Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 294 – Shaolin Temple (1)

Om somani somani hum arihanna arihanna hum arihanna banaya hum banaya hum baa-bam baa-ra hum ba-tak.

The solemn sound of chanting the sutra.

It was the demon-subduing mantra used by the Buddhist sect to subjugate demons.

At the mention of the demon-subduing mantra, Ma Ra-hyeon spoke with widened eyes.

“Demon-subduing mantra? Isn’t that a Buddhist scripture? Could it be…”

“Damn bizarre bird. Of all places it could fly, how dare it fly above Shaolin as a monster?”

‘!!!!!!’

At the expelled monk Ja Geum-jeong’s words, everyone couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

‘Sh-Shaolin?’

It was a very coincidental occurrence.

In order to find Holy Fire Priestess’s granddaughter, who was said to be holding the sacred orb, they had to head towards the Tang Family of Sichuan, so the Demonic Beast Heum-won flew southwest from the imperial capital Kaifeng.

However, no one had predicted this.

On the southwest route from the imperial capital Kaifeng, there was Mount Songshan, one of the Five Great Mountains and the Central Mountain.

If this were just an ordinary mountain, there wouldn’t be any particular problem, but on Mount Songshan, there was the Shaolin Temple, known as the holy land of Buddhism and the birthplace of the Righteous and Martial Way.

“Damn it.”

A rough sound escaped Seop Chun’s mouth.

Even if luck was bad, how could this happen?

Among so many places, who would have thought they would get entangled with the Shaolin Temple, known as the center of the righteous path, in this manner?

Meanwhile,

-Om somani somani hum arihanna arihanna hum arihanna banaya hum banaya hum baa-bam baa-ra hum ba-tak.

The sound of chanting the demon-subduing mantra grew louder.

Then, Heum-won, whose right wing had already been struck by the ritual implement, the vajra, screamed in pain and twisted its body.

-Kee-keh-keh-keh-keh-kek!

“Whoa!”

“E-everyone, hold onto the cart!”

As Heum-won twisted its body and the cart also tilted, everyone panicked and grabbed onto various parts of the cart.

“Aaargh!”

At that moment, as the food waste container tipped over, Holy Fire Priestess, who was inside, was about to fall.

But in that instant, someone grasped her wrist.

-Pak!

It was none other than the masked Ma Ra-hyeon.

Ma Ra-hyeon’s eyes, who had saved her at a precise moment, became strange.

‘Damn it.’

If it were up to him, he just wanted to let her die.

However, the only one who knew how his damn father had died was this damn old hag.

Therefore, he couldn’t let her fall and die like this.

Meanwhile, the Demonic Beast Heum-won, unable to endure the wound inflicted by the vajra and the demon-subduing mantra, tried to fall downward.

“Oh no!”

“Ah ah ah! We’re falling!”

No matter how skilled they were in martial arts, falling from such a height could result in death from the impact.

“Y-Young Master!”

Seop Chun called out to Mok Gyeong-un, who was holding onto the feathers on Heum-won’s back.

Since only his lord could tame and handle the Demonic Beast Heum-won, he called out in desperation, clinging to even a straw.

-Mortal. You need to pull out the vajra.

At that moment, Cheong-ryeong urgently spoke to Mok Gyeong-un.

At this, Mok Gyeong-un turned his head while being severely shaken by the descent and looked at Heum-won’s right wing.

In Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes, which had opened the Ghost Eyes, the solemn energy of the vajra was visible.

It was spreading throughout Heum-won’s body like poison, evaporating its demonic power.

-I cannot touch that.

-That makes sense.

The solemn energy was in complete opposition to the energies that belonged to the yin, so Cheong-ryeong, a vengeful spirit, couldn’t touch it.

So, Mok Gyeong-un firmly grasped the fur on Heum-won’s back with both hands.

Fixing his posture and locking onto the target, Mok Gyeong-un soon stamped his feet.

-Pak!

Mok Gyeong-un’s body sprang out like a spring and rushed towards Heum-won’s right wing, which was flapping loosely, having lost its strength.

Mok Gyeong-un reached out his hand to grab one of the wing feathers.

