Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Demonic Cult
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The grip of the Three-Eyed Buddha's hand clamped around his face. The sensation was dry and rough, as if death itself had taken form.
'Am I dying like this?'
Even if he had to die, he had no intention of going out staring blankly.
Dang Mujin threw a punch. It wasn't a proper martial arts technique—just a instinctive swing.
And the Three-Eyed Buddha didn't defend. To be precise, he didn't need to.
Thud. The first punch struck the Three-Eyed Buddha's chest, but he showed no reaction whatsoever.
As Dang Mujin cocked back for a second punch, a hand shot out from the side and blocked it.
With his face gripped by the Three-Eyed Buddha, Dang Mujin couldn't turn his head.
But his eyes could still move. Dang Mujin looked to the side and spotted the unfamiliar old man standing next to the Three-Eyed Buddha. No doubt an accomplice.
Yet the two men were polar opposites in appearance.
Though advanced in years, the Three-Eyed Buddha had a massive frame and a body tempered like steel, so he didn't feel like an old man.
The old man beside him, however, looked utterly ordinary. Slender and frail, like a withered tree.
The diminutive elder spoke in a dissatisfied tone.
"Three-Eyed Buddha. How could you just grab him like that right off the bat?"
"I was worried he'd yell. I'm a Buddhist, you know. I don't go around killing just anyone."
The Three-Eyed Buddha stammered his reply, but the diminutive elder didn't look convinced.
"That's only once or twice. Your manners are far too crude."
"Crude? I was just happy and impressed by this young junior..."
The Three-Eyed Buddha spoke sheepishly as he released the hand gripping Dang Mujin's face.
Was this supposed to be a friendly gesture? Hard to say. But at least it lacked malice or killing intent.
Dang Mujin's mind raced. Should he ask for help now?
No, that wasn't a good choice. These people seemed to dislike drawing crowds.
Besides, if the Three-Eyed Buddha took offense for some reason, everyone approaching this room would be slaughtered. The diminutive elder beside him wasn't ordinary either.
Whether gripped or not, sharing space with the Three-Eyed Buddha meant his life and death were beyond Dang Mujin's control.
When one's life falls into another's hands, reactions split sharply: some lose their reason, others grow calm. Most are the former, but Dang Mujin was the latter.
Dang Mujin asked in a steady voice.
"What brings you here?"
Hearing Dang Mujin's voice, a glint appeared in the eyes of both the Three-Eyed Buddha and the diminutive elder.
"Calm one, isn't he. Hero material."
Admiration, not hostility, colored the Three-Eyed Buddha's words. His talk of juniors hadn't been empty flattery.
At that moment, the elder beside him poked the Three-Eyed Buddha's side and scowled. Unexpectedly, the Three-Eyed Buddha apologized to Dang Mujin without hesitation.
"This might sound odd, but I'm sorry about what happened last time. Wasn't intentional."
Dang Mujin's mind grew complicated. What was this situation? An apology for the previous battle?
That fight's aftermath wasn't something a simple sorry could cover. Several Qingcheng Sect warriors had died, and Namgung Myeong had lost his left arm.
Yet Dang Mujin didn't press the Three-Eyed Buddha for his crimes. More accurately, he couldn't. Life was precious.
"That doesn't seem like something to discuss now. I'm not even the biggest victim... By the way, who is the elder beside you?"
"I am the Soulshackling Elder. I hold the position of External Chief Steward in the Demonic Cult."
A high-ranking figure in the Demonic Cult. But something caught his ear.
"...Isn't it the Demonic Cult?"
"Outsiders see Demonic Cultists as devils, so they call us that. But those in the Demonic Cult call it the Demonic Cult. The name derives from the Mani Cult."
"I see. My ignorance led to rudeness."
As Dang Mujin quickly bowed, the Soulshackling Elder shot the Three-Eyed Buddha a glare.
