Chapter 217
Chapter 217
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 217
Chapter Title: The Righteous Fist of Shaolin
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The Pear Blossom Manor was empty.
The Sa-yeongdae, having utterly crushed the Beggars' Union, had returned to the Demonic Palace on Bu Eun-seol's orders.
There were two reasons for this.
First, they had risked their lives to deal a crushing blow to the Beggars' Union, breaking the Beggars' Sect's momentum in one fell swoop.
If the Sa-yeongdae remained at the Pear Blossom Manor, it would give the Beggars' Sect a pretext for an all-out assault.
But the truly important reason was the second one. Only if Bu Eun-seol remained alone would Geol-wang feel safe enough to seek him out.
*Whoosh.*
A desolate wind swept through the empty manor.
With the Sa-yeongdae who had filled its grounds gone, the manor seemed to have reverted to a dreary, abandoned estate.
*Creeak.*
Just then, a door opened from within, and a young man carrying a tray with a teapot and cups walked toward the garden pavilion.
It was Heuk-pyo.
Near the pavilion sat a man, neatly postured in meditation. It was Bu Eun-seol.
*‘He could at least have some cool tea while he’s at it.’*
Bu Eun-seol had been meditating for three straight days, abstaining from not only food but also water, like an ascetic monk undergoing penance.
Unable to watch any longer, Heuk-pyo had prepared some cold fragrant tea and placed it nearby.
*Srrk.*
Just then, Bu Eun-seol slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were filled with vigor and his skin glowed with vitality, making it hard to believe he hadn't had a single drop of water in three days.
"I-I apologize."
Seeing Bu Eun-seol open his eyes, Heuk-pyo scratched his head and spoke.
"I was just trying to quietly leave some cool tea... I thought you might want something refreshing as soon as you opened your eyes..."
He stammered, thinking he had disturbed Bu Eun-seol's meditation.
"I did not wake because of you."
Bu Eun-seol calmly shook his head.
"I was getting thirsty anyway."
"Oh, you were? That's a relief."
Heuk-pyo smiled and carefully poured the cold fragrant tea into a cup.
After slowly sipping the tea, Bu Eun-seol gazed at the distant sky.
Unlike before, his gaze had sharpened slightly, as if he had sensed something.
"The Beggars' Sect's information network is truly incredible."
Heuk-pyo looked toward the distant sky with a worried expression.
"If they know you are here alone, Young Master... won't they send another vanguard?"
"They already tried that tactic once and were thoroughly humiliated."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
"The Orthodox Faction values face and dignity above all. They will not resort to such a cowardly and disgraceful tactic a second time."
He then gazed at the distant sky and murmured.
"By now, their network will have completely figured out my identity and purpose."
"In that case..."
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath and nodded.
"Geol-wang will certainly come for me. Alone."
*Thump, thump.*
As if to prove his words, the faint sound of footsteps could be heard from somewhere.
A deep internal energy lends stability, and exceptional lightness skill renders footsteps nearly silent.
Thus, from the sound of footsteps alone, martial artists could gauge a person's weight, stride, and even the depth of their martial arts.
*‘An incredible master.’*
Hearing the footsteps, Bu Eun-seol showed a slightly surprised expression.
When body and mind become one, the speed and length of one's steps become constant.
The approaching footsteps were as regular as a precision machine, with no deviation in stride or speed. It was proof that the person possessed all the qualities of a martial arts master.
*Thud.*
The footsteps stopped just beyond the main gate of the Pear Blossom Manor.
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol could feel a powerful ripple of true energy.
The internal power of the person standing outside the gate was so immense it could alter the very flow of the air.
Had Geol-wang finally arrived?
*‘Strange.’*
But Bu Eun-seol shook his head.
The person's internal power was formidable, but it was quite different from Geol-wang's overwhelmingly tyrannical aura.
Just as he felt something was off and stared at the gate with a curious expression,
*Creeaak.*
the main gate swung open, revealing a person's silhouette.
Bu Eun-seol's eyes widened as he saw the figure who entered.
The figure was a young monk dressed in clerical robes.
"......!"
As their gazes locked in mid-air, the pupils of both Bu Eun-seol and the monk dilated.
