Chapter 74
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Reunion (2)
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Great Monk Gongeun, an elder of Shaolin, was the master of the Hall of Secular Instruction.
He was the very first master of the hall, which had been established only recently.
And Great Monk Gongeun despised being the master of the Hall of Secular Instruction—or more accurately, he despised the very existence of the hall itself.
This was because the Hall of Secular Instruction was a place where lay disciples were accepted and taught martial arts.
Shaolin had once imposed strict conditions for accepting lay disciples, but now, anyone with enough money could become one.
It seemed as though Shaolin was now mass-producing lay disciples in one place for the sake of money, so how could he possibly approve of the hall’s existence?
‘I only came because my senior brother insisted.’
The Hall of Secular Instruction had a great many lay disciples.
All of them completed their training there, borrowed the Shaolin name to establish martial arts schools or escort agencies, and lived extravagantly like this.
And because Great Monk Gongeun disliked the Hall of Secular Instruction, he tended not to remember the lay disciples properly.
O Dang was no exception. If it hadn't been for the Abbot of Shaolin, he would never have come here for a disciple he barely remembered.
‘Of all people, the King of the Green Forest.’
Although Great Monk Gongeun was currently pressuring the King of the Green Forest by emitting killing intent, he couldn't help but be tense.
The King of the Green Forest was a considerable master, not an opponent that even a Shaolin elder like Gongeun could easily defeat.
‘Still, this is a good opportunity to kill the King of the Green Forest…’
He doubted a better chance than this, with so few of the Green Forest bandits present, would come along.
“Can you handle it?”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Great Monk Gongeun spoke to the young monk beside him.
The young man addressed Gongeun, who was much older, as Senior Brother.
“The Diamond Dragon?”
Only upon hearing that did Giyun realize the young monk’s identity.
He was Gonghyo, considered the foremost among the Fifteen New Dragons, the young rising stars of the Righteous Alliance.
And as the youngest junior brother of the Shaolin Abbot, Great Monk Gongjin, he also held the highest seniority among the Fifteen New Dragons.
“I will defeat him quickly and join you, Senior Brother.”
“…Don’t be careless.”
“Yes.”
Despite Great Monk Gongeun's warning, Gonghyo strode confidently toward Jinmyeong.
“What, you suddenly want to fight?”
Jinmyeong looked at the two monks with a dumbfounded expression at the sudden turn of events.
“We cannot let this opportunity pass.”
Gonghyo immediately prepared to charge at Jinmyeong.
“Hoo.”
Jinmyeong let out a small sigh and drew his sword.
“Do you really not know who I am?”
“Should I know who you are? Rather, shouldn’t you be the one who knows me?”
Gonghyo took great pride in his position as one of the Fifteen New Dragons and the youngest junior brother of the Shaolin Abbot.
So, he couldn't understand why Jinmyeong remained so calm even while looking at him.
“…Is Shaolin’s intelligence this slow? Or is that man to blame?”
Jinmyeong glanced at O Dang, who was watching the situation from behind Great Monk Gongeun.
He wore a dazed smile as the situation unfolded just as he had wished.
‘Still, I did use the Heaven-Embroidering Sword Control Arts when dealing with the Green Forest bandits.’
When he went to Sichuan to resolve the request, Jinmyeong had used the Heaven-Embroidering Sword Control Arts.
Of course, all the witnesses were dead, so it was possible no rumors about him had spread.
But if he had persuaded Shaolin by saying a master had come to this Demonic Cult den to prepare for an invasion of the Central Plains, shouldn't they have figured out that master's identity?
‘Perhaps he has too much faith in Shaolin.’
To O Dang, Shaolin was likely the strongest sect.
Being the first mentioned among the Nine Sects One Union, this would be even more so.
He probably never thought Shaolin would lose, so he might not have looked into Jinmyeong at all.
He likely just thought of him as a slightly strong master who appeared at the constantly failing Unjeong Escort Agency.
“Can you handle him?”
