Chapter 238 – The Wind of Blood Blows Regardless of Place (1)

As soon as he came out of the forbidden area, Gwanghae was the first to greet Dam Ho.

"How did the conversation go?"

When Dam Ho silently nodded, Gwanghae's expression brightened.

"That's fortunate. That you two could meet before it was too late."

"…"

"Master Boundless had been longing for the day to meet Master Dam. It was his last wish before nirvana, so I'm glad it was fulfilled, even if late."

Gwanghae's eyes were shining as if he was truly relieved.

Dam Ho listened to his words silently. However, his mind was occupied with other thoughts.

The Boundless Monk had indeed said many things. But among his stories, not many were useful.

While it was true that the Boundless Monk was with the Four Divine Emperors during the raid on the Demonic Cult's headquarters, he was separated from them at the final moment.

He knew that one of the Four Divine Emperors had betrayed them, but didn't know exactly who it was. All of the Four Divine Emperors had maintained firm silence.

Decades had passed since then. It was enough time to forget even the fondest memories.

The name of the Four Divine Emperors had faded from people's minds, and now there were barely any who knew the truth.

'Dan Gongwol.'

He was one of the Four Divine Emperors. His title was Wind Moon Emperor. And Dam Ho had heard this title before.

Before coming here, at Tongling, Bang Jinbo and Muk Il-gwang had met an unidentifiable master. The old blacksmith had called him the Wind Moon Emperor.

The Four Divine Emperors had already begun their activities. The world just didn't know it yet.

Dam Ho raised his head to look at the sky.

The sun had already set and dusk was settling in. Though the sunset sky was beautifully dazzling, it couldn't stop the darkness that was slowly creeping in.

'Demonic Cult, Heavenly Evil Cult, and the Four Divine Emperors…'

Unexpected entities were appearing one after another. The world was falling into greater chaos because of it. No one could predict what names would appear next.

Dam Ho shook his head to clear his thoughts.

His eyes had already regained their original coldness and indifference.

'Focus on the situation at hand, on what I can do.'

His objective was to find Cho Yeon-woon.

Although he unexpectedly spent time meeting the Boundless Monk, he couldn't give up on finding Cho Yeon-woon.

Dam Ho returned to his quarters guided by Gwanghae. At the main entrance of the separate building, Gwanghae quietly said:

"Then this humble monk will take his leave. Rest well, Master Dam."

He gave Dam Ho a half-bow before leaving.

"Brother!"

"Brother!"

When Dam Ho entered the separate building, Bang Jinbo and Muk Il-gwang ran to him like baby birds waiting for their mother to bring food.

Their faces were full of curiosity.

"Did everything go well?"

"Yes!"

Dam Ho answered simply.

There was no reason to tell them about meeting the Boundless Monk. If he mentioned the Boundless Monk, he would inevitably have to talk about the Four Divine Emperors.

"Let's rest."

"What?"

"We'll head to Mount Zhongnan early tomorrow morning. So rest and conserve your energy."

From Dengfeng County where Shaolin Temple was located to Mount Zhongnan in Shaanxi Province was over two thousand li. Even riding horses diligently, it would take more than ten days. They needed to conserve their energy.

"Understood, brother. Don't worry."

"We definitely won't fall behind."

Bang Jinbo and Muk Il-gwang beat their chests and made bold promises.

Dam Ho nodded and entered the room. Muk Il-gwang and Bang Jinbo followed behind.

Even after Dam Ho had left, the Boundless Monk remained motionless.

"Whew!"

It was only after a long while that he moved.

The Boundless Monk stood up from the rock, using strength in both legs.

"Ugh! Just sitting for a while and my whole body feels cold."

Though he was lightly pounding his legs with his fists, his face showed a relieved expression. It was because he had revealed everything to Dam Ho.

"I'm truly sorry to you. But there was no one else I could tell this to. Please forgive me for adding another burden to your already difficult path. Amitabha!"

The Boundless Monk shook his head and started walking.

He headed towards the thatched hut that had been his dwelling for a long time.

Arriving at the hut, the Boundless Monk frowned his white eyebrows. The animals that usually stayed in front of his dwelling were nowhere to be seen. Though they might have temporarily hidden from fear of Dam Ho, they should have returned by now. Yet there were still no animals near the hut.

The Boundless Monk unconsciously called out Buddha's name.

