The Monkey Spiritual Beast (Part 2)
Several possibilities crossed Dang Sobaek's mind.
'Gwiungok...'
The monkey spiritual beast remained on its knees, awaiting Sobaek's reaction. Its body trembled visibly from time to time.
However, since ancient times, monkeys were said to be cunning and full of tricks. This could very well be a lie, but—
'No, that is unlikely.'
The circumstances aligned too perfectly.
The monkey spiritual beast said that a bird resembling Sobaek had come here and attacked indiscriminately. Apparently, it had happened not too long ago.
Though it was difficult to understand due to the monkey's clumsy Yo-language, one fact remained crystal clear.
'Tsk. Has he already been consumed by ghost qi?'
Jim-il's current state was far from normal.
The harvesters had swept the island clean, leaving not a single blade of grass behind. There was no way they would have simply passed by a spiritual beast of a Jimjo's caliber. If they had crossed paths, they would have captured him by any means necessary.
But if Jim-il had hidden himself inside Gwiungok...
'He would have survived.'
In exchange, however, he would have been swept up by Gwiungok's ghost qi and driven mad. In terms of keeping his life, it could be considered a decent choice. The only problem was that he might have been reduced to a bizarre state—neither truly alive nor dead.
Since their relationship had never been close enough for him to feel any deep familial affection, Sobaek didn't feel any particularly strong emotion. It was just a slight pity. That was the extent of his feelings.
'It cannot be helped.'
Was that not simply his fate? If heaven smiled upon him, he would regain his senses; if not, he would simply live out his days in that state.
Dang Sobaek completely brushed the matter aside and called Jim-i. To uncover the secret of the Yo-language, he needed a more complex conversation. Though he was half-doubtful...
"Cheep!! Cheep-cheep!"
"I... do not understand what you are saying."
As expected, they couldn't communicate. It seemed earlier had been nothing more than a series of coincidences.
Left with no choice, Sobaek drew another clumsy picture. How was he supposed to express abstract words? It was truly no easy task.
The reason Sobaek obsessed over the Yo-language to this extent was simple. If he could overcome the language barrier, he could accomplish so much more. It would be easier to give commands, and they could cooperate with one another. If that were possible, he was even willing to spare the monkey spiritual beast.
Many hands made light work. Rather than searching for a way off the island alone, putting their heads together would yield a much higher chance of success.
'Sigh...'
Sobaek let out a sigh. The best drawing he could manage was a picture of a monkey and a bird facing each other. It was incredibly crude. Even if Laozi or Confucius returned to life, they would struggle to make sense of it.
And yet...
"...Yo-language requires desire. No, any very strong emotion is needed."
This quick-witted monkey spiritual beast accurately grasped Sobaek's intention.
'...How did he understand this?'
Even Sobaek, who had drawn the picture, was baffled.
The monkey spiritual beast knew Sobaek could kill him at any moment. Therefore, he had to prove his usefulness by any means. In other words, it was a matter of life and death, so he was desperately earnest.
But no matter how smart the monkey spiritual beast was, how could he accurately understand the intent behind such a trivial, crude drawing? He had simply read Sobaek's desire and attempted an answer. So, it was essentially a gamble.
The monkey's uncanny quick-wittedness—behind it lay this hidden truth.
Sobaek mulled over the monkey's words.
'A core... and emotion.'
As for a core, he already possessed one. Though it was in an incomplete state, he didn't think that would be the issue. Rather, the word 'emotion' was far more important.
'What is the difference between me and this monkey spiritual beast?'
Since Sobaek had been a human in his past life, he already possessed a wide array of emotions. The Seven Emotions commonly spoken of in Buddhism: joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, and desire. He understood all of them and knew exactly what each felt like.
As he grew older, he had trained himself to think coolly and rationally rather than being swayed by his feelings, but that didn't mean his emotions had vanished. Then what was the problem? Why hadn't Sobaek awakened the Yo-language?
To Sobaek, the very concept of awakening a language rather than learning it felt strange. It was closer to a bizarre phenomenon that defied the laws of nature.
