North Turtle White Thunder
A winter wind from the north howled through Yeong-hwa's Songmun Ancient Sword.
In his left hand, white lightning from the west descended.
Yeong-hwa closed his eyes.
The White Tiger God's voice reached him.
"You are late."
"No. You arrived exactly on time."
"Then run wild to your heart's content."
"Yes!"
When Yeong-hwa opened his eyes, Baek Un-geuk was already bringing his heavy sword down upon him.
Yeong-hwa lightly raised the Songmun Ancient Sword before the center of his body.
Thoooooom—
Baek Un-geuk's indigo sword-qi slammed into a tortoise shell of force and was stopped cold.
Sssssssssssssss—
Black serpents uncoiled from Yeong-hwa's Songmun Ancient Sword and lunged for Baek Un-geuk's vital points.
Shwaaaaaaaa—
Baek Un-geuk swept his heavy sword in a wide arc; indigo sword-qi greedily devoured the serpents.
The White Tiger God's voice rang beside Yeong-hwa's ear.
"Now."
Yeong-hwa thrust his left hand straight forward.
Kuuuuuuuung—
The Cotton Palm of the Wudang Sect erupted from his palm.
Baek Un-geuk's eyes, stained with indigo demonic energy, bulged as he roared,
"The same trick won't work twice!"
He too thrust his left hand forward, fingers splayed. The claws of Qiongqi manifested upon his hand, ready to shred the Cotton Palm apart.
In that instant—
Jjeo-jeo-jeo-jeo-jeo-jeong—
Lightning coiled around the Cotton Palm of the gentle wind.
At the same moment the palm became a raging storm.
Jjeong— Jjeo-eo-eong— Jjeo-eo-eo-eong—
Immense inner force crushed down while white lightning seared Qiongqi's claws to ash.
"Gyaaaaaaaah!"
Baek Un-geuk screamed as he stared at his own left hand, blackened and scorched.
"This ends now."
Yeong-hwa leveled the Songmun Ancient Sword at Baek Un-geuk and gripped the hilt with both hands.
A colossal ice storm and white lightning howled around the Songmun Ancient Sword.
"Begone, you fiend!"
Kwaaaaaaaaaang—
With a thunderous roar the ice storm and lightning crashed down upon Baek Un-geuk.
"Uwaaaaaaaah!"
The force of the impact hurled Yeong-hwa's body backward; he could not withstand it.
"Damn it…"
Baek Un-geuk stared, dumbstruck, at the storm bearing down on him.
Then a voice whispered at his ear.
"Get up."
A woman leapt into the battlefield and hauled Baek Un-geuk to his feet.
At the same time she began to chant.
In the East — Qiongqi, Blue Calamity
In the South — Taowu, Red Flame
In the West — Taotie, Hundred Greed
In the North — Hundun, Ash Extreme
In the Center — Heavenly Demon Becomes God
Crimson flames seethed behind her back.
The red fire swiftly took shape.
A malevolent spirit appeared, its thick red fur streaming, a wild boar's snout fused to a human face, long fangs jutting from its jaws.
It was Taowu—one of the Four Fiends.
Taowu transformed into pure red flame and was sucked into her right hand.
Baek Un-geuk forced his heavy sword forward with the last of his strength.
The woman thrust her right hand out as well.
Kurung— Kurung-rung— Kkieok— Kkieeeek—
She murmured calmly,
Crimson demonic flame coiled around her palm.
Baek Un-geuk managed to force the words out.
Indigo demonic energy flooded from his heavy sword.
With an eerie, monstrous cry, demonic energy poured from Baek Un-geuk's heavy sword and the woman's right hand.
The red-flame-wreathed demonic energy and the indigo demonic energy fused into one and smashed headlong into the North Turtle White Thunder Sword Yeong-hwa had unleashed.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaang—
The winter wind of the north was smothered by the flames of demonic energy.
The white lightning was swallowed whole by indigo demonic force.
Yeong-hwa pushed himself up from the ground and stared at the woman in disbelief.
"Don't tell me… Taowu…"
"We'll meet again, little Taoist."
"Where do you think you're going!"
Yeong-hwa raised the Songmun Ancient Sword, but the woman merely flicked her right hand—the character for "Tao" branded upon it.
Crimson fireballs rained down upon the entire Hebei Paeng Clan like a meteor shower.
She smiled sweetly at Yeong-hwa.
"This fire is the sacred red flame spat forth by Taowu…"
She continued, eyes locked on him.
"Nothing but Xuanwu can extinguish it."
"You insane bitch!"
Yeong-hwa unfolded the Cloud-Treading Steps and shot toward the Hebei Paeng Clan, already engulfed in flames.
