Chapter 497

Long-range attacks don’t work.

Troublingly, the finger wind that Great Buddha shot from long range was far more powerful than Jin Ja-gang’s Flash Severance.

Great Buddha only wiggled his fingertips, while Jin Ja-gang desperately dodged with all his might.

Whether floor, ceiling, or wall, whatever was hit by the finger wind or whatever it was got holes drilled through.

Originally, finger wind was a technique to attack vital points from afar, but with this level of power where limbs would be severed, there was no point in choosing specific acupoints to shoot at.

It was even frighteningly fast.

One and a half times faster than the Tang Family’s hidden weapon technique called Flash Severance because it resembled the speed of lightning flashing. Jin Ja-gang could barely dodge Vajra Finger only by using even Reverse Afterimage Soul Movement technique.

Bang!

Vajra Finger pierced through the middle of Jin Ja-gang’s fluttering hair strands. A round hole was drilled between the hair strands and the upper part of his ear was caught, deleting flesh as if a tooth had been pulled out.

Cut hair scattered and blood flowed from his ear.

A minor injury. However, the reason Jin Ja-gang was injured was because he had attempted an attack in the meantime.

Jin Ja-gang’s hands were spread to both sides.

Beom-bon was aiming at Jin Ja-gang’s brow with his finger when he felt the killing intent of needles flying into both his ear holes. He slightly lowered his head forward. The poison needles of Flying Thread Twelve Branches that flew in large arcs from both sides, precisely aiming at Beom-bon’s ear holes, missed.

After dodging the poison needles, Beom-bon shot Vajra Finger at Jin Ja-gang whose arms were spread. Vajra Finger pierced through Jin Ja-gang’s afterimage and struck directly down to the floor.

Jin Ja-gang appeared above Beom-bon’s head. Jin Ja-gang struck his temple with his fist.

Crack! Jin Ja-gang’s fist was like a child’s hand compared to how big Beom-bon’s head was. Jin Ja-gang grabbed Beom-bon’s head and struck his temple with his knee.

Crack crack! Crack!

An ordinary person would have their head crushed and brain shaken to death, but Beom-bon casually waved his hand above his head.

Whoosh! A palm like a pot lid flew at him. Jin Ja-gang placed his hand on the head and slid to the side, moving to Beom-bon’s back. He struck down with his elbow at the connection point between the back of the head and neck, a part Iron Head Technique didn’t reach. While falling to the ground, he kicked Beom-bon’s buttocks with both feet.

Beom-bon staggered and took a step forward. However, as if nothing had happened, he grabbed the back of his neck and moved his neck a couple of times.

Jin Ja-gang sprang up sharply as if bouncing from the elasticity of his waist and stomped on the back of Beom-bon’s knee with his foot. If the muscle in the back of the knee ruptures, one cannot stand.

Crack!

Jin Ja-gang’s toes and Iron Robe collided. Jin Ja-gang himself was pushed back by the force of his kick and staggered, unable to maintain balance.

Whoosh! Beom-bon’s palm flew to catch Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang met the palm with his own palm and retreated with the counter-elasticity.

In an instant, Beom-bon’s opposite hand was pulled backward. He could see the floorboards beneath his feet breaking with a crack.

Beom-bon leaned his upper body forward and kicked off the floor.

Crash! It was a kick so powerful the ground beneath shattered and a pit was dug. Jin Ja-gang’s eyes widened greatly. Beom-bon gathered his fingertips to make the end pointed and struck at Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder. Jin Ja-gang flipped backward and dodged Beom-bon’s hand.

Swoosh! With a fierce wind sound, Beom-bon’s hand brushed past Jin Ja-gang’s body. But that wasn’t the end, as the arm moved as if sliding and continuously pursued Jin Ja-gang.

‘Snake?’

Jin Ja-gang hastily flipped backward. Each time he flipped back and forth, Beom-bon’s hand followed like a viper flicking its tongue.

Normally he would counterattack, but he couldn’t. Beom-bon’s right hand slid left and right, continuously pursuing Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang continued flipping across the first floor tea house to the opposite wall. If pushed to the wall, he could no longer dodge. At the last moment, Jin Ja-gang struck the floor with both palms and flipped high. Then he spread both legs and hooked them on tables to the left and right.

Beom-bon’s hand barely passed under Jin Ja-gang’s crotch. Jin Ja-gang punched Beom-bon’s eyes.