“Hmph! He’s not the Abbot of Shaolin.”
Maeng Yo said with a grin in response to Jinmyeong’s question.
A smile never left his lips, as if he was looking forward to fighting Great Monk Gongeun.
“Hoo. Well then, shall we get started?”
“…You are quite confident.”
“Should I be nervous about one of the Fifteen New Dragons?”
“So you did know who I am.”
“I do. But is the Diamond Dragon being ostracized by the other New Dragons or something?”
“Do not speak so recklessly!”
Gonghyo chanted a Buddhist mantra to control his anger.
“Or is Shaolin just too reclusive? Do you not pay attention to the secular world?”
“I do not know what you are talking about.”
Gonghyo looked at Jinmyeong with a genuinely baffled expression.
“It seems the Nine Sects One Union and the Five Great Families really don’t get along.”
As Jinmyeong said, there was a strange distance between the Nine Sects One Union and the Five Great Families.
However, they were gathered under the name of the Righteous Alliance, so they were not on hostile terms.
Therefore, Gonghyo thought Jinmyeong was just spouting nonsense to provoke him.
“Tsk. It seems further words are useless.”
Gonghyo immediately rushed toward Jinmyeong and threw a punch.
‘A very straightforward fist technique.’
Jinmyeong could tell that the technique Gonghyo was using was the Shaolin Five Fists, the representative fist art of Shaolin.
A technique created by the Great Monk Bodhidharma, who was always mentioned when speaking of the greatest martial artist of all time.
It was a fist art that mimicked the movements of five animals: the Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, Snake, and Crane.
‘It’s straightforward, but overflowing with power.’
Although Jinmyeong easily blocked Gonghyo’s attacks, he couldn't help but admire Shaolin’s martial arts.
‘It’s not for nothing that Bodhidharma is mentioned alongside the First Heavenly Demon and Zhang Sanfeng.’
It was different from Wudang's Tai Chi Sword, which could be called the pinnacle of softness.
Instead, it possessed a momentum that seemed capable of shattering anything in its path with rigid power.
However, a subtle softness within it complemented the otherwise rigid fist technique.
‘It feels somewhat similar to the Asura Sword Forms.’
Because of its strong practical focus and lack of flashiness, both felt like basic sword and fist techniques.
‘Seeing it in person is different.’
Jinmyeong’s mind also contained knowledge of Shaolin’s martial arts.
The Jinmyeong from before his possession had been interested in various martial arts to learn them, and among them, naturally, were those of Shaolin.
Of course, perhaps because it wasn't a sword art, his understanding wasn't as deep as it was for the arts of Wudang or Mount Hua.
For that reason, Jinmyeong felt a great deal of interest as he faced Gonghyo’s martial arts.
“Hmm!”
It didn't take long for Gonghyo to realize that something was wrong.
Since he was constantly on the offensive, he initially thought he was pushing Jinmyeong back.
But Jinmyeong was blocking his attacks with a relaxed expression, without breaking a sweat.
He thought he wasn't giving Jinmyeong a chance to counterattack, but that wasn't it.
Jinmyeong simply had no intention of counterattacking.
“Are you toying with me now?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you are! Weren't there several times you could have attacked me, yet you did nothing?”
Just in case, Gonghyo had even deliberately created an opening.
Jinmyeong had flinched at the opening, but in the end, he didn't swing his sword.
“You really want to fight for real?”
“I do.”
“Don’t regret it.”
Jinmyeong immediately swung his sword at Gonghyo.
*Clang!*
“Keuk!”
Gonghyo, having blocked the attack, looked down at his arm.
Blood was flowing from his arm, which he had been protecting with internal energy.
“White Flame…”
Seeing the pure white flame burning on Jinmyeong’s sword, Gonghyo recalled a certain person.
There was only one person in the Central Plains who used sword energy or sword force made of pure white flames.
“The New Demonic Sword Controller?”
He had heard that the New Demonic Sword Controller wielded five controlled swords.
