87 — All You Have To Do Is Get Over The Peak There (1)

Was it because the place where the wall had been drilled was the Buddhist Text Library?

The room Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter entered contained records.

About a hundred small statues of gods lined up.

The terrifying figures of seated Buddhas each had a book placed on their knees.

“Wow…”

Yu Seol couldn’t take her eyes off them, captivated by the mysterious and majestic atmosphere.

“We don’t have time to stay here. Let’s go.”

Yu Jinsan also wanted to take a look at the books because he knew each was a martial arts secret worth thousands of gold.

But with the monks drawing closer, he couldn’t afford to hesitate. There had to be monks guarding the library’s gate.

Instead of going out through the gate, Yu Jinsan moved to the opposite wall and struck it.

Kwang!!

Another hole was drilled, leading to a larger room.

Numerous books were there too, but they didn’t look as grand as the previous ones. These were probably of relatively low value.

Regardless, it doesn’t matter now. They had to escape from this place. Yu Jinsan continued to break through the wall.

Kwang! Kwang!!

After breaking through two more walls, a beam of light shone in, and the outside was finally visible.

The monks’ siege grew tighter, and he couldn’t let his guard down now.

“From here, you take the lead.”

“Okay.”

Yu Seol gripped the bamboo stick and began to clear the path ahead, while Yu Jinsan assisted from the side and gave her directions.

The monks were relentless in their pursuit.

‘Such stubborn people.’

The intensity of the chase intensified.

It seemed as though they were mobilizing all their strength to prevent their escape. Although the weaker monks were not a concern, there were quite a few with strong martial arts skills.

Without his granddaughter’s help, he would have been overwhelmed long ago.

After much difficulty, they finally broke free from the encirclement, but the situation was far from easy.

“Make sure to catch them!”

“Those people stole the martial arts secrets from the Buddhist Text Library!”

Yu Jinsan turned back in confusion, certain he hadn’t touched anything in this place.

“Damn it, now these people are calling us thieves! These Justice Faction people!”

At that moment, Yu Seol turned her head and smiled.

She pulled a book from her pocket and showed it to him.

“I borrowed it. I’ll read this when I get bored.”

“…”

He hadn’t noticed it at all.

There was no point in blaming her now, so he just looked at the title of the book she was holding.

‘…Hundred Steps Divine Fist?’

The Hundred Steps Divine Fist was an emerging martial art that unleashed the utmost strength when aimed at an enemy from a distance.

It was a martial art that Shaolin was proud of, supposedly imbued with the strength of Buddha, and only a small number of monks who had earned the title of “Buddha’s Body” were given the right to train it.

It was unknown whether she chose it by coincidence, but considering its value, it felt like she had chosen the right item.

Now, there was one more reason for the monks to chase them relentlessly.

“Those people! Will you not return the book right now?!”

It was clear from the yelling behind them that the monks cared more about the book than catching them.

“Hurry up and give it to Grandpa.”

“You want to see it? Just make sure to give it back to me later!”

“Okay.”

Yu Seol handed over the book and took the lead, running ahead. After a while…

They stopped.

The road that led from the Three Emperors Forest to a village was blocked.

Four monks were blocking the path. Four monks stood in their way, each marked with one to four dots on their foreheads, distinguishing them from other Arhats.

“…Four Great Golden Strengths?”

They were supposed to be meditating in the Dharma Cave and could only come out with the Abbot’s permission.

Each of them had to be above the Super Master level, and it was known that their team could even take on the Grand Masters.

“Amitabha. You cannot pass from here.”

The monks stood firm, with the 108 Arhat monks arrayed behind them.

Yu Jinsan found himself in a tight spot but remained unpanicked.

He clutched the book in both hands.

“If you do not back down, I will tear this book to pieces!”

The four monks flinched at his words.

The book in Yu Jinsan’s hands was the original from the library, an item they valued more than their lives, and they needed it.

They hadn’t anticipated facing such a threat and now stood in shock.

“How can you resort to something so cowardly…?”

“Return the book quickly!”

Yu Jinsan took a step forward, his hands still gripping the book.

“Just try to make any foolish moves.”

Losing the book would mean they would all be held accountable. No one could afford to step forward. As they hesitated, Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter walked past them.

The monks watched their retreating figures, restless and unsure of what to do.

After a while,

“What are you doing, not chasing after them?!”

An old monk came running from afar and shouted.

The Four Great Golden Strength monks appeared, their hands clasped before their chests, and approached Monk Hye Un.

“They said if we pursued them, they would tear apart the stolen book from the Buddhist Text Library.”

“If there is no book, then the martial arts will vanish! We can reattach the torn parts, so hurry up and chase after them!”

“But isn’t entry prohibited?”

Monk Hye Un sighed in frustration.

