Chapter 32
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Shaolin's Ten Go Precepts
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The door opened, and Wi So-so cupped her fists in greeting.
"Pardon the intrusion. Sorry to bother you so late, Abbot."
"No need to apologize. I see you've brought your escort. What brings you here?"
"I have a question for you."
"I see. Come in, then."
Abbot Hyun-yong ushered the two inside and sat down across from them.
With a warm, friendly smile, he asked,
"What is it you're curious about?"
"Do you know anything about the Go board inscribed with the Ten Go Precepts?"
The Ten Go Precepts.
At the words, Abbot Hyun-yong's eyes widened in surprise.
"How does Lady Wi know of that?"
"Truth be told, it wasn't me who knew."
Wi So-so glanced at Yi Ho-chang as she replied, and he quickly offered a respectful bow.
"It was I who asked. My apologies if I've overstepped."
"Haha, no overstep at all—don't worry. But how did you come to know of it, benefactor?"
Yi Ho-chang pondered briefly at the abbot's question before answering honestly.
"Truth be told, I already possess a Go board inscribed with the Ten Go Precepts."
"You do?"
"Heh... This is quite peculiar. I thought the Ten Go Precepts existed only here in Shaolin, yet another one appears in the world... But how did you learn about ours here?"
"An acquaintance mentioned it. Said they'd glimpsed it by chance during a visit to Shaolin in their youth. That's what brought me all this way. If possible, I'd love to see Shaolin's version."
"I see."
Abbot Hyun-yong fell into thought at Yi Ho-chang's words, then nodded toward Hwan-jo.
Moments later, Hwan-jo returned carrying a Go board inscribed with the Ten Go Precepts.
That's it!
Yi Ho-chang's eyes widened at the sight.
The abbot took it and placed it before him.
"I don't know who your acquaintance was, but if they saw it, this must be what they saw."
"Yes, that seems right. Might I take a look?"
"No objection, but it won't mean much."
"Pardon? Why not?"
"It's a replica, after all."
"A replica?"
Yi Ho-chang peered at the Ten Go Precepts again upon hearing that.
But how would he know without seeing the original?
With a voice full of regret, he asked,
"Then there's no original here?"
"There is an original. We just don't know where it is..."
"You don't know? What do you mean by that?"
"The original is a relic passed down from Patriarch Bodhidharma's time, stored somewhere secure in Shaolin. We made this replica to protect it from those who might target the real one."
"Ah..."
A soft sigh escaped Wi So-so at the abbot's explanation.
It stemmed from her inner frustration—she owed him a life debt yet could offer nothing in return.
The abbot hesitated a moment before speaking.
"...Before we discuss the original, I have a question for you, benefactor."
"Of course, Abbot. Ask away."
"What does the Go board you obtained look like?"
...What kind of question is that?
It looks like a Go board, doesn't it?
Yi Ho-chang mulled it over briefly before describing it as he'd seen it.
"It looks like an ordinary Go board. One passage from the Ten Go Precepts was inscribed on the side."
"Was it intact?"
"Yes?"
"Hm... Did the board open in any way?"
Only then did Yi Ho-chang grasp what the abbot was doing.
He's testing if I truly know about the real Ten Go Precepts.
With replicas made, caution was only natural.
So he answered honestly.
"Yes, it opened."
"Truly?"
"Yes."
"What was inside?"
Yi Ho-chang's reply brought a spark of excitement to Abbot Hyun-yong's face.
Evidently, he knew something, given the question about it opening.
Yi Ho-chang started to answer but quickly reconsidered.
He doesn't seem to know about the Immortal Assembly Valley map.
If so, he couldn't reveal it.
No matter what else, he had no desire to create rivals for the Immortal Assembly Valley map.
For the first time, Yi Ho-chang lied.
"Nothing much was inside."
"Ah... I see."
Abbot Hyun-yong looked visibly disappointed.
Now it was Yi Ho-chang's turn to ask.
"Then, did Shaolin's Ten Go Precepts contain something inside?"
"Well..."
The abbot pondered Yi Ho-chang's question before answering frankly.
"...Truth be told, we haven't fully located our Ten Go Precepts yet."
"You haven't fully located it?"
"What we have is only half. We've been searching diligently for the other half, but it's proven quite elusive..."
In that instant, fire flared in the eyes of Abbot Hyun-yong, who had trailed off.
"Wait... But who opened the Ten Go Precepts you had?"
"I did."
"You did?"
"Yes."
"...?"
As the abbot's eyes bulged in disbelief, the silent Wi So-so jumped in to back him up.
"Abbot, this young hero's internal energy is exceptional."
"Exceptional, you say?"
"Absolutely. Are you familiar with my grandmother?"
"Zhejiang's foremost wealthy family is renowned even here in Henan. How could I not know the head of the Great Hero Escort Agency?"
"Then you know she's a Seated Hidden Star?"
"Naturally."
"In that case, you must know she lost to this young hero at Go, and they placed guidance stones together afterward?"
Abbot Hyun-yong's eyes widened like saucers at Wi So-so's words.
"Guidance stones, you say?"
"Why would I lie to the abbot?"
