The Green Forest spares no one.
They claim to be the masters of the mountains, or that they've learned martial arts far superior to those of common bandits. There are many reasons, but…
The biggest reason is that as long as their necks aren't sent flying on the spot, they're confident they can flee anywhere.
The mountains are practically their own living room, so while catching a few Green Forest bandits here and there was one thing, there was a reason large-scale purges repeatedly failed.
Unless an absolute master like Seomun Hwa-rin personally ran them down, it was all too common to let a few of the bandits slip away as they scattered in every direction.
Hence, the plan was to use killing intent from the very start to paralyze their bodies, so that not a single one could be captured alive.
Indeed, the Green Forest bandits—composed of at most Peak Realm to first-rate martial artists—had their bodies freeze as their minds failed to process my killing intent.
That was why I was surprised.
"Go!!"
"?"
An old monk had stepped forward to protect the traveling merchants who had been moving alongside the bandits.
Because of that, he had entered the range of my killing intent—yet he stood there perfectly fine, swinging his staff toward me with a whoosh.
"Young one, your head is filled with demonic delusions!"
"…"
"To think I would witness such vicious killing intent again! I cannot stand by and let this pass!"
"Huh?"
Judging by the way he spoke, it wasn't that he hadn't sensed my killing intent. He had sensed it fully, and it was the viciousness contained within that had angered him.
Perhaps he had mistaken me for one of the Green Forest.
He was absolutely nothing like Tang So-wol, who could never harbor a Killing Heart under any circumstances and remained completely unaffected no matter how much killing intent she was exposed to.
Besides, this old monk's face was one I was seeing for the first time in both my past and present lives.
That would make him a reclusive master who had been living in hiding, quietly…
No matter how I looked at him, I couldn't sense any notable Aura from the old monk.
Since the internal energy of the Crazy Wolf Life-Stealing Art was imbued with killing intent, wrapping my surroundings in killing intent as I was doing now sharpened my Qi Sense twofold.
Even if it might be different at other times, within my domain, even a Harmony Realm Martial Artist would find it difficult to completely hide their energy.
Yet, as I examined him with that Qi Sense, the old monk was an ordinary body without a single trace of internal energy.
How on earth was he so unfazed even after coming into contact with my killing intent?
I was momentarily taken aback by the old monk's completely unexpected reaction. Then, he shouted in a voice filled with resolve.
"However, it is not too late yet. If you repent even now, offer prayers to Buddha, and live quietly, you will be born as a human and close your eyes as a human."
"…First, I believe there's a misunderstanding, so let me clarify—I am not a member of the Green Forest, old master."
"Is it that you have yet to realize it, or are you trying to deflect with words…? There is no choice then. I must guide you directly!"
Having shouted that, the old monk charged forward, gripping his staff like a club.
Like an ordinary old man of that age, his movements were slow and stiff. Yet strangely, I could not take my eyes off the trajectory of his staff.
This was beyond merely looking plausible. Even among the Shaolin staff techniques I had seen a few times from the Righteous-Unorthodox Alliance before my regression, this one boasted a level of completion that ranked among the best.
Perhaps that was why. Before I knew it, I had swung my sword with all my strength.
The blade wrapped in a dark-red Qi Flame cut through the old monk's staff. No—it nearly shattered it entirely.
Crack!
Because I had pulled my strength at the last moment, I managed to avoid smashing the old monk along with his staff, but there was no helping the fact that the impact of the collision sent me flying backward.
Whether he had lost consciousness from the blow, the old monk did not rise, merely staring up at the sky.
"…"
"…"
For a moment, silence flowed.
Fortunately, seeing his upper body rising and falling calmly, it didn't seem like there was any serious problem.
Tang So-wol, who had been blankly watching the scene from right beside me, spoke up in a reluctant voice.
"Wouldn't it be best to finish things off first?"
"…That would be wise."
