Unbound Tiger Cub was straightforward, but he wasn’t stupid.
He had used every ounce of his strength and couldn’t even budge the gourd. Yet the old monk had lifted it effortlessly with just one hand. How could he not understand?
I'm doomed for sure this time! he bemoaned.
Saying he would try lifting the gourd again after eating was just an excuse. Right now, all Unbound Tiger Cub could think about was how to escape this cursed place.
In the backyard, the old monk carried dishes out from the kitchen.
The tempting aroma made Unbound Tiger Cub instinctively sniff the air. Turning his head, he immediately laughed and cursed, "So you’re a fake monk after all!"
He pointed at the roast chicken and fish on the table. "Don’t try to fool me! What kind of monk eats meat?"
The old monk simply grinned, tore off a chicken leg, and took a bite. He chuckled, "Meat and wine pass through the stomach, but the Buddha remains in my heart."
"I’ve never heard of that saying," Unbound Tiger Cub scoffed. That didn't stop him from grabbing the other chicken leg. "You just wait—after you die, you’ll be fried in a vat of oil for this!"
After they finished the meal, the old monk casually put down his chopsticks, walked out, and tossed out a single instruction.
Unbound Tiger Cub remained silent, keeping his head down. Only when he was sure the old monk had left did he cautiously stand up. He crept toward the door, peeked out, and scanned the area. Seeing no sign of the old monk, he let out a slow breath—If not now, when? Stay and actually compete in strength with that fake monk? No way!
He crept cautiously the entire way. As soon as he stepped outside the temple gates, the world suddenly felt vast. He wanted nothing more than to shout three times to celebrate his newfound freedom, but he knew better! He wasn’t safe yet. If he made a sound, that old monk would surely come and snatch him back.
Softening his steps once more, Unbound Tiger Cub crept along the temple wall, heading toward the forest. His heart pounded with excitement. As long as I make it into the woods, even if that monk is an immortal from the heavens, he won’t be able to find me!
"Have you finished cleaning the dishes?"
A voice rang out suddenly from behind him.
Unbound Tiger Cub shuddered violently, his entire body instantly plunged into icy dread.
Taking a deep breath, Unbound Tiger Cub turned around and lifted his chin.
"As the Third Master, my body is precious! I don’t do menial work!"
"Oh?" The old monk raised a brow, smiling. "Then why are you out here?"
Unbound Tiger Cub’s dark eyes darted around. "I, Unbound Third Master, merely came out for some fresh air to help with digestion."
"And have you had enough fresh air?"
"Hmm..." Unbound Tiger Cub stiffened his neck. "Not yet! I plan to walk around a bit more, and once I’ve digested, I’ll test my strength against you again!"
The old monk slapped Unbound Tiger Cub on the back of his head so hard he nearly collapsed onto the ground.
"Goddamn you!" Unbound Tiger Cub roared in fury.
"Try that again and see what happens!"
Unbound Tiger Cub rubbed the back of his reddened head, baring his teeth as he sucked in a sharp breath.
"Hiss... that bald donkey sure packs a punch..."
The old monk kicked Unbound Tiger Cub square on the backside, making him stumble.
"Get back there and clean up the dishes. Try running off again, and I’ll break your legs."
A man under another’s roof must live by their rules—Unbound Tiger Cub finally grasped the true meaning of this saying.
Resigned, he obediently cleaned up the dishes, wiped down the table, and then made his way to the Buddhist worship hall.
The old monk sat cross-legged before the worn Buddha statue, eyes closed as he chanted sutras.
"A fake monk reciting sutras? Rambling on endlessly—do you even understand Buddhism?" Unbound Tiger Cub curled his lips in disdain.
The old monk opened his eyes. "Indeed, I don’t understand it. I can’t even memorize Buddhist teachings, so I just repeat Namo Amitabha over and over to get by."
Unbound Tiger Cub plopped onto a meditation cushion, bursting into laughter at the monk’s words.
"Haha! I knew it! Just looking at you, I could tell you’re a bandit in disguise, pretending to be a monk. A wild dog wearing a tiger’s pelt still can’t pass for the real thing."
