Chapter 470 – Heroes Gather Under the Blue Sky Banner (2)

Martial artists prove everything through strength.

That was Cho Yeon-woon's values. And Geom Yul-cheon shared the same values.

For martial artists like them, tedious conversation wasn't necessary.

Alliance aside, Cho Yeon-woon was curious about Geom Yul-cheon's true martial power. A year ago, there was clearly a huge gap between them. He was curious how much that gap had narrowed during the time passed.

He didn't know if Geom Yul-cheon could really absorb the Divine Cult, but if that happened, he'd become Blue Sky Alliance's greatest enemy. Before then, he wanted to know the opponent's true martial power.

That was why Cho Yeon-woon extended his fist to Geom Yul-cheon.

Eum Yu-kyung and Shin Mu-wol stepped back as if natural. But unlike them, Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists merely hesitated without moving.

That moment, Yang Cheon-hwa gave orders to the martial artists.

"Everyone step back."

"But…"

"You all trust the Alliance Leader, don't you?"

"We do."

"Then everyone step back."

"Yes!"

Only then did the martial artists step back in unison with loud voices.

A large clearing formed in the center, and in its middle, Cho Yeon-woon and Geom Yul-cheon stood facing each other.

"Gulp!"

From people who'd unexpectedly come to watch their fight flowed sounds of swallowing dry saliva.

Whoosh!

That moment, the two moved toward each other.

Kwaang!

Before they could even confirm with their eyes how they moved, first came collision sounds. And intense wind pressure struck people nearby.

"Keuuk!"

"Mm!"

At pain like thousands and tens of thousands of needles stabbing skin, most martial artists squeezed their eyes shut stepping back.

Pyeong! Peng! Peng!

Even at that moment, collision sounds kept bursting.

Cho Yeon-woon and Geom Yul-cheon fully unleashed their insights.

Insights gained from Shaolin Temple, Cho Yeon-woon completely digested as his own here at Lesser Mount Hua.

Same with Geom Yul-cheon. He'd grown explosively accepting the Heavenly Demon Art’s profound principles into Thunder Stream. Terrible power had accumulated in his body only seeking opportunity to burst out.

The match with Cho Yeon-woon was the great opportunity he'd been seeking. Most of all, fighting Cho Yeon-woon was immensely enjoyable.

Fists collided with fists, hands entwined then separated repeatedly. Log-like legs flew in unexpected trajectories, and unthinkable clever moves continuously unfolded.

Both had long passed the stage bound by forms or techniques. Their bodies moved as they willed, and simple movements became divine techniques.

Kwaaa!

Storm-like energy waves swept everywhere, and the earth became scorched.

Blue Sky Alliance's martial artists couldn't close their gaping mouths watching the fierce fight before their eyes.

Could this really be a match between same humans?

Truly a fight from heaven beyond heaven, far beyond the realm they could imagine.

They could do nothing. Just watch.

The two's fight rushed toward climax in an instant.

Kwakwang! Kwakwakwang!

Though a human match, thunderclaps kept bursting.

Those with weak internal power bled with torn eardrums, and even those with strong internal power turned deathly pale.

"That's absolute masters' fight?"

"They've already transcended human limits."

They wanted to look away from their fight. Because watching those who'd transcended human limits gave them self-loathing. Actually, some martial artists turned their heads.

Then suddenly a low voice was heard.

"Never look away."

A voice rough yet with deep resonance like a lion's growl.

The moment that voice was heard, everyone's bodies froze.

Just hearing the voice they could know the owner. Because under heaven, only one man could make them shrink like this with voice alone despite being peak masters.

'Great Hero Dam!'

The man who appeared silently was precisely Dam Ho. He'd appeared together with Taoist Hyeon-so and others.

He continued speaking.

"An opportunity that doesn't come easily."

Just watching absolute masters' fight naturally raises eyes and standards. Dam Ho was saying that.

At that, masters who'd regained senses focused again on Cho Yeon-woon and Geom Yul-cheon's fight. Meanwhile, Eum Yu-kyung and Shin Mu-wol approached Dam Ho.

"Long time no see, Great Hero Dam."

"Great Hero Dam, glad to see you."

Both took fist salute positions greeting simultaneously.

