Chapter 38
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Repentance Cave's Secret
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After finishing up with Nung Un-bi, the two men explained the whole story to the Shaolin elders who had joined them late.
Of course, they also shared the information they'd heard from her.
"Hmm."
Master Hyeon-yong's expression hardened.
The situation was far more serious than he'd imagined.
But they decided to wrap this matter up here for now.
They didn't want word getting out that such a huge commotion had erupted at Shaolin Temple, which had only just regained some stability.
Of course, there wasn't much else they could do anyway.
The culprit had already been caught, and all that remained was tracking down the faceless man.
They said they'd handle that at Shaolin.
They planned to inform the Murim Alliance later as well.
And in the process, they discovered Hwang Chae-jung.
Just as Nangyo had said, he was indeed still alive.
"Grandfather!"
Yi Ho-chang felt true relief upon learning that Hwang Chae-jung was alive.
Like Seo Wan-cheol, he had only been subdued at his acupoints and meridians—his body wasn't badly damaged.
It really was a relief.
Hwang Chae-jung, having heard the full story, was deeply grateful to Ho-chang.
"My benefactor... truly...! Thank you so much...! Sob, sob...!"
Afterward, Ho-chang took Hwang Chae-jung to the infirmary alongside Nangyo.
Once they'd delivered him there, Nangyo asked Ho-chang,
"Shouldn't you get some treatment too?"
"I'm fine. No injuries to speak of."
"Really?"
Wondering if it was bravado, she checked him over—and sure enough, it was true.
Nangyo chuckled softly and said,
"Got nothing to say for yourself?"
"About what?"
"What do you think kept your body so intact?"
"Must be 'cause I'm that good, right?"
"You little punk?"
"Kidding. Master saved my skin, so that's why I'm unscathed. I'm truly grateful for it."
"That's a given. I mean something else."
"Something else?"
"Yeah, something else."
"Something else would be..."
Ho-chang pondered, and Nangyo clicked her tongue.
"Tsk tsk, look at you agonizing over it. Kid, if it weren't for the summoning pill and Iron Arhat Body I gave you, do you think you'd be standing here in one piece right now?"
"Ah?"
That was true enough.
It made perfect sense, so Ho-chang clasped his hands in a formal bow.
"Thank you, Master."
"Tch... Not even prostrating yourself properly. Listen up, kid—to navigate this world smoothly, even without a soul, you've gotta keep 'thank you' and 'sorry' glued to your lips at all times."
"Did you live like that too, Master?"
"No?"
"Then I'll follow your example."
"If you can't say anything nice..."
Nangyo shook her head, then continued,
"So, what now? You look fine on the outside, but you must've been pretty shaken. Why not rest a bit?"
"Can't do that. We've got work to do, right?"
At that, his master grinned.
"I'm game if you are, but you sure you're okay? No need to push yourself. Kids need to eat well and rest well."
"I'm fine. And I'm not a kid. Let's get going."
"Heh heh, little brat playing grown-up... Fine, let's go!"
Repentance Cave.
The place where monks who broke the precepts were confined.
Famous as a spot from which, once entered, no one emerged until death.
In other words, a place people avoided unless they had to.
But...
"There was a go board here?"
"Ahh, Venerable Bodhidharma..."
"All thanks to Buddha's grace!"
Today, it was crawling with people.
A few in Shaolin who knew of the go board's existence had all gathered here.
'Even Master Hyeon-yong's here.'
That's when he locked eyes with Yu-kyeong, who waved brightly.
The others beside her waved along too.
"Squad Leader Yi!"
"Ha, haha..."
It was the Dragon Pearl Gang crew and Wi So-so.
Why had so many people flocked here?
Of course, the one who'd stirred this up was obvious without looking.
Ho-chang asked,
"Master."
"Yeah?"
"Did you go ahead and tell everyone while I wasn't looking?"
"It's good news, isn't it?"
"Good news aside, wouldn't it have been better to get results first before spreading it around?"
"Tsk tsk, you're still so young."
"What now?"
"What else? That you're young. Kid, seems you know one thing and miss two. Did you really think we'd be searching this vast Repentance Cave just the two of us?"
"Well..."
Hm.
Now that he thought about it, that made sense.
But why did it sound like an excuse?
Ho-chang said,
"Got it for now. But now that it's come to this, there really has to be something inside that go board. With all these eyes on us, if there's nothing..."
Ho-chang shook his head.
But unexpectedly, Nangyo was unfazed.
"It's fine. Even if there's nothing."
"Why?"
"I told you. The path monks walk."
"Hm."
Right.
Monks who walk toward even the faintest glimmer of Buddha's light.
If they all thought like Nangyo, that'd be a blessing.
But contrary to Ho-chang's worries, Nangyo's face brimmed with confidence.
"Heh heh, don't worry too much though. I have a feeling there is something."
"Big hopes lead to big disappointments. Why not empty your mind from the start?"
"Heh heh, kiddo. Ever heard of 'face-the-wall nine years'?"
"Face-the-hole nine years?"
"What happened to your ears? Face-the-wall nine years. Anyway, it means there's nothing you can't achieve if you pour your all into it long enough. Actually, it comes from Bodhidharma meditating face-to-the-wall in a cave for nine years and attaining enlightenment."
"Like, if you earnestly desire it, it'll come true—so don't give up?"
"That's part of it, but the cave where Bodhidharma cultivated is right here."
Ho-chang asked in surprise,
"Here?"
