Chapter 374

The Cherry Blossom Corps was like a letter sent by Mang Ryo.

Of course, it wasn’t an ordinary letter.

It was a letter wrapped in twisted hatred, with layers upon layers of filthy shells that couldn’t be understood unless opened.

A letter designed solely for reaching Jin Ja-gang…

Mobilizing hundreds of people for that single purpose was also Mang Ryo’s way.

So when he kindly sent such a disgusting gift, there was a reason.

Mang Ryo seemed to whisper in Jin Ja-gang’s ear.

Won’t you try to stop it?

Jin Ja-gang bared his teeth as the unpleasant emotions from meeting Mang Ryo surfaced.

Slowly scratching at his insides while enticing him.

I’m going to do such and such… How about it, will you try to stop me?

Shaolin Temple tried to destroy everything, while Mang Ryo urged Jin Ja-gang to try stopping him.

In the viciously entangled conflict and violence, one wrong step would mean falling into a thousand-fathom abyss.

However.

Jin Ja-gang had already decided.

Jin Ja-gang went to Mu-gak.

Then he took out King of Hell Tang Qing’s personal letter and placed it in Mu-gak’s chest, patting it gently as if comforting him.

Mu-gak asked while bleeding from his mouth.

“Is this… your choice?”

“That’s right. Do you still need proof?”

“You know what will happen if I return with King of Hell’s personal letter?”

“I know.”

“The later Shaolin’s blade comes, the more the world will become hell. Those hungry ghosts, the very hungry ghosts you speak of, will begin rampaging and may reach an irreversible state.”

Jin Ja-gang thought for a moment then answered.

“That doesn’t mean we can burn down the entire world.”

“Why not? You and Haewol are truly lacking! Do you think you can kill thousands, tens of thousands of hungry ghosts and cull the hungry ghost king with such a heart?”

Hungry ghost king.

It was a truly fitting term. Perhaps the target Jin Ja-gang ultimately had to find was precisely the hungry ghost king.

Jin Ja-gang pondered Mu-gak’s words before answering.

“I must continue living in this world even after this matter ends. So I cannot let Shaolin Temple destroy everything.”

Though he didn’t say it aloud, this included Tang Ha-ran and Jin Ja-gang’s own child. It was something Jin Ja-gang had to do to live the future with his wife and child.

Mu-gak barely raised his twisted neck and said.

“I never resented my limbs once in decades, but today I truly regret it! Even though I didn’t underestimate you, I’ve ruined everything.”

“You won’t regret it.”

This was contrary to what he had said earlier about regretting it.

But paradoxically, it ultimately meant the same thing.

Because Jin Ja-gang was telling him to trust him.

Mu-gak spewed blood while unconsciously laughing.

“Madman.”

But Jin Ja-gang had heard those words so often he felt no emotion.

Jin Ja-gang turned his head.

Ham-geun and Im Yi-eon were still fighting.

Clang!

Ham-geun’s sword was cut in half.

Having exhausted all internal energy, his sword steel disappeared. Ham-geun spilled nosebleed profusely while retreating.

Im Yi-eon still maintained sword steel. No smoke had even risen yet.

However, Im Yi-eon didn’t chase Ham-geun.

Ham-geun lowered his sword as if he had no more will to fight.

Im Yi-eon also sheathed her sword. Then she gestured toward Ham-geun.

“Go!”

Ham-geun looked at Im Yi-eon with a surprised expression.

Im Yi-eon shouted angrily.

“You must know you’re shameful! Go. Go and live the rest of your life amid others’ mockery and disgrace!”

Ham-geun’s expression darkened. Ham-geun unconsciously tried to sheathe his sword, but it was impossible with one wrist gone.

Ham-geun dropped his sword with a dejected expression and lifted dead So-min’s corpse with one hand.

Having exhausted his internal energy, he couldn’t use movement techniques either. Bleeding drop by drop from his severed wrist, he carried So-min and left the inn.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t question Im Yi-eon about why she let Ham-geun go.

That was Im Yi-eon’s fight and Im Yi-eon’s choice to make.

Im Yi-eon looked back at An Ryeong.

“Are you alright?”

“No.”

An Ryeong shook her head. True to her medical background, she had already taken self-care measures. But blood continued flowing out. She needed proper treatment.

Im Yi-eon completely poured out her internal energy to burn away the sword steel and quickly performed breathing exercises while standing. After recovering some internal energy, she immediately lifted An Ryeong and stood up.

“Master Mu-gak. Shaolin Temple will have to take responsibility for today’s debt.”

Mu-gak only chuckled.

Im Yi-eon glanced at Yuk Ha-seon then threw a comment to Jin Ja-gang.

“That woman’s life is in your hands.”

Then she stared at Jin Ja-gang briefly.

“I must go to the An family medical house like this. If you happen to meet my disciple… no, never mind. Pretend you didn’t hear that.”

Since Mu-gak had ordered the An family medical house people to be driven from Henan, Im Yi-eon had to take a somewhat dangerous path where she might clash with Shaolin monks. In a state where she hadn’t recovered her internal energy.

So it seemed she had intended to ask Jin Ja-gang to take care of things, but Im Yi-eon ultimately gave up the request and left the inn.

An Ryeong briefly made eye contact with Jin Ja-gang midway, but that was all.

Jin Ja-gang went to the unconscious Yuk Ha-seon. He crushed some medicinal herbs he had and applied them to the wound on her crushed leg, then tightly bound her thigh to stop the bleeding.

Fortunately, whether there was no more blood to come out, the bleeding stopped to some degree.

“Poison… Dragon…”

Yuk Ha-seon had regained consciousness at some point and called Jin Ja-gang in a nearly dying voice.