Thud! It was a fist packed full of internal energy. Beom-bon’s eye socket should have been crushed and more, but instead Jin Ja-gang’s knuckle bones rang. Beom-bon bent his legs then stretched his body and rammed Jin Ja-gang with his head. Jin Ja-gang caught Beom-bon’s crown with his hands, kicked off the wall, and flipped to the opposite side.

Landing behind Beom-bon’s back and trying to strike his back with his back foot, Beom-bon instantly turned around. The motion was so fast it seemed as if eyes had popped out from the back of his head.

Jin Ja-gang felt uneasy and pulled a table beside him to block the front. Beom-bon lowered his posture then raised it and kicked Jin Ja-gang up with his knee. The thick table made of luxurious rosewood caught on Beom-bon’s knee.

Crash! In an instant the table shattered and debris shot up to the ceiling. The debris deeply embedded in the high ceiling of the first floor.

Jin Ja-gang grabbed the broken table leg and stepped back several steps. If he had just blocked with the table and endured, Jin Ja-gang would have been embedded in the ceiling like the table debris!

Beom-bon, who had raised his knee high, stood on one leg with one hand raised, and that posture was quite familiar. Beom-bon lowered his knee and with his hands up and down, lightly stepped forward.

‘Crane!’

Jin Ja-gang threw the broken table leg at Beom-bon’s face. It contained internal energy, so it would easily embed in his face and more.

Beom-bon leaned his upper body forward, bent his spread fingers to make them like hooks, and shouted loudly.

Kreeeeee!

At the same time he stepped with a kick and rushed at Jin Ja-gang as if flying. The table leg Jin Ja-gang threw hit Beom-bon’s head and futilely shattered. Beom-bon reached Jin Ja-gang at a speed unbelievable for such a large frame. Beom-bon slashed down from top to bottom with his hook-like hands, as if tearing space apart.

Jin Ja-gang pulled his shoulder back with minimal distance for a counterattack.

Slash!

Beom-bon’s fingers didn’t touch Jin Ja-gang. However, Jin Ja-gang’s upper garment was torn into five strips.

The Zhuge Family’s protection band that Jin Ja-gang had placed against his chest inside the garment was also torn. Jin Ja-gang’s bare chest was revealed between the torn protection band. Four lines of wounds were also visible on his bare chest.

Drip.

Blood slightly seeped out. Thanks to the protection band, the wounds were shallow. If it hadn’t been for the protection band prepared before the fight, Jin Ja-gang’s chest would certainly have been torn instead of the protection band.

No, it was stranger that he tore with bare fingers a protection band meant to block swords and blades!

The flower tree in the flowerpot placed behind Jin Ja-gang was torn to shreds like straw and scattered. Screech… scratch marks remained on the surface of the flowerpot and it cracked.

Crack! The flowerpot broke and water burst out.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Beom-bon’s round open pupils and hand movements and was reminded of a familiar beast.

“Tiger…”

Beom-bon bared his fangs and smiled.

***

“Shaolin Five Fists.”

Yuk Ha-seon said.

“Martial arts said to be created by observing animals like snakes and cranes, tigers, and leopards.”

Mu-gak answered.

“Arhat monks learn one of the Shaolin Five Fists when entering. Great Buddha mastered all five.”

Im Yi-eon asked.

“However, I know Shaolin Five Fists are martial arts learned to understand what differences exist between the human body and animal movements, what advantages they have, and how energy flows. With that alone, one cannot defeat first-rate family fist and leg techniques.”

Mu-gak clicked his tongue.

“You’re stupid. I told you. When Great Buddha does it, it’s no longer the entry-level Shaolin Five Fists that Arhat monks learn.”

At being called stupid, Im Yi-eon grimaced.

Tang Ha-ran asked.

“What are you saying about the Shaolin Five Fists that Great Buddha deploys?”

“Of course they become Shaolin’s strongest fist and leg techniques. Great Strength Vajra Palm, Maitreya Divine Fist, Golden Dragon Nine Seas… none compare.”

“Your meaning is…”

Mu-gak looked at Tang Ha-ran with somewhat pitying eyes and said.

“If Poison Dragon thinks Beom-bon fights ignorantly relying only on divine strength and approaches for close combat, he’ll end up in a bad situation.”

Namgung Rak said.

