Chapter 90: Qualifications of an Abbot (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90: Qualifications of an Abbot (1)
“You’ve mastered Yang-aligned internal energy?”
My father-in-law, Sama Chak, the Moon Evil Sword, could not hide his astonishment.
Mastering Yang-aligned internal energy is no simple feat. It disrupts the balance of Yin and Yang within the body. When that balance collapses, it causes internal instability, which inevitably leads to an early grave.
The most prominent examples of such constitutions are the Nine Yin Severed Meridians and the Solar Severed Meridians.
Those born with these conditions—occurring in perhaps one out of tens of thousands—die young due to this imbalance. However, there have been eccentrics throughout history who overcame this. They created martial arts specifically to conquer the Yin-Yang imbalance, one of which was the Nine Yang True Scripture.
But the Snow Sound Flower Sun Dance I practiced was different.
From the very beginning, it cultivated energy while maintaining the harmony of Yin and Yang. Compared to martial arts that leaned heavily toward one side, it was far more stable.
“...This is a Taoist energy circulation method.”
As expected of my father-in-law, he recognized the lineage of the technique just by the feel of the energy. Along with Man Bak-ja, he truly deserved his reputation as one of the most knowledgeable men in the martial world.
“Where on earth did you find such a profound—”
“You need to focus, so please, save your strength.”
Voooooom!
The Yang energy of the Flower Sun Dance seeped into my father-in-law’s meridians. My goal was to drive out every last trace of lingering cold energy.
They left just enough for him to stay alive.
I didn’t know which Shaolin master had used the Nine Yang True Scripture to suppress the cold energy, but they were incredibly skilled at manipulating internal power with precision. Shaolin wasn't called the origin of the Orthodox Faction for nothing.
Once the cold energy that had reached his very marrow was completely expelled, the rest was smooth sailing.
Twitch!
My father-in-law’s meridians surged as if they had been waiting for this moment.
Impressive.
He was the Moon Evil Sword for a reason. Even with his Qi gates sealed and cold energy infusing his marrow, he had been slowly gathering his strength in secret. His claim that he could recover once the cold energy was gone hadn't been an empty boast.
As the saying goes, many grains of sand make a mountain. Once my father-in-law concentrated his gathered energy into a single point—
Pop!
One of the Golden Meridian Needles embedded in his Qi gate was forced out. As soon as a single gate opened, the flow of energy became smoother. Without missing a beat, my father-in-law divided his energy and sent it toward the other needles blocking his gates.
Pop-pop-pop-pop-pop!
Six needles were expelled simultaneously. It was truly remarkable. To clear the Seven Great Vital Points so easily...
Having freed himself from the needles, my father-in-law began circulating his internal energy, recovering his strength through meditation.
“Young Master!”
Sama Yeong called out to me, her expression filled with emotion. She had been terrified that we might have to leave her father behind again.
“Let’s watch for a moment.”
The reason my father-in-law immediately entered a state of meditation was to recover his internal power as quickly as possible. He likely judged that regaining his full strength was the best way to ensure our escape.
I turned my gaze toward the entrance of the cave.
“What is it?”
“As expected of Shaolin.”
“Pardon?”
Numerous figures were already converging on our location. They had likely summoned every martial monk in the vicinity. I needed to go out and act as a dharma protector to buy my father-in-law time to recover.
“Stay here and protect your father.”
Understanding my intent, she nodded. Then, her voice thick with emotion, she spoke.
“Thank you.”
“It’s only natural.”
I was protecting the man who would become my father-in-law. How could I expect thanks for that?
Leaving them behind, I walked out of the cave.
Outside, about fifty martial monks had arrived and were forming a perimeter in front of the Gold Cave. They were visibly shaken when they saw me emerge.
“It really is the Blood Demon.”
“To think the Blood Demon would infiltrate the main temple...”
“How could this happen...?”
“Amitabha.”
The leader of the Blood Cult was essentially the head of the Evil Faction. For me to appear in the heart of Shaolin Temple—the center of Buddhism and the symbol of the Orthodox Faction—was nothing short of a nightmare for them.
A middle-aged monk, who appeared to be the senior among them, stepped forward.
“Amitabha. This is a sacred Buddhist site and the heart of the Orthodox Faction. This is a place where even those who request formal entry are often denied. How dare you trespass so recklessly!”
He couldn't hide his fury. I put strength into my voice as I replied.
“Shaolin is holding this Cult Leader’s father-in-law captive in the Golden Prison. How could I possibly leave him there?”
“Father-in-law?”
“Could he mean the Moon Evil Sword?”