“About my proposal… have you decided?”

The proposal to join hands with Pleasure Heaven.

Jin Ja-gang didn’t answer.

“It would be better not to speak at length.”

“Are you… going to save me?”

“I’ll leave you in an appropriate place.”

“Unexpectedly kind…”

Jin Ja-gang found a staff of appropriate length without answering and gave it to Yuk Ha-seon as a walking stick.

“You’ll have to get up yourself.”

Yuk Ha-seon groaned while raising her body.

Jin Ja-gang also had torn left thigh muscles, so he couldn’t carry or piggyback Yuk Ha-seon. Supporting her so she wouldn’t fall was all he could do.

Yuk Ha-seon used the staff to support herself on the floor while leaving the inn, then stopped briefly.

Gong-hon was still lying on the floor. And Mu-gak too.

Yuk Ha-seon said a word to Mu-gak like Im Yi-eon had.

“I’ve well received the spicy taste Monk showed. In return… I’ll show the monks some sweetness… soon.”

Mu-gak snorted.

“Be grateful that… I’m letting you live.”

Jin Ja-gang supported Yuk Ha-seon as they limped out of the inn.

“…”

“…”

Inside the inn was as quiet as a mouse.

The floor was completely broken with holes, and the ceiling and second floor railing were tilted as if about to collapse. It was truly a complete mess.

The stench of blood from corpses filled the air, making it horribly gruesome.

The surviving Cherry Blossom Corps youngsters were still reading the situation for quite a while afterward.

They were too scared to move carelessly. People worth leaving like Ham-geun, Im Yi-eon, and Poison Dragon had all left.

But Mu-gak still remained. Though he was poisoned and couldn’t move his limbs, the fact that his mind was clear was troubling.

A few mustered courage and tried to creep along the inn wall toward the entrance. The rest also prepared to move while reading the situation.

Then suddenly Mu-gak’s voice rang out.

“Where are you going?”

Though it was a powerless voice, it sounded like thunder from a clear sky to the youngsters. But gaining courage from the fact that Mu-gak couldn’t move, they barely managed to speak.

“W-we’re also tr-trying to leave.”

“W-we don’t want to stay here.”

Mu-gak clicked his tongue.

“Who said you could come and go as you please? You cannot leave.”

“Th-then are you going to kill us all?”

“Then… you want to survive? After daring to interfere with Shaolin’s affairs?”

At Mu-gak’s words, the Cherry Blossom Corps youngsters gritted their teeth.

“Damn it!”

Someone spat out curses.

It was do-or-die anyway.

Mu-gak was all talk. Wasn’t he the one who couldn’t even move!

The youngsters exchanged glances with each other. They could escape through broken windows or gaps instead of the entrance. If they scattered and fled all at once, he couldn’t catch them all.

“Run!”

At that moment.

Crash! Something broke through the ceiling and fell down.

It was an enormously large mass. Without the slightest exaggeration, it was the size of an ox.

Thud!

The mass landed in front of one youngster who was fleeing. Dusty clouds formed and spread out.

That single mass completely blocked the entrance.

The youngster running toward the entrance collided with the mass, then staggered and bounced off. The mass reached out and caught the bouncing youngster’s head.

The youngster stopped in great surprise after confirming the identity.

It was a person.

Moreover, it was a Shaolin Temple monk.

“Uwaaah…!”

While Vajra monks were already two heads larger than ordinary people, the Shaolin monk before them was even bigger than that. He even had hands so large and thick that the youngster’s entire head could fit in his palm. Compared to his build, the youngster looked like nothing more than a child.

Fortunately, the massive Shaolin monk had a very kind face. On a large face like two watermelons stacked vertically with a solid, square nose attached powerfully, he was unexpectedly smiling so gently his eyes couldn’t be seen.

“It’s alright. It’s alright now, so you can be at ease.”

Pat pat.

The massive Shaolin monk patted the youngster’s shoulder. He was tapping gently like comforting a child, reassuring him.

The youngster was completely frozen while sweating profusely all over his body.

The massive Shaolin monk with a kind expression said toward Mu-gak.

“You were late, so I came to greet you, Master Uncle.”

Perhaps because his resonance chamber was large, his voice didn’t sound human but rumbled with echoes.

Mu-gak answered with a displeased tone.

“Great Buddha. I ended up receiving King of Hell’s personal letter.”

Great Buddha Beom-bon!

Shaolin Temple, which possessed the greatest martial power in the martial world.

He was that Shaolin Temple’s abbot and simultaneously an absolute master counted as one Buddha among One Master Two Buddhas Three Taoists Two Kings.

He had come from the main mountain to this place.

At Mu-gak’s words, Great Buddha Beom-bon asked with a somewhat unexpected tone.

“Oh my… Was Poison Dragon at that level?”

“Flies swarmed around.”

Killing intent mixed with the word flies. The Cherry Blossom Corps youngsters trembled.

Beom-bon nodded.

“I see. Flies indeed. Flies are very bothersome.”

“Yes. It became bothersome.”

“To have the righteous dharma march interfered with. Buddha seems to desire a march of hardship.”

“Perhaps I’m just too old to step forward myself.”

“Namo Amitabha. You don’t look well. I’ll hear the rest of your words after returning…”

Beom-bon raised his head to look over the Cherry Blossom Corps youngsters.

The youngsters still thought Beom-bon was better than Mu-gak, so they watched him with a glimmer of hope.

Beom-bon said with a kind expression.

“You all shall follow me.”

“…?”

The Cherry Blossom Corps youngsters were confused by Beom-bon’s sudden words.

“Wh-what do you…”