Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Noisy Bastard (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Hah!”
Nok-sam, the sub-branch leader of the Beggar Clan's Taiyuan branch, let out a hollow laugh as he stared at the empty spot where Moo-jin had been.
“I knew he was the type to charge ahead without thinking, but this takes the cake.”
He'd known Kang Moo-jin didn't think things through, but he hadn't expected it to be this extreme.
To barge into the Shaolin Temple—the pinnacle of the righteous sects, known even among the Nine Great Sects and One Gang as the Thousand-Year Shaolin—like it was no big deal.
And not just anywhere, but the Confession Cave, which was off-limits to outsiders.
“He doesn't seriously think he'll be able to get in there, does he?”
People often joked that in Shaolin, the abbot's word was law.
And that saying captured just how towering Shaolin's prestige was above all other clans and sects in the Central Plains.
For an outsider to waltz into the scene of an incident at that Shaolin Temple and poke around?
Absurd. There was no way Shaolin would allow it.
“Still... you never know, right?”
A beggar sprawled on the floor scratched his belly and sat up.
“He's the Golden Ghost Indestructible, after all.”
The fame of the Golden Ghost Indestructible had spread so thoroughly through Taiyuan that practically no one hadn't heard of it.
Overwhelming force that pulverized any opponent, paired with bold actions devoid of even a hint of hesitation.
Those two qualities alone had already captured the hearts of Taiyuan's people, and the Beggar Clan's beggars felt a particular fondness for him.
As fellow righteous sect members, watching him smash the evil bastards of the unorthodox factions gave them a strange sense of satisfaction just from the sight.
“Don't talk nonsense. Is Shaolin someone's front yard? Even Kang Moo-jin can't pull that off.”
Nok-sam shook his head firmly.
“Kang Moo-jin is impressive, no doubt. No warrior in Taiyuan's history has made this kind of impact in such a short time.”
Nok-sam acknowledged that Kang Moo-jin was a one-of-a-kind martial artist, unprecedented and unequaled.
“But fame in Taiyuan doesn't open every door. Those strict monks won't allow it. If some outsider strutted into a Beggar Clan incident and demanded to solve it, would you let him?”
“Who said that? I'd smash his skull on the spot!”
“Exactly. Shaolin's the same.”
Nok-sam gazed at the spot where Moo-jin had departed, his face tinged with regret.
“If the monks don't slam the door in his face, he'll be lucky.”
Henan Province. Shaolin Temple.
As Moo-jin walked along a mountain path shrouded in thick mist, the thousand-year-old Shaolin came into view.
Red walls gleaming in the morning sunlight, golden roof tiles shining brightly. Birds soaring above the temple grounds produced a serene, echoing resonance.
There was something overwhelming in the solemn, majestic bearing of Shaolin that subdued all who beheld it.
“Shaolin lives up to its name.”
Even Moo-jin, who barely blinked at most things, widened his eyes in slight surprise.
A glint of interest flickered in his eyes as he took in the massive statues of the Vajra Guardians flanking the grand entrance known as the Heavenly Kings Gate.
Those look pricey.
The statues glared fiercely with tightly shut mouths and piercing eyes, a warning to any intruders.
Anyone else might have flinched at the sight, but to Moo-jin, they were just expensive-looking items that might fetch a good price if sold.
“You must be Hero Kang Moo-jin of the Diamond Escort Agency. We've been expecting you.”
A monk standing before the Heavenly Kings Gate pressed his palms together in greeting toward Moo-jin.
With his broad shoulders and bulging trapezius muscles, he clearly wasn't an ordinary monk.
“Who might you be?”
“The lay donor addresses me as Hye-ham, abbot of guest affairs for Shaolin.”
Hye-ham, the guest affairs abbot, scanned Moo-jin from head to toe with a kindly smile.
He couldn't help but assess the newcomer, startled by the tremendous aura radiating from him.
...Even more impressive than the rumors.
Kang Moo-jin's name hadn't yet reached Henan and Shaolin, but Hye-ham had learned about him through information from the Beggar Clan.
