Chapter 687 – Origin (5)

Nothing but unexpected things.

Starting from being suddenly led by the vajra-like hand that grasped his front robe. Though it wasn’t tremendous strength and speed, there was some resolute determination in that touch. He couldn’t react because there had never been such a master-disciple relationship until now.

It was also beyond expectation that transcendent presence scattered like liberation incense from dharma halls as soon as he descended into the cave.

In the deep darkness, only faint fragrance was profound.

‘After Master Bodhidharma used it as a training chamber, it became Shaolin’s wall-facing practice location.’

All around was quiet. Though he had been dragged down into a deep cave, it truly felt like entering a cave. Because outside and inside were blocked by spiritual energy barriers.

As if telling him to focus on his own body.

That was the end.

“Why…?”

Why did you disappear without a word, when you were trying to take away the luminous wheel? Several words circled in his mind, but soon Jeong Yeon-shin swallowed them all.

Because he had suddenly realized.

Buddhist teachings are what one obtains oneself, and the dharma power’s luminous wheel was being sucked into the ‘being’ called Bodhidharma without anyone’s intention.

The wheel of light.

Whooom.

At this moment it rumbled strongly in his heart.

It was on the verge of scattering completely. As if power gained through another’s enlightenment was thus ephemeral.

Jeong Yeon-shin silently moved his steps. While enduring the luminous wheel’s violent vibration with his heart. Suddenly some tone-deaf person’s screaming seemed to echo from above, but because of the Wall-Facing Cave’s energy barrier, it wasn’t heard well. No special presence was transmitted either.

“……”

Was it due to Shaolin’s mysterious formation? It was strangely dark.

As soon as he enhanced his eyesight with Heavenly Vision Method and turned his head around, the outline of old jars dimly appeared. The musty smell characteristic of old fasting pills lingered.

On wall surfaces smoothed as if constantly carved by countless energy circulation aftereffects, high monks’ writings stood out. A scene where all kinds of graffiti were carved like dharma teachings. Of course, every stroke was imbued with the weightiness characteristic of Shaolin external cultivation.

Swoosh.

Jeong Yeon-shin sat cross-legged before it.

‘Among the Seventy-Two Arts, carved with One Finger Zen and Vajra Finger. It’s a historical trace.’

An elegant feast of enlightenment.

Content and handwriting were varied. Like letters unfolding the Great Sutra Collection of a massive library, each imbued with their own solitude. The loneliness of those who had endured suffocating darkness alone for long periods.

—Fasting pills, hardship.

—Those who give all answers themselves are called madmen in the world. So I raise as a topic: is Master Bodhidharma also a madman? Can the ultimate power of washing face sutra only be obtained by going mad? If so… oh, I seem to have achieved great enlightenment in hell. Namo punishment.

—Generally, “all is created by mind alone” is like martial extremes where the body moves according to one’s mindset. A body that suppresses killing intent reaches extinction and enlightens anyone for eternity.

—Thanks to Shaolin’s grace, my mind briefly returned. You bastard Sanfeng, wasn’t the problem Wol-pung who immediately spat at World Tree? Why did you strike my head to make me an idiot? At this rate, there’s no way except entering Shaolin and learning washing face sutra. Master Bodhidharma, you said to kill Buddha when meeting Buddha, so please kill Sanfeng when seeing Sanfeng.

He slowly traced upward through the lonely writings from the bottom. At the end of the anguish left by high monks was simple writing. The oldest-feeling, dust-covered handwriting.

Empty Sect.

‘Empty Sect… the sect is empty?’

The first Heavenly Demon’s story comes to mind. He said One Origin. Along with words that there was nothing beyond himself in ancient and modern times.

The context was the same.

It’s transmitted that no one could oppose Bodhidharma, who had abandoned Buddhism’s countless thoughts and viewpoints, sectarian conflicts over long years. This was so from immediately after he broke wall-facing. That’s the story.

The grandmaster’s life said to have reached liberation and the wall’s writings seemed to ask Jeong Yeon-shin.

—How much can you abandon?

A question gently placed like a lotus descending on Baihui acupoint. Instantly many things flashed through his mind. Obsession, years, political situations, relationships… Having seen Master Bodhidharma’s handwriting now, he felt he would gain something as much as he emptied.

It was upper energy center insight.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly shook his head.

