<Episode 83: Demonic Beast (3)>
Outside the iron gate.
Although it had only been a short time since he entered Deoksu the horseman opened his mouth as he felt puzzled by the quietness.
“Amitabha Buddha. footnote. Something is quiet? “Is that really the owner?”
“That’s right.”
“Don’t those monks use magic like memorizing sutras or mantras just like us Hangma monks?”
“why? “Are you interested?”
In response to his question monk Deoksu waved his hand and shook his head.
“no.”
Of course I was curious about how the radiants would deal with monsters.
So I wanted to look into it but I had no choice but to wait because I didn’t know what might happen if I did so.
“Although it is said that magic is derived from Taoism it is a power that does not make sense. “Don’t bother wondering about this.”
“Amitabha Buddha. “I will keep that in mind.”
Hangmagakju who gave instructions to Hangmaek Deoksu like this stared at the iron gate.
Although I asked I was also curious about Hangmagakju.
Except for Master Bangjang he possessed the highest level of legal power but even he could not do anything about the monster beyond this iron gate on his own.
But how can just one bangang control a monster?
This was virtually impossible.
Then it happened.
-bang! bang!
Finally a commotion was heard from inside.
It was quiet for a while and then it was loud so it seemed like something wasn’t going well.
Soon the sound of the monster’s cry was heard.
-You damned human! You can’t get out of there right now!
‘!?’
Can’t you get out of there right now?
What does this mean?
There was no space to escape or hide in the cavity beyond the iron gate.
* * *
At the same time beyond the iron gate
‘huh?’
This was completely unexpected.
Contrary to expectations that it would be able to withstand this level of power due to the fact that scriptures were carved all over the walls of the cave to repel the smoke emitted by the Demonic Beast Ryu the hardness of the wall itself was not that hard.
-Kwaouk!
Mok Gyeong-un’s body which broke through the wall and entered the other side soon slipped into a narrow cave passage and fell somewhere.
Soon there was standing water at the end of the slippery area and I splashed and got wet.
Mok Gyeong-un who had fallen like that looked up and looked up in bewilderment.
‘!?’
In front of it was a magnificent stone wall.
“ah….”
It was a sight that couldn’t help but make an exclamation come out of my mouth.
If it had been a simple wall a part of the cave ceiling was open allowing bright sunlight to come down and illuminate one part of the wall beautifully.
As I was looking at this in fascination for a moment I heard an evil shout coming from behind.
-You damned human! You can’t get out of there right now!
It was the voice of the demon beast Alyu.
They thought they had blocked the entrance and pushed them to a dead end so their momentum was building but something unexpected happened and they seemed to be angry.
At this Mok Gyeong-un tries to turn his head.
-The cave leads here….
Mok Gyeong-un asked puzzled by Cheongryeong’s voice.
“What do you mean by that?”
-Do you remember what that guy who was talking about before said that the 36 caves in the back garden of Shaolin Temple are all connected?
“iced coffee. I think so. But why are you talking about that?”
-Look at the top of the wall.
“On the wall?”
Hearing Cheongnyeong’s words Mokgyeongun looked up at the wall where the sunlight was falling.
There was large writing engraved there.
面壁洞
(Myeonbyeok-dong)
‘Myeonbyeok-dong?’
Now that I think about it there was a cave entrance next to Hangma-dong that was written as Myeonbyeok-dong.
That said it seemed to be true that the place they entered after breaking the cave of Hangma-dong was Myeonbyeok-dong and that all the caves were connected as Hangma-dong said.
But Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes were focused on something else rather than that fact.
It was none other than the words Myeonbyeok-dong engraved on the wall.
‘It’s magnificent.’
The moment he first saw the writing he felt that way.
There was no hint of arrogance or selfishness in the handwriting but the power that went into each stroke was even and magnificent.
‘ah!’
Mo Kyung-un’s eyes widened.
The writing wasn’t engraved with fingers or anything.
