Chapter 318 |
Chapter 318
Soul
Mu-jin, feeling a bit awkward, quickly spoke up.
"Ahem. Anyway, so you're planning to consolidate your enlightenment and then head back to Xinjiang?"
"Yes. I can't stay a renegade forever."
"Hmm. If you can leverage the conflict between the Taoists and the Hwan family and draw in the sword family, which lacks an heir, it's certainly possible."
Just as the First Son and the Second Son were deeply connected to the Taoists and the Hwan family respectively, the Fourth Son had deep ties with the Quan family.
Meanwhile, the Third Daughter and the Fifth Daughter, being women, openly declared their lack of interest in the position of Heavenly Demon.
On the other hand, the sword family had no connections with any successor candidates, which was understandable.
Even in this less advanced era, "direct kinship" was forbidden.
"Especially since the current Heavenly Demon is deeply tied to the sword family, it wouldn't be difficult to bring them in by using the pretext that the Left and Right Protectors caused his state."
In the first part of the novel, Ou-yang Pae used this pretext to bring in the Sword Demon, the head of the sword family.
"The Sword Demon is just biding his time due to lack of evidence and the fierce succession struggle, but he suspects those two."
As Mu-jin offered his advice, Ou-yang Pae nodded, though he harbored different thoughts.
'Indeed, there must be a Shaolin spy within the cult.'
There was no other explanation for Mu-jin knowing such intricate details.
However, he failed to notice that the disciples of Shaolin and Wudang, who were listening, were equally amazed at how Mu-jin knew such things.
"So, is the matter settled?"
Sensing it was time to leave, Mu-jin spoke as he turned around.
As the disciples of Shaolin and Wudang, who had been listening to the conversation between Mu-jin and Ou-yang Pae, nodded in agreement, Hye-geol, who had been contemplating something with a complex expression, cautiously spoke up.
"Abbot, I have a request."
"Speak."
Hyun-hyeon responded with a puzzled look, and Hye-geol, closing his eyes briefly to calm himself, said.
"I think it would be best for Mu-yul and me to stay in the southern region for a while."
"Why?"
"…Because of martial arts."
"Martial arts?"
Hyun-hyeon still looked puzzled, so Hye-geol looked at his disciple Mu-yul and answered.
"According to Mu-yul, many of the martial arts techniques at the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace are based on animal forms."
"…Much like the Shaolin Five Fists."
"Yes. So, I thought it might be beneficial to engage in martial arts exchange with the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace."
"Is it really necessary? You already know all the essentials of the Shaolin Five Fists, and the secret manual is at Shaolin."
Listening to their conversation, Mu-jin spoke up, suspecting something.
"Is it because of the Dragon Fist, Master Uncle Hye-geol?"
Hye-geol nodded at Mu-jin's question.
The Shaolin Five Fists are martial arts based on the forms of five animals: the crane, snake, leopard, tiger, and dragon.
Hye-geol had taught Mu-yul the Tiger Fist, but not the Dragon Fist.
Mu-jin could easily guess the reason.
"Whatever Mu-yul told you, the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace has not dragons, but serpents."
Hye-geol had managed to catch a tiger to teach Mu-yul the Tiger Fist, but there was no way to capture a dragon.
However, the answer that came back was unexpected.
"I know."
"…You know, yet you still wish to go to the Beast Palace?"
"My mind was clouded by a misunderstanding during the decades I spent practicing the Shaolin Five Fists."
"???"
When Hye-geol spoke like a Zen riddle, Mu-jin looked puzzled.
Regardless, Hye-geol continued speaking.
"I was under the misconception that all knowledge was contained in the secret manual. The Shaolin Five Fists are based on animal forms, yet I delved into the text rather than observing the animals. Progress was inevitably slow."
One reason Hye-geol hadn't taught Mu-yul the Dragon Fist was that he himself hadn't fully mastered it.
Although he had memorized all the essentials through repeated study of the secret manual, he couldn't execute them properly.
Mu-yul, with his mind clear as a blank slate, couldn't be taught martial arts that even Hye-geol hadn't fully grasped.
"Moreover, the Dragon Fist involves manipulating Qi. I pondered whether Mu-yul could understand and handle Qi in the 'five elements' sense. If not, the Dragon Fist's legacy might end."
While the Tiger Fist only uses Qi in the latter moves, the Dragon Fist uses it throughout.
Hye-geol, who hadn't yet mastered Qi manipulation, was stuck at the beginning of the Dragon Fist.
Despite listening to all this, there was still a lingering question.
"But there's no point if there are no dragons at the Beast Palace."
"Hahaha. Who knows if dragons truly exist? The ancient descriptions say they are a composite of various animals: a snake's scales, four legs, a deer's antlers, and an ox's ears."
"Ah…"
Only then did Mu-jin understand Hye-geol's point.
"You're planning to study the animals and martial arts at the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace to recreate the Dragon Fist?"
Hye-geol nodded.
"Yes. Rather than just reading the secret manual at Shaolin, understanding the forms of hundreds of animals and integrating their techniques seems a more practical way for Mu-yul."
