Chapter 1098: The Mount Hua-ification of the Entire Central Plains? (Part 3)

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Regular sounds of knocking and the chanting of scriptures filled the small room. Each time the wooden fish was struck, the lamp that illuminated the room swung ever so slightly.

[Note: A wooden fish, also known as a Chinese temple block, wooden bell, or muyu, is a type of woodblock that originated from East Asia that is used by monks and lay people in the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism.]

It was a solemn sight. In the face of the old monk, who struck the wooden fish and chanted the scriptures, a sense of solemnity, tranquility, and the unique warmth of Buddhism emanated.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

However, at some point, the regularly ringing sound of the wooden fish began to waver. Along with it, the gently flickering lamp swayed.

It was at that moment that the sound of the old monk's chanting abruptly ceased. Beopjeong, who had opened his eyes after a period of meditation, looked down at the wooden fish in his hand.

"A lifetime of striking this, but..."

It had been over seventy years since he first held this wooden fish in his hand. Now, even with closed eyes or blocked ears, he could strike it without the slightest hesitation.

However, at this moment, the wooden fish in his hand failed to produce the proper sound.

'It is a mirror of the heart…'

Gazing down at the wooden fish with contemplative eyes, he slowly lowered it. No matter how well one engraved and mastered it, if the mind wavered, everything became futile.

In the end, everything depended on where the mind went.

Beopjeong knew this fact all too well. It was the wisdom he had diligently sought throughout his life, the profound teaching of Buddhism.

But...

'Everything is within in the scriptures.'

The sages had already shown him the way. Yet, those who followed struggled to reach the same enlightenment easily because not everything understood could be put into practice.

"...Amitabha Buddha."

A small sigh escaped his lips.

How much more must one inquire and ponder to truly join the ranks of the Buddha? Could a being with so many sins and desires, wrapped in the flesh of this mortal existence, truly reach such a state?

"...That too is an attachment."

An ironic situation.

Attachment, the root of affliction. To truly comprehend Buddhism, one must discard all attachments. But when you think about it, isn't the desire to attain enlightenment also a kind of attachment?

What one seeks cannot be obtained, and only those who have let go can achieve the unattainable. How can it be a path that people can follow?

"Futile."

Beopjeong slowly raised his head.

He knew. He was well aware that becoming a Buddha was an unattainable goal for his own body.

"Rather than becoming a Buddha alone, I will make the entire world into Buddhas. Even if my body falls into hell."

For this to happen, everyone in the world must understand the profoundness of Buddhism. One must accept and seek enlightenment to truly escape the suffering of this arduous life.

Unfortunately, those who find it difficult to live even a day do not show any interest in the sublime teachings of Buddhism. Therefore, to lead them to the Pure Land, what is needed is not teaching but awe.

A dazzling and radiant awe that no one can take their eyes off. A presence that involuntarily stirs the desire to walk the same path.

In comparison, the name "Shaolin" seems insignificant. Everything he did was ultimately aimed at spreading the teachings of Buddha in the Central Plains, leading as many people as possible to the Pure Land.

To elevate the name of Shaolin, it was not the teachings of Buddha that were needed but the fame of Shaolin itself to spread the teachings of Buddha widely.

Wasn't everything just for the sake of suffering sentient beings?

'But why is the path so treacherous?'

Beopjeong's eyes closed firmly.

Spreading the teachings of Buddha in the world was too confusing. And his power to overcome that confusion was too weak.

'No one guides the way. No one...'

Beopjeong reached out with his wrinkled hand and once again took hold of the wooden fish. Even if it shakes and shakes, not stopping is the path of a practitioner.

But then.

"Bangjang, are you inside?"

Beopgye's voice came from outside the door.

Beopjeong gently put down the wooden fish he held in his hand, let out a deep sigh. The life he chose did not even allow him the luxury of controlling his own mind.

"Come in."

"Yes, Bangjang."

The door opened cautiously, and Beopgye entered.

Beopjeong looked at him, and without realizing it, furrowed his brow slightly. Looking at the pale complexion of Beopgye, it seemed like he might know what kind of ordeal he was facing now.

"Bangjang."

Beopgye sat down cautiously in front of Beopjeong. His eyes were constantly studying Beopjeong's complexion.

"The news from Hangzhou has arrived."

Beopjeong remained silent, closing his eyes.

He, too, was curious about the news. But he already seemed to know the outcome. Beopgye's expression already conveyed everything.

"How did it go?"

"Hangzhou suffered near-annihilation, but for now... the nefarious Demonic Cult that invaded Hangzhou has ceased its rampage and left the Central Plains."

Up to this point, Master Beopjeong also expected this outcome.

"To Hangzhou…What happened to the swordsmen of the Mount Hua Sect who headed to Hangzhou with the Evil Sect group?"

"That... well..."

Beopgye, sensing Beopjeong's reaction with his eyes closed, cautiously spoke.

"Two days ago, they had already returned to the place where Mount Hua is located, without any casualties reported."

Beopjeong was momentarily engulfed in emotions that could hardly be described. Numerous emotions were swirling within him.

As the silent pause lengthened, Beopgye, sitting in front, dared not even exhale loudly. He simply closed his mouth and patiently waited for Master Beopjeong's reaction.

Eventually, Beopjeong slowly opened his eyes and asked.

"Two days ago...?"