As I released Tang So-wol, she fluttered her sleeves and began spreading a faint yellow poison energy around us.
The Green Forest bandits, who seemed to be around Second-Rate to first-rate, began collapsing one by one, and their Aura visibly weakened.
It was as if I had become a commoner who knew nothing of martial arts.
The burly man in wolf fur, who appeared to be the village chief, was the only one who managed to withstand Tang So-wol's poison—but even he couldn't help but stagger as his internal energy scattered, even if he hadn't lost consciousness.
Seeing that this was enough, I withdrew the killing intent I had released and approached the village chief, whose face was growing paler by the moment.
"First, let me ask you something. Is there any special purpose you have, or any information you'd care to share with just me?"
"Kheuh! And if I did, would you spare me?"
"I could at least kill you without pain."
"If enduring pain means I can make the one who kills me feel uneasy, that's a worthwhile trade."
"Actually, that won't be easy either. If you'd be so kind, Tang So-wol."
"Yes. I've already prepared it."
Tang So-wol raised her palm and blew a light breath into it.
From her hand, where there had clearly been nothing, a white powder of poison burst forth and scattered, covering Chae-ju's face.
"Poison! You cowardly—!"
"For a bandit who only preys on those weaker than himself and runs the moment things go south, I wonder who you are to call anyone a coward."
As she shrugged her shoulders, the poison energy spread and Chae-ju's eyes went blank and unfocused.
"Young hero Cheon."
"Hm?"
"It's not bad to have an opponent to test new poison combinations on without any worries from time to time."
"…That's a rather grim thing to say, but thinking about it, all the poisons you've shown this time, Tang So-wol, are ones I've never seen before."
The yellow poison she'd spread at first was probably a combination designed to trigger the effects of both a sleeping poison and Scattered Energy Poison at the same time.
If it worked properly, it could be called a perfect poison for subduing an opponent.
However, its power was still weak, and it seemed that martial artists at the Peak Realm or above could resist it.
And the second one she'd shown—the white poison powder spread by blowing it.
Originally, poisons that cloud the mind for interrogation could only be made by hand, and their form was limited to a liquid.
Because the combination method was so complex and delicate that even Tang So-wol, with her Poison Spirit Constitution, could make a mistake and create a different poison if she wasn't careful…
Today, she had still combined the ingredients by hand, but she had created it in the form of a powder, which was far more versatile.
Lately, having been caught up in one incident after another, Tang So-wol had found herself combining poisons with all sorts of effects, not just ones that led to death.
She must have gained some enlightenment through that process.
Well, of course. I had my previous life to fall back on, but Tang So-wol had only stepped into the martial world not long ago.
Every bit of experience mattered greatly at this stage.
I threw a few questions at the innkeeper, whose eyes had gone hazy, a pleased smile forming inwardly.
Unfortunately… no, fortunately, it didn't seem like any hidden plots were about to surface.
Just the usual—the wealth he had accumulated over the years, the tribute he regularly sent to the head innkeeper, and the fact that he had recently raided a small settlement of slash-and-burn farmers.
Vicious as they were, at the end of the day, they had only told a story that was every bit the bandit's tale.
I had worried that punishing those bastards might drag me into some kind of incident, but fortunately, it didn't seem like that would happen.
It looked like I'd be able to keep my promise not to stick my head into dangerous and troublesome matters this time.
I nodded inwardly, then struck the innkeeper's Dantian lightly, infusing it with a bit of internal energy.
"Kugh!"
The man coughed up a little blood, his eyes dazed.
Together with the others who had joined a bit late, I crippled the Dantians of the remaining men, then bound the limbs of the Green Forest bandits who were writhing on the ground from the shock of their shattered Dantians.
I turned to the peddler, who had been glancing nervously between me and the monk who had just collapsed.
Though they hadn't been struck directly, the escort guards, who could sense the killing intent itself, hesitated and blocked our path…
I pushed those guards aside, and a well-built merchant bowed his head politely.