In other words, he was choosing a path for Mu-yul rather than himself.
Hyun-hyeon, understanding Hye-geol's intention, nodded.
"If that's your reasoning, I'll inform the abbot. Don't worry and head to the Beast Palace."
"Thank you, Abbot."
Hye-geol bowed to Hyun-hyeon, then approached Ou-yang Pae.
"Ahem. You've heard the conversation. Can I ask you to guide us to the Beast Palace?"
The reason for Hye-geol's hesitation wasn't staying in the southern region but needing help from the demon cultists to reach the Beast Palace and handle translations.
Contrary to Hye-geol's worries, Ou-yang Pae readily agreed.
"I'll not only guide you but also assign someone to stay at the Beast Palace and assist with translations."
Having received so much help from Mu-jin and Shaolin, Ou-yang Pae was eager to repay the favor.
'Somehow, it feels like owing Shaolin Dragon would bring great misfortune later.'
Accepting Hye-geol's request, Ou-yang Pae cast a side glance at Mu-jin, as if he were looking at a devil.
* * *
After Hye-geol and Mu-yul parted ways with the group, Mu-jin's party, guided by a member of the Red Tiger Group provided by Ou-yang Pae, left the southern region and headed towards Yunnan Province.
While Mu-jin's group journeyed for several days to leave the southern region and travel through Yunnan towards Sichuan,
"You incompetent fool."
In a dark cave, a man looked down coldly at the kneeling So-cheon-ju.
"…I'm sorry, Father."
So-cheon-ju, who had barely managed to control his rampaging Qi center, apologized in a creeping voice to the man who rebuked him.
The man addressed as Father by So-cheon-ju, Cheon-ju, the master of Shinchun, spoke in a blunt tone.
"Do you know what your sin is?"
"…I left the cave without your and In-ju's permission."
"Tsk. You're not only incompetent but also foolish. Leaving the cave isn't the issue."
"…?"
Seeing So-cheon-ju's confused expression, Cheon-ju, showing an undisguised look of disdain, continued.
"If you disobeyed orders, you should have at least achieved results. Instead, you not only failed but made matters worse. If you weren't So-cheon-ju, I'd personally have cut off your head."
Under Cheon-ju's contemptuous gaze, So-cheon-ju hurriedly bowed his head and apologized again.
"I'm sorry."
Despite his shivering under the cold gaze, So-cheon-ju didn't realize that the way Cheon-ju looked at him was the same way he looked at others.
"Wait here for the miraculous elixir. Don't move needlessly and mess things up."
Being told to stay in the cave again, So-cheon-ju mustered his courage and spoke up.
"…But, recently, In-ju's plans haven't been going well."
The father he had feared as a child was not as terrifying now.
He knew now that his father couldn't kill him, only torment him.
So-cheon-ju and Cheon-ju practiced the same martial arts, which required consuming numerous miraculous elixirs for mastery.
These elixirs were rare even in the vast Central Plains.
Perhaps it would have been easier when So-cheon-ju was a child.
Even for the mighty Shinchun, discarding So-cheon-ju and nurturing a new one was a daunting task.
Hearing his son's rebuttal, Cheon-ju's eyebrows twitched, but he answered instead of attacking.
"Don't worry. The landowner is moving personally."
"…Understood, Father."
This time
, So-cheon-ju bowed deeply in response, and Cheon-ju stood for a moment, looking down at him.
An oppressive silence that didn't feel like a father-son relationship hung in the air.
After a while, So-cheon-ju, still bowing, noticed that Cheon-ju's feet were no longer visible.
Having reached a high level of martial arts, So-cheon-ju didn't sense any presence.
Cheon-ju had already left the cave without a trace.
Realizing his father had completely left, So-cheon-ju finally released his pent-up emotions.
A terrible killing intent surged around him along with a massive wave of energy.
"Shaolin Dragon. I will tear you apart with my own hands."
So-cheon-ju's suppressed and condensed killing intent, unable to be shown in front of his father for fear of severe punishment, was now unleashed.
Despite being bested by the Shaolin Dragon once, So-cheon-ju was confident he could kill him if they met again.
In their previous encounter, he had overwhelmed the Shaolin Dragon.
It was only the side effect of hastily absorbed elixir that caused his downfall.
Having faced failure and humiliation from his father after his first venture outside the cave, he vowed to personally settle the grudge.
'The landowner will surely target the Shaolin Dragon too. Spending too much time in the cave might make me too late.'
Considering how the Shaolin Dragon had repeatedly thwarted Shinchun's plans, he was likely on the landowner's kill list.
The landowner was the strongest man in Shinchun after Cheon-ju, even stronger than So-cheon-ju, who had consumed countless elixirs.
To the landowner, killing the weaker Shaolin Dragon would be as easy as twisting a child's wrist.
With this realization, So-cheon-ju's gaze naturally turned towards the light filtering into the cave.
He had always known, but fear had kept him from confirming it.
Now aware that his father couldn't kill him, he planned to seize the opportunity and leave the cave again.