146 Agricultural and Martial Unity: Raising the Hoe

“Chen Jue?”

“So it is the renowned Chen, the foremost warrior among millions, who has arrived!”

“Chen the practitioner’s mastery of martial intent is profound—no wonder he immediately recognized the stance of the Heart-Intent Fist.”

“It is only fitting that Master Yantong’s disciple was defeated by Chen, for Chen has attained the Way, a saintly embodiment akin to our Buddha’s own flesh and blood.”

Master Jiande, evidently familiar with Chen Jue’s reputation, bowed slightly and invited him to sit on one of the stone benches beside the temple, continuing to overlook the young monk disciples harvesting the wheat fields below.

Out of curiosity, Chen Jue employed his celestial-human resonance to observe Master Jiande. He discerned a strong spiritual imprint upon the venerable monk, akin to the devout sincerity shared with Monk Yantong, though Jiande’s was even more intense.

Moreover, the monk’s cultivation was evidently profound. Though he did not sit cross-legged in meditative absorption, his vital energy and blood were deeply restrained. It was clear he had stepped halfway into the “Formless and Colorless” realm of the Buddhist relic state.

This high monk’s depth of practice likely surpassed even Li Wei, who had subdued the White Tiger.

“Never expected such an enlightened sage to be hidden within Shaolin Temple!”

“Living austerely, detached from the mundane world—could this be the path of Chan and martial unity?”

Chen Jue’s curiosity deepened as he surveyed the stone temple’s surroundings.

Inside, aside from a few clay Buddha statues, there was nothing else—not even electrical wires. Compared to the bustling Shaolin tourist area below, adorned with fragrant incense and resplendent decor, this mountaintop stone temple was a haven of ascetic poverty, fitting only for true mendicants.

After harvesting a crop of wheat, the young monks carefully stored the grain in stone granaries below, then ascended with sickles in hand. Upon arrival, they exchanged the sickles for hoes and began tilling the leveled earth in front of the temple.

The four young monks grasped their hoes, furrowing the soil inch by inch. Dust and earth scattered across the platform. Chen Jue immediately recognized the “Hoe Tilling” stance of the Heart-Intent Fist.

“Reaping the wheat, wielding the hoe!”

---

“Master Jiande, your disciples have seamlessly integrated martial arts into their farming—agriculture and martial cultivation united. Training and tempering character through work—truly a profound method!” Chen Jue observed for a while, discerning the art within.

Much like ancient folk martial artists who trained only temporarily, most had to till the fields to fill their bellies. They wove their martial techniques into daily labor—reaping wheat, wielding the hoe—each movement a practice in cultivation. Once mastery was achieved, they would emerge to defeat all challengers, humbly calling themselves “mere farmers.”

This Shaolin temple’s secret art, the Heart-Intent Fist, harbored a similar philosophy of blending agriculture and martial cultivation.

In the past, monks could not rely on the offerings of tourists and pilgrims as they do now. Most had to grow their own vegetables and till the land, leading austere lives.

Often facing calamity, only by hiding in the wilds, farming quietly, and practicing Chan and Buddhist rites could they survive.

“Chen the practitioner is too kind; these are merely ordinary daily labors.”

“The Heart-Intent Fist is ruthless; its harshness must be softened through Buddhist teachings. These disciples labor by day to expend surplus energy; by night, they recite and copy sutras, meditate, and worship Buddha, repeating this practice to maintain unity of knowledge and action. Only thus can one one day reach the Buddha realm of ‘enlightened mind and true nature.’” Master Jiande pressed his palms together and intoned a Buddha name.

The “enlightened mind and true nature” he mentioned was the highest realm of Buddhist cultivation, famously stated in the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch: “When the mind is enlightened, one sees one’s true nature; seeing one’s nature, one becomes Buddha.”

Shakyamuni Buddha is the Tathagata; to “become Buddha” means to reach his state.

Though Chen Jue had formed his Golden Core, and his physical body was as flawless as the legendary Tathagata’s, his Daoist heart was yet unestablished. He was still refining his heart amidst the mortal world, possessing the body of a Tathagata but lacking the great wisdom to match.

...

After sitting with Master Jiande to observe his disciples’ cultivation, the master rose and invited Chen Jue to walk to a massive rock jutting out from a cliff behind the temple.

Chen Jue examined the cliffside environment. A few steps ahead lay a sheer drop of several hundred meters. Falling meant certain death. To train here regularly suggested a daring intent to defy fate itself—a method to greatly strengthen willpower and martial skill.

“Chen the practitioner, this is where the poor monk cultivates daily.”

---

“I had not seen you before and only heard from Master Yantong’s disciples, assuming you were merely a skilled martial artist. To meet you today and find you a master who has attained the Buddha’s Way is truly astonishing!”

“There has always been debate whether Buddhism originally stems from the Dao. The Daoist Patriarch Sanfeng mentioned the three teachings as one family. Since entering the monastery over forty years ago, I have never encountered a saintly physical form like yours. Meeting you today is like encountering a celestial being! I humbly ask you to grant me some instruction, to help dispel the obstacles clouding my understanding.” Master Jiande bowed deeply toward Chen Jue.

Ordinarily, a monk of his age would no longer harbor competitive desires in martial arts.

But seeing Chen Jue’s physical realization, doubts had arisen within him—like the “obstacles of knowledge and perception” he mentioned. Knowing and witnessing Chen’s Tathagata-level form, yet lacking that attainment himself, left his heart troubled. Now, he sought firsthand experience.

“Master, you are too polite. Cultivation is not a solitary path. I, too, have journeyed far, forming friendships and exchanging martial insights to reach this level.”

“Since you wish to see the Tathagata realm, come experience it yourself. I hope it aids your future cultivation.” Chen Jue returned the bow. From Master Jiande’s demeanor, he saw sincere humility—not the competitive resentment he had sensed in Master Yantong—and so accepted the invitation to spar and discuss the Way.

“Amitabha Buddha!”

“Thank you, Chen the practitioner, for granting me this opportunity!” With that, Master Jiande removed his kasaya robe, hanging it on a nearby low shrub. He stood with feet apart, hands relaxed at his sides, teeth clenched, eyes fixed on Chen Jue.

At that moment, the gentle Buddhist monk seemed to transform into a fierce guardian deity standing sentinel at the temple gate—an aura of fierce intensity radiating.

Chen Jue smiled slightly, recognizing this as the initial posture of the Heart-Intent Fist’s primary form. He set his backpack at his feet, relaxed his body completely, and assumed the “Lazy Garment” stance from Tai Chi, saying, “Master Jiande, please.”

Here begins the first chapter, sent with care~

Stayed up late last night but recovered from a cold today, so I’m in good shape to update. Thank you all for waiting.