Chapter 82
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: The Maiden of Merit and the Maiden of Darkness
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Sarira from a wooden Buddha? Nonsense!"
The young monk flinched at Beopyeon's rebuke.
Meanwhile, Hyegong, the one who had shattered the wooden Buddha, couldn't hide his surprise.
He, too, had spotted something revealed amidst the debris of the wooden Buddha.
Hyegong picked up the object the young monk had mistaken for a sarira and examined it closely.
It was a round, black-lacquered wooden box.
He had a suspicion, and it turned out to be true.
There was no way the wooden Buddha could have contained a real sarira.
It was most likely a relic left by one of the past patriarchs.
The Seon school was a Buddhist sect renowned for the eccentric deeds of its Zen masters.
Shaolin, too, carried on the lineage of that Seon school.
It was a place teeming with patriarchs who were masters of mischievous pranks.
That was why he immediately understood the meaning of the wooden box.
"So it was arranged from the beginning to be obtained only by destroying the statue..."
Both the Buddha and the patriarchs are merely means to point to the truth, not the truth itself.
Clinging to the teachings of the Buddha and the patriarchs will cause one to miss the truth itself.
Therefore, for those who seek the truth.
It was a message to strive forward with such resolve and spirit.
It was a prank in line with the teaching of 'slaying the Buddha and slaying the patriarchs'.
He became newly curious about the contents of the wooden box.
As it came from a statue that had been part of Shaolin's long history, its origins were surely extraordinary.
*Crack.*
Hyegong forcefully broke the wooden box.
And from within, he pulled something out.
It was a book.
'Marrow... Cleansing... Sutra?'
Beopyeon, who had been absentmindedly murmuring the characters written on the book, froze as if turned to stone.
"The Marrow Cleansing Sutra!"
At that single phrase bursting from the mouth of Ryogong, the Hall Master of Arhats, the other monks also cried out in astonishment.
"The one left by Patriarch Bodhidharma?"
"Wasn't it lost to time?"
The commotion, once started, did not easily subside.
The significance of the Marrow Cleansing Sutra was just that profound.
Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of the Seon school and the man who made the present-day Shaolin possible.
He authored two books during his lifetime.
They were the Muscle Tendon Change Classic and the Marrow Cleansing Sutra.
After many long years, the Marrow Cleansing Sutra was lost, but the Muscle Tendon Change Classic was still passed down through Shaolin.
It was also the foundation of the Shaolin martial arts, which prided itself as the origin of all martial arts under heaven.
"I suspected something incredible was inside, but..."
Beopyeon couldn't finish his sentence.
To think it was the Marrow Cleansing Sutra.
If it was the original, it held a value comparable to the sarira of the Buddha himself.
"The last person to master the Marrow Cleansing Sutra was King Chungmu."
Yue Fei, the peerless hero who saved the collapsing Northern Song dynasty.
King Chungmu was his posthumous title.
Hyegong silently began to turn the pages.
The old monk's eyes as he wordlessly confirmed the contents of the Marrow Cleansing Sutra.
All the monks watched with bated breath as the warmth of overwhelming emotion and joy spread across them.
How much time had passed like that?
Hyegong opened his mouth.
"The Maiden of Merit and the Maiden of Darkness..."
Beopyeon immediately guessed what Hyegong was trying to say.
It was a story mentioned in the Holy Conduct chapter of the Nirvana Sutra.
The Maiden of Merit is a good maiden who brings wealth, health, and happiness, while the Maiden of Darkness is a wicked maiden who brings misfortune and disaster. And the sisters were said to always travel together.
Beom Gye-wi's rampage had destroyed the Buddha statue, but thanks to it, they had recovered the Marrow Cleansing Sutra, which contained the patriarch's secret teachings.
"Abbot, do you understand what this object means to our temple?"
Beopyeon chanted a Buddhist phrase and nodded.
How could he not know that the Shaolin martial arts, incomplete with only the Muscle Tendon Change Classic, would become whole through the Marrow Cleansing Sutra?
"We will be able to prevent incidents like what happened to Beopryo."
The Marrow Cleansing Sutra was like a lantern to illuminate the darkness.
Beopryo was called a genius, but his training, which relied solely on the Muscle Tendon Change Classic, had clear limitations.