Merely by meeting each other's eyes, they had instantly discerned one another's identity.
"Are you Patron Bu, the Sip-ma-jeon-in of Nang-ya-gak?"
When Bu Eun-seol nodded, the monk put his palms together and spoke.
"This humble monk is Gwang-yeon, a disciple of Shaolin."
Gwang-yeon, having revealed his clerical name, gave Bu Eun-seol a faint smile.
"And I am also one of the Dae-ui-go-su selected by the Murim Alliance."
—He may be a lowly cleaning monk, but he is Shaolin's greatest talent.
Those were the words Song Ak, the Dae-ui-go-su from Wudang whom Bu Eun-seol had once fought, had used to describe Gwang-yeon.
And now, meeting him in person, Bu Eun-seol realized two things.
That Gwang-yeon was far more skilled than Song Ak.
And that the Beggars' Sect did not want him and Geol-wang to fight.
"I was not aware that Shaolin had started moving to the will of the Beggars' Sect."
"Amitabha."
Gwang-yeon put his palms together once more and said,
"Has not your path, Patron Bu, consistently demanded the blood of many?"
He spoke as if rebuking Bu Eun-seol for targeting Geol-wang.
"This humble monk merely wishes to prevent that from happening."
"Everyone has their own circumstances."
Waving his hand dismissively, Bu Eun-seol stepped forward, raising his true energy.
"There is no need to complicate matters with words. Come at me."
The two were the top rising talents of the Demonic Path and the Orthodox Faction.
Under normal circumstances, even if filled with malice, they would have exchanged a few pleasantries.
But Bu Eun-seol, sensing Gwang-yeon was about to launch into a long speech, cut straight to the point without hesitation.
"Very well."
A faint smile on his lips, the haze of true energy around Gwang-yeon's body thickened until it was visible to the naked eye.
"Let me say this in advance: this fight is not a contest of skill."
He spoke to Bu Eun-seol with a serious expression.
"I intend to do everything in my power to cripple your martial arts. So please, give it your all."
After speaking, Gwang-yeon slowly lowered his arms. It was a relaxed posture, full of openings for a martial artist about to fight.
But to Bu Eun-seol's eyes, that relaxed stance felt more threatening than an aggressive one.
"Heuk-pyo."
"Yes."
"Leave Kaifeng immediately."
"I will stay by your side, Young Master."
Bu Eun-seol shook his head at Heuk-pyo's words.
"If you do, that man will never concede, even in death."
He then pointed at Gwang-yeon and said,
"With you here, his attention will be divided. And there's no guarantee you won't intervene at a critical moment... so his focus will be split as well."
"Indeed, Patron Bu, you are truly a master of the Jianghu."
Gwang-yeon exclaimed in admiration, staring intently at Heuk-pyo.
"However, if you leave with a somber or worried expression, Patron Bu's focus will also be drained."
He then added with a gentle smile,
"In times like this, showing your trust before you leave would be a great help to Young Master Bu."
It seemed Gwang-yeon was just as well-versed in human psychology as Bu Eun-seol.
Heuk-pyo, sensing the truth in Gwang-yeon's words, forced a bright smile and said,
"Do well and come back safe. I will be waiting for you, Young Master."
He then immediately executed his movement technique and left the Pear Blossom Manor.
"A splendid movement technique."
Gwang-yeon exclaimed in admiration as he watched the trajectory of Heuk-pyo, who had soared into the sky and vanished in an instant.
"At that rate, he will likely become one of the foremost masters of lightness skill in the Jianghu before he even reaches his thirties."
Then, sensing Bu Eun-seol's cold gaze, he smiled and extended a hand.
"This humble monk has spoken too much. Please, take the first move."
"You are the one who came looking for me."
"Very well."
Gwang-yeon did not refuse and lightly threw a punch.
*Swish!*
The sound of displaced air was barely audible.
But a formidable fist power, capable of piercing through falling steel, shot toward Bu Eun-seol's chest.
It was the Hundred Pace Divine Fist, the signature fist art of Shaolin.
Bu Eun-seol did not evade. Standing firm, he unleashed the First Manifestation of the Devil Fist to strike the incoming fist power.
