Chapter 166: The Backlash of Qingcheng (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 166: The Backlash of Qingcheng (2)
Clatter...
The discarded sword slid from its scabbard and rolled across the floor.
The elders felt a chill run down their spines at the unprecedented sight.
No Sword No Person.
The sword is the person.
Ever since the founding patriarch of the Qingcheng Sect uttered those words, every disciple has been taught from their days as a novice to cherish and care for their sword as if it were their own body.
Step.
"Are you not ashamed to face the first-generation disciples?"
Song Hak was a man who embodied the spirit of Qingcheng to his very marrow. Seeing him throw his sword in front of everyone was surreal—less like reality and more like an ominous omen of some bizarre natural disaster.
"A first-generation disciple, young enough to be your son, is trying to shoulder everything alone. Fearing he might bring ruin to the sect, he is prepared to throw away the life he has lived and face death."
But it was Song Hak who felt as if he were witnessing a catastrophe. His beard trembled and his teeth ground together as tears welled in his eyes.
Since when?
Since when did Qingcheng become a place that schemed and calculated, worrying only about consequences?
"Is the Martial Alliance so terrifying? Since when did Qingcheng seek only to maintain a life of luxury? Is there anyone here who does not know how this all began? And yet! How! How is it that not a single person speaks up in protest!"
'Father...'
A faint smile spread across Seok Jun’s face.
That was it.
That was the man his father was.
He was a man who could be cruelly stern, scolding until one’s soul felt like it was leaving their body. At times, he was excessive, but even so...
He was not a man who evaded responsibility. He was not one to bow his head just because the future looked bleak.
"First Elder Song Ji!"
"S-Song Hak..."
"You were the one who praised Seok Myeong more than anyone when he presented the Azure Origin Heart Method, calling it perfect! Why do you stay silent now?"
"..."
Song Ji’s face flushed red despite himself.
"Elder Song Ha-myeong!"
Song Hak pointed at the old man with the long goatee.
"You claimed to care for Azure Cloud Taoist more than anyone! What are you doing now? Are you truly the same Elder Song Ha-myeong who once said he would rather throw away his life than live in shame?"
Grit.
Song Ha-myeong ground his teeth at the accusation. But Song Hak didn't even stop to look at his expression before pointing at another old man.
"Elder Song Heo! You scold when it suits you, but you won't step forward when it's time to take responsibility? Have you forgotten? A Qingcheng without a sword is a Qingcheng without people! What use is the sect? What use is the main mountain? How can we call ourselves Qingcheng if we abandon the integrity of the sword to weigh our losses!"
"Ahem."
"Ugh."
Song Hak’s words flew out like daggers in every direction. They were the cold, hard truth. The elders, who had been hesitating only moments ago, bit their lips so hard they drew blood.
'The Sect Leader—no, Father is...'
Yeon-hui’s eyes caught a glimpse of Song Jeong’s face next to the shouting Song Hak.
Something was strange.
The Sect Leader’s expression...
'Is he smiling...?'
It was odd. His face appeared angry, and perhaps no one else would have noticed, but Yeon-hui, who had watched her father since childhood, knew.
That was definitely a hidden smile.
Whoosh.
A wind blew.
A cold breeze swept through the empty courtyard, yet it felt different than before.
"Hahaha."
Suddenly, the faint sound of laughter drifted through the air.
"Hehehe."
"Hohoho."
The elders of Qingcheng began to laugh. But their laughter felt strangely hollow—and heavy.
"Look here. What are you all doing..."
Ji Jung tried to speak up in the solemn atmosphere but quickly shut his mouth.
Then, one by one...
Thump. Thump.
They began to sink to the ground.
"If there is no sword, there is no person."
"If there is no sword, there is no person."
The elders began to kneel in unison. It wasn't just the elders.
"If there is no sword, there is no person."
"If there is no sword, there is no person!"
The disciples, too, began to kneel one by one, showing their respect and resolve.
"How am I supposed to interpret this?"
"Hmm..."