While his level of martial arts continued to advance, his mind couldn't keep up with the pace of that development.
The disconnect between mind and body.
It could solve the problems arising from that gap.
"If you find Beom Gye-wi, this humble monk would like to meet him personally."
"Pardon?"
Hyegong said to the bewildered Beopyeon.
"They say the barbarian's beard is red. I must see if his is as well."
"…!"
Unlike the other monks who were puzzled by the incomprehensible Zen dialogue, Beopyeon couldn't hide his astonishment.
This was because the word 'barbarian' held two meanings.
After all, from the perspective of the Central Plains people, both Buddhabhadra, who founded the Shaolin Temple, and Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of the Seon school, were foreign barbarians.
Therefore, Hyegong's words were simultaneously praising Beom Gye-wi as an extraordinary man like them, while also pointing out his rude and violent behavior.
"I will do so."
"If you encounter him, I ask that you refrain from using lethal force if possible."
Beopyeon respectfully bowed his head, honoring Hyegong's wishes.
At that very moment, however, Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi were already leaving Shaolin, mixed in with a group of pilgrims.
"It is unfortunate that a major issue has arisen at our temple, forcing us to send you off like this. May the Buddha's protection be with you."
The pilgrims responded to the guest monk's farewell, each with their own Buddhist chant.
Among them, Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi, who had calmly pressed their palms together, hurried down the mountain gate.
* * *
As night deepened, Beopyeon sought out Hyegong again.
"It seems Beom Gye-wi has left. No trace of him could be found anywhere."
"Is that so..."
Seeing the lingering disappointment on Hyegong's face, Beopyeon inwardly swallowed a bitter smile.
In truth, he was inwardly relieved that Beom Gye-wi had disappeared without causing any further damage.
After a moment.
"It seems you've brought a guest?"
Beopyeon nodded at Hyegong's question.
"Yes. Shall I let them in?"
"Please do."
A moment later.
Dan Ak-seon, guided inside by Beopyeon, cautiously opened his mouth to Beopyeon and Han Seol-hwa.
"I would like to speak with Master Hyegong alone."
Hyegong nodded, and Beopyeon and Han Seol-hwa went outside.
Once the two were alone, Hyegong politely performed a half-bow towards Dan Ak-seon.
"I have yet to offer my thanks for what happened today."
Dan Ak-seon, startled, bowed his head in return.
"Not at all. I only did what I must as a physician."
"Beopryo. Did you know that child is this humble monk's disciple?"
"Yes. The abbot informed me of that earlier."
Hyegong looked at Dan Ak-seon with a benevolent smile.
"Thanks to you, he was able to cast off his final inner demon."
"Ah! That's right!"
Dan Ak-seon, remembering something, said to Hyegong.
"Earlier, after Master Beopryo regained consciousness, we exchanged a few words. I felt I should tell you what we discussed, Master Hyegong."
"...?"
"At the time, he was very regretful about leaving his state of samadhi."
Hyegong was greatly surprised by those words.
"It turns out he wasn't unable to wake up; he was refusing to."
"But why..."
The fact that Beopryo had locked himself in a prison of selflessness seemed to be a great shock, as Hyegong was speechless for a while.
"In my opinion, I think it might have been a form of escapism."
"…!"
Dan Ak-seon's words brought a great realization to Hyegong.
He had taken Beopryo as a disciple late in life because of the boy's astonishing talent.
But that talent was not limited to martial arts alone.
Beopryo was also a more outstanding vessel for the Dharma than anyone else.
"Is that so... So that's how it was..."
Hyegong let out a sigh.
The disconnect between the Buddhist teaching to let go of everything and the reality of having to pursue higher martial arts.
The stance of a Buddhist who yearns to enter nirvana, and the karma of killing that he must inevitably face as Shaolin's greatest master.
This contradictory and paradoxical situation had been tormenting him for a long time.
"Excellent. Truly excellent."
Grateful for the fate before him, Hyegong looked at Dan Ak-seon.
Having received a favor, it was now his turn to repay it.
"So, for what reason did you wish to see this humble monk?"
Dan Ak-seon's gaze grew serious.
"I need your signature."
"My signature?"
"Yes. I wish to create a joint petition with the consent of the great masters of the martial world."
Hyegong, who had been puzzled, nodded at Dan Ak-seon's following words.
