Chapter 297: Ah, Why Again? (1)
Chapter 297: Ah, Why Again? (1)
“Lunatic Shield!”
“Earth Wall!”
The disciples guarding the Jonsa’s side hurriedly deployed defensive magic.
Even in the face of this sudden crisis, they desperately tried to protect their master. However…
Boom!
The massive golden fist ruthlessly shattered their barriers and struck the Jonsa’s body directly.
“Gahhh!”
The Jonsa coughed up blood and was sent flying backward.
It was a powerful strike that could have killed him instantly if not for his disciples' defenses.
Then, the Dark Mages saw it.
They saw the enemy who had attacked their Jonsa.
“W-what is that?”
“Why is that thing…?”
It was the summon that, until moments ago, had been acting as the Jonsa’s limb, slaughtering dragons.
A muscular warrior with a bald head and a dot on his forehead.
With one hand held vertically in front of his chest, the warrior stood with a stern gaze, his other fist still extended from the punch.
‘I… I made a mistake.’
The Jonsa thought as he forced his fallen body upright.
In the midst of trying to seize control of the mana during the sudden upheaval, the leash holding them had slackened.
‘What about the other two?’
He hurriedly checked and found that the connection with the remaining two had also grown faint.
The Jonsa quickly reinforced the bond with them and shouted to his disciples.
“Block him! Use everything you have to stop him!”
“Yes, Master!”
At his command, the disciples all rushed toward the summon at once.
And their opponent…
“Amitabha!”
He floated into the air, his entire body radiating a golden Buddhist light. And simultaneously…
Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Supreme Arts
Thirteen Demon-Subduing Palms
Massive palms manifested in the air, striking out in all directions against the Dark Mages.
“Guh….”
“Aaaaagh!”
The Dark Mages caught in the range of the massive palm technique collapsed with agonizing screams.
Not only those hit directly, but even those grazed by the technique fell to the ground as if they had suffered a tremendous shock.
“H-Holy Power?”
“That’s impossible. How can an undead use Holy Power?”
The Dark Mages were horrified.
Whatever that bald summon was, its current essence was that of the undead.
How could such a being use Holy Power?
In truth, what the monk was using was based on the Buddhist Law, which was different from Holy Power.
However, it was no different in the sense that it carried the energy of purging evil and manifesting righteousness.
In other words, this monk was a natural enemy to the Dark Mages.
He gritted his teeth.
Though he had only fragmented memories, he could grasp the general situation. He had been used.
He had lost consciousness after being defeated by the Heavenly Demon, and since then, he had been thoroughly exploited by these mysterious people.
He didn't know who they were, but the goals of those who committed such wicked acts could never be good.
‘For the sake of the Great Cause and the peace of the Jianghu, I shall defeat them here.’
Having steeled his resolve, the monk…
No, the man who was once the greatest master of Shaolin and known throughout the Jianghu as the Shin Kwon, clenched his fist tight.
“Haaap!”
His body shot like an arrow toward the Jonsa. His fist, thrust out with all his might, unleashed terrifying destructive power.
Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Supreme Arts
Great Diamond Fist of the Apex
The fist of the Diamond Guardian that destroys all evil exploded toward the Jonsa’s front.
Or rather, it would have.
If another swordsman hadn't intervened and blocked his strike with a blade.
“Benefactor…?”
Before the Shin Kwon’s surprise could fade, a remarkable slash with the momentum to cleave through everything flew in from the side.
The Shin Kwon moved quickly to dodge, and a sharp laceration cut deep into the earth where he had just been standing.
Having retreated to a safe distance, the Shin Kwon frowned as he identified his opponents.
“The Sword King and the Do Jon. Even you two….”
They were once his friends and comrades-in-arms.
The greatest sword of the Wudang Sect and the top master of the Hebe Peng Family.
They were now standing in his way as enemies.
“Katz!”
The Shin Kwon let out a shout infused with the profound Buddhist Law.
If they were ordinary people whose minds had been suppressed by brainwashing, this sound should have brought them to their senses.
“…….”
“…….”
But the two did not move an inch.
“Amitabha.”
The Shin Kwon groaned in pity. The Jonsa, staggering as he appeared from behind them, spoke.
“It’s no use. Their souls have already been perfectly suppressed.”
“Who are you, benefactor?”
“I am your master.”
“Amitabha….”
The Shin Kwon’s hand habitually reached for his prayer beads, but there was nothing there.
Instead, he pressed his empty palms together in a half-salute and said, “I do not know your true identity, but stop these wicked deeds this instant. Do you truly not know the end that awaits those born as humans who follow the path of demons?”
