Chapter 207
Chapter 207
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 58
>Chapter Title: Karma (3)
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Renegade Monk and Demon-Subduing Fist Master Ja Geum-jeong's dharma name back in his Shaolin Temple days was Deokmun (德門). It was during his time as a novice among the Ten Guardians that the current Scripture Pavilion Master, Grand Master Gongjeon, took him in.
In the midst of ongoing famines and bandit raids that left his parents emaciated, Grand Master Gongjeon rescued young Ja Geum-jeong. The grand master was one of the top five martial arts masters in all of Shaolin.
Among the children he had taken in at Shaolin, he highly valued Ja Geum-jeong's talent for martial arts and accepted him as a direct disciple, personally passing down his techniques.
Living up to those expectations, Ja Geum-jeong earned recognition for his exceptional prowess in just ten years, with talks already circulating of him as a candidate for the next Ten Guardians.
However, despite this recognition and Grand Master Gongjeon's repeated recommendations, Ja Geum-jeong was continually passed over for the Ten Guardians candidacy.
Deeming this unfair, Grand Master Gongjeon raised the issue at the grand assembly.
"Amitabha. I have a question for the Abbot and all the esteemed masters. Why is Deokmun repeatedly excluded from selection as one of the Ten Guardians?"
The one who responded to Grand Master Gongjeon's protest was Discipline Hall Master Grand Master Daedeok.
"Amitabha. Surely the Scripture Pavilion Master knows that superior martial prowess alone is not enough to ascend to the Ten Guardians?"
"Of course. However, in the judgment of this humble monk who taught the boy directly, there is no child with a purer heart than him."
At these words, Discipline Hall Master Grand Master Daedeok let out a sigh before speaking.
"Scripture Pavilion Master."
"Amitabha. Please speak."
"There is a difference between a righteous heart and a fragile one."
"......Discipline Hall Master. You know better than anyone the unfortunate circumstances behind why that child Deokmun has been summoned to the Discipline Hall multiple times, don't you?"
"That is precisely why he is unfit to represent Shaolin as one of the Ten Guardians."
"How can you say that?"
"Do you wish for this monk to speak of it directly?"
At these words, Grand Master Gongjeon realized his mistake in an instant.
He had only wanted to give his disciple Ja Geum-jeong a chance.
But because of this, a fact known only to the Abbot, the Discipline Hall Master, and himself within Shaolin became widely known.
"The Spirit Gate having opened, allowing him to see things he shouldn't while alive, can be understood as the karma bestowed upon that child by the Buddha. However, Deokmun seeks to endure this trial not through cultivation of the Buddhist path, but with liquor offered at the altar."
-Murmurs!
At Discipline Hall Master's words, the various high monks stirred in agitation.
Grand Master Gongjeon tried to smooth things over.
"Discipline Hall Master, but that is......"
"Yes. The world that child Deokmun sees is different from that of ordinary people. Living in a world where the souls of the dead are visible—how could it not be agonizing?"
"You know this, yet how can you......"
"That is exactly why it is all the more unacceptable. He must overcome a lifetime of suffering and torment, yet he has already failed to endure it multiple times, turning to drink, losing control of himself, and being confined to the meditation cave. How could we grant the position of the Ten Guardians—which demands he set an example above all other monks—to such a man? We should not even discuss this matter further."
At Discipline Hall Master's words, all the monks in the assembly hall nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Grand Master Gongjeon pressed his palms together in a gesture of salute, bowing his head with a look of regret.
He had wanted to give that child a chance.
Yet while everyone claimed to understand, they viewed his suffering through misguided eyes, believing it should simply be overcome through the Buddhist path.
'Amitabha.'
However, Grand Master Gongjeon's thoughts differed.
How could one overcome everything merely through Buddhist cultivation?
It was no different from telling a man whose legs had been severed and left crippled that diligent practice of the path would one day allow him to walk again.
'Everyone is only seeing fragments of that child.'
Grand Master Gongjeon felt true pity.
Because Deokmun could see what others could not, he had even awakened what Shaolin had lost.
Yet everyone focused on his flaws rather than his merits.
Such was the nature of the Buddhist path.
This would remain unchanged no matter how much time passed.
'For that child's sake as well, perhaps it would be right to let him go.'
* * *
-Pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop bang!
Countless minor spirits exploding and vanishing in an instant.
"Ha!"
At this sight, Renegade Monk Ja Geum-jeong's jaw dropped, unable to hide his astonishment.
After leaving Shaolin, to forget even a little the 'pain of seeing,' he had drowned himself in alcohol.
Naturally, losing control of himself in his drunkenness, he committed countless eccentric acts and was called a madman.
It was Sorcerer Yi Mun-hae who pulled him from that quagmire.
"You have lived a truly agonizing life."
Yi Mun-hae was the first to understand his cursed eyes, driving away the spirits with talismans and allowing him to sleep peacefully without drink for the first time.
