Chapter 251: Advent of the Divine Dragon (7)

After the match ended, Qing soaked in the Medicine Refining Palace in the evening, absorbing medicinal properties, then lay on the Flowing Willow Soft Refinement training device.

After three shichen of intricate torture, Cheon Yuhak collapsed on the floor, abandoning Qing.

Qing, still bound, regained her body and thought:

Every single part of me aches. Just how much did I struggle to end up like this?

Of course the joints and tendons hurt after being deliberately worked to the brink of crippling, but the full-body muscle aches and spasms were the result of desperately struggling to break free during the Flowing Willow Soft Refinement procedure.

This mental parasite boasted of being the Heavenly Demon Lord or whatever, but his whining was no ordinary whining.

He threw a fit just from undergoing bone-breaking for a mere three shichen. Oh my aching body.

In fact, Qing who grumbled like this had cried loudly with snot bubbles in her nose in the previous iteration.

The mental parasite would have felt wronged if he knew, but the vicious revenge ghost who had plunged the world into grief four times through four great wars between orthodox and demonic was now just a single mind collapsed from pain.

Qing thought, well, crying to be killed after suffering for just over a year is a bit… Especially as the one who made the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult into a demonic cult.

After finishing such a rewarding Flowing Willow Soft Refinement training and sleeping, she woke to find the sun high in the sky.

Wondering who was here today, she went down, and oh.

“Well, who do we have here. Grr grr growl. Why did I come up but there’s no mountain? Mountain! When can we have a proper match!?”

“Kuk.”

“What’s this? Wasn’t this Mountain? Mountain, what mountain did you climb that I can’t see you? Haha, Mountain still has a long way to go.”

“…Do it in moderation,”

“Hmm. Ye must have been stronger than expected.”

“That woman.”

Mountain deeply furrowed his brow.

Qing furrowed her brow along with him.

“What do you mean ‘that woman’. Aren’t we close? She’s just very shy, but how kind she is.”

“That’s not it. Hmm.”

Peng Daesan’s eyebrows twitched, and he went “hmm” and twitched again. He seemed to be in deep thought about whether to say something or not.

At this, Qing just asked:

“Why?”

“I’m not sure if I should tell you this.”

“What is it? If you brought it up you should say it. Want to see someone’s guts explode?”

“Hmm. Let me say in advance this isn’t an excuse. I just think you should know too.”

“What is it that you’re being so grand about?”

“She used Innate True Qi. It seems she’s learned some special martial art like that.”

“Who? Ye?”

Mountain nodded at this.

“Huh? She used Innate True Qi? You mean she used martial arts by shaving off her lifespan?”

Qing understood why he said it wasn’t an excuse.

He meant not to take it as saying he lost because Gongson Yoye went as far as using Innate True Qi in the match.

To Qing’s ears, it seemed like there was a bit of that intention, though not entirely.

“I thought you should know. I was defeated, and I have no resentment, so don’t look at me with those eyes.”

Peng Daesan emphasized once more after seeing Qing’s impure gaze.

Qing said with a serious expression:

“Hmm. I should talk to Ye a bit.”

Why on earth would there be a need to stake her life on the match to the point of using Innate True Qi, no, she’s really burning her lifeline.

Was winning the martial arts competition that desperate for her?

Compared to that, I…

…

…

While Qing was deep in thought:

“Unni! Gaga unni!”

“Oh? This voice. Where are you!”

With the sound of short-legged running, something wrapped around Qing’s hips.

“You little one! Hyang!”

Qing lifted Jegal Hyang high and spun in place once, twice, three times…

“Kyahaha!”

Not knowing she was dizzy, Jegal Hyang burst into clear laughter unique to children.

Wuxue was on his way to the Wucheon Pavilion.

But hmm, how should he start the conversation when he gets there? Isn’t it rather unseemly to just say “Give me your Buddha’s Palm”?

Plus, Ximen Surin’s pressure would be no joke.

So Wuxue’s steps gradually slowed, making him look like a very leisurely idler.

Crossing the gate of the Wucheon Pavilion and going to the training ground, he saw young people focused on sparring, sweating on this nice day.

Truly a good time, Wuxue thought as he looked for Qing. With her outstanding beauty, she wasn’t hard to find.

