Ruthless Reckoning
"Senior Nun, it seems we must end things here today."
Mu Yun, having roughly grasped the state of modern Buddhism, had no choice but to set aside his regrets. They couldn't afford to linger any longer.
"Oh? Is that so? What a pity. I was so immersed in this dharma debate after so long. Is there truly no more time?"
"I believe it's time for us to take our leave."
"I can't just let such precious guests depart empty-handed. Whether it's money or something else, name your price. I'll do whatever I can."
Mu Yun stated his request plainly.
"Please allow us to slip out the back gate quietly."
Un-seon blinked in stunned silence, her eyes wide.
"What? You want to leave quietly? That's all?"
"Yes."
"May I ask why?"
"Right now, that's the most important thing to us."
She had already heard the rough situation from Jin Seo-yeon. After a moment's thought, Un-seon spoke in a grave tone.
"Are you leaving for good? Or...?"
"Isn't it the Buddha's will?"
Un-seon's eyes deepened as she pondered. This was no one to abandon to death here.
"I've heard the gist of it. If it's that sort of matter, I could step in myself."
A true scripture lost centuries ago—its value to Buddhism was beyond words. And Bo-ta Mun was among the top three sects at Jilgang; what more could she not grant its leader? She could even beg them to save these lives.
But pride wouldn't allow it, and more importantly, if they weren't leaving immediately, the aftermath would be the real problem.
The best way is to handle it with my own hands.
Resolving threats with borrowed power always left loose ends. Especially for black path folk like them—Bo-ta Mun's involvement would make even Jeok-un Mun uneasy, not to mention the Ha Hu family here.
For the future, it was better to leave a great debt unpaid for now.
"This is enough for today. If you insist, then I'll ask a favor you can grant later."
Un-seon had no choice but to accept. Their intentions after leaving were obvious.
"What if you came with us?"
"Everyone lives by their own path in this world, don't they? Please don't get involved. It might be salvation now, but poison later. You know well what the black path is like."
Un-seon agonized for a long while before finally nodding.
"Hoo! Very well. Be sure to visit again someday. I won't forget."
"Thank you. And about what happened in this room..."
It wouldn't do Mu Yun any good if word spread.
"I understand. It'll stay that way."
A short time later, Ha Hu Cheon-gi, the young master of Ha Hu Sega, was summoned to Un-seon and blinked in confusion.
"The back gate?"
"Yes. Can you let them out quietly?"
"That's not difficult, but... why?"
"Just do it. I'm asking you."
Ha Hu Cheon-gi had something he desperately wanted to ask.
"Understood. But what about that true scripture he knew?"
"Not all nonsense. I gleaned a couple of real ones."
"I see. Got it."
He must have stumbled upon them somewhere by chance; nothing worth pursuing further.
Soon after, as Mu Yun and his group vanished through the back gate, Jin Seo-yeon cautiously opened her mouth to Un-seon.
"I still feel dazed."
"Me too, child."
"What did you make of him? His teachings felt ancient."
"Indeed. Everything he knew was from centuries ago. Not a trace of recent doctrines. That layman too—I'm dying to know who passed it down. I want to meet him a few more times."
Jin Seo-yeon had her own question.
"Shall we follow him?"
"No. As that layman said, it's not our place to interfere."
"...Isn't it dangerous?"
Un-seon's eyes deepened.
"He said as much himself. It's something he must resolve on his own."
"...!"
Jin Seo-yeon's eyes, brimming with curiosity, stared blankly toward where Mu Yun had vanished.
A typical black path ruffian, a bit stronger than most, nothing special. Yet the gaze in his eyes when he spoke of philosophy wasn't something one could fake from rote learning.
How could he possess such depth?
She keenly felt the impossibility of walking both the path of the monk and the warrior. Having realized her shortcomings as a seeker and chosen the warrior's way, now this man made her question her path again.
What enabled him to tread that road?
If she knew, her own way would clarify. Jin Seo-yeon vowed to ask him if the chance arose—vowed it again and again.
Meanwhile, at the training grounds, Dan Mok Cheol-jin, who had been waiting idly, scowled in irritation.
This bastard! Why hasn't he come out yet?
＊ ＊ ＊
A moment later, in the streets of Chim-ju, at Cheong-ho Bang's headquarters.
Gok Jeong-pil, the bangju, narrowed his eyes sharply.
"Still no word?"
They had prepared a counterattack upon intel that Mu Yun's group would be ambushed right after leaving Ha Hu Sega.
"Don't worry. They've passed a hundred ahead of Ha Hu Sega. Taking down five is child's play."
"What about the ones scouting other bangs? No contact there either?"
"None at all. Seems like false rumors—should we pull back the forces?"
"No! Keep them in place, just in case."
Of his two hundred subordinates, a trusted hundred were at Ha Hu Sega's front, seventy more—likely loyal to Mu Yun and Ak Mu-gil—sent to watch other black path groups.
Then a massive shout erupted from behind the bangju's quarters.
"He's over the wall!"
"Stop him!"
"Damn it! What the hell are the ones at Ha Hu Sega doing?"
There were over a hundred at Ha Hu Sega's front—how had they sneaked here unnoticed?
"Hey! You bastard! What are you doing—block him first!"
"Ugh! Hurry up and call the front gate guys!"
Gok Jeong-pil's close aide, Go Tae-seung, bit his lower lip.
We got played!
Only thirty were in the bang now. Even the bangju's elite aides were at Ha Hu Sega.
Meanwhile, in the open space behind the bangju's quarters.
Mu Yun spoke lowly to the six men eyeing each other warily.
"Step aside. I need to see the bangju alone."
Seop Yeo-chu, the bangju's right-hand man, bellowed.
"You traitorous dog! Got a lot to say for a backstabber!"
"No more words. Block me and you die. Decide."
"Heh! What can five of you do? Quit yapping and come."
"Fine."
Speed was victory in this fight. Eliminate the close aides, and the rest would follow the tide.
He launched toward his first target.
Whoosh!
Seop Yeo-chu's eyes narrowed. The one charging him. Front gate reinforcements were coming soon. Take him and the four aides behind, and the rebellion ends.
"You dog! I wanted a piece of you anyway."
Seop Yeo-chu's sword sliced the air. Icy sword energy hurtled at Mu Yun.
Shuuuuk!
Ak Mu-gil cried out in shock.
"Danger!"
Mu Yun was lunging straight at the sword tip. His face would be pierced in an instant.
Whoosh!
Mu Yun didn't think of attack paths. In Body-Mind-Intent Art, the heart's martial art, closing distance meant emptying the mind and filling only with intent. That summoned transcendent movement.
As a triumphant smile curled Seop Yeo-chu's lips, Mu Yun's body twisted in an utterly unexpected direction.
Pap!
"What?!"
Seop Yeo-chu gaped. The body approaching defenselessly to his frosty blade-tip. Yet in the instant it dropped low, it vanished from his sight.
A warning blared in his mind.
Legs!
Below the knee, Mu Yun's body spun like a windmill.
Whirrrick!
Waist recoil powered a kick to Seop Yeo-chu's ankle.
Crack!
A grunt escaped involuntarily.
"Urk!"
Before Seop Yeo-chu could steady his faltering stance, Mu Yun's hand unleashed a flurry of cold blade light.
Whoosh!
A deep gash tore across his side, drawing a groan.
"Ugh!"
Mu Yun drove the blade back into the wound. Now it began.
Stab!
"Kuhk!"
Black path fights demanded this. To kill, become a blood-soaked demon. Flash eyes laden with chill qi to make others recoil.
But show no madness or thrill. All killing intent stemmed solely from retribution for betrayal—not battle excitement, tension, boiling rage, or passion. Prove cold reason drove every move amid the gore, leaving true fear and awe.
With that resolve, he twisted the deep-embedded blade, slashing relentlessly.
Shuuuk!
Snap!
"Kraaak!"
A scream of agony tore out, raw and desperate.
Mu Yun gritted his teeth. No stopping here. Scan all directions with demon eyes until hot blood soaked him fully.
Blood fountained from Seop Yeo-chu's mouth.
"Kuhk!"
As he clenched to endure, the blade ripped free from his waist and pierced his throat.
Stab!
Seop Yeo-chu's mind went white, eyes glazing. Pain and awareness faded together.
His body crumpled. Arms flailed, grasping at nothing.
This... isn't right.
Consciousness fled as his heavy frame collapsed.
Thud!
"......"
Even Ak Mu-gil, rushing to aid, felt a chill grip his guts.
This is...
Black path lowlifes raged with fury and madness aplenty. But this—blood-drenched yet inscrutable, exuding only north wind's icy chill—was utterly new.
A single thought surfaced.
He'd never expected such from someone he deemed a tier below.
Terrifying.
If even an ally felt this, the foes instinctively backpedaled, faces uniform in dread.
"Wh-what the hell!"
"I-I don't wanna die like that!"
"Then what?!"
Mu Yun's heavy voice flowed out.
"Stay put."
"......"
"Don't move a step."
"...!"
Then Go Tae-seung, another bangju aide, flew in.
Whirr!
"You bastards! What are you doing? Beat him!"
"......"
The hushed gazes dropped. As Go Tae-seung glared, a blood-smeared face charged into view.
Pap!
It's him!
Go Tae-seung stomped, unleashing a sword gale. Madmen shoving heads into blades deserved it. Sloppy approach, no prep.
Like Seop Yeo-chu, a confident smirk formed.
Easy end.
Enemy blood rattles reason, incites frenzy. Covered in it themselves, they see nothing else. Mu Yun fit perfectly.
Go Tae-seung surged qi, thrusting full-force.
Shuuuuk!
Feint at the reckless charge's front, twist to gut—done.
As Mu Yun's crude form burrowed in, Go Tae-seung's eyes bulged.
Gasp!
Unforeseen speed folded space. Fixated on the sword, a fist flew from nowhere.
Shuuk!
Sword work still shaky at transcendent levels. Mu Yun's kills came via limbs.
Heavy speed thrust out.
Shaaak!
Instinct overrode; Go Tae-seung leaped back on experience's warning.
As he thought he'd escaped range, a long leg arced.
Paaak!
"Ugh!"
His startled cry betrayed urgency. Low-swept kick nailed the temple.
Crack!
"Keuk!"
Agonized scream, body reeling.
Crunch!
Dodge.
Straightening to retreat, his shocked sight caught the gore-masked face closing in. Throat gripped—
Stab!
"Uuk!"
Cold metal pierced gut, sending shivers.
When?
Thought ended.
Crack!
Twisted neck vertebrae sent consciousness fleeing. Vacant eyes stared as knees buckled, body slumping.
Thud.
"......"
All mouths and feet froze.
Mu Yun's heavy breath exhaled frigid qi.
"Anyone else?"
"......"
Even incoming reinforcements faltered.
Thud! Tap!
Ak Mu-gil, eyes etched with fear despite alliance, exhaled a complex sigh.
It's over.
Bangju remained, but drowned in vice, he was no threat.
Ak Mu-gil recalled Mu Yun earlier—serene face reciting scriptures melodiously.
The same man?
True doubt stirred.