Chapter 198 : No Matter How Fast Regret Comes, It Is Already Too Late. -02
Chapter 198: No Matter How Fast Regret Comes, It Is Already Too Late. -02
Ban Hojin thought calmly.
It was because thinking too positively without any information at all was unwise.
A possibility was, in the literal sense, only a possibility.
On the contrary, it might be that the level from his previous life was similar, but the body was nine years younger.
‘That would be the worst.’
He did not even want to imagine it, but there was more than enough chance of that being the case.
In his previous life, when Ban Hojin had fought, the Northern Sea Ice Palace Lord had been over seventy.
And yet, outwardly, he had looked to be in his mid-to-late fifties.
Now add nearly ten years of youth to that, and in terms of stamina and physical condition, he would certainly be superior to his previous life.
‘And I know far too little about the Potala Palace Lord. I’ve never even crossed paths with him.’
The Nine Heavens Gate Leader had been fought directly by the Sichuan Tang Family Head, so at least some of his abilities had been revealed.
But almost nothing was known about the Potala Palace Lord, so Ban Hojin had no choice but to remain cautious.
That was why, even if he wanted to be arrogant, he could not allow himself to be.
‘I need to grow stronger.’
After killing the Iron Blood Demon Emperor, Wuming had shaken the Central Plains Murim, but Ban Hojin did not become intoxicated by it.
He remained indifferent even to the epithet Shaolin Sword Saint.
No matter how much people praised and revered him, if he lost the war and died, it would all be meaningless.
Knowing that better than anyone, Ban Hojin was able to focus solely on his training without being swayed by the gazes of those around him or by the eyes of the world.
‘At the very least, to the point where I can kill the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.’
They had perished together, but back then, luck had been on his side.
The Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace had been careless, and his strength had been greatly depleted due to successive battles.
Ban Hojin’s path to reaching him had been arduous as well, but the recovery speed of someone in their seventies and someone in their thirties could not help but differ. Various variables had worked in his favor, allowing them to end in mutual destruction.
But the chances of that happening again were slim.
‘From the moment I killed the Iron Blood Demon Emperor, he will never let his guard down.’
In his previous life, Ban Hojin had been a powerhouse who appeared out of nowhere.
Having lived only within Shaolin Temple, he had not been widely known, and it was only after the Four Tyrants of the World invaded the Central Plains that his name had spread throughout Murim.
Though he had earned the epithet Sword God, the tyrant leaders of the Four Tyrants of the World had still doubted his true strength.
But now, he had not merely emerged as a rising star—he had proven his martial prowess throughout Jianghu. Unlike before, it was unlikely anyone would underestimate him simply because he was young.
‘Luring them into carelessness is one strategy, but relying on luck is far worse than building my strength. It’s also the most certain path.’
Expecting fortune did not suit Ban Hojin’s temperament.
Thus, he reviewed and reviewed again.
Only by knowing his shortcomings could he improve them.
And as he did, he thought about what he could do now.
‘A realm doesn’t rise simply through training. Everyone works hard. Then what remains… is Inner Energy.’
Ban Hojin thought coldly and objectively.
About what he could do at present.
A realm would not rise simply because one desired it.
Especially for those who, like him, had already reached the Transcendent Realm.
Unless enlightenment was attained, it was impossible to break through the wall.
But that did not mean there was no method at all.
Wooooong.
The space around Ban Hojin, who sat with his eyes closed, began to ripple.
The Qi of nature responded to his internal power.
At the same time, every pore of his body opened wide.
Rather than simply breathing through his nose to accumulate Qi, he absorbed the Qi of nature through every pore of his body.
‘There’s no harm in having more Inner Energy. Until now, I’ve valued quality over quantity, but accumulating as much as I can is also a method.’
Power one could not control would only become poison.
There was a reason people said one must consume spiritual medicines carefully.
Of course, Ban Hojin had already surpassed the level where that would be an issue, but he had still been cautious until now.
After returning to the past, he had needed time to adapt to his new body, and he had not yet been fully confident in his control over it.
But now it was different.
He was sufficiently confident, and he could not cling solely to an enlightenment that might come at any unknown time. So Ban Hojin resolved to begin accumulating Qi in earnest.
‘Perhaps enlightenment might come this way.’
The divine presence of the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace surfaced in his mind.
The sight of him overwhelming hundreds of martial artists alone.
As he recalled that monstrous presence, the corner of Ban Hojin’s lips twitched.
‘This time will be different.’
When he had first seen the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, what he had felt was shock and fear.
He could hardly believe such a martial artist existed.
But this time, he wanted to make the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace feel that same emotion.
To show that such an existence existed within the Central Plains Murim.
‘And I will change the future.’
He did not know for what reason he had been sent back to the past.
There was no one he could even ask.
So he chose to think simply.
He would think only about what he could do now—and what he wanted to do.
Huuuuung!
As though in response to the resolve he had made, a vortex began to swirl around Ban Hojin.
The Qi of nature moved according to his will.
Clink.
As the sun slowly sank beyond the Western Mountains, Damhyeon remained alone in the Abbot’s Quarters and poured himself tea.
Normally, he would have finished his duties and returned to his residence, but today was different.
He had an appointment, so he waited leisurely for his guest.
Knock knock knock knock.
The very sound conveyed caution.
At the steady rhythm of the knocking, Damhyeon, who had been savoring the taste and aroma of his tea, turned his gaze.
