Chapter 297 – Shaolin Temple (3)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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‘…There is no doubt.’

Mong Mu-yak swallowed hard, his eyes trembling.

As a member of the intelligence arm directly under the Society Leader, Mong Mu-yak possessed a great deal of information about both the inside and outside of the Heaven and Earth Society.

And because he was that kind of man, he knew at once who the three old monks who had appeared in the plaza were.

‘The Three Monks of Shaolin!’

They were undoubtedly the famous Three Monks of Shaolin.

Unlike the masters of other sects, Shaolin’s experts neither clung to worldly affairs nor actively moved in the martial world, so there were few whose fame had spread widely.

Yet through a single battle, Shaolin had once again shaken the world after many long years.

That was because of a great villain who had appeared fifteen years ago, bearing the epithet Nine Annihilation Tribulations.

Nine Annihilation Tribulations had possessed martial power so great that he was called one of the next generation of the Six Heavens.

But then one day, he suddenly went mad, and an incident occurred in which he slaughtered people indiscriminately.

No one knew the reason, but once Nine Annihilation Tribulations went mad, he butchered every living thing he saw, and countless righteous-sect masters stepped forward to subdue him, only to fail.

Because of this, even Shaolin, which usually did not step into worldly affairs, finally had to act.

‘A combined art that brought even a master comparable to the Six Heavens to his knees.’

Shaolin was famous for possessing countless supreme techniques, and it excelled even in combined formations such as the Arhat Formation. These three, called the greatest masters of Shaolin in that era, used an exquisite combined art to bring down Nine Annihilation Tribulations in little more than a hundred exchanges.

It was said that the masters who witnessed that battle at the time were left utterly stunned by its magnitude.

From that moment on, the martial world called those three old monks the Three Monks of Shaolin.

‘As if misfortune piled on misfortune.’

Mong Mu-yak clicked his tongue.

Even just the Arhat Hall Master and the martial monks encircling them had already been more than enough to deal with.

And now the very Three Monks of Shaolin, called Shaolin’s greatest masters, had appeared as well, making this the worst possible situation.

Mong Mu-yak moved closer and spoke in a low voice.

“My lord. Those men are known as the Three Monks of Shaolin. They are Shaolin Temple’s greatest masters and its elders.”

“Shaolin Temple’s greatest masters and elders. I see.”

“…My lord. You must avoid clashing with the Three Monks of Shaolin.”

Mong Mu-yak warned him in an anxious voice.

At that moment, among the three old monks walking out through the hall, Gongjeon Grandmaster, the Hall Master of the Sutra Pavilion and the one with the kindly face at the center, opened his mouth in a warm voice.

“Amitabha. It has been a long time, Deokmun.”

“M-master!”

The one who could not contain his emotion at being recognized at once by his master was none other than Ja Geum-jeong, the Broken-vow monk.

Outside, people called him one of the Three Mad Ones and a lunatic, but as far as his master was concerned, Ja Geum-jeong had followed him like a true parent.

But that long-awaited reunion was broken by Daedeok Grandmaster, the head of the Discipline Hall.

“Amitabha. Sutra Hall Master. That patron is no longer a member of the Buddhist order, so why do you address him by the dharma name he bore before he broke his vows?”

At those words, Ja Geum-jeong glared at Daedeok Grandmaster, the head of the Discipline Hall, with disappointed eyes.

Even if he had broken his vows, he had once been a disciple of Shaolin.

So when the man so coldly drew a line like that, disappointment was inevitable.

Sutra Hall Master Gongjeon Grandmaster also seemed displeased by this and was about to say something to Daedeok Grandmaster, but then changed the subject.

“Amitabha. May I ask who the patron is who just gave such a sharp scolding?”

At that question, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master and the Arhat Hall Master naturally gestured toward Mok Gyeong-un with their eyes.

Then Daedeok Grandmaster, the head of the Discipline Hall standing beside Gongjeon Grandmaster, joined his palms and frowned as he said,

“Amitabha. How can you call that a scolding, Sutra Hall Master?”

At that, Gongjeon Grandmaster smiled gently and replied,

“If he spoke what is correct, then of course it may be called a scolding. Where there is a cause, there is a result, and where there is no cause, there is no result either. That young patron has pointed out exactly that. How can we deny it? Is that not so, Demon-Subduing Hall Master?”

