Chapter 578: Miracle of Shaolin (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 578: Miracle of Shaolin (4)
There was once a martial artist known as the Ghost Monk.
He was a Demonic Human who belonged to the Heavenly Black Army, a unit directly under the Heavenly Demon. Before the Sword Demon formed the Ghostly Sword Army, the Ghost Monk had served in its predecessor—a unit dedicated solely to slaughter.
Even by the standards of his background, he was notorious for his exceptionally cruel deeds.
However, I’d had very little contact with him.
During the time the Ghost Monk was active as a Demonic Human, I had only just been captured and was being held captive by the Heavenly Demon. Back then, I didn't belong to or command any unit, so our paths never crossed.
Even before he became a Demonic Human, I had never met him face-to-face.
It was only natural.
‘I was a goddamn cripple. And that guy...’
Among the so-called Meteor Generation—a group filled with prodigies who soared and crawled their way to the top—he was known as the most outstanding of them all.
That was the Ghost Monk... no.
‘Should I call him the Heavenly Dragon now?’
Alongside Jang Seonyeon, he was the rising hope of the Orthodox Faction and hailed as the miracle of Shaolin. He was on a completely different level from me, the man once called the Gu Clan’s Disgrace and the Scoundrel of Shanxi.
He was the Ghost Monk, and he was the young man standing before me now.
I looked straight at him.
The first thing I noticed was his head, which seemed to gleam under the moonlight. Below it were faint yellow eyes. He stood nearly seven feet tall, his powerful, massive physique clearly visible even through his robes.
Observing his conditioned form, I could make an easy guess.
‘A close-combat type.’
He was likely an exceptional martial artist who had pushed his External Arts to the absolute limit. Then again, it was only natural for a disciple of Shaolin to specialize in such arts.
‘Seeing him like this is surreal.’
The feeling was bizarre. Not only had I never expected to meet him under these circumstances, but the fact that we were standing face-to-face felt entirely wrong.
‘The miracle of Shaolin.’
The last Heavenly Dragon. The greatest genius of all time.
Those were the titles used to describe Yu Yeon. And of those three, I didn't deny a single one.
‘Because all three are true.’
In some ways, he was even more than that. Although he hadn't been chosen as the Heavenly Dragon through the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament, but rather through some underhanded backroom dealings, the circumstances of the time demanded it.
‘That bastard was more than worthy of being the Heavenly Dragon.’
He was by no means unqualified for the title.
‘His age... I think he’s the same age as me.’
At most, he was a year or two older. If he had reached the Fusion Realm at that age, calling him the greatest genius of all time wasn't an exaggeration. I had reached the Fusion Realm at a younger age myself, but...
‘I’m an exception.’
It didn't matter to me if he was called the youngest to reach the Fusion Realm or the greatest genius in history. In fact, if I hadn't existed, those titles would have rightfully been his.
Besides, looking at him now made the past even stranger.
‘At his level, would he have even needed to resort to such pathetic tricks?’
Seeing the Heavenly Dragon’s current state, he could have claimed the title on merit alone, without Shaolin or the Alliance resorting to schemes. He was more than qualified. Reaching the Fusion Realm by the age of twenty meant he was overflowing with potential.
So, if they still felt the need to use such methods... I figured there had to be a reason.
And that reason...
‘Is it also why he eventually abandoned Shaolin and ran?’
Was it connected to why the Heavenly Dragon turned his back on his home and became corrupted? I had often wondered about that.
Of course, there was no way for me to know. By the time I emerged into the world as a Demonic Human, the Ghost Monk had already been hunted down and killed by his former brothers in Shaolin.
‘They said dozens of masters from the Alliance and Shaolin were sent to kill him.’
And by the time they finally succeeded, half of their forces had been wiped out.
‘I’m curious.’
I looked at the Heavenly Dragon with renewed interest. For what reason did this man become a Demonic Human? The question bubbled up inside me, but now wasn't the time for such inquiries.
I looked at him and changed the subject.
“A fan of meat, are we?”
“...”
My sudden question made the Heavenly Dragon’s brow furrow. He looked deeply displeased. Then again, asking such a thing of a Shaolin monk—for whom eating meat is a grave sin—was incredibly rude.
However, the situation was a little different now.
‘He definitely ate it.’
I had seen it clearly. At the inn just moments ago, I saw him eating dumplings. No... to be precise, I didn't see him in the act of eating.
‘I saw the leftovers.’
But that was enough.
“The dumplings there are good, but I never knew they were so delicious they’d tempt a monk to break his vows.”
A taste so good even those who abstain would covet it. I thought it would make a fantastic promotional slogan for the inn.
As I chuckled, the Heavenly Dragon finally spoke.
“I do not know what you are talking about, sir...”
His previous irritation vanished, replaced by a gentle, upright expression. Seeing this, I nodded.
I see. So he’s going to play dumb.
He was clearly planning to feign ignorance since there was no physical proof. Unfortunately for him, there was.
“If you were going to lie, you should have wiped the grease from your mouth first.”
The Heavenly Dragon froze for a split second before instinctively reaching up to wipe his mouth.
Watching him, I continued.
“You’ve got a bit of green onion stuck in your teeth, too.”
“...!”
As he moved to check in a panic again, I added, “Ah, that was a lie.”
When I flashed him a smile, the man turned as still as a statue. His expression shifted. He realized there was no longer any room to escape the embarrassment.
I kept smiling. After a brief, heavy silence, the Heavenly Dragon let out a short, awkward cough.
“Ahem...”
He corrected his undignified posture, standing tall and straight once more.
“Sir, do you have business with me?”
It seemed he intended to pretend our previous conversation had never happened. How absurd. I let out a dry laugh and took a step forward.
It was a sudden move, but the Heavenly Dragon showed no outward reaction. Is he not concerned? It certainly looked that way, but...
Tingle.
As I moved, my heart reacted on its own. I could feel it.
Wooooong—!
An instinctive aura was gradually spreading from the tips of the Heavenly Dragon’s toes. The dense energy rippled in all directions, carving out a domain. In a heartbeat, the entire area was covered by his influence.
I smiled at the sensation.
‘Nice.’
The way he manipulated his Qi was swift, precise, and meticulous. The tightly woven web of his senses was impressive enough to earn my admiration. Not bad at all.
“Is it alright for a Buddhist seeking enlightenment to be so violent?” I asked, feeling the weight of his energy.
The Heavenly Dragon replied coldly, “You have not yet answered my question, sir.”
“Hmm.”
I nodded. If he had simply spread his senses to create a domain, I wouldn't have thought much of it.
‘But his energy is a bit rough.’
My heart was reacting to the pressure. It meant the energy he was emitting was laced with genuine hostility.
‘Was he really that offended because I teased him?’
Was that why he was reacting this way? It was possible. Having figured that much out, I offered a casual apology.
“Sorry if I offended you.”
“...?”
“A monk can eat a little meat now and then. How can a person live without it?”
When I said it with a grin, a look of pure bewilderment crossed his face. He looked as if he never expected me to actually apologize. At the same time, I focused the strength in my heart and drew out my own Qi.
Woooong—!
The Qi flowing from my heart pushed back against the Heavenly Dragon’s domain. Only then did the air feel a little less heavy.
Crack!
I rolled my shoulders to loosen up, but I didn't close the distance any further.
‘I didn't come here to fight, after all.’
At least, that wasn't my purpose today. I looked into the Heavenly Dragon’s eyes.
“I was just a little curious.”
Thinking about why I’d followed him... it was just as I said. I was simply curious.
“Isn’t it a strange coincidence? I stopped by an inn, and there was the miracle of Shaolin, stuffing his face with dumplings.”
“...”
The miracle of Shaolin. I saw the Heavenly Dragon’s brow twitch at the title. Since he was bald, the movement was particularly noticeable.
“I know a Taoist bastard who eats meat like a wolf, but this is the first time I’ve seen a monk do it.”
That Taoist guy is only a priest in name and half-crazy anyway, so I don't pay him much mind. But Shaolin felt different. That was the general perception, at least.
‘...Well, they did say The Light of Might ate meat, too.’
According to Elder Shin, even The Light of Might, the hero of Shaolin, secretly indulged, so it was hard to blame this kid for it. Nevertheless, the reason I’d shown up and pointed it out was simply to start a conversation—though it had taken a much rougher turn than I’d anticipated.
“Sir, you seem to know exactly who I am.”
“I know you well. How could I not?”
If you were to pick the most famous people in Henan these days, one would be the new Alliance Leader, the Sword of Wudang. The other would be the Heavenly Dragon standing before me.
“The new Heavenly Dragon. Right?”
“...”
Even if he denied it, I wouldn't have believed him. He had a face that looked to have just passed twenty, yet he possessed a body of overwhelming power.
‘And it’d be a bit shameless to pretend I don’t recognize that energy.’
The heavy, righteous Qi of Shaolin radiating from him was unmistakable. Anyone with eyes would know who he was.
‘He’s certainly incredible.’
In my past life, I had only seen him from a distance. Since my own level back then was pathetic, I couldn't properly gauge his power. But facing him up close like this, I could see it clearly.
‘He deserves to be called a monster.’
To think he achieved this level at a mere twenty years of age. It was incomprehensible. How was it possible? Could it be...
“By any chance, did you... do what Yeon Il-Cheon did?”
“Pardon?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
I quickly retracted the thought. No matter how I looked at it, that couldn't be it.
‘Having more regressors would be too much of a headache.’
I knew it was absurd, but seeing his state, I couldn't help but be suspicious. He was just that impressive. Even setting me aside—since I had the benefit of a past life—to reach this state through pure talent meant...
‘He really is the greatest genius of all time.’
A prodigy sent down from the heavens. There was no other way to describe him. While marveling at his presence, I prepared to introduce myself.
“Ah, I’m—”
“I know.”
“Hm?”
Just as I was about to give my name, the Heavenly Dragon cut me off. I was genuinely surprised.
“You know?”
“I know who you are, sir.”
“Hmm...?”
He knows me? I stared at him curiously, and he met my gaze, his face hardening.
“The Lesser King of Hell, Gu Yangcheon...”
“...”
“That is your title and name, is it not?”
My eyes widened. “What? How did you know?”
That was truly unexpected. How did he know about me?
“I simply believed,” the Heavenly Dragon said, his expression stern. “I believed that someone with your power could be no one else.”
“Oh.”
I let out a sound of genuine admiration. It meant that the reason I was sure he was the Heavenly Dragon and the reason he was sure of my identity were the same. We recognized each other's strength.
The only problem was...
“Then why do you look like you want to kill me?”
The hostility in the Heavenly Dragon’s Qi was growing thicker. The moment he became certain of who I was, the edge in his energy intensified.
When I asked him why... he offered no reply. Usually, when asked so directly, a person would deny it. His silence was as good as a confession.
‘What is this?’
Was it really because I teased him? Or because I’d been speaking informally since we met?
‘Both are valid reasons to dislike someone.’
I could admit that. I could see why he’d be upset. Not that I planned on changing my tone.
‘But I don't think that's all there is to it.’
A bad first impression was one thing, but there was something else in his eyes. Some deeper reason for his resentment. I stood still for a few seconds, staring him down.
“...Sir,” the Heavenly Dragon finally spoke. “Did you come here to participate in the martial arts tournament?”
He didn't answer my question. Instead, he countered with one of his own. It was clear he had no intention of explaining his hostility. I decided to play along.
“Since it’s happening, I’m thinking of giving it a try.”
“I see.” He nodded. “That is a relief.”
“Hm?”
A relief? What does that mean?
“It was a pleasure meeting you today, sir. I shall see you next... in three months.”
Then, without another word, he bid me farewell, turned his back, and started walking away.
I tilted my head, watching him go. The "pleasure meeting you" part was definitely a lie. And the rest...
‘Saying he’ll see me in three months... does that mean he’s also participating?’
Was that a declaration of war? I clapped my hands softly as the realization hit me. It was actually a refreshing feeling.
‘I think this is a first.’
It was probably the first time since I regressed that someone had challenged me so directly.
I don't like you, so meet me at the tournament. I'm going to teach you a lesson.
No matter how I interpreted it, that was the message. I couldn't remember the last time someone had the balls to say that to me. And to have it happen with someone I just met today...
“Hey!” I called out.
The Heavenly Dragon flinched and stopped in his tracks. I saw his shoulders shift minutely.
Is he thinking of fighting right here?
He seemed more than ready for it, but unfortunately for him, I had no desire to brawl in the street.
“I’ll keep it a secret from Shaolin that you were sneaking dumplings.”
“...”
After I delivered my parting shot, he stood there blankly for a moment. Then, he slowly turned back to face me.
“...For that... I am grateful.”
The Heavenly Dragon pressed his palms together in a formal gesture of respect, then turned and hurried away. His pace was noticeably faster than before.
He was definitely embarrassed.
“...Haha.”
I let out a dry laugh. It seemed that guy wasn't exactly normal either.
Wudang, Shaolin, Mount Hua... why is it that the people who should be the most sane always have a screw loose? The world was clearly a mess.
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
“In three months...”
The Heavenly Dragon’s words lingered in my mind. I hadn't been planning to take the tournament seriously, but hearing a challenge like that changed things.
“This makes it a little personal.”
My fists might carry a bit more weight when I strike. If that happened, it would be difficult to hold back. And from my perspective, that was going to be a very troublesome situation for everyone involved.