The old monk who claimed to be a scholar monk was astonishingly skilled in martial arts.
So much so that I thought, if only his internal energy had been sufficient, I might have had a hard time against him.
…That was why there was no helping it.
"Heh, hehe."
"We did our best, monk."
"Amitabha… There was always the option of tying me up while I was unconscious."
"Do you think we didn't try that? After we saw him charge at us the moment he woke up, we tried tying him up with ropes, and even wrapping him in heavy luggage so he couldn't easily escape."
They simply slipped out in the blink of an eye and charged at us again.
How someone with not a single ounce of internal energy, and in that old body of his, could manage such a feat, I had no idea.
Seomun Hwa-rin had said that although he fought with his bare body, his movements carried a level of enlightenment so profound that even she couldn't grasp it at a glance…
Impressive was impressive, and baffling was baffling.
Every time he woke up, the old monk somehow slipped free and executed perfect techniques, but as we gradually neared Shaolin and Mount Song came into view behind me, he finally stopped.
And so we arrived at where we were now.
Tang So-wol handed a bowl of porridge she'd received from the merchant caravan to the old monk, who hadn't eaten a thing the whole time.
"They say you've cycled through fainting and waking seven times over four days. At least eat something for now."
"Hm. Thank you. …And I apologize for having misunderstood you somewhat."
"Somewhat…?"
Even while asleep, my body had risen on its own in response to that unmistakable Aura, forcing me to counter the old monk's Fist and Leg Art.
Thanks to that, I too had lost sleep for four days straight. It was only natural that Tang So-wol's voice came out slightly sharp.
"Just because I misunderstood somewhat doesn't mean my gratitude has diminished."
The old monk said something oddly plausible as he accepted the porridge.
There were at most three sijin left to the Shaolin Temple, but the caravan members were tired and night was falling, so we decided to sleep outdoors here for the day.
True to the caravan leader's promise that we would lack nothing on the journey, all the preparations had been handled by the escorts and porters.
Sleeping bags, night watch, and the porridge Tang So-wol had just brought—not to mention the meat currently roasting for everyone to share.
Everything was handled and prepared for us, so it was certainly convenient.
"Ah, just in case you misunderstand, I should mention—we're not the only ones eating well. It's because the elder has spent the past four days repeatedly fainting and waking, unable to eat anything…"
"You're right. This old body of mine creaks in all sorts of places as it is, and after going hungry for a while with no strength, meat would be hard to digest."
"Wait, can a monk even eat meat?"
"We haven't reached Shaolin Temple yet, so I'm just a wandering monk going around begging for alms, aren't I? I must accept whatever food is given—I can't afford to be picky."
"Still, meat is a bit…"
"That too is one of the wrong prejudices. As long as it isn't meat that is forbidden, forbidden, and forbidden, even one who has taken refuge in Buddhism may eat it freely."
"Buddh… huh?"
Even before the regression, I had listened to Seomun Hwa-rin's words and gradually learned this and that, escaping my state of complete illiteracy—but even so, I didn't know the terminology of Buddhism.
So I just stood there blinking blankly, and Tang So-wol, for whatever reason, seemed delighted, staring at my face with a wide grin.
"Heheh. Young hero Cheon, have you ever heard of the Three Kinds of Pure Meat?"
"First I've heard of it."
"It's the conditions for the meat that the monks you mentioned earlier are allowed to eat. Meat where you didn't personally see the animal killed for you, meat where you weren't told it was killed for you, and meat where you don't suspect it was killed for you. These are called 'not seeing,' 'not hearing,' and 'not doubting'—if the meat meets these conditions, it's permissible to eat."
"This young lady has explained it well. She's right. Depending on the sect, some completely forbid it, and some impose stricter rules, but basically, as long as one follows those three, even a monk can eat meat."
"Sects, huh. That's true. The Emei Sect is also considered a legitimate Buddhist sect, but unlike the nuns of other temples, they were allowed to grow their hair."
"It's because the Emei Sect was originally established on Mount Emei, where Taoism had already taken root, and it's a somewhat peculiar place with a rule of accepting only women—so it feels roughly similar. Besides, how else would the warrior monks of Shaolin Temple have forged those solid bodies?"
That's true. The martial arts of the Shaolin Temple are famous for their pure and profound internal energy, but their External Arts also run deep.
Eating only grass wouldn't allow one to temper the body to such a degree.
The old monk had already emptied an entire bowl of porridge. He set down the empty bowl and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Hoo… I feel a bit more alive now."
"I struck you as gently as I could, monk."
"I'm not trying to scold you. I mean it literally."
The old monk let out a hollow laugh. He pressed his palms together in a bow toward this side and continued speaking.
"Namuo Amitabha. This humble monk's dharma name is Gakjeong. What might your names be?"
"So you are Monk Gakjeong. I am Cheon Hwi of the Sichuan Tang Clan."
"They call me Tang So-wol. Those two over there… I'll introduce them when they come back."
Tang So-wol gestured toward Seomun Hwa-rin and Seol Ri-hyang, who were bringing back dinner for both her and my share.
For the record, nobody told them to do that. When I mentioned that we'd reach Mount Song tomorrow and would use up all the remaining provisions, they got excited and scurried off.
It made sense for Seol Ri-hyang, who was still at an age where she loved to eat, but why was Seomun Hwa-rin going along?
That question lingered a little, but this too must be a side effect of Rejuvenation.
…It's a side effect, right?