“…Since Divine Sword Group Leader of troubled times cannot rashly abandon anything, I seem to have come for nothing. I have committed discourtesy uselessly.”

He stood from his seat without hesitation.

The Wall-Facing Cave’s fine stone powder rustled under his leather shoe soles. The silent cave was filled with small footsteps right after.

Step.

He walked toward the entrance.

Judging by how the first luminous wheel continued resonating as if tearing apart unchanged, Master Bodhidharma’s spirituality would still be looking down at Jeong Yeon-shin.

‘Why?’

He had clearly taken physical form, used vajra hand techniques, and conveyed even faint emotions to Jeong Yeon-shin. Yet in the end, he didn’t speak.

Did he not recognize him as a fellow practitioner?

Or perhaps he thought no particular teaching was needed?

Jeong Yeon-shin muttered quietly as if bidding farewell to their brief meeting.

“The vast world’s political situation has begun revolving around four axes. As I am one of them, it’s difficult to throw myself into the practice that took even Master Bodhidharma nine years.”

Before he knew it, it was the cave’s upward slope.

Soon the entrance.

“I have already seen someone like Master who is a completer. Taoist Sanfeng, Underworld Demon Path’s Heavenly Demon, and.”

Jeong Yeon-shin, who briefly swallowed his words, continued with a quiet voice.

“My master is also like that. Since the monster World Tree wears the world’s greatest body like clothes, that ascension is difficult to fathom with ordinary people’s knowledge… even the mad clan’s martial armies follow her. Therefore, though Master from distant past turned away from the secular world for nine years.”

His stepping foot blurred in transparent sunlight. Along with Jeong Yeon-shin’s indifferent voice.

“I cannot do even nine hours.”

Whoosh!

For some reason, laughter seemed to ring faintly in the cave he left behind, and purple sleeves fluttered in the dusty wind. It was outside the Wall-Facing Cave.

“Hmm? Is there insufficient food?”

Words asking why he came out. It was Wol-yo’s languid question as if full. Jeong Yeon-shin silently stared beyond the head hanging at the entrance.

“……”

The mountain paths curving into the cave were all seas of blood. Over a hundred corpses were dyeing the slope dark red, with tremendous bleeding from various eyes and ears. The fishy smell also dizzyingly stimulated his nose.

Wol-yo’s head dangled.

“Except for one of Great Righteous Alliance Leader’s four wives, they couldn’t hear even a few notes. Indeed, the only people suitable as my audience seem to be the monsters of Wish for Peace Sword Hall who learned Jeong Family Dynamic Technique. Not to mention peerless masters.”

“…You know top secret information.”

“You mean Jeong Family Dynamic Technique practitioners? Hao Sect Master told me.”

Fighting God, who was well-informed about numerous rumors, was as dangerous as Desolate Fortress Lord. That was also why Jeong Yeon-shin had quit wall-facing seclusion.

“Oh, a tremendously huge golden toad appeared from the west. Just when former Zhuge Family Head, that old woman, was about to smash my skull, it was truly fortunate. Anyone would covet such a spiritual creature’s inner core with eyes rolled back.”

He casually babbled about very serious matters. Words that former Zhuge Family Head had gone to catch the spiritual toad.

‘Mount Song’s gate was breached?’

From the start, most Shaolin monks vacating the grounds wasn’t ordinary. If other warrior monks had filled Master Beom-heo and Beom-ryeol’s empty positions, now that the two had returned, they should properly rotate shifts.

Swoosh.

Wol-yo tied behind Jeong Yeon-shin’s back again spoke as if humming.

“Though gate and famine being inseparable has become close to common sense, nowadays it’s beyond that. It seems like even invisible latches have been released. Somehow it seems to have been since the walking tree and those demon dharma protectors started rampaging…”

There was more.

Crash!

‘West.’

Dust rising from Shaoshi Mountain’s middle peak began surging like a tsunami, endlessly swelling and rolling in.

Instantly the sky became hazily covered, and tremendous pressure pushed out mountain air. It was a landslide bursting not downward but forward.

It appeared hazily. The scene of Four Great Vajra Master Won-mu seeming to take a direct hit from a fierce single punch and crashing like a meteor from the western cliff into Shaolin grounds.