But since Jinmyeong wasn't using them, he hadn't immediately identified him.
‘To think the New Demonic Sword Controller would be here.’
Who would have thought that a disciple of the Heavenly Demon would be in the Central Plains, let alone at such a small escort agency?
“So you were looking down on me after all.”
Realizing Jinmyeong’s identity, Gonghyo couldn't help but feel a sense of futility.
The fact that the New Demonic Sword Controller wasn't fighting with his controlled swords must be because he was looking down on him.
“It would be a lie if I said I wasn't.”
If his opponent had been Great Monk Gongeun instead of Gonghyo, Jinmyeong wouldn't have thought of fighting with the Asura Sword Forms.
“If your pride is hurt, you should be the one to work harder.”
But against someone of Gonghyo’s level, there was no need to use the Heaven-Embroidering Sword Control Arts.
“I will make you use your controlled swords.”
Gonghyo shouted confidently and rushed toward Jinmyeong.
*Woosh!*
As he threw a punch at Jinmyeong, Gonghyo suddenly bent his back backward.
‘Since when…’
Seeing the sword blade pass before his eyes, a chill ran down Gonghyo’s spine.
Jinmyeong had thrust his sword at an incredible speed.
If he hadn't abandoned his attack and bent backward, his head would have been pierced.
“Nice dodge.”
As soon as Jinmyeong’s voice was heard, Gonghyo hurriedly retreated.
But Jinmyeong quickly closed the distance and swung his sword.
*Clang!*
“Ugh!”
Gonghyo once again blocked Jinmyeong’s attack with his energy-clad arm, but he had no time to examine it like before.
Jinmyeong gave him no more openings and continued his assault.
‘I have to counterattack…’
He had to somehow dodge Jinmyeong’s attacks and counter.
But he was so busy just blocking the attacks that he couldn't even counter properly and was being pushed back.
‘It’s not even that great of a sword art.’
Jinmyeong’s attacks consisted of nothing but thrusts and slashes.
Yet he couldn't even properly respond to such basic swordsmanship.
This was because every time he blocked Jinmyeong’s attack, Gonghyo’s body was pushed back significantly, making it impossible to maintain his balance.
In that brief moment, Jinmyeong would press his attack again, leaving him with no choice but to defend.
“Heup!”
If he just kept defending like this, he would eventually be the one to tire out first.
Moreover, despite blocking with his internal energy, the wounds on his arm were increasing.
Therefore, Gonghyo tried to somehow dodge Jinmyeong’s attacks and seize an opportunity to counter.
“Oho!”
Jinmyeong let out a sound of admiration as he watched Gonghyo dodge the sword with a strange posture.
His face contorted as if his body was under considerable strain, but thanks to it, Gonghyo was able to throw another punch at Jinmyeong.
“Hup!”
Gonghyo’s eyes widened as he confidently threw his punch.
His punch had been blocked too easily.
The fact that it was Jinmyeong’s index finger that had blocked his attack was particularly unbelievable.
“What in the world is this…”
If he had blocked it with his sword, or even dodged it, he wouldn't have felt so dejected.
But having his attack blocked by a single index finger, the strength drained from Gonghyo’s entire body.
It felt as if all the Shaolin martial arts he had trained in and mastered up to this point were being negated.
“What? Have you already lost your will to fight?”
Noticing that Gonghyo had lost his fighting spirit, Jinmyeong let out a sigh.
‘By the way, what about this guy?’
He thought for a moment, but he couldn't recall any instances where Gonghyo was involved with Gang Muhwi or proved to be helpful.
‘Then is it okay to kill him?’
After a moment of deliberation, Jinmyeong shook his head.
He might just not remember Gonghyo’s role, so he decided not to kill him.
‘I’ll just take an arm.’
Jinmyeong swung his sword toward Gonghyo’s left arm.
*Clang!*
However, Jinmyeong’s sword, which seemed about to sever Gonghyo’s arm at any moment, was blocked by a sword that suddenly flew in.