“I don’t know if I can refuse to enter the temple, but with this frail body of mine, I simply can’t survive outside of Shaolin. This is a world where martial arts exist—who knows if there are also demons and monsters... Sigh, in many ancient records, those powerful clans kept boy servants as a trend...”

“According to Uncle Horse-face, even if this Shaolin isn’t the same as that Shaolin, it’s still a great sect of martial arts, and it also possesses the seventy-two ultimate techniques. I wonder if there’s the ‘Yi Jin Jing’...”

“I used to often imagine myself becoming a great hero, righting wrongs and seeking justice. Now there’s hope, but why am I still unhappy? Computer, cellphone, internet, and... family...”

“Learning some martial arts doesn’t seem bad either. Uh, what is the Arhat Golden Body?”

Eric Bennett appeared calm as he followed behind Yellow Robed Monk, passing by one gray-robed monk after another, and Yellow Robed Monk, but no one knew that his mind was a chaotic mess, his thoughts running wild and unstoppable.

No matter how scattered his thoughts were, in the end, Eric Bennett could only face reality: with the age of this body and his abandoned status, his only option was to settle down and learn martial arts at Shaolin Temple for a while.

“I wonder if I’ll be able to return to secular life with my skills in the future? I can give up alcohol, but not meat!” Eric Bennett felt he was truly “far-sighted,” thinking a hundred steps ahead for every step he took, already pondering what to do after mastering his studies.

All along the way, Yellow Robed Monk never passed through the main halls where Buddha statues were enshrined, but instead took a side route, and after passing several courtyards, he finally pushed open the door to a large hall for the first time.

With a creak, the door opened. Eric Bennett looked as far as he could and saw dozens of children under fifteen, the youngest probably only eight or nine years old. They were all sitting cross-legged on meditation cushions, their eyes focused on a broad-faced, big-eared monk at the head of the hall. This monk was also dressed in Yellow Robe, wore a stern expression, and held a discipline ruler in his hand.

“Namo Amitabha, Brother Charles, what brings you here?” The broad-faced, big-eared monk had a deep, resonant voice.

Tsk, he could totally sing opera, Eric Bennett thought, the more nervous he got, the more his mind wandered. At the same time, he learned that the bamboo-pole monk who brought him into the temple was called Charles.

After softly chanting the Buddha’s name, Charles said, “Junior Brother Samuel, this is the child I mentioned before.”

He spoke openly, with no hint of a private arrangement. The only flaw was that his voice was dry and unpleasant, a far cry from Samuel’s.

Samuel glanced at Eric Bennett and said without a smile, “Come forward in order.”

Eric Bennett looked at him in confusion, but Charles pointed to an empty meditation cushion beside him. “Wait for your turn to be questioned.”

“Yes.” Eric Bennett, after all, had worked for several years, so he could understand the situation. He quickly imitated the other children and sat cross-legged on the cushion.

Samuel no longer looked at Eric Bennett, holding the discipline ruler as he questioned a certain child, “What is your secular name? Why have you come to Shaolin?”

This child was probably just over ten, with rosy lips and white teeth, a handsome face, but a somewhat dull expression. “My name is Adam Clark. Because I couldn’t get enough to eat, I was sold to the monks.”

Pfft, several children burst out laughing. They were the older ones, and this answer from Adam Clark was basically cursing the monks to their faces! Looks like he’s not quite right in the head.

Samuel frowned, his face darkening slightly. “From now on, do not use your secular name. Your Dharma name is ‘Ethan’, and you will enter the Miscellaneous Servants’ Courtyard.”

A few of the older, more sensible children drew in a sharp breath. Their expressions told Eric Bennett that the Miscellaneous Servants’ Courtyard was not a good place to be.

“Adam Clark is Ethan, Ethan is Adam Clark...” Now “Ethan”, Adam Clark muttered softly.

Samuel shifted his gaze to a relatively older child. “What is your secular name? Why have you come to Shaolin?”

This child was probably thirteen or fourteen, looking a bit nervous, but still answered smoothly, “Master, my surname is Miller, given name Brian. My family admires Buddhism and reveres martial arts, so they sent me to Shaolin.”

These children had all been selected, and their natural endowments were quite good.

Samuel nodded slightly. “At least you’re honest. If you had only said you admired Buddhism, I would have sent you to the Miscellaneous Servants’ Courtyard. From today, your Dharma name is ‘Edward’, and you will enter the ‘Martial Monk Courtyard’.”

“Thank you, Uncle Samuel.” Edward put his palms together in thanks.

According to what he knew, once you had a Dharma name, based on the sequence “Xin, Kong, Wu, Xuan, Zhen, Qing, Jing, Hui, Zhi, Shen,” before having an official master, you could directly address Samuel as Uncle.

Samuel didn’t nod at his cleverness, but simply moved on to question the next child.

Edward’s heart tightened. It seemed Uncle Samuel was just as upright as the rumors said, not someone who could be swayed by flattery.

At first, Eric Bennett watched Samuel’s questioning with a relaxed, spectator’s attitude, but suddenly, his expression froze.

“What’s my name?”

“What is the name of this body?”

Eric Bennett racked his brains, scratching his head, but still couldn’t remember the name of this body—he hadn’t inherited a single memory!

“I can’t just say Eric Bennett outright, Charles is still watching!”

“He definitely knows the origin and name of this body!”

“I need to think of a way to bluff my way through!”