Chapter 519

Chapter 519
### Chapter 519. The Monster That Eats Despair (4)

—

“I wish to be initiated into the **Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic**.”

**Il-gak** was a disciple whose exceptional brilliance had already begun to secure his standing within Shaolin. Hearing the young monk’s request, **Zen Master Cheon-sim** ceased the steady rotation of his prayer beads.

“I am requesting to learn the **Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic**, **Master**.”

**Zen Master Cheon-sim** lifted his gaze, looking up at the grand statue of the **Vairocana** Buddha.

“I wish to learn the **Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic**.”

The countenance of the **Vairocana** Buddha resting upon the lotus seat was filled with an incomprehensible peace and mercy. Yet, throughout his forty years of devotion within the Buddhist order, **Zen Master Cheon-sim** had never once experienced that serene sense of resting upon a lotus flower.

“**Master**!”

Even after four decades of spiritual cultivation, believing himself to have risen above worldly concerns, did new tribulations not continuously surface?

“Do you find the teachings of the Buddha lacking?”

That was impossible, for the time **Il-gak** had spent training was far too brief for him to have fully absorbed all of Shaolin’s vast wisdom.

“Have the distractions of the mundane world clouded your mind?”

That could not be the case either, since **Il-gak** had been raised within the walls of the Shaolin Temple since his early childhood.

“Or is it personal suffering that leads you astray?”

That was equally untrue. Throughout his upbringing, **Il-gak** had remained fixed on a single objective.

“If none of those are the cause—”

**Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s fingers resumed their movement along the beads.

“Then it is **Il-myeong** who has kindled the sparks of ambition within you.”

**Il-gak** flinched, startled that his hidden motives had been so easily uncovered. Even so, he refused to retract the words he had spoken. He had not requested this audience without hardening his resolve to this extent.

“The Buddha’s truth is meant solely for spiritual refinement. Deploying it as an instrument to satisfy worldly ambition is no different from transforming life-saving medicine into a lethal toxin.”

The unyielding principles voiced by **Zen Master Cheon-sim** only deepened **Il-gak**’s internal conflict. This strict adherence to dogma, which felt like an evasion of the immediate issue by hiding behind abstract allegories, became too much for **Il-gak** to endure silently.

“Why is such a path permitted for **Il-myeong**, yet forbidden to me?”

He was not speaking strictly about the **Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic**, particularly since **Il-myeong** himself had not mastered that specific text. Rather, he was confronting the reality that the entirety of Shaolin’s resources, favor, and supreme teachings were centered exclusively on **Il-myeong**. Such envy merely forces a monk to pursue distant illusions of grandeur while blinding him to the precipice looming directly before his feet.

“Is it because **Master** is the one who guides him?”

“……”

The fingers manipulating the prayer beads went still once more. There was neither a reply nor any movement. **Zen Master Cheon-sim** sat perfectly motionless, resembling a carved statue of the Buddha.

“Is the ultimate conclusion of all your inner turmoil truly the **Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic**?”

“It is.”

“Even if you manage to surpass **Il-myeong**, there will always be others ahead of you. New rivals will inevitably rise from behind to overtake you, and there will be those who achieve heights you cannot fathom by relentlessly perfecting their own paths over a lifetime.”

These were the very realities that had kept **Zen Master Cheon-sim** shackled in spiritual agony for the past forty years.

“Do you truly believe the **Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic** remains your answer when that reality confronts you?”

After a brief pause, **Il-gak** gave his reply.

“Yes.”

**Zen Master Cheon-sim** knew the truth. He knew that **Il-gak** did not genuinely view this as the ultimate answer. However, a person consumed by immediate desire is entirely capable of deceiving themselves for the sake of a fleeting advantage.

“……”

Having walked that identical path of doubt himself, **Zen Master Cheon-sim** could read the exact state of **Il-gak**’s heart.

*‘Did the assignment of the name **Il-gak** inadvertently cause this harm?’*

The monastic name had been granted so that the disciple might view his master’s past errors as a cautionary lesson, yet it seemed to have instead trapped the youth into a singular, obsessive focus. Regardless, this consequence was a manifestation of his own destiny.

“I shall grant it.”

“……What did you say?”

“Did you not declare that the resolution you seek resides there?”

“……Thank you! I am deeply grateful, **Master**!”

In this manner, **Il-gak** secured his entry into the secrets of the **Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic**.

The cavern presented a horrific spectacle. Lifeless forms clad in monastic vestments were strewn across the stone floor. Those who knelt to inspect the fatal injuries grew increasingly horrified. Craniums were shattered, and ribcages had been violently crushed inward. Embedded within the distinct palm indentations marking the stone walls and ground, traces of formidable energy that had yet to dissipate could still be perceived. A disciple of the Shaolin Temple had met his end by the very martial techniques of Shaolin.

“Halt!”

