Chapter 234: If the Root of All Things is the Same (1)
The family moved to Yeon Seo-hwa’s training ground on Mount Yangzhu.
There was a log cabin there where Yeon Seo-hwa had lived before her marriage.
So-mu quietly watched what his wife was doing as she felt around the wall.
He already knew that the inside of the wall was empty through the flow of qi, but he had simply paid no attention to it.
“You say you need ten thousand taels?”
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
“It seems the mechanism is jammed.”
So-mu was still half-skeptical until his wife ripped the wardrobe off the wall.
Rip—!
Inside the torn-apart wall, elaborately decorated boxes were stacked neatly.
As Seo-hwa flicked her finger, the lids of the top boxes swung open simultaneously.
Clack—!
At that moment, So-mu’s jaw dropped.
Each box was overflowing with silver taels. That was not all; there was even a box of gold coins, which was so rare that most people never got to see one in their lifetime.
“Where on earth did you get all this money?”
Though he had lived a long, eventful life, he had never seen so much wealth in one place. It was enough to be considered a national treasury.
Seo-hwa simply shrugged her shoulders with a blank expression.
“I told you before. I made some investments and earned a bit. Take as much as you need.”
She had indeed mentioned it a few times, but he had let it go in one ear and out the other. He had never imagined it would be this much.
His eyes wide, So-mu could not tear his gaze away from the boxes.
“This isn’t just about military funding. With this amount, we can easily cover the relief funds for Chang’an and still have plenty left over.”
“You’re talking about clearing out our family fortune as if it’s nothing.”
It was the first time Seo-hwa had seen her husband so excited and pleased.
Contrary to her words, she smiled, finding his reaction amusing.
“The virtue of sharing is the most beautiful virtue of all. Thanks to my wife, I can finally breathe easy.”
Since the problem that had been weighing on him was resolved in an instant, his mind felt clear, and a smile never left his face.
“How are you going to carry all this?”
“I will have the Privy Council send officials up here, so hand it over to them. I must head back to Chang’an immediately.”
He had no time to linger here. Although the war was in a temporary lull, it was a significant risk for the commander-in-chief to be away from his post.
“Are you going straight back?”
“After I drop by to see my sister-in-law. I have something to collect.”
It was to get the reply letter to bring back to Il-gwang.
Having already guessed as much, Seo-hwa laughed heartily.
“Even the quiet ones sure know how to do everything.”
“Haha, indeed. I should give our daughter a hug before I leave.”
So-mu and Seo-hwa walked out of the cabin and looked for So-so.
Not far away, she was crouching against a tree.
Her legs were pulled in close, and her face was buried in her knees. They had never seen the child look like this before.
She looked so dispirited. Perhaps finding her state pitiful, the Mountain Lord had approached and was licking her all over.
Walking over slowly, So-mu crouched down in front of his daughter.
“Sweetheart. You said you wanted to learn a finishing move?”
“Yes…”
Her voice was barely a whisper. Stroking her head, So-mu asked, “Why?”
“My friend was beaten up by an ugly, mean girl, and I couldn’t even punish her. I had to run away…”
He couldn’t guess who the culprit was. Who in Chang’an could So-so not handle? Most of the experts of the Murim Alliance were currently in Luoyang.
If it wasn’t a martial artist, one person came to mind.
‘Could it be the Assassin King?’
So-mu shook his head. While the Assassin King had the capability, he was not the type of person to strike a child. It had to be someone else.
In any case, for the sake of the child’s safety, she needed a stronger self-defense technique. Excluding any lethal finishing moves, of course.
“A finishing move is a technique used to kill people, you know.”
“I can use it without killing them.”
Her answer was instantaneous. Whatever it was, she simply wanted to learn a powerful martial art.
Looking back, So-mu saw Seo-hwa standing with her arms crossed. Judging by her expression, she had something in mind.
“Is there something suitable?”
Though he asked, most of the high-level martial arts his wife knew were rooted in the Demonic Cult, weren’t they? Teaching her some minor trick would hardly satisfy her.
“There is.”
“No demonic arts…”
The martial art Seo-hwa had in mind was no demonic art.
She reached into her robe and pulled out a manual.
Taking it casually, So-mu looked at the cover and frowned in confusion.
“Buddha’s Palm? Why do you carry around a fake manual like this?”
So-mu had heard of it. In fact, even ordinary people who knew nothing of martial arts had probably heard of it at least once.
It was the legendary martial art that Shakyamuni Buddha was said to have used to subdue Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.
“It’s the genuine text.”
So-mu chuckled, unable to help himself. His wife’s expression was just too serious.
He flipped through the pages one by one and muttered incredulously, “You must have been scammed by some street peddler. There’s no way Buddha’s Palm actually exists in this world…”
Suddenly, So-mu froze.
The moment he read the words written in the manual, his heart seemed to stop.
Having achieved the realization of the Transcendent Realm, he could gauge the power of a martial art just by reading its core principles. The words written in this manual were absolutely shocking.
As So-mu stood speechless, Seo-hwa stepped closer and explained, “I got it from Shaolin Temple. It was hidden inside the Buddha statue in the Grand Hall.”
To speak of such a peerless martial art so casually. Even though she had lost interest in martial arts, it was absurd.
“…Why are you only telling me this now?”
“I put it on top of the wardrobe and forgot about it. We can’t learn it anyway.”
Claiming she had forgotten it was a glaring lie. It was obvious she had hidden it because she was afraid he would insist on returning it to Shaolin.
In any case, that was not the important part.