That was engraved as energy.
But how can it be so undisturbed?
If I had never studied martial arts or knew anything about ki I would have seen it with a simple gaze but this was truly amazing.
Cheongryeong said in response to Mok Gyeong-un’s reaction.
-Your ability to manipulate energy has truly reached the level of a god. It is indeed the origin of Shaolin Quan which is called the sect of martial arts in the Central Plains.
“The beginning?”
-It is Bodhidharma.
“Bodhidharma? Ah… I’ve heard of it. “Isn’t he the one who is said to be the founder of Zen Buddhism?”
-okay. He is said to be the founder of Zen Buddhism and the origin of Shaolin Quan.
“So did a person named Bodhidharma establish Shaolin Temple?”
-That’s not it.
“Then what is it?”
-Have you ever seen Bodhidharma?
“no.”
-If you look at the painting of Bodhidharma the appearance of Bodhidharma feels quite exotic.
“If you’re exotic aren’t you from the Central Plains?”
-okay. Bodhidharma was the third son of the king of Hyangji Cheonchukguk and it is said that he became a monk and practiced Buddhism.
“Hoo.”
A strange look appeared in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.
It was surprising to hear that the person said to be the origin of Shaolin Quan was not from the Central Plains but from a foreign country.
“But how did a foreign prince who became a monk become the origin of Shaolin martial arts?”
-I don’t know that. There are many theories one of which is the Myeonbyeok-dong of Shaolin Temple.
“Did you practice martial arts in Myeonbyeok-dong?”
-It is said that when he entered meditation he looked at the wall and meditated all day and when he went to meditation he trained his body by moving his limbs non-stop. I heard that physical training became the basis of Shaolin Quan.
“okay.”
-What’s even more surprising is that he said he repeated that kind of face-wall training without stopping for as many as nine years.
Face-wall training for as long as 9 years.
This spread widely to many Buddhist monks and secular people and this Myeonbyeok-dong where Bodhidharma was said to have practiced was called Dharma-myeon Byeok-dong to outsiders.
Mok Gyeong-un stared at the writing that said Myeonbyeok-dong at Cheongryeong’s words.
Shaolin Quan was born through Bodhidharma which she spoke of and Shaolin Quan became the basis for many of the martial arts of the Jungwon Jeongsong.
It is literally the origin itself.
‘That’s great.’
Mok Gyeong-un expressed his deep respect for the fact that someone’s nine years became an origin and that numerous martial arts were born through that origin.
But that respect was short-lived.
Here he could not afford to stare at the stone wall of the head wall forever.
Just like that Mok Gyeong-un tried to turn his head.
however
‘!?’
Mok Kyung-un who was about to turn his head stopped moving at some point.
Then he stared at a certain part of the stone wall.
It was a moment of unconsciousness.
The moment he blinks and closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them.
-Wheeeeeeee!
At that moment a cold wind blew across the stone wall and before I knew it snow was falling everywhere.
Mo Gyeong-un was left speechless for a moment due to the phenomenon being so strange.
Mu Qingyun lifted his head and looked at the sky.
Snow was falling through the open ceiling of the cave and the falling snow was piling up on the cave floor.
‘What the hell is this……’
While I was wondering I saw a place where the snow was particularly high.
That was the point where the light from the stone wall reflected.
The snow piled up there so high that a person could sit there…
‘ah?’
I thought there was someone there but there was actually someone sitting in meditation and snow was covering their head and shoulders.
Not knowing what was going on Mok Gyeong-un tried to approach the man.
But then I heard footsteps.
-Jump jump jump!
Mok Gyeong-un looked puzzled at the sound he heard and turned his head.
When he turned his head he saw a tall bald man wearing a yellow robe approaching from a cave behind the head wall building.
Mok Gyeong-un tried to talk to him.
“who….”
-Sureuk!
Someone with a bald head who appeared to be a monk passed by Mo Gyeong-un without even pretending to see him.
