ch38
[How Can You Stop Here!]
A man scanned his surroundings before speaking.
“Which way leads to the Longmen Grottoes?”
He was unusually concealing his face completely with a Bamboo Hat. This was quite different from the usual practice of righteous martial artists wearing black to hide their identities.
The man's attire was, on the contrary, exceedingly flamboyant, making him resemble a young nobleman out for a stroll.
A passing herb gatherer answered.
“It will be difficult to enter the Longmen Grottoes now. The government troops are heavily guarding the paths. Only authorized carriages occasionally pass through.”
“There's a rumor that it's because the Old Sand Buddha was damaged. Is that true?”
“I don't know the details. I've only heard rumors myself.”
The nobleman nodded and asked again.
“But do soldiers these days disguise themselves in such ordinary attire?”
The herb gatherer fell silent. Instead, he silently drew a sword from his robes. The nobleman nodded as if he had expected it.
“Indeed, a military officer.”
“……”
Soldiers primarily use spears. Using a sword meant he was undoubtedly a Martial artist who had passed the military examination.
However, the nobleman didn't bat an eye and gazed intently at the mountains beyond where the Longmen Grottoes were located. The herb gatherer, or rather the military officer, who was watching the nobleman, spoke quietly.
“This place is under the jurisdiction of the government, so if you are a Martial artist, turn back.”
The man pretending to be an herb gatherer was nowhere to be seen, and only a military officer with a unique, assertive aura remained. Soon, soldiers who had been naturally disguised nearby appeared one after another, surrounding the nobleman.
He was instantly surrounded. However, the nobleman, unconcerned, spoke.
“I searched all around the Longmen Grottoes, hoping to find a gap, but every path is blocked by soldiers. I see that the Emperor's army is not yet rusty.”
“What are you talking about since earlier…”
The nobleman took off the Bamboo Hat he was wearing. A pair of long ears and striking blue eyes were revealed.
The military officer recognized him as an Azure Wood Clan at once upon seeing his ears and beautiful features.
“……Azure Wood Clan?”
“I believe the Buyun of Luoyang has already been informed. Open the way.”
Soon, the military officer recalled the story he had heard from Buyun. It was about cooperating with the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild to secretly bring in the Azure Wood Clan.
“I heard you had companions.”
“They were too slow, so I came ahead.”
The Azure Wood Clan's Light Body Technique was already famous. It was said that just learning it allowed one to freely move between trees. The story that mastering it made one faster than the wind was widespread in the Martial World.
“I was told that showing this would suffice.”
Soon, the nobleman took out a document from his robes with the seal of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild. It had the name Wol Jungcheon and the seal of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild's leader.
Only then did the military officer sheathe his sword.
“I apologize for the discourtesy.”
Wol Jungcheon stared at the military officer for a moment, then spoke with a troubled expression. His tone was much more authoritative than before.
“Although I have retired to the countryside, I once held the position of Commander.”
The military officer looked up at Wol Jungcheon with a dumbfounded expression.
The rank of Commander was higher than that of their immediate superior, the Major General.
'What nonsense is this?'
As a military officer, he naturally knew the list of high-ranking military officials. But no matter how hard he thought, he had never heard of such an Azure Wood Clan military officer in Luoyang.
Just as he was seriously considering arresting him for impersonation, one possibility flashed through the military officer's mind.
'He said "once".'
The other party was the Azure Wood Clan, who were said to live for nearly eternal years. Moreover, the race itself considered lying a great fault and avoided it.
The military officer asked in a much more polite tone than before.
“May I ask, around when did you serve?”
“During the reign of the Great Ancestor Emperor.”
That meant he had served during the reign of the current Emperor's great-grandfather. Normally, he would have dismissed it as a lie, but he couldn't because of the Insignia embroidered on Wol Jungcheon's flamboyant attire.
Military officers embroidered their Insignia according to their rank. A Commander embroidered a bear, that is, a bear's pattern.
The beast embroidered on Wol Jungcheon's clothes also happened to be a bear. There was no need to question its authenticity. It was because all the colors except for the parts embroidered with gold thread had faded, indicating how long ago it had been embroidered.
