Chapter 368
.jpeg){kind=tracking}
Chapter 368: “I Will Grant Your Wish”
The abbot of Jaunsa Temple (자은사), Bulkwang, had no way of preventing Grand Master Jangchun and his group from entering. However, he couldn’t allow the Taoists to do as they pleased in the temple either.
“I will guide you personally,” he said, hiding his frustration.
It was a necessary compromise to maintain the dignity of the temple. Grand Master Jangchun nodded kindly, showing respect for the abbot’s position.
“Thank you for your understanding. We will appreciate your assistance.”
Bulkwang stepped forward, feigning calmness. To any outside observer, it seemed like he was simply giving the Taoists a tour of the temple.
Finally, he stopped in front of a building with a plaque that read Unsudang (운수당).
“This is the place.”
“We will take a look,” said Jangchun, asking permission before entering the pavilion.
Inside the Unsudang, two women were fervently praying, prostrating themselves tirelessly before the Buddha image. It was evident that they had come seeking blessings, probably hoping to have children.
Grand Master Jangchun examined the place with a sharp gaze. There was only a large Buddha statue in the center, an incense burner in front of it, and little else. It seemed like a simple and austere place.
His disciples, both direct and lay, entered behind him, observing in silence. Yeon Jeokha, one of the lay disciples, looked around and thought:
‘If this is the work of a person, it will be difficult to find the culprit. They probably hid well.’
That thought not only crossed Yeon Jeokha’s mind, but also that of the other disciples. With the sudden arrival of the Taoists from the Five Dragons Palace, anyone responsible must have already disappeared.
However, events don’t always go as expected.
As Grand Master Jangchun finished inspecting the interior and was about to leave, a gust of wind arose out of nowhere.
The dark wind and the arrival of the storm
¡Whoosh!
Suddenly, the clear midday sky darkened with black clouds. The light almost completely disappeared, leaving the area shrouded in shadows.
The monks who were gathered in front of the Unsudang stepped back with pale faces.
“It’s a demon!”
“It’s the work of an evil spirit!”
“Namu Amitabha Buddha, Namu Amitabha Buddha…”
The monks huddled around Bulkwang, fervently chanting mantras in an attempt to protect themselves. It was the first time they had experienced anything like this, and their fear was palpable.
¡Kraaaack! ¡Boom!
Thunder roared from the black clouds, making the ground tremble. The monks intensified their prayers, as the scene in front of the Unsudang descended into chaos.
Grand Master Jangchun, now fully alert, took an annihilation talisman (멸진부) from his clothes.
“Mantra to dispel evil (파사의 진언),” he murmured as he threw the talisman towards the black clouds.
¡Whoosh!
¡Boom!
The talisman burned upon contact with the clouds, but it had no effect. The clouds, far from dissipating, began to expand even further, completely covering the surroundings of the Unsudang and plunging the area into complete darkness.
Screams and heart-wrenching laments arose from the clouds, accompanied by inhuman shrieks. The sound was so terrifying that some of those present fainted. The monks, unable to withstand the pressure, began to move away from the Unsudang.
However, the Taoists of the Five Dragons Palace remained firm. They had come prepared to face an evil spirit or a demon of lust, and they had no intention of fleeing.
“¡Kal (갈)!”
Grand Master Jangchun drew his Songmun Ancient Sword (송문고검), setting aside the peach wood sword he used against spirits. It was evident that he recognized he was not dealing with a simple evil spirit.
“Constellations of the North, the Nine Stars (북두구진), the Shadowless Heaven (중천무영)!”
With a shout, he launched a powerful cut towards the black clouds. The sword emitted a flash, cutting the clouds in two for a moment, but they quickly rejoined.
Suddenly, a monstrous figure emerged from the clouds: a huge Asura, with a ferocious face and an imposing body. With a deafening roar, he raised his giant hand and aimed it at Grand Master Jangchun.
Surprised, Jangchun blocked the attack with his sword.
¡Boom!
The impact was so strong that it caused the master to stagger back, feeling the pain of an internal injury.
“This is the Asura Destroyer Fist (수라멸겁장)! Is it possible…?”
With a pale face, Jangchun shouted to his disciples:
“It’s a demon too powerful! Huyan all!”
Despite their master’s order, Gwanghae, Gongjin, and Gyeongam did not move. They couldn’t leave their injured master behind. On the contrary, the three ran to his side to support him.
Just then, the Asura raised his hand again to crush them. Although the disciples tried to defend themselves with their swords, they were unsuccessful.
¡Boom!
The impact of the dark energy fell upon them. Gwanghae, although trembling, managed to contain a cry of pain. However, Gongjin and Gyeongam could not withstand it. Gyeongam, the weakest of the three, coughed up blood and fell to the ground.
As the three disciples looked desperately at the Asura, a flash of bright light shot out from inside the Unsudang.
¡Whoosh!
The light pierced through the Asura’s hand, making him recoil as he let out a heart-wrenching scream.
“¡Kyaaaaah!”
The light did not stop there, but continued to streak through the black clouds, illuminating the sky and unleashing a storm of thunder. Finally, it returned to the Unsudang.
With the disappearance of the light, the black clouds began to slowly dissipate.
Grand Master Jangchun looked towards the roof of a building in front of the Unsudang. There, an old man dressed in humble clothes, typical of a temple worker, was calmly observing.
He was such a common figure that, had it not been for recent events, he would have gone unnoticed.
“Is it the Asura Demon Lord (수라마존)?” Jangchun murmured, shuddering.
