“When I die and see Bodhidharma in the afterlife, I must say this one thing.”

“It’s a sudden nonsense, but I’m curious.”

“I’ll grab Bodhidharma by the collar and ask him what was going through his mind to think of building a temple at the top of this place.”

“Are you confident you can grab Bodhidharma by the collar?”

Neung-heo wiped his sweat and gasped for breath.

Before climbing, it was a truly beautiful mountain.

But once he started climbing, it was incomparably rugged.

He had only heard rumors of the Five Great Mountains of the Central Plains, but Mount Song was truly unbelievably rugged.

Moreover, this path was one that had been paved for visitors, but Neung-heo, in vulgar terms, was struggling.

‘It’s not like my internal energy is renowned…’

Neung-heo’s eyes narrowed.

It was absurd to talk about internal energy to someone from the black-way. But recently, Neung-heo had been focusing quite a bit on his internal energy cultivation method. He had also taken the Clear Heart Pill and had put in quite a bit of effort.

It was to overcome the fatal weakness of not being able to use one of his hands.

So even compared to just half a year ago, the density of his currently accumulated internal energy was much higher.

But even so, climbing Mount Song was not an easy task.

Neung-heo looked at Cheon Mubaeck’s nonchalant face.

“Can’t you grab Bodhidharma by the collar for me?”

“Neung-heo, how can I grab the legendary Bodhidharma by the collar?”

“In my eyes right now, you look more like a monster than Bodhidharma.”

Well, it would be unreasonable to compare him to the legendary Bodhidharma.

But he really looked like a monster.

It was not unreasonable for Neung-heo to think so.

Unlike Neung-heo, who was clearly exhausted, Cheon Mubaeck was full of energy.

He hadn’t shed a single drop of sweat. He hadn’t fallen behind. In fact, he was so far ahead that he was waiting for Neung-heo.

“Neung-heo, how can you be so slow every time I see you?”

“Have you never thought that you might be fast?”

“Don’t you think you’re slow?”

“No.”

“You’re far from it.”

“What am I far from?”

“What’s important for a martial artist is self-awareness. To not know your own shortcomings.”

“Ah, I can’t stand being scolded. I’m just going to go down!”

“Go ahead.”

“…”

Neung-heo looked down at the path he had climbed so far and then changed the subject as if nothing had happened.

“I’m talking about Bodhidharma. Why did that unlucky bastard build the Shaolin Temple at the top? Huh? What are the ordinary people who come to pray supposed to do?”

Cheon Mubaeck kicked Neung-heo’s butt without hesitation.

“You’re going to die soon from running your mouth, hey.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know you want to curse, but do it in your head. In your head.”

“…”

Peok!

In an instant, Neung-heo’s waist was completely bent.

Cheon Mubaeck had slapped the back of Neung-heo’s head with a speed that was so fast that his hand was not even visible.

Neung-heo looked back at Cheon Mubaeck with a wronged face. Cheon Mubaeck replied nonchalantly.

“You just cursed in your head, didn’t you?”

“Tell me honestly. You’ve learned mind-reading, haven’t you?”

“Neung-heo, I just tried to poke you, but you really cursed in your head, didn’t you?”

“Ah! Stop, stop, I’m sorry. Don’t hit me.”

“They say there’s no affection if you give it twice. You have to give it three times.”

“…”

In the end, Neung-heo, who had been hit three times by Cheon Mubaeck, walked silently with a face full of reflection and resignation.

At that sight, Cheon Mubaeck smirked.

‘He’s a strange guy, anyway.’

The one who knew best what kind of person he was was Neung-heo.

Jeombak just regarded him as a great and magnificent young master, and Heo Seong was firmly mistaken that he had learned martial arts from someone.

In contrast, Cheon Mubaeck had shown his true self in front of Neung-heo.

Not just his actions, but also his martial arts.

He had clearly shown him how to destroy the Blood Demon Sect and his ruthless side to his enemies.

At that point, a person’s attitude would usually change.

They would either be afraid, or they would treat him with much more difficulty than before, like Heo Seong.

But Neung-heo was not.

‘Is he broad-minded, or is he thoughtless?’

He would make all sorts of trivial jokes, and whenever he had a chance, he would poke at people’s nerves with a sarcastic tone.

But, strangely, it wasn’t unpleasant.

If you gave him a good beating, he would quickly notice and crawl on the ground.

‘He’s an interesting guy, anyway.’

When Cheon Mubaeck stared at him, Neung-heo avoided his gaze and kicked a stone on the ground for no reason.

“Hey, shit! This road is so dirty!”

“Hmm.”

Cheon Mubaeck looked at the road once more. In fact, even if it was the Five Great Mountains of the Central Plains, it was not a mountain terrain that was so difficult to climb.

