Chapter 134: The Victorious Fighting Buddha
Leaving behind the pleasant time with Sister Seol-ah, I stayed up all night, worrying that some trouble might occur overnight, but fortunately, the sun rose safely.
Since it was a situation where people whose standing positions were distinctly different were gathered, it would not have been strange if anything exploded at any time, but fortunately, I felt that they had formed relationships and settled down in their own way.
“I was lucky.”
Until just a few years ago, sighing and saying I had no luck occupied most of my days.
Since when did my luck become this good?
I felt like it might be from the time after I met my masters.
“Did my luck get better because I did some good deeds lately?”
[We call that good fortune.]
“Uh?”
I was startled by Master Zhang Sanfeng’s reply.
“If you do good deeds, does luck…… I mean, good fortune arise?”
[Of course. Karma does not only account for negative things. Good deeds and positive things are also a person’s footprints. The past is the original body of the present. Ultimately, you reap what you sow. If it is not fully balanced in this life, it will be paid in the next life, and if not resolved in that next life, it will be paid even after that.]
“It is typical.”
Certainly, my masters had mentioned it before.
That if there is a need to destroy everything on earth to balance karma, heaven would willingly do so.
Considering that this fact is mentioned even up to the next life and future generations, it felt like they are looking at it in the long term, but it was terrifying all the same.
‘The past is the original body of the present. Then is everything I have experienced also the karma of my past life?’
The Meridian Mirror, which connected to heaven and allowed me to meet my masters, was said to be an out-of-spec item even in heaven, so I wondered what my past life had been like for such an opportunity to be given to me.
“Hmm?”
While I was contemplating quite seriously, the letter placed on the desk dragged me out of my thoughts.
Ordinarily, I would have just let it slide, but this was hard to ignore.
“The great Gwak of Sichuan? Gwak and great? Gwak Dae-pyeong? The Evil-Deed Gambling King?”
It was a letter from someone I had thought I would have no further connection with after leaving Sichuan. To simply ignore it, the memory he left behind was far too intense.
It seemed to have arrived through the escort agency while I was away from home.
“What is this lunatic thinking……”
A fellow who would laughingly slice off his own neck if the result of a bet was to do so.
It was the best policy not to get entangled with such a lunatic if possible, but if I had to be entangled inevitably, the wisdom to inspect closely and minimize the damage was necessary.
As I broke the seal and examined the content, my brow furrowed without my realizing it.
“A Tang Clan bastard who approached pretending to be of the Unorthodox path is watching Teacher Emerald Bamboo? A situation where he even intends to eliminate him if push comes to shove? What is this talking about?”
Why from the Tang Clan?
Considering the Tang Clan’s moves, they would rather be Teacher Emerald Bamboo’s ally than his enemy.
It was not easily understood.
Is it a sowing-discord scheme?
“Postscript. I rolled dice to see whose side to take first, and second, whether to kill or spare, and both turned out favorably only for you. When shall we roll the dice again? This is just that man being himself.”
It seemed this was also the aftermath of my luck turning better.
Anyway, while the Unorthodox giant, Evil-Deed Gambling King, could not be trusted, there was no room for doubt if it was Gwak Dae-pyeong who rolled the dice.
“If so, it means this letter is true……”
Perhaps some rebellious forces still remain inside the Tang Clan.
“Should I assume Samyang County is not in a situation to relax completely either?”
A hidden blade inside is always scarier.
Alertness arose, but I could not overlook the atmosphere settled over Samyang County either.
It was a matter that had to be approached with caution.
It was literally a state of balance no different from walking on thin ice. I did not have the courage to throw a stone openly here.
Even if it was the weakest (?), the Sichuan Tang Clan.
“Yi Hwa.”
“Yes.”
“Tell Elder Jong. Ask him to keep a close watch on the Tang Clan for a while. If any suspicious track is seen, make sure to verify it.”
“Yes.”
Since he was someone with experience, he would handle it well on his own.
