Chapter v9c11

Baekdo Shinsung, Yong Cheon Myeong and the Jade Buddha Tathagata Divine Sword.

“Can I ask for your name? What is it?” Yong Cheon Myeong asked. He wanted to know the name of the man who had cornered this fierce mare thus far.

“Of course! My name is Bi Ryu-yeon.” Since he did not recall doing anything bad enough to hide his name, Bi Ryu-yeon answered without hesitation.

“Ho ho! So you are the Bi Ryu-yeon, the talk of the town who has been causing a stir in the academies in secret!” The name Bi Ryu-yeon was one of the first he heard when he emerged from his seclusion and returned to Gu Jeong Hoe. As such, it attracted considerable attention.

The very opponent that even the literary and martial double excellence of Gu Jeong Hoe had suspended judgment on! The one who dulled the Blade of Moon Baek Mu-yeong and invoked silence in the martial artist Cheong Heun! He had expected an unpredictable and enigmatic character upon hearing the reports, but he had never imagined someone who would cause such absurd trouble.

“Didn’t you win at the Samsung Muje Contest?” His tone implied disbelief, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked in such a roundabout way.

“There was indeed such a trivial event.” Bi Ryu-yeon replied nonchalantly, as if winning such contests was something anyone could do and not worth making a fuss about.

At Bi Ryu-yeon’s indifferent answer, Yong Cheon Myeong burst into hearty laughter. “Hahaha! Of course. It’s fate that has fallen into your lap, so why should it be considered honorable? Lucky me! I was worried you might be someone who doesn’t know his own station. I’m very pleased to see that you have a normal way of thinking right here and now!”

His tone was somewhat mocking.

Na Yerin, Mo Yong-hwi, Hyo-ryong, and Jang Hong, who had some connection with Bi Ryu-yeon, all turned their attention to him at once. The question that arose in their minds was just one.

“A normal way of thinking?”

Their answer had been predetermined since the time when chaos first divided into yin and yang, forming tai chi at the dawn of the world.

“Such a thing doesn’t exist, right?”

Everyone, regardless of their ideology, affiliation, or background, had to agree on this fact from a unified human perspective. If Bi Ryu-yeon truly possessed a normal way of thinking, such incidents would not have occurred in the first place.

Yong Cheon Myeong seemed confident enough to provoke and then subdue Bi Ryu-yeon. Without knowing whether his assumption was a miscalculation…

It was now necessary to calculate the strategy.

With Yong Cheon Myeong’s arrival, the situation reached a new turning point, but Bi Ryu-yeon was still holding onto the hand of Maha Ryeong. One would think he’d be tired enough to let go by now, but his stubbornness was relentless, learned from who knows where.

While maintaining a calm and smiling exterior, Yong Cheon Myeong was also quite flustered by this unexpected development.

‘Are there others besides me in our academy capable of handling this fierce mare with such extraordinary skill? Could it really be just luck?’

When he left the academy for secluded training, such a person surely did not exist.

But as he emerged from his seclusion to find the world around him somewhat changed, it was natural for Yong Cheon Myeong to be curious about the true identity of the person causing such a stir and to realize that he needed to make a decision on how to handle the situation.

Ssang Ryong Bo!

One of the few martial forces that stood shoulder to shoulder with the Eight Great Families, boasting a significant presence. And it was the home of Gu Jeong Hoe leader Chang Cheon Ryong Yong Cheon Myeong.

Originally, Ssang Ryong Bo might seem like an ordinary family from the outside, but its true nature was akin to the Shaolin Temple’s secular branches. This was because everyone in major positions at Ssang Ryong Bo had connections to the Shaolin Temple.

The current Ssang Ryong Bo Ju Yong Cheon Gi, including his father and grandfather’s generations, as stewards of Ssang Ryong Bo, were all from the Shaolin secular branches, and as secular disciples, they had received even the core teachings of Shaolin, something unusual compared to other secular disciples.

Therefore, Ssang Ryong Bo received Shaolin’s absolute support and grew its position in the martial world. It was located close to Shaolin in Henan province, so close that one could literally fall from the gate and land at the entrance of Shaolin.

Thus, Ssang Ryong Bo could rightly be called the core of Shaolin’s secular branches, and no one contested this. Some even referred to it as the sword of Shaolin, which, while pretending not to interfere with the secular world, served as a bridge to it for Shaolin. And certainly, they provided consistent financial support to Shaolin. It was only natural that Ssang Ryong Bo, which had grown its influence using Shaolin as a backdrop and reaped enormous benefits, would share some of its profits with the temple. From a young age, the direct descendants of Ssang Ryong Bo entered Shaolin as secular disciples, received the same training as the immediate disciples, and were taught everything according to their talent, free from the usual constraints of secular life. Thus, the influence of Ssang Ryong Bo continued to grow over time.