Eum Yu-kyung's face hidden behind gauze was rigid. It itched like thousands of ants crawling on her skin. From the moment facing Dam Ho, her body was reacting on its own.

Same with Shin Mu-wol. His eyes gleamed fiercely.

Until just before coming here, he'd thought the gap with Dam Ho had narrowed much since he'd learned some of the Heavenly Demon Arts's insights. But the moment facing Dam Ho, he realized how great a miscalculation that was.

He could tell just from the eyes.

The gap hadn't narrowed at all.

Rather it had widened vastly.

Not his head but his body felt that fact first and was reacting.

Shin Mu-wol clenched his fist salute tight. Hard enough to draw blood.

The unprecedented demon Mount Hua released had developed again. He couldn't even guess where his limits were.

Shin Mu-wol smiled. His cultivation was deep enough to smile without revealing inner feelings.

They'd come here for cooperation. No need to reveal inner feelings making each other uncomfortable.

After watching them silently for a moment, Dam Ho opened his mouth.

"Seems security was lacking."

"That's not it. We struggled quite a bit finding this place too. If you knew how much effort we made to learn those three characters Blue Sky Alliance, Great Hero Dam couldn't say such things."

Eum Yu-kyung's words were true.

Geom Yul-cheon judged achieving desired goals was difficult just operating in shadows. So he thought he should create independent forces.

Reading his thoughts, the first to move was precisely Myeong-cheon. Myeong-cheon used his brilliant mind building forces and drawing in countless people.

First recruited were those belonging to the Thirteen Branches like Geom Yul-cheon. Myeong-cheon found martial artists among the Thirteen Branches who espoused moderation, and Geom Yul-cheon visited them subduing them with force.

That was Divine Demon Alliance's beginning. Four leaders among the Thirteen Branches submitted to Geom Yul-cheon agreeing to follow. After that, Myeong-cheon secretly recruited those with dissatisfaction among the Demon Cult's martial artists.

Many fell to Myeong-cheon's methods. But he thought that alone wasn't enough. So he sought Central Plains martial artists worth joining hands with.

In that process, strange currents were detected.

Someone had contacted martial artists before them. So they pursued. The process finding them was never easy.

They were extremely secretive, operating thoroughly as cell organizations. Because of that, even the world's Myeong-cheon struggled identifying them. But Myeong-cheon possessed very tenacious patience and a brilliant mind second to none under heaven.

He patiently tracked them, and finally learned they were moving under Blue Sky Alliance's name.

Blue Sky Alliance hadn't just trained martial arts at Lesser Mount Hua. They secretly went outside Shaanxi Province contacting leaders of sects still maintaining existence. They established close communication systems and promised cooperation.

Divine Demon Alliance had found those traces.

From then, a tedious fight began. Through secretly tracking Blue Sky Alliance, Myeong-cheon learned Blue Sky Alliance's headquarters existed in Shaanxi Province and the Alliance Leader was Cho Yeon-woon.

Getting this far took nearly a year. During that time, enormous funds and human resources were consumed.

Because it was right near Mount Hua Sect, he'd thought Dam Ho might be there, but actually facing him directly, the oppressive feeling was no joke. In that short time, he'd progressed another level.

Eum Yu-kyung's gaze went to Taoist Hyeon-so beside Dam Ho.

"Are you perhaps Taoist Hyeon-so?"

"Pleased to meet you! I am Hyeon-so."

"Divine Demon Alliance's Eum Yu-kyung greets Mount Hua's Taoist Hyeon-so."

"Hehe! Drop the formality. Pleased to meet you like this."

"It's an honor meeting Taoist. I really wanted to see you."

"Hehe! To want to see this useless old man makes me not know what to do."

"You're the one who raised Great Hero Dam."

"The best thing I did in my life was accepting this fellow as disciple. Well, after that he grew on his own."

"What do you mean…"

At Taoist Hyeon-so's words, Eum Yu-kyung felt flustered yet envious. If the Divine Cult had at least one wise elder like Taoist Hyeon-so, it seemed they wouldn't have gone so wild.

Most of all, the immortal fragrance flowing from Taoist Hyeon-so cleared her mind and calmed her heart. Such feeling was truly after long time.

'They said he's Great Hero Dam's master, and indeed he's an extraordinary person.'