They'd said he smashed the unorthodox Silver Push Sect and Crimson Flame Gang, earning the title of Taiyuan's top warrior.
That's underselling it.
To Hye-ham, Kang Moo-jin was far beyond the level of mere 'Taiyuan's best.'
One of the Central Plains' Top Hundred Experts? No... higher. Nearing the Ten Venerables, perhaps.
Hye-ham was one of Shaolin's premier martial monks, yet even he couldn't gauge the limits of Kang Moo-jin's prowess.
Normally, at his level, one could discern an opponent's martial depth with a glance, but Moo-jin was like a bottomless abyss—impossible to fathom.
Such achievements at just twenty-five years old.
“Lay donor?”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Snapped from his reverie by Moo-jin's call, Hye-ham led him inside the Heavenly Kings Gate.
“The Beggar Clan passed along your message, so we've been waiting. Please, come in.”
“Hmm.”
Moo-jin's lips curved up in satisfaction.
I thought they were clueless, but they've got some brains after all.
Slightly upgrading his internal assessment of sub-branch leader Nok-sam, Moo-jin followed the guest abbot deeper into Shaolin Temple.
“First, allow me to apologize. We're truly sorry.”
Hye-ham pressed his palms together and bowed deeply.
“To think such a thing would happen in the Confession Cave. As a member of Shaolin, I have no face to show you.”
Shaolin's own monks might understand, but dragging an outsider into danger over Shaolin's misfortune was inexcusable.
Of course, it was an unavoidable accident, so there was no need to grovel, but Shaolin didn't play those games.
Well, some might, but Hye-ham wasn't one of them.
“However, we've invited experts from the Zhuge Family to assist, so please don't worry too much.”
Hye-ham gazed at Moo-jin with a smile thick with compassion, as was typical of Shaolin monks.
“Young hero Zhuge Yun, unrivaled in mechanisms and formations, is here now. Trust in us and wait until the repairs on the Confession Cave are complete.”
“How long will that take?”
“You mean the time?”
Hye-ham furrowed his brow in thought before replying.
“According to the Zhuge Family... about five years.”
Moo-jin's eyebrow twitched at the words.
Five years? Five fucking years?
Parked in the Confession Cave—where deranged criminal monks were locked away—for five years?
But what if he died or got hurt in the meantime?
“No. I can't wait five years. My brother will die before then.”
“But Hero Kang, I apologize, there's no other way. Relying on young hero Zhuge is our only option.”
“Then I'll go in.”
“...Pardon?”
Hye-ham's eyes blinked like a malfunctioning machine.
Go in... where?
“I'll go in myself and bring my brother out.”
“Hero Kang, the wisest course is to avoid a rampaging formation. Moreover, the formations in Shaolin's Confession Cave are extremely powerful—you could lose your life.”
“Doesn't matter. Saving my brother comes first.”
“Hoo...”
A shadow of concern crossed Hye-ham's kindly face.
Normally, he'd refuse outright to prevent a death, but he sensed potential in Kang Moo-jin.
Hero Kang... might actually pull it off.
A physique massive like a boulder yet perfectly balanced, muscles hard as tempered steel.
And even with most of his energy restrained, a sharp, intimidating presence.
The Confession Cave's formations could only be dispelled, not broken—but for some reason, it felt possible with him.
“Then, could you wait two or three days? This isn't a decision I can make alone; we need a council meeting.”
“Sure.”
Moo-jin nodded calmly.
No matter how great Kang Moo-jin was, he couldn't scour the Confession Cave like a rat without permission or barge in at will.
Of course, if things went south, he'd do it to save his brother.
“In the meantime, allow me to show you to your quarters. Ah, first, your robes.”
In Shaolin, even lay guests staying at the temple had to wear the orange monastic robes.
It was a pledge and ritual to follow Buddhist precepts during their stay.
“...? You mean take off my clothes right now?”
Unaware of the custom, Moo-jin eyed Hye-ham suspiciously and stepped back.
“What do you want with my clothes?!”
“...?”
Hye-ham tilted his head in confusion, flustered.
