CRS Chapter 53

Eunho stared at the Master of the Sutra Repository with an unwavering gaze.

He really does look similar to Blood Demon?

After continuously dealing with the Blood Cult members, he had come to recognize a distinctive, alien energy.

Although much weaker, that energy was thickly smeared all over Myeong Seon.

Most likely, he was also harboring demonic energy inside his body.

Actually, it was half a bluff, but seeing that reaction…

Myeong Seon, the Master of the Sutra Repository, swallowed hard with wide eyes.

Anyone could see it was the expression of someone who had been caught.

Seeing his expression, Eunho’s suspicion turned into certainty.

However, Myeong Seon was also an old monk with no small amount of cultivation time.

He soon regained his composure.

“This humble monk has no idea what you’re talking about.”

For a moment, Eunho and Myeong Seon’s gazes met in the air.

So that’s how you’re going to play it?

“Hmm, perhaps I was mistaken. I apologize for my rudeness.”

A tactical retreat for now.

But not giving up.

Saying this, Eunho turned abruptly and left the room.

Everyone wore bewildered expressions.

What on earth was that all about?

Yi-ryang and Hwa-yeon looked around awkwardly for a moment before getting up with embarrassed expressions and following Eunho out.

“Is what you said true?”

Unlike others, these two had faith in Eunho.

Until now, Eunho had never once spoken nonsense.

“Well, it’s probably true.”

“What exactly made you think that?”

“Intuition.”

“…”

A brief silence fell.

This time, even these two showed somewhat bewildered expressions.

However, Eunho was firm.

“But my intuition has never been wrong, not even once.”

“Even so…”

“I guess we’ll have to stay here for another day or two. Now that I know, I should resolve this.”

After all, it wasn’t just any matter, but one related to the Blood Cult.

At that moment, Beon Woon’s voice was heard from outside.

“Are you there?”

“Come in.”

Yi-ryang and Hwa-yeon swallowed hard with tense expressions.

Given Beon Woon’s rigid personality, it seemed likely he would fly into a rage.

However, contrary to their expectations, Beon Woon’s expression was complex with mixed emotions as he entered the room.

He asked Eunho with a serious look,

“What did you mean by what you said earlier?”

“Exactly what I said. I’m saying your Master of the Sutra Repository was in cahoots with the Blood Cult.”

“That’s impossible.”

This was the Master of the Sutra Repository whom he had always respected.

Of all people, how could he do such a thing?

“Then why did you come here?”

“…”

Beon Woon silently looked at Eunho.

“What grounds do you have for thinking that?”

“Intuition. I’ve killed Blood Cult martial artists and faced Blood Demon directly. There’s probably no one who knows them better than I do.”

Beon Woon’s brows furrowed deeply.

“Can you take responsibility for what you’ve said?”

“Responsibility? I’ve uncovered something Shaolin would have missed, and you’re talking about responsibility?”

Eunho was truly certain.

Myeong Seon was an informant for the Blood Cult.

He might not be a spy, but it was clear he had been in constant contact with them.

“I’ll stake my life on my words.”

Eunho was resolute.

Beon Woon, watching this, nodded with a rather subdued expression.

“… I understand.”

That night, Beon Woon immediately went to see the Master of the Sutra Repository.

It was quite late, and the moon was obscured by clouds, making it a dark night.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“Haha, it’s nothing special.”

Myeong Seon smiled gently at Beon Woon.

He was truly an admirable child.

He had started showing promise from a young age, and quickly became the leader of the Eighteen Arhats.

Given that he hadn’t yet reached forty, he was likely the youngest in Shaolin’s history.

His nature was also upright, and he never hesitated to act on what he believed was right, so the position of the next abbot would likely be his.

Hence, he was afraid.

Beon Woon always looked at him with eyes full of respect.

‘But if my wrongdoing is revealed, he’s the type of child who would correct the mistake, even while wearing a pained expression.’

If such a thing were to happen, he didn’t have the confidence to face this child’s disappointed face.

“Well, would you like a cup of tea?”

“That would be nice.”

Myeong Seon tried to shake off his uneasy feelings as he slowly brewed the tea.

After a while, the fragrance of tea filled the room.

It was around then that Beon Woon, who had been silently watching Myeong Seon, opened his mouth.

“About what happened earlier today…”

Myeong Seon flinched slightly.

Beon Woon’s eyes were different from usual.

“You’re doubting me, aren’t you?”

“How could that be?”

He said this, but Beon Woon’s eyes were sharp.

Every time those deep eyes passed over Myeong Seon, it felt like they were peering into his inner thoughts.

Myeong Seon soon shook his head.

“It’s not me.”

“Yes, I understand. I… hope so too.”

In the silent night.