The Jonsa smirked at the Shin Kwon’s words.
“I wondered who you were…. It seems you were originally a priest of some sort.”
“…….”
“Well, fine. Whatever your past was, the important thing is that you belong to me now….”
“What are you talking about?”
“It means you should listen to me quietly.”
Terrifying mana erupted from the Jonsa’s staff.
The mana instantly tried to seize the Shin Kwon and swallow him whole. However…
“Hap!”
He was indeed the greatest master of Shaolin.
the moment he unleashed his strength, the Buddhist Law of purging evil protected his body from the wicked energy.
The Jonsa sighed at the sight.
“The losses… are quite significant.”
“Benefactor. If you do not stop even now, this monk will have no choice but to break the precept against killing….”
“Enough. I don’t care to hear any more.”
The Jonsa then commanded the remaining two.
“Go and subdue him. I need to tie the leash back on this dog that broke free.”
The moment the command was given, the two undead—no, the two absolute masters of the Jianghu once called the Sword King and the Do Jon—rushed forward.
“Haaap!”
The Shin Kwon struck out against them.
Three masters who once held absolute titles in the Jianghu clashed in a land they had no connection to.
*
A few days after the fierce battle in Dragon Island.
“Master.”
One of the trusted direct disciples visited the Jonsa at the Dark Mages' headquarters.
“Is that you, Pride?”
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Unfortunately, I am not.”
The Jonsa was sitting on his usual throne, but his body was covered in various tubes, and medicinal fluids were being steadily supplied to treat him.
To anyone’s eyes, he was far from being in good condition.
“…The damage at the final moment was too great.”
The Jonsa sighed as he recalled that time.
The losses suffered in the battle at Dragon Island were beyond words.
Of course, since they were waging war against dragons, some damage was expected.
But that level of damage was within his calculations.
Losing about half of the Dark Mages while facing the dragons directly was an unavoidable sacrifice.
The real damage occurred afterward.
Suddenly, the Outer God in the sealing site woke up, and his mana was disrupted.
Because of that, the Shin Kwon of Shaolin escaped his control.
Although he managed to recapture and restrain the Shin Kwon, the damage was horrific.
The remaining forces of the Dark Mages suffered significant losses, and above all, the other two familiars were heavily damaged.
‘The Sword King and the Do Jon, was it?’
He had received them from the Outer God, but he hadn't actually known their names.
He had considered calling them Number 1 and Number 2 if necessary, but he hadn't known they had such titles.
Regardless, they had succeeded in capturing the Shin Kwon by double-teaming him. However…
‘The damage sustained in the process was too great.’
Compared to the Shin Kwon, who fought with desperate resolve, those two had to remain faithful to the command to subdue him.
That difference resulted in massive damage despite the two-on-one advantage.
And of course, the Shin Kwon had also suffered immense damage.
He was currently recovering them, but it would take quite a while for all three to be mobile again. Therefore…
“I must postpone the grand plan for a while and focus all my efforts on healing my body.”
Just one more step.
He only needed to take one more step, but he had been forced to a halt.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed, but it was much better than failing due to impatience.
‘I must be perfectly prepared.’
“I will focus on recovery for the time being, Pride.”
“Yes, Master.”
“While I am away, you shall act as my deputy and lead the group.”
“I understand, Master.”
The Jonsa leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
‘Do not be anxious. It’s just a little further. Just a little further….’
In any case, he had achieved his original goal by exterminating the dragons.
The plan was sailing smoothly.
However, a question still remained.
Why on earth?
Why did the Outer God in the sealing site wake up?
Even if only for a moment, both the Outer God and he could feel it.
Though things seemed to have quieted down again, at that moment.
The Outer God’s seal had definitely wavered.
‘Why? No, who?’
The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't understand.
To provoke the sleeping Outer God?
What kind of madman would do such a thing?
*
“Wow, I really am a madman.”
Well, that was true.
But why?
“Ugh, how could I say something so unlucky? If Master heard that, he would have excommunicated me.”
Indeed, for someone who was called a Great Hero in the Orthodox Faction to have words like 'The Heavenly Demon has descended, all demons shall bow' come out of his mouth…
If anyone else had heard it, he would have deserved to be cursed out.
“I shouldn't do that anymore. I guess it’s true what the elders say—you shouldn't do things they tell you not to do.”
He had just said the words.
But at that moment, hadn't the seal holding the Outer God wavered significantly?
The tension then was truly…
It was one of the top three most heart-pounding moments Patrick had experienced since being born into this world.
Even if it was only for a brief moment, Patrick’s intuition had sent out a danger signal of the highest order.
