CLS-Chapter 613

Chapter 613:

Everything was ablaze.

The ancient halls were already covered in crimson flames, spewing acrid smoke into the air.

The halls where Shaolin’s thousand-year spirit resided, as well as the sacred Buddha statues and stone pagodas filled with Buddhist devotion, had all collapsed and been trampled underfoot.

“Tsk tsk tsk tsk.”

Jeon-ma clicked his tongue as he watched the scene.

“Not enough, still not enough.”

This wasn’t the picture he had envisioned. To complete the image he had drawn when coming to Shaolin, one more thing was needed.

“It won’t be complete without blood flowing.”

Jeon-ma licked his lips and turned his head.

Drip drip.

Blood trickled down his hair and fell.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen blood. Already, his feet were soaked in the blood spilled by those who had died by his hand.

And…

“Cough!”

Gong-ryeong was also in a miserable state.

“Cough! Cough!”

His arm was completely severed, and his leg was bent in an unnatural direction. The beard that had grown long along his chin was soaked in blood, dyed red.

The sight of Shaolin’s yellow robes stained crimson would make anyone who saw it frown.

“Amitabha.”

Gong-ryeong quietly chanted the Buddha’s name.

He knew it was futile. They alone could never stop the Demonic Cult’s bishops. If two of them had come, it would have been wise to turn tail and run without looking back.

But Gong-ryeong couldn’t do that.

He didn’t know what the Demonic Cult bishops were after by coming here, but whatever they sought would surely be used to stain the martial world with blood.

Shaolin, which protected Buddhism and chivalry, could not turn away from the slaughter that would obviously unfold.

A person’s life is important not only in how one lives, but also in how one dies. Even if he preserved his life by fleeing from here, he would never be able to hold his head high for the rest of his life.

In that sense, Gong-ryeong’s choice was not wrong.

But…

The corpses of his fallen disciples pierced Gong-ryeong’s eyes painfully.

How fleeting it all was.

Who could compensate for the lives of those sacrificed under the value of protecting chivalry and Buddhism?

Life and death are one.

This life is not the end. The merit accumulated in this life will continue into the next life. But…

‘Did they want that?’

There must have been those who desired peace in this present life rather than joy in the afterlife. Gong-ryeong himself was someone who wished for that instead. Wasn’t sacrificing life for the values one believed in just another name for violence?

“Tsk tsk, our great master seems to have many thoughts.”

Jeon-ma approached with a smirk.

“…Amitabha.”

Gong-ryeong closed his eyes and pressed his remaining hand together in prayer.

Life is ultimately suffering.

Life is neither fair nor pleasant. All that humans can receive in life is nothing but pain.

Even so, wasn’t it too much that such power was given to those people?

If there was an absolute being governing the principles of the world, or even if not, if Buddha existed to try to uphold the world’s principles, why would he allow such unreasonable power to be given to them?

‘Why!’

His Buddhist faith wavered.

It felt like everything he had built up until now was crumbling.

“I say, Master.”

“…”

“Haven’t you believed in Buddhism your entire life?”

Gong-ryeong raised his head to look at So-ma. Seeing So-ma with a smile on his lips, something inside kept boiling up.

What was so enjoyable?

What was so…!

How could you smile after killing so many people! How!

Gong-ryeong gritted his teeth.

“Hahaha, how can the great master of compassionate Buddhism make such a face?”

“You will fall to hell…”

“Hell?”

So-ma gestured around with his chin.

“Yes. We might fall to hell when we die. But Master, isn’t this your hell?”

The corners of Gong-ryeong’s eyes split.

Blood flowing from his eyes became tears of blood.

“Hell experienced after death and hell experienced while alive. In the end, isn’t that a matter of choice? I’ll fall to hell after death and suffer for eons of time as punishment for my sins?”

So-ma giggled.

“But why are you making that expression? Master, if I receive punishment as you said, there would be no need for you to feel so wronged, would there? But your expression is saying that my falling to hell isn’t enough.”

So-ma whispered softly.

“Or perhaps… you don’t believe that fact either.”

Gong-ryeong’s body trembled as if struck by lightning.

He had realized through So-ma’s words that his Buddhist faith was wavering right now.

“Now, look here. Master, can you see?”

So-ma pointed in one direction.

There, novice monks and student monks were gathered. Those who couldn’t even flee under the intimidation of the two great masters were kneeling and trembling in fear, and this sight entered Gong-ryeong’s eyes.

“What do you think I’m going to do now?”

“…Amitabha.”

“Yes, chant the Buddha’s name. If Buddha protects you all, they will all survive. But if they don’t survive, wouldn’t that be proof that Buddha doesn’t exist?”

“Buddha is not like that! Buddha! Buddha is…”

The enlightened one.

One who has attained the Buddhist law on his own.

And…

One who is of no help at this moment.

Tears of blood flowed.

“They are without sin.”

“Master, you’re saying strange things. Then did those who died now die because they were sinful?”

“…”

So-ma laughed lightly.

“People say strange things sometimes. It’s a sin to be powerless, and so on. That’s a really strange thing to say. How can being powerless be a sin? Being powerless is simply being powerless, it’s neither wrong nor sinful. What should be said at times like this isn’t that.”

Gong-ryeong looked at So-ma with trembling eyes.

