Think of Righteousness in Action

"Who are you?"

Those encountering a Zen koan for the first time might be flustered, wondering what kind of nonsensical non-sequitur this is. Yoo Jeong was no different. Yet, if it were merely a meaningless string of words, it would not be called a Zen riddle. His interlocutor was a high monk of Shaolin, not someone suffering from dementia. There was surely a deeper implication, but Yoo Jeong could not easily grasp it. Thus, choosing a direct approach, she opened her mouth.

"I am Yoo Jeong."

"And I am a simple monk named Goeng-ryo."

"Pardon?"

She had answered who she was when asked, and he had replied in kind. An abrupt exchange of names. The confusion in Yoo Jeong's eyes deepened. Abbot Goeng-ryo continuously sipped the alcohol he insisted on calling "grain tea." The deep wrinkles that carved into his face as he smiled made him look like an ancient tree.

"Shall we walk for a bit?"

Abbot Goeng-ryo made the suggestion and stood up before even waiting for an answer, and Yoo Jeong immediately followed him. People they passed bowed with clasped hands in Buddhist greeting instead of the martial fist-and-palm salute to show respect to the Alliance Leader. Each time, Abbot Goeng-ryo responded with a single-handed salute, chanting, "Amitabha."

"Your face is full of questions."

Abbot Goeng-ryo, walking ahead, spoke without even turning around. It was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. But thinking about it, it was only natural. She had asked about chivalry, and instead of receiving an answer, they had only exchanged names. With her initial question unresolved, more questions could only pile up.

"Hulhulhul. Do not resent this old monk too much. I put quite a bit of thought into that answer."

"With my lacking intellect, I cannot seem to understand that answer."

"Nonsense. You are simply too clever, so you are overthinking it."

Overthinking. At his light teasing, Yoo Jeong fell into deep thought. A cool breeze blew. Her swaying hair gently brushed against her forehead.

"Do you mean I should think about myself first?"

Yoo Jeong recalled the koan Abbot Goeng-ryo had thrown at her. If it wasn't a question meant for a simple introduction... did it mean that knowing oneself must come first?

"That, too, is important. Not just for chivalry, but for all things."

To Yoo Jeong's follow-up, Abbot Goeng-ryo smiled and gave a vague, non-committal response. So that wasn't the answer? Yoo Jeong stroked her chin.

"Can you not just tell me?"

"Of course not. What I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠speak of is my own answer."

"Is my answer different?"

"Because you are Yoo Jeong, and I am the simple monk Goeng-ryo."

She paused. Listening to the leisurely old monk, Yoo Jeong stopped in her tracks and stared at his retreating back. Yoo Jeong knew that gratitude and vengeance, good and evil, were two sides of the same coin.

The Hwangro Merchant Group.

What was good to one could be evil to another. She understood the difference in perspectives, but the idea that everyone's definition of chivalry was different was another matter entirely.

"Aren't righteousness and chivalry universal concepts?"

"Yet, were you not the one who asked about chivalry because you did not know it?"

"But surely there is a universal definition."

"And whose definition would that be?"

The old monk asked gently, as if addressing a curious granddaughter. Confronted with that warm smile, Yoo Jeong found herself at a loss for words.

"If there are ten thousand people, there are ten thousand paths. How could they possibly be the same? Even if you call it chivalry or righteousness, it will appear differently to others."

"The Way that can be spoken of is not the eternal Way; the Name that can be named is not the eternal Name." Abbot Goeng-ryo recited the opening lines of the Tao Te Ching.

"You have a complicated look on your face."

"Because in the end, I haven't found the answer I wanted."

"Hulhulhul. If I had told you my path, would that have truly become your answer? It only holds value when you contemplate and realize it for yourself."

It felt like wandering in the dark. As Yoo Jeong stood frozen, engulfed by the same feeling of being lost that she had experienced during her childhood in Muo Valley...

"At times like this, nothing beats breaking a good sweat."

Abbot Goeng-ryo suddenly took a martial starting stance.

"Suddenly, what are you..."

