Destruction of Property
Trudge, trudge.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
"Ugh... I finally made it to the top."
The Shaolin Temple, located halfway up Mount Song. I had no idea how many stone steps I'd climbed to get here.
Whinny!
"Yeah, must be nice for you, riding up so easily."
Riding a galloping horse was already physically taxing enough. If I had tried to ride it up these stairs, I probably would have shown everyone a truly pathetic sight.
I had no idea I was so sensitive to this kind of motion sickness...
Gooong—
In any case, I finally arrived at the Shaolin Temple, leading my horse by the reins.
Beyond the crimson main gates, shrines and halls stretched out endlessly, the chanting of Buddhist scriptures echoing and resonating from each one.
Added to that was the scent of incense—slightly smoky, yet deeply calming.
"So this is why they call it the thousand-year-old Shaolin."
Step, step.
"Amitabha. Greetings, patron. This humble monk is Rayeon, a welcoming monk of the temple. What brings you to Shaolin?"
As I stepped onto the final stair, a monk waiting at the entrance approached and pressed his palms together in greeting.
"A welcoming monk?"
"Yes. You may think of me as a gatekeeper and guide."
"Ah."
Rustle.
I pulled a letter of introduction from my robes and placed it in the monk's hand along with the horse's reins.
"What is this?"
"I brought a letter of introduction because I'm seeking some counsel. And I'd like to offer this horse as a donation to the temple."
Since it's a temple, surely they won't eat it, right?
Horses were highly useful animals, so it would probably live out a long, comfortable life here without being mistreated.
Tilt.
"Counsel... Do you mean to say that one of our temple's senior elders must speak with you directly, patron?"
"Yes. I know it's presumptuous, but there is something I absolutely must seek guidance on."
"Mmm..."
Frown.
He didn't even try to hide his annoyance, his brow furrowing deeply. It was clearly an audacious request.
But that was exactly what the letter of introduction was for.
"The seal on this letter is... Huh? The Grand Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance?"
"There's one more."
"And th-this is...! Yeon Mu-sang, Leader of the Wind Thunder Unit?!"
Scurry.
The moment he verified the seals, the welcoming monk dashed off, returning in a flash with a set of white robes.
"P-Please forgive my rudeness, patron! I will inform the senior elders of the inner court immediately. In the meantime, perhaps you could bathe, change, and tour the outer court..."
The inner sanctum of Shaolin was strictly forbidden to women. So he was telling me to do some sightseeing in the outer areas while they processed the request.
"Sure. I understand."
"Wow, these clothes are incredibly soft."
I had taken a quick bath in the guest quarters and changed into the white robes.
I thought they were just plain, patternless garments, but they felt exactly like the microfiber blankets from my past life.
Swish.
Scritch-scratch.
"Huh?"
As I stepped out of the guest quarters, still marveling at the fabric, I ran into an old monk sweeping the ground ahead.
He wore shabby robes and had a scrawny, emaciated frame.
Why is an elderly monk like him doing manual labor? Does he have some kind of sad backstory?
Chuckle.
"Hoho, the welcoming monk has provided you with quite the fine garments. Are you perhaps a princess visiting from somewhere?"
"I'm just an ordinary martial artist. But what about you, monk? What do you do here?"
"Me? I am simply a man who sweeps the floors."
He doesn't seem like an ordinary monk, though.
It almost felt like he had been waiting for me to come out.
Step.
"If you are planning to visit the outer court, I could show you around."
"Oh? Really?"
"There is nothing left to sweep anyway."
Since the welcoming monk had rushed off earlier, I was currently left stranded like a lost duckling.
Under the circumstances, having an old monk offer to guide me was the best-case scenario.
Nod.
"Then I'll gladly accept!"
"Hoho, excellent. Follow me, then."
...
Step, step.
Chatter, chatter.
"Wow... there are so many people."
"This is the outer court of the thousand-year-old Shaolin, after all. It is only natural that there are many visitors."
I followed the old monk into the outer court.
Calling it an "outer court" was an understatement; it was practically a theme park.
Perhaps because of that, the place was bustling with tourists from all walks of life.
"But don't you think people are staring at us a lot? Is it because of you, monk?"
"Hoho, it seems you do not look in the mirror very often, patron."
Step.
Step, step.
"You can get a better view if you come this way."
"Oh, you're right!"
