Episode 268

“Hehe. Right? As expected, I get along well with the Abbot!”

“Abbot!”

“How…”

The Shaolin Sect’s monk looked confused at the presence of this man. Seeing that, the Abbot asked with a soft expression,

“Is there anything wrong with what this young disciple said?”

“…they insulted Shaolin!”

“It wasn’t the Shaolin Sect that was insulted, but your pride, right?”

“…”

The Abbot shook his head.

“The young disciple is right. The reason the sects have gathered here is to fight and spar with one another. How can we blame them just because the method and time they chose to do it wasn’t how we wanted it to be?”

“But the disciples of the Southern Island Sect were hurt!”

At Gong Hwa’s words, Chung Myung smiled and said,

“Then, the Southern Island Sect should be bringing this topic up. I don’t know why the monk is angry. The Southern Island Sect isn’t under the Shaolin Sect.”

“…”

Gong Hwa was so shocked that he forgot to blink and just looked at Chung Myung.

‘What is with him?’

Everyone around him had heard it.

So, from now on, if the Shaolin Sect protected the Southern Island Sect and blamed Mount Hua, it would appear as though the Southern Island Sect was incapable of handling their problems without seeking the help of the Shaolin Sect.

Even if that wasn’t the truth, how could the people who went after any gossip they could get their hands on miss this chance?

Gong Hwa suppressed his anger and looked at Chung Myung, who was driving him into a corner.

But sadly, Chung Myung wasn’t done yet.

“Ah, no. considering everything, let’s ask them directly. Yah, you men!”

“…”

Chung Myung looked at the Southern Island Sect’s disciples, and they all flinched.

“Are you going to take revenge for the spar with your own hands, or are you going to whine to the Shaolin Sect because you took a beating from us?”

All their faces turned white. The moment he said this, they all understood there was only one answer they could give.

It was better to be beaten than a weakling who whined.

And they were the ones who claimed to be the disciples of a prestigious sect… no, at this point, this was a normal choice for anyone in such a situation.

“O-Of course, we will take revenge with our own hands!”

“If we had used swords, you wouldn’t be here!”

“You better be prepared! We will not show any mercy!”

Chung Myung looked at Gong Hwa.

“…is what they said.”

“…”

This made Gong Hwa turn silent. If things were heading like this, then the Shaolin Sect had nothing to say.

Chung Myung said sternly,

“Kids mess around and use fists, and some might even get nosebleeds. And as if that was some huge thing for the Sect Leader to be called and when… eh. When did the Shaolin Sect turn into such a place? Am I wrong, Sect Leader Abbot?”

“Haha. You are not wrong, child.”

“Abbot!”

Gong Hwa was upset that his Abbot was taking the side of another Sect’s disciple.

But as soon as he saw the Abbot’s face and his soft smile, Gong Hwa couldn’t say anything more and just bowed,

“I will handle it with my position as the Sect Leader of the Shaolin Sect.”

The Abbot looked at Hyun Jong and said,

“Fighting on the grounds of the Shaolin Sect is something that is to be condemned. But those who gathered here for the competition are bound to be on their toes. It is Shaolin’s responsibility for not handling it properly, so I apologize to the Southern Island Sect and the Mount Hua Sect.”

The Abbot put his hands together and bowed.

Hyun Jong and the disciples of the Southern Island Sect froze as they saw it.

“Don’t do this, Abbot! I don’t know how to show my face after this if the Abbot does this.”

The Abbot smiled and raised his head,

“The kites of each Sect are bound to fly in opposite directions during the competition. Even if they don’t, this is something that each Sect has to solve for itself. The Shaolin Sect will not involve themselves in this.”

“Um.”

Hyun Jong sighed.

“But.”

He looked at both sides and said,

“If something like this keeps happening before the decided day, everyone will turn fiercer. So, I ask everyone to show an appropriate behavior that suits their status and face.”

“We apologize…”

The Abbot clasped his hands.