For a while, only the sound of the two sipping tea could be heard.

***

“Hmm, should I just beat him up first? If I torture him, I might get an answer…”

Of course, that was impossible.

Evidence obtained through brutal torture was usually not reliable.

From the looks of it, his realm seemed to be only at the Peak level, and it would be troublesome if he died unnecessarily.

Eunho scratched the back of his head.

“It’s annoying, should I just dump this on Shaolin and leave?”

At times like this, his yokai days were better.

If he suspected someone, he could just capture and kill them.

Even if it turned out to be false later, well… these things happen.

“Are you there?”

“Oh, come in.”

It was Beon Woon.

He spoke with a resolute expression.

“I’ll believe you.”

“Huh? That’s unexpected.”

“I think so too.”

No matter how he thought about it, it would be common sense to believe the words of the Master of the Sutra Repository whom he had always respected.

But for some reason, Eunho’s words weighed heavily on him and wouldn’t leave his mind.

In the end, Beon Woon decided to trust his intuition, just like Eunho.

His intuition was telling him that Eunho’s words were true.

Eunho pondered for a moment, then curled up the corners of his mouth.

“That should work.”

***

On a morning with harsh sunlight beating down.

Eunho walked out leisurely, patting his full stomach.

“This isn’t bad once you get used to it.”

Like Wudang, they didn’t eat meat, but Wudang didn’t place much significance on food itself.

There were even Taoist priests who lived solely on energy-gathering pills.

However, Shaolin viewed cooking as part of their practice.

They continuously strived to enhance the taste without using meat.

Thanks to this, it had its own flavor.

Meat was good, but occasionally, this kind of food didn’t feel bad either.

Hwa-yeon and Yi-ryang, who had also finished their meal, came out right after.

“So what are you going to do?”

From their perspective, Eunho was someone who would do anything once he was certain.

Of course, it was an accurate assessment.

Eunho took out a small silver dagger from his chest and placed it at his waist.

“You’ll see. Just don’t be too surprised.”

The two tilted their heads.

Don’t be too surprised…?

For some reason, they felt uneasy.

Just then, they saw Abbot Myeong Hye, Namgoong Jin, and Myeong Seon walking in the distance.

“Oh, there they are. This is perfect timing. They should be ready by now.”

Eunho immediately moved to block the three people.

“Good morning, everyone.”

As Eunho greeted them with a gentle smile, they all awkwardly nodded.

Probably because yesterday’s events were still fresh in their minds.

As everyone was about to continue on their way with awkward steps.

“Wait.”

Eunho’s voice fell heavily, stopping the three in their tracks.

“I’ve been thinking all night.”

“A-about what?”

“As the Hidden Sword Hall Master of the Martial Righteous Alliance, I can’t just let this go.”

Namgoong Jin’s face turned pale.

“Are you talking about that again?”

“Yes, that again. I tend to be a bit obsessive.”

Saying this, he drew his sword.

Namgoong Jin was startled and stepped forward to stop Eunho.

“What are you doing! No matter how suspicious you are, you can’t just act recklessly like this!”

Even if Myeong Seon really had some kind of relationship with the Blood Cult, it would be proper for the Martial Righteous Alliance to formally investigate later.

After all, wasn’t he a great elder of the righteous faction, of the same generation as the abbot?

The unfortunate point was that Eunho had lived for over a thousand years.

The reason of being an elder wasn’t a very good excuse.

“What am I doing? I’m working, of course.”

Then Eunho started to raise his energy.

“Stop this.”

Namgoong Jin raised his energy to block him, but Eunho ignored it.

Then he took steady steps towards them.

He looked ready to intimidate Myeong Seon with force at any moment.

In the end, Namgoong Jin had no choice but to draw his sword to stop Eunho.

Eunho spoke as if annoyed.

“I’m doing what I need to do now. From this point on, if you stand in my way, I won’t show consideration for Alliance Leader or Abbot.”

This was Eunho’s own form of courtesy to them, and then his form blurred.

At the same time, Namgoong Jin moved to block him.

Clang-!

A heavy vibration rang out as the profound internal energy contained in their swords clashed.

As Eunho raised his momentum even more, the Abbot also joined in to block Eunho.

Myeong Hye and Namgoong Jin, two of the Twenty-four Martial Arts Masters.

With the two of them joining forces, Eunho’s steps were gradually pushed back, increasing the distance between him and Myeong Seon.

“That’s enough now. Even I can’t…”

“Is this enough?”

“…?”

The corners of Eunho’s mouth twisted slightly.

“Both of you have come too far.”

Eunho drew the silver dagger from his waist and threw it straight at Myeong Seon.

Namgoong Jin and Myeong Hye hurriedly leaped with expressions of realization.