The monk who passed by like that soon approached someone who was sitting in meditation.
Even though the snow was piling up on their head and shoulders and someone was approaching the person sitting in meditation did not even move the slightest bit.
-thud!
The monk who approached immediately knelt on the floor.
Then he bowed his head to the person sitting in meditation and spoke in an earnest voice.
[Please teach me.]
[….]
Despite his earnestness the person sitting in meditation did not utter a single word.
Nevertheless the monk bowed his head to the floor once again and said:
[Please open the way.]
[….]
The monk maintained his posture prostrate.
He seemed determined not to move until he heard the answer from the person sitting in meditation.
Those who were sitting in meditation and those lying down behind them were motionless and more and more snow piled up on their bodies.
What on earth is this? Mok Kyung-un lets out a light breath.
-Sureuk!
At that moment the surroundings turned black and then brightened and repeated.
‘!?’
Before we knew it snow had piled up on the body of the monk who was lying face down and the person sitting in meditation was raising his body.
The person who stood up from sitting meditation opened his mouth without taking his eyes off the stone wall.
[Take it.]
As soon as he heard those words the monk who was lying down staggered to his feet.
No he couldn’t even stand up straight away.
After lying face down for a long time he fell forward.
He fell forward and although his nose was broken and bleeding he managed to get up and Yama was a monk.
However while he was sitting in meditation someone threw something behind him without even looking.
The monk then stretched out his hands to receive it.
-Wow!
The moment the monk took it it wet his hands and soon flowed down to the floor.
It was none other than water.
Mokgyeongun who saw this had a strange look in his eyes.
‘You threw water?’
It was truly a strange thing.
I threw a little ball of snow at him and it melted in my hand?
Or did they really throw water?
Is it possible to throw water like that with bare hands?
While I was puzzled the monk tried to somehow pick up the water that had fallen to the floor with his hands.
But how can you pick up water that has already soaked the floor?
[Ah…ah….]
A sigh flowed from the monk’s mouth.
Then the man in the robes who was looking at the stone wall spoke.
[I gave it to you. So let’s go back.]
At those words the monk who was scratching the wet floor so much that his fingernails broke begged with tears in his eyes.
[The Hinayana has not yet received what is given. So please teach me.]
[….]
[I cannot go even if I have to die here.]
[….]
Despite the monk’s resolute determination the person staring at the wall did not turn his head even slightly.
But soon the person wearing a robe staring at the stone wall opened his mouth.
[Unless red snow falls and piles up here we will not accept you.]
Mok Kyung-un snorted at his words.
How could it be possible for red snow to fall?
In the end everyone around them said that they would not accept it.
It was that moment.
-Park!
At that time the monk stood up.
Then he ran somewhere in the cave and brought back a knife.
I thought he was going to commit an accident when he said he would never accept me as a disciple.
-Okay!
At that moment the monk cut off his left arm.
‘!?’
Then he sprinkled the blood flowing from his cut arm onto the accumulated snow.
The monk’s blood spattered and his eyes gradually turned red.
Seeing this the corner of Mu Qingyun’s mouth twitched.
The solution that could not be created was created by this monk through the sacrifice of cutting off his arm.
It could truly be said to be a great will.
‘Are you still going to keep staring at the wall like this?’
Mok Kyung-un looked at someone wearing a robe staring at the stone wall.
At that time someone who was looking at the stone wall opened their mouth.
[Take it.]
With those words someone threw something towards the back.
It happened so quickly that the monk unconsciously stretched out his arm to catch it.
However the arm he stretched out was none other than the severed part.
But
-Oooooh!
At that moment a handful of water was floating in the air forming a shape as if it were being held by a hand.
‘!!!!!!’
Mok Kyung-un’s eyes trembled as he looked at this.
The act of trying to grab something with an arm that wasn’t there actually made it possible.
This amazing sight rang strongly in Mo Kyung-un’s mind like the ringing of a bell and the ringing caused a crack.