“Huh, he truly got hit by explosive force that covets providence. The opponent would be Northern Six Star Lords or World’s Five Swords…”

Wol-yo’s voice faintly trailed off. Because Jeong Yeon-shin had kicked the ground, and Ten Li Gentle Light’s faint radiance drew a parabola over one hundred zhang long from the Wall-Facing Cave to Shaolin Temple in one breath.

Step.

As soon as he landed in the temple’s Guest Reception Hall, a giant fist struck down at his crown. In an instant, Jeong Yeon-shin stepped on that fist surface as if pushing it away and climbed onto the thick forearm. Of course, the opponent’s face hidden in dust showed light shock.

“……!”

Rumble!

While the floor caved in and sank from the punch’s aftereffects, Jeong Yeon-shin was also somewhat surprised.

‘I gained nothing from the Wall-Facing Cave…’

His footwork had become minutely lighter. Despite having no delusions about his own body since he always tuned his entire body’s senses like organ formations.

“Northern Emperor? Indeed.”

Rough yet cheerful voice as dust settled like fog. The man’s voice contained wind as if constantly explosively projecting.

Jeong Yeon-shin slowly lowered his eyelids while standing on the steel tower-like arm.

“Good to see you. I’m Martial Star.”

It immediately entered his vision. Some giant with torn lips. Carrying a crescent blade-like long hammer, with blood smeared on his lips.

He seemed to have torn and eaten Master Won-mu’s flesh. At this moment, the Yao tribe high monk was sprawled in a big character shape beyond Jeong Yeon-shin’s shoulder. It was something else proving Northern Six Star Lords Martial Star’s terrifying grip strength.

Even then, if Master Won-mu’s energy accumulation and upper energy center spirit had also been at peerless levels, the result might have been different.

Jeong Yeon-shin opened his mouth.

“Rest.”

—…In one hundred breaths I can rise. Must protect the incense bearers. In Shaolin grounds, common people being killed by jianghu people has never happened once throughout the thousand-year temple’s history.

It was Master Won-mu’s sound transmission.

[For such a young fellow to be so backward.]

An old woman’s voice descended from above.

[Today’s poor harvest would also be the first in a thousand years. No matter how great Shaolin is, there are places it cannot reach, as the zeitgeist moving the world is thus. Human fate lies with heaven.]

True words once encountered from Zhuge Family Head came to mind. Feeling more mature temperament with deeper mysteries.

[Did you come to preempt Mount Song in Divine Sword Group Leader’s capacity? To strategically manage Central Plains jianghu, there are indeed few such strategic points. Though I expected you to be absurdly powerful, cleverness has been added to that divine might.]

The tone was strange. It felt like it should naturally be so. Instantly Wol-yo’s head seemed greatly inspired.

“Murong Family Head and Zhuge Family Head who once discussed martial arts even with Tyrant Sword Sect Leader! A young black rank’s blade work sends heads flying. Brilliant years are like sunset disappearing when hitting ridges—.”

As he mimicked dramatic singing, spiritual presence rapidly descended. At this moment, the body shadow fluttering palace robes was very clear, because it had brought down complete white fog like the sun behind it.

“……!”

The old woman with the folding fan was moving the gate.

‘Thousand Fan Martial Empress Zhuge Qing.’

He remembered information from the main fortress General Administration. She had long since crossed even the Silk Road for complete succession of domestic power, so had she systematized even Western Region’s sorcery martial arts?

Swoosh.

It was simultaneously when Jeong Yeon-shin felt powerful sword energy from one corner of the wall. Like when Namgung Hwa-shin once cut down two Thirteen Evil Sects’ Leaders from clear disadvantage, a peerless swordsman who could transform into a variable anytime was leaning while embracing his sword.

Slowly.

An aged voice settled down like rice ears.

“I am an insignificant old man of Gongsun family. A body that already died once to a monster named Yeo Hae in the Imjin year, though you appear to be a remarkably powerful swordsman at first glance… I’m not newly afraid.”

The old swordsman seemed to have lost the emotion called fear after coming from the east in the Imjin year.

“……”

Until then, Jeong Yeon-shin had been standing blankly on Martial Star’s forearm. Soon after, when Zhongnan Sword Immortal’s books rolled messily from Master Won-mu’s torn monk robes. Jeong Yeon-shin slowly placed his hand on Enter The Divine Sword’s hilt.

It was an instant.

“……?”

Doubt appeared in Martial Star’s expression.

Swoosh—

Hazy vertical lines were carved on the gate and Zhuge Qing’s bodies.