Reincarnated Sword Ghost

Chapter 85 : Shaolin Assembly

Shaolin Assembly

"Did you say a solo mission? For me?"

Jeong-un opened his eyes wide and asked.

A solo mission?

Hadn't they said they don't give solo missions to the two-stripes?

Yeom Baek spoke to Jeong-un, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"It seems that the General Affairs Department judged you to be suitable for this mission. From what I hear, the requirements were quite stringent, so there weren't many who matched them."

"What are the stringent requirements?"

"I'll explain everything in detail, so listen to the end and hold your questions until later."

Yeom Baek leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them.

It seemed to be a mission with a considerable amount of background.

"I've heard you're not too savvy about the current affairs of the martial world. Is that still the case?"

"... I'm working on it."

Jeong-un answered reluctantly at the unexpected remark, thinking that he had heard similar comments quite often lately.

"Well, there's no need to force yourself to study the common knowledge of the martial world. Anyway, time will take care of that. I'm not bringing it up to scold you."

"Then...?"

"Just as you don't know much about the martial world, the martial world doesn't know about you yet either."

"...?"

The martial world didn't know about him? That wasn't something he could immediately grasp.

Yeom Baek nodded and said,

"There's a group that people call the 'Mount Tai and Big Dipper' of the current martial world."

"You mean Shaolin?"

"Yes."

Yeom Baek smiled faintly when Jeong-un answered so quickly, then continued.

"It's a powerful sect even among the nine great sects, counted among those with lead disciples. But that's not all. It's also referred to as the pinnacle of orthodox martial arts. You must've heard at least once—the saying that all martial arts in the Central Plains originated from Shaolin. That's not so far from the truth. If you take a closer look at each of their seventy-two techniques, it's even more so."

Shaolin was a rather familiar name even to Jeong-un, mostly because Buddhism was a religion encouraged by the royal family.

Ordinary people would even bow their heads upon seeing monks passing by.

Located on Mount Song, Shaolin existed as an almost sacred group to the common people.

Even in a world where mere martial artists were regarded as superhuman, Shaolin monks had a completely different status as a symbol.

Was this reverence limited to the common people? Not at all—Shaolin was also a group that declared itself surpassing all orthodox factions.

'The origin of martial arts...'

'All martial arts under heaven originate from Shaolin.'

Jeong-un had often heard that phrase.

There was even the story that the founder of Wudang, Zhang Sanfeng, grew up in Shaolin.

He also remembered another unique fact:

'Heavenly Martial Hall has not a single Shaolin monk.'

Shaolin was the only sect in the Central Plains that never sent its disciples to join the Heavenly Martial Hall.

If you considered that, regardless of size, every other sect in the Central Plains obsessed over getting their disciples into the Heavenly Martial Hall, it was a very peculiar thing.

It was usually said that this was because of the doctrine of prohibiting killing.

But the Heavenly Martial Hall was not an office or a brocade-clad patrol.

They didn't go around catching criminals alive and locking them up.

They simply executed martial artists marked by the Murim Alliance.

It was a world where, even if a few people died, it was hard to track them down.

Such things happened even among commoners, let alone with martial artists.

But by national law, killing was a serious crime.

In that sense, the Heavenly Martial Hall was a very unique organization.

No matter if the opponent was from the Evil Faction or the underworld, they were praised, not pursued for their crimes.

Underlying it all was the close relationship between the Murim Alliance and the royal family.

Everything was carried out under the royal family's approval.

There were even times when guards from the Heavenly Martial Hall openly protected the royal family.

'So maybe it's only natural.'

For Shaolin, which strictly forbade killing, there was no way they'd send disciples to the Heavenly Martial Hall.

For others, punishing members of the Evil Faction or underworld could be considered justice, but according to Shaolin's doctrine, it was not.

"Every year, on the first day of the lunar new year, Shaolin rings the New Year's bell. It's a long-standing traditional event that's continued for decades. All the nearby common folk gather, making various wishes during the one hundred and eight chimes of the bell."

Do they even do that?

It seemed the comment about being close to the common people wasn't wrong.

Monks driving away misfortune and bestowing blessings in person?

That alone would be a huge comfort to the people.

"But, in fact, the most important event is held separately. Before the bell-ringing ceremony, Shaolin holds a duel tournament at its headquarters."

"A duel tournament?"

Yeom Baek nodded and continued.

"It's a gathering where all kinds of martial sects send their disciples. It's Shaolin's way of demonstrating its influence throughout the Central Plains and also a check against the current heart of the martial world, the Heavenly Martial Hall. In fact, even the common people who come to see the bell ceremony can watch and enjoy the martial artists' skills up close, since it's held so openly."

There wasn't much entertainment in those times.

If an event like that was held, people would flock to it regardless of social status.

"A huge crowd gathers. When you include the commoners, the number of people involved is staggering."

"Is my mission to protect the commoners there?"

Jeong-un asked, his mind recalling what had happened in Yangyang.

There, too, he had participated to ensure that martial artists drawn by the rumors of the Immortal Spirit Pill didn't recklessly draw their swords.

But Yeom Baek shook his head and spoke.

"As I said, the Shaolin Assembly is an event for them to check the Heavenly Martial Hall. Fighters from the Heavenly Martial Hall are forbidden from entering."

"What does that...?"

Jeong-un looked unconvinced.

Shaolin, after all, was a member of the nine great sects and a part of the current Murim Alliance.

Such things happened from time to time.

The Murim Alliance was a confederation of most of the orthodox sects, including the nine great ones.

Yet, sometimes the sects seemed to subtly compete with the martial enforcers of the Heavenly Martial Hall.