“Amitabha.”

At those words, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master pressed his palms together and could not hide his discomfort.

If Gongjeon Grandmaster, one of the three old monks of the highest generation in Shaolin, said such a thing, then it meant acknowledging that this whole matter was indeed his fault.

Even if it had been an accident.

But clearly, not all three thought the same way.

“Hoh. How can you turn this into the Demon-Subduing Hall Master’s fault? He did what he was supposed to do. When a monster passes through the sky directly over the temple, how could anyone possibly know whether there were people riding on it or not?”

At the defense offered by Daedeok Grandmaster, the head of the Discipline Hall, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master nodded.

That was exactly what he had wanted to say.

If they demanded that he accept responsibility or apologize for what had happened, he could do so. But when an anomaly was passing directly over Shaolin, it was equally absurd to simply let it pass, and how could anyone know there were people riding it?

“Discipline Hall Master, that is a dangerous statement. It could mean that if one acts in ignorance, anything is permitted.”

“Amitabha. Please do not twist my meaning too far. I only wished to say that the Demon-Subduing Hall Master did not do it deliberately. Patrons, please forgive us with generous hearts.”

With that, Daedeok Grandmaster, head of the Discipline Hall, joined his palms and bowed his head toward Mok Gyeong-un and the others.

He certainly looked as though he were apologizing with that bow, but his attitude carried no sincerity whatsoever, and the group could only click their tongues inwardly.

Then Gongjeon Grandmaster, the Sutra Hall Master, spoke.

“Even among those who cultivate the Buddhist path, each person receives the Way and enlightenment differently, so patrons, please do not take it too much to heart. In any case, as this patron has rightly said, because this temple does bear some responsibility in the matter…”

“Sutra Hall Master. Surely you do not intend to let that anomaly leave?”

Those words were cut off by Daedeok Grandmaster.

“Since it was by this temple’s mistake that the patrons suffered such an ordeal, should we not naturally let them go?”

“We have already apologized for that matter, and if they wish, we are willing to offer some other compensation. But releasing the anomaly is a separate issue.”

“Hoh. How can you say such a thing?”

“Do you intend to violate the temple’s own discipline, Sutra Hall Master? A monster harmful to humans has entered the temple, and yet you would simply let it go?”

“Then what do you propose?”

“Naturally, we seize it. Demon-subduing monks, what are you doing? Subdue that anomaly at once!”

At the shout of Daedeok Grandmaster, head of the Discipline Hall, the demon-subduing monks once again prepared to chant the Demon-Subduing True Mantra with their vajras in hand.

At that, Gongjeon Grandmaster cried out,

“Demon-subduing monks, stop this at once. This is the temple’s responsibility. It is not something to be handled through discipline.”

-Murmur murmur!

Caught between conflicting orders, the demon-subduing monks dithered in confusion.

The same was true for the Demon-Subduing Hall Master.

He too had a severe disposition and agreed with Daedeok Grandmaster, but because it was undeniable that there had been fault on their side, he also found it impossible to simply move to subdue the anomaly.

“Hoh. With a monster that harms and devours humans right before your eyes, you hesitate like this. Are you truly worthy of being demon-subduing monks? No, this will not do.”

-Swish!

The instant those words ended, Daedeok Grandmaster thrust out a hand.

-Uuuung!

“What?”

The profound true qi he released caused the vajras in the hands of three demon-subduing monks to fly out of their grips,

-Shushushuk!

and the next moment they shot toward the cowering demon beast Qinyuan.

But then something astonishing happened.

When Mok Gyeong-un formed a sword seal and raised his hand, the Evil-Answering Sword at his waist leapt from its sheath of its own accord, flew as if alive,

-Chaechang!

and at the perfect instant knocked aside the three vajras flying toward Qinyuan.

Then, when Mok Gyeong-un made as though he were tugging on the sword seal, the Evil-Answering Sword flew back and returned to its sheath.

-Chak!

‘!!!!!!!!!’

At once, the whole place stirred.

No martial artist trained in martial arts could fail to recognize what they had just seen.

‘Sword-riding technique?’

It was none other than the principle of the sword-riding technique.

‘This cannot be.’

‘His lordship is using the sword-riding technique?’

Even Mok Gyeong-un’s own subordinates could not hide their astonishment.

