Chapter 374
Chapter 374
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 383
Chapter Title: Complete It Together
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I hope the one reading this letter is a brother of Shaolin. If not a brother of Shaolin, then I hope the recipient is benevolent. Even if deemed not benevolent, I shall consider all this the Buddha's will.
Such was the beginning of the letter.
The handwriting continued, sharp as a sword yet heavy as a massive boulder weighing a thousand catties.
...Like a twisted twist of fate, my final insights arrive only now. I have made arrangements for Shaolin. So that my last insights may be transmitted.
The text within the booklet read like a letter at times, like a diary at others.
Several pages were filled with strange, unique script that somehow felt profoundly wise.
Deokjin immersed himself in its contents.
How the situation had come to this, and how the intent had reached the Nangong Clan.
...It was our final desperate act. It created a profound sense of disconnect. To save lives, we had to go where people gathered most. Before heading to Huguang, I passed these insights to the Sword King.
Ah, Venerable Colossalwood had remained noble to the very end.
He could understand why the disciple monks remembered and spoke of Venerable Colossalwood so often.
He had truly lived according to the Buddha's teachings.
The affection for Shaolin, treating it like his hometown, came through vividly.
Even the urgency of that time seemed to transmit through the words.
'So that's why the secrets of the Gold Immortal Pill weren't properly passed down in Shaolin.'
Even Venerable Colossalwood had not escaped the tribulations of the Demonic Blood Cataclysm.
The Demonic Blood Cataclysm had taken so much.
Countless lives, of course, but also an incalculable number of legacies destroyed.
Among them, Shaolin's losses—having borne the brunt of the cataclysm—were beyond words.
The refining method for the Great Return Pill had been lost, and countless martial arts treatises had burned.
Because of this, Shaolin had only recovered its former glory long after the cataclysm, and there was still much left to restore.
'Shaolin needs Venerable Colossalwood's secret manual.'
Given the heartfelt concern for Shaolin evident in the letter, this would surely prove a positive boon.
'...That single Gold Immortal Pill surpasses Shaolin's Great Return Pill.'
...Thus, I am unsure if these reached the Nangong Clan intact. Perhaps they have reached you, the recipient, and this letter has been opened.
Rustle!
Deokjin slowly turned the page.
The most important part had yet to appear.
To whom had Venerable Colossalwood entrusted his legacy!
It was nowhere to be seen.
'...Venerable Colossalwood would never leak secrets recklessly. Nor would he leave such a difficult cipher!'
Hadn't the very first page overflowed with thoughts for Shaolin?
Shaolin was a martial sect of the jianghu.
It would never welcome the leakage of its secrets.
No, at least Deokjin and most of the young and old monks felt that way.
'But what if, just what if, as the Nangong benefactors said?'
His mind grew complicated, tension mounting.
Gulp!
He swallowed dryly and turned the page.
Entrust this manual to Shaolin.
Oh! Yes, as expected of Venerable Colossalwood!
This truly belonged to Shaolin.
But... why was there more after that?
Huh?
What?
Complete the Gold Immortal Pill together with the Nangong Clan. That is the way to repay the grace of the Nangong Clan, who transmitted the refining method of the Gold Immortal Pill!
Boom!
Deokjin's pupils dilated.
No, they practically bulged out.
Together?
...Complete the Gold Immortal Pill together?!
And that repays the grace?
Hold on a moment.
'...Is that all?'
This was entirely unexpected.
For Shaolin, who had come to investigate matters related to the Gold Immortal Pill and Venerable Colossalwood—and to retrieve it—this was absolutely not a scenario they had anticipated.
Why... no matter how grateful, share Shaolin's secret with outsiders!
Deokjin yanked the booklet right up to his face.
Pressing it close as if to rub his face against it, he gulped dryly.
'Anything else?'
Flip!
Deokjin turned the page.
'Nothing.'
Flip flip!
He flipped backward again.
'Nothing!'
Flip flip flip!
This time, he flipped back and forth, rereading sequentially.
'...Absolutely nothing.'
Complete it together.
That was Venerable Colossalwood's will.
He lifted his head in a daze.
Then wouldn't retrieval be impossible?
His gaze fell upon Nangong Hyeok's face, smiling faintly.
