The Kong Family Mansion was huge.

The Kong Family Mansion where the descendants lived and resided had 480 rooms alone.

The Kong Temple, where Confucius and the sages were buried, was made up of a whopping 466 rooms.

That was the reason why it gave the impression of being quiet even though the 2,000 or so scholars who had participated in the World Debate were staying there.

That was not all.

The Kong Forest, the cemetery of the Confucius clan, was fourteen times the size of the Kong Family Mansion.

So even the past Cheon Mubaeck had not been able to set foot everywhere.

‘This is my first time here.’

Although he had visited the Kong Family Mansion several times as the Shandong Sword Hero, it was the first time he had reached the center of the Kong Forest.

The Kong Forest, which was made up of dense forests. Going deep beyond the numerous tombstones and memorial tablets, Cheon Mubaeck was newly impressed by the scene that unfolded before his eyes.

“…!”

Where had they drawn the water from? The pond, which was so clear that you could see right through it, was as wide as a lake at a glance. Around it, well-tended flowers were in full bloom.

The colorful flowers were reflected in the pond, making it seem as if one were looking at a world made of flowers.

Since it was a beautiful secret scenery that would make anyone admire it, Cheon Mubaeck suddenly thought of one person.

‘If Young Lady Zhuge had come, she would have been quite pleased.’

Although she was a martial artist, she was also a scholar and a woman, so Cheon Mubaeck, who had thought of Zhuge Seola, who had a subtle liking for flowers and beautiful decorations, soon shook off the thought.

What was important now was not the beautiful secret scenery. To be precise, it was something else hidden in the secret scenery.

Above the pond.

It was a water pavilion decorated like a house popular in the Southern Man below Yunnan.

Did he see that Cheon Mubaeck’s gaze had landed there? Kong Yong’s voice trembled strangely.

“It is the Secret Pavilion.”

How could it be called a hidden pavilion when it was standing upright on the pond?

Cheon Mubaeck had already guessed.

“It’s the mystery of a formation.”

At Cheon Mubaeck’s low words, Kong Yong let out a hollow laugh. Rather than being absurd, it was a laugh full of resignation, as if he were amazed.

“You noticed?”

“The composition of the pond and the flowers hides the pavilion from view, so it is literally a secret pavilion.”

The pond and the colorful flowers that made up the surroundings were, if you had to say, a trap.

The arrangement of the flowers, the flow of the dense forest, the sunlight and secret scenery reflected in the pond, and even the fragrant scent that pierced the nose.

Everything was the formation itself, which confused the sight and smell and hid the towering secret pavilion.

For Cheon Mubaeck, it was not strange that there was a formation in the Kong Family Mansion, which was the head of the Confucian family and the hall of all learning in the world.

Since it was a clear fact that Confucius had learned martial arts, what did it matter if there was a formation in the Kong Family Mansion?

Cheon Mubaeck was also quite interested.

‘I’ve never been to the Kong Forest. Well, even if I had come, it would have been difficult to find it easily.’

Since the Kong Forest was a cemetery, it was a place he had not visited even when he had frequented the Kong Family Mansion as the Shandong Sword Hero.

‘If I’m bored, let’s go on a trip to the Kong Forest later.’

‘What, go on a trip to the ancestors’ cemetery? Look at you trying to get out of a martial arts contest by using your head? When you study, what’s important is a healthy mind, and a healthy mind comes from a healthy body. Confucius must have passed down martial arts while saying so.’

‘No. When did Confucius say that… Anyway. Let’s go together once before you go to beat up those Demonic Path bastards. Because there’s something strange there.’

Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes narrowed.

A faint old memory.

Cheon Mubaeck, who had thought of the Duke of Yansheng of the time, who had been one of his few friends, a pretty good drinking companion, and also a good competitor, smiled faintly.

‘It must have been here. I should have made time to come once then.’

Unfortunately, the promise at that time had returned to nothing.

The Duke of Yansheng had died young, and the Shandong Sword Hero had also been busy fighting with the Demonic Cult members who had hidden in Shandong.

Cheon Mubaeck pushed aside the faint old memories and looked at Kong Yong.

“Why do we come here to pass down the heart method?”

“I will keep my promise.”

“You speak as if the heart method is in that pavilion.”

Although Cheon Mubaeck’s voice was indifferent, Kong Yong felt the thorn in his voice.

An internal energy heart method could be passed down by word of mouth.

Rather, it was more effective to tell the verses by the side and to watch the flow of internal energy.

Kong Yong sighed and said.

“Unfortunately, my heart method is passed down to the next generation only when I die.”