"Rudeness? It's fine. Compared to what this fellow did, that's nothing."
"Hey, I told you not to keep bringing it up."
Fearing a fight might break out between the two elders, Dang Mujin swiftly interjected.
"Anyway, what brings you here?"
The Soulshackling Elder cut straight to the point without beating around the bush.
"I've heard you're skilled with poisons. I need your help."
"My help?"
"Yes. There was an incident involving the Demon Physician, but he died last year, leaving things unresolved. Someone needs to finish it, but his disciple lacks the skill. With no choice, we looked outward and heard tales of the Freak Physician."
Timing-wise, the Soulshackling Elder's tale of the Freak Physician was likely about Chu Sam, not the real one. The Soulshackling Elder continued.
"Truth be told, I didn't pay it much mind then. The Freak Physician isn't one to move on a whim. But when I heard he had a disciple, I knew that was it."
With a bit of imagination, the situation crystallized in Dang Mujin's mind. Salmak latching onto Chu Sam as the Freak Physician, and now the Demonic Cult doing the same to drag off the Freak Physician's disciple—himself.
The Freak Physician was fake, but the man beside him was the real deal. Whether the Soulshackling Elder and Three-Eyed Buddha knew that far was unclear.
'Coincidence or fate. Things have gotten strangely tangled.'
Still, questions lingered after their explanation.
"But didn't you try to kill me just recently?"
The Three-Eyed Buddha shuffled awkwardly, mumbling excuses unfit for his build.
"Didn't know you used poison arts. Only after arriving did Salmak guys say the Freak Physician was fake. Figured you weren't trained in poison either. Got pissed at the wasted trip, so I planned to kill you all. Should've backed off after seeing the poison arts, but my head was hot, and my brain's not the sharpest..."
So that's how it was.
Surviving that encounter had been a boon for both sides.
Dang Mujin pondered deeply. They had the power to drag him off by force but sought his cooperation instead. The task must be quite important.
The Soulshackling Elder's next words confirmed his guess.
"Anyway, can you lend a hand? I stake my name on your safety. And ample compensation."
"Compensation... Money?"
"Nothing set in stone. Anything you want that I can provide."
A sudden thought struck. They'd moved with Salmak. To extract info on them, these men were the surest path.
"Can I get information on Salmak too?"
"Of course. Got a grudge against Salmak?"
"Yes."
The Soulshackling Elder smiled with satisfaction, as if it were ideal.
"Good. Don't tell anyone about today and wait two days. Same time the day after, we'll deliver Black Cicada's head. Oh, Black Cicada's Salmak's leader. That should suffice?"
The Soulshackling Elder spoke as if it were trivial. With the Three-Eyed Buddha along, what couldn't they do?
But that wasn't what Dang Mujin wanted. He had to dismantle Salmak himself, and this Black Cicada had to die in agony before his eyes—regretting what he did to the Freak Physician.
"I don't need that kind of help. It's something I must do personally."
The Soulshackling Elder smiled like a kindly grandfather. It didn't match the man who'd just offered a head on a platter.
"Right. Revenge must be taken by one's own hand."
"What exactly do you need from me?"
"I haven't seen it myself and know little of poisons, so it's hard to explain. The Demon Physician's disciple will fill you in."
"Understood. Not sure if I can handle it, but I'll look into the situation."
With Dang Mujin's positive response, the Soulshackling Elder finally looked relieved.
"Good. Just sleep for a bit."
"Pardon?"
Before Dang Mujin could say more, the Three-Eyed Buddha pressed his sleep acupoint. As Dang Mujin drifted off and slumped, the Three-Eyed Buddha hoisted him naturally over his shoulder.
As the two leaped onto the roof of a nearby building, Dan Seolyeong—returning from her errands—spotted them by chance.
Dan Seolyeong recognized the Three-Eyed Buddha's face. And that he was an extraordinary master.
But seeing Dang Mujin's limp head over his shoulder, she couldn't stay still.