Through this bond, he had been following Sorcerer Yi Mun-hae and living alongside him.
Yet he couldn't help sticking out his tongue in amazement.
'What kind of guy is this?'
Sorcerer Yi Mun-hae had once said something like this while drinking together.
"Why worry about your sect's eyes when you have such skill?"
"Yeah. With skills like yours as a sorcerer, shouldn't you be treated better wherever you go?"
"Heh heh heh. It feels good hearing you say that, brother. But just as there are countless masters in the martial world as you said, the world of sorcerers is the same. There are far more superior and remarkable sorcerers than me."
"To this monk, you're the best."
"I'm grateful you say that, but if a mere tomb guardian like me goes around claiming to be the greatest, the sorcerers of the world will laugh."
"Hmph. Stop pretending to be humble."
At the time, he had thought that no matter how skilled a sorcerer was, they were all much the same.
But now, witnessing Mok Kyung-un form hand seals without even talismans and massacre countless minor spirits, he was utterly dumbfounded.
Yi Mun-hae was no match for him at all.
'What the hell is this guy's true identity?'
The energy emanating from him clearly marked him as a martial artist.
Yet how had he mastered sorcery to this level?
Then,
"Haa... haa..."
"Miss? Are you coming to?"
Woo Hyang, the innkeeper's daughter who had been tormented by the spirits, regained her senses.
Bewildered, she looked around her surroundings.
'How is this possible?'
Ever since her father fell ill, every day had been so agonizing that even breathing was a struggle.
But now, that was entirely gone.
Her whole body felt light, as if she had returned to the past.
"Your complexion, miss?"
"My body feels at ease. How is this possible?"
At her question, the servant supporting her hesitated before nodding toward Renegade Monk Ja Geum-jeong and Mok Kyung-un.
"It seems those guests did something."
"Those gentlemen?"
"Yes."
She didn't know exactly what they had done.
But after Mok Kyung-un did something, her heavy body had suddenly lightened.
Even the eerie chills running up her spine from time to time had vanished.
Then, refusing the servant's support, Woo Hyang clasped her hands together and bowed deeply to them.
"Thank you. Thanks to you two great heroes, my body feels much lighter."
At her greeting, Renegade Monk Ja Geum-jeong snorted.
"This monk didn't do anything. If you're going to thank someone, thank that old courtesan gigolo..."
-Thwack!
"Urk!"
Before his words could finish, pain shot through him, and Ja Geum-jeong clutched his nose.
-Drip drip!
'!?'
The warm liquid on his hand made Ja Geum-jeong's eyes widen.
Blood was flowing from his nose.
The heavy rain quickly washed away the blood soaking his palm, but that was irrelevant.
'What?'
He hadn't even seen it.
Only after the impact did he feel the pain.
To him, Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly and said,
"If you don't know the name, call him young master. I don't much care for being called an old courtesan gigolo."
"You...... what the hell are you?"
-Smack!
Renegade Monk Ja Geum-jeong pulled his hand from his nose and assumed the stance for his fist technique.
He didn't know about sorcery, but he had thought his martial arts were at a consummate peak level.
Yet he hadn't even sensed the blow that hit his nose.
This ignited his competitive spirit.
However,
-Swish!
Seop Chun stepped between them, gripping the hilt of his Mad Sword and saying,
"Demon-Subduing Fist Master. Do not be rude to my lord."
Nor was he alone.
Mong Mu-yak also stood beside Seop Chun, half-drawing his sword.
-Shing!
Frowning at the sight of them, Ja Geum-jeong grimaced.
From the moment he saw them, Renegade Monk Ja Geum-jeong had recognized these two as transcendent masters.
Yet men of such caliber were claiming to serve that old courtesan gigolo lookalike.
This only made him more curious about the man's true identity.
-Roooar!
Energy gathered in Ja Geum-jeong's fists.
A blue light rippled from his fists, forming blade energy.
Seeing this, surprise flickered in Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak's eyes.
'Fist energy?'
'His energy circulation is swift.'
They knew he wasn't an ordinary master, but they hadn't expected him to channel qi so quickly into fist energy.
Unlike their astonishment, Mok Kyung-un focused on something else.
Once again, Ja Geum-jeong had gathered ambient energy to form his blade energy.
'Fascinating.'
He could see it with his own eyes, yet it was hard to grasp the principle.
The movement of internal energy through acupoints resembled energy circulation principles he could understand, but this surpassed that—like the Sword of Self amid the crowd his clan head had demonstrated.
It was a technique that couldn't be easily stolen without enlightenment.
That made it all the more intriguing.
"Both of you, step back."
Mok Kyung-un ordered Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak.
"But my lord..."
"It's fine. Step back."
At this, Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak simultaneously withdrew to either side.