However, they couldn’t catch the dagger that had already been shot at high speed.

The dagger cut through the air, aiming for Myeong Seon’s brow.

There was no way for Myeong Seon, who was merely at the Peak Realm, to avoid or block this.

Myeong Seon squeezed his eyes shut, sensing his impending death.

“…”

The dagger stopped right in front of his brow.

“…?”

Everyone looked at Eunho with puzzled eyes.

Eunho slightly raised the corners of his mouth and said,

“Ah, it’s not just thrown, it’s an air-controlled sword.”

“What is this…”

While everyone was wearing dumbfounded expressions.

“Urgh…”

Myeong Seon fell to his knees.

His frowning face was filled with pain.

Myeong Hye and Namgoong Jin couldn’t understand the situation.

The dagger had clearly stopped in front of his brow, hadn’t it?

At that moment, Beon Woon approached from behind the hall with a gloomy face.

Myeong Hye then seemed to notice something and wore a serious expression.

“Could it be?”

“Yes, it’s the Demon Subduing Formation.”

The Demon Subduing Formation.

As the name suggests, it’s a formation that drives out demonic energy or evil energy.

Beon Woon had deployed a large Demon Subduing Formation throughout Shaolin by operating the Eighteen Arhats, as instructed by Eunho beforehand.

Of course, no one should be affected by the Demon Subduing Formation.

Or rather, no one should have been.

Because there should only be those who have learned righteous martial arts in Shaolin.

However, Myeong Seon, facing death, released the weak demonic energy deep in his body and reacted to the Demon Subduing Formation.

The Blood Cult martial artists Eunho had faced always released demonic energy just before dying.

This was a method that only Eunho, who had directly faced them and could sense demonic energy, could propose.

“If Myeong Seon wasn’t in cahoots with the Blood Cult, why would he show such a reaction to the Demon Subduing Formation?”

Eunho approached Myeong Seon, who was in agony, with steady steps.

He placed his index finger on Myeong Seon’s crown and channeled natural energy into him.

“Argh!”

His eyes bloodshot with pain, he writhed.

“Now, speak. If I don’t think it’s true, I’ll kill you.”

Beon Woon withdrew the Demon Subduing Formation, and Myeong Seon, whose pain had subsided, looked at Eunho.

Those eyes really could kill.

Then he turned to look at Beon Woon.

Unable to bear the sight, Beon Woon had turned his head away.

Myeong Seon, still on his knees, looked around.

Shaolin’s monk warriors had stopped in their tracks and were looking at him.

Finally, as if resigning himself to everything, he opened his mouth.

“I, who had no martial talent, had an inferiority complex towards Senior Brother Myeong Hye. Just for the price of delivering a few of Shaolin’s secret manuals…”

Eunho once again infused natural energy.

“Ugh!”

“I’m not interested in that, tell me what you know about the Blood Cult.”

“I don’t know anything, anything! That’s all there is to it.”

Myeong Seon actually thought it was fortunate that the Blood Cult had been wiped out.

If he just kept his mouth shut, it would be as if nothing had happened.

His senior brother Myeong Hye is one of the most outstanding figures among all the abbots in history.

Despite being of the same generation, he had ascended to the Transformation Realm and entered the Twenty-four Martial Arts Masters, while Myeong Seon was merely at the Peak Realm.

This created a deep-seated inferiority complex in Myeong Seon’s heart.

There wasn’t any special purpose. It was just the greed of a ‘martial artist’ yearning for a higher realm.

So, in exchange for transcribing a few of Shaolin’s secret manuals for the Blood Cult, he received power.

He thought that wouldn’t be a big problem, but since that day, Myeong Seon had lived each day consumed by guilt.

Eunho quietly stared at Myeong Seon.

“Hmm, it doesn’t seem to be a lie. Then I’ll leave the rest to Shaolin.”

In the end, he wasn’t a figure with significant ties to the Blood Cult.

Eunho felt somewhat deflated.

At that moment, Beon Woon approached and deeply bowed his head to Abbot Myeong Hye.

“Although the Master of the Sutra Repository has committed a crime, I doubted an elder of Shaolin. This is also one of the heart demons. Please punish me as well.”

Beon Woon wore a pained expression.

In his opinion, the very act of doubting someone, especially an elder of his sect, was a heart demon and an affliction.

It was a judgment entirely typical of him.

Watching this, Eunho wore a dumbfounded expression.

And Eunho was the type who found it hard to restrain himself from voicing his thoughts.

“What nonsense is this now?”

Everyone’s gaze focused on Eunho.

At that moment, Yi-ryang tapped Eunho’s back with his index finger and whispered softly,

“Wouldn’t it be better to step back a bit in this situation?”