Chapter 170

The orthodox faction warriors had taken their positions and waited quietly without doing anything. They neither responded to Bian Bu’s words nor immediately resorted to force.

Bian Bu grumbled.

“Are we going to have a staring contest or what? If you want to have a proper fight, hurry up and attack, you sons of bitches!”

Several orthodox faction warriors frowned, but none of them said a word in response.

Seeing this, Bian Bu clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. Seeing that only mutes have gathered, it seems today’s fortune will be rough.”

Bian Bu was quick-witted. He realized there was a reason why the warriors weren’t acting recklessly.

It meant there was someone with enough authority present to prevent the warriors from acting carelessly.

After a moment, a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties or fifties stepped just inside the gate and spoke.

“Shandong Enchanting Flower! There is no way for you to survive. This place is surrounded, so it would be best to surrender quietly!”

Bian Bu looked at the middle-aged man and tilted his head.

“That’s not the one…”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong replied to Bian Bu’s puzzlement as if answering the middle-aged man.

“Such words should be spoken by someone who can take responsibility for their words. You don’t seem capable of that.”

The middle-aged man raised his voice.

“I am Jeon Woong, sect leader of South River Sect. Your words that I cannot take responsibility are statements that disrespect the Sichuan martial world, and at the same time are remarks that take lightly the proceedings of the Martial Arts Alliance…”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong interrupted Jeon Woong’s words and sneered coldly.

“Then I suppose it’s acceptable to kill you.”

Bian Bu quickly pulled out a bamboo tube from his sleeve and held it in front of Dan Ryeong-gyeong. Dan Ryeong-gyeong drew an iron needle with her left hand and threw it.

“What!”

Jeon Woong’s eyes widened greatly in shock. He never expected that Dan Ryeong-gyeong, who had a high reputation in the martial world, would suddenly use a killing technique on him.

Jeon Woong swung his sword forward, trying to deflect the needle.

Clang!

However, the needle stem infused with Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s tremendous internal energy penetrated through the sword and headed straight for Jeon Woong’s forehead.

“Kugh!”

Jeon Woong squeezed his eyes shut.

But nothing happened. When Jeon Woong opened his eyes, he saw a hand with prominent joints and gaunt bones gripping the needle.

A nun wearing a crude cylindrical monk’s hat had blocked the killing technique for him.

Jeon Woong hastily stepped backward. His sword had a small hole where the needle had pierced through. It was a moment that fully demonstrated the reputation of Shandong Enchanting Flower, who was comparable to Sichuan’s Three Powers.

“Amitabha.”

An aged voice.

A Buddhist invocation came from the mouth of a nun who appeared to be at least sixty years old.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong looked at the nun and said coldly.

“I wondered who had come, and it was Emei Sect’s Dancing Buddha.”

Dancing Buddha refers to a Buddha who dances while practicing. Of course, it wasn’t ordinary dancing but sword dancing in this case.

To be called one who dances with swords while practicing Buddhist devotion – how much bloodshed must there have been!

Remarkably, the number of those who died by Dancing Buddha’s hand exceeded several hundred. There were rumors that it reached into the thousands, but since most were dead, no one remained to testify to the exact number.

Of course, the dead were limited to evildoers, but even so, it was an unimaginable number for a disciple of Buddhism.

The reason the Sichuan orthodox faction warriors had kept their mouths shut despite Bian Bu’s provocations was because they were that afraid of Dancing Buddha.

The nun showed no change in expression and shook her head.

“That is merely a story from long ago. I have a separate dharma name called Myowol, so I would be grateful if you called me that.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong laughed loudly.

“Haha! A monk who seeks to transcend the world and become an arhat is clinging to a secular dharma name – how very amusing!”

The laughter infused with internal energy made the surrounding warriors feel slight pain as their ears rang.

Myowol’s eyes narrowed. With her long, narrow eyes and gaunt cheekbones protruding, even the slightest frown created an extremely fierce expression.

“Amitabha. Since the benefactor’s enlightenment is deeper and more profound than this poor nun who has accumulated Buddhist virtue for sixty years, how about taking this opportunity to follow me to Emei and become a monk?”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong looked at Myowol with an annoyed expression. To anyone watching, it clearly meant ‘stop talking nonsense.’

