206 — Chance For Atonement. (2)

A deep underground space existing beneath the pavilion.

This place, once used for religious rites, had now been converted into a room for atonement.

The strange monk tied in front of an eerie statue spoke in a slurred tone.

“…You wicked ones. You all must die.”

Yu Jinsan smacked his cheek with a look of disbelief.

“Have you ever seen such insolence? He barged in and got captured, and now he calls others wicked?”

“You will… all die. You must die.”

The strange monk kept repeating the same words.

Was he resentful about being attacked by many? He certainly seemed thoroughly enraged.

But there was no reason to take his emotions into account during interrogation.

“Quiet, speak and confess what you know. I’m giving you one chance.”

They were very curious how many warriors were in Tianzhu, and what rank this strange monk held among them.

But he pressed his lips shut and bowed his head deeply, filled with a resolute will never to speak.

Baek Gyu, watching from the side, sighed and said.

“It seems he won’t speak. How about entrusting him to our Evil Sect Alliance’s technicians?”

They were politely called technicians, but were really specialists in torture.

It wasn’t strange for the Evil Sect Alliance to have such people; Yu Jinsan knew the Murim Alliance had them too.

But no matter what pain they inflicted, he wouldn’t make a sound.

“It’d be useless. He’s someone freed from suffering.”

“Hyung, you have a point, but isn’t there any other way?”

Neither torture nor persuasion would work; they knew well from seeing many with such strong convictions.

As he hesitated, Baek Gyu approached the strange monk and murmured.

“First seal his dantian completely, then look for other methods.”

Right now thin threads were layered and tied; they had been connected to the monk’s ring weapon, an object of tremendous elasticity and strength.

But given how dangerous he was, this alone couldn’t ensure safety.

Then Yu Jinsan urgently stopped him.

“Wait a moment.”

Baek Gyu, about to seal the monk’s dantian, stepped back and asked.

“Why? We should remove the threat in advance.”

“I’ll ask one more time as a final try.”

Yu Jinsan approached the strange monk and whispered.

“Are you resentful that you couldn’t fight one-on-one?”

“If you want, I’ll give you one chance.”

Baek Gyu, watching this, wore a bewildered expression.

He was a terrifying figure subdued by as many as three absolute warriors.

To have captured him with difficulty and then release him again? That would be madness.

“No, hyung, what on earth are you saying?”

“Trust me and wait a moment.”

At that moment the strange monk slowly began to lift his bowed head.

Then, with eyes full of fury, he slowly spoke.

“No one in the Central Plains’ Murim… can defeat me.”

Of course he meant a one-on-one duel. In any case, it was an arrogant confidence.

“He regards the warriors here as fools. If he’s so confident, I’ll give him a chance to test himself.”

“You mean… you’ll let me go?”

“Yes. We’ll have another one-on-one duel, and if you win you may leave.”

“How can I trust those words?”

His suspicion was natural—suddenly being freed and given a chance.

It was a situation that didn’t make sense logically.

“Whether you believe it or not, it’s your freedom. How can I prove it? I won’t lose anything anyway.”

The answer was as good as decided; there was no need to ponder.

“I accept.”

“But nothing in this world is free. There are conditions.”

The strange monk reacted calmly, as if he expected that.

“Speak.”

“Just tell us the information about the organization you’re part of, if you lose.”

“That’s impossible.”

Yu Jinsan snorted and mocked him.

“You just said you’d win against anyone. So what’s the problem?”

As the monk faltered, Yu Jinsan provoked him further.

“Why has your confidence suddenly shrunk? You’ve gotten scared.”

After hesitating briefly, he asked in a much smaller voice.

“Which one of the two will fight me?”

“You’re mistaken. Why do you think it’ll be one of the two of us?”

“Then who…”

Yu Jinsan gave a meaningful smile.

He inhaled deeply and then shouted forcefully upward.

“Child, come down here for a moment!!”

Because his voice carried internal qi, the underground chamber reverberated loudly.

The strange monk was startled and opened his eyes wide.

He instinctively understood as well.

That he was calling the peerless warrior who had subdued him in the market.

“Why that look? You said you could beat any warrior in the Central Plains’ Murim.”

The strange monk pondered for a moment, considering how much chance he had.

He already wanted to fight properly one more time.

If he hadn’t been careless then, and if his body hadn’t been exhausted, he wouldn’t have been defeated so absurdly.

Before he finished speaking, Yu Seol came running down from above.

“Grandpa, did you call me?”

“Yes. Can you fight this fellow for a bit?”

Yu Seol pointed to her chest with her index finger and asked.

“Me?”

“Yes. You said you’ve been itchy and bored lately, didn’t you?”

Yu Seol clenched both fists and jumped on the spot in delight.

“Really? I’m excited~”

There was not a trace of tension in her demeanor.

Perhaps sensing that, the strange monk urgently called to Yu Jinsan.

“W-wait.”

“Why? Has your mind changed again in the meantime?”

“No. I’m still… not healed from my injuries.”

The monk’s physical condition was not normal.

He had been pummeled by three absolute warriors and hit until he collapsed by the Yin Monster.