*Boom!*
A shockwave spread out in all directions with the explosion, and both Bu Eun-seol and Gwang-yeon took a step back.
"Hoh."
Gwang-yeon's eyes widened in surprise.
"Patron Bu, your internal power is astonishing."
He had come to the Shaolin Temple wrapped in swaddling clothes. Moreover, born with Divine Yin Severed Meridians, he would have died had he not been taught the Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic.
The Shaolin Abbot, seeing it all as fate, had personally performed the Marrow Cleansing and taught him the classic.
As a result, his internal energy was unmatched in Shaolin, save for a few grand masters...
Yet Bu Eun-seol, who was not much different in age, displayed a level of internal energy comparable to his own?
*‘As expected of Shaolin.’*
Bu Eun-seol, however, was not greatly surprised.
Shaolin's secret internal energy arts were the best among the Orthodox Faction.
Gwang-yeon must have been training his internal energy since he was younger than Bu Eun-seol, so it was only natural for his power to be terrifying.
"Be careful!"
Just then, Gwang-yeon put his palms together, then spread both hands forward.
*Paaat!*
In that instant, eight hand shadows enveloped Bu Eun-seol's entire body.
It was the Thousand Hand Tathagata Palm, one of Shaolin's Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts.
"Hmph."
With a short snort, Bu Eun-seol used the Seven Forms of the Devil Fist to erase the palm shadows one after another.
But the Thousand Hand Tathagata Palm spread much faster than Bu Eun-seol's fists.
*Chwararak!*
In a flash, Gwang-yeon's hand shadows had multiplied to thirty-two.
Normally, the more variations and complex moves a palm art has, the more its internal power is dispersed.
But Gwang-yeon's Thousand Hand Tathagata Palm, despite creating thirty-two hand shadows, imbued each and every one with dense internal power.
*Tstststs.*
As the moves of the Thousand Hand Tathagata Palm grew increasingly complex, Bu Eun-seol stopped countering and used the Ultimate Speed Shadowless Art to escape its range.
His intention was to observe Shaolin's ultimate art in detail while evading the attack.
*Whiririk!*
But in that brief moment, the hand shadows of the Thousand Hand Tathagata Palm had multiplied to seventy-two, already blocking Bu Eun-seol's escape routes.
*‘Good!’*
Unable to completely evade the Thousand Hand Tathagata Palm, Bu Eun-seol's pupils dilated as light emanated from his two fists.
*Papapapa!*
Simultaneously, his fists began to follow the palm arts unleashed by Gwang-yeon, like iron filings drawn to a magnet.
Unable to shake off the endlessly multiplying hand shadows, he once again used the Seven Forms of the Devil Fist to neutralize Gwang-yeon's palm arts.
*Hwoong, Papak!*
For a while, the two exchanged moves at close range.
But while Bu Eun-seol's moves grew faster, Gwang-yeon's, in contrast, became gentler.
The Seven Forms of the Devil Fist might be a formidable fist art, but the time Bu Eun-seol had spent mastering it was inevitably shorter than the time Gwang-yeon had spent on the Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts.
In terms of fist arts, he could not yet match Gwang-yeon.
*‘Every move contains dozens of variations.’*
Even in the heat of battle, Bu Eun-seol could comprehend and grasp the principles of the martial arts his enemy unleashed.
But Shaolin's martial arts contained profound principles and variations in every single move.
It was a level that not even Bu Eun-seol could fathom in a short time.
*Shing.*
Finally realizing he couldn't break Gwang-yeon's palm arts at once, Bu Eun-seol drew the Ink Sword.
*Flash!*
As he instantly deployed his sword art, a brilliant radiance burst forth, and the hand shadows that had embroidered the air vanished in a flash.
And in the next moment, the sharp tip of his sword was driving toward Gwang-yeon's neck.
"Oh-ho."
Seemingly greatly surprised, Gwang-yeon executed a footwork technique.
His body blurred and then reappeared at Bu Eun-seol's side.
It was a feat of the Buddha's Shadow Divine Step, said to be Shaolin's greatest secret footwork art.
*Swaek!*
But the radiance from Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword poured out in layers, cutting off the escape routes of the evading Gwang-yeon.
This time, the situation was reversed.
"Excellent!"