"..."

"Did you say it was two days ago?"

"B-Bangjang."

Seeing the chilling momentum in his eyes like freezing streams, Beopgye involuntarily shrunk his shoulders. In the past, even when he heard words that hurt his feelings, Master Beopjeong never showed such a cold demeanor.

But not anymore. Recently, it was different. He now occasionally displayed a chilly demeanor even towards Beopgye, enough to make him tremble in fear.

But now, Beopjeong's demeanor was different than before.

"If they returned two days ago, the Beggar's Union must have certainly investigated their actions."

"..."

"Despite that, how should I interpret the fact that this news has only reached you now?"

"That's... I also..."

As Beopgye hesitated with his words, Beopjeong, with a sudden intensity in his eyes, grabbed the hem of his robe tightly. Blue veins bulged on the back of his hand.

"Nothing... nothing is going well! Nothing!"

"Bangjang..."

"Yes."

As Beopjeong bit his lips tightly, he glared at Beopgye as if he were interrogating him.

"Continue."

"...."

"I said, continue!"

"Yes, yes! Bangjang!"

Beopgye jolted, bowed his head, and quickly continued speaking.

"According to the news from the Beggar's Union... the ones who appeared in Hangzhou were the bishop of the Demonic Sect and the disciples following him. The disciples of Mount Hua who headed south, along with the disciples of Myriad Man Manor, Black Ghost Castle, and Nokrim, slaughtered the Demonic Sect disciples...."

As Beopgye mentioned the Evil Tyrant Alliance, Beopgye instinctively checked Master Beopjeong's reaction once again.

"And then, Paegun Jang Ilso and Chung Myung of Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword jointly attacked the bishop."

"...."

"The remaining disciples of the Demonic Sect attempted to flee. However, the pursuing disciples of the Beggar's Union lost their trail without a trace, according to the information from the Beggar's Union."

Beopgye swallowed dryly and spoke with a trembling voice.

"T-that was the situation."

Beopjeong's face felt as chilly as a north wind cutting through. Seeing his face, Beopgye involuntarily closed his eyes.

'Why...?'

He had been with Beopjeong for a lifetime. To Beopgye, Beopjeong was not only the leader of his sect but also like a father. He had admired and respected Beopjeong's noble character throughout his life.

So why, recently, did Beopjeong keep revealing aspects that he was unaware of? Even though Beopjeong's heart for Shaolin and the people had not changed, why?

"Paegun and... Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword cut off the bishop's head?"

"According to the Beggar's Union, they... well...."

"So."

Interrupting Beopgye, Master Beopjeong glared at him with a cold voice.

"People who were anxious to kill each other joined hands and fought together to defeat the enemy?"

"...."

"And after defeating the Demonic Cultists, the Paegun obediently sent away Mount Hua's swordsmen who were isolated in Gangnam?"

Beopgye could only nod without providing an answer.

It was also an unbelievable event, but there was no other way. At least, in the south, their eyes did not exist. So they had no choice but to rely on the information provided by the Beggar's Union.

"Ha... Haha."

Beopjeong let out a bitter laugh.

"I misunderstood Mount Hua."

"...Bangjang?"

His face had contorted horribly by now.

"Though our intentions may differ, I believed they, too, were individuals striving for the right path. That's why I harbored a bit of sympathy! But if they're forming alliances with the malicious forces of the Evil Sect, how are they any different from them?"

"Bangjang... The situation..."

"Situation?"

Beopjeong glared angrily at Beopgye.

"What situation are you referring to?"

"..."

"Did the news of the commoners dying there only pain their hearts? I, too, lost sleep over it!"

Datak!

Beopjeong's fist came down.

"But is that truly the right thing to do? Choosing the wrong path to achieve the desired results, is that the path that those who advocate righteousness would choose?"

Beopgye lowered his head deeply. Beopjeong spoke with a flushed face.

"I'm not blaming their altruistic intentions! But don't they realize that, in the end, they're strengthening the Evil Tyrant Alliance's control over Gangnam, making it even more formidable? Then more people will suffer for an even longer time. Why don't they understand that?"

Beopgye looked at Beopjeong without saying a word. His demeanor resembled that of a person who had lost the ability to speak.

"Everything is wrong! All of it! Hangzhou? Of course, it's regrettable for those who died in Hangzhou. But what did those who rushed to Gangnam achieve? Did they save the people of Hangzhou?"

"They couldn't do that..."

"Exactly. When such a disaster occurs, people can only escape. Naturally, the damage would have been significantly reduced, and ultimately, the nefarious acts of the Evil Tyrant Alliance would have been forced to fight to stop the advance of the Demonic Sect. Just enduring a little longer would have allowed for the delicate balance between the two malevolent forces, the Demonic Sect and the Evil Tyrant Alliance. Why did they recklessly jump into that situation and plunge the people of Gangnam into chaos?"

"..."

"Foolish! Utterly foolish!"

Beopjeong ground his teeth.

"Those who cannot see the depths will criticize them and blame us again! Again! Without even knowing what they have done!"

"Ba-Bangjang..."

"This!"

Crash!

Eventually, when Beopjeong brought down his fist, the table in front of him shattered into pieces. Beopgye, astonished, stared blankly at Beopjeong.

"Mount Hua... I can't stand this nonsense..."

A blue light emanated from Beopjeong's eyes.