"Through it, I intend to declare Wuwei in Gansu Province a forbidden zone."
What Dan Ak-seon sought was to prevent the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions from shedding blood, at least within Wuwei.
The best way was to prevent one side from entering.
Since Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi were called the Unorthodox faction, the choice was naturally the Orthodox faction.
"I want to create a restricted area, off-limits to the Orthodox faction."
That was the reason he had left Divine Demon Valley to wander the martial world.
"Even if the great masters agree, you can't possibly force the actions of every martial artist, can you?"
"Still, they won't be able to ignore Shaolin's will."
"Hmm..."
"Please. I believe it's the way to save people."
Dan Ak-seon continued his explanation.
"Regardless of faction, anyone in need of treatment will be allowed to visit."
Hyegong suddenly recalled the story he had heard from Beopyeon.
The fact that Dan Ak-seon was not only the son of the Divine Physician but also the son of the Demonic Physician, and that the Demonic Physician's arts had been used in Beopryo's treatment.
Dan Ak-seon, sensing the change in Hyegong's atmosphere, met his eyes.
"If I weren't my mother's son... If I hadn't inherited her medical arts, I wouldn't have been able to treat Master Beopryo."
"..."
"The Divine Physician and the Demonic Physician. It was only possible because I knew the medical arts of both. If I had known only one, I wouldn't have even dared to try."
Dan Ak-seon delivered the final, decisive words to the contemplating Hyegong.
"I am a person who saves lives. I want to continue walking that path. As things are now, many people will die because of me."
Hyegong nodded.
Just as Dan Ak-seon said, countless martial artists from both factions would seek out the Divine and Demonic Physicians. Naturally, their fighting would never cease.
"Amitabha."
What greater merit could there be than saving a person's life?
He felt that on such a path, the distinction between Orthodox and Unorthodox was meaningless.
Whether the flag flutters or the wind flutters, what does it matter?
The only thing that flutters is the mind.
"If you need this old monk's signature, then I must give it. Yes, where should I write it for you?"
From the beginning, it had been difficult to refuse Dan Ak-seon's request.
The fact that Beopryo had awoken.
And that they had obtained the Marrow Cleansing Sutra.
In any case, all of it had happened after Dan Ak-seon visited Shaolin.
Whether it was coincidence or fate, it would have been impossible without a connection to Shaolin.
The book Dan Ak-seon held out.
Hyegong wrote his Buddhist name at the very top of the first page, then dipped his palm in ink and pressed a handprint.
"Thank you."
Dan Ak-seon bowed with a bright face.
It was the first success he'd achieved since leaving Divine Demon Valley.
He had finally managed to fasten the first button correctly.
Then, a strange feeling made him raise his head.
As their eyes met, Hyegong said unexpectedly.
"You..."
"Yes?"
"Do you have any intention of converting to Buddhism?"
* * *
"Are you that covetous?"
Beopyeon spoke to Hyegong with a gentle smile.
He had read the look in Hyegong's eyes as he watched Dan Ak-seon and Han Seol-hwa descending the mountain gate in the distance.
Hyegong laughed awkwardly.
"Haha. Indeed. Just when I thought I had cast off an inner demon, a new one appears."
Beopyeon's face, too, was full of regret as he cast his gaze toward Dan Ak-seon.
"We owed so much to the Divine Physician, and now our temple is indebted to his son once again."
"The ways of the world are truly unknowable."
"...?"
"Because the medical arts of the Demonic Physician, which tormented us so, ended up saving Beopryo."
Furthermore, it was as good as saving Shaolin itself.
"This humble monk made a promise with that child."
When Hyegong brought up the story of the joint petition, Beopyeon also nodded in agreement.
"Shaolin will also respect his wishes."
There was no reason to refuse something that was a path to saving lives.
It was highly likely that the Martial Alliance, led by Namgung Baek, would oppose it, but it didn't matter.
Because Shaolin no longer owed any debt to the Martial Alliance.
But it was different for Dan Ak-seon.
The Divine Physician and Dan Ak-seon.
The bond with the father and son, spanning two generations, was incomparably deep and heavy.
"A new wind will blow through the martial world."
Hyegong's gaze deepened.
"If only it were coexistence, not slaughter..."
The two men's low chants, filled with longing, enveloped the mountain gates of Shaolin.