Chapter 299
Chapter 299
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 83
>Chapter Title: Demonic Beast (1)
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“Heavenly Demon. It’s the Heavenly Demon.”
‘!?’
No sooner had Mok Kyung-un finished speaking than Abbot Gongjeon’s kindly smiling expression hardened.
“Heaven... Demon? Hah.”
Abbot Gongjeon reacted to the “demon” at the end.
Out of all the names in the world, why attach such an ominous word as “demon”?
Literally translated, it meant “demon of the heavens.”
It piqued his interest oddly, but there was no rule forbidding “demon” in a name, nor any reason to view it negatively based solely on that.
‘There must be a reason they gave the donor such a name.’
With that, Abbot Gongjeon relaxed his expression and said,
“Hahaha. Amitabha. Heavenly Demon... What an extraordinary name. In Buddhism, fame and reputation are but dust, but I sincerely hope your renown endures for a hundred, nay, a thousand years.”
“Thank you for saying so. I hope it turns out as you say, Venerable. My grandfather said something similar.”
“Something similar?”
“Yes. He said there are two ways for a person to live forever.”
“Ways to live forever? Ho. And what might those be?”
“The first is to leave descendants and carry on one’s will through generations. The second is to leave a name and live on in people’s memories.”
“Hahaha. Wise words indeed. What could be more eternal than that? Your grandfather is truly sagacious.”
At those words, Mok Kyung-un smiled silently.
In the midst of their conversation, they finally arrived at the Demon Subduing Cave.
The Demon Subduing Cave lay right next to the Meditation Cave.
The Leader of the Demon Subduing Hall, who had gone ahead to make preparations, was waiting in front.
“Amitabha. You’ve arrived?”
“Amitabha. Are preparations complete, Leader of the Demon Subduing Hall?”
“Yes. I’ve already instructed the demon-subduing monks guarding the cave the donor will enter, just in case. I’ll accompany you, so no need to worry.”
“Then, could you tell the donor what to watch out for?”
“Yes. Understood.”
The Leader of the Demon Subduing Hall looked at Mok Kyung-un, then pointed to the Demon Subduing Cave with his hand.
“Donor. Once inside the cave, you’ll see entrances to several blocked-off tunnels. Though the entrances are sealed, demon-subduing monks chant the Demon Subduing Incantation before each one—do not disturb them.”
“So I just pass by.”
“Exactly.”
“The cave you’ll enter is the innermost one, housing an extremely ferocious demonic entity. Captured from Little Demon Mountain north of Great Demon Mountain, its power is immense, its yokai energy potent. Even we had to mobilize the Na-han monks and deploy the Verdant Jade Flame Formation along with thirty-six powerful demon-suppressing artifacts to barely subdue it.”
“Must have been quite the struggle.”
At Mok Kyung-un’s words, one of the Leader’s eyebrows twitched upward.
It had evidently pricked his pride.
But he soon sighed and said,
“Phew. That entity was so yokai-strong and vicious that even I, who has faced countless such beings, could never handle it alone.”
“And yet you managed to capture and bring it here. Wouldn’t killing it have been easier?”
“Amitabha. Taking life is a last resort. How could we Buddhists do such a thing without attempting salvation?”
“So you seal it away and keep chanting sutras?”
“Indeed.”
“Has any demonic entity ever been saved that way?”
“......”
The Leader of the Demon Subduing Hall fell silent.
It was a clear denial.
Though the demon-subduing monks chanted the incantation day and night in shifts to weaken the yokai nature, none had ever truly changed at their core.
Many even died before completing the 108 incantations, their yokai energy and power waning together.
In truth, salvation of demonic entities was impossible.
Thus, while the monks persisted in their attempts, deep down they believed it futile.
‘That complacency will soon vanish.’
Well-versed in dharma power himself, he could gauge the yokai energy of the strange bird that had fallen in the Na-han Hall plaza.
Admittedly stronger than ordinary entities, but what they would see now was on an entirely different level.
It wasn’t just powerful and vicious.
Possessing intelligence to toy with humans, it had been sealed deeper than the others.
“Well. Sealing it away doesn’t seem to serve much purpose anyway.”
At Mok Kyung-un’s sarcastic remark, the Leader pressed his palms together and replied,
“Amitabha. Then prove that your unorthodox sealing technique can control demonic entities.”
“Understood.”
* * *
Thus, guided by the Leader of the Demon Subduing Hall, Mok Kyung-un entered the cave.
-Whoooong!
As he stepped inside, Mok Kyung-un grimaced.
-What’s wrong, child of sentience?
Qingling asked.
-......It’s quite similar to when it touches my innate true energy.
-Innate true energy? You mean the cave interior...
-The dharma power is far stronger than outside.
Mok Kyung-un found the reason on the cave walls.
The entire surface was inscribed with gold-painted Demon Subduing Incantation characters, filling the space with dharma power.
This power opposed the death qi and demonic qi within him—energies of the dead—causing his internal energies to roil.
Even a headache he hadn’t had was emerging.
-Can you endure it?
-Somehow.
His energies churned, but it wasn’t unbearable.
It simply felt profoundly unpleasant to be in this space.
Moreover,
-Om mani padme hum... [incantation continues]
As the Leader had warned, demon-subduing monks chanted the incantation at each tunnel within the Demon Subduing Cave, making his ears ring.
Enduring the discomfort, he reached the deepest part.
En route, the Leader said,
“The thirty-six caves in Shaolin’s rear garden are all interconnected. Stray from the path, and you could get lost. Please be cautious, donor.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“And we’re nearly there. If trouble arises inside, shout loudly. Though its legs are bound with artifacts, its yokai power is immense—danger is possible.”
