Chapter 395: Chaotic Battle (1)
“Hmm?”
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon, who was drinking tea, turned his head out the window.
Master Kong-kong looked at him with questioning eyes.
“Why do you do that?”
“……”
“Taoist Master.”
“Heo-eo.”
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon shook his head.
“It seems I too have aged. Seeing as I’m even hearing things similar to auditory hallucinations now.”
“Auditory hallucinations? What kind?”
“Heoheo, in the past, I once transmitted a small enlightenment to Unit Commander Yeon, no, Grand Commander Yeon, upon your request, Master.”
“Ah, I remember.”
“Grand Commander Yeon’s past and present were heavily dyed with blood. To speak honestly, looking only at the amount of blood he shed, it wouldn’t be lacking even if he heard people calling him a rare demon head.”
Master Kong-kong nodded heavily.
It was true that Yeon Ho-jeong had seen a lot of blood, but how could they criticize him for that. The fact that his life was stained with blood might perhaps be the fault of themselves, the elders of the Jianghu.
‘It’s not that it might be, it probably is true.’
Yeon Ho-jeong’s abilities are outstanding. That too in various fields.
He was called an awl in a pouch. How could the Murim Alliance just sit still and watch such an outstanding talent. More than half of the blood he shed was also because of the Murim Alliance’s orders.
‘It is truly shameful.’
Master Kong-kong suddenly let out a sigh.
Even though he heard the well-known words that Yeon Ho-jeong had seen a lot of blood, he was ashamed of himself anew for letting a young man’s hands get smeared with blood like that.
At least Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon had transmitted the enlightenment of Wudang to Yeon Ho-jeong for his peace of mind. But he himself had done nothing for him.
Whether he knew Master Kong-kong’s mood or not, Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon continued his words in a calm voice.
“In fact, even the owner of considerable mental strength would have their emotions worn away a lot. Murder would become easier, and the smell of blood would no longer be nauseating.”
“It is a regrettable thing.”
“But Grand Commander Yeon was different. It wasn’t that there was clearly none of that part, but unlike a warrior who had seen a lot of blood, Grand Commander Yeon’s eyes were incredibly clear and deep. In some aspects, even more than the Taoists of my main temple.”
“Heoheo.”
“It seemed he was managing to catch his swaying mind well. Of course, the help of his surroundings must have played a big part, but Grand Commander Yeon’s character, who does not fear change and knows how to seriously listen to others’ advice, must have also played a part.”
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon smiled faintly.
“Whether it was a coincidence or what, I felt like I heard Grand Commander Yeon’s voice outside the window just now. I heard the sound of the dharma words of the small enlightenment that this poor Taoist transmitted to Grand Commander Yeon.”
Master Kong-kong said in a benevolent voice.
“Your enlightenment resides in a realm that this poor monk cannot even imagine. It is certain that your sincere worry for Grand Commander Yeon has reached his heart.”
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon waved his hand.
“Please don’t apply gold to this Taoist’s face. Enlightenment? It is only good to say enlightenment; in the end, after going round and round, I am only now chasing the teachings that even Taoist boys know. And to be the sect leader of Wudang despite that. Then again, the one who became my master was a bit of an eccentric.”
Accumulating scholarship is a strenuous asceticism.
However, truly understanding the knowledge one knows is even more difficult than that, and transforming what was truly understood into new wisdom was even more difficult.
That was the reason why Master Kong-kong acknowledged Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon as a Taoist, not a martial artist. Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon was a person who sublimated the knowledge everyone knew into wisdom, without stopping at merely knowing it.
If that isn’t enlightenment, what is it? It is embarrassing, but Master Kong-kong thought he himself was a person who couldn’t even reach the feet of Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon.
And such an attitude was probably what truly made Master Kong-kong like Master Kong-kong. Of course, he himself wouldn’t know it.
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon said in a cheerful tone.
“Anyway, let’s continue the words we were saying. So, you sent Beom-oh and Sect Leader Yi to Guangdong?”
