Chapter 183: Heavenly Eye (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183: Heavenly Eye (1)
Throughout the Central Plains, countless tales were told of the Heavenly Eye.
The Chief Abbot of Shaolin had foreseen many impending calamities, and each one unfolded exactly as predicted. He had not only prophesied the emergence of the Demonic True Sect within the Central Plains, but thanks to his visions, numerous other disasters had been averted.
As his achievements mounted, he earned admiration not just from the common people, but from the entire Murim Alliance.
It’s not like there’s only one Heavenly Eye.
When I thought about the title "Heavenly Eye," it reminded me of titles like the Five Dragons, or more precisely, the Heavenly Dragon—the title that had become the sixth dragon. The position of Shaolin’s Chief Abbot was exclusively reserved for those who possessed the Heavenly Eyes.
This included the current Chief Abbot, of course, as well as his predecessor, and the one before that. They had all ascended to the position because they held this power.
Many speculations swirled about the mysterious process of inheriting the Heavenly Eye. Some rumors claimed the power passed to another chosen member of Shaolin upon the death of its current holder. Others whispered that the Chief Abbot could directly bestow it upon a designated successor just before his death.
But in the end, no one knew for certain. It was a top-secret matter for Shaolin, and besides, that wasn’t the important point right now.
What mattered was that a man with such formidable power was looking for me, for some reason.
I wonder why.
He sought me out specifically, so he must want something from me. But what could it be?
Maybe it’s about the book?
The book I picked up yesterday, the one containing Shaolin’s martial arts. I wondered if that was why I was being summoned, but deep down, I doubted the Chief Abbot would call me for something so trivial.
Is there any excuse I could use to feign innocence?
I had none for the moment. It would be difficult to claim I was just here for a tour, especially when the Chief Abbot himself had asked for me.
Tsk.
Realizing there was no way out, I informed the others.
“Go on without me. I’ve got something to take care of.”
Tang Soyeol made a dissatisfied face at my words, but she couldn’t argue much since the one who approached me was a high-ranking figure from the Central Plains.
“You too, leave without me.”
“Oough… Can’t I come with you?” Wi Seol-Ah asked.
“No.”
I refused firmly. Wi Seol-Ah pouted, but there was nothing I could do about it.
“Take her with you and go down,” I told Hongwa.
She immediately pulled Wi Seol-Ah away.
“You don’t have to wait for me. Just leave.”
Not knowing how long this would take, I told everyone, including Namgung Bi-ah, to go on ahead.
As Namgung Bi-ah was about to leave without a word, the Mighty Staff spoke up.
“The Chief Abbot said he wishes to see Lady Namgung as well.”
Hearing this, Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head, seeming surprised by the summons.
“…Lady Namgung, too?” I asked.
The Mighty Staff nodded.
Namgung Bi-ah too?
I couldn’t help but frown at this.
* * *
The Heavenly Eye, Chinyoung.
He was the 23rd Chief Abbot of Shaolin and had been a nominee for the position of Murim Alliance Leader, alongside the Harmonic Sword and the Celestial Plum Blossom.
Although he was considered the weakest in martial arts among them, his influence surpassed the others. This made sense. After all, he was the one who predicted the disasters threatening the Central Plains. While his combat skills might not be top-tier, his significant sway over the Central Plains and the Orthodox Faction justified his standing.
Even though, in the end, the Alliance Leader position was taken by the Harmonic Sword.
“I apologize for calling you here so abruptly.”
A skinny old man sat across from me. He had a long white beard and age spots dotting his face. His physique was surprisingly slender for a martial artist. Despite the Ten Sect Alliance being full of powerful warriors, the influential Chief Abbot of Shaolin appeared surprisingly frail.
“It’s no problem,” I said, hiding my inner thoughts.
Just because he looked physically weak didn’t mean I could let my guard down.
“I’m actually grateful for the summons. It is an honor for someone like me.”
[That guy is the Chief Abbot…?]
Elder Shin’s voice echoed in my mind, dripping with disbelief.
He does seem a little off for a Chief Abbot.
[A bit? You call that a bit?]*
He might look weak on the outside, but considering how the Sword Venerable had a similar unassuming appearance, it was possible the Shaolin Chief Abbot was also hiding his true depths. I had little detailed information about the man. I’d never met him in my past life. Furthermore, the Chief Abbot had died a few years later, and someone else had taken his place.
The Chief Abbot looked at me and smiled faintly.
“You are very similar to the Tiger Warrior.”
He began by mentioning my father. I hadn’t expected that.
“I should start by congratulating you. I heard you performed excellently in the tournament.”
“Thank you.”
“The True Dragon, hmm… Now that I see you in person, I can’t help but think the title suits you perfectly.”
I wasn’t sure what he could see with his eyes practically closed, but given his title, it wasn’t the strangest thought.
Sip-
A loud sound came from beside me. It was Namgung Bi-ah sipping her tea, the noise echoing in the vast, empty room. I immediately nudged her with my elbow.
“Hmm…?” She looked at me, confused.
I wanted her to be more aware of our surroundings, but the Chief Abbot spoke, stopping me.
“Hehe… No need for that. I’m the one who called you here so suddenly. Please, make yourselves at home.”
“…Thank you for your understanding.”
“I should be the one thanking you. You came despite my abrupt request.”
The room was immense and sparsely furnished, causing every word to echo. I sipped my tea a few times to quench my thirst, all the while thinking.
I don’t think he called me here for the book.
Even being called the Heavenly Eye probably didn’t mean he could see everything.
As I controlled my expression and kept a subtle watch on Namgung Bi-ah beside me, the Chief Abbot spoke again.
“You must be wondering why I called you here so suddenly today.”
I looked directly at him.
“Is it possible that you have heard the term ‘Meteor’ from your father?”
My eyes widened slightly. It was a term I had heard before—but not from my father.
The King of Swords.
Namgung Jin, the father of Namgung Cheonjun and Namgung Bi-ah, the man currently known as the King of Swords in this era. I had heard it from him.
I glanced at Namgung Bi-ah, but she continued sipping her tea, appearing completely clueless.
“I have heard of it,” I replied, deciding honesty was the best approach here.
“How much do you know?”
“Only that it exists.”
The Chief Abbot chuckled at my response.
“I expected the Tiger Warrior wouldn’t tell his children. This is unexpected.”
He thought Father wouldn’t tell me? Why would he assume that?
“The reason I called you here is that I wish for you to join the Meteor.”
“…The Meteor?”
My gaze sharpened at the Chief Abbot’s offer. Meteor. It was a strange name whose meaning eluded me. I couldn’t accept without understanding, but I also couldn’t decipher it on the spot.
I quickly schooled my expression.
“First, I’d like to thank you.”
“Hmm?”
“You likely extend this offer because you think favorably of me.”
The Chief Abbot nodded. Was he smiling? His long eyebrows and beard made it hard to see his eyes and mouth clearly.
“However, I have a question.”
“Please, ask freely.”
“I wish to know what this ‘Meteor’ is.”
I had never heard of it in my past life. Of course, I had learned many new things in this life, but dealing with the unknown was always challenging.
It’s not easy to handle.
If it were just one or two secrets, it would be different, but there were too many, and their scale was considerable. It made me question how I had lived before without knowing something so significant.
“…That is something we cannot—” the Mighty Staff began from behind the Chief Abbot, but the Heavenly Eye raised a hand, cutting him off.
“Chief Abbot…?” the Mighty Staff murmured.
Simultaneously, the Chief Abbot addressed us. “The Meteor is a small group formed by the Murim Alliance to prepare for a disaster that will soon befall the Central Plains.”
The Mighty Staff’s face showed clear shock. Seeing someone with such a stoic demeanor react so strongly emphasized the extreme secrecy of the matter.
I contemplated the Chief Abbot’s words.
A disaster, huh?
This part was shocking. The coming disaster was on a completely different scale from the smaller calamities of the past. If the Chief Abbot was referring to the Heavenly Demon…
Did that mean they were preparing for that?
It meant the Murim Alliance knew the Heavenly Demon was coming and was actively making preparations…
…But what were they going to do about it?
They might have prepared, but the result in my past life had been catastrophic. Still, the crucial point was that they were preparing.
“A disaster…” I echoed.
“I cannot say how many years we have, but a disaster will descend upon us in the not-too-distant future.”
These words came from the Heavenly Eye himself. That alone gave them immense weight.
I nervously gulped, or at least made a show of doing so, and asked, “…May I ask why you wish to include us in such an important group?”
My performance, or rather, our performance in this year’s tournament, while good, didn’t mean we were fully-fledged masters. It puzzled me why the Chief Abbot himself wanted to recruit us for a group dedicated to averting catastrophe.
The Chief Abbot responded as if he had anticipated my question. “More than the accomplished martial artists in the Central Plains today, I place greater importance on the potential within rising stars like you.”
Potential?
He said it would be a few years. For a moment, I thought he might be planning to train the young prodigies in advance. But the Chief Abbot surely knew that reaching the level of the Central Plains’ top hundred masters couldn’t be done in just a few years.
So there must be another reason.
It struck me as odd that I’d never heard of such a group, given its purpose was to prevent the Heavenly Demon’s disaster.
“The Meteor is a place that can offer you many more things,” he added.
When he said “many more things,” was he referring to rare herbs or similar resources?
“If you wish, I could help you see a bigger world.”
A bigger world. His words struck a chord. I asked, as if captivated by the phrase, “…Is it possible that the New Star is also part of this Meteor group?”
The New Star was the title given to Jang Seonyeon after the tournament.
I wonder if Jang Seonyeon is involved.
The thought had been on my mind. Recent events had given me the feeling he might be.
The Chief Abbot stared at me silently. After a moment, without uttering a word, he shook his head.
“That is something you will discover if you choose to join.”
It wasn’t a clear yes or no. But from his response, I thought I understood the answer.