Chapter 369
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Chapter 369: “I Also Have a Name”
Grandmaster Jangchun was utterly bewildered. The appearance of the Asura Demon Lord (수라마존), one of the feared Ten Masters of the Demonic Cult (마교십존), in the world was alarming enough.
Even more incredible was that this demon, a figure so feared that even the great sects avoided him, had fled after confronting Yeon Jeokha’s Igi Eogeom (이기어검).
In the Murim world, the Demonic Cult was considered absolute evil. While the Nokrim bandits avoided confronting the Seven Great Sects (칠파일문), the masters of the Demonic Cult did the opposite: even the Seven Great Sects fled from them.
That’s why the Asura Demon Lord might have felt insulted to see Taoists from the Wudang Sect (무당파) invading his territory.
‘How dare they appear here, where I am?’ he surely thought.
However, if it hadn’t been for Yeon Jeokha, he would have accomplished his purpose without incident.
With a stunned expression, Master Jangchun returned to reality when he heard Yeon Jeokha’s question:
“What is the Demonic Cult?”
“Don’t you know?”
For Yeon Jeokha, who had lived isolated in a warehouse before becoming a bandit in the Five Peaks Mountain (오봉산), the Demonic Cult was a completely unknown concept.
“It’s an organization that dominated the world before the Yoomyung Cult emerged. Have you heard the term Mado?”
“Yes.”
He remembered hearing it in a talk by the Taoist Gwangseongja, who explained that Mado referred to a path that sought power through perverse methods.
“The term Mado arose because of the Demonic Cult. They openly pursued enlightenment through darkness, which they called the path of the Demonic Masters (마선). With that absurd idea that immortality could be achieved in the extremes of darkness, they massacred countless people.”
“And did they achieve that immortality?”
“It was said that a demonic master, who called himself the Supreme Celestial Demon (천자마), claimed to have achieved it. He was known as the Celestial Demon (천마).”
“Wow! The world is full of crazy people. I’ve never heard anything like that,” Yeon Jeokha replied, shaking his head in disbelief.
But after reflecting for a moment, it didn’t seem so surprising. On the path to enlightenment, many stray, even among the Taoists of the Wudang Sect; some were eccentric.
Master Jangchun allowed himself a slight smile.
“Perhaps it’s because these stories happened before the Yoomyung Cult appeared and because the Demonic Cult disappeared from Murim a long time ago. Even I had forgotten it. But tell me, where did you learn those skills? Don’t they come from the Wudang Sect?”
“It’s a family martial art.”
“Ah! You must come from a very prestigious martial family. Can you tell me which family it is?”
“It was the Waryong Manor (와룡장), but it was completely destroyed by the Yoomyung Cult. Now there is nothing left.”
“Ah, I see…”
Master Jangchun murmured the name of the Waryong Manor, trying to remember where he had heard it before, but he couldn’t clearly locate it.
“By the way,” Yeon Jeokha continued, “you mentioned something about that old demon before. Who exactly was he?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I was so distracted that I digressed. That old man was the Asura Demon Lord, one of the Ten Masters of the Demonic Cult. Before the Ten Masters of the World emerged, he was one of the most feared figures in Murim. That someone like that was hiding here, in the Jaunsa Temple, is incredible.”
Master Jangchun shook his head in disbelief.
It was incomprehensible that a demonic master of such a high level would have chosen to hide in a Buddhist temple.
At that moment, two lay disciples timidly emerged from the Unsudang. Both had witnessed Yeon Jeokha’s skills and avoided looking at him directly, intimidated by his power.
The temple abbot, Bulkwang, and several elderly monks cautiously approached.
“Namu Amitabha Buddha. Who was that demon who escaped?” asked the abbot.
“The Asura Demon Lord, one of the former masters of the Demonic Cult,” Jangchun replied. “It seems he was posing as a simple monk here in the temple.”
“Namu Amitabha Buddha! How could someone so vile be in a sacred temple like this?”
The abbot could not hide his shame. That a demonic master had been wreaking havoc in the Unsudang was a scandal he would rather keep hidden.
“The Asura Demon Lord is an exceptional master. It’s normal that no one noticed him. You should consider it a relief that he has now been revealed,” said Jangchun.
The worried abbot asked:
“Master, how do you plan to handle this situation?”
Jangchun knew that if this information spread, it would damage the temple’s reputation. The women seeking blessings in the Unsudang, like Tang Yujeong, would have been victims of the demonic master’s tricks.
“For now, let’s say it was just an incident during an exorcism ritual. Such events often attract evil energies. But we have already expelled the demon, so they shouldn’t worry anymore.”
The abbot let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you for your help. We will make sure to reward the Wudang Sect appropriately.”
To inform the Infinite Heaven Alliance?
After the abbot and the monks withdrew, Gwanghae asked in a low voice:
“Master, will you report this to the Infinite Heaven Alliance (호천맹)?”