Even though their own disciples were likely to be part of the Heavenly Martial Hall.

Shaolin forbidding entry to Heavenly Martial Hall warriors at their own event?

That couldn't be for good reasons.

Even if they didn't send their own disciples there, there was no reason to estrange the Hall.

Seeing Jeong-un trail off at the end of his sentence, Yeom Baek spoke.

"It's better not to lump the sects of this land into a single category."

"Meaning...?"

"I'm saying, don't get trapped by big concepts like orthodox or evil."

Yeom Baek paused as if choosing his words, then continued.

"Every person is different, so grouping them together is itself laughable. Even twins born in the same time can be completely different. Just because people with similar intentions gather to form a sect doesn't mean they're all the same. Each sect shelters its own ambitions, and those can change at any time."

"You make it sound like grouping them under justice is itself laughable."

At Jeong-un's words, Yeom Baek chuckled.

"You're not wrong. If they really were the kind of people who couldn't overlook even the smallest injustice—like they claim through their own mouths—would the Heavenly Martial Hall even be needed? Think about it, and you'll find the answer."

Jeong-un recalled Zhuge Cheon-woo's words.

How the martial sects had worked hard to get their disciples accepted into the Heavenly Martial Hall.

The brief contact he'd had with martial artists had reinforced that attitude.

Even the warriors from the Hall seemed more concerned with success than the essence of their missions.

Above all, the so-called great sects resembled local nobility more than anything else.

It wasn't a wrong way to see things. They practically ruled the regions they settled in.

In the present age, they'd effectively become influential local lords, always looking out for their own collective interests.

"Shaolin is no different. They're the sect with the greatest military force across the Central Plains. It'd be odd if they weren't wary of the Heavenly Martial Hall, whose zone of influence they can't touch."

"So it's a way to save face. Before the Heavenly Martial Hall was formed, Shaolin would've been the first force that came to mind when people thought of protectors of the Central Plains."

Yeom Baek nodded.

"But that's only their thinking. We just need to do our job. In the end, it's Shaolin that's unilaterally wary of the Hall. Plus, it's not bad for Shaolin to flaunt its power. Because of their presence, villains from the Evil Faction don't dare act up near Mount Song."

"Are you saying things have changed now?"

"There's top-level intelligence circulating within the Murim Alliance. The Divine Thief is said to be planning to raid the Shaolin Assembly this time."

Jeong-un's eyes opened wide.

'Divine Thief?'

It was the moniker of a thief so elusive that he was said to slip into any treasury as if it were his own.

He was rumored to possess the body-strengthening art, which even peerless masters found difficult to glimpse.

Jeong-un himself knew the overwhelming prowess of the body-strengthening art.

If it was someone like the Divine Thief, he'd definitely be a peak expert dwelling in the realm of a master.

"They say he left a letter in front of the abbot's residence. That he would steal Shaolin's treasure on the day of the new year."

"What in the world...?"

It was unbelievable.

Never mind the content—the action itself was outrageous.

Even though not all Shaolin monks focused on martial arts, the place was still home to hundreds of masters.

To leave a letter so stealthily right in front of the abbot's quarters, right in the middle of Shaolin?

That alone was astonishing.

"Shaolin must be in an uproar."

Yeom Baek chuckled as he spoke.

"It's chaos over there. There's been a lot of discussions within Shaolin itself. There were even voices calling to cancel the assembly. However..."

"They can't do that, can they?"

Yeom Baek nodded at Jeong-un's words. Of course not.

If Shaolin, hailed as the 'Big Dipper of Orthodoxy', were to cancel its annual event over a single thief, they'd become the laughingstock of the world.

Especially since they're keeping the Heavenly Martial Hall in check—they'd never tolerate it.

"Shaolin has kept the affair secret and informed the Murim Alliance that they'll proceed as planned. Of course, they'll have their guard up. They must be seething with anger right now."

"It's hard to guess what this Divine Thief is thinking. If he's going to steal, he could've done it quietly—why announce it in advance..."

"You already know none of those martial world masters, especially punks from the Evil Faction, are in their right mind. If all your talent is used just for thievery, what more needs to be said?"

Jeong-un nodded, recalling all the Evil Faction thugs he'd encountered so far.

Even with his limited experience, it was easy to agree.

"But we can't just stand by. Whether Shaolin keeps us at bay or not, it's not good for their power to decline. Just by reputation alone, the Evil Faction is scared off and doesn't dare to set foot near Mount Song. That's useful for us, too. Yet, if rumors spread that Shaolin can't even protect its own headquarters...?"

Yeom Baek shook his head and continued.

"Henan would become an utter hellscape. All sorts of Evil Faction scum would gather and disrupt everyone's lives. It's not something we can dismiss."

"So, what is my mission?"

Jeong-un asked calmly. Now that he understood the background, he needed to know his role.

"You're to observe the Shaolin Assembly and report everything back to the Heavenly Martial Hall."

"...?"

"Someone needs to be on the scene, watching Shaolin and the Divine Thief in real time and sending updates. In the meanwhile, fighters from the Hall will surround Mount Song, laying an inescapable trap and waiting. If the Divine Thief really does steal something and tries to flee, they'll respond instantly. In fact, this is the perfect chance to catch that guy."

Jeong-un tilted his head slightly at Yeom Baek's words.

"But Hall warriors can't approach the Shaolin Assembly, right?"

"Exactly. So..."

Yeom Baek pointed his finger at Jeong-un's face and continued.

"You'll disguise yourself as a disciple from the Shandong Baek Sword Gate and participate in the Shaolin Assembly."

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

I have a feeling Jeong-un will win the assembly...

Also, will Jeong-un learn a new lightness technique?

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】