Chapter 35
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Repentance Cave
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Pababat!
Startled by the stinging pain on his back, Yi Ho-chang blurted out.
"W-Wait a second!"
"Shut your mouth!! No, wait—how the hell can you even talk right now?!"
It was bizarre.
By now, the summoning pill's energy should have been rampaging through his meridians, leaving him in agony, barely clinging to consciousness.
Nangyo was stunned that Yi Ho-chang could chat so casually, but that wasn't the priority.
The warmth spreading in his lower abdomen was a bad sign.
If the unabsorbed energy from the summoning pill went unchecked, it could shatter Yi Ho-chang's dantian.
Nangyo hurriedly took measures to help him fully absorb it before that happened.
Pababat!
"Ugh……!"
Nangyo's hands moved frantically.
At the same time, a faint groan escaped Yi Ho-chang's lips.
Yi Ho-chang desperately wanted to bolt from the spot.
But he couldn't.
Nangyo's expression was deadly serious.
Then, Nangyo circulated his internal energy and struck the final acupoint.
With that, Yi Ho-chang's entire body began to tremble, and heat surged through him.
'What the hell is happening right now?'
But the words didn't make it out.
His mind was growing hazy.
Yi Ho-chang gritted his teeth and focused.
Closing his eyes now felt like it might lead to something irreversible.
How much time passed like that?
Nangyo confirmed the changes in Yi Ho-chang's body and panted curses.
"Huff……! Huff……! Damn it……! Why do I have to do all the hard work alone, you old……!"
Catching his breath, Nangyo placed his hand on Yi Ho-chang's back again.
"Hoo…… Now I'll guide the energy, so relax your body."
His internal energy flowed into Yi Ho-chang's back, gently soothing the meridians.
More time dragged on.
Finally, turbid qi began mixing with Yi Ho-chang's breaths.
"Hoo……."
Startled by the sound, Nangyo spoke up.
"Huh? You're already back to your senses?"
"……I never lost consciousness. It was just a bit foggy."
"W-What?"
"Hah, do you have any idea how much that hurt? Stabbing my back like that out of nowhere…… Huh? Everything feels refreshed again?"
It was true.
His body and mind suddenly felt clear and invigorated.
Like he'd just come from a sauna.
Nangyo stared at him in disbelief.
"……Refreshed? Did the summoning pill go bad or something? How can you absorb it this fast?"
"Isn't that really the case?"
"Like hell it is! Do you even know what a summoning pill is, kid? Even disciples called the future pillars of great sects take three to four days to absorb their first one. How the hell are you done in half a day?"
"Yeah, why is that? Oh, maybe?"
"Maybe?"
Yi Ho-chang nearly blurted out it was because of his Infinite Body but clamped his mouth shut.
'No point advertising it.'
He changed the subject.
"Maybe because I'm young?"
"Young my ass!"
"Heh heh. Yeah, probably not."
Yi Ho-chang scratched his head awkwardly with a grin.
Glancing out the window, he saw the night-shining moon glowing brightly.
'Really half a day already? It was dawn when we arrived at the guest quarters.'
Was this flow state?
An amazing experience.
Finishing his self-check, Yi Ho-chang nodded gratefully.
"Anyway, thank you. I don't get all of it, but thanks to Master's help, I'm fine, right?"
"You think?! I nearly went insane jumping around for you! To think I'd pass down the Dharma Rigid Body to someone who's not even a Shaolin disciple……."
"Dharma Rigid Body? What's that?"
"What's that? Argh, infuriating! Passing this treasure to someone who doesn't even know what it is!"
Dharma Rigid Body.
Dharma—that Dharma Patriarch?
But why pass it to me?
Puzzled, Yi Ho-chang asked.
"Why pass me the Dharma Rigid Body?"
"Why? Whyyy?"
"N-No, I was genuinely curious."
"Passing the Dharma Rigid Body to someone who doesn't know its value…… Sigh, my poor arm…… Why, you ask? To keep you from croaking!"
"Croaking?"
"Yeah, dead! Without the Dharma Rigid Body, your body couldn't handle the rampaging energy! Sigh…… Now I've gone and given wings to a beast. No Pure Land for this lifetime. Tsk."
"Why am I a beast?"
"You think you're human?"
"Hey, that's not…… Anyway, thanks."
"You'd better be grateful. Do you know what the Dharma Rigid Body is, kid? It's an advanced martial art—advanced! One only passed to disciples slated to be the next abbot of Shaolin."
"Advanced martial art?"
"Yes, advanced! Just mastering it expands your aura sense, lesser foes can only scratch you, at five stars you match ironclad experts, and at twelve-star perfection, you reach the dream of all external art masters."
