Chapter 304
Chapter 304
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 84
>Chapter Title: Overlord's Step (1)
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-Thud! Thud!
Mok Kyung-un appeared in majestic triumph, like a victorious general returning from battle, riding atop Alyu—the demon beast that should have been confined to the Anti-Demon Cave.
Everyone in the hall was stunned beyond words at the sight.
Even his subordinates, who had sworn loyalty to Mok Kyung-un, had harbored half-doubts and couldn't fully believe it.
"He really pulled it off?"
The Broken Precept Monk Ja Geum-jeong gaped at Mok Kyung-un in disbelief.
As a former Shaolin monk, he knew better than anyone the prowess of the Demon Subduing Monks.
Yet Mok Kyung-un had accomplished what even they could not.
"Ha! My lord and master, but damn if this doesn't blow my mind right now. Right, Mong Mu-yak?"
"......"
At Seop Chun's words, Mong Mu-yak stuck out his tongue and nodded.
He'd wondered what kind of freakish thing it was when they talked about some "妖物."
But seeing the demon beast Alyu, which was even larger than a two-story building, he couldn't fathom how anyone could tame such a creature.
The overwhelming pressure radiating from the demon beast Alyu was on a whole different level from ordinary beasts.
It wasn't just a fierce predator—it was a perilously dangerous entity beyond such categories.
As they buzzed with excitement, the masked Mara Hyeon spoke softly.
"This isn't the time to celebrate. With pursuers from the imperial palace already here, that agreement is as good as broken."
With that, Mara Hyeon glanced at Imperial Guard Commander Gang Hak.
He too had been momentarily speechless upon first seeing the monstrosity.
'This is a real mess.'
He'd never spoken to the man directly, but he'd heard the rumors.
Arrogant to a fault, which kept him out of the Royal Guard, but his skills placed him among the top three in the Imperial Bodyguards.
'Of all people, why him?'
Gang Hak was infamous for his tenacity.
Driven by a thirst for power and quick results, he wouldn't hesitate to use any means necessary to capture them.
"Amitabha. Excellent, excellent."
Reverse Muscle Scripture Hall Leader Master Mu-seong let out a sigh of admiration.
He valued discipline above all, but the Demon Subduing Monks had slipped up, and he couldn't impose monastic rules on worldly laymen—so he'd given them a chance.
Seeing the beast fully under control now, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
-Thud! Thud!
As the demon beast Alyu lumbered into the temple square on all fours, the still-gawking Imperial Guard Commander Gang Hak turned to Disciplinary Hall Leader Master Dae-deok beside him.
"......What the hell is that thing? Master."
"Please calm yourself, benefactor. That妖物 was captured by Shaolin for wreaking havoc."
"You captured it? Then who's the bastard riding on top?"
"As you can see, he's no Shaolin monk."
"I can tell that much from the hair on his head. Wait—don't tell me......"
"He's one of the treasonous criminals you mentioned."
"Then we arrest him immediately!"
"Just a moment, allow this poor monk to......"
"Master, you said Shaolin had no ties to these treasonous criminals. Letting them roam free like this—what's the difference from harboring them? If that's how it is, we'll have no choice but to search Shaolin."
Disciplinary Hall Leader Master Dae-deok frowned at Gang Hak's words.
They'd brought him in to justify proceeding by the book, but he was proving more troublesome than expected.
Then Reverse Muscle Scripture Hall Leader Master Mu-seong approached and spoke.
"Amitabha. You've been calling them 'treasonous criminals' this whole time—what exactly do you mean?"
"Master, these are the traitors who broke into the imperial palace and freed its prisoners."
"Freed imperial palace prisoners?"
"Exactly as I said. In his rage, His Imperial Majesty ordered their capture. Master, we must seize them at once."
"Hah. Master."
Master Mu-seong was at a loss.
He grasped the gist of it.
But the timing couldn't have been more awkward.
He'd already given them a chance with his own words, and they'd seized it decisively.
"Master, don't you see that?"
-Thud! Thud!
Master Mu-seong pointed toward the demon beast Alyu, now nearing the square, and Mok Kyung-un riding atop its head.
"This benefactor has succeeded in controlling the妖物. How can we tarnish Shaolin's name by breaking an agreement made in its name?"
"Amitabha. Master, this isn't breaking the agreement."
"Not breaking it? What do you mean?"
"The agreement was that if they demonstrated control over the妖物, we'd also release the flying妖物 in the sky."
At these words from Disciplinary Hall Leader Master Dae-deok, Broken Precept Monk Ja Geum-jeong shouted in outrage.
"Isn't that too much of a stretch?"
"A stretch?"
Master Dae-deok sneered and fixed his gaze on Ja Geum-jeong.
"You're a defrocked monk cast out for guzzling wine and breaking precepts like it's a meal—calling this a stretch? Did you think Shaolin, for all its pursuit of the Buddha way and compassion, would shelter traitors harming the realm?"
