Chapter 302 – Demonic Beast (4)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“Kiriririk! You damned occult practitioner bastard! Come back out here at once!”

-Bang! Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!

When Mok Gyeong-un smashed through the wall and vanished beyond it, the demonic beast Yayu, enraged to the end, began going berserk, continuously pounding the floor with its hooves.

As the floor broke apart and it rampaged wildly, the restraints fastened to its four legs, which could be called a part of a Dharma artifact, tightened on their own in an attempt to calm Yayu.

Ordinarily, when it became this violent, the demon-subduing monks would recite the Demon-Subduing True Mantra to suppress the demonic nature of the demonic beast Yayu and send it to sleep.

However, by an ill coincidence, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master had made the demon-subduing monks step away for a short while so they would not hear Mok Gyeong-un reciting the formulas of his occult arts, and that became the source of disaster.

-Udeudeuk!

The restraints, unable to withstand the strength of the rampaging demonic beast Yayu, finally ended up snapping.

When the restraints on its front legs broke, the demonic beast Yayu could not hide its delight.

“Kirik! Kirik! That damned thing has finally broken.”

With the front-leg restraints broken, breaking the hind-leg restraints was no task at all.

In the end, even the restraints on its hind legs were broken after only a few kicks.

-Ujikkeun!

With the restraints that had bound all four of its legs gone, the demonic beast Yayu at once charged toward the iron gate in order to leave the cave.

-Kwaaaang!

The iron gate had the Demon-Subduing True Mantra inscribed on it in gold, but Yayu’s strength was so great that with only a single impact the iron gate caved outward.

Because of that, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master, who had been waiting outside for Mok Gyeong-un, realized that something had gone wrong.

“Deoksu, go at once to the neighboring cavern and call all the demon-subduing monks.”

“Y-yes, understood!”

When the demon-subduing monk Deoksu ran off, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master raised his dharma power and began reciting the Demon-Subduing True Mantra toward the iron gate.

“Om somani somani hum arihanna arihanna hum arihanna banaya hum banaya hum baabam baara hum batak.”

* * *

At the same time.

Great Master Daedeok, the head of the Vinaya Courtyard, was heading toward the entrance of Shaolin accompanied by the monks of the Vinaya Courtyard.

Among all the temples in the Central Plains, Shaolin boasted the largest grounds, so it inevitably took a fair amount of time just to head there.

Moreover, Shaolin was situated halfway up Mount Song, so the distance between one set of grounds and another was also great.

If one went on foot, it was a distance that would take nearly two gak from the Arhat Hall, but thanks to using lightness skills at a moderate pace, Great Master Daedeok arrived at the entrance within half a gak.

At Shaolin’s entrance could be seen armed military officers in armor and nearly a hundred soldiers.

Great Master Daedeok greeted the long-bearded general who looked to be their representative with palms joined.

“Amitabha. I am Daedeok of Shaolin’s Vinaya Courtyard. How is it that the imperial officials have come all the way to such a humble place?”

“If you are the head of the Vinaya Courtyard, then you must be one of Shaolin’s higher-ups at least.”

At the arrogant tone of the military officer, the young monks of the Vinaya Courtyard, who had their palms joined, furrowed their brows.

No matter that the current imperial family followed the Way of the Confucian scholars, Shaolin was a very ancient temple, and because of its connection to Taizu, the founding emperor, it had served as national preceptor for generations, so it deserved proper treatment.

But the attitude of this military officer was nothing of the sort.

“This official is Gang Hak, Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau. Because Shaolin has ties to His Majesty Taizu, I refrained from forcing my way in as a sign of respect, but information has come in that traitors guilty of treason are inside Shaolin.”

“Amitabha. Treasonous criminals? Whatever could you mean by that?”

At Great Master Daedeok’s words, Commander Gang Hak of the Imperial Guard Bureau gave a snort and said,

“There is no use pretending ignorance. Do you know how many nearby people told me that a giant strange bird fell into Shaolin?”

“Hah. The imperial officer truly puts this humble monk in a difficult position. This place is merely where monks who have left the secular world cultivate the Buddhist Way.”

“Merely a place where you cultivate the Buddhist Way? Ha! Those words come surprisingly well from a place called the orthodox source of martial learning under heaven.”

“Amitabha.”

Great Master Daedeok merely stood with palms joined and intoned a Buddhist prayer.