Decisively, Wol Jungcheon was holding an Ivory Tablet that only high-ranking officials could possess.
“I, I apologize!”
Soon, the military officer prostrated himself. Only then did Wol Jungcheon nod in satisfaction.
Soon, Wol Jungcheon moved towards the Longmen Grottoes.
*****
Seo-yeon went to the place where the Buyun of Luoyang was.
His residence was a place where a heavy and antique aura permeated suffocatingly.
Numerous lower-ranking officials were moving their brushes under the lattice doors where a faint sunlight permeated, and those who came to visit were all overwhelmed and cowered in the unique suffocating atmosphere.
Even renowned Martial artist would unknowingly shut their mouths in this place, but Seo-yeon's face was very calm. It was because she had been there several times.
Step.
Buyun had anticipated Seo-yeon's visit. It was because he expected the restoration of the Old Sand Buddha to be completed by today.
“Buyun.”
“Welcome.”
Buyun responded to Seo-yeon's greeting. It was a formal greeting.
Buyun suddenly recalled the appearance of the old Old Sand Buddha.
It was a Buddha statue carved at least hundreds of years ago. No matter how carefully it was managed, it was impossible to prevent it from being worn down and stained with time.
The Old Sand Buddha before restoration was also like that. The face was terribly broken, and all sorts of stains and moss were thickly growing on the arms and legs.
'I wonder, how has it changed?'
He hadn't checked it directly yet. If possible, he wanted to capture the magnificent appearance at a glance when all the work was completed. His old friend Geum Byeok-san also advised him to do so.
However, he couldn't just let go of it completely, so he had his subordinates report on the progress of the restoration every day.
The subordinates unanimously said that the seated Old Sand Buddha had fully regained its benevolence and dignity.
'It was truly a skill bestowed by the heavens.'
Many people said that it was like going back to when the Old Sand Buddha was first created, and some even commented that it surpassed the original.
Hearing the news every day was enough for a day or two, and at this point, Buyun couldn't stand the itching. There were many times when he struggled to suppress the desire to run and check its magnificent figure right away.
“Can I understand that your visit to me means that the Old Sand Buddha has finally found its form?”
“That's right.”
Buyun's expression brightened even more when Seo-yeon answered calmly. In Buyun's long experience, the more concisely a person spoke without flowery rhetoric, the more amazing a work they would show.
This was the case even though he already knew the progress in detail through the reports of his subordinates.
He had quickly completed a great project that he had expected to take at least half a year, or even several years, so he had received a truly great favor.
The position of Buyun of Luoyang was essentially a mandatory gateway before becoming the governor-general who governed the province. Unless a major incident occurred, it meant that becoming the de facto ruler of Henan in a few years was a sure thing.
Thanks to Seo-yeon, he had successfully completed the great project of restoring the Old Sand Buddha, so there was no chance of public sentiment wavering, and there was nothing to criticize. Buyun nodded in satisfaction.
According to his friend Geum Byeok-san, Seo-yeon was not very attached to wealth. Then, how should he repay her? Soon, appropriate rewards flashed through Buyun's mind.
As a stonemason, she might not be greedy for material possessions, but she would be greedy for rare materials. It would be nice to give her access to the Yunnan marble mine. Since she would be walking around in various places, a station pass would also be useful, and it would also be a good idea to grant her an honorary position.
After a moment of consideration, Buyun soon came to a conclusion.
'I can just give her everything.'
There were many things that had more value than giving gold and silver treasures, but Buyun was originally a generous man. If he received a favor, he had to repay it several times over to save face. Moreover, he was also confident that Seo-yeon would not use these powers for personal gain.
Soon, a lower-ranking official came with a lot of things in his arms and stood in front of Seo-yeon. Buyun said to Seo-yeon, who was standing blankly.
“Receive it.”
“Yes.”
Seo-yeon picked up the document on top with a sense of what was going on. It was a document with the seal of the Buyun of Luoyang clearly engraved on it.
It read:
'Seo-yeon, Luoyang Superintendent.'
It was a symbol of being the best craftsman in Luoyang, and it was the utmost courtesy given to the chief person in charge who oversaw a great project.
