe. “This is the admission letter to ‘Yundu University’. The new semester starts in ten days.”

“No way! You brought me all the way here just to send me to school?” Brian Morgan shouted in disbelief.

James Morgan handed the admission letter to Brian Morgan. “It’s not just about going to school. During your four years of study, you must give it your all and make sure you graduate with the top overall score.”

“Why?”

“The former president of Yundu University, Charles Young, and Abbot Carter are the best of friends. He has always been extremely interested in the Yi Jin Jing and has asked Master Carter more than once to make the basic part of the Yi Jin Jing public to strengthen the people’s health. Master Carter used the basic part of the Yi Jin Jing to develop a set of exercises called the ‘Xi Sui Jue’, which he teaches to qualified students at Yundu University. The ‘Xi Sui Jue’ is similar in effect to the Yi Jin Jing. Even if it can’t completely dissolve the foreign energy in your body, it can at least save your life.”

Brian Morgan said with a smile, “If that’s the case, why don’t you just ask him to teach me the ‘Xi Sui Jue’ directly? Why go through all the trouble of going to school?”

James Morgan replied seriously, “Only the top student in overall performance from each college at Yundu University is allowed to learn the ‘Xi Sui Jue’. That was the agreement between President Young and Master Carter, and it hasn’t changed in five years. Master Carter won’t make an exception for you.”

Brian Morgan collapsed weakly onto the bed. “Just let me die already!”