Then Commander Gang Hak frowned and, raising his voice, said,

“Are you saying Shaolin intends to shelter the traitors who escaped from the Underground Forbidden Prison beneath the imperial palace? If that is the case, then no matter how deep the temple’s ties to His Majesty Taizu may be, we will have no choice but to force entry and conduct a search.”

At those words, the young monks of the Vinaya Courtyard all objected at once.

“No. What sort of outrage is this?”

“Forceful suppression? No matter that you are imperial officials, how can you speak of such a thing in a place that serves the Buddha…”

“Enough!”

However, Great Master Daedeok, head of the Vinaya Courtyard, barked at them sharply and made them close their mouths.

Then, as though he bore not the slightest dissatisfaction toward Commander Gang Hak, he lowered his head with joined palms and spoke in a gentle voice.

“Amitabha. No matter that Shaolin is a place where the Buddhist Way is cultivated, how could it possibly shelter traitors guilty of treason? I ask that the officer cast aside such misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding? Then bring the traitors here at once. If you do that, there will be no need to conduct a forced search of Shaolin.”

“Amitabha.”

At Commander Gang Hak’s words, Great Master Daedeok of the Vinaya Courtyard gave a chant as though greatly troubled.

Yet contrary to that expression, his inner thoughts were nothing like that.

Rather, he was thankful that what he had hoped for had come to pass.

* * *

-Sentient being? Sentient being?

Cheongryeong called out to Mok Gyeong-un, whose eyes had gone blank as he stared at the wall.

She thought that perhaps some sort of problem had arisen, but when she realized that Mok Gyeong-un’s gaze was fixed on the stone wall of the Wall-Facing Cave, she stopped calling to him.

‘Could it be that in that brief instant he fell into a mind-image?’

What was happening now was the same as when one fell into a mind-image.

Yet he had not even opened his ghost eyes and sunk himself deeply into the mnemonic formula, and after the stone monument, he had fallen into a mind-image for a second time without any forewarning.

Seeing this, Cheongryeong found it strange.

His concentration was indeed stronger than hers had been in life, but for enlightenment to come like this one after another was no ordinary phenomenon.

Even if this place was Shaolin, the birthplace of orthodox martial learning.

‘Could it be…’

It was exactly then.

Five-colored light began to arise from around the crown of Mok Gyeong-un’s head.

‘Aaaah!’

At that, Cheongryeong could not contain her excitement.

* * *

‘To grasp with an arm that is not there…’

An act that should originally have been impossible had become possible in reality.

Moreover, because the water had flowed downward, it had to be approached not as grasping but as supporting, and yet he was even gripping it.

All of this was no different from bringing nonexistence into existence through sheer will.

Strong will made all of this possible.

‘Will…’

Because of this, Mok Gyeong-un gained a great enlightenment different from anything he had experienced until now.

The many principles contained within that one simple movement overturned his mind, and little by little they became arranged one by one.

The same was true of his understanding of qi, which until now he had only vaguely sensed.

In the end, qi was not something far away.

Everything that existed was qi, and qi was, in the end, everything that existed.

‘So that is what it was.’

Now he felt he could clearly understand what qi truly was.

It was a truly wondrous thing.

Simply by watching that process, everything that had been blocked within him was opened through.

‘Is he truly a real master of qi?’

-Srrk!

At that moment, he saw the cultivator who had been looking at the stone wall lower the edge of the kasa draped over his head.

There appeared dark skin and a bushy beard, quite different from the people of the Central Plains.

The moment he saw this, something flashed through Mok Gyeong-un’s mind.

‘Could it be?’

Growing curious, Mok Gyeong-un tried to approach in order to see that face.

Then the one who had lowered the kasa opened his mouth.

[If you have gained enough, then return now to the place where you belong.]

‘!?’

Mok Gyeong-un halted at once.

Until this moment, he had been convinced that all of these scenes were taking place inside a mind-image.

Yet the cultivator looking at the stone wall had just spoken as though he were aware of him.

Finding this strange, Mok Gyeong-un moved to approach and see his face, but at that instant,

-Seureureuk!

The cave where snow had been drifting immediately returned to its original state.

The cave had grown quiet, as though nothing at all had happened, and staring at the floor where water had pooled, Mok Gyeong-un furrowed his brow.

What in the world was the meaning of this?

He had experienced many mind-images, but never one as vivid and immersive as this.

Moreover, he still could not forget those final words.

‘…I was only looking in.’

Why was it that those last words sounded not as though they had been directed to the ascetic monk who cut off his own arm, but to him?

It was enough to leave him confused.

Then Cheongryeong’s voice sounded in Mok Gyeong-un’s ear.