"Repay the grace..."
"Yes."
"...is what it says."
"Indeed. The Venerable clearly left those instructions."
Colossalwood, forgive me.
But isn't this precisely the coexistence you've been preaching all along?
'If you're upset, come back alive. You bald donkey, you rascal.'
Deokjin stared alternately at Nangong Hyeok and the booklet left by Colossalwood.
The ensuing silence made the air feel heavy.
Only after a long while did he speak.
"...I see. Heh heh, Venerable Colossalwood left this with the Nangong Clan."
"Yes, exactly."
"Heh heh, I understand the benefactor's words now. It is Shaolin's, yet not Shaolin's."
Deokjin nodded as if in perfect understanding.
The frustration that had clouded his expression cleared away.
"Thank you."
Deokjin rose from his seat, offering a formal bow to Nangong Hyeok and Nangong Jangcheon, hands clasped.
"Thank you for conveying Venerable Colossalwood's will. Though many years have passed, that it reaches us now— this monk conveys Shaolin's gratitude on behalf of the temple."
Utterly polite and straightforward.
He expressed sincere thanks without a trace of pretense.
A flicker of light passed through Nangong Hyeok's eyes, then vanished.
Deokjin continued.
"As Benefactor Nangong said, the ties between Shaolin and Venerable Colossalwood had been severed. Reconnecting that bond alone merits profound thanks."
"It's nothing."
"Even though greed might have arisen, you shared this precious item with Shaolin and allowed us to verify it. For that, we are deeply grateful."
Deokjin was sincere.
A Gold Immortal Pill with efficacy surpassing the Great Return Pill, along with its secrets.
A relic of an ancestor long forgotten—there was no obligation to return it to Shaolin.
To put it crassly, they could have swallowed it whole without anyone knowing.
Overcoming the temptation born of seeing the treasure, they had revealed it.
The booklet was filled with dense ciphers and wriggling, worm-like script beyond comprehension, but the illustrations clearly detailed the pill-refining secrets.
Those intricate, precise diagrams were on a level impossible to replicate even with the desire.
Thus, his goodwill toward the Nangong Clan could only grow.
In the face of such pure benevolence, devoid of hidden motives or calculations, Deokjin's heart found peace.
The greed and unease he had harbored on the way here vanished entirely.
In their place, gratitude and affinity began to take root.
"In this monk's view, Benefactor Nangong showed this hoping Shaolin would join in."
"......"
"Not only upholding the secrets but even the Venerable's will— this monk is moved by Benefactor Nangong's heart. Truly, truly thank you. Amitabha!"
Nangong Hyeok smiled faintly.
At that kindly, radiant smile, Deokjin felt his chest swell.
"Oh dear, we would be immensely grateful if Shaolin joined us."
"Heh heh! This monk will return at once to convey this intent. Then, for the journey back, if there is anything needed..."
"We gladly accept your assistance. For starters, millennium ginseng, Gold Essence Pills, millennium fleeceflower root, ten roots of Heavenly Mountain Snow Ginseng, and..."
Nangong Hyeok rattled them off as if he had been waiting.
He continued.
And continued...
"W-Wait a moment! G-Gold, Gold Essence Pills, what, what did you say?"
Nangong Hyeok smiled faintly.
"Write it down."
"......"
"Hurry!"
...Ah, something feels off here.
"Um, Benefactor."
"Yes."
"...If I may be so bold."
"Yes."
"This secret manual here seems a bit damp somehow..."
"It's from a humid place. Must be a mistake."
Pat pat pat!
Nangong Hyeok smoothly retrieved Colossalwood's manual and brushed it lightly.
Oh no! Brushing it like that...
Huh?
And on my sleeve too...
"That's just fresh ink, probably."
"...Yes."
"Now, finish writing it down."
Nangong Hyeok grinned and urged Deokjin on.
Watching the scene, the Nangong Clan's elders smiled faintly.
Now Shaolin was on board.
* * *
Deokjin and the disciple monks gathered in the guest hall.
They stared wordlessly at the paper on the table for a long while.
In the quiet silence, the Tieguanyin tea in their cups cooled with a soft hiss.
It was around when the tea had turned lukewarm.