"Yeah. Doesn't that make a bit more sense now? Him leaving a go board in the very place he attained the Way—there must be meaning to it."
"Oh, definitely..."
It made sense.
Even Ho-chang would stash something precious in such a meaningful spot.
That said, assigning meaning only ramped up his anxiety.
There probably was something inside.
Like a map to Immortal Assembly Valley, for instance.
And that's what worried him.
'A map's great for me, but will it help these folks?'
So if there was something, he hoped it'd be more than just a map—something else useful too.
About then, Nangyo spoke up.
"Alright then, everyone, let's head in."
At Nangyo's call, Ho-chang and Nangyo took the lead, and the crowd poured into Repentance Cave.
The inside was pitch black like ink.
It reeked mustily too.
A chilling aura wafted from the holes in the walls facing them—cells for the sinful monks.
Master Hyeon-yong said,
"Light the fires."
The monks fashioned torches from the fire starters they'd brought.
Faint light sources, but gathered together, they lit the way adequately.
Nangyo nodded, and the people split off on their own to search Repentance Cave.
This search focused on hidden spaces.
They waited a good while like that, until the impatient Yu-kyeong sidled up to Ho-chang to voice her complaints.
"Ho-chang, we've looked everywhere and nothing. You sure we didn't get bad info? Or maybe a wrong interpretation?"
"No. My solution was spot-on, and we came here based on the characters we got from it—no mistakes or misreads."
"Then why can't we find anything?"
"If it were easy to find, would it be treasure?"
"Urgh..."
He said that, but he felt a twinge of unease himself.
Treasure hunts weren't his thing to begin with.
Still, he resolved not to let go of hope.
Nangyo had mentioned face-the-wall nine years, after all.
They searched on for quite some time.
Ho-chang stretched, straightening his bent back.
His head naturally tilted upward.
That's when something entered his view.
"Hm?"
What was that?
After staring at the ceiling for a while, Ho-chang called out to Nangyo.
"Master!"
"What? What? Find something?"
As Nangyo came dashing over, Ho-chang pointed at the ceiling and said,
"Take a look up there?"
"The ceiling?"
Nangyo peered up.
But even after staring, nothing clicked, so she furrowed her brow and asked,
"What on the ceiling am I supposed to see?"
To that, Ho-chang pointed here and there on the ceiling, explaining like he would to a child about constellations.
"Look there and there, and over there too—doesn't it look just like a go board?"
"A go board?"
At the words "go board," his master squinted up again.
Then her brow smoothed, and she nodded.
"You're right. Now that you mention it, the star points in the center look recessed—like stones placed there."
"Right? Ah, hold on."
Something in Nangyo's words sparked a realization, and Ho-chang thrust his index finger toward the ceiling, counting something off.
"One, two, three, four..."
At the same time, his feet started moving.
Ho-chang slowly advanced while eyeing the ceiling, and the onlookers watched his odd behavior.
Finally, Ho-chang's feet stopped.
He'd arrived at a dead-end wall.
Ho-chang ran his hand over the wall, then said with conviction,
"It's here."
"Here?"
"Yes. I think there's something here."
"What's your basis?"
"Where's tian yuan on a go board?"
"...Row 10, column 10."
"Same here. Counting from the bottom, it's the tenth row up and tenth column over, right?"
"It is."
"Look closely—the holes are all spaced regularly. This spot should have one too, but it's blocked off. Doesn't that seem off?"
"Then?!"
"Yes. There has to be something behind this."
Hearing that, Nangyo didn't hesitate a second—she clenched her fist.
And thrust it forward.
Crack!
Her punch shattered the wall like ice.
The wall crumbled away, revealing the hidden space behind.
Inside the hidden space lay stairs.
Stairs leading downward.
Gazing at them, Nangyo shouted joyfully,
"It's real! It really is! Hahaha!"
Whoa.
He'd said he thought there was something—not to smash it.
But whatever, they'd found it, so that was that.
Nangyo laughed genuinely.
Master Hyeon-yong and the other monks did too.
Ho-chang smiled and said,
"Let's go right in, Master."
"Right! I'll take point—just in case!"
In case of traps, Nangyo led the way as they all tromped down the stairs.
They reached the bottom.
But Ho-chang, having descended fully, looked surprised.
'Why's it so bright down here?'
It really was.
Repentance Cave had been so dark, yet even deeper underground, this place was clearly bright.
Looking closely, luminous sources the size of two adult palms were embedded in the walls.
Nangyo, equally amazed, looked around and remarked,
"So many priceless luminous pearls embedded like this. Bodhidharma sure had style."
"Tell me about it, senior brother."
"A man who vied for the world's best— this level of wealth is nothing to him. Heh heh heh."
"To think there's a hidden space this vast in Repentance Cave... We've never found it until now..."
As the two conversed, Ho-chang surveyed the surroundings.
The layout here was peculiar.
Directly opposite the stair landing, the floor dipped into a deep, wide rectangular pit.
As if designed for standing here and overlooking below at a glance.
Ho-chang did just that, peering down as intended.
Below lay scattered rocks, moss-covered from age.
'Hm...'
What were those?
Ho-chang stroked his chin, staring at the rocks for a long while.
Finally, he spotted something odd about them.
'Some rocks are thick with moss, but others have none at all?'
It was strange.
All in the same space—shouldn't the moss cover them evenly if at all?
Then Nangyo, peering down beside him, said,
"They look just like go stones."
"Go stones?"
"Yeah. Black stones and white ones. The moss makes it look that way, right?"