It wasn't even that intense when he faced the White Tiger in this world, or when he met his death at Nakbongpa in his previous life.
“Well, the Pope said he’d investigate what happened separately….”
Naturally, Patrick and the Pope had hurried out of the sealing site after that.
The Pope had urged him to keep today’s events a strict secret, then led a group of priests into the Vatican library to dig through old records.
As for Patrick…
“Ah, this is comfortable. This is true rest.”
He was lounging around quite lazily.
Very, very lazily.
“Hey, Perios.”
“Yes. Did you call, Grand Duke Patrick Schneider?”
“Yeah. I’m thirsty. What was it? Holy Wine? Divine Wine? Anyway, bring me another bottle of that.”
At Patrick’s words, Perios looked troubled.
“Um, Grand Duke Schneider.”
“Hmm? Whyyyy?”
“Divine Wine is a sacred alcohol used for important religious ceremonies; it’s not something to be drunk recklessly.”
The Divine Wine, which was slowly aged while priests took turns infusing it with Holy Power during the brewing process, was an important…
A very important ceremonial wine, with only twelve bottles produced a year.
However, seven of those precious bottles were already rolling around empty on the floor.
Perios squeezed his eyes shut at the sight and said, “Any more than this is impossible.”
“Really? I see. So it’s not allowed.”
“Yes. Please understand….”
“Cough!”
“Grand Duke Schneider! Why all of a sudden…?”
Perios was horrified to see Patrick suddenly coughing up blood.
Patrick, his complexion suddenly turning pale, wiped the blood and said, “No, it’s nothing. It’s just that the internal injuries I got from being hit recently…. Cough!”
“…….”
Perios’s face trembled.
“Cough, cough…. If I drink the Divine Wine…. Cough…. I feel like I’d get better if I had one more bottle…. Gah!”
“U-um, Grand Duke Schneider?”
“It’s fine. It’s such an important wine, I can’t just drink it cough! recklessly.”
“…….”
“Even though I realized the crisis of the Holy Kingdom and worked heart and soul to save His Holiness the Pope from the Dark Mage’s brainwashing in a dire situation where no one recognized my efforts, only to end up like this after being punched by someone—even so, Divine Wine? Does it make sense for me to drink such precious wine? Don’t worry about me. Cough!”
“…….”
“Gasp…. If I die, the culprit is Perio….”
“I’ll bring it!”
Patrick chuckled as he watched Perios eventually go running off.
“That kid, trying to hold out on me. He should have just brought it quietly.”
A unique martial art of the Twin Dragon Sect.
Self-Induced Blood Spitting.
It was a divine technique that involved coughing up blood and making one’s face pale to induce sympathy and guilt in the opponent.
“It’s a very convenient martial art, mainly for mooching off naive kids.”
[Our sect has no such martial art, you rascal!]
“Oh, come on, Master. Think of how many martial arts I’ve created for our sect. If I create it, it’s officially a Twin Dragon Sect martial art. Right?”
[Cheon-hui, you punk!]
“I can’t hear you. I can’t hear a thing.”
He then picked up a rolling bottle of Divine Wine and took a swig.
The bit of wine left in it was truly sweet.
‘Ah. How long has it been since I’ve had a rest like this?’
Once he returned to the Duchy, he’d have to oversee the kids' training and handle a mountain of other tasks.
So, for the time being, he planned to just lounge here, get plenty of rest, squeeze out everything he could, and then head back to the Duchy at his leisure.
But it was then.
“Lord Double Dragon.”
“Hmm? What is it, Antorius?”
Seeing Antorius running toward him in a panic, Patrick let out a long yawn.
“It’s a disaster.”
“Oh? Really? Then go deal with it.”
“It’s not that. Something terrible has happened.”
“Ugh, what is it now?”
Patrick spoke with an extremely annoyed expression.
Judging by the look on Antorius's face, it seemed something serious had indeed happened. However…
‘What do I care?’
This was the Saint Louis Holy Church State.
A foreign country.
If something terrible happened here, the people here should solve it themselves, shouldn't they?
Why come to him and complain?
‘Whatever it is, I’m going to ignore it completely. Even if Master appears in my dreams to nag me, I’ll ignore him.’
He hated meddling in other countries' affairs.
To that Patrick, Antorius said, “The Empire has rejected the truce.”
“…What?”
“And they say a 200,000-strong army, led by the Sword Saint, is marching south.”
“…….”
Patrick first grabbed a bottle of Divine Wine rolling on the floor and chugged the whole thing.
Then, slamming the bottle down, he shouted with a face full of utter irritation.
“Ah, why again?”
He would have ignored most things…
But this was something he absolutely couldn't ignore.