Mount Song was a place where people from all over the Central Plains flocked to pray to the fame of the Shaolin Temple.

It would be different for a martial artist. But even commoners who had no internal energy climbed Mount Song.

Since the mountain was so rugged, it was not uncommon for commoners to slip and fall, or to be bitten and killed by fierce beasts.

So the Shaolin had paved and managed the road.

The problem was that the road was now so pathetic that it was questionable whether it was being managed at all.

The road was covered with bushes, and even the traces of the road were not visible.

The fence had collapsed and was buried in the dirt, and the well-paved stones had been endlessly eroded and broken by the wind and rain, making the road even more of a mess.

Tough weeds and trees blocked the road.

“It’s because it’s been over 40 years since Shaolin entered seclusion.”

Cheon Mubaeck, breaking through the rough road, reached the summit of Mount Song.

A temple that blended softly with the mountain terrain, a huge landscape made up of numerous pavilions surrounding the temple.

Cheon Mubaeck had seen it countless times in his numerous past lives, but he smiled happily as he saw the unchanging landscape.

“It’s Shaolin.”

He had come to Shaolin.

* * *

It was not difficult to enter the Shaolin Temple.

No, to be honest, it was unexpected.

“The atmosphere is not bad at all.”

At Neung-heo’s words, who was following the path guided by a young monk, Cheon Mubaeck slowly nodded his head.

‘It’s unexpected.’

I didn’t know they would be so kind.

If they were in seclusion, the entry of outsiders would be strictly forbidden.

Moreover, Cheon Mubaeck had revealed that he was from the Azure Star Escort Agency Agency at the gate.

Since Shaolin was currently detaining the Chief of the Azure Star Escort Agency Agency, the atmosphere would naturally not be good.

On the contrary, it would be strange if he wasn’t turned away at the gate.

But the Shaolin Temple had kindly opened its doors as if they were treating a patron who had come to make an offering. Was that all? They had even shown the kindness of guiding him like this.

“It’s not a trap, is it?”

Neung-heo quickly rolled his eyes.

In a normal situation, it would be reasonable to suspect a trap.

But Cheon Mubaeck slowly shook his head.

‘I don’t feel any hostile gazes.’

There was nothing special about the monk who was guiding him or the atmosphere around the temple.

Especially Cheon Mubaeck, who was sensitive to external qi, could not feel anything special.

They really did not have a great difficulty or hatred towards Cheon Mubaeck’s group.

What solidified that thought was when they arrived at the place where Cheon Mungyeong was detained.

“Mubaeck!”

Cheon Mungyeong, who had heard the news, was outside.

Cheon Mubaeck’s gaze quickly scanned Cheon Mungyeong and the surrounding environment.

Cheon Mubaeck could tell one thing.

‘They didn’t suppress the escort agency.’

Although Cheon Mungyeong looked a little tired, his clothes were clean and his complexion was not bad.

The pavilion he had come out of was the Jahye-gak, which was used as a lodging for important guests within the Shaolin Temple.

“Mubaeck, what brings you all the way to Mount Song!”

“Have you been well, Father?”

“I’m fine. I’m fine. Were you hurt on your way here? How did you come this long way… without an escort? What about the escort warriors?”

“Chief Heo and the Azure Moon Faction escort warriors came with me, but they are coming separately because of an important matter.”

“Did you come after hearing the news that I was detained?”

“That’s right.”

“Oh my, Mubaeck. Where do you think this is…”

A complicated light appeared on Cheon Mungyeong’s face.

He was honestly surprised when he saw the silently standing Cheon Mubaeck.

How long had it been since he had seen him, but Cheon Mubaeck had changed noticeably.

He was not talking about the external change.

‘When did he grow up so much?’

It was that gaze.

The deeply sunken gaze was unwavering.

Cheon Mungyeong knew that kind of gaze well.

No matter what happened, he was unwavering and not flustered. That was a manifestation of a strong confidence that he could overcome whatever came his way.

The numerous martial artists, merchants, and high-ranking officials he had met as the Chief of the escort agency.

Among them, the extraordinary ones all had that kind of gaze.

To see such a gaze from his youngest son, whom he had always thought of as weak, Cheon Mungyeong was honestly flustered.

But soon, a warm smile appeared on his lips.

“You rascal! Were you worried about this father of yours?”

Cheon Mubaeck answered with a smile.

Cheon Mungyeong laughed without even realizing it, with a feeling of something filling his chest.

To think that his youngest son, whom he had always thought he had to protect, had come running because he was worried.

‘He’s all grown up. All grown up.’

Cheon Mungyeong patted Cheon Mubaeck’s shoulder with a pleased heart.

“Don’t worry. Although I can’t go outside, the situation is not as serious as you think.”

Before long, the detained escort warriors heard the news and came running out.