The abbot had no choice but to believe Wi So-so.
What granddaughter would expose her own grandmother's shortcomings?
He swallowed dryly at her words.
Perhaps this was the chance to find the missing half.
Having weighed it, Abbot Hyun-yong seized Yi Ho-chang's hand.
"B-Benefactor! Won't you help us?"
"Help how?"
"Yes—with your internal energy, we might locate the remaining half this time."
Yi Ho-chang chuckled inwardly.
If it was this kind of help, he'd gladly provide it.
With a resolute expression, he replied,
"Yes, I'll help. No, I must help. What exactly do you need from me?"
"My senior brother will explain."
"Where is he now?"
"He's somewhere within Shaolin, but... it's late. How about we go together tomorrow?"
"Understood. I'll be there."
"Thank you."
A glint shone in Abbot Hyun-yong's eyes as he spoke.
It was inevitable.
Shaolin might rise once more as the pinnacle of Mount Tai through this.
And Yi Ho-chang's eyes gleamed just the same.
The next day.
Abbot Hyun-yong arrived personally at the Collection Pavilion with Hwan-jo.
Normally, there were limits on escorts, but due to the previous night's slaughter at the Brain Prison, he'd deliberately increased their numbers.
The chosen were Bok Jung-ho, Mo Gun-hyeong, and Yu Kyung for any contingencies.
They arrived together at the Scripture Pavilion, Shaolin's secret repository housing not just Buddhist scriptures but also martial manuals and rare texts.
Bok Jung-ho's jaw dropped involuntarily as they entered.
"Whoa..."
Yi Ho-chang hid his reaction, but he felt the same.
The interior was far grander and vaster than imagined.
First library this massive I've ever seen.
Truly, Shaolin was Shaolin.
Yi Ho-chang strolled about like a tourist before reaching their destination on the sixth floor.
Moments later, halting before the sixth-floor door, Abbot Hyun-yong began deep breaths.
"Hoo..."
Tension etched his face.
What could it be?
Why was even the abbot so on edge?
After steadying himself, he called to the door.
"Senior brother, your junior monk Hyun-yong has arrived."
"......"
"Senior brother."
No reply.
Yet someone was clearly inside.
"Huff. Huff."
The labored sounds of intense exertion echoed from within.
Yu Kyung muttered softly from behind.
"Ha... That old geezer really..."
"Yu Kyung, hold your tongue before I charge you with insulting a senior monk."
"Yes, Division Leader... But I'm not wrong, am I...?"
"Ahem."
"...Yes."
As Yu Kyung fell silent, the abbot called again.
"Senior Brother Nang-yo! You're in there, aren't you?!"
"Argh! Get lost!"
That was the moment.
The moment the abbot raised his voice, a curse shot back.
Irritated by the snappy retort, Abbot Hyun-yong shot back.
"Senior brother!"
"You punk! Can't you just shut up and leave if I don't answer? Would that kill you?"
"Please, spare just a moment!"
"Hey! I told you to come alone if you wanted to see me! Why drag all these extras? If you lot don't want nirvana, scram. You're annoying."
Wow... Check out this old man's temper.
Yi Ho-chang could see why Yu Kyung said what he did.
But even as the abbot's senior, was this acceptable?
The two bickered on for a while.
One demanding he come out, the other refusing.
Like spear versus shield, Yi Ho-chang listened quietly.
But as their argument showed no sign of ending, Yi Ho-chang's patience finally snapped.
If he won't come out, we'll go in.
Back when the Korean Go Association pulled nonsense, he'd flipped the table in a fit.
Yi Ho-chang had no intention of tolerating some unseen old man's tantrum.
He strode forward and flung open the door.
The startled abbot tried to stop him too late.
Rumble!
The door swung wide.
But then.
"...Steam?"
A thick fog of steam greeted Yi Ho-chang, clouding his vision.
A breeze happened by, parting the steam to reveal the interior clearly.
Bok Jung-ho gasped from behind.
"What in the...?"
It warranted the shock.
A muscular old monk was handstanding on one arm—while playing Go.
The steam filled the room from the heat radiating off Nang-yo's body.
In that instant, Nang-yo—still focused on the board—irritably grumbled,
"You lot really don't listen, tsk."
Then he shifted his gaze from the board to them, locking eyes with Yi Ho-chang in midair.
Seeing Nang-yo's face, Yi Ho-chang was mildly stunned inwardly.
This guy's a monk too?
Yu Kyung was one thing, but why did this Nang-yo look like a bandit?
And handstanding while playing Go—what was that about?
Nang-yo, meeting Yi Ho-chang's eyes, slowly righted himself and said,
"So a kid's the one bold enough to open the door, huh?"
He approached Yi Ho-chang slowly, adding,
"Damn, that punk looks like he was born not to listen. Kid, your mom must've suffered because of you."
Oh ho.
Starting with a fat joke on first meeting as a welcome gift?
Fine, you started it.
Yi Ho-chang met Nang-yo's sarcasm with a deadpan expression.
"How would you know so well, old master?"
"What?"
"Is that from experience?"
"W-What?!"
In that moment, Nang-yo's face flushed beet red.
Like a boiled octopus.