'Perhaps the Yo-language is not a simple language at all.'
Would that weasel he met back then know the answer? No, even if he did, had he even survived the recent disaster?
His thoughts deepened. Sobaek's consciousness sank into the depths.
'...'
In the end, a spiritual beast was a beast. Forming a core, awakening spirituality—all of these were acquired after birth.
By nature, beasts act on instinct and live according to the laws of nature. A tiger hunting a deer is a perfectly natural law. The same went for emotions. Though maternal love exists in beasts, it is closer to instinct than emotion. It is impossible for them to possess emotions as diverse and complex as humans.
But what about spiritual beasts?
A deer wielding supernatural powers can easily resist a tiger. Sobaek recalled the bat spiritual beast. The bat spiritual beast had dreamed of taking revenge on the Black-Scaled Blood Python that killed her pups. Could that simply be evaluated as maternal instinct?
No.
That was hatred and anger. For a mere bat to oppose a spiritual beast like the Black-Scaled Blood Python was already against the natural order, and harboring such emotions was even more so. It was truly defying heaven. Spiritual beasts were, ultimately, existences that had strayed from the natural order.
'Then...'
Sobaek thought. His very existence was a defiance of heaven.
Sobaek felt he understood the monkey spiritual beast's words a little better now. The reason the bat spiritual beast had awakened the Yo-language at the very end must have been due to the amplification of certain emotions. The reason he had not awakened the Yo-language despite knowing all emotions was likely because there was no great torrent of emotion within him.
It felt within reach, yet remained elusive. He felt that if he thought just a little deeper, he could grasp the thread, but—
"Screeech!!!!!"
The monkey's scream shattered his thoughts.
Immediately after,
A massive roar echoed.
It was an ambush.
Looking down from above Jeolcheon Sword Mountain, located at the northwestern edge of the continent's center, a cluster of buildings stretched out in an area invisible to the eyes of ordinary mortals.
Half-shrouded in clouds, the sight was truly mystical, and the pavilions were as elegant as if they were physical manifestations of the abstract concept of martial arts. The buildings, boasting a sharp, linear aesthetic, exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure just by being looked at.
That was not all. With various mechanical formations and multiple layers of spells overlapping here, it was a place that even ordinary cultivators could not easily approach.
A vast training ground stretched across the center, and on one side, an ancient tree stood beside a pond filled with blooming lotuses. In terms of overall scale, it resembled a massive city.
This was the headquarters of the alliance known to the people of the continent as the Honwon Alliance.
These people walked a slightly different path from the commonly known cultivators. Typical cultivation sects aimed to reach the realm of Heavenly Immortal by practicing immortal arts. However, these people sought to walk their path by solely refining martial arts to the absolute limit.
Therefore, unlike in the lower realm, they did not distinguish between orthodox and unorthodox.
Such were the people gathered here. In the Honwon Alliance.
Currently, inside a building called the Biseondang, two people were in the middle of a conversation.
"Ho, is this the highest-grade core harvested this time?"
The one who asked was an old man with a white beard that grew down to his solar plexus. At first glance, he seemed ordinary, but he was not someone to be taken lightly. A sinister power could be felt in his turbid eyes, and upon closer inspection, well-trained muscles twitched continuously beneath his skin.
"Well, there was a remarkably talented one. It was almost a pity to kill it. If left alone, it could have aimed for the Foundation Establishment stage, or perhaps even higher."
A young man replied grumblingly to the old man's question. The youth was Yu Danryong, the very person who had hunted the Jimjo and ripped out its core.
"It was unavoidable. The recent movements of those cultivation sects have been unusual."
"Hall Leader. What difference would a single core make? It would have been better to capture it and tame it as a spiritual beast."
"Spiritual elixirs have run dry. But we cannot go around capturing mortals to refine Foundation Establishment Pills like those cultivators do, can we?"
"That is true, but..."
"This is a direct order from the Alliance Leader. Enough."
At the words of the old man addressed as Hall Leader, Yu Danryong shut his mouth. Since the Alliance Leader had been directly mentioned, further argument was impossible.
