Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Dragon-Phoenix Tournament (2)
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Shaolin's twenty-first generation senior disciple, Il-un.
He was in an incredibly good mood right now.
It was only natural.
He spent his days holed up in the Shaolin Temple, endlessly training, so on one of the rare occasions he ventured out into the world, how could he not be thrilled?
New people and new encounters.
And the spicy foods that could only be savored outside the temple.
These were things a Buddhist devoted to renunciation shouldn't welcome, but there was no helping it.
Why not?
To a vigorous twenty-year-old man, the secular world was a place that dazzled the eyes so brightly.
'This much indulgence... even the Abbot would understand.'
That was why, upon arriving at Mount Huang, he had immediately entered this inn.
Il-un had sat down with his fellow disciples, ready to enjoy this rare indulgence.
"You there, waiter. One plate of dongpo pork, please?"
Of course, with some conscience.
"...Ah, no meat."
"Ehehehehehe!!! Dongpo tofuhehehe!!! No meathehehe!!"
A frivolous laugh echoed through the entire inn.
Il-un flinched in surprise and turned his head.
His pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
"...Je, Jegal Young Master?"
"Eekekekekeke!!!"
Bang. Bang. The one pounding the table in explosive laughter was unmistakably Jegal San, the promising heir of the Jegal Clan whom he had met a few times before.
And beside him, the woman was the successor of the Sichuan Tang Clan, who had vanished after the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament six years ago.
Of course, there was a man between them who drew all eyes, but Il-un had no time to pay him any mind.
'Ca, caught...!'
He had deliberately taken a remote alley to avoid anyone he knew, yet he had run into someone familiar after all.
And of all people, Jegal San.
The type who would spread word of today's events throughout the entire jianghu.
"Oh dear! Monk Il-un! Long time no see!!!"
Jegal San greeted him, tears in his eyes as he gasped for breath.
Il-un closed his eyes softly and drew a hollow smile on his lips.
'Amitabha....'
Why of all people him?
Was this Buddha's punishment for his greed?
"Se, Senior Brother...!"
"This is bad...."
"...Calm yourselves."
His insides burned, but Il-un steadied his mind amid it all.
The immovable heart he had cultivated through chanting sutras was proving quite helpful in this moment.
'Salvage this, salvage it somehow.'
Il-un shot to his feet and headed to the table where Jegal San, Dang Hwa-seo, and the nameless man sat.
He clasped his hands in greeting and bowed.
"Amitabha. It's been a long time, benefactor. I hope you've been well?"
"Oh...."
"'Oh' what? Didn't you hear Mok little brother just now? Dongpo tofuhuhu... no meathehehe...."
"...Enough laughing. You're embarrassing the monk."
"It's been nearly six years since I last saw you too, Lady Dang benefactor?"
"Yes, something like that."
Il-un felt sweat beading on his scalp as he exchanged greetings one by one.
Then, sitting in an empty chair, he added,
"Three Pure Meats."
His mind was filled with the sole thought of shutting Jegal San's mouth.
No, more than that, he wanted to justify his own actions.
"You know of the Three Pure Meats? They are the three fundamental conditions under which we Buddhists permit meat consumption. The meat must not have been prepared for me. No one must have said it was for me. And there must be no circumstance suggesting it was for me. Meat meeting these conditions has been left by the natural order of things, so we partake of it."
"...."
"Isn't that right? What is dongpo pork? It's pork braised in a sauce, a proper meat dish. But if the meat is removed from that dish, and we eat only the vegetables and sauce left over from making the meat dish, then the meat becomes for others. In other words, since we didn't eat the meat for ourselves, it aligns with the precepts of the 'Three Pure Meats.'"
His face bore a gentle smile, but the message was clear.
-If you blab anywhere, I'll break the precept against killing.
Of course, Jegal San wasn't the type to cower at such words.
"Yes, exactly. Three Pure To... pfft... yes! Of course! How could a person live without meat? I completely understand!"
Il-un's forehead veins bulged at the hand clapping his shoulder.
"So today's matter...."
"Come on, do I look like someone with a loose tongue? Put your mind at ease!"
It was utterly unbelievable, not even a speck.
Il-un felt his immovable heart on the verge of shattering.
"One more request...."
"Don't worry. I'll wring his neck if I have to and keep him in line."
Dang Hwa-seo spoke up.
Jegal San clamped his lips shut and shrank back.
Il-un brightened at the unexpected aid and expressed his gratitude.
"Ah, Lady Dang benefactor! Thank you for your help."
"No trouble at all."
Not that she was helping out of kindness.
Dang Hwa-seo swallowed those words inwardly as she regarded Il-un.
'Is he lucky, or what?'
Avoiding a clash with him before the tournament even began was undoubtedly a boon.
She couldn't broach her business with him right now, but leaving a good impression for the future was key.
As Dang Hwa-seo pondered how to continue, Mok Ri-won spoke first.
"P-Pleased to meet you! You're the 'Fist Dragon,' right, monk?"
"Hm? Ah, forgive my manners. Yes, that's me. And your name, benefactor?"
"Mok Ri-won! You might not have heard, but the eastern jianghu calls me the Ink Sword!"
Mok Ri-won clasped his fists in salute.
Il-un widened his eyes in surprise, then broke into a bright smile.
"Ah! I've heard of you. You made a name in Jiangxi Province, right?"
"Ahem! It was nothing."
Mok Ri-won's shoulders puffed up.
His face flushed red, his delight at the praise plain for all to see.
Il-un smiled softly at the sight.
'He's definitely a pinnacle expert, from what I've heard....'
His aura was sharp beyond measure.
At minimum, pinnacle realm....
'Perhaps on my level.'