The woman turned a cold gaze upon Baek Un-geuk.
"The Holy Maiden summons you."
Baek Un-geuk bit his lip in frustration.
"I could have captured the White Tiger God."
"The Beggars' Sect is coming."
"The Beggars' Sect?"
She answered only with a nod and went on.
"You know what that means, don't you?"
"Damn it—is that cursed monkey's god coming with them too?"
"Correct. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven is with them."
Piiiiiiiiiiik—
She put her fingers to her lips and whistled.
At once the demonic cultivators who had been locked in chaotic battle across the grounds gathered before her in perfect order.
"We greet the Young Mistress of the Dokryeonamga, Yeon So-rin!"
"All forces, withdraw."
"As you command."
At Yeon So-rin's word the demonic cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult swiftly abandoned the Hebei Paeng Clan.
Baek Un-geuk clutched his blackened, roasted left hand and followed after Yeon So-rin.
"Yeong-hwa!"
Dozens of demonic cultivators lay strewn around Hagun.
He was directing the martial artists of the Hebei Paeng Clan, fighting the fire with water and sand.
"Senior Brother, are you all right!"
Sword wounds covered Hagun's entire body, yet he still managed a bright smile.
"If I'm going to keep playing the role of your senior, I have to live a long time, don't I?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Hagun collapsed unconscious.
"Please look after my Senior Brother!"
Yeong-hwa called to the martial artists of the Hebei Paeng Clan.
"Yes, Taoist Yeong-hwa!"
The martial artists and household members of the Hebei Paeng Clan rushed about, trying to contain the flames that had spread through the halls.
Some hauled buckets from the well and raced up onto the roofs to pour them down; others shoveled sand from the courtyard and flung it onto every bursting tongue of fire.
Yet Taowu's flames swallowed the water, shoved the sand aside, and continued to burn.
"The fire won't go out!!"
"Even the water is burning…!"
"The sand is melting!"
"What in heaven's name is this!"
Yeong-hwa poured inner force into his voice and roared so that the entire compound rang,
"Everyone, stand clear!"
He pressed his palms together and began to recite the sutra.
Unspoken are the boundless merits of all good men who recite this sutra.
Guardian deities protect every living being.
Those who suffer illness and recite in worship shall be healed.
May all affairs prosper; may all return to the highest.
Hearing the Buddha's words, all rejoice greatly.
Xuanwu carries out the command, bows, and withdraws.
Om. Swiftly, swiftly, according to the law. Svaha.
The Hundred-Kill Divine Mantra Sutra—a scripture that extinguishes every murderous spirit and prays for the prosperity of all things—bloomed from Yeong-hwa's lips.
The mark of Xuanwu engraved on the back of his hand blazed with light, and a fierce blizzard of snow and wind swept forth.
The snowstorm slowly smothered the raging red flames.
The fire-demon that had sought to devour the Hebei Paeng Clan was extinguished within two hours.
"Uwaaaaaaa—"
Exhausted by the excessive expenditure of divine power, Yeong-hwa collapsed onto the ground in a sprawling star shape.
At that moment a pure-white White Tiger God appeared before him.
"You have my thanks."
"I-I only did it to save myself as well."
At Yeong-hwa's words the White Tiger God gave a short laugh.
"There is no need to belittle yourself so."
"White Tiger God, I am not so virtuous a Taoist as that."
Yeong-hwa's jest drew a warm smile from the White Tiger God.
"I have incurred a great debt to you and to the Wudang Sect."
"W-well, as for me…"
"I know. I have already heard from the other gods."
The White Tiger God placed a forepaw upon Yeong-hwa's chest.
"Whoa—your paw pads are so soft!"
Amused, the White Tiger God closed his eyes and concentrated.
White lightning-qi flowed out of the White Tiger God's body and into Yeong-hwa's.
"I have extended your lifespan by five years. That is the limit of what I can do."
This time the White Tiger God lifted Yeong-hwa upright with his tail.
"However, I have a request of you."
"Please speak!"
"What price do you desire?"
"It depends on the task."
At Yeong-hwa's answer the White Tiger God swept a paw through the air.
Before him appeared Paeng Yu-heon, weeping tears of blood.
Beside Yeong-hwa, Seol Yeon-hwa and Seol-rin held the man and tried to restrain him.
"It seems the White Tiger of the Paeng Clan still clings to this world and will not depart for the afterlife."
Watching Seol Yeon-hwa and Seol-rin weep bitterly beside Paeng Yu-heon, tears welled in Yeong-hwa's own eyes.
"What price is there to speak of…"
Yeong-hwa wiped his tears on his sleeve and said,
"Guiding the souls of those who died unjustly is the very duty of a mudang."