The monks erupted into a confused clamor at my words. It seemed they hadn't heard the full details from the monks who had been chanting sutras inside the Gold Cave. Then again, their focus was likely entirely on the fact that I had invaded Shaolin.
Though he seemed equally confused, the middle-aged monk soon shouted back.
“Even if that were the case, there are procedures for everything! How can the leader of an organization act with such thoughtless haste!”
I couldn't help but snort.
Shaolin had severed its ties with the secular world. Because of that, they were more closed-off than any other sect. They were famous for refusing to bend even under external pressure; would they have ever listened if the leader of the Blood Cult—their sworn enemy—had made a formal request?
“This is not a matter to be discussed with mere martial monks. I shall wait for the Abbot of Shaolin to arrive.”
The monks shouted in collective outrage.
“How can one man be so arrogant!”
“Do you truly think the Abbot would deign to speak with one who walks the path of demons?”
“If you do not leave at once, you will face the consequences!”
Perhaps because they were monks, even their protests had a certain level of dignity. But if I were the type to leave just because of a few words, I wouldn't have come here in the first place.
I stepped forward and raised my hand in a sword-finger gesture.
Though I had only taken a single step, several monks flinched and tightened their guard.
Sshhh!
With a light flick of my fingers, a sharp line was carved into the ground by my killing intent. The monks looked on in bewilderment as I drew the line.
I spoke loudly.
“I am giving you a warning. Until the Abbot arrives, anyone who crosses this line will be treated as someone who wishes to join the Buddha in the afterlife immediately.”
“Why, you—!”
Swish!
Incensed, the middle-aged monk lunged at me. Even if they lived apart from the world, they should have been able to guess the martial prowess of one of the Five Great Villains. His courage was commendable, if nothing else.
The monk unleashed a fist technique with the momentum of a soaring dragon. It appeared to be one of Shaolin’s famous styles, the Dragon King Swimming Fist.
“Hah!”
The technique was powerful and refined, but his opponent was simply too strong.
With my hands behind my back, I lightly kicked a pebble toward the monk as he tried to cross the line.
Thwack!
“Gah!”
The pebble flew like a cannonball, striking the monk in the chest. He was sent flying backward with a scream. After tumbling across the ground a few times, he lost consciousness.
“...!”
The monks’ eyes widened in shock. They clearly hadn't expected me to take him down with a mere pebble without even using my hands.
“I warned you. Do not cross this line.”
I released a heavy pressure as I spoke. Intimidated, the monks’ faces grew pale. Having seen the sheer gap in our power, they no longer dared to rush in recklessly.
Just then, a thunderous shout echoed through the air.
“HO!”
The shout came from the direction of the Arhat Hall, beyond the crowd of monks. From there, one hundred and eight monks dressed in orange robes and carrying staves marched out in perfect formation.
“It’s the Arhat monks!”
“Waaaaah!”
The gathered monks cheered at their appearance. Most of these newcomers were first-rate masters, and a few were even at the Peak Realm. The ratio looked to be about eight to two.
The 108 Arhats.
These were the famous 108 Arhat monks. They were the practitioners of the 108 Arhat Formation, which was said to be the most perfect combined battle formation in existence. It was whispered that no one had ever escaped the 108 Arhat Formation alive; its power was considered peerless.
But they weren't the only ones arriving.
—What are those? Their whole bodies look like they’ve been painted in bronze.
Just as the Lesser Conversation Sword noted, a group of monks wearing only trousers, their entire bodies gleaming like bronze, were approaching. Their faces were as expressionless as emotionless dolls. The crowd cheered even louder at their arrival.
“The Eighteen Bronze Men!”
The Eighteen Bronze Men? I had heard of them.
The term 'Indestructible Diamond Body' was said to have originated from Shaolin’s Diamond Indestructible Fist. It was said that those who mastered the Diamond Indestructible Fist achieved a Diamond Body that was impervious to blades. To reach this state, one had to endure over ten years of training, which included soaking in a special medicinal bath every fortnight that caused agonizing pain, as if one's skin were being torn and burned.
Once the Diamond Indestructible Fist was mastered, the skin became as hard as iron and took on a bronze hue.
—It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them.
The voice of the Blood Demon Sword echoed in my mind.
Why? Have you fought them before?
—I fought them during the time of the Fourth Blood Demon. The Eighteen Bronze Men Formation, was it? Between their toughness and their coordination, they are a massive pain to deal with.
To think they had summoned even these men. They clearly had no intention of letting me leave.
