Chapter 78
Certainly, it was the first time So-ah had been so flustered.
But it was only natural.
No matter how much of a natural-born shameless person and a possessor of a bold heart he was, he had been caught gossiping about Shaolin in front of the Great Master Gong-seung, who had the highest seniority in the Jianghu, so there was no way he wouldn’t be flustered.
Moreover,
‘Why did the Great Master Gong-seung appear here? Suddenly? Breaking through my ki sense?!’
On the one hand, it was also surprising.
Thanks to the efficacy of the Pure Divine Pill’ obtained by overcoming the trial of the first room of the <Ghost Valley Mountain Manor>, So-ah’s ki sense had reached its peak.
No matter how much his mind was elsewhere, the fact that he hadn’t felt someone approaching him from a close distance meant that the Great Master Gong-seung’s footwork was specialized in stealth and concealment.
‘A person whose depth of martial arts is endless.’
So-ah was reminded of what his grandfather had said in his lifetime.
—In terms of the depth of profound internal energy or knowledge of martial arts, no one can follow the ‘Great Master Gong-seung’ of Shaolin.
Despite the difficult situation, So-ah, as a martial artist, could not help but feel a sense of awe for the Great Master Gong-seung.
Fortunately, the Great Master Gong-seung also did not make So-ah feel any more awkward.
“It is I who am honored. No matter what anyone says, isn’t it you who is currently making the hottest name for yourself in the Jianghu? Welcome to Shaolin, Young Master Jin.”
‘Phew…’
Only then did So-ah sigh inwardly.
‘The Great Master Gong-seung acknowledges Senior Brother like that.’
‘So-ah has now become an existence that I can’t even look at.’
‘That human, now that he’s been praised by the Great Master Gong-seung, he’s going to be arrogant all day, damn it!’
The students each had different thoughts.
“What do you mean by fame? I’m ashamed.”
“Hoho. It’s not something I made up, so there’s no need to be humble. I remember that day. I saw you for the first time at the funeral of the God of War, the great hero. I got the impression that you were a very bright boy, and seeing you today, you’ve grown up much better than I expected.”
“Great Master Gong-seung…”
“You came to find the goods of the Daemyeong Escort Agency, right?”
“Yes. I was able to find the goods at the Twin Dragon Fortress in Wudeok Mountain with the consideration of Great Hero Jang.”
“I must thank the White Martial Academy and the Martial Alliance, as well as you and the students. You all have worked hard. Thank you for retrieving the goods of our Shaolin.”
The Great Master Gong-seung bowed his head towards the students with a half-salute.
At that, the students, not knowing what to do, all performed a cupped fist salute and bowed their heads in respect.
“Ah… no, Great Master.”
“It was an honor for us to be able to find the goods of Shaolin.”
It was truly a surprising event.
Who was the Great Master Gong-seung?
Whether it was martial arts or seniority.
He was a top figure in the Orthodox Path.
In the first place, it was surprising enough that the Great Master Gong-seung had appeared to greet the students, but when he politely bowed his head to his juniors, the students did not know what to do.
‘The saying that the monks of Shaolin are stubborn is cancelled.’
So-ah even felt a sense of apology for no reason.
Just then.
The Great Master Gong-seung, who had followed behind, spoke softly to another monk.
“Gwang-hye.”
“Yes, Martial Uncle.”
“Please guide the guests to the guest hall so that they can rest comfortably.”
“I will do so.”
“And Young Master Jin.”
“Yes. Great Master.”
“Could you talk with me for a moment?”
“Of course.”
A little later, the students headed to the guest rooms under the guidance of the Great Master Gwang-hye, and So-ah set off with the Great Master Gong-seung.
***
The place where So-ah headed, following the Great Master Gong-seung, was a truly unexpected place.
“This place is…”
“It is the Arhat Hall of Shaolin.”
Arhat Hall.
It wasn’t that So-ah didn’t know these three characters and asked.
But it was a question that arose from the question of why the Great Master Gong-seung had brought him to the Arhat Hall, where the ‘Eighteen Vajra Arhats’ of Shaolin were said to reside.
‘The Eighteen Vajra Arhats’.