It was natural he wanted to fight in peak condition against such formidable opponents.

Yu Jinsan nodded as if doing a favor.

“A match must be fair. Will four days be enough?”

“Sufficient.”

Yu Jinsan, with a satisfied expression, began to loosen the ropes binding him.

There was no need to worry about escape.

This was a deep underground plaza, and there was only one entrance.

It would be impossible to single-handedly knock down the Yin Yang Twin Monster upstairs and flee.

“I can trust the condition, right?”

“Of course. If I lose, I’ll answer three questions.”

That was enough. The problem was there was no guarantee he’d keep his promise.

So Yu Jinsan wanted to make it more certain.

People with strong convictions usually value oaths deeply.

“Can you swear it?”

“I swear by the name of Soraeum Temple.”

It was the first time the name of his faction came from his mouth.

But Yu Jinsan tilted his head; it differed from the names he’d discovered during his investigations.

Could there be another faction in Tianzhu? His curiosity grew.

“The Blue Dragon Troops were called the One Eclipse Cult, but what’s Soraeum Temple? I don’t know if that’s a trustworthy oath.”

He didn’t expect an answer; he was just probing on a whim.

But unexpectedly the strange monk answered willingly, perhaps to show his sincerity.

“No difference. Long ago, since Soraeum Temple unified Tianzhu, they’ve been called that.”

His voice was full of pride.

From that one line a lot could be inferred.

‘There must have been many factions in Tianzhu, and they merged to become the One Eclipse Cult.’

And Soraeum Temple seemed to be the core of the One Eclipse Cult—the leading power among martial forces.

The rest would only be known after four days.

There was nothing more to gain here for now.

“I’ll come down again in four days, so focus on recovery. It’ll be the final fight.”

Yu Jinsan went up to the surface and sat facing Baek Gyu at the pavilion.

Grasping his teacup, he laughed heartily and said.

“Hahaha! After holding out against three, it seems Seol thinks she can win too.”

“I wonder why there are so many people trying to commit suicide these days.”

He seemed to underestimate the martial arts level of the Yin Monster.

It was a Profound Realm master who even Jeong Hye, Baek Gyu, and Yu Jinsan together would struggle to confront.

“Impressive as always, hyung. I really didn’t expect him to be caught.”

“We were lucky. I merely used the pride of an arrogant man.”

Baek Gyu drained his teacup at once and put it down with a thud.

“By the way, you mentioned Soraeum Temple and the One Eclipse Cult earlier; they seem more powerful than I thought.”

Yu Jinsan nodded in agreement.

“I suspect that not only their numbers but their martial arts skill surpasses ours.”

“We’ve encountered it already, but I still can’t grasp it. I thought they were a frontier people; how could they be so strong…?”

“The peerless art Seol has learned is actually a martial art of India. Do you understand now?”

Baek Gyu widened his eyes in shock, unable to imagine it.

“Is that really true?”

“Do you know the monk called the Hyun Jang?”

“You mean that Tripitaka monk who went to Tianzhu (India) long ago to obtain scriptures?”

“That’s right. The secret manual he risked his life to steal there is the Buddha Lion Roar Divine technique.”

Until now, the Central Plains’ Murim had been cut off from Tianzhu, so there was little information.

Maybe that’s why the revealed facts didn’t sink in; Baek Gyu was speechless for a while.

After a moment he muttered with an even darker expression.

“I really can’t believe it. Their martial arts are that remarkable.”

“Hmm. Who do you think influenced the martial arts of the Central Plains’ Murim?”

“Historically, wouldn’t it be Bodhidharma of the Shaolin Temple?”

“Right. Everyone thinks so. But did you know that Bodhidharma was from Tianzhu?”

“Hyung, you really planned to shock me today.”

Unlike the startled Baek Gyu, Yu Jinsan remained calm.

“In any case, since the origin of Central Plains’ martial arts is Tianzhu, it’s not surprising they might be superior to us.”

“So what should we do from now on?”

“Gathering information is the priority. Gaining experience is also important.”

Then Baek Gyu, as if he noticed something, swallowed a hollow laugh and asked.

“Could it be that arranging a duel with the Bloody Death Warrior was meant to give Seol experience?”

“You see it correctly. Get information and gain experience; two birds with one stone.”

It was a good opportunity for his granddaughter to be exposed to Tianzhu martial arts.

Although their enemy was the Murim Alliance, no one knew what the future held; they needed to prepare for them as well.

“As expected, hyung, you are very calculating.”

Yu Jinsan smiled silently and fixed his gaze somewhere.

His granddaughter was constantly going between the kitchen and the pavilion, carrying food.

“Child, where are you rushing to? What’s all that food?”

“Feed them well. So their wounds heal quickly.”

With that, Yu Seol slipped back into the pavilion.

Baek Gyu, watching her, mumbled with a dazed look.

“Hyung. Our niece just looked like the owner of Animal Farm.”

“I thought the same. They say you must fatten pigs well before slaughter for better meat.”

The thought gave Baek Gyu goosebumps, and his shoulders trembled like aspen leaves.