"Amitabha! Who's there?"

"It's been a while, Boundless."

At that moment, someone walked out of the darkness.

The Boundless Monk's eyes widened when he saw him.

"You?"

"It must have been about thirty years."

"How are you here… Could it be?"

The Boundless Monk's pupils shook violently as he looked at 'him.' 'He' quietly smiled in response.

The Boundless Monk's gaze hardened.

"It was you."

"That's right."

"Why did you do it?"

"Everyone has reasons they can't tell others. I don't intend to share such trivial personal matters with you."

"Then why have you come here?"

"It's time to clean up the remnants of the past. I don't want your mouth to open."

"Amitabha!"

"You must have anticipated it, haven't you? That such a moment would come someday."

His white teeth gleamed in the darkness.

"Amitabha! Amitabha!"

"If you die quietly, I won't touch Shaolin. But if you resist, I'll erase Shaolin from this world. What will you do? Everything depends on your decision."

'He' forced a choice.

The Boundless Monk firmly sealed his lips.

He had no choice.

'The heavenly energy has been unstable lately, so this was what it meant for my fate.'

'He' was looking down at the Boundless Monk.

Though thirty years had passed, he remained exactly the same. He would never be able to escape from him.

That cold gaze and overwhelming presence weighed down on the Boundless Monk's shoulders.

Shaolin's fate rested on his decision.

The Boundless Monk saw a streak of darkness wavering in 'his' cold eyes. Such darkness definitely didn't exist in the previous 'him.'

'He has already been consumed by deep darkness.'

It was too late to turn back. No matter what he did, 'he' would never return to his former self.

Though he briefly considered resisting, the Boundless Monk soon gave up.

"Amitabha! It shall be as you wish."

"A wise choice, Boundless."

'He' smiled. Everything had gone according to his will. But because of that, he failed to notice the faint smile on the Boundless Monk's face as well.

'Gwonma.'

One who was stained with the same darkness as 'him.'

It's not light that defeats deep darkness. Only an even deeper darkness can.

'May your darkness devour his darkness.'

***

The next morning, Dam Ho prepared to leave Shaolin Temple. However, his plans were halted before they could begin due to Gwanghae's sudden visit.

"It's Gwanghae. May I come in?"

Gwanghae's urgent voice came from outside.

Though Dam Ho frowned, he told him to enter. Gwanghae hurriedly came into the room.

"Amitabha! Master Dam."

Gwanghae's eyes were filled with dismay as he looked at Dam Ho. Dam Ho sensed that something had happened.

"What is it?"

"Master Boundless… entered nirvana last night."

"Boundless Monk?"

"Yes."

Dam Ho's face hardened.

He had seen him yesterday. Though he was elderly and quite weakened, he hadn't seemed close to death.

"The cause?"

"For now, it appears to be natural causes."

Gwanghae's expression wasn't very bright as he answered.

"There were no signs of intrusion or injuries. No evidence of murder at all."

"Is that so?"

"He lived over a hundred years. In truth, it wouldn't have been strange for him to enter nirvana at any time. But his passing was too sudden. He was still in good spirits until he met Master Dam yesterday."

Gwanghae let out a soft sigh.

The Boundless Monk's death was too sudden. Because of this, Shaolin Temple's leadership was in chaos. It was particularly troubling that he entered nirvana at this time when the Demonic Cult could attack at any moment.

"So we plan to hold the cremation ceremony tomorrow."

"That soon?"

Boundless Monk was Shaolin's most senior elder. For someone of his stature, it was customary to conduct funeral proceedings over several days rather than immediate cremation.

"Master Boundless always used to say in his lifetime: 'This body will return to earth anyway, so don't trouble people and just throw it on the mountain before it rots. If beasts fill their bellies by eating my corpse, that too is accumulating merit.' But how could we, as his disciples, do such a thing? Since we can't bear to discard Master's body, we can only proceed with a quick cremation."

It wasn't Gwanghae's decision alone. It was decided by the abbot and the elders in a meeting.

"Almost no one in the murim knows of Master Boundless' existence. So we decided to hold a modest cremation ceremony with only a few people."

"…"

"Master Dam, I know you're in a hurry, but please attend Master Boundless' cremation ceremony."

"Why?"

"Because you were the last person to see Master Boundless alive. If it's you…"

Gwanghae's voice trailed off. His eyes were filled with desperation. Though he held back his words, his expression showed strong suspicion about the Boundless Monk's death.

