Chapter 492

Yeong-gwi, disguised as a common housewife, came with Son-bi to find Jin Ja-gang at the lodging.

“Great Buddha crossed the border of Jiangxi this morning. He’s estimated to have at least forty people. He’ll enter Wuhan by midnight tonight.”

Forty Arhat monks!

If Vajra Monks were mixed in there too, it would be a tremendous force.

Though Yeong-gwi and Son-bi had come this far together, they still didn’t know how Jin Ja-gang would shake off the Arhat monks. Their worry was considerable.

At most two shichen remained.

How could Jin Ja-gang respond in that time? Even this time wouldn’t have been gained without Tang Qing.

Son-bi approached Jin Ja-gang holding clothes.

Hearing there wasn’t enough time, she seemed to have rushed to complete the clothes, as threads and scraps were all over her body.

Son-bi shyly draped the dark navy blue clothes over Jin Ja-gang.

Even Yeong-gwi, who had been watching with somewhat jealous eyes, opened her mouth seeing Jin Ja-gang changed into clean clothes.

“It suits you well.”

Son-bi kept adjusting Jin Ja-gang’s clothes, then looked at his face. Jin Ja-gang also met her gaze without avoiding it.

“Thank you.”

Son-bi wrote on Jin Ja-gang’s hand.

—Later… if you survive today…

Son-bi didn’t write the rest. That revealed her heart even more.

Jin Ja-gang nodded silently.

Son-bi withdrew from Jin Ja-gang.

Yeong-gwi looked at the bag Jin Ja-gang held.

“By the way, what’s that?”

“I did a bit of thievery.”

“What?”

Jin Ja-gang looked out the window outside the lodging. Yellow Crane Tower sitting on a hill was visible. As evening came, more people were coming to find Yellow Crane Tower. Previously, Jin Ja-gang had visited Yellow Crane Tower with Woon-jeong.

“Time is insufficient. I didn’t want to do this, but I’ll have to borrow Yellow Crane Tower.”

“Yellow Crane Tower is a famous place many people come to, so it’s not suitable as a decisive battle location. Moreover, they won’t easily lend…”

Jin Ja-gang rummaged through the bag and took out a jade plaque inside. The Zhuge Family’s mark was clearly engraved. Yellow Crane Tower was a place managed by the Zhuge Family.

Yeong-gwi laughed.

“You became a thief, so I think I know where you went.”

“From now on, you two stay as far away from Yellow Crane Tower as possible.”

Jin Ja-gang took a deep breath.

“Tonight, Yellow Crane Tower will become hell.”

***

Thud, thwack!

Monks numbering forty were advancing forward, striking the ground. Footprints were deeply embedded in the ground.

Great Strength Divine Steps.

Unlike other lightness techniques that lighten the body, this was Shaolin Temple’s unique lightness technique that distinctly left footprints.

They didn’t care at all if there were pursuers. It contained the meaning of walking only the righteous path as if strolling the main road in broad daylight.

However, the monks’ kasayas were full of bloodstains. Bloodstains that hadn’t dried for only a few days.

Whoosh, swoosh.

From far to the side, one monk caught up with the formation. He moved his lips to send a sound transmission.

Great Buddha Beom-bon, who stood at the very front, muttered.

“Is that so? Benefactor Poison Dragon already came to Wuhan and established position.”

Jin Ja-gang was smart and mainly used poison. That he already established position meant there was a high possibility he prepared.

“It’s regrettable we wasted time in the middle, but now we don’t need to particularly hurry.”

However, unlike his words, Beom-bon didn’t reduce speed. The monks only rushed toward Wuhan at the same speed they had been running.

Full moon.

The bright full moon was scattering pure white light.

***

Jin Ja-gang rented out the entire third floor of Yellow Crane Tower.

Many people filled the first and second floors of Yellow Crane Tower until late at night. Since today was the full moon, the atmosphere of the full moon rising over East Lake was more splendid than usual. The crowd didn’t stop until midnight.

However, since Jin Ja-gang kept the fact that he came secret except to the manager, ordinary guests were merely enjoying culture without knowing anything.

Yeong-gwi and Son-bi watched Yellow Crane Tower from a distance.

Soon, stirring was suddenly felt among the people.

‘They’re here!’

The monks arrived.

The monk at the very front wore a golden kasaya, and his build seemed three or four times larger than others with a head twice as big. Though Shaolin Temple’s monks practiced external arts so their bodies were never small, standing behind him made them look like children following an adult.

They could tell immediately who it was.

Finally, Great Buddha Beom-bon had come.

Both had been through life-and-death fights several times, but this time they were so tense that sweat formed on their hands. Without realizing it, their hands had gone to their weapons.

Could Jin Ja-gang truly defeat Great Buddha without external help?

Even if he won, could he survive cutting through that large number of Arhat monks?

Why did Jin Ja-gang deliberately choose a place full of ordinary people as the decisive battle location?

***

Beom-bon looked up at the third-floor tower. Though the first and second floors still had many guests looking out at the monks and murmuring, only the lit third floor was quiet with no one looking out.

A smile appeared on Beom-bon’s lips.

“Poison Dragon. Are you trying to take all these people hostage? I know your deeds well. Using innocent people as shields is not like benefactor.”

The woman who was Yellow Crane Tower’s manager came out trembling with fear to greet Beom-bon.