Using her clumsy lightness skill, Dan Seolyeong chased after them, bellowing at the top of her lungs.
"What the hell are you! Put Mujin down! Namgung Myeong! Hong Geolgae! Where are you! These bastards are kidnapping Mujin! Stop! You fucking pricks!"
Of course, Dan Seolyeong's lightness skill couldn't catch them. She ran a good while longer before collapsing in despair.
*
Dang Mujin came to the next day.
"...What if you just press the sleep point out of nowhere? Should've at least told the others before leaving."
The Soulshackling Elder shook his head.
"No. The world's view of the Demonic Cult isn't kind. Better they think you were kidnapped than tangled with us."
A crude consideration. But with so many who'd worry because of it, Dang Mujin's expression darkened.
Dang Mujin traveled westward, sometimes carried on the Three-Eyed Buddha's back, sometimes walking in deserted areas. Over half the journey was piggyback.
Not the best of company, but traveling together let him learn much about them.
The Soulshackling Elder matched his appearance, but the Three-Eyed Buddha was talkative and lively despite his fierce looks.
If the Soulshackling Elder ignored the chatter, he'd slyly draw Dang Mujin in.
Dang Mujin didn't just clam up either, gradually engaging with the Three-Eyed Buddha's tales.
Once conversation flowed, the Three-Eyed Buddha shared everything without reserve.
"So, Elder Three-Eyed Buddha, how did you end up in the Demonic Cult?"
"...I was a firewood handler at Shaolin Temple."
Firewood handlers were the temple's menial laborers—cooking, fetching water, odd jobs. Neither full monk nor outsider, often scorned by wandering monks or martial monks. Secular monks looked down on them too. Naturally, no martial arts training.
"I didn't choose it. Our family was dirt poor, Mother scraping by alone. Had to cut mouths to feed."
Sad, painful events become memories and lessons with time. Though not cheerful, the Three-Eyed Buddha recounted brightly.
"I've been big since kid days, ate double portions. Natural I'd be the one sent to the temple."
Dang Mujin nodded. Unlike monks entering with purpose, firewood handlers started that way by default.
"But what parent sends a child away and sleeps easy? Years later, Mother came to Shaolin to fetch me. The Patrol Chief told her I had no wish to leave. Wouldn't even see her face."
"She should've at least seen your face. Still her mother..."
The Three-Eyed Buddha shook his head.
"Didn't know. Patrol Chief never passed the message. Worried a big, dumb, hardworking handyman might run. But Mother believed fiercely. Figured since she abandoned me, I was bitterly disappointed."
"You must've cleared it up with her later."
"No. Never saw her."
The Three-Eyed Buddha walked briskly yet spoke calmly.
"I learned when past twenty. Tired of the same routine, made excuse to go out, visited home, heard from brother. Mother had passed."
"..."
"But where else to go? Back to Shaolin. Started stealing martial arts training. For over a decade."
Dang Mujin frowned.
"If caught, they'd sever your tendons."
"You know the Great Three Precepts?"
"Yes."
Unforgettable. Dang Mujin had suffered once over that rule.
"But what to do? I was that furious. Learned enough stolen arts to beat the Patrol Chief to death and fled."
A grubby tale for such a giant.
But people don't need grand reasons to go astray. Pushed around until they can't endure, they snap. Great villains or alley pickpockets alike.
"You hid killing the Patrol Chief and hid in the Demonic Cult?"
"No. Didn't hide. But they took me in."
"They accept killers on the run? Could cause issues with Shaolin?"
"Yes. That's the Demonic Cult."
"What is the Demonic Cult, exactly?"
"The last refuge for the chased, the abandoned, the wanderers who can walk no more."
Dang Mujin followed the Three-Eyed Buddha's pointing finger. Vast mountains blanketed in white—the Tianshan range.
The Three-Eyed Buddha concluded.
"That's the Demonic Cult.