The Eighteen Vajra Arhats, composed of eighteen people, had each learned all of the ‘72 Ultimate Arts of Shaolin,’ and were figures who represented the martial arts of Shaolin itself.
—If one can defeat the Eighteen Vajra Arhats of the Arhat Hall alone, one can become a renegade monk of Shaolin at any time.
This was one of the most famous sayings related to Shaolin, so there was no need to mention the symbolism and fame of the Arhat Hall.
Of course, not only was there no one who would turn their back on Shaolin, but it was also impossible to defeat the Eighteen Vajra Arhats of the Arhat Hall single-handedly, so it was just considered a legend.
But.
Why on earth did the Great Master Gong-seung bring him here, to the Arhat Hall?
Even for the intelligent So-ah, it was difficult to easily guess the reason, and just as he was silent for a moment.
Surprisingly, someone opened the door from inside the Arhat Hall and revealed themselves before So-ah’s eyes.
“Gwang-won-ah…!”
The first to speak was the Great Master Gong-seung.
His eyes were filled with a deep emotion that was hard to describe in words.
It seemed like a longing, and also like the expression of a long-cherished wish, and only then did So-ah suddenly have a thought in his mind.
‘Don’t tell me… no, that can’t be. That young man… no.’
But.
“Master. Your disciple has overcome the Arhat Hall.”
‘…!’
For a moment, So-ah was colored with astonishment.
The man who had come out of the Arhat Hall clearly looked to be about the same age as himself.
It was surprising enough that such a young man would call the Great Master Gong-seung, who had the highest seniority in the current Jianghu, ‘Master,’ but he had also overcome the Arhat Hall?
In other words, wasn’t this young monk a martial brother of the current Shaolin abbot, and had he single-handedly broken through the Arhat Hall, which had no successful cases?
Soon.
“Well done. My disciple.”
Hearing the words that flowed from the Great Master Gong-seung’s mouth, So-ah’s suspicion turned into certainty.
It was then.
“Gwang-won-ah. Greet him. This young master is the top disciple of the God of War, the great hero Moyong, Young Master Jin.”
The monk named Gwang-won, who had heard the Great Master Gong-seung’s words, politely performed a half-salute and opened his mouth.
“I have heard of Young Master Jin’s fame before. It is a great honor for this humble monk to meet Young Master Jin like this. My name is Gwang-won.”
‘Hah…’
So-ah had complicated feelings.
Also, he seemed to vaguely understand why the Great Master Gong-seung had brought him here.
‘So it was Shaolin. This isn’t just a trump card, it’s something to be terrified of.’
But So-ah did not show such feelings and said in a normal voice.
“It is an honor for me as well. I am Jin So-ah of the Moyong Family.”
***
Even for So-ah, who didn’t even blink an eye at most surprising things, he couldn’t help but be greatly startled by Gwang-won’s appearance.
It was because the existence of the Great Master Gwang-won was so unknown to the outside world.
But he could guess why Shaolin had kept his existence a secret, and also why they had introduced Gwang-won to him.
‘The world will be surprised.’
It would surely be so.
In the first place, the fact that the Great Master Gong-seung had a disciple who had just reached the age of majority would turn the Jianghu upside down.
“Young Master Jin.”
“Yes, Great Master Gong-seung.”
“Were you surprised?”
“I did think it was unexpected. If a young person like the Great Master Gwang-won is the disciple of the Great Master Gong-seung, then in terms of seniority, isn’t he a martial brother of the current Shaolin abbot?”
“You are no different.”
“Yes?”
“Despite being of a similar age to Gwang-won, didn’t you also become the disciple of the great hero Moyong?”
“Aha…”
“The fact that Gwang-won became my disciple. And that you became the disciple of the great hero Moyong is certainly a fortuitous encounter. But all the ‘number ones in the world’ in history were born from fortuitous encounters.”
At those words, So-ah could be sure.
‘So you’re going to weigh the Great Master Gwang-won against me and put him in the running for the number one in the world? What a great schemer of an old man.’
The most famous rising star in the current Orthodox Path was undoubtedly So-ah.
But if Gwang-won’s existence were to be revealed to the world?
For a while, the entire martial world would be abuzz with stories about Gwang-won, and he would be evaluated as a talent for the ‘number one of the era’ along with So-ah, so he could clearly see Shaolin’s intentions.