In the Murim world, the worst enemies were not the bandits of the Nokrim nor the followers of the Yoomyung Cult. Although both had faced the Wudang Sect for centuries, there was always room for dialogue.
However, there was an absolute evil with which it was impossible to communicate: the Heavenly Mountains Demonic Cult (천산의 마교).
The Asura Demon Lord (수라마존) had been one of the great masters of this sect, a name that had faded into history along with the cult. However, his presence still caused chills, as his reputation was that of a completely ruthless being.
As the humble-looking old man twisted his mouth into a macabre smile, an echo of sinister laughter resonated around him. It was a legendary mystical technique, known as the Voice of the Six Worlds (육합전성).
“¡Ja, ja, ja! It’s admirable that someone still remembers my existence. For that reason, I will grant you a painless death.”
However, despite his bombastic words, the Asura Demon Lord did not move from his place.
Grand Master Jangchun, pale, noticed something strange. Although he seemed about to attack, the demon was doing nothing. It was then that he remembered the ray of light that had come out of the Unsudang.
‘Could it be that he is afraid of that light?’
The fact that the black clouds dissipated so suddenly was also suspicious.
At that moment, Yeon Jeokha, a lay disciple, calmly walked out of the Unsudang. What caught Grand Master Jangchun’s attention was the object in Yeon Jeokha’s hand: a dagger.
‘Could it be that that ray of light was this dagger?’ thought the master.
Yeon Jeokha, ignoring the tension surrounding him, passed by his master and the other Taoists, placing himself in front.
“So you’re a decrepit old man playing the role of an evil spirit? A mere demon of lust?”
“¡¿What did you say?! ¡Demon of lust, you say! ¡How dare you! My full title is…”
The Asura Demon Lord, enraged, was about to reveal his identity, but Yeon Jeokha interrupted him with disdain.
“Bah, I’m not interested in titles. What is an old man doing acting like a ghost? Do you like being a spirit so much? Well, if it’s your desire, I can grant it. Come here, don’t run away.”
Yeon Jeokha’s provocation left the Asura Demon Lord stunned. He was one of the Ten Masters of the Demonic Cult (마교십존), feared throughout Murim. Even the famous Ten Masters of the World (천하십대고수) emerged only after the cult withdrew from the world. If the cult had remained active, its fame would have been unparalleled.
(Note: WHAT STRESS IT IS TO TRANSLATE NEW TERMS THAT ARE LIKE OUR DAILY BREAD IN THIS NOVEL, AHHHHH!)
(NOTE 2: ALTHOUGH IT’S INTERESTING THAT THERE IS ALSO A DEMON CULT HERE, I THOUGHT THE DEMON CULT WAS THE YOOMYUNG CULT, BUT I SEE THAT THEY ARE DIFFERENT POWERS.)
“This… this… ¡¿damn madman?!”
The old man trembled with anger, but he didn’t come down from the roof. Unnoticed by anyone, a drop of blood fell from his right hand, the result of the wound suffered during the failed Asura Destroyer Fist (수라멸겁장).
The old man gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger, and forced a smile.
“Je, je… kid, what’s your name?”
“Why does a dying old man want to know so much? I told you to come here. Can’t you come down because you’re scared? Do you want me to go up?”
Yeon Jeokha provoked him even further, gesturing for him to come closer.
The old man, trying to remain calm, changed the subject:
“Cough, cough. Kid, what’s that you’re holding in your hand? It doesn’t look like a common object. Is it a sacred artifact?”
“This? I just picked it up off the ground.”
Yeon Jeokha lifted the dagger and swung it in front of his eyes. It was a weapon he had obtained years ago during a fight at the Po Family sanctuary. Although it was a fortuitous find, he technically wasn’t lying.
The old man frowned at the answer. Something didn’t add up, and he decided to be more direct.
“I’ll ask you without beating around the bush. Were you the one who destroyed my Asura Destroyer Fist?”
“Are you referring to that ridiculous giant hand? Yes, it was me. Why does it have such a grandiose name for something so useless? But tell me, are you still up there because you’re thinking about running away?”
The Asura Demon Lord was incredulous. From the young man’s calm attitude, he didn’t seem to be lying, but he couldn’t accept the possibility that a simple young man had surpassed him.
Finally, his patience ran out.
“Very well. If what you desire is death, I will grant you that wish.”
With an elegant movement, the old man jumped from the roof to the courtyard in front of the Unsudang. In the air, he launched a powerful energy attack.
¡Boom!
The attack descended like a bolt of lightning towards Yeon Jeokha. However, the young man reacted quickly, throwing the dagger in the direction of the old man.
¡Ssshhh!
The dagger pierced through the energy attack as if cutting through the air, flying directly towards the old man. Alarmed, he tried to dodge it with quick movements. But the dagger was no ordinary weapon; it spun in the air like a snake, relentlessly pursuing him.
It was the weapon control technique, Igi Eogeom (이기어검).
The old man flew around the Unsudang with desperate movements, unable to get rid of the dagger. Finally, the blade reached him, grazing his waist.
“¡Urgh!”
Although it was just a graze, the wound was deep, and a torrent of blood gushed from his body. The old man’s expression immediately changed. It was the first time in his life that he had suffered such a serious injury.
When he looked at the young man, he was preparing another attack, with the dagger hovering over the roof of the Unsudang, ready to descend again.
The feeling of danger was overwhelming. Knowing that he couldn’t escape if he continued to face that weapon, the Asura Demon Lord made the decision to flee.
As the old man fled without looking back, Yeon Jeokha retrieved the dagger and approached Grand Master Jangchun, who was still observing in shock.
“Who was that old man? Do you know him?” he asked calmly.