“To be exact, I sent Sect Leader Yi, but Beom-oh volunteered to accompany him.”
“Heoheo, I heard that you gave a harsh reprimand to your martial nephew the other day, Master.”
Master Kong-kong smiled bitterly.
“Thinking about that time, I am ashamed once again. I thought it was for my martial nephew’s future, but looking back, it seems I too was very frustrated. Even if expectations were high, there is no need to be disappointed when they aren’t met, yet unbefitting of a practitioner, I couldn’t even properly collect my single mind.”
In reality, Master Kong-kong had never harshly advised anyone like when he reprimanded Beom-oh.
Perhaps it was also because Master Kong-kong came out into the world after a long time, saw several people outstanding in various fields, and began to see things he hadn’t seen before one by one.
There was no need to go as far as Yeon Ho-jeong; even Murong Yu alone was much younger than Beom-oh. However, Murong Yu, together with Yeon Ho-jeong, was called the number one rising star under heaven and was carrying out all sorts of missions.
He couldn’t help but be compared to Beom-oh. And this time as well, he greatly reflected on it upon realizing that such comparisons were not only meaningless but could also scar a growing sprout.
After entering the Murim Alliance, he was looking back at himself a lot.
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon smiled bitterly.
“I too, even if only for a time, once visited Grand Commander Yeon for a similar matter.”
“Ah, you mean Ok-cheong?”
“That’s right. To think I would go and try to argue without looking at the front and back no matter how much I cherish my junior martial brother, all my asceticism during that time must have been in vain.”
Master Kong-kong smiled strangely.
“Talking like this, it is all connected to Grand Commander Yeon.”
“You can say that again. There is a saying that no matter how vast the world is, only one true hero is born in a generation. And it is said that hero shakes the Heavenly Tao and pacifies troubled times.”
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon smacked his lips.
“Somehow I feel like Grand Commander Yeon could become the highest leading role of the next generation.”
“I am the same. He is a talent who sufficiently deserves to receive such an evaluation.”
“Oops, it seems our conversation keeps leaking to another place. So, what was the reason you specifically dispatched Sect Leader Yi? Speaking of Yi Cheol-gyeong of the Vajra Fist Sect, he is a strong person acknowledged by the world, but aren’t there countless strong people in Shaolin who can be called more than him?”
“Of course there are.”
“Is there something else you are aiming for?”
Master Kong-kong’s face became slightly serious.
“In Foshan, Guangdong Province, Buddhist Zen masters who have a connection with Shaolin are living in seclusion.”
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon’s eyes grew large.
“When you say Buddhist Zen masters……?”
“Hmm, this is a story unknown to the world, so I hope you will please keep it to yourself, Taoist Master.”
It meant it was a story known only to Shaolin.
Since he spoke of such a story in a calm tone, as a listener, one couldn’t help but feel good. Because it meant he was receiving great trust.
However, Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon was inwardly tense.
Hearing a story known only to Shaolin? That was a token of great trust, and at the same time a terrifying restriction. In the one in ten thousand chance this story circulated in Wudang, Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon would not be able to see Master Kong-kong’s face in the future.
“I will do so. I will definitely seal my lips.”
“In fact, if those people step forward personally, Grand Commander Yeon or the Righteous Justice Army might notice. The fact that those people have a connection with the main temple.”
Master Kong-kong smiled bitterly.
“Seeing that I want to help him even risking that, it seems I am firmly bewitched by Grand Commander Yeon.”
“Heoheo.”
“In Foshan, Guangdong Province, a few elders of the previous generation of the main temple, and other Buddhist elders spread across the Central Plains are gathered.”
“……?”
“And the reason they are in Foshan is to protect the dying wish of Buddhism that has been passed down for hundreds of years.”
“What is the dying wish of Buddhism?”
“It would be difficult to tell you up to there. However, I think you only need to know the fact that this dying wish is extremely important, and it has already been three hundred years since they have protected it.”
“Three hundred years……!”