Yet Ja Geum-jeong maintained his stance, poised to strike at any moment.
To him, Mok Kyung-un said,
"Is that fist stance from a Shaolin technique?"
"Hmph. What shame for an expelled monk to use Shaolin fist arts? This is this monk's own Demon-Subduing Assault Fist."
Seop Chun scoffed at these words.
He claimed it wasn't Shaolin, but it looked just like the Shaolin Demon-Subduing Fist no matter how you saw it.
The Shaolin Demon-Subduing Fist—one of the five fist arts derived from the Hundred-Step Divine Fist—was renowned as an advanced technique for its fierce yet fluid strikes.
Of course, Mok Kyung-un, unaware of this, didn't care which was original.
He simply wanted to understand Ja Geum-jeong's internal energy operation.
'Supreme Great Ability, was it?'
Supreme Great Ability (無上大能力).
The legendary heart method said to be the final enlightenment of Grand Master Dharma before ascending.
If one could wield ambient energy without gathering internal energy in the body, nothing could be more efficient.
This made him all the more eager to grasp its principle.
Thus, Mok Kyung-un provoked him.
"In the martial world, they say you yield three moves to an inferior opponent. Come at me."
"What?"
Ja Geum-jeong scowled fiercely.
He knew from that earlier strike that this wasn't an ordinary foe, but he was one of the Three Madmen of the martial world, infamous for his notoriety.
For this young punk to boldly offer him three free moves ignited his rage.
"Fine. If you're that confident, let's have at it..."
It was right then.
-Boom!
Before Ja Geum-jeong could finish, a massive explosion erupted from the main hall.
All eyes turned there instantly.
Wondering what had happened, they saw the main hall's wall had collapsed, and a man in gray Taoist robes emblazoned with a yin-yang symbol staggered out.
Seeing this, Renegade Monk Ja Geum-jeong cried out in shock.
"Yi Mun-hae!"
He hurriedly tried to dash toward him, but
-Thud!
Mok Kyung-un blocked him, shaking his head.
And for good reason.
-Bulge bulge!
The state of the man called Yi Mun-hae, dressed in sorcerer's robes, was far from normal.
Black veins bulged wildly across his face, and his eyes had rolled back into whites.
"Kekekekekeke!"
The man let out a bizarre laugh toward them.
Both his appearance and the laughter sent chills down the spine.
Judging his condition abnormal, Renegade Monk Ja Geum-jeong bellowed.
"Get out of the way!"
Mok Kyung-un snorted.
"What can you do if I step aside?"
-Grit!
"You want me to just watch?"
"Yes."
"What?"
-Swish!
Before his question finished, Mok Kyung-un's form blurred and reappeared before the possessed Yi Mun-hae.
-Flinch!
Yi Mun-hae, who had been laughing grotesquely, startled at Mok Kyung-un's sudden appearance and slashed at his throat with sharpened nails.
However,
-Thud! Crack!
Mok Kyung-un seized his wrist and twisted the arm in one motion.
He twisted so hard that the bone pierced through the elbow.
Normally, such pain would elicit screams, but Yi Mun-hae only laughed harder.
"Kekekekekeke! Useless. Think this hurts this body?"
"Yes. I suppose it wouldn't."
"You're a sorcerer too, I see, but this body is already mine—"
-Slap!
Before he could finish, Mok Kyung-un slapped Yi Mun-hae's cheek.
Yi Mun-hae's head snapped to the side, his eyes widening.
He hadn't felt pain even when his arm broke, but that slap burned like fire.
"So this hurts, huh?"
The entity possessing Yi Mun-hae's body turned its head in shock.
"You...... what are you?"
-Thud! Crack!
Then Mok Kyung-un kicked Yi Mun-hae's shin.
The shin snapped, forcing Yi Mun-hae to drop to one knee.
-Thud!
Mok Kyung-un slapped the opposite cheek.
-Slap!
"Hngh!"
A scream burst from Yi Mun-hae's mouth amid the searing pain.
The entity possessing him finally realized something was wrong.
This man could inflict direct pain on it.
Thus,
'I need to escape.'
The entity tried to leave Yi Mun-hae's body.
But,
-Grip!
Mok Kyung-un seized the shoulder and formed simplified hand seals:
Fight! Rip! Array!
The entity trying to flee from Sorcerer Yi Mun-hae was trapped in the body like in a prison, unable to escape.
Panicking, the entity shouted.
"You...... what have you done......"
-Slap!
"Urk!"
Before it could finish, its cheek turned aside.
The pain was so intense that the entity possessing Yi Mun-hae's body turned its head in disbelief.
Then, through its white eyes, it saw Mok Kyung-un's face.
-Flinch!
'He's......smiling?'
This wasn't the expression of someone trying to save the body's owner from it.
Rather, the smile brimmed entirely with malice.
In that moment, the entity unwittingly swallowed dryly.