“Certainly, the fact that I became my grandfather’s disciple is a fortuitous encounter, but I don’t have a clue about things like the number one in the world. It’s just a distant story for an ordinary person like me.”
At that, the Great Master Gong-seung smiled faintly.
“Hoho. Do you know what kind of words are circulating in the Jianghu these days?”
“…”
“It is said that the disciple of the God of War is not only comparable to the respected leaders of the current Nine Great Sects, but will also become the number one of the era, and even a legend greater than his master, the God of War. Some even predict that the Orthodox Martial Path in 10 years will be Jin So-ah’s sole domain.”
“…!”
So-ah could not hide his surprise.
He had guessed the public’s opinion of him.
He had defeated Namgung Mun, who was called a once-in-a-thousand-years prodigy, in one blow, had subjugated the Mad Wind Sand single-handedly, and had already faced the Right Heavenly Demon Sword, No Yeong-myeong, in his youth, so it was natural for the world to be surprised.
But the Great Master Gong-seung’s words, ‘predicting that the Orthodox Martial Path in 10 years will be Jin So-ah’s sole domain,’ were enough to cause a great ripple in his heart.
In that moment.
“But I cannot accept those words.”
At the Great Master Gong-seung’s low words, So-ah’s gaze changed.
“Just as the God of War, the great hero Moyong, had the Heavenly Demon, Wi-ji Un, as his lifelong rival, no one can have a ‘sole domain’ in the sword-and-saber-forest Jianghu martial world.”
“…”
“I believe that my disciple, Gwang-un, will become such a rival to you.”
“Master…!”
At the Great Master Gong-seung’s words, Gwang-un let out a sigh filled with emotion.
But the Great Master Gong-seung stopped him once and continued to speak.
“To be honest, until a while ago, I couldn’t be sure. Because the ‘Ten-Second Invincible Arts’ of the God of War was renowned as the strongest ultimate art in the human world, and you were the sole successor of such a Ten-Second Invincible Arts.”
“…”
“But today, I realized. Since my disciple has overcome the Arhat Hall, the Ten-Second Invincible Arts is also not a ‘wall’ that cannot be overcome.”
At that, So-ah, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
“Of course. The Ten-Second Invincible Arts is not something like a wall that cannot be overcome.”
“Young Master Jin…”
“There are only strong people. There is no strong martial art.”
“…!”
“…!”
At So-ah’s words, Gong-seung and Gwang-un both showed surprised expressions on their faces.
“What if my grandfather had learned the 72 ultimate arts of Shaolin instead of the Ten-Second Invincible Arts? He would still have been the number one of his era. Then what about other martial arts? It’s the same. Whether my grandfather had learned the Ten Thousand Flowers Rain of the Sichuan Tang Clan, the Taiji Sword of Wudang, or the Thirty-Six Swords of the World of Jongnam. No matter what martial art he had learned, my grandfather would have been the number one of his era.”
It was an arrogant statement.
Any martial artist would have felt that way.
But at the same time, it was a hot statement that would make anyone’s heart tremble and their emotions surge.
“You have great pride in your master.”
“Because he is a person worthy of it.”
“That’s right… the God of War was such a person. I also lost to him.”
A voice that seemed to be filled with regret.
It was like a reminiscence of a painful past, and at the same time, a longing for an unreachable ideal.
But his voice changed unconsciously.
The Great Master Gong-seung spoke again with a voice full of conviction.
“But my disciple, unlike me, will not be defeated by you. Because even you will not be able to overcome the Arhat Hall.”
The Great Master Gong-seung did not doubt it.
It was not that he was looking down on So-ah or underestimating him.
Because no one would think that a young man who had just reached the age of majority could overcome the Eighteen Vajra Arhats of the Arhat Hall alone.
In that moment.
Unbelievable words came out of So-ah’s mouth.
“Well, isn’t that a simple problem? Great Master.”
“…”
“They say seeing is believing. When in doubt, it’s best to experience it.”
“Amitabha… what you mean is?”
“Well, we can just have a good fight.”
The Great Master Gong-seung and Gwang-un, for a moment, could not help but doubt their own ears.
(End of Chapter)