“What a demon head should say at times like this is this: Sin doesn’t matter. I’m just killing because I want to kill. I’m killing to prove that the Buddhism you boast about is wrong. Do you understand?”

“This…”

“If you have any sin, it’s not being weak, but failing to accept the sacred fire long ago. Regret it even as vengeful spirits. I will kill them very cruelly.”

“Just how many more sins do you intend to commit! End it with this old man’s life! They are people who don’t even know martial arts!”

“Tsk tsk tsk,” how much must I explain before you understand? Such things don’t matter at all. I’m just killing because I want to kill. Why don’t you understand that in my eyes, they and you are no different?”

Gong-ryeong reached out and grabbed So-ma’s trouser leg, clinging to it.

So-ma lightly extended his foot and kicked Gong-ryeong away.

“Cough!”

Gong-ryeong flew backward, spitting blood.

“How noble you must be. Isn’t that Shaolin? Hahahaha!”

Crack.

So-ma clenched his fist and walked toward where the student monks were.

“Now, chant the Buddha’s name. And pray to Buddha. Ask him to save you. I’ll prove that there is no Buddha in this world.”

That’s when it happened.

“There may be no Buddha, but the Heavenly Demon exists.”

So-ma and Jeon-ma’s gazes turned toward the entrance.

“Hmm?”

“Tsk.”

The faces of the two bishops contorted when they saw the man who had revealed himself.

“What brings you here?”

The man who appeared answered in a blunt voice.

“I came to check whether your trash are properly carrying out your orders.”

“How dare you!”

The two bishops gnashed their teeth, but they couldn’t act rashly.

And Gong-ryeong was shocked as he watched this scene, his eyes widening.

‘That, that person is!’

A young man.

A young man who anyone could see was still young was intimidating the Demonic Cult bishops. And the Demonic Cult bishops were silently enduring the intimidation from that green youth.

It was impossible.

It was something that would shock the entire world.

But that wasn’t why Gong-ryeong was shocked.

The young man.

The young man intimidating the bishops was someone he knew.

That face.

A face with strong features that would not lack anything to be called a peerless beauty. That face was too familiar.

‘Wei, Wei San-ho!’

Demon-Slaying Sword Wei San-ho.

It was definitely him.

Why was Demon-Slaying Sword Wei San-ho there?

And how was he speaking as if he knew the Demonic Cult bishops well?

Before he could even process his shock, Wei San-ho opened his mouth.

“I’m sure I told you not to engage in unnecessary killing?”

“Oh, so you think there is such a thing as necessary killing?”

Even at So-ma’s sneering, Wei San-ho didn’t change his expression at all.

“I have no desire to play word games with the likes of you. I’m simply checking whether you properly carried out your orders.”

“So? What will you do if we don’t carry them out properly?”

Wei San-ho quietly looked at So-ma.

“Don’t think demon blood is something great. While there are those in the cult who revere demon blood like a god, there are also those like me who believe it’s nothing at all. If you cross the line…”

“Cross the line?”

Wei San-ho bared his teeth.

“If you cross it, what will you do, So-ma?”

“This…”

So-ma’s body trembled violently.

“Will you kill me if I cross it?”

“You bastard!”

“That would be good too. I desire that as well. But could you remain safe after doing so? You’d have to fully bear his wrath.”

When the word ‘his’ came out, So-ma trembled like an aspen tree. The thought of that person’s wrath pouring down on him made his terror-stricken body begin to escape his control.

“I, I…”

There was no way to escape his wrath.

The moment you incurred his anger, you couldn’t escape even through death. He was one who overcame even death. Far from becoming one with the sacred fire, even your soul would be torn to shreds by him.

“…”

Wei San-ho quietly watched So-ma, who had closed his mouth, then nodded.

“If you understand, just do your job.”

“Damn it.”

So-ma and Jeon-ma turned around roughly. Then they began walking toward the Scripture Pavilion.

Watching the two bishops pass by him, Gong-ryeong was filled with questions.

What exactly was happening here?

Wei San-ho also began moving, following the two bishops.

“Be, benefactor!”

At Gong-ryeong’s cry, Wei San-ho turned his head.

Cold eyes.

Eyes as cold as ice.

Those eyes gazed at Gong-ryeong.

“Benefactor… why?”

Wei San-ho quietly shook his head.

“Master.”

“…”

“It is heaven’s fortune that you preserved your life. If you have strength remaining, please lead them away. The martial world is now finished. No, perhaps even the entire realm may be finished. So please take them and flee to a distant place.”

“Benefactor… why…”

Wei San-ho smiled slightly.

A smile that felt only too bitter.

“People have things they must do. Even if it’s not what they wanted. I think a master well-versed in Buddhism would understand.”

“…”

Gong-ryeong could say nothing.

He felt something too heavy emanating from Wei San-ho as he spoke. That heaviness closed Gong-ryeong’s mouth.

“Perhaps this may be the last time. So if you happen to see my father and younger sibling later…”

Wei San-ho, who had been looking at the distant sky for a long while, turned his head.

“No, never mind. Please go, Master. I don’t know how much longer I can hold those bastards back.”

That was the end.

Gong-ryeong stared blankly for a while at Wei San-ho walking away without waiting for an answer.

At those shoulders that looked so heavy.