Black and White Martial Emperor

“Hmm?”

Daoist Seunghyeon turned from the tea and looked out the window.

Venerable Gonggong regarded the Daoist curiously.

“What is it?”

“......”

“Daoist Seunghyeon?”

“Goodness.”

Daoist Seunghyeon shook his head.

“I suppose age truly is catching up with me. I seem to be hearing things now.”

“Hearing things? What did you hear?”

“Ha ha. Some time ago, at your request, I imparted a small insight to Commander Yeon—or rather, Supreme Commander Yeon.”

“Ah, I remember.”

“Supreme Commander Yeon’s past and present have been drenched in blood. To be frank, judging by the sheer amount of blood he has spilled, it would hardly be an exaggeration to call him an unparalleled demon.”

Venerable Gonggong nodded gravely.

It was true that Yeon Hojeong had seen a great deal of blood, but how could anyone condemn him for it? The fact that his life had become so stained with blood might well be the fault of elders of the martial world like them.

Not merely “might.” That is almost certainly the truth.

Yeon Hojeong was exceptionally capable in more ways than one.

An awl in one’s pocket would inevitably pierce through. How could the Martial Alliance possibly leave such an outstanding talent idle? More than half the blood he had spilled had been shed at the Martial Alliance’s command.

How truly shameful.

Venerable Gonggong suddenly sighed.

He had merely heard something everyone already knew—that Yeon Hojeong had seen much blood. Yet it made him feel ashamed all over again for allowing so much blood to stain the young man’s hands.

At least Daoist Seunghyeon had imparted some Wudang wisdom to Yeon Hojeong to help him find peace of mind. Venerable Gonggong himself had done nothing for him.

Whether aware of Venerable Gonggong’s feelings or not, Daoist Seunghyeon continued calmly.

“In truth, even someone of considerable mental fortitude would have had much of his emotion worn away. Killing would have become easy, and the smell of blood would no longer have sickened him.”

“A regrettable thing indeed.”

“Yet Supreme Commander Yeon was different. He was not entirely untouched by such changes, of course, but his gaze remained remarkably clear and deep for a warrior who had seen so much blood. In some respects, even more so than the old Daoist fools at Wudang.”

“Ha ha.”

“He seemed remarkably adept at steadying his wavering heart. The help of those around him undoubtedly played a large part, but so did his own character. Supreme Commander Yeon does not fear change, and he knows how to take the advice of others seriously.”

Daoist Seunghyeon smiled.

“Perhaps it was mere coincidence, but for a moment, I thought I heard Supreme Commander Yeon’s voice outside the window. I heard him reciting the teaching behind that meager insight I once passed on to him.”

Venerable Gonggong spoke kindly.

“Your enlightenment lies in a realm beyond this humble monk’s imagination. Your heartfelt concern for Supreme Commander Yeon must surely have reached his heart.”

Daoist Seunghyeon waved that away.

“Please, do not gild this old Daoist’s face. Enlightenment? It sounds grand when put that way, but after wandering in circles all these years, I have only now begun to follow teachings even young Daoist acolytes know. And yet I am the leader of Wudang. Then again, my master was quite the eccentric.”

Acquiring ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) knowledge was an arduous discipline.

Truly understanding what one knew was even harder, and transforming that genuine understanding into new wisdom was harder still.

That was why Venerable Gonggong acknowledged Daoist Seunghyeon not merely as a martial artist, but as a true Daoist. Daoist Seunghyeon had not stopped at simply knowing what everyone else knew, but had elevated that knowledge into wisdom.

What was that, if not enlightenment? Shameful as it was to admit, Venerable Gonggong believed he did not even come close to Daoist Seunghyeon.

And that very humility was likely what made Venerable Gonggong truly himself, though he remained unaware of it.

Daoist Seunghyeon spoke in a cheerful tone.

“In any case, let us return to what we were discussing. So, did you send Beomo and Gate Master Lee to Guangdong?”

“To be precise, I sent Gate Master Lee, and Beomo volunteered to accompany him.”

“Ha ha. I heard you gave your disciple-nephew a severe rebuke recently.”

Venerable Gonggong smiled bitterly.

“Thinking back on it makes me ashamed all over again. I told myself it was for my disciple-nephew’s future, but in hindsight, I must have been deeply frustrated as well. Even if my expectations were high, there was no need to be disappointed when they were not met. Yet I failed to master even my own heart. It was hardly conduct befitting a monk.”

Indeed, Venerable Gonggong had never given anyone such harsh counsel before rebuking Beomo.

Perhaps Venerable Gonggong, too, had begun to see things he had never noticed before after emerging into the world again and encountering so many exceptional people in every field.

There was no need even to mention Yeon Hojeong. Mo Yong-woo alone was far younger than Beomo, yet he was hailed alongside Yeon Hojeong as the greatest younger-generation master under heaven and carried out all manner of missions.

A comparison with Beomo was inevitable. This incident had made Venerable Gonggong realize that such comparisons were not merely meaningless, but could also wound a young sprout still struggling to grow. He had reflected deeply on that.

Since entering the Martial Alliance, he had found himself looking back on his own conduct time and again.

Daoist Seunghyeon gave a rueful smile.

“I once sought out Supreme Commander Yeon over something similar.”

“Ah, you mean Okcheong?”

“Indeed. No matter how dear my junior brother is to me, I went to confront Supreme Commander Yeon without considering the circumstances. It seems all my years of discipline were for nothing.”

Venerable Gonggong smiled strangely.

“Now that we speak of it, everything seems to be connected to Supreme Commander Yeon.”

“So it does. They say that no matter how vast the world may be, only one true hero emerges in each generation. And that hero shakes the Heavenly Dao and brings an age of chaos to an end.”