Jangchun hesitated. If the alliance found out, Tang Yujeong would eventually find out too, which would complicate things even further.
Turning to Yeon Jeokha, he asked:
“What do you think? Should we inform them about the appearance of the Asura Demon Lord?”
“If he had a hidden plan, we should. But if he was just hiding, I don’t see why we should bother everyone with this.”
Jangchun pondered his words and nodded.
“It’s true. He didn’t seem to be plotting anything important. Let’s keep this quiet. Do we all agree?”
The disciples responded in unison:
“Yes.”
There was no hesitation: everyone shared the idea that bringing what happened to light would bring nothing good.
The journey back to Mount Wudang (무당산) was completely calm. No one dared to bother the Taoists of the Wudang Sect. Even the direct disciples, who previously left minor tasks to the lay disciples, began to set an example by participating in them.
As November progressed, the leaves began to fall on Wudangshan, and the Five Dragons Palace (오룡궁) also experienced significant changes.
Yeodongbin’s lay disciples had stopped criticizing Yeon Jeokha. His outstanding skill in mystical arts had placed him as the best among them. With his proven strength, there was no longer room for unnecessary words. Although some uncomfortable rumors still persisted in Namchaego, their impact had diminished significantly.
Meanwhile, most of the disciples continued to struggle to advance in their training. Even prominent disciples like Man Hwangju and Cheonsangdong failed to pass the question-and-answer tests (mundapsik).
However, something surprising happened at the end of November: three newly arrived female disciples from the White Lotus House (백화궁) passed the tests and were promoted. With this, Yeodongbin added a total of seventeen lay disciples, and Yeon Jeokha gained three younger brothers and three younger sisters under his rank.
Despite this, the new female disciples kept their distance from him. Their attitude suggested that they thought Yeon Jeokha had been promoted without undergoing the same rigorous tests.
While they called other older disciples respectfully, using the titles of “older brother” (sahyeong) and “older sister” (sajeo), they referred to Yeon Jeokha simply as “hey, you.”
With the arrival of December, the cold intensified. Mornings and nights were so frosty that it was difficult to resist without lighting a fire.
One afternoon, after lunch, Yeon Jeokha walked listlessly towards the West Garden (서원). Although the cold weighed on him, his main concern was the well-being of Jin Woosaeng, a member of the Golden Guard and husband of his cousin Yeonhwa.
‘There will soon be trouble in Namjin, and I can’t just look the other way,’ he thought with a frown. If Jin Woosaeng died, Yeonhwa would be widowed, and that wouldn’t be fair if I can do something to prevent it.
As he was lost in these thoughts, a timid voice called him from behind:
“Hey, you.”
Absorbed in his worries, Yeon Jeokha ignored the call and kept walking.
The voice returned, this time with a stronger tone:
“Hey, you!”
Stopping, Yeon Jeokha slowly turned to find the three female disciples from the White Lotus House standing in a row. Although they were technically his younger sisters, they barely interacted, so he identified them first by their origin.
“What… do you want?” he asked with some discomfort.
One of them, Yeohwagyeong, avoided his gaze as she explained:
“We were asked to light a bonfire in the courtyard of the West Garden, but we don’t know the place. We haven’t found firewood or materials to start the fire. Could you help us, just for today?”
She spoke with emphasis on “just for today,” making it clear that she didn’t want to get involved with him more than necessary.
Yeon Jeokha observed the three with an impassive expression. Lighting a fire wasn’t a big problem, but what bothered him was the way they called him.
‘“Hey, you”? Couldn’t they use “older brother” like everyone else?’
As he pondered, another of the disciples, Son Yeonsu, interrupted:
“Hey, you, then help us today. We won’t ask again.”
Son Yeonsu’s attitude was clearly defiant, looking him directly in the eyes as if expecting a confrontation.
The disciples of the White Lotus House were used to physical work, so the lack of firewood wasn’t a problem of effort. However, they had been chatting and it got late, leaving little time to look for materials.
Son Yeonsu’s insistence made Yeon Jeokha frown. Even someone with limited patience has a limit, and being called “hey, you” repeatedly was irritating him.
“Listen…” he began to say with evident displeasure. “Since before, you’ve been calling me ‘hey, you,’ but I also have a name. Did you know?”
“Yes, yes, we know you have a name. Will you help us or not?” Son Yeonsu retorted, clearly impatient.
Before Yeon Jeokha could respond, the third disciple, Ban Hwasun, intervened:
“Your name is Yeon Jeokha, right? Will you help us? We’re in a hurry.”
With a sigh, Yeon Jeokha realized that trying to correct them would be useless. It seemed that earning the respect of these new younger sisters wouldn’t be easy.
‘Well, if they don’t respect me, less trouble for me,’ he thought to himself. After all, he preferred to maintain distant relationships than having to deal with disciples who followed him all the time.
Resigned, he gestured with his hand.
“Come. I’ll show you where the firewood storage is.”