For a long time, So-mu could not speak, his entire mind focused on analyzing the Buddha’s Palm.
After a moment, he said in awe, “…This is a martial art that shouldn’t exist. If this is truly possible, it can suppress every martial art in existence.”
“It seemed that way. If one masters it, they will have no rival under heaven.”
At that moment, So-so, who had been eavesdropping on her parents’ conversation, raised her head.
Her expression was gradually brightening.
Though she didn’t fully understand, she instinctively sensed that it was something incredible.
“Is that true? How strong is this martial art?”
She had been so sullen just a moment ago.
It was amusing to watch her look up, blinking her large eyes.
So-mu replied with a look of regret, “It is a peerless, legendary martial art. But our So-so won’t be able to learn it.”
Hearing that she couldn’t learn it, So-so’s face immediately fell into a pout.
“Why? I want to learn Buddha’s Palm too…”
It was not a matter of choice. So-mu opened the first page of the manual and showed it to the child.
『Before the Buddha’s Palm, no evil can refuse to submit. It can only be mastered through internal energy cultivated with a Buddhist mind, and unless one possesses a pure heart, the martial art cannot be executed.』
“Your heart is as pure as snow, but because you haven’t cultivated internal energy using a Buddhist cultivation method, you cannot use it. It is regrettable, but… your father is certain of this.”
If she forced herself to practice it, she could suffer qi deviation and die.
Perhaps because her expectations had been crushed, So-so burst into tears again.
“Waaah. Father, you’re mean…”
To be unable to do anything for his daughter, who had buried her face in his waist and was crying sorrowfully, made him feel heavy-hearted.
“Should I teach you something else? How about the Flying Dragon Sword Technique? Or the Yang-Transformation Fist Technique?”
He knew plenty of minor techniques from his youth. However, So-so was no longer so easily fooled.
“No! I want to learn Buddha’s Palm. Waaah…”
At that moment, Seo-hwa stepped forward and stroked So-so’s head.
“Mommy has a way.”
“Really?”
Nodding, Seo-hwa pulled a small jade box from her sleeve.
Inside was a small bead that shone brilliantly. It was a Buddha Sarira, a relic that only formed in the body of a Buddhist monk whose cultivation had reached the point of ascension.
“Shaolin Temple really is a treasure trove. A rare treasure like this was just rolling around.”
“Wait a moment.”
Seo-hwa looked at So-mu with questioning eyes. “What?”
“If she consumes that, she will obtain Buddhist internal energy, so mastering the technique won’t be a problem. But I am not sure if we should use Shaolin’s treasure so recklessly. We should consider returning it to its owner.”
A married couple could not always be in perfect agreement. Sometimes they bickered. This time, Seo-hwa had no intention of backing down.
“Consider what? It is written in the manual that all of this was arranged so that the fated one could master it. Therefore, our So-so is the rightful owner.”
So-mu tried to argue, but he quickly gave up.
So-so already had her mouth wide open like a baby sparrow, and his wife was already sliding the bead down their daughter’s throat.
“Aaah—”
Fearing her father might take it away, So-so swallowed it quickly.
The effect was instantaneous. A grand, golden qi enveloped her entire body, shimmering like a heat haze.
So-mu let out a sigh and shook his head.
“I really can’t win. Sit down, both of you.”
Now that it had come to this, they had to maximize the effectiveness of the Buddha Sarira.
If both a master of the Transcendent Realm and a master of the Demon Realm assisted in guiding her qi, she would be able to absorb the full efficacy of the medicine. The couple sat cross-legged in front of and behind So-so.
The process went very smoothly. The quick-witted Mountain Lord stood guard nearby, warily scanning the surroundings.
After about thirty minutes had passed, So-mu let out an exclamation of surprise.
“The monk who left behind this Buddha Sarira must have been an incredible master. Her internal energy feels like it has increased by three cycles.”
“With this, her future status as the number one expert in the world is practically guaranteed. If you don’t want to get beaten by our daughter in the future, you’d better treat her well.”
Believing those words literally, So-so was already on cloud nine. Even while circulating her qi, her dimples showed as she grinned.
It took two hours for the entire process to be completed.
Once it was finished, So-so jumped up and began to bound around the grassy field with her arms wide.
“Hehehe!”
Her movements were light as a feather. Not a single blade of grass was damaged where So-so trod.
And her aura had changed significantly.
While her previous aura had been close to nothingness, it now faintly exuded a grand and majestic energy that seemed to embrace all things.
It was not threatening at all, but warm and benevolent.
So-mu handed the manual back to Seo-hwa and said, “If you translate the core principles into terms So-so can easily understand, she will be able to master it in no time.”
That was exactly what she planned to do.
Nodding, Seo-hwa looked at So-so and asked, “Now, are you ready to learn Buddha’s Palm?”
So-so’s determination was burning hotter than ever.
Clenching her small fists, she stepped forward and shouted loudly, “Yes, I’m ready!”
Watching them with a warm smile, So-mu approached the mother and daughter to say his farewells.
“I won’t be able to come back for a while. There are many things to prepare during the winter.”
“That sounds like you’ll be back after winter passes.”
“I plan to end this in the next battle, one way or another. After that, our family can live together forever.”
At the promise of living together forever, So-so was overjoyed.
“Really, Father? Then I can play with you every day?”
“Of course, if that’s what our So-so wants.”
“Hehe. I’m so happy!”
So-mu hugged his wife and daughter once more before turning away, his steps heavy.
It was time to return to the battlefield.