Shin Mu-wol received similar feelings to Eum Yu-kyung.

Shin Mu-wol usually disliked Taoist and Buddhist types who acted superior more than anyone, but strangely felt no such feelings toward Taoist Hyeon-so.

That was when.

Kwaang!

A collision sound on different dimension from before broke Eum Yu-kyung and Shin Mu-wol's thoughts.

Hastily turning their heads, Cho Yeon-woon and Geom Yul-cheon's fight had reached peak. Both had sustained considerable wounds, but moved their bodies regardless.

At first it had strong character of probing each other's full power, but as fierce battle repeated, they couldn't help but immerse in the fight. Each stimulated the other's competitive spirit.

Especially Cho Yeon-woon deeply immersed in the fight with Geom Yul-cheon.

After the fortune at Shaolin Temple, while solidly digesting insights as his own, his martial arts developed dramatically, but within Blue Sky Alliance it was hard finding opponents who could fully match his skills.

So Cheon, Hae So-wol, Cheong-woon and others could well fight on par with him, but being on same side, fighting spirit didn't arise much, and with Dam Ho he had to really fight risking life, so Cho Yeon-woon had to decline.

With such circumstances, Cho Yeon-woon always thirsted for fights with strong opponents. Because he wanted to coldly gauge his level through matches with strong opponents.

In that aspect, Geom Yul-cheon was the optimal opponent.

Cho Yeon-woon burned competitive spirit consecutively unfolding Eight Desolations Divine Fist's supreme techniques. The Eight Desolations Divine Fist he unfolded had now cast off all shadows of his master Jang Il-san reborn completely as his own martial art.

His fists tore air, leaving deep scars on earth. Truly fully displaying Heaven-Shattering Desolations's martial prowess.

On the other hand, troubled light appeared on Geom Yul-cheon's face. What he'd expected from Cho Yeon-woon was friendly sparring level match, not this fight disregarding life.

Cho Yeon-woon had grown incomparably stronger than a year ago. He wasn't confident subduing such him without a single wound.

He had to at least seriously wound Cho Yeon-woon. In that process, he'd also sustain considerable wounds. Geom Yul-cheon didn't want such result. But Cho Yeon-woon's attacks intensified cornering him.

"Chaaa!"

Unlike Cho Yeon-woon's loud battle cry, techniques with tremendous power incomparable to before unfolded.

Kwakwakwa!

Thinking light came from Cho Yeon-woon's fists, over ten spheres flew toward Geom Yul-cheon at terrifying speed.

"Energy spheres?"

Concentrated masses of energy. And over ten at that. At this level, even Geom Yul-cheon couldn't consider Cho Yeon-woon anymore.

Crack!

White lightning flashed through Geom Yul-cheon's entire body.

In that state, Geom Yul-cheon launched his body toward Cho Yeon-woon.

"No!"

Seeing that, Eum Yu-kyung let out warning cry.

If the two collided like this, one side would certainly sustain great wounds.

That was when.

Kuuuu!

Suddenly a whirlwind blew from behind her. Dam Ho had moved.

To people's eyes only black shadow appeared faintly. Dam Ho was rushing toward the point where Geom Yul-cheon and Cho Yeon-woon would collide, trailing long black shadow.

Instantly surrounding air was rapidly pulled toward Dam Ho.

Kwang!

Sound barrier broke. And air broke too.

"Keheuk!"

"Eok!"

People were blown in all directions as if swept by explosive blast.

Eum Yu-kyung and Shin Mu-wol hastily deployed protective energy shielding themselves and Taoist Hyeon-so.

The storm quickly disappeared. But aftereffects the storm left weren't light at all. Considerable number among martial artists watching nearby lay sprawled on ground looking blankly at the fierce battle's center.

Eum Yu-kyung and Shin Mu-wol couldn't hide their shock.

Two deep furrows were carved in earth. Traces where Geom Yul-cheon and Cho Yeon-woon had been pushed back.

They were pushed to opposite sides, and in their middle Dam Ho stood upright.

'Insane!'

Shin Mu-wol let out scream-like cry inwardly.