“Then, I need to leave.”

As he slowly began to walk, the Shaolin Sect’s disciples all glared at Mount Hua and followed after him.

“As expected of the Shaolin Sect.”

“So great!”

Everyone who had been watching nodded their heads in approval.

In any case, the work that had to be done was finished, and everyone felt relieved. Wasn’t this a situation that could have grown out of control?

“Is this because Shaolin is Shaolin?”

Chung Myung mumbled as he smiled.

‘Well, things worked out…’

Tak!

At that moment, someone placed a hand on Chung Myung’s shoulder, making him turn his head.

Flinch!

And he saw Hyun Jong with an expression he had never seen before.

“…follow me.”

“….”

‘…this is strange.’

‘This is the Shaolin temple… why is there an Asura in here?’

‘Ha…’

Gong Hwa, who followed the Abbot, opened his mouth and grumbled,

“Abbot… How could you handle it like that?”

The other Gong disciples all had dissatisfaction on their faces, and they were all asking the same thing.

“They insulted Shaolin! Those brats were fighting on the grounds of our Shaolin Sect! Isn’t this a complete insult to the Shaolin Sect!”

“They need to be punished!”

The look on the Abbot’s face changed.

It wasn’t a soft face anymore. He now had a cold face that exuded dignity… it was something that fit a Shaolin Abbot.

“Then, did you want me to say that it was okay to use swords with the permission of the Shaolin Sect in front of all those people? That it was a sin to punch without getting our permission?”

“Well, that…”

“Ugh.”

“You are foolish. Foolish. You can’t even keep up with the heart of a child,” the Abbot continued.

‘He was like a knife.’

A sharp blade was hidden in the words of the child.

‘What if I wasn’t there?’

‘Gong Hwa would’ve fallen into that trap. In that case, I could have tried to get him out gently, but…’

‘The rumors that would have come out… they would all say that the Shaolin Sect persecuted other sects and misused our authority.’

He had already warned Mount Hua’s Sect Leader.

Envious eyes were bound to follow them if they grew so fast.

Literally speaking, the most hated Sect right now was the Shaolin Sect.

And this was an incident that would’ve turned them into prey if his disciple had bit into the trap that had been laid out. And in the end, the Shaolin Sect would have earned the title of hypocrites who couldn’t be punished.

“Haa.”

The Abbot laughed slowly.

‘Are you really looking for this kind of situation? You little boy?’

After thinking, he said,

“Gong Hwa.”

“Yes, Abbot.”

“Do you know anything about that Chung Myung child?”

“Um.”

The answer came from Gong Ja and not Gong Hwa.

“If it is Mount Hua’s Chung Myung, he is known as Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon, who is said to be a candidate for his generation’s ‘Best in the World’ position.”

“Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon?”

“Yes. I heard he defeated Jin Geum-Ryong of the Southern Edge Sect and also won against the Wudang Sect. If the rumors which haven’t been verified yet are added, he then also has the achievement of defeating Wudang Sect’s Mu Jin. There are also rumors of him fighting against the Sichuan Tang Family Head…”

“How dare you tell such nonsense to the Abbot!”

“…I apologize.”

Gong Hwa yelled at the words of Gong Ja.

“The Wudang Sect’s Mu Jin is fine, but how can you talk about the Head of the Sichuan Tang Family!”

“It is a rumor…”

“Enough.”

The Abbot stopped the two from arguing further.

‘Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon.’

The name was firmly etched into his mind now.

“I heard that Mount Hua is doing well recently, so there was a child like that with them. It is definitely a giant boon for them. If there is such a child, of course, the other children around him will also be drawn to it.”

“…even if it was a result of fighting without raising their swords, they unilaterally defeated the Southern Island Sect’s disciples. This is something that cannot be overlooked. Maybe…”

Gong Hwa bit his tongue.

He didn’t have to listen till the end to know what was happening.

‘Things might get difficult for the Shaolin Sect too.’