“I heard rumors that Dancing Buddha accumulates Buddhist virtue by cutting off people’s heads – even after cutting off so many, are you still short of heads?”

Myowol narrowed her eyes further and faced Dan Ryeong-gyeong.

“Breaking evil and manifesting righteousness is an ancient contemplation of Buddhism. Those who have already been devoured by demons and lost their good hearts must be eliminated before they harm other good people.”

“So…”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong glared at Myowol.

“Sichuan’s Three Powers have decided to break their tacit agreement and bring a bloody storm to Dayi?”

“Amitabha. Today this poor nun is merely an observer. If the benefactor had not used a killing technique on the South River Sect leader, I would never have stepped forward.”

“But you did step forward. That alone means you can no longer be called an observer. Isn’t that right?”

“Please understand that I had no choice but to step forward.”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong shouted sharply.

“Where does an old hag from Emei get off spouting nonsense! You should not babble such trivial words when facing me, Wishful Fairy Maiden!”

The killing intent Dan Ryeong-gyeong unleashed covered the manor. Hair stood on end and body hair bristled.

The orthodox faction warriors tensed up and gripped their weapons tightly. At the same time, those in the manor also prepared to respond.

Myowol sighed and shook her head.

“It seems the benefactor is deeply trapped in conceptual words and phrases, making it very difficult to enlighten with this poor nun’s meager Buddhist virtue.”

Myowol said to Jeon Woong.

“Benefactor of South River Sect, please take action. I will be watching to ensure the Enchanting Flower benefactor cannot move carelessly.”

“Thank you, Master Myowol.”

Jeon Woong had been inwardly hoping for Myowol to step forward.

Jeon Woong raised his sword with the hole in it.

“Attack! Sweep away these evil faction lackeys!”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong tried to move to block the orthodox faction warriors’ advance, but suddenly felt killing intent and stopped.

It wasn’t that Myowol was blocking Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s path, yet she had no choice but to stop naturally.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong looked at Myowol.

A blue energy had formed beneath Myowol’s pupils. Dense killing intent was swirling there!

Dan Ryeong-gyeong gritted her teeth.

“A nun with killing intent…”

“This poor nun had hoped the benefactor would not return here.”

“That’s probably nonsense too?”

Myowol smiled. It was a bizarre smile where killing intent dripped from her gaunt, wrinkled eyes and mouth.

“That is so. Amitabha. It seems this poor nun’s Buddhist heart lies not in Buddhist law but in sword blades.”

Grrr!

When Myowol drew the sword at her waist, a rough sound emerged. The blade was dark and murky as if rusted. At first glance it looked like black iron, yet it had an eerie color that made people extremely fearful.

That was blood. It was a color created by human blood and flesh fat clinging and congealing.

Since first receiving the sword from Emei and beginning to kill, Myowol had never once cleaned her sword. Whether blood stuck to it or the blade chipped, she never cared for the sword at all.

Therefore, after decades had passed, it had become a sword so dull it couldn’t cut even a piece of tofu. Without Myowol’s tremendous internal energy, it had become a sword that couldn’t kill even a mayfly, let alone a person.

Thus, paradoxically, this sword was called the Non-Killing Sword. It earned this name because it could only kill people when Myowol wielded it with killing intent.

However, the deaths of hundreds were soaked into this sword. Ordinary people would feel the terror of death and their legs would give out just from seeing the Non-Killing Sword.

That’s why this sword was one of the most famous swords in Emei Sect.

When Dancing Buddha danced with the Non-Killing Sword, blood was inevitably shed.

So even if you couldn’t recognize Dancing Buddha, if you saw the Non-Killing Sword, prostrating and begging for forgiveness was the only way to survive.

This had become one of the popular sayings in Sichuan.

What Bian Bu had told Jin Ja-gang about Emei Sect was not wrong.

“Waaaah!”

Clang! Clang!

Fighting began between the Sichuan orthodox faction warriors and the evil faction people of the manor.

“Aaaaah!”

Screams were heard and sword lights danced wildly.

Myowol showed a satisfied expression while listening to the death cries of people dying.

Wooooong.