“As you can see, those Yin and Yang Twin Monsters are tired now. How can we miss the chance that Buddha himself has given us?”

“…if the Abbot finds out, he’ll be unhappy with this.”

“I’ll take responsibility. Hurry, catch them, and bring back the stolen book too!”

---

During that time, Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter, who were running along the narrow mountain path, reached a crossroads.

The two stopped and looked at each other.

Yu Seol’s face was exhausted, perhaps because they had been running too much. She had overexerted herself with her martial arts skills and consumed a great deal of her internal qi.

“Child, listen to your grandfather carefully now.”

“Uh?”

“I think we must separate here. Can you head to Mister Pung Ho in Kaifeng?”

Yu Seol never forgot a path once she had taken it. If she wanted, she could reach Kaifeng in under two hours.

“What? Can’t we go together?”

“If the pursuers are dispersed, we can escape more easily.”

“…”

His granddaughter’s eyes sought a reason, but there was no time for explanations.

Yu Jinsan handed her the book she had stolen.

“Take this and go quickly. And here is your gift…”

He then took out the Night Pearls he had brought from the Repentance Cave.

The child’s mouth fell open at the sight of them.

“Wow… so there was treasure in it!”

“It’s a precious stone that shines brighter as the darkness deepens. Well, we don’t have time to delve into details, so you must hurry.”

“Grandpa, are you going to be okay?”

Yu Seol looked at her grandfather, her face etched with concern.

But what could she do? There was no time for second thoughts.

“Of course, our Seol is quick, so take the left path. Grandpa will take the shortcut to the right.”

“Alright, Grandpa. You need to run away, too.”

“Okay. They will surely chase after you, so make sure to run as fast as you can. I’ll see you at the Snow Mountain Escort Services this evening.”

“Yes!”

The two shared a brief glance before sprinting off in opposite directions at the crossroads.

As his granddaughter vanished from sight, Yu Jinsan turned around.

“Go down swiftly, child. As fast as you can.”

Despite his words, he had sent her down the shortest route.

The road was rough, with a narrow cliff and a steep path, but for Yu Seol, who could even step on air, it was as though she walked on flat land.

Perhaps feeling a sense of relief, a groan escaped his lips.

“Kuak…”

Yu Jinsan frowned and clutched the robe he was wearing.

A red palm print had been seared onto his chest. While fleeing, someone’s palm inflicted an injury on him.

He did not show it, but he had accumulated several small and large wounds on his body.

This was in stark contrast to Yu Seol, who did not have a single wound.

He pressed on the wound, leaving behind drops of blood on the ground.

Each movement intensified the pain, but he knew he could not afford to waste time, feeling the presence of someone approaching.

Tat!

Yu Jinsan surged forward, releasing qi from his body to draw the attention of his pursuers.

“This way!”

“The demonic ones went this way!”

Yu Jinsan ran, clutching his wound, his breathing growing labored as the presence behind him closed in.

They were likely the Four Great Golden Strengths, which meant there was no chance of victory against them—not even against one.

In this hopeless situation, Yu Jinsan sifted through his memories to visualize the map.

‘Maybe if I can make it over the peak there…’

There had to be a river at the base of that cliff. He might have a chance to escape by jumping from there, potentially saving his life.

And that location was not too far away.

Suddenly, Yu Jinsan’s desperate, light footwork came to an abrupt halt.

“…?”

His eyes dilated as if he were losing light, and his previously calm demeanor amidst the 108 Arhat was turning to anxiety.

About a dozen feet ahead, someone squatted on a huge rock wedged between two trees.

An old man with torn clothes and unkempt hair, he resembled a beggar.

It was unusual to see him chewing on a tree trunk.

‘…it cannot be, right?’

There was only one person who came to mind.

Monk Jeong Hye was a monk who had strayed from the teachings of Shaolin Temple.

He had hoped the information from the Black Night Clan was unfounded, but now he was certain.

“Hyung, where are you going?”

Hyung? Yu Jinsan looked around.

No one else was there but him.

‘Does he already know that I am an old man who has undergone Body Reformation?’

While he assessed the situation, the squatting monk disappeared, as if shattering an illusion.

Shhh!!

Without hesitation, Yu Jinsan quickly twisted his upper body, sensing a hand reaching out from the side.

Pang!

The hand that had just grazed his chest suddenly changed direction, moving too fast for him to dodge with his injured body.

“Kuak!”

Struck in an instant, Yu Jinsan was pushed aside by the monk.

The force was so strong that he couldn’t move right away.

It felt like he was a child who had just found a new toy.

“Hehehe. Hyung, want to try this?”

Looking up, he saw the deviant monk offering the chunk of the tree trunk he had been gnawing on.

Was this a test?

No matter how he viewed the man, it was hard to believe he was sane.

‘This is a full-blown disaster.’