“Since it is a matter related to Teacher Emerald Bamboo, I should show it to Grandfather as well.”
The content of this letter was useful information for Grandfather as well.
Coincidentally, Grandfather had returned home, so I could see him quickly.
“Hmm……”
Having received and read the letter, Grandfather seemed lost in thought.
“Could there be rebellious forces left in the Tang Clan that haven’t been caught yet?”
“It seems so to this grandfather as well.”
“It seems this Tang Clan figure who pretended to be Unorthodox trusts the one called Evil-Deed Gambling King.”
“For now, that would be so, right?”
“If so, we should leak information through that channel. If we color the information, we can see where they pop out from and figure out their root.”
However, the solution did not seem to be the same.
It seemed he had already formed a plan, at least roughly, on how to resolve this matter.
“I will handle this matter on my own.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, it seemed there would be no need for me to run off to Sichuan again.
However, one clear thing could be confirmed from this matter.
As expected, Grandfather is not someone to be taken lightly.
***
Having laid down the suddenly created burden onto Grandfather, I contemplated the priority of what to do next.
“For now, it is the Bright Fate Escort Agency, right?”
Unlike me, who ran back in fright upon hearing the story about the Black Slaying Squad, Baek Mu-ho was said to be remaining there to clean up the aftermath.
It was a grateful thing.
Certainly, it was a very important period for the Bright Fate Escort Agency.
The Jungshin Merchant Group, which had been watching for an opportunity to stab us in the back, was destroyed, and even the Hongmu Sect, which could be called the direct enemy, collapsed.
It was safe to say that at least the forces that would hinder spreading wings right away were completely swept away.
Competing businesses were also not much of a problem.
Although I have no hobby of self-praise, since I, whose reputation was rising lately, Baek Mu-ho, the successor of the Baek Family Escort, and Senior Jang Mun-gyeong, one of the Ten Swords of Heaven, acted as if we were backing them, any ordinary place would not even dare to poke around.
In such a situation, although an urgent matter arose, acting as if we had abandoned the Bright Fate Escort Agency might give the wrong signal to the outside.
In that case, now that attention is focused anyway, there is a need to put a firm stamp on it.
Just showing the appearance of being the firm backer of the Bright Fate Escort Agency will make it run well without problems for a while.
“Though the Defeng Yin Clan is a bit concerning, they are in a situation where they must lay low for the time being……”
They are suspected of being related to the Blood Cult.
Of course, Senior Jang Mun-gyeong was about the only one who clearly confirmed that fact, but from the perspective of the Defeng Yin Clan, who couldn’t grasp the situation, it must feel like walking on thin ice.
“Since I’ve made the decision, I should move, right?”
However, the most decisive reason was the anxiety that I might get caught in something complicated if I stayed here.
As it was, the fellow Beom-gak who followed behind me was dragged away by the Divine Monk.
Aside from the Heavy Earth Divine Art issue, that old man might discover the trace of Master Bodhidharma’s martial arts in the Great Qi-Refinement Art taught to Beom-gak.
Then what would happen?
‘He will thrash me. He will squeeze me like wringing out a rag.’
Since I cannot mention Master Bodhidharma, he will regard the Great Qi-Refinement Art as a training method created by my talent, and then he will squeeze me while saying it is the reincarnation of Master Bodhidharma or whatever.
No, perhaps I might even be dragged to Shaolin and have my hair cut.
Senior Jang Mun-gyeong would gladly steal glances at that from the side.
Yi Hwa and Elder Jong might get angry, saying they are committing rudeness to the Heavenly Demon.
Then it is war.
Oh my god!
If I do not leave here quickly, it might really become like that.
‘So, fleeing to the Bright Fate Escort Agency right now is a strategic retreat…….’
[Kakakaka! You are a fellow who lives life quite complicatedly!]
I heard a voice in my head cutting off my thoughts.
It was a laughter that sounded as if a beast with a structure different from a human was mimicking a human.
‘It is not…… Master Zhang Sanfeng, though?’
A voice I had never heard until now.
“Master?”