The old monk’s lips twitched.
Unbound Tiger Cub nodded nonchalantly.
"All done. That means we’re even now. The green mountains remain, the flowing waters endure. I, Unbound Third Master, will bid you farewell."
After saying his piece, the boy got up and strode toward the exit.
Before his foot even crossed the threshold, the old monk’s voice rang out behind him.
"Who said you could leave?"
Before the words had fully landed, Unbound Tiger Cub bolted!
"Where do you think you’re going, brat." The old monk raised his hand, and an object shot forward like a streak of light, heading straight for Unbound Tiger Cub.
"Amitabha—" the old monk chanted.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Before Unbound Tiger Cub even reached the front courtyard, he heard a sharp sound cutting through the air behind him. Instinctively, he glanced back, and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest. Shooting toward him were the cassia-wood prayer beads that had been hanging around the monk's neck!
The string of beads wasn’t thick—only about the width of a little finger—but it was extraordinarily long, wrapped around the monk’s neck several times. Unbound Tiger Cub had found the beads odd before, but now he saw their true power—this was no ordinary prayer bead string; it was like the legendary Immortal Binding Rope!
Before he could even react, the beads had already looped around his neck. With a swift tightening force, they clenched against his throat. Still in mid-stride, Unbound Tiger Cub suddenly lost balance and fell backward.
The old monk walked over at a leisurely pace, looking down at Unbound Tiger Cub from above.
With his throat constricted, Unbound Tiger Cub couldn’t help but cough. He flipped over, fell to his knees, and wailed pitifully, snot and tears running down his face.
"Good sir! I yield! Just let me go! I’ve got a dozen brothers in town waiting for me to feed them!"
A vein throbbed on the old monk’s forehead. Unable to hold back, he kicked Unbound Tiger Cub over.
"At such a young age, where did you learn all these tricks? Should I praise you for being adaptable or scold you for being too slippery?"
Seeing that the old monk wasn’t falling for his act, Unbound Tiger Cub’s expression turned fierce again.
"Bald donkey! Just give it to me straight—what will it take for you to let your Unbound Third Master go?!"
The old monk shook his head, "I won't let you go."
Unbound Tiger Cub’s eyes widened.
"Why not? Keeping me here means you have to feed me—I’ll eat until you're broke!"
The old monk glanced at him sideways.
"I can afford to feed one more mouth. What I lack is someone to pour tea and serve me. From now on, that’s you."
"I ain’t fucking doing it!" Unbound Tiger Cub cursed.
The old monk smirked.
"Well, do you want to be as strong as me?"
Unbound Tiger Cub’s eyes lit up, and his gaze flickered cunningly. "Hey, you must’ve trained in martial arts. Will you teach me?"
"Hmm..." The old monk pretended to deliberate for a moment before nodding. "I suppose I could teach you a little."
Unbound Tiger Cub instantly beamed. "That’s great! Then Unbound Third Master will follow you and learn." Though he spoke eagerly, in his heart, he was already scheming—once he mastered the monk’s skills, he would strip that fake monk of his robes and burn them once and for all.
As Unbound Tiger Cub followed the old monk to the back courtyard, the monk suddenly spoke. "Since you have no name of your own, I can’t keep calling you Unbound Third Master. Why not take my surname?"
Unbound Tiger Cub’s mind was entirely focused on learning skills and getting his revenge on the monk—he had no interest in names. Waving a hand dismissively, he said, "Whatever, whatever. You decide."
The old monk stopped in his tracks, his expression turning solemn. "Brat, remember this—my surname is Xue, and my name is Yinlong. In the jianghu, people pale at the mere mention of the Sky-Supporting Arhat. That is who I am."
Unbound Tiger Cub perked up, chuckling. "That’s a decent name. Since I’m taking your surname Xue, what name will you give me?"
The old monk grinned. "Since you’ll be the one pouring tea for me, let’s call you Xue Qiming[1]."
1. Qiming 沏茗 literally means to steep fine tea ☜