Swordless Demonic Path

Chapter 194 : Troublesome Guests (2)

A dark shadow entered the Shaolin Temple, which was dyed in a blue light at dawn, and was quiet and in a deep sleep.

Inside a small house located in the deepest part of the Shaolin Temple, the abbot of Shaolin, Grand Master Simbeop, was sitting alone.

As a cold wind briefly entered the room, Grand Master Simbeop's long beard fluttered.

As the wind disappeared, Grand Master Simbeop quietly opened his eyes. His clear pupils turned to the man in white who was standing like a ghost one zhang in front of him.

Although the face was clearly a man he had never seen before, the atmosphere was familiar.

Simbeop read not the opponent's face, but the hazy energy flowing around him.

"A person's face may change, but their energy does not. What brings you here at this hour? Have you come to seek an answer from me?"

"I don't know who you're talking about. It seems someone else is coming at this hour."

At the gentle voice, Simbeop's eyes widened slightly. Because it was not the person he had thought of.

Simbeop, who had thought of Jin Sa-wol, closed his eyes for a moment when the person he least wanted to meet appeared. It was to maintain his composure.

'Don't tell me...'

Simbeop, feeling that the opponent's energy was subtly different from Jin Sa-wol's, asked.

"What brings you all the way here, senior?"

"Senior... Do I look that old?"

"You're not a young age. Just because your face is young doesn't mean you're young."

"Perhaps because you're a monk, your speech has the energy of Buddhism. I like it. You've grown up well, you've grown up well."

The man in white nodded and then raised his hand to touch his face. Then, with a swish, it quickly changed to Cheon Yu-myeong's face.

Then it changed to another face again. It was the appearance of a young man with thick eyebrows.

It was his brother-in-law from fifty years ago, whom Simbeop remembered.

"This one also died at my hands."

At those words, Simbeop's whole body shook greatly. He also remembered that incident.

One day, a brother-in-law with the same face had killed his brother-in-law. The fake had killed the real, and he had a memory of living for ten years listening to the fake's words.

The fake had left after saying thank you for following him all this time. The next time he had seen that face after becoming the abbot was ten years later. He had easily received his one zhang and had disappeared after saying he was still lacking.

It was the past, but that past had appeared before his eyes again.

The existence he had believed to be his brother-in-law for ten years had suddenly disappeared.

The young man returned to Cheon Yu-myeong's face again.

"This face is the face of the Demonic Cult Leader, and I like it. It's a face I've been using a lot lately. Now I don't even remember my own face."

"The outward appearance is just a shell."

"Who do you think I am? Your brother-in-law? Or the enemy who killed your master and brother-in-law? If it's you, it seems you've found the answer."

"The descendant of the Three Sovereigns."

As the Three Sovereigns were mentioned from Simbeop's mouth, Cheon Yu-myeong's expression hardened.

As Cheon Yu-myeong's prayer changed, Simbeop, as if he were happy that he was right, stroked his beard with a gentle gaze.

"I remember hearing it as a rumor in the past. They say that among the Three Sovereigns, Jeokyeoprin had a son."

"Yes. That's right. I am the son of that Jeokyeoprin. I inherited the martial arts of the Three Sovereigns, and now I have come to steal your internal energy. It seems it is time for you to die. Since the time is ripe, you must also end your connection with the secular world."

"What is your real name?"

"Jeokrin."

Cheon Yu-myeong had no hesitation in saying his real name.

In any case, Simbeop was scheduled to die. Even if he revealed who he was, there was no one to listen.

"How many must you kill to satisfy that greedy heart?"

"It's still a long way off. There are also a few guys I've been keeping an eye on."

Cheon Yu-myeong, as if telling him not to worry, took a step closer to Simbeop and extended his right hand.

Usually, if he extended his right palm like this, the opponent would have to move to defend instinctively.

But Simbeop, with his palms together, closed his eyes, muttered Amitabha, and raised his internal energy.

In an instant, a golden light filled the room.

"Oh dear."

Cheon Yu-myeong was startled and quickly grabbed Simbeop's head, which was sparkling with a golden light. But the golden light disappeared in an instant, and only Simbeop's empty shell of a body remained.

Simbeop had unfolded the Great Divine Art of Buddhism, which returned all his internal energy to nature and returned everything to nothingness.

If his body were burned, only a lot of sarira would come out.

"You've cut off your connection with the secular world. When did you enter the path of Buddhism? Tsk, tsk. I came too late."

Cheon Yu-myeong, who had not gained any enlightenment even after seeing Simbeop's reincarnation, clicked his tongue and turned his body. His figure disappeared with a blurry dust like a ghost.

"Abbot!"

"Master!"

"There must be some kind of incident."

Because of the golden light, the precincts of the Shaolin Temple became noisy.

***

The news that a great star of Shaolin had fallen from the sky spread quickly throughout the entire martial world.

Many people mourned the death of Grand Master Simbeop, and numerous martial arts figures and many nobles visited Shaolin in a line.

A man in white appeared around an unknown valley in Wang-ok Mountain, far from Shaolin.

Whoosh!

He, who had flown up, headed for the thatched house where Na Hyeon-gi was staying.

The area around the thatched house where the valley water flowed was full of only burnt wreckage. The man in white who had appeared there looked around and laughed lightly.

"Hahaha!"

The man in white, as if something were so amusing, laughed several times and then turned his body.

"He's a friend who listens well."

As the man in white touched his face with his hand, it instantly returned to Cheon Yu-myeong's face.

Na Hyeon-gi must have experienced a great change. It was as clear as day how his ambition would change if it had great power.

Greed calls for even greater greed. If Na Hyeon-gi's appearance had not changed from the past when he had come this time, he had intended to just kill him.

In any case, there were overflowing people who wanted power like Na Hyeon-gi.

"I thought there would be no gain, but still, a flower blooms on the dry land. Hahahaha!"

Cheon Yu-myeong slowly went down the mountain path and disappeared into the forest.

***

The disciples of the Huashan Sect were gathered in front of Woo Jeong-bong and Jo Geom-ok. The one with the loudest voice among them stepped forward.

"A person died at the inn. But you're saying it has no connection with the inn?"

"It's not that it has no connection, but that you shouldn't suspect anyone."

"Who's suspecting? A person called the God of Death appeared, but you're saying no one at the inn saw him!"

"Because no one saw him! He's an assassin! Do you think the God of Death is just a God of Death! If he were visible to our eyes, would he be an assassin?"

As Woo Jeong-bong's voice echoed loudly, the gathered disciples of the Huashan Sect frowned.

"If we had seen the assassin, do you think we would have just let him be?"

"People say that the martial arts of the Wudang Sect pierce the sky and even make a hole, but it seems they can't see an assassin. Is it because the assassin's martial arts are like an earthworm crawling in the ground that they can't see it? Or is it because their necks are too long that they can't see below?"

"Because they're arrogant. They don't even know how to bow their heads."

"Stop it."

Jo Geom-ok, at the chattering of the Huashan Sect's disciples, drew her sword halfway without realizing it. Then, the disciples of the Huashan Sect all grabbed the hilts of their swords at the same time.

"Come on! Come on! Let's fight to our heart's content with the Wudang Sect for the first time in a long time!"

"It's noisy! Just! Behave yourself!"

"Stop it! It's noisy!"

The old disciple of the Huashan Sect and Woo Jeong-bong shouted.

On the opposite side, the loud voices of the disciples of the Baekgeom Mun and Namgung Ji and Song Mu-pung were exchanged.

"Our brother-in-law died here at the inn! So we will investigate the inn. Even if you are an inn person, you cannot enter while we are staying."

"Cut the crap! You crazy bastard! How dare you tell me to give up the inn when I'm here!"

"You bitch!"

"Bitch? Hey! How old are you! Huh! How old are you!"

"I'm twenty-five! I'm older than you!"

"Shut up! It seems the Baekgeom Mun can't even see the Inspection Pavilion Master."

As Song Mu-pung let out a loud shout, the Baekgeom Mun members frowned and glared at Song Mu-pung.

The Baekgeom Mun side was even louder than the Huashan Sect. It seemed as if they were about to fight at any moment.

But since Namgung Ji and Song Mu-pung were there, it didn't seem like it would go that far.

Jin Sa-wol, who was observing their appearance, shook his head and headed for the Geumwon. The area around the Geumwon was full of workers carrying the burnt wreckage.

They were scheduled to clean up the Geumwon first and then clean up the rest.

Jin Sa-wol, who was walking in the Geumwon, paused for a moment when he saw Son Ae-hwa approaching with short steps. She was helping Song Ha-sang with his work and was gathering information on the Demonic Cult and the Martial Alliance.

Son Ae-hwa stuck close to Jin Sa-wol's side and whispered.

"Grand Master Simbeop of Shaolin has died."

Jin Sa-wol, who had thought of Simbeop, showed a hardened expression and began to climb Namsan.

"I thought I could see him one more time..."

Jin Sa-wol muttered and shook his head.

Son Ae-hwa followed and said.

"It seems Na Hyeon-gi is trying to become the Cult Leader with the Dokgo family and the Seo Mun family at his back. This is a rumor, but there was also talk that the head of the Na family would take Dokgo Hye as his wife to gain the power of the Dokgo family."

"I know that the Hwahwaru Master and the head of the Na family are engaged, but he's breaking that and marrying Dokgo Hye? That's impossible."

Jin Sa-wol, who had thought of Dam-ji, shook his head.

"But how did you know that the Dam Master and the head of the Na family were engaged?"

"I heard it in the Demonic Cult."

"You've met both of them?"

At Son Ae-hwa's words, Jin Sa-wol showed a smile and then went up to the pavilion.

The pavilion on Namsan was a place with a good view, as it overlooked Poyang Lake. The sunset seen from here was so beautiful that he had no thoughts while watching it.

So he came up from time to time.

"Gung Ma-yeop is gathering the elders of the Demonic Cult to become the Demonic Cult Leader. Besides the Na family, the Dokgo family, and the Seo Mun family, it seems everyone has gone under Gung Ma-yeop."

"If Gung Ma-yeop dies, everything will be solved."

"Is there anyone in the Demonic Cult who can kill him?"

"There might be. The Demonic Cult is like a swamp whose end cannot be known."

Although Jin Sa-wol said it easily, Gung Ma-yeop was a master who could not be ignored.

Although Son Ae-hwa thought about who among the masters of the Demonic Cult who could kill Gung Ma-yeop was left, she could not think of anyone suitable.

Because most of them had all died in the past few years.

Son Ae-hwa did not know that most of them had been killed by Jin Sa-wol.

"What do you think if I become the Demonic Cult Leader?"

"I must absolutely be loyal. My life is already yours, Master."

Son Ae-hwa, after prostrating herself, dusted the dirt off Jin Sa-wol's shoes and said again.

"If you just give the order, I can do anything. If you tell me to go into the fire, I will go, and if you tell me to go to hell, I will go. I will serve you with all my life. Heheheh!"

The appearance of Son Ae-hwa, who said she would be loyal, felt somehow scary.

It might have been because he could not see Son Ae-hwa's face, who was bowing her head.

To Son Ae-hwa, Jin Sa-wol was a benefactor of life and an existence she could be loyal to. The image of Jin Sa-wol, who had saved her from the prison of the Martial Alliance, was still vivid in her eyes.

"It was a joke."

At Jin Sa-wol's joke, Son Ae-hwa, with her eyes wide open, jumped up.

She stared at Jin Sa-wol's face with a surprised expression.

(End of Chapter)