"Thank you for your help. I am Gwak Yeong, head of the Eoeum Merchant Guild."
"Ah, I am Cheon Hwi of the Sichuan Tang Clan."
"I am also Tang So-wol of the same Sichuan Tang Clan."
"Ah! You are people of the Tang Clan!"
Only then did the merchant's expression, which had been somewhat dark, brighten as if he was finally relieved.
It seemed he had been tense after watching us take down even the old monk moments ago.
I let out a soft chuckle at the sight of him sighing in relief, then spoke.
"We intend to hand over the captured Green Forest bandits. Would you happen to know the way to the nearest government office? We're new to Henan, so we're not too familiar with the local geography."
"Hmm. There are only small villages around here, so you'd have to travel quite a ways. Might I ask where you're headed? Since you'll be walking a long distance anyway, I can point you toward an office in the direction of your destination."
"We plan to stop by the Shaolin Temple, but…"
"Ah! In that case, you could just come with us! We happen to be heading toward Mount Song as well."
"Does the head of your caravan have business at Shaolin too?"
"Surely not. How could a small caravan like ours strike up trade with the Shaolin Temple? We're merely going to sell goods to a few shops in the villages below. …Well then, what do you say? Since you've paid us silver, we'll make your journey as comfortable as possible."
The caravan head asked again while gauging our reaction. Having been attacked once, his heart must still be pounding—he probably wanted to move with us and receive our protection if possible.
Since we had to move with the Green Forest band anyway, it was impossible for us to travel quickly on our own.
If we could move comfortably instead, that would be better.
I looked around at the other companions, and only after confirming that everyone was nodding did I nod as well.
"We gratefully accept your kindness."
"Oh my! You saved our lives—how could this not be the least we could do?"
The caravan head jumped and waved his hands. He had the porters move the goods onto other wagons to make room for us.
Meanwhile, I pointed at the fallen old monk and asked.
"But who is this person?"
"That is…"
I shook my head at the caravan head, who seemed hesitant to say more.
"There was a slight misunderstanding, but he is someone who stepped forward despite his age to stand against injustice. There is no ill will, so do not worry."
"That is a relief to hear. That man is a scholar monk of the Shaolin Temple. He had come out on business, but his travel funds were stolen, and he had no way to return, so I was giving him a ride."
"A scholar monk…?"
The Shaolin Temple is a place that stands at the very center of martial arts in the Central Plains, so much so that people say all martial arts under heaven originate from Shaolin.
That is because they teach a broad and deep range of martial learning, and have produced that many truly remarkable masters.
It is a place also called the Mount Tai and North Star of the Orthodox Sects.
But even the Shaolin Temple is not a place where every monk practices martial arts.
Those who train their bodies and learn martial arts, vowing to sever evil with their own strength, are called martial monks.
Conversely, those who, instead of learning martial arts, study the Buddhist scriptures and preach them to the masses in order to save more people are called scholar monks.
And the old monk from a moment ago, though he had no internal energy, displayed a remarkably high level of martial arts.
If he were a martial monk with a ruined Dantian, that would be one thing, but he absolutely could not be a scholar monk… Well, I suppose he has his own circumstances.
The Shaolin Temple is, after all, a place where people live, so it's only natural that it has its fair share of big and small problems.
I nodded and squeezed into an empty spot on the wagon with my companions.
I can untie the Five Snare later, after the monk wakes up. For now, I just need to enjoy the journey at ease.
That was what I had thought.
At least, until the monk came to his senses and charged at me with the Seventy-Two Ultimate Techniques, using nothing but his bare body, devoid of any internal energy.
"Ah."
It wasn't until I had instinctively over-suppressed him, driven by the sheer perfection of his forms, that I let out a long sigh.
I'll have to clear up the misunderstanding later.
***
And so, the monk fell unconscious and woke up seven times before we finally reached the Shaolin Temple.
…There was no helping it.