Chapter 23：Daily Routine, Hidden Whereabouts
1193 Words
A steady routine settled for the three young monks as days went by, forming a fixed cycle exclusive to them within the solemn Shaolin compound.
Dawn painted the sky pale silver, and the morning training bell echoed across the bluestone martial yard. Monks filled the ground, throwing sharp punches and landing solid kicks in unison. Lin Shuo held a rigid horse stance alone at the yard corner for hours on end. Sweat streamed down his jaw nonstop. His legs burned with constant soreness, yet he stood rooted without the slightest shift. Beside him, Wu Feng and Wu Shi immersed themselves in orthodox Shaolin combat sets. Their strikes were sharp, steady and powerful, honing fundamental combat skills faithfully every morning without slacking off.
Once morning training wrapped up, they finished plain vegetarian meals in the dining hall, waiting patiently for the noon rest window — the hour when patrol monks rotated posts. No words were needed between the three. They slipped toward the remote back mountain silently, avoiding crowded main temple paths.
After repeated round trips, they memorized every hidden trail and blind spot on the back mountain. They dodged regular patrol checkpoints, scaled the low rear courtyard wall skillfully, and jogged straight for the rustic dirt basketball court outside the village.
They quickly bonded with local village youths. The villagers dropped hostile full-court defending gradually, learning to cooperate and run plays together. The three boys elevated their basketball game at an astonishing pace.
Wu Feng mastered fluid ambidextrous dribbling. He ran clever off-ball cuts to pull defenders apart, exploiting defensive gaps to cut through for easy buckets. Wu Shi anchored the paint like an immovable fortress. Few villagers could outmuscle him for rebounding and post positioning, letting him dominate the entire restricted area effortlessly. Lin Shuo remained the most dominant anomaly on the court. His perimeter defense was airtight, paired with preternatural court prediction to read every offensive move. Beyond elite defense and precise playmaking, he drilled basic ball-handling and stationary jump shots in spare time. His shooting form was simple and unpolished, yet his field-goal percentage stayed remarkably consistent.
They forged physical fundamentals atop the mountain, and sharpened in-game skills through downhill scrimmages. They never neglected temple disciplines, nor gave up the thrill of playing alongside teammates. This dual life felt vibrant and fulfilling, a stark contrast to the lonely, monotonous monastic days they once lived.
The three believed their secret trips were well-covered. They picked low-traffic time slots, took wooded hidden routes, and evaded patrolling monks all the way. They thought their tracks were untraceable, oblivious that disciplinary danger was creeping closer.
One afternoon, after three intense back-and-forth scrimmages, sunlight still bathed the mountainside. The three headed uphill in a hurry. Right after climbing over the rear wall and stepping onto the shaded forest trail, two steady footsteps echoed from behind, mixed with low, stern conversation.
“I caught sight of three monk robes in the woods. Disciples should rest in meditation rooms at this hour. Heading for the back mountain is highly abnormal.”
“Hurry to check. The temple has tightened rules on leaving without permission recently. They may sneak down the mountain for fun. We have to confirm and report it.”
Their hearts sank the second they recognized the voices — these were discipline patrol monks, who punished rule-breaking disciples strictly.
Wu Feng paled instantly and gestured sharply for the other two to crouch and hold their breath. The three ducked low, hiding deep within thick roadside shrubbery, restraining every breath to stay silent. Protective by nature, Wu Shi stepped half a step forward, shielding Lin Shuo and Wu Feng fully behind his burly frame to block all outsider sightlines.
The footsteps drew nearer by the second. The two discipline patrol monks gripped wooden ruling rulers, scanning the woods with sharp, vigilant eyes, heading straight for their hiding spot. A capture would lead to public reprimand, punitive extra training, a permanent ban on back mountain access, and the end of their basketball days for good.
At this critical moment, a monk in plain robe walked out from the fork road — it was their master Xuanming.
He walked calmly with mild expression, and spoke gently from a distance: “Two junior fellow disciples, stop here.”
The two patrol monks halted immediately. Seeing the senior respected Xuanming, they bowed respectfully: “Senior Xuanming.”
“The back mountain woods are dense and rarely visited by disciples,” Xuanming glanced over the woods purposely avoiding the bush, speaking calmly without any flaw, “I meditated here just now and scared flocks of mountain birds away. The figures you saw were merely wild animals rustling branches. No need to search further, or you will disturb the peace of this mountain forest.”
The two monks still had doubts, yet they dared not question Xuanming due to his high seniority and prestige. They had no choice but to drop the inspection.
“We shall patrol other areas then, senior.”
They bowed farewell and left along the original path, their footsteps fading gradually into wind rustling leaves.
The three dared not stand up until the woods turned totally silent. Their monk robes were soaked cold with nervous sweat.
Wu Feng wiped cold sweat off his forehead, whispering in fear: “That was close. We almost got caught. I picked the quietest path, how could patrol monks come here?”
Wu Shi patted his chest to calm down, saying in his simple deep voice: “So dangerous. We got lucky.”
All three believed they escaped purely by luck, misled by wild animals in the woods. None linked the timely appearance of Xuanming to this rescue. They never realized this was no accident at all.
Lin Shuo frowned faintly. He heard the patrol monks’ talk but failed to see who stopped them amid panic. He shook off his unease and reminded the other two in a low voice: “We can’t stay here. The monks may come back. Go back to the martial yard and blend into the crowd fast.”
They moved quickly under tree shade, returned to the martial yard, and merged into practicing disciples naturally, as if the forest crisis had never happened.
After this scare, the three became extra cautious. They adjusted their going-out time, changed hidden forest routes frequently, and kept alert all the time. They still thought this was just a random accident.
Days went on as usual. Morning practice built their physique, noon break belonged to the downhill court. They grew fonder of basketball and the company of each other day by day, completely unaware of the secret protection around them.
Xuanming stayed in his quiet meditation room as always. He chanted scriptures and meditated peacefully every day. Yet from time to time, he looked toward the back mountain with calm, knowing eyes. He never exposed the boys’ secret trips, never stopped their passion, and resolved every crisis quietly for them. He guarded their youthful joy silently.
Songshan Mountain stayed tranquil, and temple rules remained strict as ever.
This unknown, silent protection continued quietly, accompanying the three teenagers chasing their passion day after day.
- Writer