The unexpected answer left the White Tiger God visibly moved.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
The White Tiger God stroked Yeong-hwa with a forepaw as though he were a precious child.
Looking embarrassed, Yeong-hwa said to the White Tiger God,
"But… right now I'm far too exhausted to do it."
"Take your time. I am always in the ancestral shrine of the Paeng Clan."
"You have worked hard."
"Hard work? There is only regret, nothing more."
"Do even gods feel regret?"
At those words the White Tiger God gazed at Yeong-hwa with a desolate look.
"Save for the Tathagata himself, is there any living thing in this world free of regret?"
The White Tiger God's voice trembled.
"The past is forever paved with regret."
He continued slowly.
"We can only forget, swallow it down, and keep walking forward…"
The answer left Yeong-hwa melancholy.
"Perhaps because you are the White Tiger God who tends the autumn, you are far too romantic."
"Is that so?"
The White Tiger God smiled warmly.
"I shall take my leave."
"Please go carefully."
Yeong-hwa offered a respectful martial salute to the White Tiger God.
At that moment a scream tore through the air from the clan head's hall.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Senior Cheonhopaedo!"
Yeong-hwa hurried toward the clan head's hall, carrying the unconscious Hagun on the back of a Paeng Clan martial artist.
There he found Paeng Un-ro slamming his crushed right hand against the floor.
Hyeonsong was trying to restrain him.
"Senior, compose yourself."
"Hyeonsong… my… my only son."
Paeng Un-ro wailed as he looked upon the corpses of Paeng Yu-heon and Paeng Il-mok.
"I never once gave my son a proper word of praise in all his life…"
Paeng Un-ro pressed his severed wrist against Paeng Il-mok's cold hand.
"This worthless father… and an innocent son paid the price in his place!"
The regret-soaked scream of a father who had lost his child left even Hyeonsong speechless.
"Amitabha…"
Hyeonsong could only chant the Buddha's name.
Then—
Thwack—
Yeong-hwa came running and struck Paeng Un-ro across the head with the fan he had drawn from his waist.
"Do you understand now?"
Paeng Un-ro clutched his head with his left hand and stared blankly at Yeong-hwa.
Hyeonsong was too stunned to utter a word.
In a trembling voice Paeng Un-ro asked Yeong-hwa,
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"The sins committed by the Grand Clan Head!"
"I… I…"
Thwack—
Yeong-hwa struck Paeng Un-ro's head with the fan once more.
"You still don't understand?"
"The… the clan…"
Thwack—
Yeong-hwa's fan flew again.
"Will you still make excuses?"
"I… I was wrong."
Only then did Yeong-hwa's fan stop.
Shhhk—
Yeong-hwa snapped the fan open and looked at Paeng Un-ro with sorrowful eyes.
The tiger-like aura that had once surrounded the man was gone; only a frail old man remained before Yeong-hwa.
"It… it was all my fault."
"As long as you understand, that is enough."
Paeng Un-ro wept freely and bowed before the corpses of his son and grandson.
"I'm sorry. Truly, I'm so sorry."
Paeng Un-ro's heartfelt apology echoed throughout the Hebei Paeng Clan.
"This foolish grandfather drove you all to your deaths."
Paeng Un-ro's cries continued without end.
"Never forgive me. When I reach the afterlife…"
The aged great tiger wailed in grief.
"I will gladly bear your sins as well and walk the path to hell on my own two feet."
Riiip—
Hyeonsong tore a strip from the sleeve of his robe and bound the old man's bleeding wrist.
"Senior Cheonhopaedo—did the White Tiger God not leave you a request?"
Paeng Un-ro barely held back his sobs as he answered.
"Do I even have the right?"
Yeong-hwa thundered at Paeng Un-ro.
"I heard everything from the White Tiger God!"
His voice grew sharp.
"If you have committed a sin, you must repent and make amends!"
At Yeong-hwa's scolding, Paeng Un-ro bowed his head.
"No matter how long it takes—even if it takes a lifetime…"
Yeong-hwa's own voice trembled with emotion.
"You must let the past go and never repeat the same mistake!"
"You're right…"
"Is that not the way a person ought to live?"
Rain poured down both of Paeng Un-ro's cheeks.
He looked up at the sky where the blizzard fell so mournfully and said,
"I will go at once, Taoist Yeong-hwa."
In a shaking voice he spoke to Hyeonsong.
"Hyeonsong… I have one request… will you come with me?"
"Do not speak such words, Senior."
"Thank you."
The wounded old tiger left the Hebei Paeng Clan together with the Taoist.
They returned three days later.
On Paeng Un-ro's back rode a young novice monk of about ten years of age.