I thought he would just explain things from the side, but he was actually guiding me to hidden spots devoid of other people.
This monk was surprisingly kind. And he knew a lot, too.
But...
Huh?
The monk's expression didn't look very comfortable.
It was as if he was forcing himself to smile.
Poke, poke.
"Monk, is something bothering you?"
"Ahem, is it that obvious? I always end up like this whenever I come to the outer court."
"What's wrong with the outer court?"
As I had thought earlier, the outer court was basically a Buddhist theme park.
With well-maintained buildings and people laughing and chatting, it shouldn't be easy to feel down looking at this.
Glance.
"You said you were a martial artist, yes? Then what do you think of Shaolin?"
"Hmm... A place crawling with incredibly strong people?"
"That is precisely the problem."
"Pardon?"
Shake.
"Shaolin is, at its core, a temple. Yet, who comes here seeking the Buddhist Dharma? They only come to see strong monks. Even the brothers of our temple are more infatuated with martial arts than the Dharma."
"Ah~ You're sad because they've forgotten the core essence?"
"That is part of it, but—"
Tilt.
"But why do you care so much, monk?"
"What?!"
"Whether others attain enlightenment or not has nothing to do with you. The important thing is for you to attain enlightenment and achieve nirvana yourself."
"Isn't that a bit too coldhearted—"
"If you become a Buddha later on, all those monks who only studied martial arts will probably rush over to learn the Dharma from you anyway. Wouldn't that solve it?"
"..."
Freeze.
Oops!
*Was I too rude? Now that I think about it, that's basically the same as saying, "Mind your own business."*
*I'm usually a polite person... Have I been influenced by hanging around the Blood Sect too much lately?*
"M-Monk? I spoke without thinking just now, so please don't be angry—"
Hearty laughter.
"Your words are absolutely correct! Bodhidharma spoke of Gyeonseong Seongbul—seeing one's true nature to attain Buddhahood. Why was I troubling my own mind by worrying about others?"
"Huh?"
*What the? He actually seems to be in a better mood.*
*Did he actually like my Blood Sect-style reality check?*
"Indeed. The Shaolin I desire needs only to exist within my own heart."
"Y-Yeah, exactly! Asgard—I mean, Shaolin is not a place! Hahaha..."
"That is also a fine saying. Is it the wisdom of a sage?"
Ugh...
*I can never tell him I saw it in a movie...*
Smile.
"Since I have heard such wise words, I must guide you even more diligently. If I could, I would even steal a Great Returning Pill for you."
"Heavens, really?"
"It is just a figure of speech. Though perhaps a Lesser Returning Pill might be possible."
Tch.
Step, step.
"Our final stop is the famous Maitreya Buddha."
"The Maitreya Buddha?"
"It is a historic stone Buddha carved on the very day Shaolin was founded. Have you not heard of it?"
"No. I've been... out of the loop due to some circumstances."
Nod.
"There is a legend surrounding this Maitreya Buddha. It is said that our ancestors hid a peerless cultivation method inside the stone statue when they carved it."
"A peerless cultivation method? Really?"
"According to the records, yes. They were told to break the Maitreya Buddha and use the cultivation method if the world ever fell into chaos. Is it not romantic?"
"Ohhh..."
Creating a stone statue to prepare for the future and preserving it until now.
There really was a reason why everyone praised Shaolin. If it had been the Namgung Clan, someone like Namgung Jae-young would have smashed it open already.
Step, step.
"That is the Maitreya Buddha right there."
"Wow~ It's pretty big, isn't it?"
In the center of a spacious garden stood a stone Buddha about the height of a five-story pagoda.
It was depicted in the classic meditative pose, sitting cross-legged.
Perhaps due to the legend, a wide fence was built around it to prevent onlookers from touching it.
Whisper, whisper.
"Would you like to touch it?"
"Huh? Is that allowed?"
"Normally, distinguished guests are granted special permission to touch it. And you are a noble guest from the Murim Alliance, are you not?"
"Still..."
Creak.
"Come now, quickly."
Before I could even answer, the monk opened the gate in the fence.
No one seemed to be stopping us... so it should be fine to go in, right?
Step, step.
"Oh..."
Everyone else was staring from outside the fence, so walking in alone gave me a massive thrill of transgression.
Still, it felt good, like I had become someone special.