-Sentient being!

At her somewhat excited voice, Mok Gyeong-un asked in puzzlement,

“What is it?”

-…I will ask directly. Did you break through the wall that had blocked you?

When Mok Gyeong-un was trapped in the mind-image, she had directly witnessed five-colored light rising from the crown of his head and wrapping around his whole body.

That was why she was already almost certain of it.

At her question, Mok Gyeong-un gave a little shrug and opened his mouth to answer.

“The wall Cheongryeong speaks of…”

-Kurururururur!

At that very moment, the entire cave shook, the ceiling split, and fragments began breaking loose and falling.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un turned his head away from the stone wall of the Wall-Facing Cave and looked toward the hole in the cave through which he had slid down earlier.

From there, together with a savage demonic aura, screams were flying everywhere.

* * *

“Om somani somani hum arihanna arihanna hum…”

-Udeudeuk!

One of the demon-subduing monks who had been swinging the vajra while reciting the Demon-Subduing True Mantra was bitten in half through the upper body by the demonic beast Yayu.

As it chewed noisily on the torn-off upper body, one of the other demon-subduing monks, unable to contain his anger at the sight, lost his reason and charged forward.

“Deokmyeooooong!”

-Kwajik!

However, that demon-subduing monk was immediately trampled beneath a hoof and crushed until even his shape was difficult to recognize.

In an instant, as many as five demon-subduing monks lost their lives, and the eyes of the remaining ones became stained with fear and terror.

Sensing this, the demonic beast Yayu let out a delighted roar.

“Kiriririririririk!”

For demons and monsters, the yin emotions of humans, namely fear and dread, were no different from nourishment.

To consume humans in such a state was the finest delicacy.

‘Kirik! Wonderful. More! Be more afraid!’

The demonic beast Yayu intended to repay everything it had suffered during the ninety-nine days it had been imprisoned.

Of course, it had no intention of fighting all of Shaolin.

Its goal was to kill only these damned demon-subduing monks to vent its anger, then leave Shaolin.

‘The regrettable thing is that I could not kill that bastard.’

If it had managed to let that fellow protected by that monster fox die here, a delightful scene would have unfolded with these bald monks and that bitch fighting each other. It was truly regrettable.

So, in order to soothe at least a little of that regret, it decided that it should slaughter these bald monks in a cruel manner and then leave this place.

Then something aimed itself at the red eyes of the demonic beast Yayu.

Yayu immediately lowered its head.

-Paaang!

What had flown at it was none other than a vajra loaded with dharma power.

The one who had thrown the vajra was the Demon-Subduing Hall Master himself.

Even from the way his kasa was drenched in blood, it was clear that his injuries were quite severe.

“Haa… haa… All of you, come to your senses. We must keep that fiend here until reinforcements arrive!”

At his shout, some of the demon-subduing monks gritted their teeth and tightly gripped their vajras once again.

At that sight, the demonic beast Yayu let out a laugh.

The old man was half dead, yet seeing him struggle so desperately to revive morale, it seemed a leader really was a leader.

‘Then if I kill only you, old man, these bald monks will be of no account any longer!’

-Bang!

At once the demonic beast Yayu kicked off the ground and charged toward the wounded Demon-Subduing Hall Master.

At this, some of the startled demon-subduing monks all hurled their vajras at it.

-Pa-pa-pa-pa-pang!

But there was no way that merely throwing five vajras could stop the demonic beast Yayu, which even over a hundred demon-subduing monks had been unable to suppress easily.

At this, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master himself tried to pull up his dharma power and face the monster.

“Om somani somani hum ari… khuk.”

As he recited the Demon-Subduing True Mantra, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

For an instant, a sense of futility appeared in his eyes.

He had lived almost all his life as a demon-subduing monk, yet for its end to come at the hands of a fiend was truly a strange thing.

Was all of this karma in the end?

Looking at the demonic beast Yayu drawing nearer and nearer, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master slowly closed his eyes.

Futile or not, if this was death, then what could be done?

He recited a Buddhist prayer inwardly.

‘Amita…’

-Kwaaaang!

At that very moment, his ears were struck by a tremendous explosion, and the Demon-Subduing Hall Master frowned and opened his eyes.

‘!!!!!!!’

An astonishing sight unfolded before his eyes.

The head of the demonic beast Yayu had been crushed down so hard that it had sunk halfway into the shattered ground, and on top of that head, someone stood there with the corner of his mouth raised.

“Benefactor?”

It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.