Chapter Twenty-Three: The Challenge Begins
The Eighteen Arhats hesitated not a moment; after all, they were old adversaries. As soon as the contest began, they launched straight into their signature human pyramid, recalling how last time they had pressed Xiao Yan so hard he spat blood.
“Heh heh...” There was no way Xiao Yan would dare get close; he immediately turned on his heels and ran. The Eighteen Arhats had no choice but to scramble to their feet and give chase.
“Well, well... No longer daring to face them head-on?” Elder Huiren sneered from the sidelines; this time, Xiao Yan had truly let him down. In the past, Xiao Yan had at least faced his opponents with cunning tricks; now, all he could do was flee.
At this moment, Li Bai had entered the Arhat Hall as well, and once more spotted the little monk sweeping the floor. He strode over and asked, “Hey, little monk, didn’t you say Xiao Yan’s trial would be thrilling? All I see is him running away.”
The little monk was momentarily startled, then stammered, his voice trembling, “Li... Li Bai the hero, I... about the pagoda... I didn’t mean anything by it...”
He stole a glance at Li Bai, but seeing that the hero did not seem angry, he plucked up his courage and said, “It is a bit strange, though. Haven’t you noticed something odd about Xiao Yan’s escape route?”
“Oh?” Li Bai looked more closely and indeed saw something odd. By rights, anyone fleeing should seek the safest path, yet Xiao Yan was weaving right through the midst of the Eighteen Arhats, almost as if he was courting disaster.
Something was off...
Li Bai watched the Arhats’ fluid movements and their intricate formation and suddenly froze. Was this really the same Eighteen Arhats as ten days ago? He remembered that on that day, they had been so fat they could barely walk, which was why he’d been able to break through their formation with such ease and overwhelming strength. But if he were to face today’s Arhats, he might not have the upper hand at all.
“Heh... Li Bai the hero, you probably don’t know this, right? I heard that the Eighteen Arhats were fattened up by Xiao Yan, who brought them meals every day. He hoped to clear the trial with ease, but you beat him to it and took advantage,” the little monk gossiped, emboldened by Li Bai’s friendly demeanor.
“Oh? So that was his scheme as well? This man...” Li Bai was momentarily stunned. So it turned out he’d only had such an easy time because he’d benefited from Xiao Yan’s plotting?
Such a sly trick—this man was truly shameless and devious. No wonder, when it was his own turn, Xiao Yan could come up with such underhanded tactics as poking the Arhats’ privates and toppling towers...
But if he looked at it another way, if he hadn’t taken the trial ten days ago and Xiao Yan had been given another ten days to fatten the Arhats, perhaps his plan would have worked—they might have been so bloated they couldn’t move at all...
Such calculations—what cunning! Only, his methods were a little too...
Thinking of this, Li Bai couldn’t help but marvel.
“Have you heard? Recently, Xiao Yan went to the Armory Pavilion to have equipment forged...” The little monk, seeing Li Bai’s astonished look, felt oddly delighted, and decided to share the latest explosive news he’d picked up.
“Oh?” Li Bai looked over with interest.
“You’ve probably heard his theory for breaking formations, right? I find it quite logical: using strength to overcome weakness. If he really created a weapon that could substitute for all eighteen types, specifically countering each, I think he would have a good chance of success. What do you think, hero?” the little monk ventured his immature opinion, stealing a glance at Li Bai when he’d finished.
After all, Li Bai was a hero famous throughout the land, and the little monk felt a bit unsure of himself.
“Mmm.” Li Bai nodded, looking thoughtful. Then he tilted his head and said, “It seems you admire this Xiao Yan quite a bit?”
“I... I do not!” the little monk blushed, muttering softly.
“Ah, who would have thought such a man would have admirers too... Has the world changed so much?” Li Bai shook his head.
The little monk’s face stayed red for a while, then he added, “But it’s a pity. Elder Huiqi at the Armory Pavilion said it couldn’t be done—the weapon Xiao Yan wanted.”