Realizing he couldn't evade Bu Eun-seol's sword art, Gwang-yeon bent his middle finger.
Simultaneously, he unleashed a powerful stream of internal energy, flicking his middle finger repeatedly.
*Twang!*
With a sound like a bamboo stalk being bent and released, sharp finger winds began to erase the incoming sword shadows one by one.
It was the representative ultimate art of Shaolin, the Finger-Flicking Divine Power.
*Flash!*
In that instant, Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword cut through the air once more.
Simultaneously, a heavy yet fast sword move and a dense cross-shaped sword qi poured down like a dark cloud.
He had unleashed Meteor Chasing the Moon and Waning Moon at Dawn in succession.
"Hut."
Gwang-yeon, judging that his Finger-Flicking Divine Power couldn't push back Bu Eun-seol's sword move, became enveloped in a majestic Buddhist light.
"Watch out!"
With a thunderous roar, he thrust out his right hand, formed into a strange hand seal that was neither a fist nor a palm-edge strike.
*Kwa-woooo!*
At the same time, a sharp palm energy, like the claws of a wild beast, scraped away the incoming sword move and drove into Bu Eun-seol's left and right flanks.
The Lion Muni Seal.
He had unleashed one of Shaolin's highest ultimate arts, one that was said to be impossible to perform without three cycles of internal energy.
*‘It’s similar to the Seven Forms of the Devil Fist.’*
Gwang-yeon freely manipulated his palm energy to block the sword move and even counterattack.
In other words, Shaolin's fist and palm arts contained the principle of borrowing power from qi, just like the Seven Forms of the Devil Fist. That was why he could freely control the power he unleashed.
*Shk!*
As he struck down at the incoming Lion Muni Seal, a flash of purple lightning struck down as if hitting the earth.
He had unleashed the Peerless Lightning Flash, a killing sword of extreme speed.
*Chwararak!*
After cutting through the palm energy, Bu Eun-seol pushed his movement technique to its limit, closing the distance to Gwang-yeon in an instant.
At the same time, the sword's edge condensed as he aimed to strike Gwang-yeon's crown and dantian simultaneously.
*Ssaek!*
Instead of evading, Gwang-yeon brought his hands together, and a faint light flowed from them.
*Paaat!*
He then spread his hands wide like a fan, and with a grotesque sound of grinding metal, Bu Eun-seol's body was pushed back a full three zhang.
It was the Great Power Vajra Palm, the most fiercely powerful of all Shaolin's palm arts.
*Taat!*
But Bu Eun-seol closed the distance again and unleashed another sword move.
The two spun dizzyingly, moving like tops.
Bu Eun-seol continuously deployed his sword arts, but his moves were repeatedly blocked by Gwang-yeon's palm and fist techniques.
Shaolin's martial arts were as tenacious as glue and as deep as the sea. No matter what attack was thrown, they gently parried it.
*‘Shaolin's martial arts are the antithesis of the Demonic Path's.’*
If the martial arts of the Demonic Path were a sharp blade, Shaolin's were like a thick cloth that could softly envelop it.
No matter what art was used, it could be deflected without killing intent, met with a torrent of dense internal power.
That was why Bu Eun-seol's demonic sword arts, which focused on killing blows, were being repeatedly blocked.
*‘So it’s no use after all.’*
He could not defeat Gwang-yeon with only the martial arts he had used so far.
If the fight continued like this, the frustration and helplessness from having his moves constantly blocked would take over his mind.
*Woooong!*
At that moment, with a low hum, Bu Eun-seol's sword moves became gentler.
Simultaneously, the points of light that had been pouring down like a shower faded, and the Ink Sword began to sway as if it were a hollow piece of rubber.
*Puru-reut.*
Gwang-yeon's loose monk robes began to swell tautly.
The night before a storm is the most peaceful and quiet. He had surmised that Bu Eun-seol was about to unleash a powerful technique with all his might.
*Kwa-woooo!*
The qi flowing from Bu Eun-seol's body soared into the sky like a furious whirlwind.
At the same time, a faint radiance began to pour from his entire body.
He was about to use the Eighth Form of the Peerless Heavenly Stream, Heaven's Lament—the technique he had been honing to deal with Geol-wang.