The monks maintaining the core of the **Arhat Formation** noticed the approaching figures late and issued a fierce challenge.

“Step forward any further, and you will forfeit your lives.”

In contrast to the crude threats of the **Huk-do** outlaws they had encountered previously, the warning was couched in formal language, yet it remained an extraordinarily aggressive statement to originate from a Shaolin monk.

*‘The situation must be incredibly dire.’*

The fact that they were projecting distinct killing intent before even verifying the identity of the newcomers confirmed as much. Deprived of any peace of mind, their defenses had become sharp and volatile. The members of the **Yoseong-dang** and the Moyong Clan checked their advance at the monk’s decree. Yet, a single individual continued to walk forward, entirely unheeding of the restriction.

“……”

“I commanded you to stop! Did my words fail to reach you!”

The monk who had issued the warning lunged forward without a moment’s delay, intending to split **Il-gak**’s skull instantly to prevent further complications. **Jin-so-un** intercepted the aggressive monk by utilizing the advanced footwork of the **Tae-eul-pal-man-sin-bo**. A colossal reserve of inner power surged through the monk’s fist, making it clear he intended to end **Il-gak**’s life with a single strike.

“*Hup*!!”

“Control your rage. This individual belongs to the Shaolin order as well.”

The eyes of the senior monk, who had been prepared to unleash a devastating torrent of strikes, widened in sheer astonishment.

“**Gak-ah**!”

“……”

The gaze **Il-gak** fixed upon his senior was utterly hollow.

“What…… has transpired here?”

The senior monk’s eyes darted frantically between **Il-gak** and the frenzied figure raging at the epicenter of the **Arhat Formation**.

“*Haa*……”

“Call them off, order them to cease. I have brought a remedy.”

“A remedy?”

“Indeed! This cavern is filled with a corrupting miasma that unbalances a person’s sanity.”

“……Is that what caused this madness?”

**Il-gak** retrieved the **Clear Mind Spirit-Preserving Pill** from within his monastic robes.

“Yes! **Jin Siju** secured this medicine on behalf of Shaolin. Therefore, dissolve the **Arhat Formation** at once and……”

“That is impossible.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

The senior monk’s mouth twitched slightly before settling into a grim, tight line. He wavered for a long interval before forcing the words past his lips. The revelation he whispered was devastating.

“……**Zen Master Cheon-sim** has succumbed to **Ip-ma**.”

The statement was entirely beyond comprehension.

“What did you say?”

Not only **Il-gak** but the entire traveling party stood paralyzed by profound skepticism. **Zen Master Cheon-sim** had spent a lifetime practicing and mastering Shaolin’s martial arts, which inherently purge wickedness and elevate righteous energy. How could someone whose very constitution should repel such corruption fall victim to **Ip-ma**, even if they sought it intentionally?

“We lack a precise explanation ourselves. The **Ui-seong-sa-geom** (Four Swords of Uiseong) inflicted injuries upon **Zen Master Cheon-sim** during a desperate, mutually destructive clash…… and his condition appears to have deteriorated rapidly from that point.”

“!!!”

Every trace of color drained from **Il-gak**’s face. Simultaneously, a grim shadow fell over the expressions of everyone present.

“The **Ui-seong-sa-geom**.”

The **Ui-seong-sa-geom** were the exact **Huk-do** scoundrels whom **Il-gak** had deliberately spared within the depths of the Sword Tomb.

[*Ddaeng-jung* (Monk)! If you fail to sever the root of trouble cleanly, you will suffer a catastrophic reckoning hereafter!]

**Il-gak** offered no response to the memory of **Jin-so-un**’s warning. As implied by their title, the **Ui-seong-sa-geom** were merely mediocre **Huk-do** vagabonds who possessed a minor reputation confined to the Uiseong region of Hubei Province. Regardless of any malice they harbored, there should have been no scenario where they posed a true threat to him. Even if they sought vengeance, he had felt entirely capable of enduring their hostility at any time. Such endurance was the core of the Buddha’s path.

“……”

Yet at this very moment, **Il-gak** felt a murderous loathing toward his past self.

“*Uaaaak*!”

With his eyes rolled back so completely that only the white portions were visible, the maddened master unleashed devastating torrents of sword-qi in every direction.

*Kwb-kwb-kwb-kwb-kwang!*

With every discharge of absolute physical force that left deep gouges upon the cavern walls, the legendary **Eighteen Arhat Formation**, reputed to be completely unbreakable, trembled violently. A man who had dedicated his entire existence to the Buddhist temple and absorbed its sacred tenets was now trapped within the most horrific nightmare imaginable.

*Peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-peok!*

The eighteen guardians advanced in unison, delivering a barrage of strikes across **Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s form. The sight of his master coughing up crimson spray, his flesh tearing open, and fresh blood spilling out became permanently seared into **Il-gak**’s mind. A vision more grotesque than the deepest hell was taking place right before him. And the catalyst for all of this—

*‘It is because of me…… because…… of my actions…….’*

The blame rested entirely upon **Il-gak**’s own head.