Dam Ho closed his eyes momentarily. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. But his deliberation wasn't long.

"I will do so."

"Thank you."

Gwanghae bowed and went outside.

Left alone, Dam Ho suddenly recalled his conversation with the Boundless Monk yesterday.

—It's a truly brutal age where power rules everything. The martial arts world will become even more treacherous. Those without power will writhe in fear, and those with power will plunder the weak to survive.

A brutal age.

An era of warfare ruled by power.

Dam Ho suddenly looked at his fist.

It was a fist covered in countless scars. The traces of his life's struggles were clearly marked on his fists.

He had fought fiercely to survive. As a result, he became strong. Now many looked at him with fear in their eyes.

He no longer wanted to become or achieve anything. He didn't have the heart to care for the murim like the Boundless Monk, nor did he desire to stand above others.

Until now, he thought this was natural. He never questioned it. But now, for the first time, he had doubts.

'What should I do?'

Dam Ho's eyes sank deep in thought.

He could continue living as he pleased. No one would say anything to him even if he did. That was the kind of existence Dam Ho was known to be.

The title 'Fist Demon' was a trace of the life he had lived.

Everyone thought of Dam Ho as a demon without blood or tears. Dam Ho had no intention of denying this. That was how he had actually lived.

Belief is like duckweed without roots.

That was Dam Ho's current state. Perhaps that's why he was drawn to Bang Jinbo and Cho Yeon-woon, who walked their paths with firm convictions.

They had a bright light that he lacked. It was dazzling to him. Unlike himself who was stained in deep darkness.

Just then.

"Brother!"

Bang Jinbo burst through the door and ran in.

Behind Bang Jinbo's face, panting from his rushed arrival, bright light could be seen.

In contrast, the darkness cast over Dam Ho's face grew deeper.

He was darkness. One that could never become bright…

The Martial Alliance established a committee to uncover the mastermind behind the assassination attempt.

They quickly agreed to form a Special Investigative Corps and staffed it with figures from the most influential orthodox sects.

Before long, the investigative corps advanced the case to a considerable degree.

They pursued and killed one of the men in black who carried out the ambush, and in the process secured critical evidence.

The first to rise to the top of the suspect list was the Sichuan Tang family.

The Tang family immediately dispatched a high-ranking representative to the Martial Alliance and issued a formal clarification.

The throwing weapons and poisons used in the ambush are indeed of Tang make. However, those were stolen after Poison Dragon and the man named Mang Ryo murdered a Tang artisan. After that, Poison Dragon fled to the Qingcheng sect, while Mang Ryo is confirmed to have headed to the Martial Alliance.

Poison Dragon was someone Mang Ryo introduced under the pretext of seeking a peaceful resolution to the Medicine Sect’s pill affair, and has no connection to our house. On the contrary, he bewitched our direct descendant Ha-ran, stole our treasure Soul Seizing Thread, and committed the atrocity of slaughtering all the prisoners in the underground prison. Accordingly, Poison Dragon is an enemy of our house.

Once word spread that Poison Dragon was a descendant of the Medicine Sect, people finally made sense of the Medicine Sect extermination in Yunnan years ago. From there, the claim that this incident was engineered to frame the Tang family became persuasive.

As a result, suspicion also fell on Mang Ryo’s movements afterwards.

Mang Ryo went to see the Martial Alliance Leader right after meeting Baek Li-jung. He received a letter of introduction there, which enabled him to obtain an audience with the Alliance Leader.

Naturally, Baek Li-jung ought to have fallen under suspicion. But Baek Li-jung was in closed-door seclusion. By sheer luck, he thereby managed to dodge the glances of suspicion.

Lastly, the Qingcheng sect where Poison Dragon fled.

Recently, Evil Sect figures had been gathering in unusual numbers at Qingcheng.

There were even rumors that Qingcheng was sheltering not only Poison Dragon but also the Shandong Enchantress.

There was no reason not to be suspicious.

The Martial Alliance committee officially demanded an explanation from Qingcheng, summoned its sect leader, and ordered the Shandong Enchantress to be handed over under escort.

Since the Enchantress was already the Alliance’s top-priority execution target, Qingcheng found it difficult to refuse.

* * *

“The calm lasted too long.”

Venerable Woo-am spoke.

Taoist Bok-cheon beside him had a face flushed with agitation.

“Sect Leader senior brother, does that mean…?”

“The jianghu settled into a prolonged state of stability. The Martial Alliance’s overwhelming might cowed everyone into keeping their heads down. They already knew. If they raised their heads at the wrong time, the sword would fall.”

Venerable Woo-am paused, then let out a hearty laugh.

“Judging by the strange rumors rolling through the martial world… it looks like the ones who raised their heads were us, Qingcheng. We just did not notice.”

“What did Qingcheng do wrong? They scorned us for years for not joining the Alliance, and now they order even the sect leader around as they please? What do they take Qingcheng for? I swear I will…!”

“Whatever the reason, any reason suits them. How would we know when they hold the reasons in their hands?”

“Sect Leader. So are you going to go?”

“Do not press me so hard. I am thinking in my own way.”

Venerable Woo-am scratched his chin with his fingers.

“Perhaps… if we rounded up the Enchantress Ryeong-ryeong along with all the Evil Sect friends loitering in our mountain and handed them all over, they might let us live.”

“Of course you will not do that! Could you even do such a thing?”

“Come now, you know my temper.”

Venerable Woo-am smiled.

“Of course I cannot.”

Taoist Bok-cheon looked up at the sky and exhaled loudly.

“Whew. That is exactly the problem. That is the problem.”

“It seems no better idea is coming to me.”

Venerable Woo-am turned around and bowed at the waist.

“So please, if any of you have a good plan, I humbly ask you to share it.”

Behind Venerable Woo-am, more than several hundred Qingcheng Taoists had gathered. At the front sat a dozen or so elders, the youngest around eighty and some well past a hundred.

The elders sat however they pleased, some sprawled, some lying down, and some even wore expressions of boredom. It was the very opposite of the tense faces of the younger Taoists.

One elder spoke.

“Just do it. Do what they say and be done with it. What is the problem? You dragged us all the way out here for such a trifle?”

An elder beside him clicked his tongue.

“I too came out of my cave for the first time in twenty years. You are not special. Anyway, the trouble is the seeds he sowed in his youth far and wide. That is the trouble, they say.”

Qingcheng Mountain’s peaks contain countless grottoes. Many Taoists, once old, withdraw to caves to cultivate, writing scriptures or making internal elixirs. Some never emerge again until death.

The longer those years of retreat, the closer Taoists draw to Wu Wei and Naturalness. All actions and thoughts return to nature’s original character.

Which is to say, each one’s intrinsic individuality emerges in its most extreme form. Hence the common saying that Qingcheng Taoists are eccentric and do as they please.

“Just take responsibility. If he has a son, bring him and make him a Taoist. I will take him as my disciple.”

“That is not it. We mean he sowed the seeds of affection.”

“Then did he spill his essence prematurely?”

“No, that is not it.”

“Madman. Even if one practices the art of returning essence to nourish the brain for life, one cannot know if one will ascend as an immortal. Why go sprinkling it everywhere.”

The elder who had been denying himself found it strange too, and looked at Venerable Woo-am to ask.

“Is that how it is?”

Venerable Woo-am answered politely.

“No, it is not.”

Taoist Bok-cheon raised his voice, explaining with urgency.

“That is not it. We are keeping a woman of the Evil Sect due to unavoidable circumstances, and they are threatening us to hand her over to the Martial Alliance under escort. Else they will deem us complicit in the attempt on Taoist Haewol’s life.”

The elders were not particularly surprised.

“So Haewol is still alive. Even an Alliance Leader can be assassinated. Why get worked up over that.”

Most elders had long become indifferent to life and death, taking it lightly.

Taoist Bok-cheon raised his voice.

“You venerable uncles and grandmasters may have long turned your backs on the mundane world, but we have not.”

The elders grew angry.

“Look at that temper. Shouting at us like we know nothing of the world. We may not know the ways of the world, but we know well how the thirty-two heavens above rotate beneath Heaven’s Bell.”

“When he was a child and wet his bedding after waking, who changed it for him, eh? Wicked brat.”

One after another the elders scolded Taoist Bok-cheon in archaic turns of phrase not easy to understand.

Taoist Bok-cheon closed his eyes and could only endure the scolding.

“Sirs, honored forebears.”

Venerable Woo-am soothed the elders gently.

“That woman is not someone I can simply hand over or not hand over. She is someone I admired greatly in my youth.”

The elder who had mentioned the essence-guarding method wagged his finger and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Of all ties, a tie with a woman is the hardest to cut. You have not matured at all.”

“Haha, forgive me. How can I help it when my heart is moved without my knowing.”

“You lack cultivation.”

“Even with a hundred tongues I would have nothing to say. But since matters have come to this, what should we do?”

Taoist Bok-cheon, unable to bear it, cut in.

“Are you telling us to surrender to the Martial Alliance and kneel to protect Qingcheng? I absolutely object.”

Another elder muttered, disgruntled.

“The sect leader is useless because he is infatuated with a woman. What a state to be in.”

“Then shall we go and kneel before Taoist Haewol?”

“No need to kneel. If picking the sect leader was a mistake, that is our fault in the end. We must solve it.”

“Then what do you advise?”

Until then, the oldest of the elders had kept silent. Now he spoke.

The most senior elder spoke in a low voice.

“A Shura Path will unfold.”

At his words, everyone closed their mouths and a hush fell.

They understood that since the Martial Alliance had risen up, this would not pass quietly. To expand its power, it would shed blood, and to do that, it would seek a sacrificial victim to devour. To say that would lead to a Shura field was not something to be taken lightly.

“Can Qingcheng survive?”

“In a Shura field, it is not people who survive. Only Shura survive.”

The eldest elder suddenly picked up brush and paper.

Then he wrote four characters and tossed the paper.

Each Survive On One’s Own

Taoist Bok-cheon caught the paper bearing the characters and handed it to Venerable Woo-am.

“It says ‘Gak-ja-do-saeng’… Each Survive On One’s Own.”

“What does it mean?”

The eldest elder, back bent, sat and spoke.

“I saw signs of a bloody fate in the jianghu. When I cast lots in search of a character, I drew this.”

“‘Each survive on one’s own’…”

Which is to say, each must seek a way to live.

Venerable Woo-am pondered briefly and asked again.

“If we cling to a great raft, can we avoid the blood-fate?”

“Dolthead! If you do that, everyone on the raft will die.”

Though scolded, Venerable Woo-am showed neither anger nor offense.

“Then if we avoid the raft and just hold out, will that suffice?”

“Dolthead! More foolish still! When the levees burst and the Yellow River floods in a deluge, can you survive by refusing the raft and holding out on the shore?”

“Ah.”

Venerable Woo-am understood.

“That is why it is ‘each survive on one’s own.’”

Only then did the eldest elder smile on his wrinkled face.

“Now you understand.”

Taoist Bok-cheon frowned and asked.

“I still do not understand.”

The elders raised a clamor and scolded him.

“Explaining to you is like playing a zither to a cow!”

Playing a zither to a cow means doing a useless thing, teaching the uncomprehending.

“Even if we go door to door explaining until every household knows, there are always fools who still do not understand.”

Taoist Bok-cheon’s face flushed red and then pale.

He was about to protest when Venerable Woo-am spoke first.

“Please teach us a way for Qingcheng to live.”

The eldest elder spoke again.

“If you ask whether there is meaning in Qingcheng surviving, I will first ask you. Is there meaning in preserving the Taoist temples, scriptures, and scenery of Qingcheng Mountain that will remain one hundred and one thousand years hence, or is there meaning in preserving the disciples who will die and rot in less than one hundred years?”

Venerable Woo-am thought a moment, then said.

“I want to protect Qingcheng’s spirit, which forever changes yet never wears away.”

“Weeds, though trampled and uprooted, always sprout back. Even if they grow too tall and topple, or wither for want of growth, they sprout anew. The source of that tenacious life lies in the roots.”

The eldest elder once more lifted brush and paper.

“This is how Qingcheng’s spirit can be preserved.”

He wrote again, and tossed another sheet.

Venerable Woo-am, going by the sound, caught the paper. He then asked Taoist Bok-cheon.

“What is written?”

For a long moment, Taoist Bok-cheon could not speak.

After some time, he answered.

“Sal-sin-ip-jeol… Kill the self and establish integrity.”

Kill the self to establish integrity.

To sacrifice one’s body in order to set up unwavering virtue.

That is, to preserve Qingcheng’s spirit, someone must be prepared to offer up their own body and life so that the integrity and principles of Qingcheng may stand unshaken through the coming Shura storm.