When the Sect Leader hesitated, Dan Mok-jung asked urgently.
A powerful aura was rising. It was an atmosphere akin to military discipline—the kind seen only in a suicide squad prepared to charge into enemy lines. This heavy air was blooming from everyone in Qingcheng.
"Sect Leader! Do you truly intend to go to war with the Martial Alliance? If this continues, no one will escape a great calamity!"
Despite Dan Mok-jung’s shout, the Sect Leader only tilted his head, seemingly unperturbed. Instead, he looked at him and spoke with a smile.
"I do have one idea."
"What?"
"The most important point the Alliance Leader raised was whether the new Azure Cloud Pavilion Master, the first-generation disciple Seok Myeong, has learned demonic arts or not, is it not?"
"...What are you trying to say?"
Dan Mok-jung’s face contorted. Things were taking a strange turn. Qingcheng, which had seemed to quiet down for a moment, had turned back into a pack of mad dogs following Song Hak’s outburst.
And the biggest problem was the feeling that all of this was somehow within Song Jeong’s calculations.
"It is simple. The internal energy of Azure Cloud Taoist that Seok Myeong cultivated—the Heavenly Scripture Energy Absorption Art—which has now become the Azure Origin Heart Method. If we can prove that this energy is pure and not some wicked demonic or unorthodox art, then everything is settled, is it not?"
"...Well, that is true, but..."
Dan Mok-jung trailed off. It wasn't what they had intended, but Song Jeong’s words were logically sound.
But how could they prove it?
Whether a person’s internal energy was pure or wicked often depended on one's perspective. Their original plan was to use that ambiguity as an excuse to dig out Seok Myeong’s martial secrets.
Seeing the look on Song Jeong’s face as he brought this up, Dan Mok-jung felt a surge of anxiety.
"Only a master of the Jianghu with extremely pure energy could prove it and serve as a witness. However..."
"Indeed. But it doesn't necessarily have to be a person, does it?"
"Pardon?"
While Dan Mok-jung was lost in confusion over the idea that it didn't have to be a person, Song Jeong smirked.
"What about the Green Jade Buddha Staff, the sacred relic of Shaolin—the sect that stands at the pinnacle of the Martial World in subduing demons and destroying evil?"
*
'Ha. So that is why you told me not to bring out the Green Jade Buddha Staff first...'
Abbot Hye Seon, who had been watching the situation, shook his head in disbelief.
Two days ago.
Persuaded by the stubborn insistence of Beopgye, Hye Seon had visited Qingcheng alone to speak with the Sect Leader.
— Shaolin owes a great debt to Benefactor Seok Myeong. He saved the life of the Little Divine Monk, yet we treated his orthodox martial arts as if they were the ways of demons.
— Then why not take this opportunity to repay that debt?
— Pardon?
— Before that, the reason you came here is likely to clear Seok Myeong’s name. Surely you have a way to prove it?
— In truth, that is why I asked to meet you in advance.
Thud.
With that, Hye Seon had carefully set down a long Buddhist staff wrapped in silk.
It was three feet and five inches long. The entire staff was crafted from jade, radiating a cool, refreshing energy. It was a sacred relic of the Shaolin Sect.
— This is the Green Jade Buddha Staff of our sect. It is not a mere weapon, but a sacred object that exerts the most powerful force in destroying evil and subduing demons.
— If Benefactor Seok Myeong pours his internal energy into this, it will immediately prove whether his energy is of the orthodox path or the demonic art the commoners whisper about.
Like the Iron-Piercing Fire Spirit Sword Yeon-hui had encountered at the Golden Martial Association, this was a relic whose very attribute was to subjugate evil and repel wickedness.
Much like the Poison-Avoiding Bead of the Sichuan Tang Sect, ancient sects passed down not only martial secrets but also such sacred relics.
Normally, it was a priceless treasure never allowed to leave the sect, but Hye Seon, believing as a Buddhist that a human life was more precious, had obtained the Sect Leader's permission to bring it.
— I have one request. Could you hold onto that for a moment without using it?
However, Song Jeong’s reaction had been somewhat unexpected. The Martial Alliance was currently doubting Seok Myeong’s internal energy. That was why Hye Seon had rushed all the way from Mount Song to Mount Qingcheng without a moment's rest.
— I have a plan. Please delay the appearance of Shaolin’s sacred relic. I will tell you when the time is right.
He had postponed it.
Hye Seon had wondered what kind of audacity allowed him to delay such an urgent matter, but now he saw the reason behind it.
"The atmosphere is shifting in a strange direction."
Nok Gwi-bo, who had remained silent until now, whispered to Gwi Cheon-neung.
Suddenly, a sacred relic to verify the purity of internal energy? And of all things, the Shaolin relic most powerful in repelling demons? For a moment, he felt a surge of resentment toward Abbot Hye Seon.
"Do not worry. We all saw it clearly. There is no way that pitch-black energy is pure," Gwi Cheon-neung replied.
"Will it be alright?"
"Let us observe the situation first. Even if it is pure, we can find a way to make it an issue if necessary."
They reached a tentative agreement. Ji Jung also nodded in response to their signal and watched the situation closely.
Step, step.
Abbot Hye Seon approached Seok Myeong and held out the Green Jade Buddha Staff.
"Take it, Benefactor."
Slide.
The long jade staff revealed itself. To the puzzled Seok Myeong, Abbot Hye Seon spoke solemnly.
"If your internal energy is of the pure, orthodox path, it will radiate light. If it is the turbid energy of the heretical path, its color will turn dark."
"Is there... such a thing?"
"It is a sacred relic of Shaolin. Inject your internal energy into it."
Gulp.
Looking at the Green Jade Buddha Staff bathed in sunlight, Seok Myeong swallowed hard. After taking a moment to steady his breathing and compose his mind, he spoke.
"I understand."
He quietly took it from Hye Seon’s hands.
*
The crowd gathered around Seok Myeong drew a step closer.
Inhale. Exhale.
While some watched with hostility, some with suspicion, and others with anticipation, Seok Myeong felt his fingertips tremble slightly.
'Trust it. I must trust it.'
This was the heart method that had faced countless doubts and contempt.
From the Demonic Energy Absorption Art refined into the Heavenly Scripture Energy Absorption Art, and from the Heavenly Scripture Energy Absorption Art into the Azure Origin Heart Method.
The numerous patriarchs and masters of the Azure Cloud Pavilion, and Seok Myeong’s own efforts and life—this was a test that carried the weight of everything.
No matter how much he believed in himself, the weight of those years was immense. Seok Myeong found his body trembling despite himself.
Exhale—
After taking another long, deep breath, Seok Myeong lifted the Green Jade Buddha Staff with both hands under everyone’s gaze.
If he channeled his internal energy now, the Shaolin relic would change color. The future of the Qingcheng Sect would be decided by that result.
'Should I test that?'
Suddenly, he thought of the color his internal energy had finally changed to this morning. For some reason, he felt it might be a better color than the Black Ink Energy.
'No. For now, I will just use the power of the lower Dantian.'
Though he felt a lingering regret, that power was still uncertain. He feared that the Taiji he had melted into his middle Dantian might trigger an even stranger reaction.
Seok Myeong raised the long Green Jade Buddha Staff as if holding a greatsword.
Under the focused gaze of everyone present, his internal energy began to seep into the staff.
Sssssssss—
A moment later, a faint aura began to slowly leak from the Green Jade Buddha Staff.
"Do you see anything?"
"It's coming out! It's coming out!"
Amidst the excitement of the first-generation disciples, the jade-colored staff turned dark for a moment before brightening.
The color shifted several times in that manner. Finally, seeing it take on a distinct hue, Seok Myeong’s eyes widened in surprise.
The Shaolin relic, which was said to either glow with light or turn dark...
'The Green Jade Buddha Staff is...'
It was radiating a vivid, brilliant red.