Chapter 303 – Demonic Beast (5)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The Demon-Subduing Hall Master was so startled that he could not close his mouth.

What in the world had just happened?

The same was true for the other demon-subduing monks.

Even though they had seen with their own eyes what had just occurred, they were so shocked that they lost all words.

“Just now… what was that?”

“Wh-what in the world is this?”

Mok Gyeong-un, who had suddenly appeared, had jumped down from above onto the head of the demonic beast Yayu.

Already from that point, something unbelievable had happened.

His weight should not have been that great, yet Yayu had pitched forward, and its head had ended up being driven straight into the cave floor.

Then the Demon-Subduing Hall Master opened his mouth.

“Benefactor, where in the world were you?”

“The wall of the cave was much weaker than I had thought. More importantly, it does not seem that I was away long, but things appear to have grown rather serious.”

“Khuk khuk.”

“But for something you said had once been subdued already, it seems you are in quite a predicament. Is that right?”

“Are you mocking me… Benefactor!”

The Demon-Subduing Hall Master, who had been about to say something in a burst of anger, then cried out in alarm.

That was because the tail of the demonic beast Yayu, whose head had been embedded in the ground, suddenly lashed toward Mok Gyeong-un like a whip.

Its momentum was tremendous, but Mok Gyeong-un raised his arm in the direction from which the tail was flying.

-Chaaak!

With a striking sound like flesh being torn, the end of the tail coiled around Mok Gyeong-un’s wrist.

At that sight, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master could not hide his puzzlement.

The momentum with which the tail had flown had clearly seemed meant to blow Mok Gyeong-un off from atop its head.

Yet the tail was wrapped around his wrist. Had it been aiming for something else?

‘What is this brat?’

Of course, that was not the case.

The demonic beast Yayu itself could not conceal its inner bewilderment.

It did not know exactly what had happened, but after its head had suddenly been trampled by Mok Gyeong-un, Yayu had grown furious to the tips of its horns and had tried to jerk its head up at once.

However, Yayu could not lift its head.

So, thinking that perhaps some kind of occult art had been used, it first tried to fling Mok Gyeong-un away with its tail.

Naturally, it had expected that once struck by the tail, Mok Gyeong-un would be hurled away.

But that expectation was wrong.

‘What sort of strength does this bastard have?’

The reason the tail had ended up wrapped around Mok Gyeong-un’s arm was that, despite taking the impact, he had endured it like a gigantic old tree that had taken root for hundreds of years.

-Kkwaak!

Even concentrating demonic power into the tail in an attempt to snap his wrist was useless.

Naturally, simply trying to pull him off did not work either.

What in the world was this bastard?

He felt completely different from a moment ago.

Then Mok Gyeong-un’s voice sounded by the ear of the demonic beast Yayu.

“This is my first time using the Thousand-Catty Hammer, but it seems it is very heavy for you. Seeing as how you are embedded in the floor and cannot move at all.”

‘You damned human bastard!’

-Kkadeudeudeuk!

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, which were all but a provocation, the demonic beast Yayu could not contain its fury.

A mere human had climbed onto its head and was making light of it. All it wanted was to tear this bastard to pieces immediately.

Worried by Mok Gyeong-un’s provocation, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master warned him.

“Khuk khuk. Benefactor. Do not provoke the fiend too much. For now, simply keep it bound like that. Reinforcements will arrive soon. At that time, this humble monk and the demon-subduing monks will bind it again with restraints…”

-Kurururur!

It was before he could finish speaking.

The cave floor shook as though an earthquake had struck.

This phenomenon had been caused by a contest of strength between Mok Gyeong-un, who was employing the Thousand-Catty Hammer, and the demonic beast Yayu, which was trying to rise by pouring strength into its hooves rather than merely its head.

“Heok?”

“Hall Master!”

At that, the demon-subduing monks nearby hurriedly supported the Demon-Subduing Hall Master, who had been staggering in front of Yayu’s head, and drew as far away as possible.

-Kurururur! Jjeojeojeojeok!

The ground shook even more violently and even began to split.

Even so, Mok Gyeong-un still did not move in the slightest from atop the head of the demonic beast Yayu.

-Udeuk! Udeuk!

Then Yayu’s demonic power surged to an extreme, and the red fur on its body bristled like spikes while purple, acidic smoke began pouring out from it.

That was not the end.

The head of the demonic beast Yayu convulsed, and then it began spewing purple smoke from its mouth.

As a result, the floor started melting, and the dreadful acid tried to spread along the ground in all directions.

“Run! Get away!”

“H-how are we supposed to do that?”

The demon-subduing monks near the dented iron gate might have had a chance, but unless one had mastered lightness skills, there was no way to evade in this brief instant that smoke which melted anything the moment it touched.

Yet at that very moment, Mok Gyeong-un quickly formed hand seals in a simplified manner.