The Non-Killing Sword began to vibrate. As internal energy was applied, the blood scabs and congealed fat melted and split apart. The bright red bloodstains inside were fully revealed.

Like earthquake-cracked earth revealing the lava within, the bloodstains connected in lines, protruding like human blood vessels.

Oil melted by internal energy absorbed blood and dripped drop by drop.

A truly horrifying sight.

Myowol spoke with a mad expression and smile.

“Now then, please don’t just stand still but rampage wildly. Use killing techniques carelessly so their blood and flesh fragments scatter abundantly. If you would consider this body’s Buddhist heart, please don’t just stand still but kill to your heart’s content.”

At that ominous tone and eerie voice, Dan Ryeong-gyeong clenched her teeth tightly.

“Dancing Buddha…”

Dan Ryeong-gyeong was furious but couldn’t move rashly. The killing intent Myowol emitted was flying and piercing like cutting skin.

The killing intent naturally triggered her internal energy to react wildly, disturbing the poison energy she had been barely calming. Blood also seeped from the severed surface of her bandaged right shoulder.

Myowol made a pleading expression with drooping eye corners, but her mouth was raised in a smile, creating a bizarre face as she spoke.

“Please, benefactor, do not turn away from this poor nun’s earnest wish.”

Meanwhile, the evil faction people were dying one by one.

Dan Ryeong-gyeong finally exploded.

“Dancing Buddha!”

***

The Martial Alliance Leader’s Quarters

Taoist Haewol looked at the single arm placed before him. He picked up the arm and shook it around, examining it. The arm that had originally possessed delicate, beautiful skin was wrinkled from hasty preservation treatment.

“I asked them to catch a carp and they brought back a carp fin. It won’t even make good drinking snacks.”

Taoist Haewol briefly showed the arm to Baek Li-jung. When Baek Li-jung shook his head, Taoist Haewol called someone to take the arm away.

“You worked hard bringing that all the way here.”

“Not at all.”

Taoist Haewol served tea to Baek Li-jung.

“Emei Sect’s response was unexpectedly swift. The fact that the Divine Nun sent Dancing Buddha instead of leaving Jeongyo or Nangling means she wants to make a good impression on you, doesn’t it?”

“I have no interest in Emei Sect’s nuns.”

“Who said to take nuns as concubines? I’m saying to gather them because they all have their uses.”

“If needed, they’ll bow down and come on their own.”

“Well, just joining our alliance in the first place makes their political stance clear.”

Taoist Haewol said while pouring tea.

“So what about that fellow Mang Ryo?”

“I plan to leave him alone for now.”

“Good thinking. To others, he’s the benefactor who treated your son. If you kill such a person immediately, there will be talk. He even cut off Enchanting Flower’s arm and sent it as proof that he took good care of him.”

“But the Tang family’s hand reached him.”

What happened with the Tang family – only the Tang family and Mang Ryo could know. It would be a very uncomfortable matter for Baek Li-jung and Baek Li-gwon for the rest of their lives.

“Shall I take a look at your son?”

“It’s fine.”

“Are you worried I might make unreasonable demands of you over something like that? He is your son, after all.”

“I don’t like my things constantly passing through others’ hands.”

Taoist Haewol chuckled with amusement.

“Well, if that’s how it is, there’s nothing to be done. That mudfish seems quite interesting – seeing how he knows to preserve his life by playing all sides. The fact that he survived even after earning your displeasure is proof that he’s very capable. I should see his face sometime.”

Sending Dan Ryeong-gyeong’s arm was a kind of evidence and collateral. Evidence that Baek Li-gwon was fine, and simultaneously proof that Mang Ryo’s position regarding the evil faction had been settled. Having taken Shandong Enchanting Flower’s arm meant he would now be mortal enemies with the evil faction.

Therefore, Mang Ryo couldn’t be killed now. Moreover, since Taoist Haewol said he wanted to see him, Baek Li-jung could no longer touch Mang Ryo.

Taoist Haewol drank his tea in good spirits.

“Since the arm came, I’m curious whether the torso that was attached to that arm will come soon too. It will be fun waiting for a few days. When you get old, waiting for such news isn’t boring at all.”

However, Baek Li-jung found it not fun at all. His eyes had sunk very deeply.