Master Zhang Sanfeng introduced the owner of the voice.
[He is the Victorious Fighting Buddha. Before taking refuge in the Buddhist Dharma, he called himself the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Do you know the name Sun Wukong?]
“The stone monkey that appears in old stories?”
[Kakakaka!]
Suddenly, the laughter grew a level thicker.
‘But why suddenly?’
[The Queen Mother of the West had many worries over the gift to give you. The thing she decided on after contemplating what would help you is related to this stone monkey.]
[Kakak! Hey! Are you calling me that casually too?]
[What are you going to do about it, when you are just the uncle in the neighborhood next door. If you are displeased, state your immortal realm official post.]
[Oogigeek!!]
Master Zhang Sanfeng went on boldly.
Surprisingly, the stone monkey seemed to suppress his anger.
I clearly remember him receiving an official post from the Jade Emperor? Wasn’t it the official post of Bimawen? Ah, was he fired from there?
Then it is correct that he has no official post in the immortal realm.
Leaving that aside.
‘Was it not that she was giving a magic treasure as a gift? Surely it is not the Golden-Hooped Ruyi Staff that Sun Wukong used?’
[If this matter goes well, it will become easy to cure the symptoms of the child named Baek Seol-ah.]
“Yes?!”
It was a remark that could not just be let slide.
For the master, whom I had concluded ruled a domain I could absolutely not touch with my current ability, to assert that her symptoms could be cured!
‘I must do this.’
Since there is no major problem with the Bright Fate Escort Agency right now, I will proceed with the matter somehow.
‘Anyway, to think it is Sun Wukong.’
Just what on earth is the gift the Queen Mother of the West thought of?
A thing that would be related to Sun Wukong.
I recalled stories about Sun Wukong while tracing my memories.
Then a question suddenly popped up.
“Speaking of which, I heard you pluck your fur to use when using Taoist magic, but by any chance, do you suffer from hair loss?”
[……Pfft!]
[…….]
Suddenly, it was cold.
It was a coldness that felt strangely like déjà vu.
***
A place made by carving a natural cave.
A round hole was made in the ceiling, so the light coming down from that spot brightly illuminated one place in the cave.
The person sitting in that spot wore an interesting smile.
“It failed?”
“They say the Divine Monk moved. They said that the Seamless Heavenly Robe also visited there around the same time. Furthermore, they say the Tang Clan has also settled there recently……”
“The Divine Monk and the Seamless Heavenly Robe……. Moreover, even the Tang Clan? What kind of place is that?”
Just the two mentioned were monsters who could wrap up and devour a decent major sect alone. If the Tang Clan was sandwiched in there as well, the situation would grow uncontrollably complicated.
“Is this the influence of Yeon Ja-yeom, which is widely rumored at the bottom?”
The man tilted his chin with an intrigued face.
Having contemplated for a moment, the man made a decision.
“Back off.”
“Will it be fine? Those who made the request……”
“What if it is not fine? What are they going to do about it?”
The edge of the sneering smile, as if it were no big deal, was as sharp as a forged blade.
A person who showed curiosity like a young child.
A single-digit assassin of the Black Slaying Squad.
The first among them.
Black Slaying Number 1 declared with a trace of playfulness.
“Tell me if they complain. I’ll just go for a walk after a long time.”
“So a declaration of war can also be expressed that way.”
“Are you being sarcastic? Get out, punk.”
Though it was a dismissal grumbled like a joke, the Black Slaying Squad member who knew Black Slaying Number 1’s temperament quickly withdrew from the spot.
Left alone, Black Slaying Number 1 tilted his chin again and organized the situation.
“Although that man Yeon Ja-yeom has a wide network of connections, I know he has no class that could associate with the Divine Monk or the Seamless Heavenly Robe……. It either means he has hidden connections, or it is not Yeon Ja-yeom’s influence……”
At that moment, the alias of the rising star whose reputation had been growing lately briefly took place in Black Slaying Number 1’s head.
“I’m getting curious.”