-Pak! Pak! Pak!

Soldiers. Fight. Split. Display.

They were the seals of the Nine Word Living Method.

In an instant, together with enormous spell power, four pillars rose in the direction the smoke was spreading.

-Gooooooo!

At this sight, the demon-subduing monks pressed against the far cave wall were unable to hide their astonishment.

Because they had cultivated dharma power as demon-subduing monks, they could see with their own eyes things ordinary people could not, such as spell power and demonic power.

That was not the end.

Mok Gyeong-un pressed the blade-finger seal to his mouth and muttered in a low voice.

“Four Peaks Chain Locking Technique.”

-Swaaaaaaaa!

Surfaces formed from the four pillars.

Once those surfaces came into being, the purple smoke that had been spreading toward the demon-subduing monks was blocked by the wall of spell power.

At the perfect moment, the acidic smoke had been cut off.

At this sight, some of the younger demon-subduing monks let out cheers without realizing it.

“Waaaaaa!”

“Heup!”

But then, perhaps because they noticed the eyes of the Demon-Subduing Hall Master and of the senior monks of higher generation, they closed their mouths again.

Yet the Demon-Subduing Hall Master himself was inwardly unable to hide his amazement at Mok Gyeong-un’s skill in occult arts.

Not that he recognized occult arts, but as far as he understood, occult arts too were displayed through the harmony of spell power and formula patterns.

‘Fast.’

The speed with which the formula pattern was completed was tremendous.

That was because the spell power had rapidly taken form.

If it had been only a little slower, everyone in the cave would have been melted by that acidic smoke.

But the amazement lasted only a moment.

‘Eh?’

-Kkwaak!

At that moment, when Mok Gyeong-un made a motion of clenching his hand, the pillars began moving and gradually narrowing the distance between them.

Then the smoke that had been blocked by the surfaces of spell power was also pushed and forced together.

At that, the Demon-Subduing Hall Master shouted in alarm.

“Benefactor! What are you doing? Stop at once!”

It was madness.

If the pillars narrowed further, the smoke would have no choice but to gather in a single direction.

The wall created by spell power might be able to block that smoke imbued with demonic power, but this benefactor, who possessed only the flesh of an ordinary human, could not.

He might melt to death in the acid.

“Benefactor!”

But inside the Four Peaks Chain Locking Technique, Mok Gyeong-un gave no sign at all of hearing that cry.

Rather, as though he meant to settle things completely in there,

-Sseuk!

He raised the opposite fist, the one not bound by the tail, upward, and then,

-Bang!

He strongly smashed down upon the crown between the two horns of the demonic beast Yayu, which had only just managed to raise half its body through the recoil of spewing smoke.

“Kkigegegegegek!”

At once, the demonic beast Yayu stopped spewing acidic smoke in agony and let out a roar of pain.

However, this sight could not be seen from outside.

At some point, all four sides of the Four Peaks Chain Locking Technique had become obscured by the purple smoke.

No one could tell what was happening inside that smoke.

The only thing they could guess at was,

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

the intense thunderous sounds, strong enough to make the cave floor tremble.

The Demon-Subduing Hall Master and the demon-subduing monks could do nothing but stare blankly at it.

“Kiriririririri!”

The demonic beast Yayu, suffering under the continuous punching, at first loosed the tail that had been gripping Mok Gyeong-un’s wrist and moved its head in an attempt to somehow throw Mok Gyeong-un off its head.

-Paaak! Paak!

“Get down! Get down at once!”

Mok Gyeong-un, who was standing while holding onto the horns of the demonic beast Yayu, let out a small laugh.

Then, once again, he raised his fist and powerfully brought it down onto the crown of Yayu’s head.

-Bang!

“Kkigegek!”

-Kwakwang!

In the end, the jaw of the demonic beast Yayu, struck by the fist, slammed into the ground.

Even though it tried to endure it somehow through sheer rage, the demonic beast Yayu was on the verge of losing its senses from the repeated pain inflicted on its head.

Whether it was or not, Mok Gyeong-un smashed down on Yayu’s head yet again.

-Bang!

Yayu’s jaw dug into the ground from the blow to the head.

Not stopping there, Mok Gyeong-un went on striking Yayu’s head continuously with steady force.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

Unable to endure the repeated pain, Yayu finally cried out.

“Kiririk! S-stop! Stooop!”

It hurt so much that pride meant nothing.

Yet Mok Gyeong-un paid no heed and continued battering the head of the demonic beast Yayu.

-Bang! Bang! Bang! Ujeojeok!

No matter how evenly he struck with force, if this continued, breakage and collapse were inevitable.

“Kkigegegegege!”

Into the mind of the demonic beast Yayu flashed that scene from the past.

The dreadful sight of its own kin having their heads crushed and torn apart by the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.