“That’s speaking while underestimating Poison Dragon too much. You should know better than anyone that Poison Dragon isn’t someone who would charge in simply.”

Mu-gak got angry at Namgung Rak.

“Are you disrespecting me because I got hit by Poison Dragon and was knocked out?”

“How could that be? But if you’re the world’s Demon-Exterminating Monk, you seem to have different views on Poison Dragon’s response.”

“Poison Dragon is extremely meticulous, deep in schemes, and his responses hit weak points, and his fighting is also highly unpredictable. But the opponent is bad. Hidden weapons probably won’t work on Great Buddha, and his characteristic cruelty won’t work in close combat either.”

“Poison Dragon also seems to handle weapons well…”

Namgung Rak paused briefly then asked thoughtfully.

“Do Arhat monks also learn weapon techniques?”

“Basically they learn all eighteen types of weapons. But when you think of Shaolin Temple, there’s something specific that comes to mind.”

Yuk Ha-seon said as if tossing it out.

“Staff technique?”

Everyone made an “Ah!” exclamation.

“That’s right. Shaolin Staff Technique!”

Im Yi-eon, who had been called stupid, spoke first as if to restore his pride.

“Shaolin Staff Technique is called the grand master among all staff techniques in the martial world.”

Everyone looked at Mu-gak to see if Im Yi-eon’s words were correct.

Mu-gak answered in a tone of whether he had to say the same thing again.

“Great Buddha defeated the previous generation’s great monks who used the eighteen types of weapons with just a staff, the so-called Eighteen Bronze Men, all at once. He’s the greatest master of staff technique.”

***

Crash!

Jin Ja-gang was smashed through the wall and embedded. Broken planks creaked on his back.

Before Jin Ja-gang could even complain of shock and pain, Beom-bon’s massive frame spun several times in the air. Like stepping stones, his huge feet split into several and pressed down on Jin Ja-gang. Jin Ja-gang struck the wall with both palms and escaped.

Crash crash crash! The wall where Jin Ja-gang had been embedded burst outward.

Jin Ja-gang rolled out on the floor and stabbed at Beom-bon’s crotch from below with a dagger. Beom-bon drew his legs in, stepped on the pointed blade of the dagger, and leapt into the air.

A giant leopard. However, he possessed agility not inferior to even small leopards.

Crack. Rather, Jin Ja-gang’s wrist and elbow joints holding the dagger made rough rupturing sounds pressed by Beom-bon’s weight. Jin Ja-gang frowned from the pain, and saw Beom-bon’s fingertip in his pupil. Jin Ja-gang turned his head to the side.

Bang! With a sound like lightning striking, Beom-bon’s Vajra Finger pierced Jin Ja-gang’s hair.

Jin Ja-gang rolled on the floor to create distance, then pulled out the Ladle River Divine Sword he had hidden behind a pillar. He gripped the Ladle River Divine Sword in his left hand and the paired sickle blade in his right hand.

Internal energy ceaselessly flowed in and replenished Jin Ja-gang’s depleted strength.

Beom-bon looked at that sight and nodded.

“Namgung Family’s Ladle River Divine Sword. It’s a fine item. Then this humble monk also feels inclined to do his best for once.”

Beom-bon swept a glance around, then went to the center pillar. It was a pillar thicker than a person’s torso. Beom-bon embraced the pillar.

“Hooop!”

Tendons bulged on Beom-bon’s head.

It was such an absurd action that even Jin Ja-gang thought, “No way.”

However, the pillar began to shake.

Crack, crack.

The bottom of the pillar shook and above, the ceiling shook. Dust poured down and below, the wooden floor and the foundation stone fixed in place made grating sounds and struggled.

Crackle!

Craaack… The pillar screamed as it vomited wood shavings.

The top and bottom of the pillar broke and came out grasped in Beom-bon’s hands. He didn’t pull out the pillar, he ripped out the entire pillar itself!

Because he ripped out a pillar as tall as himself whole, the ceiling beams swayed and the pavilion shook.

Beom-bon swung the ripped-out pillar left and right.

Whooom! Whoom!

Then, seemingly quite pleased, he held the pillar in one hand, tucked it under his armpit, and took a stance.

Jin Ja-gang stared blankly at Beom-bon then asked.

“That’s not really…?”

Beom-bon answered.

“That’s right. It’s Shaolin Staff Technique.”

Jin Ja-gang’s expression became subtle.

Where was that staff technique?