Cho Yeon-woon was already a master who'd reached absolute realm. Same with Geom Yul-cheon. Yet he stopped such two people's fight with one punch. While doing so, he caused no damage to either side. Of course, Cho Yeon-woon and Geom Yul-cheon had well absorbed Dam Ho's attack, but even so, it was almost insane level of destructive power and delicate energy control.

The monster who was already terrifying had become even more frightening.

The outer walls symbolizing the Tang Family’s exclusivity disappeared.

The narrow paths of the outer estate that had been like a maze also changed to be open.

Though many leaders were concerned about Tang Ha-ran’s radical decision, the concerns quickly subsided.

As the Tang Family’s transformation became known in the martial world, people began coming on their own.

While some came curious about the Tang Family’s interior that had long been closed to the public, the majority were those who felt disgust and doubt about how the martial world was operating and came seeking an alternative.

The Tang Family of Sichuan. The Poison Dragon of Sichuan.

That was the only alternative in the current martial world.

“Goodness… were this many people harboring discontent?”

Woon-jeong gaped at the procession of martial artists coming day after day.

“It’s surprising they’ve been quiet until now.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Woon-jeong.

“Why are you still not leaving?”

Woon-jeong flinched and made excuses as they came out.

“I’m not just playing around. I’m here to preach the Dao to those people.”

“I’ve never heard of preaching the Dao instead of Buddha’s teachings.”

“Hehehe.”

Woon-jeong glossed it over with laughter. Having mingled with Bian Bu for so long, maybe he only learned bad things from the increased nonsense, but among the rigid Qingcheng Sect Taoists, having one Taoist with flexibility wouldn’t be bad.

So-so was busily finding work to do as always. Whether kitchen work or housekeeping, she did it perfectly, so many people liked So-so. They felt sorry that So-so couldn’t speak, and after learning the circumstances, they felt even more heartbroken.

“What’s the big deal if you can’t speak? Dear, if you have nowhere to go, come to my house. Become my daughter-in-law.”

When people doted on So-so and said they’d make her their daughter-in-law, Woon-jeong was deflated.

Woon-jeong became gloomy and went to sit in a corner. Then So-so looked back at Woon-jeong, gathered her sewing, and went next to him. Then she held cloth up to various parts of Woon-jeong’s body and began sewing.

Then Woon-jeong would glance at So-so and smile.

Woon-jeong and So-so were precious jade that brought small smiles amid the chaos of the Tang Family beginning its transformation.

Jin Ja-gang went to find Mu-gak. One of the excommunicated monks who came to the Tang Family was attending to Mu-gak, but the excommunicated monk was outside rather than inside.

“A guest has come to visit.”

“I know.”

A guest had come to visit Mu-gak.

Six River Immortal Yuk Ha-seon of Pleasure Heaven!

She who lost her entire right leg to Mu-gak was together with him.

Jin Ja-gang entered the room.

Inside the room…

Unexpectedly, drinking was underway.

“Wahahahaha!”

“Kkeul kkeul kkeul.”

Mu-gak and Yuk Ha-seon already had flushed faces and were laughing while making silly jokes.

Jin Ja-gang sat down in a seat without saying anything particular.

Mu-gak saw Jin Ja-gang then giggled and pointed with his broken, crooked finger.

“Immortal. When this guy greeted me yesterday, do you know what his first words were?”

Six River Immortal Yuk Ha-seon was dressed as a man and asked with merry laughter.

“What did he say?”

“He said, ‘How is your finger?'”

“Wahaha! That’s truly like the Poison Dragon!”

Yuk Ha-seon held her belly and laughed.

Mu-gak showed his broken, twisted index finger.

“So I said this. It’s usable enough. But you sure ask about people’s well-being in a strange way, don’t you?”

“Then what did Poison Dragon Hero answer?”

“Besides your finger, is there anywhere else on your body well enough to ask about, Monk?”

“Wahahahaha!”

“So I said. You bastard, I also have a mouth. A mouth! Since this mouth that feeds me is more important, from next time ask about my mouth’s well-being first.”

Yuk Ha-seon laughed until tears flowed.

As Jin Ja-gang sat awkwardly, Yuk Ha-seon poured him alcohol.

“Drink, Hero.”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t refuse and drank the alcohol in one gulp.

“As expected of Sichuan’s Poison Dragon. Both jokes and drinking are spirited!”