Recalling that, the demonic beast Yayu, which had not felt fear even when it was dragged in by Shaolin’s demon-subduing monks, finally panicked and began desperately begging.

“Kirik kiririk! S-save me! Please save me!”

* * *

-Ureururur!

‘!?’

Suddenly, an even larger number of warrior monks from the Arhat Hall came rushing in, and at once surrounded the men waiting in the center of the plaza, namely Ja Geum-jeong, the Broken-vow monk who was Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinate, along with Mong Mu-yak, Seop Chun, Ma Ra-hyeon, and, most importantly for this mission, the Sacred Fire Leader.

‘Why are they increasing the numbers even more?’

‘Something is strange.’

They had already been surrounded because of the demonic beast Qinyuan, but the atmosphere was completely different now.

The newly arrived warrior monks of the Arhat Hall had taken ready stances with their staffs, their eyes full of vigilance, as though they would begin fighting at any moment.

Moreover, the way they had surrounded them was clearly a formation.

Standing in the middle of it, the air felt so heavy from the force of the formation that it was difficult even to breathe.

At this, Seop Chun stepped forward and shouted,

“The lord has not yet even returned, and we do not know whether he succeeded or not. What is the meaning of this?”

“Are you saying Shaolin’s elders intend to break the agreement?”

Mong Mu-yak also spoke up in support.

At their protest, Great Master Museong, head of the Marrow-Cleansing Classic, stepped forward and said,

“Amitabha. It seems there is some misunderstanding. Please calm yourselves and wait a little.”

After calming them thus, Great Master Museong turned his gaze to the warrior monks of the Arhat Hall and said,

“The benefactor who went to the Demon-Subduing Cave has not yet returned, so why are the warrior monks of the Arhat Hall surrounding these people? Disperse the formation at once.”

At the order of Great Master Museong, who was the most senior in generation beneath only Shaolin’s abbot, the warrior monks of the Arhat Hall looked at a loss, then all turned their heads at once and looked behind them toward someone.

That person was none other than,

“Amitabha.”

Great Master Daedeok, the head of the Vinaya Courtyard.

Beside Great Master Daedeok stood a military officer clad in armor.

It was Gang Hak, Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau.

Upon discovering him standing there arrogantly with his hands clasped behind his back, Great Master Museong, head of the Marrow-Cleansing Classic, could not hide his puzzlement.

“Why has the military officer come inside?”

At that question, Great Master Daedeok stepped forward.

“Amitabha. Great Master. This military officer is the Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau from the imperial palace in Kaifeng. Having received His Majesty the Emperor’s orders, he pursued traitors all the way to our temple while leading soldiers.”

“His Majesty the Emperor? Traitors?”

At those words of Great Master Daedeok, even the warrior monks, who had known nothing, could not understand what was going on.

What in the world was this talk of traitors?

In contrast, Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates could not hide how awkward the situation had become.

‘Damn it.’

The very development they had feared the most had come to pass.

The demonic beast Qinyuan had been attacked by the demon-subduing monks and had fallen into the very middle of Shaolin, and because of that they had been trapped here, making them extremely anxious.

But now the pursuit from the imperial palace had in the end extended even to this place.

‘What do we do?’

No matter what agreement there had been, it seemed likely that the warrior monks would press the matter by branding them traitors.

Their lord had not yet returned either, so they were flustered beyond measure.

With the Arhat monks already having surrounded them, they could not escape.

The cheekbones of Great Master Daedeok, head of the Vinaya Courtyard, twitched.

He tried his best not to show it, but he could not help feeling elated that things were unfolding even more as he desired than expected.

‘Agreement or no agreement, now that there is the justification of traitors guilty of treason, it has become possible to act according to discipline. And if I use this as a pretext to recover from Deokmun the verse of the Supreme Great Ability as well, it will kill two birds with one stone. Amitabha. All of this is the Buddha’s guidance. Heh heh heh.’

Great Master Daedeok inwardly felt satisfied, then with one hand held in half-joined palms, pointed at them and said,

“Amitabha. Disciples of Shaolin, hear this. They are traitors of the imperial palace…”

-Thud!

It was before he could finish speaking.

Suddenly, with a tremendous boom from somewhere, the ground of the plaza shook.

What in the world was happening?

Then one of the warrior monks cried out.

“L-look over there!”

At that, the gaze of everyone there, including Great Master Daedeok, whose words had been cut off, turned in that direction.

It was the path leading toward Shaolin’s rear garden.

From there, a huge monstrous creature with scarlet fur all over its body and a head with horns, resembling a dragon, could be seen walking forward with its massive body.

But someone was riding atop its head, and,

“My lord!”

Seop Chun, the first to recognize him, cried out, his face lighting up.

It was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.

At the sight of him appearing in majestic fashion riding the demonic beast Yayu, which should have been trapped in the Demon-Subduing Cave, Great Master Daedeok’s expression twisted at once.