Hearing that, Yi Ho-chang pondered deeply.
The dream of all external art masters.
No way……?
"Is that realm…… Vajra Indestructible?"
"Exactly! You gain the Vajra Indestructible Body."
Whoa?
Vajra Indestructible—that one I know?
Maybe that's why.
Yi Ho-chang's lips crept up unconsciously until they reached his ears.
Summoning pill plus Vajra Indestructible.
This was enough to keep him full without food for half a month.
Grinning, a sudden question popped into Yi Ho-chang's mind.
"Master."
"What?"
"If there's such an ultimate external art, why not teach it to everyone? Shaolin would get stronger."
"Dream on. The Dharma Rigid Body is a late-bloomer art."
"Late-bloomer?"
"It starts stronger than others, but growth slows double as levels rise. To close the gap, you need more internal energy and superior bones from birth. That's why it's only for future abbots. Ordinary disciples end up worse off not learning it."
"Ah."
So that's the story.
Hearing the reason, Yi Ho-chang's lips rose again unconsciously.
He was born with the Infinite Body.
Maybe he perfectly fit Nangyo's criteria.
"Heh heh heh."
"What's with the sudden laugh?"
"Nothing."
Yi Ho-chang couldn't help grinning at Nangyo.
Go problems, summoning pill, Vajra Indestructible.
With gifts pouring in, how could he not feel goodwill?
'Time to show some results.'
After receiving so much, wiping his mouth clean would make him less than human.
A real person repays favors.
"Shall we solve the problems now?"
"Sigh, sure. What's done is done. Take care of it."
"Leave it to me."
Yi Ho-chang dove right in.
He didn't ask Nangyo for help.
The guy hadn't solved a single one—what help could he offer?
After a long session, he reached the final problem.
But as he examined it, his brow furrowed tighter.
'……What is this?'
The reason was simple.
This last problem was leagues harder than the rest.
No—not just hard.
It was beyond anything in the martial world's Go he'd seen.
'Even I might struggle—no one else could solve this.'
Not arrogance—truth.
The setup was absurd.
Then two characters caught his eye.
'Ki-seon?'
At the bottom of the paper: clearly "Ki-seon."
He flipped other sheets—no writing.
Yi Ho-chang asked.
"Master."
"Yeah?"
"Did the Dharma Patriarch leave these problems?"
"That's what I heard. Why?"
"No, nothing."
But why only here "Ki-seon"?
Did Ki-seon leave just this one?
Seemed likely.
No—certain.
The Ten Heavenly Venerables never beat Ki-seon, and only this problem was on another level.
'What an interesting guy.'
Who the hell was he?
Why play Go on a whole other dimension alone?
Maybe that's why.
Yi Ho-chang suddenly wanted to share a game with him.
At this level, it'd be fun even for him.
'Not a random nickname.'
Yi Ho-chang refocused.
The problem was still insane.
Tons of traps, missteps leading to blunders.
But he wasn't daunted.
Dopamine surged.
A real puzzle after so long.
'Place here for a slow move? Or attach? No, opponent would…….'
His brain humming, Yi Ho-chang grinned unwittingly.
Excited, he placed the stone.
About two hours later.
Straightening, Yi Ho-chang said.
"Solved."
"Already?!"
"Yes, done."
"How…… I spent ages without solving one……."
"That's why there's masters and amateurs."
"If you can't say nice things……! Ahem, but you're sure all are correct?"
"Yes, certain."
No answer key, but he trusted himself.
No other solutions fit.
Nangyo scratched his head.
"So what now?"
"Why ask me?"
"Uh……."
Nangyo was genuinely flustered.
He'd fixated on solving, never after.
"Hmm."
Yi Ho-chang pondered too.
There had to be a reason for these puzzles—what?
Then Nangyo's Go board entered his view.
"Ah, that's it."
"What?"
"Master, prepare the board and black stones."
Nangyo fetched them quickly.
Yi Ho-chang placed vital points from each solved problem on the board.
Tak.
At first, it looked like wriggling worms—eerie.
But as stones filled, a shape emerged.
"This is……."
"Letters."
"Right, the character…… regret—repentance."
"Repentance?"
"Yes, repentance. But why…… Ah!"
Pondering, Nangyo's eyes widened; he smacked his palm.
"Only one place in Shaolin has that character: Repentance Cave!"
"Repentance Cave?"
"Yes. But nothing's ever been found there……?"
As Nangyo looked troubled.
Kwaaang!!
A massive explosion roared.
Black smoke smeared the clear sky.
At the sudden boom, Nangyo whipped his head toward it, frowning, and stood.
"That's near the Great Hero Hall……?"