This subtle art of controlling a sword through qi was of an entirely different level from the simple grasping-through-the-void by which Daedeok Grandmaster of the Discipline Hall had launched the vajras with true qi.

This was not merely a matter of having surpassed the wall. One had to have reached the realm through the sword itself, and one’s understanding of qi had to be at least at the absolute pinnacle of the Transformation Realm for such a thing to be possible.

-No?

Blue Spirit, too, could not hide her astonishment.

-All living beings, when in the world did you master the sword-riding technique?

-Back when I fought the Society Leader of the Heaven and Earth Society, and then when I fought that Southern Suppression Envoy as well, I roughly came to understand how one should handle the flow of qi.

-!?

At those words, Blue Spirit inwardly found herself at a loss.

She knew very well about the absurdity of his martial talent and his eye for seeing through the flow of qi, but she had never expected him to comprehend even the principle of the sword-riding technique.

And after only experiencing it twice, at that.

No matter how many times she saw it, his talent remained impossible to get used to.

It was then.

“The sword-riding technique… Young patron, you truly do surprise this old monk. I have not seen many great masters with my own eyes, but I have never heard of one of your age using the sword-riding technique.”

Mok Gyeong-un was still wearing the human skin mask.

But even the face of the human skin mask looked only to be around the mid-twenties, which was why even Daedeok Grandmaster, the head of the Discipline Hall, was astonished.

“If only a young patron like you would use such power in the proper way. It is truly regrettable that you use it for nothing more than a monster that devours people. Amitabha.”

-Gooooo!

With those words, Daedeok Grandmaster of the Discipline Hall released a pure yet profound aura.

True to a Buddhist martial art, it was not oppressive, but the sheer magnitude of the aura alone was enough to inspire reverence.

Mok Gyeong-un said to him,

“I understand that Shaolin does not view occult arts favorably, but after becoming my shikigami, that anomaly has not devoured a single person. Even so, must you truly act?”

“Perhaps not yet, but if the moment comes when that monster slips your control, trouble will surely follow.”

“You are worrying about something that has not happened yet.”

“How can I stand idle when harm is right before my eyes? For your own sake, young patron, and for the sake of the future as well, I believe that monster must be destroyed.”

“If that is truly what you intend, old reverend, then I suppose I have no choice either.”

At that, Mok Gyeong-un also moved to take his opening stance.

Mong Mu-yak had desperately hoped that, above all, they would not come into conflict with the Three Monks of Shaolin, but now that things had gone this far, he had no choice. He sent a look to Seop Chun and Mara Hyeon and took his stance as well.

“Master!”

As the atmosphere began to race toward violence, Ja Geum-jeong, the Broken-vow monk, called out to Gongjeon Grandmaster, who had once been his master, in a desperate voice.

Gongjeon Grandmaster too seemed to think it could not be helped and was about to step in.

But it was exactly then.

-Slap!

“Amitabha.”

The solemn sound of a sutra being chanted together with joined palms.

As that voice spread in all directions, everyone in the plaza who had been drawing up their energy stopped and turned to look at the source.

It was none other than Museong Grandmaster, the steward of the Yijin Jing scripture, the only one among the Three Monks of Shaolin who had not stepped forward until now.

‘What tremendous internal energy.’

‘That old monk has the deepest internal energy of the three.’

From the power carried in Museong Grandmaster’s voice, Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates realized that among the Three Monks of Shaolin, the one with the deepest internal energy was Museong Grandmaster.

With him stepping forward, tension was unavoidable, yet unlike before, Museong Grandmaster opened his mouth in a calm voice.

“Patrons, and the two Great Masters as well, could you perhaps hear a word from this unworthy monk for a moment?”

When he stepped in, even the stubborn Daedeok Grandmaster, head of the Discipline Hall, lowered his momentum and replied carefully.

“Please speak, Great Master.”

That was because among the Three Monks of Shaolin, the one of the highest generational standing was Museong Grandmaster of the Mu generation.

Gongjeon Grandmaster also respected Museong Grandmaster and so joined his palms and said,

“Amitabha. Have you seen some wise course here, Great Master?”

At that question, Museong Grandmaster gazed steadily at Mok Gyeong-un.

Mok Gyeong-un responded in kind by making a respectful cupped-fist salute.

“Please speak, Great Master.”

Museong Grandmaster lowered his head once in return before speaking.