Her small lips, about to protest, clamped shut. Only then did Yoo Jeong realize they were standing on the martial arts training grounds.

"What do ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you mean, 'suddenly'? You haven't been able to hide your competitive spirit since the moment we met. Hulhul."

Abbot Goeng-ryo's intention from the very beginning had been a duel.

"Though I said you must find your own path, sometimes it is helpful to reference the answers of those who walked before you."

"Then, Alliance Leader, what is your answer?"

"Experience it for yourself."

His half-closed eyes focused on Yoo Jeong. Abbot Goeng-ryo, who had seemed like nothing more than a frail old man until now, suddenly appeared towering and immense.

"Now, here I come."

The duel began without warning.

Despite his words, Abbot Goeng-ryo did not make the first move. He simply stood there in absolute silence. Her bewilderment was brief. Watching him, Yoo Jeong drew her sword.

This is exactly what I wanted.

What is chivalry? It was important, but ultimately a personal question. Yoo Jeong's most vital objective was to forge her own sword technique. To display a sword as beautiful as the scenery her master had painted with her blade—one she could proudly show off to her master.

The martial arts of Shaolin.

The sect hailed as the Mount Tai and Beidou of the Murim, the origin of all martial arts. That was Shaolin. Their martial arts would undoubtedly be magnificent. Yoo Jeong intended to use them as nourishment for her own growth. She held the unsheathed Cheonru upright and watched her opponent. His back remained perfectly straight and unyielding. His extended arms and legs firmly anchored him to the earth, strong and rigid, facing Yoo Jeong.

I'll save the sword qi for later.

This was a sparring match. Moreover, her opponent was a high monk of Shaolin who held the position of Alliance Leader. Of course, as a master of the Transformation Realm, he would not be easily defeated. Still, she felt no need to overextend herself from the very beginning. She took a step forward.

The moment her foot touched the ground lightly, she channeled power into her toes, her body launching forward like an arrow. It was the Eagle's Cloud-Sweeping Steps, specifically the variation known as the Swooping Eagle's Descent.

The distance closed in an instant. Yoo Jeong thrust her sword forward with a light touch.

Clang!

It was blocked just as lightly by the old monk. Yet, Yoo Jeong was deeply shocked.

"...Your palms are incredibly thick."

"Hulhulhul. It is called the Iron Sand Palm."

The tip of Cheonru, a legendary sword capable of slicing through solid rock, could not pierce Abbot Goeng-ryo's palm. She applied steady pressure, but he remained as immovable as a thousand-year-old pine. Thus, Yoo Jeong changed her approach.

Shifting her direction with wide, sweeping strides using the Mist Veering Southward footwork, she unleashed a technique from the Heavenly Sword's lineage, the Eight Flows of Radiant Splendor—specifically, the Glowworm's Blinding Flash.

A barrage of thrusts rained down, constantly shifting angles. By now, her blade was even coated in a faint layer of sword qi, yet...

Clang! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Clang!

Sometimes with his fingers, sometimes with his forearms, and occasionally even using his head, he deflected the blade. Like one of the Four Heavenly Kings guarding the Buddhist dharma, Abbot Goeng-ryo stood tall, refusing to budge from his spot.

"Are you only going to defend?"

Even at her growled question, Abbot Goeng-ryo merely chuckled. In response, Yoo Jeong swung her sword once more. However, Abbot Goeng-ryo was no easy opponent. As if proving that the claim of him mastering Shaolin's Seventy-Two Arts was no exaggeration, when he extended his fingers, the One-Finger Zen and Vajra Finger manifested. When he curled his hands, the Dragon Claw Hand unfolded. When he opened them wide, the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm filled her vision. And when he clenched them into fists, the Arhat Fist struck the flat of her blade.

Even while moving so busily, his upright posture never wavered. Stillness in motion. It was the profound essence of the Vajra Indestructible Movement Technique.

Staring at Abbot Goeng-ryo, who stood as unyielding as a giant Buddha statue, a faint smile played on Yoo Jeong's lips. When she first swung her sword, it carried curiosity. Then, a touch of anger. Now, she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Just as her opponent endlessly showcased Shaolin's ultimate techniques, Yoo Jeong unleashed everything she had learned.