But at that moment, as Heum-won’s body spun sideways, he missed it.

‘Ah?’

In the process, Mok Gyeong-un’s body missed the wing and moved away from Heum-won.

-Swooosh!

-Oh no!

Thinking it wouldn’t work, Cheong-ryeong tried to come out of the wooden puppet.

It was that exact instant.

Mok Gyeong-un twisted his body, rotated his figure, and soon kicked the air.

-Pang!

As if there were a wall in the air, he kicked it, and Mok Gyeong-un’s body was repelled in the opposite direction, flying back towards Heum-won’s right wing.

‘This fellow, Mortal?’

Cheong-ryeong couldn’t hide her inner astonishment.

The technique Mok Gyeong-un had just displayed was none other than the profound principle of the Air-Stepping Technique.

She didn’t expect him to be able to perform such an amazing principle in a moment of crisis.

But what was important now was not that he had performed the profound principle of the Air-Stepping Technique.

Mok Gyeong-un, who had flown in the opposite direction by kicking the air like that, soon grabbed Heum-won’s wing feather and plunged his other hand into the place where the solemn energy was spreading.

-Puk!

-Kee-keh-keh-keh-keh-kek!

In pain, Heum-won screamed.

Mok Gyeong-un ignored it and thrust his hand even deeper into the flesh, finally finding the vajra.

Having found the vajra, Mok Gyeong-un grasped it to pull it out.

At that moment,

-Chiiiik!

A burning pain was felt on the palm holding the vajra.

The solemn energy flowing from the vajra seemed to penetrate his palm and affect the death energy and demonic energy.

‘How annoying.’

At this, Mok Gyeong-un raised even stronger death energy to suppress the energy of the vajra.

And then, he pulled it out from Heum-won’s wing flesh.

-Pak!

He hurriedly threw away the vajra he had pulled out.

Then, Heum-won, who had been writhing in pain and falling until just a moment ago, flapped its left wing vigorously, trying to maintain balance somehow.

-Flap flap!

Although the vajra had been pulled out, the right wing, which had already been a mess, couldn’t be used, so it was impossible to take off with just one wing.

However,

-Flap flap!

Thanks to the frantic flapping, it was at least able to reduce the acceleration of the descent.

Having managed to lower its speed before hitting the ground, Heum-won barely landed.

“Bleh.”

As soon as it landed, Holy Fire Priestess and the expelled monk Ja Geum-jeong vomited on the ground, and the others who had been holding onto the cart also collapsed on the ground with pale faces.

-Thud!

“Haa… haa…”

“We almost died for real.”

They had tried to ride Heum-won comfortably but ended up experiencing a proper hell.

But even though they had safely landed on the ground, it wasn’t over yet.

The place they had landed was none other than,

-Rumble rumble!

‘Ah. We’re doomed.’

The middle of the Shaolin Temple.

Before they knew it, dozens of demon-subduing monks in monastic robes and warrior monks in orange robes holding staffs had surrounded them.

-Murmur murmur!

The monks who had encircled Heum-won soon discovered Mok Gyeong-un and his group and whispered with somewhat surprised eyes.

“What is this?”

“Who are they?”

Meanwhile, an old monk with white beard and an air of experience walked out from among the demon-subduing monks.

In his hand were three vajras, and the solemn energy flowing from his entire body was so tremendous that it encompassed the surroundings.

-Ooooh!

‘It was him.’

Mok Gyeong-un instantly realized that he was the one who had thrown the vajras at Heum-won’s wing.

The flowing energy itself was on a different level.

If compared to the Fangshi, this solemn energy, vast and wide like the ocean, possessed a capacity that far surpassed the realm of Sun-level diviner.

-It’s no ordinary Dharma power.

-Dharma power?

-Yes. I heard that while the diviners and Taoist priests cultivate spiritual power, among the Buddhist monks, there are those who cultivate Dharma power. It’s the first time even I have seen this energy, and it seems very troublesome.

-…You’re right.

The Dharma power exuded by the old monk and the demon-subduing monks made the Demonic Beast Heum-won shrink back and become extremely vigilant.