It's not even fancy... Why's he overreacting?!
Moo-jin's robes were quite shabby compared to his reaction.
Having raced to Shaolin at full speed, his black martial attire was worn enough to buy off any street vendor.
“While staying in Shaolin, you must wear monastic robes.”
“Oh, I see. So you're giving me new clothes.”
Moo-jin's wariness faded, replaced by a beaming smile.
“Do I have to return the robes later? Can I keep them after everything's done?”
“...”
Hye-ham blinked in bewilderment.
New to the faith... possessed by demons?
Tall ginkgo trees towered into the sky, their leaves rustling softly in the wind.
In the Dhamma Zen Hall, where Buddhist teachings and meditation were discussed—cut off from the secular world as if by design—the only sound was the faint whisper of breeze.
There, Hye-ham and four other monks exchanged grave opinions.
“I don't see why we're even holding a council for this. Obviously not, right?”
Hye-moo, abbot of the martial affairs hall, furrowed his brushstroke-thick eyebrows.
“How could we let an outsider into the Confession Hall? Let alone one with a rampaging formation!”
The other monks nodded in agreement at Hye-moo's booming voice, one of the loudest in Shaolin.
“Abbot, he's not just any outsider.”
Guest abbot Hye-ham fixed Hye-moo with a steady gaze.
“He's the son of the Diamond Escort Agency, deeply tied to our Shaolin. His brother, father, and even grandfather were all Shaolin lay disciples.”
“They were lay disciples. Is that Golden Ghost Indestructible one too? No!”
Revealing his usual belligerent nature, martial abbot Hye-moo slammed his palm on the table.
“Out of the question.”
“Not necessarily.”
Law Hall abbot Hye-ryo, who had been listening silently, flashed a sly smile.
“His brother is trapped inside the Confession Hall, isn't he? How can we tell a family man to wait five years in that hellhole?”
“Law abbot! Are you saying we should allow an outsider's foot in Shaolin's Confession Cave?”
Hye-moo glared at Hye-ryo, fuming.
“And what if the Golden Ghost Indestructible dies in there? Will you take responsibility, Law abbot?”
“Hm. Dying would be problematic. The fault would lie with Shaolin, after all.”
“That's what I've been saying! That's why it's a no!”
Hye-ryo regarded the scowling martial abbot with a relaxed expression.
“So, if we prove he's strong enough not to die, that'd be fine?”
“...What?”
“Isn't it? If he has what it takes to enter the collapsed Confession Cave and come out alive, sending him wouldn't hurt, right?”
“Th-that's...”
Caught off-guard by the unexpected angle, martial abbot Hye-moo stammered.
Guest abbot Hye-ham seized the moment.
“In my view, Hero Kang Moo-jin already qualifies. His martial arts are beyond my ability to measure.”
“...Stronger than the guest abbot?!”
“Hoo... impressive young man.”
Gasps of admiration escaped the monks, aware of Hye-ham's profound skill.
“Allow me a proposal.”
Law abbot Hye-ryo drew all eyes with his words, his lips curving into a gentle arc.
“What if we have him face the Eighteen Arhats Formation?”
“The Eighteen Arhats?!”
“Hoo...!”
Shock rippled across the monks' faces—even Hye-moo, who had been standing with arms crossed in disapproval, lost his posture.
“You want to pit him against the Eighteen Arhats?!”
The Eighteen Arhats.
Selected from Shaolin's elite martial monks for their exceptional talent and skill.
Each was a supreme expert, and their combined formation ranked among the Central Plains' top three—famed for being impenetrable even to absolute peak masters in the Flower Realm.
“No, even so, the Eighteen Arhats is a bit...”
“Isn't that overkill?”
“It has to be. To survive the Confession Cave's formations, he needs that level.”
“Hm...”
“Makes sense.”
The monks nodded with complicated expressions.
Facing the Eighteen Arhats was tantamount to telling him to wait five years or leave.
“Good. Then it's settled.”
Law abbot Hye-ryo rose with a satisfied smile.
“I'll deliver the good news myself.”