Gong Hwa wanted to talk about how the Shaolin Sect had played a big role in pushing Mount Hua out of the Nine Great Sects.

Of course, Mount Hua must hold a grudge against all the nine sects. But if Mount Hua rose to a position where it could threaten the nine sects, then there was no choice but to talk about their comeback.

This was something no one wanted. Therefore, no one would feel comfortable with it.

But…

The Abbot looked back. He could see the disciples of Mount Hua.

‘Mount Hua.’

It didn’t feel too nice.

Gong Hwa was concerned about it, but for the Abbot, it was a small thing.

But it held a much deeper meaning at the same time.

The sins of the previous Abbot weighed heavily on him.

“How long do I have to keep my palms open and cover the sky?”

“Sect Leader Abbot?”

“No, nothing.”

The Abbot shook his head.

‘A thing of the past.’

It was not even his time, but a few generations ago.

“Gong Hwa.”

“Yes, Abbot.”

“Don’t take your eyes off Mount Hua or their Divine Dragon!”

“Yes.”

“Let’s move.”

Saying that the Abbot hastened his pace a little. However, his steps felt heavier.

“…”

“…”

There were many words that weighed down people. But now, Chung Myung had realized a new thing.

‘Just saying it would be better.’

Hyun Jong sat in front of him.

As soon as they arrived at Hyun Jong’s room, he said nothing and just kept staring at Chung Myung. And it continued till now.

Thanks to Chung Myung being Chung Myung, he held on. But the other disciples were on the verge of fainting in this mental war.

Baek Cheon’s back was already wet with sweat.

‘Just beat us, Sect Leader!’

‘Getting beaten by Chung Myung is also good!’

‘P-please…’

But it just continued for a long time.

Hyun Jong, who stared at Chung Myung and the others until then, finally opened his mouth.

“I…”

“…”

“I didn’t ask for anything, just to not cause trouble…”

“…”

“I asked for it and left for a little while.”

Hyun Jong’s eyes were shining with rage, and Chung Myung smiled.

‘You look human now!’

When Chung Myung first saw him, he looked like some heaven-sent guru, but now looking at the anger in his eyes, Hyun Jong looked like a human.

“You couldn’t do that and went to create trouble! Yah, you stupid bastards! Ahhhh!”

In the end, Hyun Jong yelled and ran forward.

But his will couldn’t be fulfilled, and the other disciples grabbed him from both sides.

“Calm down, Sect Leader!”

“Ugh! Why are you so angry? Take a deep breath. A deep breath. Exhale!”

“What kind of breathing is that?”

“Ah, was I wrong?”

“Ahhh! You bastards! You stupid bastards!”

Hyun Jong tried to tackle Chung Myung. But thanks to the other disciples holding him down, he couldn’t move much.

“Not in some other place, but in the Shaolin Sect! In Shaooolin! I cannot even hold my face up anymore! I am that embarrassed!”

“Uh?”

And he tilted his head.

“Isn’t that a strange thought? We defeated the brats of the Southern Island Sect, and I think that is something we should be proud of! Now, hold your shoulders high and…!”

“Ahhhh!”

Hyun Jong took his shoes off and threw them at Chung Myung, who avoided them with a smile.

“Hehe. It is fine. You don’t have to praise me this harshly. As a disciple, I did what I was supposed to do.”

“Get outtttt!”

“For real?”

“Ah, no! Don’t go out! Never go out! Don’t go anywhere!”

Hyun Jong was pulling his hair as he yelled at Chung Myung.

“Ugh. We shouldn’t have come here! This is just the first day! How will I deal with everything that will happen from now? Ancestors, ancestors, please give me strength.”

Seeing him praying to the sky, Chung Myung looked up.

‘I don’t know if the ancestor you’re asking for help is me, but…’

‘This much is nice, right? Sect Leader sahyung?’

-Please hurry up and shut your mouth.

‘Ehh.’

‘That was a bit harsh.’

‘Hehehe.’