The old man paused for a moment before slowly continuing.
"So, what did you observe?"
"Fifty years at the earliest. In about that much time, we could consider another 'harvest'."
"Fifty years..."
The old man frowned slightly, displeased.
"That was based on the initial estimation. But now, I do not know. Since we swept everything clean while we were there—leaving not a single poison herb or spiritual herb behind... Well, who knows."
"...We must formulate a countermeasure."
"And..."
Yu Danryong wiped his face with one hand and spoke cautiously. A hint of fear was visible on his face.
"The master of the island has entered the Core Formation stage. Just looking at him sent shivers down my spine."
"Is that true?"
"Yes. It seems he has broken through the barrier. He also delivered a warning."
The master of the island only permitted a harvest once every hundred years. He would tolerate nothing more.
"I do not know how the Alliance Leader will take this... I shall report it for now. You have done well. You may leave."
"Understood."
With those final words, Yu Danryong left the Biseondang and walked away.
He absentmindedly clenched and unclenched the hand that had held the core.
'There is no need to dwell on it.'
It was a pity, but it was already in the past. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Yu Danryong slowly looked around as he walked, but his pace was excessively fast. He passed through the inner castle of the Honwon Alliance and headed to the outer castle.
From here on, it was no different from an ordinary city. The outer castle was a place where mortals and martial artists lived together. Inns, taverns, blacksmith shops, and various other commercial establishments lined the streets.
Leaving behind the noisy shouts of the merchants, Yu Danryong stopped in front of a manor.
On the plaque, the word Changcheon was written.
Changcheon.
How arrogant.
In the cultivation world, the character for Heaven carried a unique weight.
Yet, they were people who had the right to use it. Especially his subordinate, Namgung Danwu.
Among the ascended who had come up from the lower realm over the past hundred years, Namgung Danwu's strength was truly outstanding. He was a talent that wouldn't appear twice in a century. Not only was his comprehension of martial arts superb, but his character was also flawless.
Yu Danryong showed the gatekeeper the token proving his identity as the leader of Chuyeongdae and entered. Guided by a maid, he soon stood before Namgung Danwu's room.
Creak—
As he opened the door and entered, a flustered Namgung Danwu stood up from his seat.
"Leader, what brings you here without any notice..."
"Since when do I ever notify you before visiting?"
"Well, that is true, but..."
Yu Danryong's gaze swept the room. It was filled with the scent of a beast. A faint trace of poison qi could be felt as well. Then, his eyes drifted to a piece of spiritual bamboo resting on one side of the bookshelf. He also spotted a bundle of cheap pills that seemed to be made by mixing low-grade spirit stones and spiritual herbs.
'Does he call this hiding?'
It was utterly ridiculous.
"Are you planning to raise a spiritual beast, or rather, a monster beast?"
"W-what do you mean by that all of a sudden?"
The man who usually maintained his composure no matter what happened was clearly flustered. It was likely because he was not accustomed to lying.
"Forget it. More importantly, did you not ask me for a favor?"
"Ah! How did it go?"
"Did you say his name was Dang Sobaek of the Sichuan Tang Clan? He was not there this time either. At this point, is it not right for you to give up? It has already been a hundred years since you ascended from the lower realm. Even for us, that is by no means a short time. For a mortal, it is practically a lifetime."
"...He will come. He will find a way, no matter what."
He was completely different from the flustered, stuttering man of a moment ago. A firm, unwavering belief was written in his eyes.
"If you speak of him to such an extent, it seems certain he possesses extraordinary talent, but..."
"..."
"Instead, I have another piece of news you might like."
"What news is it?"
"Did you say that Dang Sobaek was a member of a family called the Tang Clan? It seems there is someone from that place among the recently ascended. I will have to meet them in person to know the details, though."
Namgung Danwu's expression instantly swelled with anticipation. It was likely because of the thought that he might finally hear news of Dang Sobaek.
"The name was... let's see..."
He couldn't quite remember the name.
Yu Danryong frowned and pondered for a long while before barely managing to speak.
"I believe her name was Dang Seoah."