It’s easy to say three hundred years; it was a period that truly made one’s jaw drop. They say even rivers and mountains change in ten years, but three hundred years is a time for rivers and mountains to change more than thirty times. It was a time enough for the dynasty of a country to change.
“There are elders from martial monk backgrounds, and elders from scholar monk backgrounds there. However, the important thing is that their influence is truly enormous.”
“What do you mean their influence is enormous?”
“For three hundred years, retired old monks ended their lives there. How many Zen masters must have passed away in Foshan? Until they passed away, how much good influence did they exert on the surroundings?”
“……!”
“Of course, those people do not wish to be revealed to the world. In reality, even the Sect Leader Taoist Master of Wudang did not know of their existence.”
“Heoheo.”
Master Kong-kong smacked his lips.
“Sect Leader Yi Cheol-gyeong’s great-grandfather is currently the biggest elder of that place. The reason Sect Leader Yi was accepted as a lay disciple of Shaolin was also because we had a connection with the family of that place since the previous generation. Then again, even taking that into account, Cheol-gyeong’s talent was exceedingly outstanding.”
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon asked urgently.
“Then, does the Abbot’s words mean that if those deceased individuals exert their power, it will be a great help to the Murim Alliance?”
Master Kong-kong shook his head.
“It could be, or it could not be.”
“What do you mean by that again?”
“They are people who have upheld the dying wish of Buddhism in Foshan for a whopping three hundred years. Even among the elders of the previous generation of Shaolin, those permitted to go to Foshan are only a very small number.”
“……Mmm.”
“Do you understand? They are people who generally do not move. I doubt whether that favor will take effect on those who live the rest of their lives upholding a dying wish from three hundred years ago while putting aside even the teaching to benefit the world.”
Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon sighed.
“If it was going to be like that, why didn’t you just mobilize the power of Shaolin and attach a peak master in secret? If you had told this person, this poor Taoist would have also added his strength……”
“The troops dispatched by the Murim Alliance must end with the Righteous Justice Army. That is right.”
“Hmm.”
“However…… perhaps that judgment could also be due to the strong trust towards Grand Commander Yeon and Army Commander Murong.”
Master Kong-kong looked out the window.
Although he said himself that as a practitioner he was worse than Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon, his eyes for looking at the world were far ahead of Taoist Immortal Seung-hyeon.
“This poor monk believes he did his best in what he could do. It will be the same for Grand Commander Yeon, and also for Sect Leader Yi and Beom-oh.”
“Do your best and leave the rest to heaven……”
“I just earnestly hope they successfully complete the mission and return safely.”
* * *
“So Young Master Yeon, no, Grand Commander Yeon said that?”
“That’s right.”
“Good.”
Ga Deuk-sang rubbed his hands together and grinned.
“This, it’s a joint operation after a long time so I don’t know if our coordination will match well. Shall we turn it upside down refreshingly?”
It was then.
“Hu, Successor of the Beggars’ Gang!”
“Uh? What is it?”
“We have a big problem!”
“You have to tell me what the big problem is so I can understand! It’s a waste of time so speak quickly! Grand Commander Yeon doesn’t like people not keeping time!”
“An earthquake occurred!”
“……What?”
“A-An earthquake and landslide occurred at the place we received a report that the person named Hong Gwan was hiding! It’s an urgent report that the entire area has been completely devastated!”
Ga Deuk-sang looked at the beggar blankly.
“What kind of sound is that? An earthquake? A landslide? Suddenly?”
“The exact circumstances are unknown! Even if we want to investigate, assassins are monitoring from all directions so we can’t approach……!”
At that time, another beggar ran in.
“Eit, move! Successor of the Beggars’ Gang! It’s an urgent report!”
“What are you now!!”
“A letter has arrived!”
“Fuck! It’s not just once or twice a letter arrives?! Who is the letter from!”
“They said it’s the Yin God’s disciple?!”
“Uh?”
“The Yin God’s disciple!”
Ga Deuk-sang burst into a hollow laugh.
“……What is this? Why is it suddenly such a mess like this?”