The Heavenly Demon Raises Their Realm (6)
"Didn't I already tell you? Turn off the sound or block your ears."
I was certain I had said exactly that, so I have no idea why they are painting me as the rude one who said nothing at all. I frowned and spoke, only to receive the reply that they hadn't known it would turn out like this. If that is the case, then don't you all have anything to say for yourselves? Take this incident as a lesson and listen properly to my words from now on.
"Hm?"
Wondering what that meant, I turned my head and saw Baru clutching her ears, her face scrunched up in discomfort.
"Just blocking them isn't enough..."
Watching Baru on the verge of tears, a wave of guilt surged through me—completely unlike when I spoke to the viewers. This is clearly my fault. I feel so sorry that I don't know what to do. How does one even deal with pain in animal ears?
"May I ask who you are?"
I had been about to ask Baru if she was all right when one of the people who had emerged from inside spoke to me. Despite the polite words, his tone was unpleasant and his impression fierce. It is not for me to say, since I came here to pick a fight, but that is hardly the attitude a monk should display.
"I already told you. I came to request a spar."
"If you intend to request a spar, then remove your mask and reveal your name first. That is proper etiquette."
"Why should I show any courtesy to the martial artists of this rotten place?"
"...You are truly rude."
As the monk bit his lip, the atmosphere among those who had come out of the building grew slightly hostile. Why only slightly? Because the original Shaolin residents and the users who had come seeking greed created completely opposing moods. Those who appeared to be Shaolin martial artists openly displayed their displeasure. All while doing nothing as Shaolin cast aside its traditions and pride. The users, however, were different. They simply treated the scene as entertainment. Interest and curiosity. Whispering. Laughter. They held no pride in belonging to Shaolin. They had chosen this place purely for efficiency and conditions. Whether Shaolin was insulted or not was none of their concern.
Some among them seemed to watch my stream, as a few muttered to themselves upon seeing me. As expected, hiding my identity from those who treat this as a game is impossible. As long as I am streaming, getting recognized is inevitable. The Shaolin people here will probably learn who I am later. But it does not matter. Even if they know what kind of person I am, the self-loathing they will feel on their own will not change. That is, assuming they can even be called martial artists.
"Please leave. Shaolin is not generous enough to grant a spar to an unknown newcomer."
Let me see. Despite the many people from Shaolin present, the fact that this fellow stepped forward as if it were natural suggests the man before me holds a certain position. Just from seeing he has stepped into the initial stage of the Peak Realm, I can tell. In other words, if I crush this one's pride, Shaolin will have no choice but to react.
"Are you afraid?"
"Ha. To say I am not worth your time..."
I reached out and lightly pushed the man's chest. Staggering backward, he stared blankly at the spot I had touched. He considers himself a martial artist, after all. He must understand what it means to have allowed an approach without even realizing it.
"I will ask once more. Are you afraid?"
What will you do? Will you retreat after allowing an attack in front of all these people? Will you become a coward and destroy your own pride? As I watched him from behind the mask, the man let out a sigh-like breath.
"...Come."
So he has at least enough greed to protect his face. I let out a laugh so everyone could hear and stepped forward.
Before settling here today, I had held a meeting with the viewers. About how to inflict even greater humiliation on Shaolin. It was not for any deep reason. Simply destroying the Shaolin nameplate in an ordinary way seemed like it would be boring. No matter how much talk there is of the Five Great Sects or whatever, they are still trash that the current Baek Hwaryeong could crush. If I put my mind to it, turning this place into scorched earth would take nothing more than clenching my fist once. But if I did that, the Shaolin fools would only think they had faced a disaster; they would not feel humiliated. It would simply be a one-sided massacre, and that would not be any fun either.
When I asked the viewers what they wanted to see, the majority of opinions were like this.
Since the direction of my stream had been decided this way, today I planned to use Shaolin's own martial arts. To be more precise, I would destroy them using the very techniques they employed. Is that possible? Of course. There is no way I would not know the martial arts of a place as famous as Shaolin. With Shaolin having fallen this far, my understanding is surely higher than that of the fools here.