He shook his head vigorously to shake off the rude thoughts that kept surfacing—but only for a moment.
Anyway, after Seomun Hwa-rin revealed her identity, Seol Ri-hyang had seemed quite sulky, but it looked like they had already patched things up.
Just as I was smiling warmly at the memory of the regression, Gakjeong spoke with a somewhat serious expression.
"First, let me apologize once more. I nearly repaid your favor with enmity due to this monk's misjudgment."
"Not at all. Rather, it was fine since I got to see excellent martial arts."
I don't regret asking Seomun Hwa-rin to kidnap me, nor do I regret forfeiting the Dragon Phoenix Gathering because of the internal injury I suffered from defeating the Lord of the Black Heaven Sword Gate.
However, that was that—it was a pity I hadn't been able to observe the martial arts of various sects and families…
In that sense, being able to see Gakjeong's martial arts this time was a good opportunity.
It was a movement of pure physical body, unaccompanied by internal energy, yet even so, Gakjeong had shown much.
In particular, I was inwardly impressed by how he lifted burdens several times his own weight with such small movements.
It was a skill that could only be displayed by one who had mastered the handling of strength itself, not internal energy.
"Martial art… What this humble monk displayed can hardly be called a martial art."
Gakjeong shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. To me, it was a somewhat difficult reaction to understand.
"If that isn't a martial art, then what on earth is? If lacking internal energy means it's not a martial art, then all the Second-Rate and Third-Rate martial artists are just flailing their hands about with nothing martial about it."
"A baby babbling after its parents is called babbling, not conversation."
"It's hard to dismiss it as mere babbling when your skill, Monk Gakjeong, is so remarkable."
"Well… isn't that greatness ultimately a matter of what you're aiming for?"
As if recalling something, Gakjeong looked into the distance and gave a bitter smile. He picked up his empty bowl and rose from his seat.
"I apologize once more for putting young benefactor Cheon in a difficult spot. You said you were heading to Shaolin Temple?"
"Yes. Given who my companions are, I'll only be visiting the shrine at the foot of Mount Song rather than the main hall."
As I shrugged, Gakjeong, who had been mulling something over, pulled an object from his bosom.
"Take this."
"What is it?"
It was a small Buddha statue made of jade. Despite being small enough to hold in one hand, the intricately carved details made it clear this was no ordinary item.
"When you arrive at the Shaolin Temple, show that to the one guarding the mountain gate and tell them you have received this humble monk's invitation. Then you and your companions will be allowed to look around the main hall. Of course, only as far as guests are permitted."
"I was under the impression that Shaolin is off-limits to women."
"That Shaolin became off-limits to women is due to the worldly desires of the young monks still in training. It is not the guest's fault, but the fault of their own lack of self-cultivation, yet they go around citing the precepts. Tsk, tsk."
"No, but the precepts aren't precepts for nothing. Can they really be dismissed so easily?"
"That will take care of it. It is a precious thing, so do not go selling it anywhere. …Well then, this humble monk will tidy this up and lie back down. With an old body, even a little exertion makes everything ache."
Gakjeong grumbled as he took the empty bowl and headed toward the nearby stream.
While he washed the dishes himself, Seomun Hwa-rin and Seol Ri-hyang arrived, having brought our share of the meal.
"Hm? What's this? Why is the mood like this, Cheon Hwi? You said you'd try talking to that monk once he woke up."
"I did talk to him."
"And?"
"It seems we might be able to enter the main hall of Shaolin Temple."
"???"
Seol Ri-hyang tilted her head, wondering what he meant.
I had no idea what was going on either.
We'd cleared up the misunderstanding, but somehow it felt like we'd only gained more questions.
Still, it wouldn't be right to grab hold of an old man who had fainted and woken up seven times, clearly exhausted, and pepper him with questions about what he'd meant earlier.
If I was the one who knocked him out, then even more so.
"…Well, I can just ask again tomorrow."
***
When I woke up in the morning, Gakjeong was nowhere to be found.
When I asked Jaeng Ja-su, who had been standing guard through the night, he said Gakjeong had left at dawn, saying he had business to attend to and that we shouldn't wait for him.
"I didn't sense a thing… What about you, Senior Seomun Hwa-rin?"
"I felt him leaving in my sleep. But I thought he was just stepping out for a moment, not that he was leaving for good."
He must have suppressed his presence to a level that only a Harmony Realm martial artist could detect. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't guess his identity.
"Do you really need to know? What kind of person that monk Gakjeong is."
"That's not it… It's just that it's been bothering me."
I shrugged and fiddled with the jade Buddha statue tucked in my bosom before continuing.
"Well, if showing this statue really lets us in… we can just ask the monks at Shaolin Temple, can't we?"
"Right. After all, they let us in because they knew what it was."
Arriving at the village at the foot of Mount Song along with the merchant group members who were rising one by one.
After exchanging final greetings with the merchant leader and parting ways, I headed straight for Shaolin Temple.
A long, high staircase led to the main hall. After climbing it for quite a while, I arrived at the mountain gate and showed the small green jade Buddha statue.
"Wh-Where did you get this?!"
"I received it from a monk named Gakjeong on my way here… What's the matter?"
"You didn't know? Master Gakjeong is the former abbot of Shaolin."
"Pardon?"
When I asked again at the unexpected answer, the gatekeeper, mistaking my reaction for something else, kindly added an explanation.
"In the past, he was known throughout the martial world as the Mad Butcher."
Quite a fierce alias.