She was sitting casually on the grass with her bottom firmly planted, tightly hugging a tiny girl in her arms.

“Gaga unni, what kind of blanket do you like? Hyang really likes light and fluffy blankets made with goose down.”

Gaga unni? What a strange title.

Wuxue Dashi tilted his head.

Then he thought, well, women can call each other that when they’re close, can’t they?

“I just need a good lining. Hmm. If it’s light it’s light but has a fluffy feeling, and if it’s heavy it’s heavy but also cozy, so it’s a toss-up. But why are you asking about blankets? Are you going to give me a gift?”

“Hehee. I’m making a dowry list these days.”

Wuxue Dashi tilted his head again.

Dowry? Between women? No, more than that, for a child who looks about 10 years old?

“Ahem.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Qing notice Wuxue.

She didn’t sense him even with her sharpened senses in the breezy air, so she was momentarily alarmed, but soon relaxed seeing the shiny bald head.

“This old monk is called Wuxue. You’ve surely heard my name?”

“Ah! The world’s greatest expert! Hello. This girl is called Jegal Hyang.”

Because Jegal Hyang blurted out without counting to one or two, Qing missed her chance. What’s this, wasn’t it the law to shout after two beats?

Qing also stood up and politely greeted him.

At that moment, Wuxue finally looked into Qing’s eyes up close.

Beyond the clear Daoist and Buddhist mystical aura, some vicious madness faintly shone through, madness…

This, Female Madwoman, this mad dog!

How could you pick up and raise the Heavenly Slaughter Star!

Other masters might think she inherited that madness as the Female Madwoman’s disciple, but the eyes of the world’s greatest expert properly pierced through to the essence.

It was the image of the world’s most ominous starlight firmly grasped while being crushed between two hands.

One hand was Daoism’s pure immortal path, the other was Buddhism’s great compassionate true mind. It was truly the image of the world’s Dao barely holding down the most vicious nature.

“Hoho. Hmm. This old monk has something to say to this child, would the little lady from the Jegal clan please step aside for a moment?”

“Ah. Yes…”

Jegal Hyang bowed politely and looked around before running off to find her big brother.

“Hmm. Yes. I came because I have something to say to you, but shall we move somewhere else?”

There was also a tea room in the Wucheon Pavilion, so until the maid brought tea after they sat down, Wuxue just kept his mouth shut with a serious expression.

At this, Qing spoke first:

“Master. Did you perhaps come because of the divine art? I should have visited you first, I’m very sorry.”

“Hmm. No. Isn’t it the law that the person with business should come first? How can an elder use subordinates just because they’re older, well, hmm, they do use them because they’re older.”

Wuxue Dashi said this while looking at Qing.

It was a situation where an ominous star that could plunge the world into blood was right before his eyes.

That Female Madwoman bitch sang about female struggle or whatever, but she really crossed the line.

No matter how much she suppresses her innate blood calamity, how can a person go against their heavenly mandate?

In the end, it’s a great evil and a calamity that will make the world’s blood flow as tears, so I should cut off her breath right here.

Buddha’s Palm or whatever, now is not the time to care about such things-

“Then, shall I recite the mantra for you now? Or I could write out the secret manual.”

“Huh? You’re saying you’ll just give the divine art?”

“Rather than giving, isn’t it returning? Since it was originally Shaolin’s, returning it to its owner is the right thing to do.”

“…Is that your thought, or Surin, no, your master’s thought?”

“Master said it’s not her destiny and told me to handle it myself.”

The expression as she said this didn’t have even a hint of delusion, it was sincere words spoken calmly.

At this, Wuxue Dashi’s mind was jolted awake.

“If you want, we will give Shaolin’s wealth without holding back. How about it? Will you still give it away for free even then?”

“Come on. What would a Daoist do with wealth? The Divine Maiden Sect isn’t poor, and I personally don’t particularly need money.”

“Hoho. Then how about elixirs? You must know how precious the Great Return Pill is? We have twelve in the Medicine Hall now and over fifty Lesser Return Pills, we can give all of those too.”

“Hmm. Master said my inner force is already comparable to Profound Realm masters, so I’m not that desperate for elixirs. Ah. But one pill, no, two pills might be good.”

“Why two pills?”

“One to give to my master. And one, um, because a friend uses martial arts that consume Innate True Qi.”

“You mean the Gongson clan’s child?”

“Ah. You knew?”

“The Xuanyuan Sword is the Emperor’s sword, isn’t it? No matter how high one’s realm, how could there be no price for a human wielding the Emperor’s sword?”

Here, Emperor doesn’t refer to the Son of Heaven.

Originally, Emperor means not the ruler of humans, but in Qing’s homeland’s terms, it means god.

He’s saying how could there be no price for a human trying to wield a god’s power?

Isn’t that a bit grand for a gold-bordered skill?

Qing thought.

But Qing didn’t think that it became gold-ranked because it had such a drawback.

“Hoho, hahaha!”

Wuxue suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

In the end, she’s not asking for herself, but saying give two pills to give one to her master and one to her friend.

As if Great Return Pills were candy.

“Then, how about divine arts? You must well know the effects of the Yijin Cleansing Method.”

“Uh. That. Actually, I’ve already learned it…”

“What!?”

Wuxue jumped up a zhang while sitting and landed. Then he furrowed his bushy eyebrows sharply and seemed lost in thought before nodding.

“Since the Buddha’s Palm reached you, it’s not strange that the Yijin Cleansing Method reached you too. Then have you learned any other Shaolin studies?”

“Just those two.”

“Then, how about receiving another divine art in exchange for returning the Buddha’s Palm? Since you learned the Yijin Cleansing Method, you should be able to use it without problems. You’ve experienced the Hundred Steps Divine Fist, and there’s the White Lotus Divine Fist, Great Power Vajra Palm, Lotus Sutra, Immortal Crane Steps, how about it, is there any martial art you want?”

“I’m a swordsman, and I already have techniques that could be called supreme for movement techniques. You saw me use the Traceless Shadow Step.”

“I thought so.”

Wuxue nodded and said:

“Amitabha, they say there’s no destiny in the world that isn’t inevitable, so perhaps Buddhist teachings reaching you is also inevitable. This Buddhist is still far off.”

Indeed, Wuxue was ashamed.

Saying humans can’t overcome their heavenly mandate, how can a Buddhist disciple say such things?

Buddha’s teachings of cutting off all delusions of the desire realm and escaping reincarnation are, in a way, going against the heavenly mandate by breaking the cycle of the great realm.

Having spent a lifetime going against the heavenly mandate and pursuing completion as non-self, how could he assert that a young person with a bright future ahead couldn’t do it?

Rather, she was a child of high virtue even while embracing the Heavenly Slaughter Star.

According to the Sutta Nipata, one of the earliest Buddhist scriptures among the early canon, the small collection of discourses in the Pali Canon, the Buddha taught to rely on non-possession, hold non-action in your heart, and overcome worldly delusions. Overcome the world’s delusions through non-desire.

Of course, it’s true that Qing doesn’t particularly desire elixirs or martial arts.

It’s because she doesn’t need elixirs and learns martial arts when necessary.

But other than that, she was a jar full of greed and desire.

Not going far, if Wuxue had just seen Qing eating, no, if the maid had just put snacks on the table, he would have recognized that ugly gluttony.

And in the image of snacks being mercilessly crushed under her teeth, he would have seen the burning world reflected.

But how could Wuxue know that far?

He just felt embarrassed, sorry and ashamed, but was also grateful and impressed by the child’s willingness to readily return what was hers.

“Hmm. Well. Since you’re returning it anyway, why don’t you write out the Buddha’s Palm secret manual?”

“Ah. Should I write it out? Honestly, I thought you’d ask me to recite it right away.”

“Are you going to make this old man memorize more? I’m thinking of keeping it in your handwriting in the Sutra Repository, so you should write it out carefully and beautifully. In exchange, I won’t mind even if your name is prominently displayed as the compiler.”

“Yes…”

Qing answered, looking slightly deflated.

Look at this girl.

Wuxue burst into a grin.

Actually, having the compiler’s name displayed was no ordinary matter, it meant receiving respect as one of the ancestors, a grandmaster, from all Shaolin disciples who learn and practice the Buddha’s Palm in the future.

Probably even the Matriarch would snort but not say much after hearing such conditions.

And Wuxue’s words weren’t finished.

“The young one should memorize, not the old man. You little one. I’ll recite one mantra, so listen and memorize it.”