Chapter 304 – Sovereign Descent Step (1)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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-Thump! Thump!

Riding the demonic beast Yayu, which should have remained imprisoned in the Demon-Subduing Cave, Mok Gyeong-un appeared with all the majesty of a triumphant general returning in victory.

At the sight of him, everyone in the plaza was unable to hide their astonishment.

Even those subordinates who had sworn loyalty to Mok Gyeong-un had only half believed it and could not be certain he would truly pull it off.

‘He really did it?’

Ja Geum-jeong, the Broken-vow monk, stared at Mok Gyeong-un in a daze.

Because he was from Shaolin, he knew the skill of the demon-subduing monks better than anyone.

And yet Mok Gyeong-un had succeeded in doing what even they could not.

“Ha! He is the lord I serve, but times like this really do leave me speechless. Isn’t that right, Mu-yak?”

“……..”

At Seop Chun’s words, Mong Mu-yak clicked his tongue and nodded.

He had been wondering what kind of thing they meant when they kept saying monster and anomaly.

But now that he had seen the demonic beast Yayu, which stood a little taller than a two-story building, he could only wonder how in the world it had been tamed.

The pressure pouring off the demonic beast Yayu was on an entirely different level from ordinary animals.

That thing was dangerous enough that it could not even be placed in the same category as mere beasts of prey.

As they were all worked up, the masked Mara Hyeon quietly said,

“This is no time to be pleased. Since pursuers have come from the imperial palace, that promise is as good as broken already.”

With those words, Mara Hyeon looked toward Gang Hak, Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau.

He too seemed to be seeing such an anomaly for the first time and had been left speechless in shock.

‘This has become thoroughly tangled.’

Mara Hyeon had never spoken to the man, but he had heard rumors about him.

Though his arrogant disposition had kept him from being selected for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, his skill alone placed him among the top three men of the Imperial Guard Bureau.

‘Of all people, it had to be him.’

Gang Hak was famous for his persistence.

Because his thirst for power was so strong and he was desperate to produce results, he would try to arrest them by any means necessary.

“Amitabha. Excellent indeed. Truly excellent.”

Museong Grandmaster, steward of the Yijin Jing scripture, let out a sigh of admiration.

He too valued discipline, yet there had been fault on the part of the demon-subduing monks, and since they could not force their rules upon worldly people, he had granted Mok Gyeong-un a chance.

And now, seeing him control the monster so perfectly, he could not help but acknowledge it.

-Thump! Thump!

As the demonic beast Yayu came toward Arhat Hall, Gang Hak, Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau, still unable to close his mouth in surprise, spoke to Daedeok Grandmaster, the head of the Discipline Hall, standing beside him.

“……What in the world is that now, Great Master?”

“Please calm yourself, patron. That monster was something Shaolin had captured because it brought harm.”

“You mean it had been captured? Then who in the world is the one riding on top of it?”

“As you can see, that man is not one of Shaolin.”

“That much is obvious from the fact that he has hair on his head. Wait. Then surely…”

“He is one of the traitors of great rebellion the officer spoke of.”

“Then we must seize him at once!”

“If you would grant this humble monk a moment…”

“Great Master, Shaolin clearly said it had nothing to do with the traitors. But if it now leaves them in peace like this, then in what way is that different from Shaolin sheltering them? If things are like this, we will have no choice but to search Shaolin.”

At those words from Gang Hak, Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau, Daedeok Grandmaster frowned.

He had drawn this man in as a pretext, intending to resolve everything according to discipline, but the patron was more troublesome than expected.

It was then that Museong Grandmaster, steward of the Yijin Jing scripture, stepped forward and said,

“Amitabha. You have spoken of traitors of great rebellion from the start, but what exactly do you mean by that?”

“Great Master. They are the traitors who broke imperial prisoners out of the palace prison.”

“They broke prisoners out of the imperial palace?”

“Exactly as I said. Enraged, His Majesty the Emperor has ordered that the traitors be seized. Great Master, they must be taken at once.”

“Hoh. Great Master.”

Museong Grandmaster could not hide his discomfort.

He had grasped the main point well enough.

But it was an unbelievably unfortunate situation.

He had personally granted those people a chance, and they had clearly seized it.

“Great Master. Can you not see that?”

-Thump! Thump!

Museong Grandmaster pointed at the demonic beast Yayu, now approaching near the plaza, and at Mok Gyeong-un riding atop its head.

“That patron has succeeded in controlling the monster. How then can Shaolin break a promise given in its own name?”

“Amitabha. Great Master. That is not a matter of breaking a promise.”