[*Ddaeng-jung*! If you fail to sever the root of trouble cleanly, you will suffer a catastrophic reckoning hereafter!]

Why had he brushed aside that explicit warning without a solitary thought of caution?

[I warned you that a terrible price would be exacted later!!]

Why had he possessed the supreme arrogance to assume that the insignificant **Ui-seong-sa-geom** could never orchestrate any real harm? Why on earth. For what conceivable reason. Why—

“……!!”

An overwhelming desire for self-destruction washed over **Il-gak**.

*Peo-peo-peo-peok!*

Inevitably, one of the eighteen guardians was violently repelled from the array.

“*Uwek*!”

His face turning an ashen shade of black, the monk violently disgorged a massive amount of dark, tainted blood. This failure was not isolated to a single monk. Every individual comprising the **Eighteen Arhat Formation** was being stretched beyond their absolute physical limits.

“**Zen Master Baek-jong**! A final choice must be made…….”

These were sentiments that the proud eighteen Arhats would typically never give voice to. The crisis could not be attributed solely to the lingering effects of the **Musim-hwan-gak-san** dispersed throughout the Sword Tomb. **Zen Master Cheon-sim** was an individual who had demonstrated a level of martial enlightenment that once made him a primary candidate for the title of Abbot. Though the high-tier **Eighteen Arhat Formation** was capable of trapping even the grand master of an elite sect, the current guardians were largely inexperienced youths who had only recently begun to synchronize their techniques, making them wholly inadequate for subduing **Zen Master Cheon-sim**.

“……”

Concurrently, **Baek-jong**, who had consumed the **Clear Mind Spirit-Preserving Pill**, found himself paralyzed by indecision. Shaolin’s sacred arts possessed the divine attribute of eradicating corruption and manifesting righteousness; had countless infamous tyrants not restored their sanity when facing Shaolin’s techniques, discarding their wicked energy to take up monastic vows? If even monstrous villains could be redeemed, what greater dishonor could befall the temple if word spread that they had slaughtered the esteemed **Zen Master Cheon-sim** under the strikes of the eighteen Arhats?

As the agonizing dilemma persisted—

*Peo-peo-peo-peok!*

Once more, a pair of Arhats were hurled clear of the formation, coughing up blood upon impact.

*‘……If only there were a way to verify the exact nature of his affliction.’*

The defensive array, now missing three vital components, began to fracture rapidly. At that critical juncture.

“May I perform an evaluation?”

**Baek-jong**’s expression brightened instantly at the intervention of **Dang-seo-hee**.

“Is such a thing feasible?”

“I cannot offer a certainty.”

The reply was reserved, but the renown of the **Baek-su-sin-nyeo Dang-seo-hee** was fully acknowledged even within the isolated Shaolin Temple. Furthermore, she was the solitary individual present who possessed advanced medical knowledge. There were no alternative paths available. They had to rely entirely on this solitary prospect.

“We entrust this to you.”

“An opening must be created.”

“Deploy the **Five Buddhas Formation**!”

The Shaolin monks rapidly shifted into groups of five, parting the defensive line to create a path.

“**Hall Master Jin** and brother **Il-gak**, I require your assistance.”

**Jin-so-un** and **Il-gak** gave a simultaneous nod and surged forward. The moment **Zen Master Cheon-sim** attempted to break through the newly formed breach—

*Tung—*

A delicate palm strike delivered by **Dang-seo-hee**’s small hand forced **Zen Master Cheon-sim** to stagger backward.

“You must remain motionless for the reading of your meridians.”

**Dang-seo-hee**’s hands darted through the air as though tracing patterns in the emptiness. Immediately, faint glints of light reflected the glow of the surrounding torches. The beautiful, shimmering rain that danced before the eyes like a cluster of stars was actually a volley of specialized medical needles. **Zen Master Cheon-sim**, who would have easily intercepted or evaded such a projectile attack under normal circumstances, absorbed the full force of **Dang-seo-hee**’s throwing needles directly into his physical frame.

And then—

*Stiff—*

**Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s movements locked up instantly. Seizing upon that fleeting window of vulnerability, the **Flying Dragon Claw** unleashed from **Jin-so-un**’s fingers securely bound **Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s torso, while **Il-gak** moved in from the rear to physically restrain him.

“*Uuuuk! Uuuuk*!”

**Dang-seo-hee** closed the distance rapidly, securing his wrist to initiate a diagnostic pulse reading. However, due to the torrential reserves of internal energy raging within **Zen Master Cheon-sim**, channeling her own true-qi through his pathways proved to be immensely difficult.

“Do not make the mistake of underestimating the Dang Clan.”