“When have you seen me joke?”

“Oh my, this is a time for jokes. Not a time for blade fighting.”

“I didn’t come to fight with blades, but seeing the atmosphere, I seem to have come at the wrong time.”

Mu-gak laughed.

“Grudges in the martial world are deep yet shallow. They may be held in the heart for generations, yet sometimes melt away like snow with a single cup of alcohol.”

“That’s not a story for you to tell, Master.”

Yuk Ha-seon interjected.

“How can one blame each other for fighting over each other’s positions? Since it’s a past matter, we decided not to hold it in our hearts anymore.”

“We agreed she’d make me break my precepts by getting me to drink.”

“Since I made a enlightened high monk break precepts, one leg is due in hell.”

Though difficult to understand, perhaps in a battle of convictions… or perhaps not regretting an arm or leg in magnanimously brushing it off and strengthening friendship is the true appearance of the martial world.

“Actually, if we’re being strict, isn’t the grudge between me and you, Poison Dragon, deeper, having killed many of my disciples and grand-disciples?”

“That’s right. That’s why I came to ask.”

Jin Ja-gang’s expression suddenly became heavy. Already possessing the authority of a first-rate patriarch, just changing his expression made the air in the room become weighty.

“Why did you come to find me?”

“You ask a foolish question. Don’t put on airs and look outside.”

Mu-gak hiccupped and gestured outside with his chin.

“For the same reason they came.”

“You’re different, Master. You’re the Breaking Sect’s most senior elder and were the vanguard of the righteous practices.”

“About that…”

When Mu-gak paused briefly, Yuk Ha-seon fed Mu-gak alcohol.

“Keu.”

After drinking, Mu-gak said.

“Great Buddha threw me into a manure pit and spoke in my ear. If you’re so confident, try saving the world from inside the manure pit. I almost ate feces and died but was saved by a devout Buddhist’s hand and survived.”

Though subtle to call it rebellion, in Shaolin Temple, Great Buddha Beom-bon of the Embracing Sect, which had been pushed back by the Breaking Sect, raised a rebellion and succeeded.

The Breaking Sect within Shaolin Temple was annihilated.

Jin Ja-gang asked.

“Did you have nowhere to go?”

“No. Since there was absolutely no way to save the world from inside a manure pit, I came to find someone to save the world instead of me.”

“Then I’ll ask one more thing.”

Jin Ja-gang’s expression became even heavier.

“How much does Shaolin Temple know about the Hungry Ghost King?”

Then Mu-gak’s mouth shut tight. Yuk Ha-seon held a cup to Mu-gak’s mouth, but Mu-gak slightly moved his head trying not to drink.

“What are you hesitating about as an excommunicated monk?”

Yuk Ha-seon forcibly grabbed and made him drink. Mu-gak struggled then ended up drinking repeatedly. Later he gave up and drank for a long while.

“Puhaaa! Damn. Shaolin…”

Mu-gak spat curses then laughed heartily.

“No, since it’s not our Shaolin anymore, I should call it Shaolin Temple. Shaolin Temple knows almost everything.”

“Then why didn’t they intervene until now? Isn’t it true they didn’t step forward even while watching the martial world’s corruption?”

Mu-gak shook his head.

“Shaolin Temple is large and broad. Deep and high. Each step of Shaolin Temple’s path affects the entire martial world. Therefore it’s always slow and cautious. However, they were continuously moving beneath the surface.”

“It sounds like you were concerned the martial world would be influenced by Shaolin Temple.”

“The vitality of the martial world isn’t created arbitrarily. It always self-purifies. Look, didn’t a great figure called the Poison Dragon ultimately emerge from that hell-like place?”

“If Shaolin Temple had the power to encompass the martial world, they should have intervened before that. Then more people wouldn’t have been hurt.”

“Poison Dragon.”

Suddenly Mu-gak called Jin Ja-gang in an affectionate voice.

“What do you think of spiders spinning webs throughout the temple? Should we remove the spider webs thinking of the insects that will die caught in them?”

Jin Ja-gang couldn’t answer hastily.

There was no need to ask if spiders and insects were the same as people. Shaolin Temple would say all life is the same. People die and reincarnate as insects, as animals, so ultimately life is the same, they would say.