Damyeong, who had been pursing his lips tightly, looked at Deokjin and spoke.
"...Senior Brother Deokjin."
"Yes, what is it?"
"It's just... this is... I mean, not to disparage Senior Brother Deokjin in any way..."
"Heh heh, speak freely."
"...It feels like we bought medicine from a quack peddler."
Gulp!
The disciple monks gulped dryly as they looked at Deokjin.
The paper was covered in dense writing.
The list of "assistance" Nangong Hyeok had dictated without pause—yes, according to him, it was a "help list" packed tightly onto the page.
Deokjin nodded slowly and said.
"Bought medicine, you say. One could see it that way."
Damyeong's eyes gleamed.
"Yes! Exactly, Senior Brother. It's utterly absurd. Putting such precious herbs into a single pill..."
"Heh heh! And that's precisely why such a precious elixir emerges!"
"...Pardon?"
"Pill refinement isn't so simple. The results don't always proportion perfectly to the effort and wealth invested. Even the Great Return Pill proves that!"
"Th-That's not what I..."
"Heh heh heh! To produce something surpassing the Great Return Pill with mere ingredients like these—how astonishing is that!"
That's not the point, Senior Brother.
"...I mean, it's suspicious. Think about it: for something found in the Nangong Clan's secret chamber after all this time..."
"The Demonic Blood Cataclysm was that horrific. Digging secret chambers was a common way to preserve legacies for posterity, and the Nangong Clan was no exception to the cataclysm!"
"No! For something discovered after so long, wasn't the paper far too crisp? The cover looked ancient, but the contents were brand new!"
"Didn't you see the cover too? It was unmistakably Venerable Colossalwood's favored cipher!"
As the disciple monks exchanged glances.
Deokjin struck the wooden fish with a sharp crack! and cried out.
"You lot! Are you now doubting Benefactor Nangong's sincerity?"
"......"
"I saw no such virtuous soul on my way from Shaolin! Had they intended to hoard it secretly, we wouldn't even know it existed—so why bear the loss themselves? Especially the current Nangong Clan."
It was true.
The Nangong Clan of a few years ago might have seemed to be fleecing Shaolin with that list, but the current Nangong Clan's prosperity spanned several provinces.
Hadn't they achieved a great victory in the war against those unorthodox ruffians?
The list for pill refinement was demanding, but the current Nangong Clan had no reason it couldn't procure them.
"The Nangong Clan is taking a loss right now. They're sharing the world's unparalleled pill refinement with us, aren't they? Shaolin has received grace!"
"......"
"Shaolin has done nothing for the Nangong Clan, yet they bestow grace upon us—how can you Buddhists fail to grasp that profundity? To voice such baseless suspicions against pure goodwill soils my ears and corrupts my heart!"
Damyeong bowed his head.
"...My apologies, Senior Brother. My thinking was shortsighted. I merely wished to stay vigilant."
"Enough! Damyeong, reflect on that errant mind today and repent."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Deokjin spoke in a stern tone.
"I have sent a letter to the headquarters, so we shall remain here awhile, pondering ways to aid the Nangong Clan."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
The Shaolin monks nodded.
It was then.
"Monks! Young Master Yi has sent refreshments—may we bring them in?"
"Heh heh, my mouth was parched. Our thanks."
Soon, a servant entered the guest hall and set down the refreshment tray.
Deokjin smiled faintly.
"Heh heh, what fine people they are?"
"......"
"Hm?"
He tilted his head as he looked at the tray.
What is this?
This aroma?
A rich, lingering fragrance tickled his nose.
Soon, the lid covering the tray was lifted.
Whoosh!
Flame!
"......Wh-what?"
"Ahh?"
"Gasp!"
Deokjin and Damyeong's eyes widened as they stared at the refreshments.
"Th-this is all... r-refreshments?"
"......Is this... refreshments?"
The two looked at each other.
The servant, Geum Cheomsang, nodded.
"Yes, monks. It's what the young master has been enjoying lately. Homemade from the main household."
"......This?"
"Yes, this."
"......Really?"
"Yes."
Heh heh, the Nangong Clan eats elixirs as refreshments.
'...They made this themselves? This?!'
The Shaolin monks stared blankly at the "refreshments" (?), utterly speechless.