“…”

Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes flashed.

“It’s passed down when you die?”

What was this?

The moment Cheon Mubaeck’s brow wrinkled, something flashed in his mind.

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t see the internal energy of the middle dantian in his son and eldest grandson.’

He had definitely felt the internal energy in the Duke of Yansheng’s son and eldest grandson.

But it was not the middle dantian.

It was definitely the lower dantian.

Even Zhuge Seola had said so. She could feel the internal energy in the eldest son and eldest grandson, but she could not feel it in Kong Yong.

That was proof that Kong Yong’s realm was higher, but the flow of internal energy in the middle dantian was clearly different from that of the lower dantian.

If the eldest son and eldest grandson had accumulated internal energy in their middle dantians, even if Zhuge Seola’s realm was higher than theirs, she would not have been able to peek at their internal energy.

‘If they had learned the same heart method, the son and grandson would have accumulated it in their middle dantians. Was this the secret?’

As Cheon Mubaeck was lost in thought, staring at Kong Yong, Kong Yong sighed as if he had taken it as a suspicious gaze.

“I know it’s hard to believe. To be honest, I know well that the martial arts and heart method left by Confucius are enough to establish a sect even if you go out into the martial world right away. Even if I am dark about the affairs of the martial world.”

Cheon Mubaeck slowly nodded his head. That was right. To be honest, Kong Yong alone was more than enough for an ordinary family.

“But that is impossible. Because only one person in the world can learn and advance.”

“One person in the world.”

If only one person was strong, they could not survive for long in the martial world. At least as a force.

“The heart method of the middle dantian is truly mysterious. Even if you die, it does not disappear, and it does not return to the earth, but shines brightly. The descendant can take it as it is.”

Even if a person dies, it does not disappear.

The internal energy that has been accumulated for a lifetime exists as it is.

Then.

“…Are you saying that you pass it on to the next descendant?”

“That’s right.”

“…”

To be honest, it was a story that even Cheon Mubaeck found hard to believe.

“When Confucius went on a journey of traveling the world, it is said that he met a rather interesting person.”

“An interesting person?”

“A person who introduced himself as a reincarnator.”

“…”

Seeing Cheon Mubaeck’s stiff expression, Kong Yong smiled bitterly.

“I am not telling a lie to get out of this situation. It is a secret history that has been passed down only to the direct descendant, so it is up to you whether you believe it or not.”

“No, I believe you.”

“…Well, it’s not to the extent that you can trust it so firmly. I also have some doubts.”

As Cheon Mubaeck said he believed with a more confident expression than himself, Kong Yong smiled awkwardly.

“Since he was rumored to be the most knowledgeable intellectual in the world, a person who called himself a reincarnator came to him and asked. He wanted to break the cycle of reincarnation that was constantly repeating, and he asked if he knew a way. Of course, at first, Confucius thought it was a ridiculous story.”

“…”

“At that time, all sorts of superstitions were considered natural, and there were countless pseudo-religions that used false beliefs to make the common people suffer. Confucius felt sorry for that fact and gave many teachings, but the common people fell into false superstitions regardless. At first, Confucius thought that the words of the self-proclaimed reincarnator were just a person who had fallen into superstition, and he felt sorry for that.”

“That’s right.”

Although it was an unfitting agreement, Kong Yong did not pay much attention because Cheon Mubaeck’s expression as he was listening to the story was so serious.

“Not only the reincarnator, but also to get rid of the rampant superstitions, Confucius felt the need to know more about where the superstitions came from. So he recorded and collected everything in the world. In the meantime, it is said that he met a certain Taoist.”

“A Taoist, you say?”

“When Confucius mentioned the story of the reincarnator, the Taoist said that there was something similar and presented a prayer written in oracle bone script. It was a prayer that contained the meaning of not disappearing and constantly regenerating…”

At this point, Cheon Mubaeck guessed what Kong Yong was talking about.

A prayer handed over by a Taoist.

Just by reciting the verses of the Primordial Root Scripture, Cheon Mubaeck had absorbed the immortal energy of the sacred object.

The power contained in the sentences.

It was soon the power of the sacred object. Cheon Mubaeck’s eyes shone.

“That prayer must be the heart method.”

“That’s right. He researched the content written in the prayer, and Confucius created a divine art with it. As you know, at that time, the martial world and the common people were not a world that was separated. It was not strange that Confucius had learned martial arts for self-defense. Rather, he considered martial arts as academics.”

A divine art created by Confucius.

“It is the Regeneration Divine Art. Even if you die, it does not disappear, and if you pass on the energy to a descendant, it regenerates in the descendant’s middle dantian…”

“I see.”