*****
It had been about two hours since Seo-yeon had left.
The Buyun of Luoyang opened the books that Seo-yeon had organized, both to wait for his friend Geum Byeok-san and to prepare for future events and leave records.
There were two books left by Seo-yeon. One was the Soaring Kite Heaven Art, and the other was a restoration record that purely contained the records of the restoration.
Buyun smiled faintly.
'She named it like a martial arts manual.'
Unlike the unnecessarily grandiose name, the handwriting was fluent and full of energy. Buyun admired inwardly and opened the first page of the restoration record.
Then he closed his mouth.
[Set the width of the nose at three inches, and the nose that rises straight from the glabella should be two inches and six tenths of an inch.
If you raise the edge by only half an inch to add depth, the lips can be thick but contain a benevolent smile. If this adjustment is difficult, it will be helpful to align the front valley blood point.
Slightly raise the tail of the eye by half an inch to add dignity, and lengthen the earlobes by five inches as if they touch the shoulders.
If the depth of the three lines of the neck is set to one tenth of an inch, the work can be done more delicately. At this time, if you are right-handed, it is good to evenly apply force to the outer pass blood point and the great abyss blood point.
If the entire body of the Buddha statue is proportioned at the same intervals, it will achieve perfect balance no matter its size.]
“……”
Buyun couldn't say anything and closed the restoration record. There was no need to see more.
'……It's not human insight.'
If he showed this restoration record to any stonemason right away, he thought that they would also be able to reproduce the Old Sand Buddha. It was recorded so precisely and in detail.
Even he, who had never carved in his life, felt that he could imitate it clumsily.
Buyun ran his hands over his face.
Soon, his gaze turned to the Soaring Kite Heaven Art. Seo-yeon said that she had not yet completed it because of a lack of knowledge.
He couldn't help but transcribe it because it was an incomplete version. That's why it was placed in front of Buyun.
Buyun bit his already dry lips.
'Was she really lacking in knowledge? A being with such understanding?'
That couldn't be.
He felt like he was possessed by a ghost, but at this point, he couldn't stand it without checking.
Buyun turned the pages with trembling hands. He was much more careful than before.
Only the sound of turning pages echoed quietly in the silence.
Buyun had not learned martial arts. It was because he was a civil official. But that didn't mean he didn't have an eye for it. Rather, he had read more secret books than any other official.
Buyun's lips trembled. The more he turned the pages, the more they trembled.
'How, how can this be…….'
The more he read the Mantra, the more he realized that he had an unbearable object in his hands. It was the same even though he was not a Martial artist.
When he finally reached the blank paper, Buyun sighed without realizing it.
“Ah!”
He rubbed his already red eyes.
'Damn it.'
What was she thinking when she handed over such a book so casually!
Moreover, it was an incomplete version!
There was much to be gained even if it was not a martial arts book. It was like reading an old book written by ancient scholars.
Worries arose on their own. It was like having a delicacy in front of him but not being able to eat it.
'It is truly worthy of being called a divine art.'
It was the same even though it was incomplete.
Because it contained the energy of destroying falsehood and revealing the truth, only those who had accumulated pure Inner Energy of Taoism or Legalism could even enter it. If one tried to learn it with impure intentions, one's energy channels would be twisted and one's thoughts would be ruined immediately.
In the first place, since the path of energy circulation was not even shown, it was impossible to learn it without the help of Seo-yeon, the founder.
Seo-yeon must have known that, so she gave it away so easily.
'But I can't hold her back.'
There was no way that a person who handed over such a book so casually would be caught by the government troops.
He had no choice but to think that Seo-yeon had given him as much as he had given her without holding back.
'It's a pity. I should have read this book first.'
If he had, he could have had a simple conversation with her.
Buyun was very sorry about that fact.
At that time, a nobleman hurriedly burst into the room.
It was Wol Jungcheon.
Whether he had faced the restored Old Sand Buddha, he was full of anxiety, unlike the cold and aloof Azure Wood Clan.
Soon, the eyes of the two met.
The two knew what each other was thinking just by looking at each other's eyes.
“…….”
The two could only sigh without saying anything.