"Master!"
Master Mu-seong sharply rebuked him.
In this delicate situation, Dae-deok was speaking as if he represented Shaolin.
That was a dangerously presumptuous statement.
But Disciplinary Hall Leader Master Dae-deok, unwilling to let the opportunity slip, refused to back down even under Master Mu-seong's higher seniority.
Raising his voice for all to hear, Master Dae-deok declared:
"Hear me, Shaolin martial monks! As Disciplinary Hall Leader, I command you: subdue and bind them at once!"
At his order, the martial monks hesitated.
Treasonous criminals should indeed be subdued, but with Master Mu-seong—higher in rank than Master Dae-deok—holding a differing view, they couldn't act rashly.
Finally, the Arhat Hall Leader, head of the martial monks, spoke up.
"Master, the agreement on controlling the妖物 is separate from this. If they truly are traitors, Shaolin itself could be endangered."
"Hah."
Unfortunately, the Arhat Hall Leader shared Master Dae-deok's view.
From his perspective, it was better to resolve this internally rather than escalate and invite an imperial army invasion.
At that moment, someone crossing the main hall interjected.
"Amitabha. This won't do. How can Shaolin break an agreement out of fear of an imperial search?"
It was Scripture Hall Leader Master Gong-jeon.
The Arhat Hall Leader responded with evident unease.
"Amitabha. Master, that's not what I mean. If we're accused of harboring traitors......"
"With heaven and earth watching and clear consciences, why fear such slander? You say he's an imperial officer from the palace? Shaolin is a temple of the Buddha way. If they must be arrested as traitors, do it outside—not here."
At Master Gong-jeon's words, Imperial Guard Commander Gang Hak scoffed incredulously.
"Well now, it seems Shaolin is fully in league with these traitors. Harboring the scum who freed vicious prisoners—you've all lost your minds."
"Amitabha. How can you twist things this way, officer?"
"Shaolin prides itself on justice and righteousness, yet you claim ignorance and let these vile criminals go? How is that twisting? In any case, I've heard Shaolin's stance loud and clear. We'll trouble Shaolin no further......"
-He flinched!
In an instant, Imperial Guard Commander Gang Hak trailed off.
A chilling presence had crept up behind him.
"You call us villains, so I'll oblige just as you wish."
"!?"
Disciplinary Hall Leader Master Dae-deok beside him froze.
The voice belonged to none other than Mok Kyung-un.
When had this man slipped behind them?
He hadn't sensed a thing.
-Pak!
"Hk!"
Mok Kyung-un seized Imperial Guard Commander Gang Hak by the nape.
Gang Hak, who had reached the pinnacle of peak realm befitting his rank, tried to shake him off and resist.
But...
-Kwak!
"Huuk!"
He instinctively knew.
The grip on his nape was so crushingly strong that any resistance might rip his head clean off.
Mok Kyung-un taunted him.
"Like a proper villain, I'll take you hostage to get out of here."
"How dare you!"
In that instant, Disciplinary Hall Leader Master Dae-deok spun around and unleashed Dragon Claw Hand toward Mok Kyung-un, aiming to free Gang Hak.
Each of Shaolin's 72 Ultimate Arts was a consummate technique unto itself.
-Papapapapak!
Yet Mok Kyung-un casually blocked it with one hand.
Not executing any particular form, he simply mirrored the Dragon Claw Hand—until, in a blink, his movements perfectly mimicked it.
Master Dae-deok couldn't hide his shock.
In the midst of trading forms, he was copying his exact technique.
How could anyone be so cunning?
'In that case!'
Desperate, Disciplinary Hall Leader Master Dae-deok unleashed a ferocious palm strike at Mok Kyung-un.
It was the most domineering technique of the Shaolin Bronze Sand Palm, a palm strike that overwhelmed foes with profound inner energy.
Mok Kyung-un countered with an identical palm technique.
Master Dae-deok smirked confidently at Mok Kyung-un's response.
'I'll crush him with raw power.'
Having cultivated Shaolin's divine art, the Marrow Cleansing Scripture, he possessed vast and profound inner energy.
He was confident no one could match him in that regard.
Especially not this young layman in his mid-twenties, no matter his attainment...
-Pang!
'No!?'
-Cha rarararar!
The moment their palms clashed, Master Dae-deok's form was blasted back over ten paces.
Staring at his trembling handback, he couldn't conceal his bewilderment.
Unlike him, Mok Kyung-un hadn't budged an inch, even while holding Gang Hak.
'!!!!!!'
The Shaolin martial monks' eyes widened at the scene.
Disciplinary Hall Leader Master Dae-deok—one of Shaolin's top three masters, the Three Shaolin Monks—had been outmatched in an inner energy clash by this unknown young expert.
'How could this happen?'