To identify the main technique used by the man standing before me, I applied pressure with my footwork. A step filled with killing intent can itself become a sufficient attack. The frightened man finally reached out first.
"Tiger Subduing Palm, is it?"
A powerful palm technique that subdues a tiger through sheer impact. One of Shaolin's martial arts. Not bad. It guarantees basic power, has room for deeper application, and pairs well with other techniques. The only disappointment is the level at which this fellow uses it.
I met his palm with one of my own. His technique was pushed back, and bewilderment appeared on his face.
"Tiger Subduing Palm? How does an outsider know..."
As if answering his confusion, I drove a strike into his abdomen.
"Indeed. I wonder how I am able to use it."
If you are curious, try figuring it out yourself. As I said this and beckoned with my hand, the man stamped his foot on the ground. Come now. Let us continue this dance.
Even though I could have dodged all his attacks and subdued him, I deliberately received his palm techniques. Each time, his hands were pushed back and his expression twisted.
"Can you subdue a tiger with this much?"
"What the hell is this?!"
It must be incomprehensible. His realm is higher. His physical level is higher. His internal energy is obviously greater. Yet he is the one being pushed back.
"There is only one problem. Your understanding of the Tiger Subduing Palm is lacking."
The Tiger Subduing Palm is a technique in which a human subdues a tiger through impact. Think about it. How absurd a concept that is. Even if an ordinary human struck a tiger's hide with all their strength, to the tiger it would be nothing more than a joke. They could not even leave a small wound. This technique allows such a human to pierce a tiger's hide and deliver a massive shock. How many elements must be involved in that? You know about them, but you cannot harmonize them. From the look of it, no one has ever pointed this out to you before. I can see how far Shaolin has fallen.
"Pathetic."
With those words, I finished by driving the Tiger Subduing Palm into his solar plexus. I did not kill him. There was no value in doing so.
"This lowlife is not Shaolin's representative, is he?"
I raised my head and looked around. The gazes directed at me contained various emotions. Some were filled with admiration. Some with bewilderment. Some let out sighs. Some frowned. And some kept their lips tightly shut with expressionless faces.
"Send out the next one! If not, I will take this place's nameplate with my own hands!"
Since I decided to break the nameplate anyway, I might as well do it properly. Whoever thinks they hold Shaolin's pride, come at me. I will crush it all, trample your pride, and then leave.
When I shouted, a man walked out from among the crowd.
"This humble monk is called Gobin. I request a spar."
Perhaps thanks to how I had crushed the previous man, the monk who introduced himself as Gobin showed proper etiquette by performing a fist salute. Gobin, who used the Diamond Fist, was better than the previous opponent. But that was all. He could not even draw a sound of admiration from my lips, nor could he resolve my thoughts that Shaolin was pathetic. Without leaving behind anything, he was shattered by the Diamond Fist and sprawled on the floor.
The next. And the one after that were the same. Shaolin's monks stepped forward bravely, but they were all overwhelmed by the very martial arts they used and shattered. After several of them had rolled on the ground, the Shaolin monks began glancing at one another.
"It is about time for the higher ones to come out."
How many times do they think I have done something like this? In the past when I wandered the murim, the number of sects I crushed was not small, so of course I have done this many times. That is how I know. At this point, it is time for the superiors to rush out to clean up the situation.
"What a hot-blooded guest."
As the voice rang out, the crowd parted. The face visible beyond them belonged to someone I knew. A man who had once served as an elder of Shaolin. The one in charge of the Arhat Formation. And at the end, the pathetic fellow who had clung to my leg, begging for his life. Has that wretch now risen to stand above Shaolin? Heh. So he was more skilled in politics than in martial arts or character.
"Did Maryo send you?"
Perhaps because I had used Shaolin's martial arts, he immediately brought up Maryo's name. He must think that is the only other place that could have taught their techniques.
"Are you curious? Then find out for yourself."
"How arrogant."
"Haha. Is the current Shaolin so pathetic that it cannot even manage that?"
"...Tsk."
Now. Send out the real ones. The ones who taught Shaolin's divine techniques. And then watch as they despair beneath the very same divine techniques. After I have crushed Shaolin's pride, I will take your nameplate with me.