In an instant, a vibrant emerald light flared within **Dang-seo-hee**’s eyes, causing **Zen Master Cheon-sim** to convulse violently. Froth began to spill copiously from his lips. **Jin-so-un** and **Il-gak**, who were straining to keep him immobilized, felt the explosive resistance gradually drain from his muscles. **Dang-seo-hee** closed her eyes, centering her focus entirely on the pulse.

“Is it corrupted energy? Do you detect the presence of demonic qi……!”

The remaining Shaolin monks began to chant scriptures fervently, their voices uniting in desperate supplication. Their collective prayers resonated through the cavern like a solemn hymn. At that precise moment—

*Tuk.*

The sound of a single needle striking the stone floor caught **Jin-so-un**’s attention.

*‘What?’*

*Tuk, tu-tuk.*

The medical needles that had been embedded across **Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s body to restrict his movements began to dislodge and fall away one after another.

“**Vice Hall Master Dang**?”

“Keep silent and let me concentrate.”

**Dang-seo-hee** remained completely absorbed in tracking the pulse.

*Tuk, tu-tu-tuk, tu-tu-tu-tuk.*

Ultimately, every single needle preserving the blockade on **Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s vital pressure points was rejected, and—

*Du-du-duk—*

**Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s musculature began to expand and swell with renewed force.

“Back away immediately……”

Before **Jin-so-un** could complete his shout, his own body was sent hurtling backward.

*Peo-peong!*

Accompanied by a deafening sound of impact, **Il-gak** was thrown through the air. Following that disruption, a solitary punch loaded with **Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s absolute internal power drove forward, aimed squarely at **Dang-seo-hee**’s head—

“**Vice Hall Master**!”

“**Dang-seo-hee**!”

*Kwang!*

With a heavy, resonant boom, **Dang-seo-hee**’s form was driven backward a distance of two *jang*. The remaining fifteen guardians immediately moved to intercept **Zen Master Cheon-sim** once again.

“**Dang Sunbae**!”

Fortunately, **Dang-seo-hee** had managed to cross her forearms just in time to absorb the brunt of that devastating fist strike.

“A highly uncooperative patient.”

Despite the severe pain that such a strike must have inflicted, **Dang-seo-hee** rose to her feet as though completely unfazed, leaving **Baek-jong** staring at her in sheer bewilderment.

“H—What is the verdict?”

If the true nature of the affliction could be identified, a remedy could be found. If not, the consequences were unthinkable.

“There is no trace of demonic energy or malevolent qi within him.”

“What are you saying……. If neither demonic nor evil forces are at work, then what could possibly cause this……”

“Does an internal breakdown require demonic influence to manifest?”

“That is……”

A total disruption of internal energy was not a fate exclusive to the **Huk-do** or the **Ma-do** (Demonic Path). Even though the factions of the **Baek-do** cultivated exceptionally pure and stable energy bases, they were occasionally subject to catastrophic internal deviations.

“His internal pathways became highly volatile due to a sudden disturbance within his Sea of Qi. Though this instability began to compromise his Jade Palace, he managed to suppress it through sheer willpower until a final catalyst occurred…… for example, a toxic substance interacting with his **Pung-hyeol** (Wind Point), causing him to completely lose command of his cognitive functions.”

While few present could fully comprehend the intricate medical terminology used by **Dang-seo-hee**, it was now undeniably clear that the desperate counterattack by the **Ui-seong-sa-geom** had directly driven **Zen Master Cheon-sim** into this state of **Ip-ma**.

“A cure…… is there no available cure?”

“We would need to physically subdue him, stabilize the chaotic flow of his internal reserves, and continuously administer targeted acupuncture and counter-toxins until his cognitive awareness returns.”

Such an extensive, meticulous treatment process was a luxury they could not afford within the dangerous confines of the Sword Tomb. At this point, multiple Shaolin disciples had already perished by **Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s hand, and numerous others had sustained permanent, crippling trauma.

“For a rapid resolution, there is a chance his consciousness could be restored if the chaotic internal energy is brought under control using Shaolin’s own **Guanyin World-Saving Grand Law**. This would allow the toxic elements to be purged, reducing the overall capacity of the dantian to re-establish internal equilibrium.”

“……”

“Are any of you capable of executing the **Guanyin World-Saving Grand Law**?”

The **Guanyin World-Saving Grand Law** was an elite esoteric technique known only to a select few high-ranking authorities within the Shaolin Temple. Furthermore, the capacity to physically overpower an elder of **Zen Master Cheon-sim**’s caliber while simultaneously channeling such a demanding technique was a feat restricted to someone of the Abbot’s stature.

“……”

“If that option is unavailable.”

**Dang-seo-hee** turned her gaze directly onto **Il-gak**.

“A definitive choice must be made.”

**Il-gak** felt his heart plunge into cold despair.