“Understood.”
At last, they arrived at the innermost cave.
Its entrance dwarfed the others in size.
The sealing iron gate bore gold-inscribed Demon Subduing Incantations.
-Om mani padme hum... [incantation]
A single demon-subduing monk stood before it, chanting.
Upon their arrival, he paused and pressed his palms together.
“Amitabha. You’ve arrived, Hall Leader?”
“I told you to stop chanting and wait in the nearby chamber. Why are you still here, Deok-su?”
“I dropped my prayer beads at the entrance. The entity, thinking I’d dozed off from exhaustion, awoke and caused a commotion, so I was calming it.”
“Hah.”
At this, the Leader eyed the cave entrance worriedly.
Despite prior warnings, the entity inside was truly dangerous.
He had timed Mok Kyung-un’s entry for when dharma power peaked and the incantation had most fatigued it.
But if it had awakened and rampaged, the situation was concerning.
It could turn on them instead.
Thus, the Leader cautiously said,
“Donor. Could you wait a moment? We may need more incantation to soothe it.”
Mok Kyung-un shook his head.
“Will that make much difference? Just let me in.”
“Hah. Donor... This is for your safety too. Proof or not, we can’t endanger you.”
“I understand your concern, but we’re short on time.”
Shaolin was quite close to the capital, Kaifeng.
Imperial troops or pursuers from the palace could arrive swiftly.
Thus, Mok Kyung-un had to hurry.
“Couldn’t you yield just this once?”
“If it gets truly dangerous, I’ll say so. Let me in.”
“Hah.”
Clicking his tongue at Mok Kyung-un’s stubbornness, the Leader approached the firmly shut iron gate’s locks.
The massive gate had five locks total.
Drawing keys from his waist, the Leader said,
-Clang!
“Donor. This gate is forged of wrought iron—even supreme martial artists can’t slash or break it. If danger arises, call out immediately.”
“I will.”
-Clank!
Having unlocked all but the last oddly elongated lock, the Leader handed Mok Kyung-un a torch from the wall.
“It’s dark inside—take this. There are mounts within.”
“Understood. But why leave one lock?”
“For safety.”
“Safety?”
“This lock is specially made; it opens the gate just wide enough for a person to sidle through sideways.”
“Ah.”
“Exceed that, and the entity might burst out. Beyond vicious, it’s cunning—be wary.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Then return safely. Amitabha.”
-Creeeak!
The massive iron gate opened, creating a gap just wide enough—as described—for a person to pass sideways, not frontally.
Through it, Mok Kyung-un entered with the torch.
No sooner had he done so than the outside demon-subduing monk shut the gate.
-Creeeak! Thud!
Closed as gently as possible, the huge gate still boomed loudly.
Ignoring it, Mok Kyung-un raised the torch to illuminate the cavern interior.
‘Big, huh?’
Far larger than expected.
The torch couldn’t light it fully.
Part of the cavern lay in shadow.
-Thud!
Without approaching, Mok Kyung-un hung the torch on a nearby mount by the gate.
Then he gazed at the shadowed area.
No need to search—potent yokai energy emanated from there.
-Do you see it?
-Yes. I see it.
Faintly flickering, the yokai beast’s eyes stared back.
Crimson glows wavered; their size alone hinted at its enormity.
“Kee-hee-hee-hee-kik.”
Then, a chilling laugh echoed from the shadows.
Utterly unlike a human voice—more like claws scraping a throat.
Mok Kyung-un gripped his sword formula in his right hand, preparing a spell.
Despite ninety-nine days of incantations to tame its yokai nature, the emanating power hardly seemed diminished.
-How clear is it?
-Beyond yokai beast level.
-Beyond yokai beast?
-Yes.
-Then... is it a demonic beast?
Strange apparitions, or anomalies, had titles by danger level.
Lowest: ferocious beast.
Then: strange beast, yokai beast.
His spirit servant Hyeomwon was yokai beast class; this felt far stronger.
Then, a voice accompanied the laughter from the shadows.
“Kee-hee-hee-hee-kik. I should thank those damned monks. Locked here ninety-nine days, enduring their endless droning sutras, and now they serve up a tasty meal.”
Shockingly, this anomaly could speak.
The throat-scraping sound was eerie, yet it conveyed intent precisely.
-Thud!
Footsteps reverberated through the cavern.
-Thud!
The floor trembled.
Soon, it entered the torch’s radius.
‘Huh?’
Horns crowned its head, dragon-like.
Red fur covered a body blending dog and ox, with horse hooves.
Towering, one had to crane upward.
Qingling spoke in astonishment.
-Child of sentience... It’s an Alyu.
-Alyu?
-When they said Little Demon Mountain, I suspected, but these mad monks captured a demonic beast.
Qingling was incredulous.
Even skilled sorcerers needed dozens to face one; Shaolin’s might was no joke, but the situation was grave.
-......Trouble. Beyond strength, demonic beasts have intelligence.
-We’ll subdue it first.
Control and enslavement required subdual.
Fortunately, among recent anomalies, this one’s yokai energy wasn’t the worst.
Thanks to worse encounters, perhaps.
Just then.
“Kee-hee-hee-hee-kik!”
-Kukukukung!
The slowly approaching demonic beast Alyu lunged at Mok Kyung-un with startling agility.
‘Fast for its size.’
Mok Kyung-un shifted, widening distance to deploy the Six Directions Formation.
But the charging Alyu halted abruptly.
-Flash!
It backed away, trembling eyes opening.
“Kiriirik. You... what are you? Why do you smell... of that monster fox?”
‘!?’