"How is it? What are your thoughts on seeing a stone Buddha with a thousand years of history?"
"Hmm."
Up close, it definitely felt much more imposing.
But...
Huh?
"Monk. Are you sure this is really a thousand years old?"
"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"
"I don't know, it doesn't really strike me... It's like I can't feel the weight of time from it."
In my past life, I had visited Seokguram Grotto and seen a Buddha statue that was over a thousand years old.
Back then, I felt like I was looking at something truly magnificent, but this one didn't quite give off that same vibe.
Scratch.
"Is that so? Try touching it. Perhaps you will feel something different then."
"Hmm..."
Rub, rub.
Even when I stroked the stone, nothing clicked. Instead, a strange sense of artificiality only grew stronger.
Especially that knee area. It feels off.
Reach.
Tap, tap, tap.
I lightly tapped the statue's knee with my index finger.
But then—
Crumble...
Patter, patter.
"Huh? Wait..."
Stone dust began to trickle down from the knee.
"Monk! Is this supposed to happen?!"
"Strange. This has never happened before..."
Even as he spoke, stone dust continued to pour from the statue's knee.
And then—
Crack!
"Wh-What?!"
A crack began to spiderweb outward from the knee of the Buddha statue.
Rumble...
The fractures rapidly spread across the entire body of the Buddha.
"The—the statue!"
"It's going to collapse!"
"Amitabha..."
The onlookers naturally fell into utter chaos.
And the one who wanted to cry the most was me.
"Aaaah! Stop! Stop it!"
If this kept up, it would be a massive disaster. I threw my entire body against the cracking knee, screaming at the top of my lungs, but—
Thud!
"Eek?!"
Starting with the head falling off—
CRACK!
Crumble, crash!
"I'm doomed..."
The Maitreya Buddha shattered into a million pieces and collapsed into a heap of rubble.
Rush, rush.
Whoosh.
"Wh-What is the meaning of this?!"
"Amitabha..."
"Did you do this, patron?!"
Since such a massive stone statue had collapsed, a massive uproar was inevitable.
The guardian monks in the vicinity rushed over in a group, surrounding me.
Roar.
"How do you plan to take responsibility for this?!"
"We will file a formal complaint with the Murim Alliance!"
"Lock her in the dungeon first!"
"Ugh..."
The faces of the once-merciful monks had transformed into those of wrathful demons.
Well, a statue that had stood since the founding of Shaolin had just crumbled, so it was only natural they'd react this way.
But I was seriously innocent! I literally just tapped it!
Step.
Six monks slowly closed in to apprehend me.
As I squeezed my eyes shut, debating whether to surrender quietly or fight back—
BOOM!
"HALT!!!"
A thunderous roar struck my ears.
"Huh? Monk?"
The one who had shouted was the old monk who had guided me.
The broom he had been carrying for sweeping was now buried halfway into the stone floor.
*What the? He's an absolute master!*
To drive a wooden broom into a stone floor... he must have used Sword Qi or something similar.
Startled.
"Scripture Pavilion Master?!"
"Why are you here?"
*Scripture Pavilion Master?*
*Isn't the Scripture Pavilion Master a super high-ranking figure? No wonder he was contemplating such profound things earlier.*
Roar.
"What are you Arhats doing?! If the Maitreya Buddha has collapsed, isn't there something you must check first?!"
"If the Maitreya Buddha has collapsed..."
"Ah!"
"Find the true scripture!"
Scurry.
Recalling the legend, the monks broke their formation and lunged into the ruins of the Maitreya Buddha.
Scratch.
"Uh... should I help too?"
"Stay still, patron. Moving around will only arouse unnecessary suspicion."
"Okay."
I was incredibly relieved that the Scripture Pavilion Master was taking my side.
If he hadn't, I probably would have been beaten to a pulp and dragged off to the dungeon.
Clatter.
Rumble.
A few minutes passed.
The monks should have been flushed from their physical exertion, but as time went on, their faces grew increasingly pale.
Watching them, my heart sank as well.
"Have the Arhats found the scripture?"
The old monk—the Scripture Pavilion Master—seemed to have a bad premonition as well, his voice trembling slightly.
"Well... about that..."
"Do not hesitate. Speak."
Squeeze.
"It... it is not here!"
"Then... was it stolen?"
"Th-that is... there is no trace of it at all. It is as if it was never there to begin with..."