And among them, Yong Cheon Myeong was an even more special existence.

Chang Cheon Ryong Yong Cheon Myeong!

He had always lived in pursuit of perfection and desired to be perfect. Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to think that he could become perfect by just sitting around. He was ready to pay the price for it. Thus, he worked hard to perfect himself and was confident in his capacity to do so.

He certainly had the talent. A natural talent that was second to none! Indeed, this world required an inborn talent that was hard to overcome with effort alone. The barrier was simply too high.

Each person has different talents, and it was unreasonable to expect them all to focus solely on martial skills. In this regard, Yong Cheon Myeong was lucky, born with a talent of the ages.

His mind and body were ready, and he had the perfect mentor for becoming stronger in martial arts.

Shaolin gave him strength, and he was able to become perfect because of it. He was able to become a near-perfect individual among his peers, a source of pride and honor. One day, looking around, he realized there were barely a handful who could be compared to him, and no one disputed this fact.

Even in the martial academy known as the hall of martial arts, Cheonmu Academy, there were few who could match him. Not even Baek Mu-yeong was his match in martial arts. The only one who could match him was the Three Section Sword Cheong Heun. Cheong Heun was indeed formidable. He was the first person of his age to give him such a difficult time. The black sword of the martial hall, known as the best of the new generation, was terrifying. He had been close to being defeated under Cheong Heun’s sword several times. Complacency and leisure were not tolerated when facing him. Fortunately, with all his might, Yong Cheon Myeong was barely able to overcome Cheong Heun by half a step.Fortunately, one of his parents (obviously from his mother’s side) was descended from a family of shamans, which bestowed him a stroke of luck to avoid a fatal injury and gave him the upper hand that led to his victory. Thus, he became the leader of the Gu Jeong Hoe. He was the youngest leader ever. No one had risen to the position of leader of the Gu Jeong Hoe as quickly as Yong Cheon Myeong had.

And now, there appeared a person who completely ignored such a person as himself. What should he do with this unexpected person? Moreover, he was pressuring Maha Ryeong, who was notoriously fierce and capricious. Somehow, that got on his nerves. It played a decisive role in creating an inexplicable anxiety and unease in his heart.

It was a strange concern that he had never experienced before. Today, especially, he was not himself.

——————————————————————-

“Amitabha! In the Great Shaolin Temple, Bodhidharma laid the foundation by facing the wall for nine years, and the Sixth Patriarch, Hui Neng, refined and organized seventy-two divine skills. Each of these divine skills is so profound and mystical that it is impossible to master all of them in one lifetime, even with constant practice. However, as the old saying goes, ‘It is better to dig one deep well than many shallow ones.’ No matter how many skills one learns, they are useless in real combat. Especially before the ultimate masters, unachieved martial arts are just useless trinkets. You don’t need to learn all 72 Shaolin special skills!”

Yong Cheon Myeong’s master, Great Master Hyejeong, said this while turning a steel rosary in his hand.

“Then what should I, as your disciple, do?”

Yong Cheon Myeong asked with a bow, seeking instruction. At that time, he was laying the foundation with the secret Shaolin skill of Prajna Divine Power and had only learned a few basic special skills. He was just about to enter formal training.

“Chuk! Amitabha! Take this!”

The master suddenly held out an object to him. Great Master Hyejeong paid his respects to the item he had taken out. If the head of the Shaolin Temple showed such respect, even a fool could guess the value of the object.

Young Yong Cheon Myeong’s eyes widened in astonishment. It was an item that did not match Shaolin at all.

“This… This is…”

Yong Cheon Myeong stammered, unable to continue, his heart racing.

The item was indeed something that did not fit with Shaolin. In Shaolin Temple, there was a broom for sweeping the courtyard, a walking stick for the high monks when they traveled, and a Shaolin staff for the warrior monks’ training. However, he had never heard of a sword being in Shaolin Temple. The idea of a monk carrying a sword was unheard of.

But what the master had presented to him was a sword. It was a sword with an ancient style, a faint greenish glow, and an aura that clearly showed it was no ordinary sword. From any angle, top, bottom, left, or right, it was a divine sword beyond dispute.

The auspicious sword, emitting a beautiful green light like a forest, instantly captivated Yong Cheon Myeong.

“Amitabha!”

Great Master Hyejeong chanted softly with a reverent heart. He was performing a significant ritual. It was natural for him to feel reverent.

Yong Cheon Myeong also felt as if his heart was being cleansed by his master’s powerful chant. He bowed and waited for his master’s words.

“This is the Supreme Ultimate Treasure of Shaolin, the Green Jade Tathagata Divine Sword. It is a sword of the highest order, meant to suppress demons and protect the good. The authority to decide the fate of this sword lies with only one in this world: the head of the Great Shaolin, the Green Jade Buddha Staff.”

This meant that this authority could ignore all other authorities.

“Green… Green Jade Buddha Staff!”

Yong Cheon Myeong’s mouth hung open in shock. The words of Great Master Hyejeong were a continuous surprise that was enough to shake the young heart.

Green Jade Buddha Staff!

The Green Buddha Staff symbolized the absolute authority of the head of the Shaolin Temple, who oversees all of Shaolin’s full powers. No one in Shaolin could escape the authority of the Green Jade Buddha Staff.

The Four Diamond Warriors, the Eighteen Bronze Men, and the One Hundred and Eight Invincible Arhats—all were under its supreme, unparalleled authority. And now, there appeared an authority that only yielded to that one authority.

The young boy’s body was still trembling. The master spoke with a dignified voice.

“As I said, this sword absolutely obeys only the authority of the Green Jade Buddha Staff and does not compromise with any demon or evil. Therefore, some also call this sword the honor of Shaolin.

The aura of the sword seemed to draw him in. Yong Cheon Myeong looked at the sword blankly, lost in its presence.

The master, having composed himself, looked at Yong Cheon Myeong again with a compassionate and majestic gaze. His gaze seemed to embody nature itself, commanding respect.

“Cheon-Myeong!”

The master called his disciple with a voice full of kindness.

“Yes, Master!”

Though young, Yong Cheon Myeong answered loudly and earnestly. The shining green jade light of the sword was overwhelming his heart and his whole body. The air in the room felt very heavy. It was clear that this was not just a simple sword appraisal meeting.

“Amitabha… From now on, this sword is yours.”

The green jade sword, which had been lying on a white silk cloth, floated up and was placed in front of Yong Cheon Myeong. He dared not continue speaking. He didn’t have the courage to do so.

“How could I possibly…”

At first, Yong Cheon Myeong could not muster the courage to accept it. At that moment, he was not yet mature enough to bear the weight of such supreme authority.

“Amitabha! Take it! You are more than qualified. If you doubt your worthiness, then hone the skill to match this sword! The one who wields this sword becomes the real head of the Shaolin secular family. Become someone who is not ashamed of their honor!”

The burden was not light for a boy not yet fifteen.

“Take it!”

“Master!”

Yong Cheon Myeong could not defy the command.

“Being the representative of the Green Jade Tathagata Divine Sword means becoming the face and the honor of Shaolin! From now on, you must strive to become a person who is not ashamed of this sword.”

“I will dedicate my life to it!”

At that moment, Yong Cheon Myeong’s eyes burned with firm conviction and determination. Now he had become the representative of the Green Jade Tathagata Divine Sword. Of course, until he became worthy of it, the sword would be kept by Great Master Hyejeong.

“As you know, our nine great sects did not produce a single Heavenly Martial Saint during the unprecedented turmoil of the last Heavenly Tribulation Bloodbath. After the Heavenly Martial Saints were all produced by people outside the nine sects, they came to be revered in the martial world as the Three Heavenly Martial Saints. It was a regrettable event for our sects that the Sword Saint was not among them. Although his skill was more than enough, luck did not follow him. It was an enormous disgrace for our sects, though it was not shown outwardly. Therefore, we have been working tirelessly to forget that disgrace and to produce the most outstanding martial artist from our sects! To produce all the Heavenly Martial Saints of the next generation from the nine great sects! Cheon-Myeong!”

“Yes, Master!”

“You are the culmination of our efforts. I believe that your talent will not disappoint our expectations. Become a Martial God that surpasses even the Heavenly Martial Saints! And elevate the name of the nine great sects and the Great Shaolin.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Yong Cheon Myeong bowed deeply in response.

The master believed in him. Shaolin believed in him. At that moment, his heart was swirling with emotion.

“This Green Jade Tathagata Divine Sword will guide your path. Become the North Star of the martial world!”