“I thank you for listening to the words of this inadequate monk. As I watched in silence and considered where the problem lay, I arrived at one conclusion.”

“And what conclusion would that be?”

“From Shaolin’s perspective, it cannot let a demon pass by untouched, according to its discipline.”

The instant those words left his mouth, the corners of Daedeok Grandmaster’s lips rose slightly.

That was because it seemed the elder of the higher generation was taking his side.

But Museong Grandmaster had not yet finished.

“However, it is also true that through the Demon-Subduing Hall Master’s mistake, the patrons here were brought to harm. Therefore, no matter what discipline this temple may have, it does not seem right to enforce it recklessly in this matter.”

“Great Master! Surely you do not mean to let that monster go?”

Daedeok Grandmaster cut in, his expression darkening with disapproval.

Museong Grandmaster joined his palms and said,

“Amitabha. Great Master… even a butcher, if he lays down his knife, may become a Buddha.”

“Great Master, that…”

“Even beasts and monsters have the right to become Buddhas. All living beings have the right to become Buddhas.”

“……..”

At those words, Daedeok Grandmaster finally closed his mouth.

Before a man of higher standing than himself and deeper Buddhist devotion, it was unwise to speak carelessly.

Unless he had a proper rebuttal, he could not simply continue talking.

Then Museong Grandmaster turned to Mok Gyeong-un and said,

“This is what I think. What does the patron think?”

Mok Gyeong-un found it strange that the old monk seemed to be taking their side so readily, but for now, accepting his mediation was the path that avoided a fight with Shaolin, so he gave a favorable reply.

“I agree with the old reverend’s words.”

“Hehehe. That is good. Then I would like the patron to prove it.”

“Prove it? What do you mean by that?”

“The Demon-Subduing Hall Master here, and Great Master Daedeok as well, are men who observe discipline closely. So in order to persuade them, would it not be best if the patron showed them that, even if it is a monster, it is possible to control its demonic nature? Would that be possible?”

‘!?’

* * *

[What exactly do you mean, show them how?]

[It is not difficult. Among this temple’s thirty-six caves, there is a Demon-Subduing Cave in which a vicious monster is imprisoned.]

[A vicious monster?]

[That is correct. It is so savage that the demon-subduing monks have recited the Demon-Subduing True Mantra for ninety-nine days in an attempt to govern its demonic nature, but there has still been no improvement. Therefore, I would like the patron to show these two Great Masters that the demonic nature can indeed be controlled. Can you do that?]

That was the proposal made by Museong Grandmaster, steward of the Yijin Jing scripture.

In order to persuade the Demon-Subduing Hall Master and Daedeok Grandmaster, the head of the Discipline Hall, he wanted Mok Gyeong-un to demonstrate the governing of a vicious monster’s demonic nature, in other words, the nature of an anomaly.

If he showed them that, they said, he could leave Shaolin with the demon beast Qinyuan.

‘Hm.’

Since he was in no position to fight recklessly against Shaolin, which was called the center of righteous-path martial arts, Mok Gyeong-un had no choice but to accept.

But there was one problem.

Mok Gyeong-un’s number of shikigami was already full, so he could not increase it any further.

That meant he might not be able to show what Museong Grandmaster had proposed by making the anomaly into a shikigami and suppressing its demonic nature.

‘What should I do?’

It was while he was thinking that over as he followed Gongjeon Grandmaster’s guidance.

Once they passed several buildings, a semi-built area made of numerous cliffside caves came into view near the rear grounds of Shaolin.

There seemed to be about thirty-six caves in all.

At the entrance pavilion before that half-built structure were written the names of the caves.

As they were walking across the plaza toward the caves, Mok Gyeong-un suddenly stopped.

There stood a single red monument, and before it, deeply imprinted into the ground, was what looked like a footprint.

‘What is this?’

The footprint looked like the mark of a stamping step.

But why had they set up a red-painted monument in front of a footprint like this?

Moreover, the monument bore these words.

[Remember this.]

When Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head at the sight, Gongjeon Grandmaster, who had been guiding him, said,

“Amitabha. That is a monument set up to awaken vigilance in Shaolin.”

“Vigilance?”

“That is right. Once, a calamity occurred in which the Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation, once said to be perfect, was shattered by a single stamping step from one peerless master.”

“A stamping step? Surely not…”

“Yes. That footprint is the mark left from that time.”

‘!!!!!!!’