“Please, come in.”
“Yes.”
With a slightly tense voice, the door opened and a middle-aged man appeared.
He was not strikingly handsome, but in his youth he must have been quite popular with women. With a stiff expression, he entered and pressed his palms together in greeting toward Damhyeon.
Damhyeon rose from his seat and returned the gesture.
“Please, sit.”
“Thank you.”
At Damhyeon’s gesture inviting him to sit, the middle-aged man quickly took his seat.
Then he swiftly studied Damhyeon’s expression.
Despite having arranged the meeting so abruptly, there was no sign of fluster or discomfort on Damhyeon’s face.
He had not seen him often, but Damhyeon looked no different than usual. The middle-aged man could not read what lay beneath.
“Have a cup.”
“I will drink gratefully.”
Already parched with tension, the middle-aged man lifted the lukewarm tea and gulped down half of it at once.
“There is plenty of tea. Please, drink at ease.”
Knowing exactly why the man was gulping it down, Damhyeon pushed the teapot toward him in a calm voice.
“So. I believe the Abbot knows why I have come.”
“I wonder.”
At Damhyeon’s reply, the middle-aged man’s face stiffened further.
Though calm, there was an underlying chill in his tone.
“I know… that I have come too late. You may think them excuses, but the timing was terrible. Unexpected events erupted from all sides.”
“That is, in the end, nothing but an excuse, Shangguan Family Head.”
“I truly do not mean it as an excuse. I only wished to explain the situation. And as you know, Abbot, the circumstances were dire.”
The master of the Shangguan Family, Shangguan Bo, spoke without pause.
As if determined to frame it all as a mistake and persuade him at any cost.
Yet despite his smooth, flowing words, Damhyeon’s expression remained unchanged.
No matter what was said, he calmly sipped his tea.
“To me, it sounds as though you valued the face of the Shangguan Family more.”
“Absolutely not! I simply needed time to investigate personally. But before I could, Ironblood Fortress launched its invasion, and war broke out. I had no choice but to observe how things unfolded!”
Shangguan Bo’s voice gradually rose.
He had begun cautiously, but as the situation proved unfavorable, his volume increased.
Cold sweat began forming on his face.
The situation seemed worse than he had anticipated.
“And this seat is the result?”
“Y-Yes. We committed a grave folly. That is why I have come personally to apologize.”
“An apology.”
Shangguan Bo rose from his seat and bowed deeply.
He was the master of one of the Ten Great Families of Murim, but the one before him was the current Abbot of Shaolin Temple, hailed in Jianghu as the Great North Star.
Moreover, this matter was clearly his mistake. He did not consider lowering his head to be humiliation.
“I sincerely apologize!”
“Do you admit to sending the Monster King?”
“Y-Yes. But I swear, we never intended harm! I can state that with certainty! We merely requested a light reprimand! The Monster King was personally curious about Young Hero Ban’s martial prowess, so our interests aligned! There was nothing more exchanged! What happened at Shaolin Temple was entirely the Monster King’s unilateral action!”
Shangguan Bo spoke with a face flushed as if spitting blood.
As though proclaiming his innocence with all his might.
But unlike his aggrieved demeanor, Damhyeon’s eyes were cold.
This concerned none other than his disciple, Ban Hojin. Damhyeon regarded Shangguan Bo with a chilling gaze.
“Can you prove that? Any documents exchanged between you?”
“Regrettably, there is no evidence. We merely conversed once before he departed. Our connection with the Monster King was not that deep.”
Feigning regret, Shangguan Bo hurriedly continued.
He wished to sever any link between the Shangguan Family and the matter.
There was nothing to gain from being entangled with Danwi, so he deliberately emphasized this point.
“Are you not saying that because the Monster King is dead? The dead do not speak.”
“Absolutely not! I swear to the heavens, everything I have said here is the full truth! I have neither added nor omitted even the slightest detail!”
At Damhyeon’s words, Shangguan Bo leapt in protest.
As though he were utterly wronged.
Yet Damhyeon merely let out a faint laugh.
“Shangguan Family Head. Let us be honest. You came to this humble monk because you have been cornered, with no path left to escape.”
“Th-That is not so. I thought this would be a convenient time for Shaolin Temple and for you, Abbot.”
Though struck at the heart of the matter, Shangguan Bo denied it outright.
Admitting it here would mean the end.
And the lack of evidence applied equally to Damhyeon.
If proof existed, or if Danwi had confessed their conversation, Damhyeon would not be probing like this.
Shaolin would have already mobilized its power—or Damhyeon and Ban Hojin would have stormed the Shangguan Family Estate directly.
Thus, Shangguan Bo manipulated his facial muscles as best he could.
“One more question. Why did you come to me instead of Hojin?”
“…Pardon?”
“Is it not Hojin you must apologize to, not this humble monk?”
“…!”
Shangguan Bo’s words caught in his throat.
But his fluster vanished quickly.
Recovering his composure in an instant, he rapidly calculated his response.
“Even now, you think only of your own face. Asking this humble monk to mediate.”
“No! I intended to visit Young Hero Ban as well. But as fate would have it, I was told he is not currently at Songshan. So I planned to first apologize to you, Abbot, and then meet Young Hero Ban separately. I should have mentioned that earlier, but at my age, I forgot.”
“Hojin returned yesterday.”
“…Pardon?”