Unshaken (3)
Yeon Hojeong exhaled softly.
Tam-gyeong’s face looked as if it had aged several years in mere days.
Lee Beon glanced at him.
“Why the sigh?”
“It just came out on its own.”
“Trying to go before this brother of yours?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t they say that sighing too often shortens your lifespan?”
“Hahaha.”
Tam-gyeong burst into laughter, then smacked his lips and spoke.
“I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Is the scripture proving difficult to interpret?”
“That’s nothing new. It’s not something that gets solved in a day or two. I’ll simply keep studying it until the day I die.”
Lee Beon smiled.
“Then it must be because of that child.”
“Child?”
“The one called Yeon Hojeong.”
Tam-gyeong’s mouth clamped shut like a clamshell.
Lee Beon closed the worn book he had been holding and continued while patting his lower back.
“After meeting that child, you seem to have changed quite a bit. To be precise, it feels like you’ve returned to the fiery version of yourself from the past.”
“Did it look that way?”
“Truth be told, among us, no one burned with as much passion as you. Weren’t you called the most fearsome Head of the Arhat Hall in Shaolin’s history? Some even said you were the incarnation of the Myeongwang, the Bright King, if I recall correctly?”
“Haha, why bring up old stories that have long passed?”
“I’m not saying this to cheer you up. I’m simply telling you to know yourself.”
“……”
“The biting winds of time don’t only change the mountains and rivers. They seep into people’s hearts as well. That’s why a heart that was once as hard and sharp as steel becomes soft and trembling with age.”
Tam-gyeong looked at Lee Beon.
Leaning against the cave wall, Lee Beon appeared shabby yet carried the aura of a sage who had attained the Dao.
It was because of his eyes. Those deep, profound eyes reminded one of a flawless mirror. If one stared into them long enough, it felt as though their own heart was laid completely bare.
“You’ve changed from the past. But that past is still a part of you. Unfortunately, you have not completely severed yourself from who you once were.”
“Is that how it looks?”
“That is how it looks.”
Tam-gyeong’s expression turned bitter.
“It seems I still have a long way to go.”
“Is it such a disappointing thing that you haven’t completely changed from your past self? It’s not as if you committed evil deeds.”
“I poured the rest of my life into uncovering the secrets of reincarnation in order to draw closer to the Buddha’s path. For that purpose, I should have forgotten the self who once rampaged across the Jianghu and followed only the Dao.”
“……”
“I thought I had forgotten those fists that burned like fire, yet it seems a spark of that flame still remains in my heart.”
Lee Beon let out a small chuckle.
“This is why one must find work that suits their nature. Your choice was noble, but you should have done what you truly wanted to do.”
“How many people in this world can freely do what they want? Sometimes we must do things we don’t want to. And just so there’s no misunderstanding, I don’t dislike this work either.”
“Pfft!”
Lee Beon shook his head.
“When my great-grandson and Beom-oh came and asked for help, you were the first to step forward.”
“……”
“Yes, since it involves the government, even those of us who have cut ties with the mundane world could not stay still. But you were different. The reason you moved wasn’t because you feared the government would collapse or that our work would be disrupted.”
Tam-gyeong’s eyes trembled.
Lee Beon stared straight at him with those profound eyes, as if he could see right through his inner thoughts.
“Within your chest still burns the overflowing spirit and ambition to sweep across the Jianghu once more.”
“……”
“How embarrassing.”
“Hehehe. There is no law that says old men cannot dream. After all, didn’t all of us gathered here come together for the sake of a dream? The dream and belief that by digging into the relationship between immortality and reincarnation, into that unknown gap, we might draw closer to the truth and bring peace to the world even sooner.”
“……”
“Dreams do not discriminate between man and woman, young and old. The only difference is what kind of dream one has. I do not find yours ugly. On the contrary, I am envious. That even at your age, you can still live with such passion.”
Lee Beon winked.
“An unyielding passion is the symbol of youth. Even if your body and martial arts have aged, you are still young.”
“……”
“So act like a young man should. Don’t worry about others’ opinions and run wild as you please.”
Tam-gyeong looked at Lee Beon with trembling eyes.
Instead of awkwardly staying cooped up here, go out into the world with a clear heart.
That was what Lee Beon’s words meant. And those words were filled with sincerity that contained not a single trace of discomfort or falsehood.
After staring at Lee Beon for a long time, a warm smile finally spread across Tam-gyeong’s face.
“It was a splendid test.”
“It wasn’t a test.”
Tam-gyeong shook his head.
“What I saw was not the past version of myself who boldly galloped across the world. It was the sense of fulfillment that came from suppressing evil and bringing peace to the world.”
“Is that so.”
“It is. However, this time I merely imitated my past self a little. That alone is enough for me.”
“Are you sincere?”
“I am sincere.”
The smile on Tam-gyeong’s face deepened.
“I am sincere. How could I not be? In the future I will still envy my past self, but that is not obsession—it is simply a memory. I have just realized that.”
“Hahaha.”
“I am too old to run wild, crushed beneath the illusions that memories bring. At the very least, I am old enough to make that distinction.”
If Lee Beon’s encouragement had been sincere, then Tam-gyeong’s words were equally filled with sincerity.
Tam-gyeong burst into hearty laughter.
“Still, it seems I am indeed younger than you, brother. My hands still itch from time to time.”
“Pfft! The man once feared across the world as the King of Fury has no shame at all.”
“What’s wrong with acting a little shameless? There’s no one here but us anyway.”
“Hahaha.”
Passion does not care about age. In the same way, enlightenment also does not care about age.
Tam-gyeong had met a peculiar junior upon venturing into the world and, while soaked in the desire-filled winds of the mundane realm, had gained a small affliction.
And now, by burning away that affliction, he had once again ascended to a higher realm. For Tam-gyeong, this was an enlightenment even more valuable than advancement in martial arts—it was the enlightenment of a sage.
Lee Beon shook his head.
“So, is there another reason you still haven’t told us?”
“What do you mean?”
“About the Yellow Dragon.”
Tam-gyeong’s eyes sparkled.
“That child gave you the formula for the Yellow Dragon Law, didn’t he?”
“He did.”
“That fellow really is quite amusing. No matter how much of a transaction it was, to hand over something like that so easily.”
“Yeon Hojeong is no fool. In martial arts, there is a distinction between the oral formula and the law text. He did not give me the oral formula.”
“Even so.”
“Moreover, to awaken the true Yellow Dragon, one must fully master all the true energy of the Sasinmu and also possess every oral formula of the Four Gods Qi. To someone who truly does not understand the Four Gods, the Yellow Dragon Law is nothing more than empty talk.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Lee Beon looked at him with meaningful eyes.
“Do you think the same?”
Tam-gyeong nodded.
“If I had the oral formula, it might be different, but the law text is literally just a law text. The Yellow Dragon Law, filled with metaphors, similes, and poetic expressions whose meaning is unclear, is at a level that would make even a great scholar tilt his head in confusion.”
“Then what about you? For you, who interpreted the scriptures of immortality and reincarnation, scriptures filled with such profound enlightenment—what does it mean to you?”
Lee Beon pointed at the wall with his hand.
“In the Yellow Dragon Law, did you find any clues that could help interpret the content written here?”
Surprisingly, beneath the bright light of the night-luminescent pearl, countless characters were densely engraved into the wall.
The surface was not rough, and the characters were clear. And such walls were not limited to this one spot.
Throughout the caves of Mount Bul, dozens of scriptures had been deciphered and carved into the stone.
“I still don’t know yet. However, it seems almost certain that the person who created this Bulsan Seongmun Seokbyeok—the Sacred Script Stone Wall of Mount Bul—was the Four Directions Martial Emperor.”
“Hmm.”
A flame ignited in Lee Beon’s eyes.
Pure scholarly passion and a human’s will toward a dream. Although he had said that passion for the mundane world burned in Tam-gyeong’s chest, Lee Beon clearly possessed his own kind of passion.
“The unique metaphors written on this Sacred Script Stone Wall share common ground with the Yellow Dragon Law. Whether the Four Directions Martial Emperor created the Yellow Dragon himself or completed a version passed down from his predecessors, I do not know. But at the very least, it is a clear fact that in the past, the Four Directions Martial Emperor ended the Blood Cult Rebellion and came to this place.”
“I see.”
Lee Beon gazed at the stone wall with trembling eyes.
“You’re certain? That the one who made this stone wall was the Four Directions Martial Emperor.”
“I am.”
“Then… the one who left behind on this wall the words that immortality is reincarnation, and that one must therefore escape the framework of reincarnation to reach the heavens—was truly the Four Directions Martial Emperor?”
Tam-gyeong smiled as he spoke.
“Shouldn’t we investigate further and interpret more? However, before that, we must receive a guest.”
“A guest? Ah!”
Perhaps because he had been so focused on the stone wall, he hadn’t even noticed the presence.
Lee Beon’s face crumpled.
“These brats. They might as well put up a sign. Telling the whole world that the greatest elders of the Central Plains’ Buddhist sects are gathered here.”
“Hahaha.”
The two of them stepped out of the cave.
Outside the cave stood Yeon Hojeong and Beom-oh.
Beom-oh immediately performed a half-bow, while Yeon Hojeong gave a slight nod.
Lee Beon shouted angrily.
“You brats! This is not a place you can come and go as you please! What if someone catches you?!”
Beom-oh cleared his throat awkwardly, but Yeon Hojeong was different.
“Even the assassins knew about this place. What’s the point of acting surprised now?”
“What?”
“If you’re going to hide something, hide it properly.”
“Look at this guy. Just because I taught him the Yellow Dragon Law, he’s acting all high and mighty. You brat! If you’re going to visit, at least bring some delicious food! You came empty-handed?!”
Lee Beon continued grumbling. He was quite annoyed that these young visitors had ruined the emotional moment.
Without answering, Yeon Hojeong looked at Tam-gyeong.
Tam-gyeong smiled.
“I was about to go find you, but you came to me first.”
“Things have gotten busy.”
“I see.”
“So, did you obtain what you wanted?”
“Not yet. Truthfully, if I could have my way, I’d want you to teach me the entire Sasinmu.”
“I trust you know that’s impossible.”
“Hahaha! Of course I do. I was just saying it.”
Tam-gyeong’s laughter was remarkably refreshing.
A glint flashed in Yeon Hojeong’s eyes. For some reason, he felt that Tam-gyeong had changed slightly from before.
Stopping his laughter, Tam-gyeong looked at Yeon Hojeong with deep eyes.
“In truth, after giving you the Yellow Dragon Law, there was no need for us to meet again. Since each of us obtained what we wanted, we could simply go our separate ways.”
Yeon Hojeong frowned.
“You were the one who said we should meet one more time, old man.”
“I did. And the reason I suggested meeting again was to ask if there was anything about the Yellow Dragon Law that remained unclear.”
“And?”
“And now, there is no need.”
At that moment, Yeon Hojeong’s eyes lit up.
“Don’t tell me you’ve completely interpreted the Yellow Dragon Law?”
Tam-gyeong shook his head.
“How could that be? I don’t even have the oral formula, and I know nothing about the Four Gods Qi. It will probably take a very long time to interpret.”
“Then why?”
“The Yellow Dragon Law as you interpret it is thoroughly centered on mu—martial arts—while the one I interpret is centered on sudden enlightenment. Even if I received advice, it wouldn’t help.”
“I see.”
Yeon Hojeong shrugged.
“Then I suppose we have no more business with each other.”
“That’s not entirely true.”
“Why not?”
“Because I now have something to give you.”
“Something to give?”
“Yes. I have something to give you.”
After staring intently at Yeon Hojeong, Tam-gyeong suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
“Even until the moment you die, You must never abandon the value of Hyeop—the spirit of chivalry.”
“……?”
“You must not harm the good, and you must show compassion to others. There is no need to change your personality, but at the very least, the place where your axe strikes must not be stained with the blood of the righteous.”
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
“I did not live that way. No matter the outcome, my fists were always carried on the back of justice and aimed at evil.”
“……?”
“I hope that the power I have placed upon your axe does not become soaked in the blood of the good.”
“……?!”
Shock spread across Yeon Hojeong’s face.