“Is Benefactor Poison Dragon inside?”

“Yes, yes… he’s on the third floor.”

Beom-bon nodded with his thick neck.

“Clear it out.”

“Pardon?”

“Not only the guests but even the staff. No one needs to remain.”

The woman hurried back to announce closing. People began coming out complaining. However, when they came out and passed by the monks positioned outside Yellow Crane Tower, they closed their mouths.

There was no way not to be scared seeing sturdy monks standing with fierce expressions wearing kasayas stained with bloodstains.

Only Beom-bon raised his thick hand to reassure the ordinary guests.

“Namo Amitabha. We only came to catch an evil enemy, so please safely evacuate.”

Then Jin Ja-gang revealed himself from the third floor railing.

People who saw Jin Ja-gang briefly stopped walking and murmured looking at him.

Jin Ja-gang looked down and asked.

“I said let’s have a conversation since I have something to ask, yet you brought a whole gang?”

At the word gang, blood vessels rose on the Arhat monks’ foreheads.

However, Beom-bon wasn’t shaken at all. Rather, he asked back.

“Would this humble monk have returned this long distance just to have a conversation?”

“So you came swarming in a pack like wolves?”

Beom-bon laughed.

“Many attacking one person with many watching… if you aimed for such effect, you thought wrong. This humble monk is not swayed by the world’s petty evaluations.”

The watching people tilted their heads. Among them were those who had heard rumors that Poison Dragon was going to meet Shaolin Temple’s abbot.

They shouted in surprise.

“Poison Dragon! Poison Dragon is here!”

People’s faces turned ashen.

“Ahhh!”

“S-save me!”

People escaped Yellow Crane Tower almost as if fleeing.

Even watching ordinary expert fights could bring disaster, but of all people, Poison Dragon! They knew well that if poisoned, they could never survive.

“Oh dear…”

Watching those falling, tumbling, and rolling to escape, Beom-bon made a pitying face.

Beom-bon looked up and said.

“Do you see, Benefactor Poison Dragon? Your scheme failed too simply.”

Jin Ja-gang looked out then went back into the third floor. No more answers came from the third floor.

Then finally, those working at Yellow Crane Tower hurriedly came out and ran away.

Before long, Yellow Crane Tower was empty.

There was still no response from the lit third floor.

To anyone, it was setting a net and luring them in.

Beom-bon shook his head.

“When a spider spins a web, it can catch small insects but cannot catch sparrows. Rather, the spider becomes the sparrow’s food.”

Beom-bon quietly looked up at the third floor then raised his hand.

The Arhat monks drew up internal energy preparing to enter Yellow Crane Tower. As soon as the hand dropped, they would jump in.

However, Beom-bon didn’t give the order and was lost in thought for a while. He was repeating what Jin Ja-gang had said.

“Gang… wolf pack…”

Beom-bon muttered.

“Ahh, I see. Benefactor Poison Dragon deliberately provoked me with such bad words. He’s hoping many of our disciples will enter at once.”

A long smile appeared on Beom-bon’s lips.

“Since there were plenty of people, he wouldn’t have scattered poison in advance, so let them feel reassured… then provoke this humble monk so when many of our temple’s disciples enter, poison them all at once. Then saying he only asked to have a conversation, so responsibility lies with me who led disciples to use force… you intend to denounce that way?”

Beom-bon lowered his hand without giving an order.

Step!

Beom-bon himself stepped forward.

“If you want conversation that much, this humble monk will grant benefactor’s wish. However, the price must be paid.”

An answer came from the third floor.

“By all means.”

Leaving the Arhat monks behind, Beom-bon entered Yellow Crane Tower’s entrance. Beom-bon’s huge frame filled the door just barely. The moment Beom-bon entered, white powder poured down from above the entrance, set up at some point.

Beom-bon looked at tables and scattered teacups people hadn’t managed to clear while hurrying out, and found the stairs going to the second floor. As he tried to step on the stairs, he stopped his foot. Sharp needles were planted on the stairs. Beom-bon stomped the needles with his foot imbued with internal energy. The needles couldn’t pierce Beom-bon’s sole and bent while being pressed.

“Indeed… using that brief moment when people rushed out to set up tricks in advance… the method to lower guard was good, but would such hastily set tricks work?”

Beom-bon smiled while slowly walking up the stairs. While walking up, poison powder poured down again, filling the stairs. Beom-bon stopped breathing and went up to the second floor while taking the poison powder. After going up to the second floor, he shook off the poison powder from his head and walked the corridor. Poison needles were hidden throughout the floor. However, Beom-bon casually broke or bent the poison needles by stepping on them.

Beom-bon passed rooms and corridors and soon climbed the stairs heading to the third floor.

Then something unpleasant struck him.

Beom-bon stopped midway up the stairs going to the third floor.

Crackle crackle.

Something endlessly made Beom-bon’s senses strange.

The presence felt from the third floor was extremely dull. It was as if his qi sense was being interfered with, like having to find Jin Ja-gang’s presence in the middle of a marketplace.

“Hmm.”

Beom-bon firmly pressed the wall of the stairs with his finger thick as a child’s forearm.

Pop.

Blood burst as one louse was crushed to death.

Beom-bon made a strange expression.

“You do strange things.”

But then.

Suddenly screams began to be heard from outside.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Kraak!”

They were the Arhat monks’ screams.