The Transformation Realm. This was her first true clash since achieving the perfect harmony of mind, body, and spirit. They said that through practicing and clashing with martial arts, one could truly understand their opponent. From Abbot Goeng-ryo's martial arts, she could feel an unbending will and a solid, upright character.

He is truly worthy of respect.

From a certain point, Yoo Jeong felt a strange sensation. It felt as though she were performing a solo sword dance ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠inside a quiet temple hall. Abbot Goeng-ryo's voice calling out his martial techniques became the rhythmic tapping of a wooden temple block. His robust body and her Cheonru became wind chimes hanging from the eaves, spreading a clear, resonant sound.

Then, suddenly.

—What is chivalry?

The Buddha statue before her threw a koan.

"I do not know."

She sliced through it with her sword. Right now, she simply enjoyed swinging her sword. She did not want to worry about anything else. But it seemed her opponent would not allow that.

—What is chivalry?

—What is righteousness?

—Where do you place your resolve?

—What is right?

The relentless questions tormented her. Yoo Jeong, who had been dancing with her eyes closed, knit her brows. The questions could no longer be sliced away as easily as before. They clung to her like the whispers of a demon, gnawing away at her mental energy.

I do not know.

At some point, Yoo Jeong accepted it. She stopped trying to force her way through. She accepted the fact that she did not know. Am I right to live as I do now? I will doubt myself endlessly. She resolved to do so.

And then...

Her impatience subsided, and peace washed over her. The persistent whispers melted into the scenery, transforming into the chirping of insects and the singing of birds. The mingling scents of incense and fresh grass. Inside the cozy temple hall, where the sound of the wooden block and the wind chimes harmonized, Yoo Jeong smiled. Just as she was about to swing her sword with a fluttering heart,

Booooong—

The temple's great bronze bell rang out with a thunderous boom. Yoo Jeong opened her eyes. She was pushed back, her feet sliding across the ground. The sword in her hand vibrated violently, humming with power.

"What was that just now?"

"The Hundred-Step Divine Fist."

"It is truly a masterpiece."

Slowly sheathing her sword, Yoo Jeong looked at Abbot Goeng-ryo, who was watching her with a peculiar expression.

"It seems you have found your answer to some extent."

Yoo Jeong nodded at his words.

"Just as I am doing now, I intend to take one step at a time. Carefully."

It was the same as before, yet it carried a weight and sincerity unlike anything she had said until now. Abbot Goeng-ryo nodded in agreement.

"Think of righteousness in action. Well said."

"Thank you. May I ask what your answer is, Zen Master?"

Yoo Jeong started to make a martial salute, but quickly changed it to clasped hands as she asked. Smiling like an innocent child, Abbot Goeng-ryo returned the gesture with a single-handed salute.

"Mine is the same as yours."

"By the way, Alliance Leader."

"Hulhul. Do you still have questions left?"

On the way back to the Alliance Leader's Palace, Abbot Goeng-ryo stroked his beard and laughed, only to freeze at her next words.

"'The Way that can be spoken of is not the eternal Way.' Isn't that from the Tao Te Ching?"

"Indeed it is."

"Isn't that Taoist philosophy?"

"Nonsense. When using wise words, what do religious barriers matter?"

Yet, the old monk skillfully deflected the question. Suspicion crept into Yoo Jeong's eyes.

"Is that really allowed?"

"Hulhulhul. I am already a simple monk who grows a beard and drinks grain tea anyway."

"You are a master of Shaolin, right?"

"Do you know why I took on the role of Alliance Leader?"

"No."

"Because the Abbot nagged me constantly, saying this old man's antics caused him to grow ten more sarira stones."

"..."

"Hehehe."

Abbot Goeng-ryo clapped his hands and laughed to himself. Then, as if a brilliant idea had just struck him, he snapped his fingers.

"Right, how about you try becoming your master?"

"Pardon?"