“We greet the Young Master!”

“Have you all been well?”

Looking at the escort warriors who were greeting him with happy faces, Cheon Mubaeck’s face became strange.

‘This is not a detention, it’s more like they’re hosting a guest.’

They all seem to be eating and living well, huh?

Not only Cheon Mungyeong, but also the condition of the escort warriors was quite good.

Although they looked tired in many ways, most of them had a healthy complexion and looked healthy.

No matter how he looked at it, they did not look like people who had been detained for nearly a month.

Of course, not everyone becomes haggard just because they are detained.

But there is a psychological burden.

The fact that they are confined.

And in an unfamiliar place, in a bad situation.

But there was almost no such burden on the faces of the escort warriors.

‘Shaolin is treating them quite well.’

First, the Chief, Cheon Mungyeong, was staying at the Jahye-gak.

The Jahye-gak was a place where precious guests from the outside stayed.

Just by looking at this, it was absurd to say that Shaolin had detained the people of the escort agency.

Then why were they being kept in one side of Shaolin under the name of detention?

When Cheon Mubaeck’s gaze reached Jang-no, the silently standing Jang-no bowed his head.

“I am sorry for not being able to lead the mission successfully, Young Master.”

Cheon Mubaeck slowly shook his head.

Although he had to find out the detailed circumstances, it was not because of Jang-no.

“No, on the contrary, you did well. Chief Jang. It would not be right to use force in front of Shaolin.”

“…”

In an instant, Jang-no firmly closed his mouth.

A look of confusion briefly brushed past his eyes. At first glance, there was nothing strange about his words. It was natural that things would get more serious if he had rashly drawn his sword when Shaolin said they were detaining them.

But for some reason, Jang-no got a different feeling from Cheon Mubaeck’s words.

‘It can’t be, right?’

A power that should not be shown in front of Shaolin.

Could it be that Cheon Mubaeck knew his secret?

Jang-no shook his head.

‘I must be sensitive lately.’

Jang-no, who had tried to sort out his thoughts, thinking that it was because he was in the middle of Shaolin, suddenly hardened his face.

“What kind of trick are you trying to pull, bringing your youngest son here? Chief of the escort agency?”

A voice full of a sarcastic tone.

A middle-aged man in his 50s with a prominent goat beard walked slowly, accompanied by martial artists with swords.

He must have learned some martial arts, as a solid internal energy was felt.

His stride was regular, and his posture was also upright.

He was not a monk of Shaolin with a shaved head, but a person of the secular world.

“What do you mean, Master of the Pine Truth Sect.”

In an instant, a hostility bloomed on the faces of Cheon Mungyeong and Jang-no.

And Cheon Mubaeck, who had confirmed that the faces of the escort warriors, who had all been happy, had hardened, laughed inwardly.

‘I roughly understand.’

Cheon Mubaeck’s gaze slowly turned to the Master of the Pine Truth Sect.

Just then, the Master of the Pine Truth Sect also fixed his gaze on Cheon Mubaeck.

“Are you the youngest son of the Azure Star Escort Agency Agency, Cheon Mubaeck?”

A slight smile formed on Cheon Mubaeck’s lips.

Unlike his triumphant face, his eyes were different.

The eyes are a vessel that reflects everything about a person. Cheon Mubaeck clearly saw it in the eyes of the Master of the Pine Truth Sect.

Hostility, anxiety, impatience…

He understood the hostility towards the people of the Azure Star Escort Agency Agency, since the Pine Truth Sect had lost their escort item, their martial artists, and their requested escort mission had failed.

But anxiety and impatience were different.

At the emotion that was caught by Cheon Mubaeck’s sixth sense, which was beyond his five senses, Cheon Mubaeck understood the situation.

“I see.”

“What? Are you ignoring my words?”

“Master of the Pine Truth Sect! What is this outrage!”

“Shut up! Chief of the escort agency! I’m holding back my desire to kill all of you who have staged a self-staged act, killing my martial artists and stealing the escort item!”

Those words were a signal. The moment the Master of the Pine Truth Sect let out his momentum, the martial artists who had come with him, as if they had been waiting, took their positions and threatened them as if they were surrounding them.

At the blatant hostility, the faces of Cheon Mungyeong, Jang-no, and the escort warriors hardened.

Even if it was a detention in form, it was still a detention, so they were all in a situation where they did not have their weapons.

But even in that situation, only Cheon Mubaeck was calm.

A smile appeared on the face of the Master of the Pine Truth Sect, who had interpreted that calmness as being scared.

But the smile was brutally shattered by Cheon Mubaeck’s following words.

“An outsider is putting his hand on his sword hilt inside Shaolin. When did the secular branch of Shaolin come to stand above the precepts of the Shaolin Temple?”

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep