Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound of a wooden fish being struck rhythmically and the chanting of Buddhist scriptures filled the small room.
Each time the wooden fish was struck, the lantern lighting the room flickered slightly.
It was a sublime scene. The old monk striking the wooden fish and chanting the sutras radiated solemnity, tranquility, and the unique nobility of Buddhism.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
But at some moment, the rhythmically ringing wooden fish sound began to falter. Accordingly, the gently burning lantern flickered.
It was then that the chanting from the old monk's mouth stopped. Opening his closed eyes, the monk quietly looked down at the wooden fish in his hand.
'I've struck this all my life.'
He had held this wooden motak for over seventy years. Now, even with eyes closed or ears blocked, he could strike it without the slightest tremor.
But at this moment, the wooden fish in his hand failed to produce a proper sound.
'The mirror of the mind…'
The monk, the abbot, looked down at the wooden fish with solemn eyes and slowly put it down. No matter how much one engraves and masters it in the body, if the mind wavers, all is in vain.
Ultimately, everything depends on where the mind goes.
The abbot knew this very well. It was the Buddhist teaching he had strived to realize all his life.
But…
'Everything is within the sutras.'
The sages had already shown him the way. Yet the reason followers cannot easily reach the Dharma is because knowing all does not mean one can practice it.
"…Amitabha Buddha."
A small Buddhist chant escaped his lips.
How much more must one seek and seek again to truly enter the ranks of the Buddha? Is it really possible to reach that state while wearing this sinful and greedy flesh?
"…That too is attachment."
It's a funny thing.
Attachment is the root of all suffering. To truly master the Dharma, all attachments must be abandoned. But if you think about it, the desire to obtain the Dharma and reach Buddha's state is itself a kind of attachment, isn't it?
Those who seek cannot obtain it; only those who have let go can obtain it. The Buddhist path is such, so how can a person walk it?
'It is futile.'
The abbot slowly shook his head.
He knew. His body was already unfit to become a Buddha.
'Rather than becoming a Buddha alone, I will make the whole world Buddhas. Even if my own body falls into hell.'
To do so, everyone under heaven must understand the nobility of the Dharma. They must realize that accepting and seeking the Dharma is the only true way to escape this painful life.
But sadly, those struggling just to live each day pay no attention to the lofty Buddhist teachings. Therefore, to lead them to the Pure Land, dignity rather than teaching is needed.
A dazzling dignity so radiant that no one can look away. A dignity that naturally inspires the desire to walk that path oneself.
Compared to that, even the name Shaolin is small. Everything he does is ultimately to preach Buddha's teachings in the Central Plains and lead even one more person to the Pure Land.
It is not Buddha's teachings that need Shaolin's name to be elevated. Rather, Shaolin's reputation is needed to widely spread Buddha's teachings.
Isn't everything just for the suffering sentient beings?
"But why is that path so arduous?"
The abbot's eyes closed tightly.
The world is too chaotic to spread Buddha's teachings. And his strength is too weak to overcome that chaos.
"No one shows the way. No one…"
The abbot stretched out his wrinkled hand and grasped the wooden motak again. Even if it trembles and falters, not stopping is the path of a practitioner.
But then.
"Abbot, are you inside?"
Beop Gye's voice was heard outside the door.
The abbot gently put down the wooden motak in his hand and sighed deeply. The life he chose did not even allow him ample time to calm his own mind.
"Come in."
"Yes, Abbot."
The door opened cautiously and Beop Gye entered.
The abbot, Beop Jong looked at him and unconsciously frowned slightly. Seeing Beop Gye's extremely haggard complexion, he felt he knew how he himself must look.
"Abbot."
Beop Gye carefully sat before the abbot. His eyes repeatedly examined the abbot's expression.
"News from Hangzhou has arrived."
The abbot closed his eyes silently at the news.
He too was curious about the news. But he seemed to already know the outcome. Beop Gye's expression said it all.
"What happened?"
"…Hangzhou suffered near annihilation, but for now… the wicked Demonic Cult forces that invaded Hangzhou can no longer cause chaos and have left the Central Plains."
This much was what the abbot had expected.
"What about the Mount Hua swordsmen who went to Hangzhou along with those Evil Sect forces?"
"That is…"
Beop Gye glanced at the abbot, who had his eyes closed, and cautiously began to speak.
"Two days ago… they returned to where Mount Hua resides without casualties."
The abbot was suddenly engulfed by indescribable emotion. Countless feelings swirled inside him.
The quiet silence lengthened, and Beop Gye sitting before him could barely breathe deeply. He just kept his mouth shut, endlessly waiting for the abbot's reaction.
Finally, the abbot slowly opened his eyes and asked.
"Two days ago…?"
"…"
"Did you say two days ago?"
"A-Abbot."
At the icy aura flowing from his eyes, Beop Gye involuntarily shrugged his shoulders. The old abbot never showed such coldness even when hearing upsetting words.
