What Should We Do?
Mu Yun saw no reason to hide the original Baratanaati Am. There was a separate transcribed copy with the heart method written on it anyway. He'd already told Un-seon and Jin Seo-yeon about receiving another true scripture from some monk, so he could just say he'd gotten it then too.
He decided not to overthink it. Twisting his words now might only complicate things further.
"Are you asking about the dance?"
"Yes. Did you teach it to her?"
"I have a Buddhist dance true scripture, and since my deputy chief loves dancing, I gave it to her."
"Where did you get that? Was it from that monk you mentioned?"
"That's right."
Jin Seo-yeon met Mu Yun's gaze head-on. This wasn't something to gloss over—she went straight to the point.
"That dance is too similar to our Bo-ta Mun's law dance true scripture. No, it's the same."
"I can't understand. What's the problem? It's not a martial arts manual, just a Buddhist dance scripture."
Eun Wi-gyeong chimed in. "It's not that simple. It's a dance that every sword pinnacle warrior of Geom-gak must learn. It's the founding sword pinnacle master's dying wish."
Mu Yun's eyes widened.
What is this? All the women of Geom-gak learn that lurid thing?
He had no choice but to ask.
"Do you really learn the entire dance? From start to finish?"
"Yes. I could show you."
Only then did the situation make sense. No matter how much of a martial artist she was, for a woman to say that...
They must have only passed down parts of it.
There was a straightforward way to confirm.
"Does that Buddhist dance have parts for men and women dancing together?"
"Pardon? What kind of nonsense is that? Of course not."
Mu Yun sorted his thoughts. The simplest way to resolve this.
Just omit the lurid parts. It'll be something else entirely.
Mu Yun's gaze turned to Yu-seon.
"Bring the true scripture. It seems different from yours."
"Understood."
Yu-seon's expression brightened too. She knew it was different.
A moment later, Yu-seon carefully handed over the transcribed Baratanaati Am from its jade box.
"It's made from ancient silk paper, so it might crumble. Please handle it with care."
Dang Seo-ha blinked. "What's silk paper?"
"It's what they used to call silk for writing on long ago. Think of it like bamboo slips from back then."
"...!"
The three women began carefully examining the silk paper. They couldn't read the content since it was in Sanskrit, but as they looked at the illustrations, Jin Seo-yeon and Eun Wi-gyeong's faces suddenly soured at one point.
Seok Ryeo-ok, however, stared intently at the pictures, scrutinizing each one meticulously.
Eun Wi-gyeong grimaced, her face flushed red. "How can they call this Buddhist dance! Good grief!"
"Judge for yourselves. Anyway, are we good now?"
Jin Seo-yeon couldn't hide her displeasure either. "I get that it's an old book, but it's truly distasteful. To mix something so vulgar into a sacred Buddhist dance and pass it down like this."
In that instant, Yu-seon unwittingly let a sharp tone slip out. "That's going too far. It's not vulgar. It's content that could fit right into a Buddhist text."
She'd thought the same at first, but after nearly three years of practice, she understood now. It contained primal instincts, yes—but rather than rejecting them, it accepted them as they were and built Buddhist enlightenment upon that foundation. She'd immersed herself in it as her final task before death, so it was natural for something to boil up inside her at their immediate dismissal.
Flames sparked in Jin Seo-yeon's eyes too. She couldn't tolerate seeing the Buddhist dance she'd cultivated for over fifteen years sullied.
"You say it's not vulgar? What's the difference between this and the erotic paintings floating around the markets? Does that mean those erotic books aren't vulgar either?"
Jin Seo-yeon had followed Joo Tae-rin like an older sister; it was the Buddhist dance she'd taught her until the pirate attack claimed her life. It always brought that woman to mind, so it held special meaning for her.
Yu-seon didn't hide her fiery glare either. "I wouldn't know, since I've never seen that trash. But these illustrations are part of a dance that guides one to understand human nature. It's wrong to condemn it without even trying it, just because the path differs."
"You say you haven't tried it? I've done everything except the lurid parts. That much is truly a dance of enlightenment. But this? No way."
"You haven't tried it. I've done it, so I can say that."
Jin Seo-yeon seethed with disbelief, her eyes twitching. It felt like her entire path as a martial artist—a path she'd pursued with conviction—was being called wrong. That unbearable rage made her bite her lip.
Her inner fury erupted like a volcano, spilling out in a torrent.
"Are you telling me to dance something so lowbrow? Ah! It must be fine for you. Being a gisaeng and all, you've probably done similar dances. Or even worse..."
"..."
In that moment, a darkness-like silence fell over the room. No one dared speak.
Just as moisture gathered at the corners of Yu-seon's eyes, So-ryeo came toddling over with candy in her mouth.
"Huh? Mommy crying?"
Yu-seon hurriedly wiped her eyes. "No, honey. Something got in my eye."
"Really? Not crying?"
"Of course. So-ryeo, let's go over there."
"Okay."
As So-ryeo left, Mu Yun's heavy gaze turned to Jin Seo-yeon. But her dazed eyes wandered lost. Bewildered, as if possessed, they frantically sought answers.
I... why did I say that...?
She couldn't believe her own words. Especially with her daughter right there.
The overwhelming shock turned her into a trembling aspen.
Regardless, just as Mu Yun was about to speak his piece with resolve, Dang Seo-ha quickly intervened.
"Hold on! Let's all calm down. Misunderstandings led to harsh words..."