Then, a group of monks walked through the pavilion. Unlike the others, these were all middle-aged or older, and every single one of them possessed an extraordinary aura. Ten of them wore grey kasayas.
The Ten Realms Ten Victories.
These must be the ten monks in charge of the Hall of Discipline. They oversaw the ten precepts monks must follow—the prohibitions against killing, stealing, lying, flattery, drinking, verbal abuse, lust, anger, greed, and ignorance. Within the temple, they held the highest positions after the heads of the various halls.
—More are coming from over there.
From the southwestern pavilion, eight middle-aged monks in yellow kasayas appeared.
“Amitabha. We greet the Eight Great Guardians!”
“We greet the Eight Great Guardians!”
Upon seeing them, the monks pressed their palms together and bowed in unison. Since the eight monks who guarded the Abbot had appeared, the Abbot himself would likely arrive soon.
Then, a voice spoke from behind me.
“You’ve certainly made a mess of things.”
The speaker was none other than my father-in-law, the Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak. He had emerged sooner than expected, though he could have benefited from more time to recover his energy.
“Are you alright, Father-in-law?”
He simply snorted at my question. Because he had broken through the wall, he could perfectly conceal his aura, making it difficult to gauge exactly how much he had recovered. However, the healthy color returning to his face suggested he was much better than before.
“Young Master... you really do have a plan, right?”
Sama Yeong, who had followed her father out, asked me. She looked worried as she surveyed the massive crowd of monks.
It was my father-in-law, not me, who answered.
“He wouldn't have drawn all this attention if he didn't have a way out. Do you have an ambush waiting outside?”
“...He said he came alone.”
Sama Chak frowned at his daughter's words. He had clearly assumed I had some grand strategy prepared.
“Is that true?”
“It is.”
At my answer, my father-in-law pressed a hand to his forehead as if a headache were coming on.
“Then with what possible confidence did you provoke Shaolin like this?”
“That is...”
“Don't tell me you intended to break through them head-on to crush their will to pursue?”
He had guessed my intention perfectly. My father-in-law shook his head in disbelief.
“You have underestimated Shaolin’s depth. Shaolin is more than just the 108 Arhat Formation and Abbot Jingak. The truly terrifying one is the Head of the Library...”
Before he could finish his sentence, every monk in the surrounding crowd pressed their palms together and bowed.
The center of the crowd parted like a wave, and an extraordinary old monk wearing a red kasaya and carrying a staff that looked like a golden dharma tool appeared.
“He’s late.”
My father-in-law muttered as he looked at the old monk. This was the leader of Shaolin, Abbot Jingak.
...The rumors were true.
There was a saying that if Shaolin’s Abbot Jingak ever stepped out into the world, the ranking of the Eight Great Masters would change. It wasn't an exaggeration. Abbot Jingak was a master who had broken through the wall.
But it wasn't actually him who surprised me.
Behind Abbot Jingak stood two old monks in orange kasayas. The one on the left was a peerless master who stood on the very threshold of breaking the wall. In other words, he was even stronger than Abbot Jingak.
My father-in-law whispered to me.
“That is Master Jinjung, the Head of the Library. He is the candidate for the next Abbot. He is only the second person since Shaolin’s founding to simultaneously master the Nine Yang True Scripture, the Muscle Tendon Changing Classic, and the Face Washing Scripture. In terms of internal power alone, he rivals me.”
He didn't need to tell me; I could feel it. To possess such immense internal power without even having broken through the wall... who would have guessed that such a monster was hidden away in Shaolin, a place supposedly severed from the martial world?
Sighing, my father-in-law spoke to me.
“...I will hold them back. Take Yeong-er and leave this place using Sword Flight Art.”
“Father!”
“This isn't a force the two of you can handle. If Du Gong were here, we might have a chance, but...”
“Father-in-law.”
“Listen to me!”
“Please, leave this to me.”
My father-in-law snapped at my words.
“This is no time for— I told you to take Yeong-er and go right now—!”
Before he could finish, I completely released the internal power I had been suppressing in my lower Dantian.
My father-in-law stopped mid-sentence and stared at me with wide, shocked eyes.
“...You’ve broken through the wall?”
I gave him a small smile and nodded. He muttered to himself, looking utterly bewildered.
“What on earth happened in just seven months?”
“...A lot of things happened.”
Because for me, it wasn't just seven months.
Leaving my stunned father-in-law behind, I stepped forward. I infused my voice with internal power and let out a thunderous shout.
“Listen, Shaolin!”
“Urgh!”
“What is this?!”
As the Lion’s Roar reverberated like a physical wave, the ordinary martial monks all clapped their hands over their ears at once.