‘No.’

Mok Gyeong-un scanned the surroundings.

Not only their Dharma power but also the energy flowing from the temple itself was solemn, pure, and extremely clean.

Because of that, even the energy of the evil spirits and weak Imae Mangryang commonly seen in the surroundings could not be felt.

‘No wonder it’s called the sacred land of Buddhism.’

Mok Gyeong-un inwardly clicked his tongue with an annoyed look in his eyes.

Who would have thought that after barely escaping from the Imperial Palace, they would get caught up in a place like this?

Meanwhile, the old monk who had stepped forward clasped his hands together and spoke.

“Amitabha. Who are the patrons to be together with the bizarre creature causing harm…”

“Master of the Demon-Subduing Pavilion!”

Before the old monk could finish his words, someone stepped forward.

It was the expelled monk Ja Geum-jeong.

The old monk, who had been examining his appearance, which was similar to the monks’ attire, including the broken prayer beads, soon frowned and said.

“Deok-mun? So it’s you, Deok-mun.”

Ja Geum-jeong’s Buddhist name during his time in Buddhism was Deok-mun.

The old monk, who hadn’t recognized him at first glance due to his somewhat rough appearance over time, couldn’t understand what was going on after recognizing him.

“Deok-mun, how are you with this bizarre creature?”

“It’s a misunderstanding, Master of the Demon-Subduing Pavilion. This bizarre creature is not harming people but has been tamed.”

“Tamed? What nonsense is that?”

At that moment, a middle-aged monk among the warrior monks walked out and spoke.

Recognizing him, Ja Geum-jeong clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and greeted him.

“Amitabha. Greetings to the Master of the Arhat Pavilion…”

“How dare an expelled disciple clasp his hands and greet us? Unclasp your hands.”

“…”

At the resolute words of the Master of the Arhat Pavilion, Ja Geum-jeong unclasped his hands with a bitter expression.

As he said, he was an expelled monk, so he had no right to clasp his hands and greet.

Meanwhile, the Master of the Arhat Pavilion pointed to Heum-won and asked.

“How did you tame that thing? It’s not a beast but a monster that captures and kills humans. But how…”

“It’s my spirit beast, Venerable.”

‘!?’

The Master of the Arhat Pavilion turned his head.

The one who had intervened was none other than Mok Gyeong-un.

“Spirit beast?”

Not knowing what the term spirit beast meant, the Master of the Arhat Pavilion looked puzzled, and the Master of the Demon-Subduing Pavilion said.

“Amitabha. Did you just say spirit beast, patron?”

-Ssk!

Mok Gyeong-un clasped his hands together in a salute and replied.

“Yes. Although it is a bizarre creature, it is a being I employ as my spirit beast. So it is under control and not dangerous, unlike what you see…”

“Gal (喝)!”

Before he could finish his words, the Master of the Demon-Subduing Pavilion let out a shout.

Then, pointing to Heum-won, he said.

“Isn’t a spirit beast a method used by the Fangshi to forcibly establish a connection and enslave bizarre creatures?”

At his words, interest glinted in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

He thought a monk practicing Buddhism wouldn’t know much about sorcery, but it seemed that was not the case.

“That’s right. But why did you shout like that?”

Looking puzzled, the old monk, the Master of the Demon-Subduing Pavilion, trembled his white eyebrows and spoke.

“Sorcery derived from Taoist techniques is a dangerous art that deviates from the laws and principles of nature, young patron. How could you have learned such an evil thing?”

“…Is sorcery evil?”

“As I said, patron. Sorcery is a method that deviates from principles. A spirit beast is also ultimately an act of forcibly establishing a connection and enslaving a being. This is an act that goes against the will of others. How can you say this is not evil?”

At his words, Mok Gyeong-un snorted and said.

“So what is it that you want to say?”

To this, the Master of the Demon-Subduing Pavilion pointed the vajra at Heum-won and replied.

“Amitabha. I say this for your sake, patron, so don’t be displeased and take it to heart. Sorcery that goes against principles will surely bring harm to you, patron. So stop practicing sorcery any further and sever the forcibly established connection with the bizarre creature.”