“If there are many sparrows pecking at rice grains, the harvest decreases and troubles the farmers. Then should we chase away and kill the sparrows? Do you think you could then harvest rice abundantly?”

Mu-gak shook his head with great difficulty.

“Not so. When the natural enemy called sparrows disappears, pests will swarm and the fields become ruins. Sparrows merely share part of the crops people grew, but pests devour all the crops.”

Mu-gak looked at Jin Ja-gang and asked.

“You said it. Who is good and evil? Where is greater righteousness? Looking at the situation so far, one could say the Hungry Ghost King is evil and the martial world is good. However, who can say the Hungry Ghost King isn’t a sparrow?”

“Wasn’t Shaolin Temple’s long observation to determine that?”

“Correct. It took until now to conclude the Hungry Ghost King isn’t a sparrow. And ultimately pests swarmed in the martial world. However, there was the people’s greed to not share what’s theirs and take even a bit more for themselves. They killed the sparrow. Thus the Hungry Ghost King could establish himself.”

Jin Ja-gang fell into thought. Taoist Haewol said the martial world had been rotting from long ago.

Perhaps that wasn’t the Hungry Ghost King’s fault…

“Mud dropped in a pure land immediately shows. But mud dropped in muddy water doesn’t show.”

You cannot save the world from inside a manure pit!

Mu-gak again moistened his lips with the alcohol Yuk Ha-seon gave.

“That’s what Great Buddha said. Great Buddha said he himself must enter the manure pit to become manure.”

“Didn’t the Breaking Sect choose righteous walk to remove the muddy water?”

“Righteous walks aren’t about removing muddy water but overturning the entire soil. Taoist Haewol tried to save the soil by cutting out rotten roots and branches, but righteous walks aim to change the entire soil so the Hungry Ghost King cannot live.”

“However, Great Buddha hasn’t stopped righteous practices even after erasing the Breaking Sect. Rather, he joined hands with the Righteous Alliance that protects the existing order.”

“The Breaking Sect and Embracing Sect pursue the same purpose. To spread Buddha’s teachings, save sentient beings, and guide them to enlightenment. There’s only a difference in method.”

“You’re saying they’ll purify the world with the Hungry Ghost King’s methods? From rotten soil?”

Mu-gak paused briefly then continued.

“If the Breaking Sect sought to deny the Hungry Ghost King’s order and purify the world to spread Buddha’s teachings, Great Buddha seeks to acknowledge the Hungry Ghost King’s order and rather spread Buddha’s teachings in that world.”

“I cannot understand. Seeing a world where the Hungry Ghost King’s order remains as proper.”

“Impermanent world. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. The moment of enlightenment, everything surrounding us becomes emptiness and meaningless. Whether the Hungry Ghost King’s world or the existing world, if one can attain enlightenment, it doesn’t matter at all. Great Buddha rather sees now as the best opportunity to spread Buddha’s teachings…”

Where is right and where is wrong?

Where is the limit and end?

If you just change perspective slightly and look differently, everything appears right.

Just as Taoist Haewol said.

Each righteousness is clashing.

And at that moment, Jin Ja-gang realized.

Great Buddha Beom-bon had watched the martial world for a long time. Even until the Breaking Sect couldn’t endure and rose up.

But finally decided to make Buddha’s teachings bloom in the Hungry Ghost King’s world.

Shaolin Temple, which says of itself that it moves so slowly as to be cautious.

Even within that Shaolin Temple, Great Buddha Beom-bon who watched the martial world the longest.

That he insisted on the Hungry Ghost King’s methods.

That’s never a decision made in an instant.

That is…

Jin Ja-gang got goosebumps.

He opened his eyes wide and stared at Mu-gak.

“Is… is what I’m thinking right now correct?”

Mu-gak quietly looked at Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang gradually even raised killing intent.

“Answer me, Master Mu-gak. You know. If you don’t speak, you die.”

There was no falsehood in Jin Ja-gang’s threat. If he said he’d kill, he would kill, and that was known.

However, not out of fear of death but by his own will, Mu-gak opened his mouth.

“That’s right…”

Mu-gak sneered with his twisted face.

“Great Buddha himself is the Hungry Ghost King, or at least knows who the Hungry Ghost King is.”