“What do you mean, not breaking a promise?”

“What Great Master promised was that if they showed the ability to control a monster, then the flying monster there too would be allowed to leave.”

At those words from Daedeok Grandmaster, the head of the Discipline Hall, Ja Geum-jeong the Broken-vow monk shouted in anger.

“That is pushing things far too much, is it not?”

“Too much?”

Daedeok Grandmaster let out a snort and looked at Ja Geum-jeong as he said,

“A Broken-vow monk expelled for drinking and violating discipline as casually as eating is now telling me this is too much? Did you truly think that just because Shaolin cultivates the Buddhist path and values compassion, it would also protect traitors who bring harm to the state?”

“Great Master!”

At those words, Museong Grandmaster rebuked him sharply.

This was a situation that required careful speech, yet Daedeok Grandmaster was speaking as if he himself represented Shaolin.

That was a highly dangerous thing to do.

But because he could not let this chance go, Daedeok Grandmaster, head of the Discipline Hall, refused to abandon his obstinacy even under Museong Grandmaster’s rebuke.

He raised his voice further for everyone to hear.

“Outside Shaolin, officers of the imperial army from the imperial capital Kaifeng have already gathered. If this temple does not hand over the traitors, they say not only these men but even more imperial troops will come and conduct a search. Will you permit that?”

“!!!!!!!”

-Murmur murmur!

“A search of the temple?”

“What in the world?”

At those words from Daedeok Grandmaster, the monks of Shaolin in the plaza broke into uneasy murmurs.

A search in name alone was one thing, but in truth it meant much the same as saying that if they did not hand the traitors over, Shaolin itself would be treated as being in league with them.

Shaolin had never once bowed its head or yielded before any external pressure or enemy.

Yet no matter how much of a Shaolin it was, things changed if an entire state truly set itself to sending troops.

Rather, one might say matters became complicated.

“Amitabha.”

Museong Grandmaster’s thoughts grew troubled.

Until now, this had still been something he might handle within his own authority.

But with the imperial officer and the palace now involved, the affair had grown too large.

It had reached the point where the Abbot Great Master and all the hall masters of Shaolin would need to gather and deliberate.

It was then that Mong Mu-yak, one of Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates, stepped forward and shouted,

“Great Master! Because Shaolin’s demon-subduing monks attacked the monstrous bird we were riding, we fell here and nearly died. Even though Buddhist monks nearly committed a killing and we did not even receive a proper apology, my lord still chose to overlook it. So how can the great Shaolin so lightly break the promise made by its highest elder?”

“That is right. Shaolin has cut its ties with the secular world and is a company of Buddha’s disciples, so are you now refusing to let us go merely because you are wary of some imperial troops?”

Seop Chun backed Mong Mu-yak up.

At their words, laid out with reasoning of their own, Museong Grandmaster could not hide his discomfort.

That was because there was nothing wrong in what they said either.

But Daedeok Grandmaster and Gang Hak, Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau, thought otherwise.

Gang Hak shouted in an enraged voice.

“You bastards! You crept into the imperial palace and broke out prisoners, committing great treason, and now you dare call them mere imperial troops?”

-Sreung!

Gang Hak drew the saber at his waist halfway out.

At that, Daedeok Grandmaster of the Discipline Hall hurriedly stepped in to restrain him.

“Amitabha. Officer, please calm yourself.”

“Calm myself? Whose side is Shaolin on, exactly? You clearly said Shaolin had no connection to those traitors, yet now I see that is not true at all.”

‘Troublesome patron.’

He had meant to use the officer as no more than kindling, but the man kept pouring oil onto the fire.

Daedeok Grandmaster understood his intention of trying to pressure them so he could seize the fugitives more easily, but it was troublesome for him to keep interfering in this way.

Realizing it would not do, Daedeok Grandmaster raised his voice.

“Arhat martial monks, hear me. As head of Shaolin’s Discipline Hall, I give this order. Seize them at once and bind them!”

At that command, the Arhat martial monks hesitated.

If those people truly were traitors guilty of great rebellion, then seizing them was certainly the proper thing to do.

But because Museong Grandmaster, whose generation stood above that of Daedeok Grandmaster, held a different view, they found it difficult to act recklessly.

In the end, the head of the Arhat martial monks, the Arhat Hall Master, opened his mouth.

“Great Master. The promise concerning whether the monsters could be controlled and this matter are separate issues. If they truly are traitors, then Shaolin itself may be placed in danger.”

“Hoh.”