“Haha... Naturally! In fact, during those ten days I spent off the mountain—besides fetching the pagoda... ahem... besides that—I also researched Xiao Yan’s theory, seeking out many renowned forgers, but none of them could manage it.”
“I see... So there’s no hope then?” The little monk sounded disappointed, but at the same time excited that even Li Bai found the strategy feasible.
Just then, something seemed to be happening in the arena...
“Look... Xiao Yan’s stopped running!” the little monk exclaimed, pointing at the field.
Indeed, Xiao Yan had abruptly come to a halt, raising both hands and shouting, “Stop! Stay where you are! Yes, just like that!”
The straightforward Eighteen Arhats, thoroughly bewildered, obeyed him and stood rooted to the spot.
“Heh... At last I’ve got you all together... Time to give you a good taste of your own medicine...” Xiao Yan grinned, his smile positively wicked.
So he’d been running in circles to herd the Arhats together...
In truth, Elder Huiren had been on guard from the start. After all, after so many challenges, what trick of Xiao Yan’s had he not witnessed? He was prepared, and bellowed, “Cover your eyes and mouths! Watch out for his dirty tricks!”
“Heh heh... Useless!” Xiao Yan stomped hard on the ground and shouted, “Ultimate Secret Move!”
A second later...
Nothing happened.
A quarter-hour later...
Still nothing happened.
...
The Eighteen Arhats: “...”
Elder Huiren: “...”
All the monks present: “...”
...
“Hmph... Such empty theatrics! Eighteen Arhats, teach him a lesson!” roared Elder Huiren.
No sooner had he spoken than the ceiling of the Arhat Hall began to creak ominously.
Creak... rumble...
The Eighteen Arhats, puzzled, looked up—and gasped, eyes wide as saucers.
From the ceiling, an avalanche of powder poured down, an astonishing quantity...
“What the—” Elder Huiren recoiled a step in alarm, but quickly regained his composure. “Hmph, just an extra-strength batch of lime powder. Useless!”
A sharp-eyed monk seemed to spot something and cried out, “Look! There are yellow bits mixed in with the lime...”
At this, the Arhats’ eyes lit up—last time, the pork powder Xiao Yan threw had been the same color...
So, they craned their necks, desperate to catch the powder in their mouths, shouting gleefully, “Damn it... How dreadful... Xiao Yan’s forcing me to break my vows... Heavens... This is inhumane...”
Xiao Yan, watching from the side, was utterly dumbfounded—he had never expected the Eighteen Arhats to be so ravenous...
...
He muttered under his breath, “Forgive me, forgive me...”
But then...
“Hmm? The taste seems off...” The Pagoda Arhat was the first to notice, frowning. “Xiao Yan, is this pork powder of yours expired?”
Xiao Yan hesitated, embarrassed. “Uh... Well... It’s... probably... not pork powder...”
“What is it then? Beef powder? Chicken powder? Or—heavens—dog powder?” The Pagoda Arhat continued to gulp down the falling powder.
Elder Huiren, too, secretly tasted a bit, curious what meat it was this time.
The moment it hit his tongue, Elder Huiren grimaced. “This tastes a bit... like excrement...”
Xiao Yan: “...”
Inwardly he marveled—trust the elder to identify it.
“What?”
The Eighteen Arhats and Elder Huiren were momentarily dazed.
The hall went silent, the very air holding its breath.
The latrine monk scratched his head, an epiphany dawning. “No wonder... I wondered why everyone seemed constipated lately, and why there’d been so little waste in the latrines...”
A monk suddenly shouted, enlightened, “There’s excrement in the powder!”
...
The Eighteen Arhats froze, maintaining their postures, unmoving.
Elder Huiren: “...”
The Arhat Hall fell into a deathly hush—then was suddenly shattered by Elder Huiren’s furious bellow: “You scoundrel Xiao Yan, I’ll kill you!”
“Wait! Honestly... I never imag