But not anymore. Now, unlike before, he sometimes showed such coldness that even Beop Gye trembled in fear.
But now, the abbot's aura was different from before.
"If they returned two days ago, the Beggars' Union would naturally have tracked their movements."
"…"
"Then how am I to interpret that this news has only just reached you?"
"That… that I also…"
As Beop Gye trailed off and looked around nervously, a faint twitch appeared at the corner of the abbot's eye.
"Not a single thing…"
His hand, which lightly held the wooden motak, clenched the folds of his robe on his thigh tightly. Blue veins bulged on the back of his hand.
"Not a single thing is going right! Not a single thing!"
"Abbot…"
"Yes."
The abbot bit his lip tightly and glared at Beop Gye.
"Continue."
"…"
"I said continue!"
"Y-Yes! Abbot!"
Beop Gye flinched, bowed his head, and quickly continued speaking.
"According to news from the Beggars' Union… those who appeared in Hangzhou were the high priest of the Demonic Cult and his followers. The disciples of Mount Hua who headed south killed the Evil Sect members along with the Ten Thousand People Clan, Black Ghost Treasure, and Green Forest…"
Beop Gye instinctively glanced at the abbot again after mentioning the Demonic Cult group and continued.
"And the Beggars' Union's Jang Ilso and Mount Hua's Sword Saint Chung Myung jointly struck the high priest's neck."
"…"
"The remaining Demonic Cult members fled. The Beggars' Union tried to track them, but their trail vanished without a sound, and their whereabouts are unknown."
Beop Gye swallowed dryly and spoke with a hoarse voice.
"That is all."
The abbot's face was as cold as a north wind's blade. Seeing that, Beop Gye involuntarily closed his eyes tightly.
"What…"
He had spent his whole life with the abbot.
He was his great sahyung and also his sahyung. He admired and respected the abbot's noble character all his life.
But why recently does the abbot show sides unknown to him? Even though the abbot's heart for Shaolin and all under heaven has not changed, why?
"The Hegemony Lord and Mount Hua's Sword Saint struck the high priest's neck?"
"The Beggars' Union says so…"
"So."
The abbot cut off Beop Gye's words and spoke coldly.
"Those who were desperate to kill each other joined hands and fought together to defeat the enemy?"
"…"
"And the Hegemony Lord, after defeating the Demonic Cult, willingly let the isolated Mount Hua's Sword Saint in the southern land go?"
Beop Gye could not even answer and only nodded.
He too found it hard to believe, but there was no other way. At least in the south, their eyes do not exist. So they had to rely on the Beggars' Union's information.
"Ha… haha."
The abbot let out a hollow laugh.
"I misjudged Mount Hua."
"…Abbot?"
His face had become horribly distorted.
"Though their intentions differ, I believed they were striving for the right path. So I secretly had some compassion!"
"…"
"If they collude with those wicked Evil Sect forces for their goals, how are they different from the Evil Sect?"
"Abbot… the situation is…"
"Situation?"
The abbot glared at Beop Gye with angry eyes.
"What situation are you talking about?"
"…"
"Were they the only ones heartbroken by the news of innocent civilians dying there? I too lost sleep over it!"
Bang!
The abbot's fist slammed down on the low table.
"But is that truly right? Is taking an unjust path to achieve desired results the way those who claim righteousness should choose?"
Beop Gye bowed his head deeply. The abbot flushed and continued.
"I do not blame their altruism! But do they truly not know that this ultimately strengthens the Evil Sect's control over the south?"
"Th-That is…"
The abbot clenched his fist tightly.
"Those fools have made Jang Ilso a hero. Now, Jang Ilso will be the hero who saved the south from the Demonic Cult's grasp, further solidifying the Evil Sect's rule in there. Why don't they realize this means more people will suffer longer?"
Beop Gye looked at the abbot without answering. He looked like someone lost for words.
"Everything is wrong! All wrong! Hangzhou? Of course, those who died in Hangzhou are tragic. But what did those who rushed to the south achieve? Did they save the people of Hangzhou?"
"They did not…"
"When such a disaster occurs, people have no choice but to flee. Naturally, the damage would be minimized, and ultimately those wicked Evil Sect scoundrels would have to fight the Demonic Cult's southern advance. Just by enduring a little, a clash between the two evils, the Evil Sect and the Demonic Cult, was possible! Why did they recklessly jump into that situation and plunge the southern civilians into misery?"
"…"
"Foolish! Foolish and foolish again!"
The abbot ground his teeth fiercely.
"Those who cannot see deeply will praise them and criticize us! Again! Not even knowing what they have done!"
"A-Abb…"
"Hey!"
Kwahhhang!
Finally, the abbot slammed his fist down, shattering the low table before him.
Startled, Beop Gye stared blankly at the abbot with his mouth agape.
"Mount Hua… utterly despicable…"
A piercing blue murderous aura flowed from the abbot's eyes.