Daoist Seunghyeon smacked his lips.

“I sometimes wonder whether Supreme Commander Yeon might become the foremost figure of the next generation.”

“I have had the same thought. He is certainly talented enough to deserve such an appraisal.”

“Goodness, our conversation keeps wandering. Why did you specifically dispatch Gate Master Lee? Lee Cheolgyeong of the Vajra Fist Gate may be a renowned master, but does Shaolin not have countless warriors who surpass even him?”

“Of course.”

“Is there something else you are after?”

Venerable Gonggong’s expression grew slightly serious.

“In Foshan, Guangdong Province, there are Buddhist masters with ties to Shaolin who live in seclusion.”

Daoist Seunghyeon’s eyes widened.

“Buddhist masters, you say...?”

“This is not known to the world, so I would ask that you keep it strictly to yourself.”

In other words, it was a secret known only to Shaolin.

Hearing such a thing disclosed so calmly could only please the listener, for it was proof of immense trust.

Yet inwardly, Daoist Seunghyeon grew tense.

Being entrusted with a secret known only to Shaolin was both a mark of great trust and a frightening restriction. If this story ever began circulating within Wudang, Daoist Seunghyeon would never again be able to face Venerable Gonggong.

“I understand. My lips will remain sealed.”

“In truth, if those masters act directly, Supreme Commander Yeon or the Righteous Justice Corps may discover that they have ties to our main temple.”

Venerable Gonggong smiled bitterly.

“The fact that I am willing to risk even that to help him shows that Supreme Commander Yeon must have me thoroughly bewitched.”

“Ha ha.”

“Several elders from previous generations of our main temple have gathered in Foshan, Guangdong, along with elders from other Buddhist orders scattered throughout the Central Plains.”

“......?”

“And they remain in Foshan to uphold a Buddhist legacy passed down for centuries.”

“A Buddhist legacy?”

“I cannot tell you more than that. You need only know that this legacy is exceedingly important and that they have guarded it for nearly three hundred years.”

“Three hundred years...!”

The words were easy to say, but the sheer span of time was staggering. They said the landscape changed in ten years. Three hundred years was enough for it to change more than thirty times—enough time for a kingdom’s dynasty to rise and fall.

“Some of those elders were warrior monks, while others were scholarly monks. What matters, however, is that their influence is tremendous.”

“Their influence?”

“For three hundred years, retired elder monks have spent the remainder of their lives there. How many Buddhist masters do you think have passed peacefully in Foshan? And before their deaths, how much benevolent influence must they have exerted on the surrounding region?”

“......!”

“Of course, they do not wish their existence to become known. Even the leader of Wudang was unaware of them.”

“Goodness.”

Venerable Gonggong smacked his lips.

“Gate Master Lee Cheolgyeong’s great-grandfather is currently the most senior elder there. Lee Cheolgyeong was accepted as a lay disciple of Shaolin because our ties with his family stretch back generations. Though even taking that into account, Cheolgyeong’s talent was exceptional.”

Daoist Seunghyeon asked urgently, “Then are you saying that if those elders lend their strength, they could be of tremendous help to the Martial Alliance?”

Venerable Gonggong shook his head.

“They might. Or they might not.”

“What do you mean?”

“They have upheld that Buddhist legacy in Foshan for three hundred years. Even among Shaolin’s elders of previous generations, only a tiny handful were permitted to go there.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you understand? They are not people who can easily be moved. They have set aside even the teaching that they must benefit the world, devoting the rest of their lives to upholding a legacy from three hundred years ago. I cannot say whether such a request will sway them.”

Daoist Seunghyeon sighed.

“If that is the case, would it not have been better to use Shaolin’s influence to secretly assign a few masters to them? Had you spoken to me, this old Daoist would also have lent a hand...”

“The forces dispatched by the Martial Alliance must end with the Righteous Justice Corps. That is how it should be.”

“Hmm.”

“However... perhaps that judgment also comes from my great faith in Supreme Commander Yeon and Commander Mo Yong.”

Venerable Gonggong looked out the window.

Though he had claimed to fall short of Daoist Seunghyeon as a man of spiritual discipline, his insight into the world far surpassed the Daoist’s.

“This humble monk believes he has done everything within his power. Supreme Commander Yeon will do the same, as will Gate Master Lee and Beomo.”

“Do all you can, then await the will of Heaven...”

“I can only pray with all my heart that they complete their mission safely and return.”

*****

“So Young Master Yeon—no, Supreme Commander Yeon—said that?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Ga Deoksang rubbed his hands together with a broad grin.

“It’s been a while since we ran a joint operation. I wonder if we’ll still work well together. Shall we turn the whole place upside down?”

Just then—

“S-Successor!”

“Huh? What is it?”

“We have a serious problem!”

“Then tell me what the problem is so I can understand! We’re wasting time, so spit it out! Supreme Commander Yeon hates it when people miss his deadlines!”

“There was an earthquake!”

“......What?”

“W-We’ve received an urgent report that an earthquake and a landslide struck the place where the man called Hong Gwan is supposedly hiding! The entire area has been completely devastated!”

Ga Deoksang stared blankly at the beggar.

“What the hell are you talking about? An earthquake? A landslide? Out of nowhere?”

“We don’t know exactly what happened! We want to investigate, but assassins are watching from every direction, so we can’t approach—!”

At that moment, another beggar came rushing inside.

“Damn it, move! Successor! Urgent news!”

“What is it this time?!”

“A letter has arrived!”

“Fuck! We get letters all the time! Who sent it?!”

“Someone claiming to be the Yin God’s disciple!”

“What?”

“The Yin God’s disciple!”

Ga Deoksang burst out laughing in disbelief.

“......What the hell? Why has everything suddenly gone to shit?”