Mu Yun infused his words with icy chill. He'd even dropped to informal speech now. "Does this look like something we can just let slide?"
Dang Seo-ha met his furious eyes. She'd been through this sort of thing plenty. She threw back a gaze sharp as a blade.
"Then we fight? Fine by me to settle it with words after, but this isn't worth that, right? We both slipped up."
"Both? Did my deputy chief slip up too?"
"Not my place, but if someone told my Dang family arts were okay with that stuff, I'd be pissed too. Telling women from a Buddhist sect to try it? Honestly, your deputy wasn't careful there."
Mu Yun shook his head firmly. "No! That's authentic Buddhist law dance. The Baratanaati Am interprets the royal dance of Tianzhu as law dance. My deputy did nothing wrong."
Eun Wi-gyeong, who'd been looking at Jin Seo-yeon with pity, stepped forward. "Ours naturally doesn't have that! Let's stop now."
At that moment, Seok Ryeo-ok's eyes flashed. Her expression hardened with resolve, as if she'd made up her mind. After much agonizing and lip-biting, she spoke.
"No! We have it in Bo-ta Mun."
All eyes turned to her. Even the stunned Jin Seo-yeon focused her gaze there.
Eun Wi-gyeong couldn't hide her irritation. "Junior sister, what are you saying? That we have something like that?"
"I saw that true scripture in the library."
Eun Wi-gyeong's eyes widened like saucers. Her gaping mouth stayed open for a while.
"Junior sister, what do you mean? How could something like that...?"
"I thought it was misplaced and reported it to the pavilion master right away. But she said the founding master ordered it preserved. I don't know why, but she said we had to keep it."
In that instant, Jin Seo-yeon's eyes bulged. A sudden realization hit.
Ryeo-ok learned it all but stopped doing that law dance after. No way!
After hesitating, Jin Seo-yeon stammered, "Is that... true?"
"Yes."
"That's why you stopped?"
"I couldn't tell anyone since the founding master ordered it. I had to keep it to myself. But after seeing it, I just couldn't continue."
"..."
A silence thick enough to hear swallowing fell over the room.
A while later, Jin Seo-yeon approached Mu Yun. She bowed deeply and opened her trembling lips.
"I'll go back to the sect. I'll apologize properly then."
"..."
Mu Yun had nothing to say. Her resolute expression left him no choice.
A moment later, Seok Ryeo-ok, following Jin Seo-yeon from a distance, showed no softening on her stiff face. Her eyes sank deep and heavy. She let out a secret, profound sigh.
Ryeo-ok, what have you done?
In one moment of greed, those words had slipped out. Jin Seo-yeon, her fiercest rival for little sword queen. Their close childhood bond had started fraying once they recognized the gap between them. Realizing her jealousy and envy from then on had made her hate herself madly. She'd prostrated herself hundreds of times to shake it off.
Now, upon return, the tournament for little sword queen would begin. But seeing Jin Seo-yeon's slip-up earlier had slyly bared the greed she'd suppressed. She knew how dearly Jin Seo-yeon cherished that Buddhist dance. If she learned its source was lurid...
One pillar supporting her would crumble. Realizing that, the words had burst out unbidden.
Seok Ryeo-ok's drooping mouth trembled.
Namu Amida Butsu.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next day, at an inn in Chim-ju city.
"Chief. Doesn't this seem off? Suddenly telling us to head to Guangdong."
"Hah! The higher-ups must have their reasons."
Proceed to Guangdong Province forthwith. Conduct thorough investigation of the southernmost region. Submit report within half a year.
A missive from the Maelma Dan command lay on the table.
Vice chief Paeng Jung-ho revealed his stiff expression plainly. He and Chief Jeong Won were sworn brothers. Over five years of shared hardships had built that trust.
Today, he'd resolved to confide at least some of his inner thoughts to his brother-in-arms.
"It came right after I reported investigating central-northern Honam on the way down for the mad demon incident. It's as good as telling us not to."
Chief Jeong Won let out a faint sigh. "Don't jump to conclusions. Guangdong isn't entirely free of them."
"True. But do you really think that's the intent?"
Chief Jeong Won's eyes deepened. "You have something to say."
The Maelma Dan of the Murim Alliance had fifteen divisions. The strongest three invariably included the Three Greats. Both chief and vice chief at super peak, six members all at peak mid-to-high, achievements unmatched by any. Even those Three Greats mainly operated in the northwest Central Plains, near Sin-gang where demons appeared most.
This Honam trip had been Paeng Jung-ho's strong request. There was something he urgently needed to check.
I need to investigate Gongya Lodge.
Over a dozen years ago, something incomprehensible in his father—an elder of the Paeng family—'s study. Documents from merchant Gongya Lodge. His father's troubled face when asked lingered vividly. He'd wanted to visit Gongya Lodge to confirm it.
But now, to survey Guangdong—the southernmost tip with almost no demon activity—and report, with a half-year deadline.
Paeng Jung-ho put sincerity into his gaze at the chief. "I want to investigate northern Honam."
A fleeting wistfulness crossed Chief Jeong Won's eyes. Now was the time to hold his tongue. "Finish this mission first. I'll speak to the division chief separately."
"...Understood."
The Maelma Dan chief was Elder Gak Un of Shaolin. Chief Jeong Won knew roughly of the Five Great Families and Gongya Lodge from him. That the Paeng elder handling it was Vice Chief Paeng Jung-ho's father. And that it mustn't be revealed to the world.