Unfortunately, the opinion of the Arhat Hall Master was the same as that of Daedeok Grandmaster, head of the Discipline Hall.

From the Arhat Hall Master’s perspective, the point was that a matter that could still be handled within Shaolin’s own authority should not be allowed to grow into a situation where imperial troops would come flooding in.

At that moment, someone crossed the hall and cut in.

“Amitabha. That cannot be. How can Shaolin break a promise out of fear of an imperial search?”

It was Gongjeon Grandmaster, the Sutra Hall Master.

At that, the Arhat Hall Master replied with obvious confusion,

“Amitabha. Great Master. That is not what I mean. It is simply that if Shaolin ends up bearing even the false charge of sheltering traitors…”

“Heaven and earth have witnessed all this, and we ourselves stand clean. Why should we fear such a charge? Officer from the palace, was it? Shaolin is a temple where the Buddhist path is cultivated. If you must seize these people as traitors, do so outside Shaolin, not within it.”

At those words, Gang Hak, Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau, sounded utterly incredulous.

“Now that I see it, Shaolin seems to be in open collusion with traitors of great rebellion. To shelter criminals who broke vicious prisoners out of prison, this is madness.”

“Amitabha. Why does the officer insist on twisting matters in that way?”

“Shaolin should be among the righteous, valuing chivalry and justice, yet you say you will see traitors who committed great rebellion and still let them go as though you saw nothing. In what way is that twisting matters? In any case, we now understand Shaolin’s position. No more of Shaolin’s…”

-Flinch!

Gang Hak suddenly failed to finish what he was saying.

That was because, from behind him, he felt an eerie human presence.

“Since you insist on calling us villains, I suppose I ought to oblige you.”

‘!?’

The face of Daedeok Grandmaster, head of the Discipline Hall standing beside Gang Hak, hardened.

The owner of that voice was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.

When in the world had this man moved behind them?

He had not even sensed the approach.

-Pak!

“Ghk!”

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un seized the back of Gang Hak’s neck.

Gang Hak, having reached the post of Commander of the Imperial Guard Bureau and thus a martial realm near the pinnacle of Peak, tried to struggle free on instinct.

But,

-Kkwaak!

“Hhk!”

He instinctively realized it.

The grip on the back of his neck was so strong that if he resisted even a little, it felt as though his neck would be torn right off.

Mok Gyeong-un sneered at him and said,

“As befits a villain, I suppose I will have to use you as a hostage and leave this place.”

“How dare you!”

At that instant, Daedeok Grandmaster of the Discipline Hall whirled and used Dragon Claw Hand toward Mok Gyeong-un, trying to save Gang Hak, whose neck Mok Gyeong-un was holding.

Each one of Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Profound Arts was close to being a supreme technique.

-Papapapapak!

Yet Mok Gyeong-un lightly blocked all of his Dragon Claw Hand moves with a single hand.

He was not even using a particular stance of his own, but as he matched the Dragon Claw Hand forms one by one, at some point his own handwork had begun to resemble Dragon Claw Hand itself.

Daedeok Grandmaster could not contain his astonishment.

In the middle of exchanging forms, this man was copying his technique outright.

How could there be a creature so monstrously sharp?

‘In that case!’

Deciding it could not be helped, Daedeok Grandmaster launched a fierce palm strike at Mok Gyeong-un.

It was the most??, overwhelming form within Shaolin Copper Sand Palm, a palm strike designed to crush the opponent beneath profound internal energy.

Mok Gyeong-un responded with the exact same sort of palm strike.

At that, Daedeok Grandmaster smiled inwardly in triumph.

‘I will crush him through inner force.’

Having mastered one of Shaolin’s divine skills, the Marrow-Cleansing Classic, he possessed immense and profound internal energy.

Thus, when it came to the contest of inner force, he had confidence he would lose to no one.

And no matter how high a realm this young patron had reached, a man who looked no older than his mid-twenties could not possibly defeat him in inner force…

-Paang!

‘What!?’

-Chwarurururur!

The moment their palms met, Daedeok Grandmaster’s body was driven back more than ten full steps.

Daedeok Grandmaster looked at the back of his trembling hand, unable to hide his confusion.

Unlike himself, who had been forced backward, Mok Gyeong-un had not retreated even a single step, despite still holding Gang Hak by the neck.

‘!!!!!!’

The martial monks of Shaolin who saw this scene widened their eyes.

One of the temple’s very greatest masters, Daedeok Grandmaster of the Discipline Hall, known as one of the Three Monks of Shaolin, had been beaten in a contest of inner force by an unknown young master.

‘How can such a thing be possible?’