Il-un could sense it from the aura alone.
'The jianghu is vast indeed.'
The man looked about his own age at a glance.
To reach pinnacle at such a young age surely required supreme arts and rare elixirs—who could have gone to such lengths for him? Curiosity welled up.
Of course, all this stemmed from ignorance of the fact that the only elixir Mok Ri-won had ever consumed was the inner core of a human-faced spider obtained after entering the jianghu.
"If I may ask, what is your sect?"
"Ah, that's...."
Mok Ri-won faltered and glanced at Dang Hwa-seo.
Seeking help.
Il-un caught on and shook his head.
"Ah, if it's inconvenient, no need to say. Just curiosity on my part."
"Thank you for understanding."
There was no need to pry into another's sect.
It was a judgment born of respect for his counterpart and Il-un's pride as a martial artist.
'Such an expert will surely meet me in the main rounds.'
Then he'd naturally learn of their arts.
And he would shatter those arts.
Shaolin, the pillar of the orthodox sects.
That pride gave Il-un such confidence.
"But have you completed your tournament registration, monk?"
"Yes, I finished it before stopping here."
"Ah...."
"Is something wrong?"
"We have to go register soon. I was hoping to walk with you and hear Shaolin tales."
Disappointment settled on Mok Ri-won's face.
Dang Hwa-seo answered.
"No need to be disappointed. We'll have another chance to talk the day after tomorrow."
"Hm?"
"There's a banquet the evening registration ends. Where the later-generation disciples of the Nine Great Sects and clans gather. As my escort, Young Hero Mok can attend too."
"Lady Dang is right. We'll continue then."
The smooth words lifted Mok Ri-won's mood.
As always, his smile drew an excited gasp from somewhere.
"Good! See you the day after tomorrow then!"
"Monk, we'll take our leave."
"Yes, Young Master Jegal...."
Il-un and Jegal San's eyes met.
Jegal San grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
"Don't worry."
Meaning he'd definitely spread the rumors.
Veins bulged on Il-un's forehead once more.
*
Anhui Province, west of Xuanyuan, the city at the foot of Mount Huang.
The three who left the inn finally arrived at the manor hosting the Dragon-Phoenix Tournament.
"So many martial artists...!"
Mok Ri-won excitedly whipped his head around, taking in the sights.
Sharp-aura warriors stood guard uniformly along the manor walls, while ahead of the main gate, groups of martial artists waited in line for registration.
"Mok little brother, see that man over there?"
"Hm? Where?"
"The one guarding the gate. The middle-aged guy with the blue hero's band on his head."
Mok Ri-won followed Jegal San's pointing finger to the gate.
As described, a middle-aged man with a blue hero's band crowned his head.
"Who's he?"
"Spear Star Sword Namgung Un, nephew of the Sword King."
Mok Ri-won's eyes widened.
His mouth slowly gaped open.
"The Sword King's...."
One of the ten great experts of the orthodox jianghu, the Sword King's nephew.
The moment he heard it, Mok Ri-won extended his senses.
Thump-.
"...Impressive."
The entire space was under his dominion.
A keenly refined aura pressed down on it all.
Mok Ri-won's instincts told him:
He wouldn't last even three exchanges against that man.
'...No, if he doesn't control his inner power? If I deflect his sword defensively and adapt to it? I can sense his killing intent, so it's possible. If I just watch out for his energy strikes.'
Perhaps he wouldn't suffer utter defeat.
But victory? Impossible.
"One of the Namgung Clan's famed peak realm experts."
"Peak realm...."
The gulf between pinnacle and peak was vast indeed.
Clench-.
Mok Ri-won gripped his fist tightly.
The first opponent stronger than him he'd encountered since entering the jianghu.
A competitive fire rose in Mok Ri-won.
'I want to clash with him.'
Exchange sword strikes.
Steal the essence of that warrior within.
Devour that essence as nourishment and press toward greater heights.
Mok Ri-won's heart raced faster.
His aura began surging with the emotion.
In that instant.
'Ah...!'
Namgung Un looked at Mok Ri-won.
The immense power in that gaze made Mok Ri-won's shoulders feel heavy.
Tap-.
"Young Hero Mok, that's enough. We're in a different line."
The pressure vanished with Dang Hwa-seo's tap on his shoulder.
Namgung Un had already turned his gaze elsewhere.
"...Understood. Let's go."
Mok Ri-won stared at Namgung Un a moment longer before following Dang Hwa-seo.
*
Namgung Un subtly turned to watch the departing man's back.
He asked his adjutant beside him.
"Hey, do you know who that guy is?"
"Ah, the one between Jegal and Tang Clan?"
"Yes. I memorized all the later-generation disciples coming here, but he wasn't on the list, I think."
The adjutant chuckled lightly and shook his head.
"He's on it, but since it's his debut in the jianghu, you wouldn't recognize him, Division Leader."
"Hm?"
"Ink Sword Mok Ri-won. A rising star these days. Heard he's traveling with the Tang Clan's Poison Phoenix, and now he's buddying up with the Freak Dragon too."
"Ink Sword, huh...."
Namgung Un murmured it, recalling the aura from moments ago.
"...Doubt it."
"Yes?"
"No."
Shaking his head at the adjutant's query, Namgung Un thought.
'More Tyrant Sword than Ink Sword.'
The aura from that unknown young warrior suited domineering force better than quiet ink.
'An interesting one has arrived.'
Namgung Un smiled faintly, anticipation stirring within.
Not for Mok Ri-won himself.
'He'll make a good opponent for Jincheon.'
The Namgung Clan's young clan leader, Sword Dragon Namgung Jincheon.
His insufferably arrogant nephew might finally have a worthy rival.