Cheon Mubaeck, who now understood, nodded his head.

Because the Confucius that Cheon Mubaeck remembered at that time had not used his middle dantian at all.

‘After meeting me, he created such a divine art.’

He was newly impressed with Confucius.

Excluding the fact that he was the head of the Confucian family, wasn’t he the most overwhelming of the numerous geniuses that Cheon Mubaeck had seen?

Although the statement that the Three Talents Sword Saint had opened the martial world was just a metaphor, it was an era when the martial world and the common people were not distinguished.

In other words, in an era when the concept of accumulating internal energy by properly developing the dantian was lacking, to create a divine art by looking at the sentences written in a prayer.

“The head of the Confucian family, and at the realm of a great master in martial arts.”

Kong Yong, who had heard the muttering, smiled bitterly.

“He was a truly great person. Although you want the heart method, unfortunately, I cannot give it to you. Unless you kill me.”

Cheon Mubaeck let out a hollow laugh. How could that be possible?

The opponent was not a vicious demon, but the current Duke of Yansheng.

No matter how much Cheon Mubaeck it was, he could not do such a thing.

“So I brought you here. The prayer will be left in that secret pavilion.”

“…”

“Things that cannot be contained within the framework of the Confucian family. All the superstitions of the world, the forgotten traditions and customs, the disappeared myths and legends, and even those of Taoism and Buddhism. All the things of that time that Confucius had collected while traveling the world. The place where those things are organized is here, the Secret Pavilion.”

“That’s why it’s a hidden place.”

“All the numerous superstitions that are far from the values of the Confucian family and that Confucius had tried so hard to distance himself from are in there. Even the knowledge of the ancient times that had survived the burning of books and burying of scholars by Qin Shi Huang. Although it is far from the academics of the Confucian family.”

Everything from the era when Confucius had lived, which had now disappeared.

Numerous knowledge that could not be contained within the framework of the Confucian family.

Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head.

“But no one has managed that place. At first, since it was left by Confucius, it was managed, but as time passed, since the content was far from the values of the Confucian family, it was gradually forgotten and became distant.”

Rather, the Confucius of that time was a quite open-minded person.

Because he had no hesitation in sharing all the academics of the Hundred Schools of Thought. But now that so much time had passed, it had to be different.

“Take a good look.”

“…”

Somehow, the feeling of his tone had changed, and Cheon Mubaeck’s head ached.

A face with a hollow smile flashed before his eyes.

“Does that make sense?”

“In Buddhism, they say that a Buddha sees a Buddha. In Taoism, they say that if there is a connection, it will eventually be achieved. It is the same.”

“Somehow, it’s not a statement that the head of the Confucian family would make.”

“I am speaking as a descendant of the Regeneration Divine Art and the Kong family’s martial arts.”

Cheon Mubaeck nodded his head. In any case, what Cheon Mubaeck had wanted was the sacred object.

But since the Regeneration Divine Art had originated from the sacred object, rather, as a martial artist, Cheon Mubaeck was quite greedy.

Cheon Mubaeck walked towards the secret pavilion without hesitation. Then he suddenly stopped and turned his head.

“So what happened to that reincarnator?”

“It seems that story was quite interesting. Seeing that you’re curious.”

Kong Yong, whose eyes were wide open, smiled and continued.

“Confucius, who had studied and understood all of the numerous superstitions, Taoism, and Buddhism, presumptuously thought that the words of the reincarnator might be true.”

“So did he find an answer?”

“Well. Whether that is the answer.”

Kong Yong trailed off and tilted his head.

“Because it is a very simple principle. If the regeneration of life cannot be stopped, if it is truly the will of the Supreme Being as Taoism says, or the will of the King of Hell, he left a record to cut down the Supreme Being and the King of Hell.”

As if it were awkward to say that Confucius had said such a thing, Kong Yong’s expression was reluctant.

But soon, a faint question appeared on his face.

Because Cheon Mubaeck was smiling.

“I see. Cut down the Supreme Being and the King of Hell… That’s right. Perhaps that is the simplest principle.”

“…Were you so curious about that? It’s just an interesting story from the past.”

Cheon Mubaeck smiled lightly.

“If the reincarnator has been reincarnated in this era, shouldn’t I tell him that story?”

“Hehe… If he is still alive after being reincarnated, it would be a very interesting thing.”

Kong Yong laughed as if he were talking nonsense.

Cheon Mubaeck also looked at him and laughed. But, Cheon Mubaeck’s laugh was different from Kong Yong’s.

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep