The Genius Youngest Disciple of the Wudang Sect

Chapter 201

Having the token of the Shaolin Abbot holds great significance.

This time, there are only two Shaolin monks in Zhejiang Province, Il-jik and Il-won.

Not only will they follow my words as if they were the Abbot's, but it is also clear that the martial artists of other sects and families, not just Shaolin, will not be able to easily ignore my words.

'A martial artist recognized by the Abbot of Shaolin!'

There is probably no need to further explain the meaning of this one sentence.

However, I decided not to accept his favor right away.

Because I know well that excessive favor soon returns as a burden.

"Abbot. I will gratefully accept your heart, but I cannot receive this token."

"Why? I thought you would gladly accept it."

"Because I know my own station and situation well. How about giving this token to Monk Il-jik? I think it is too much for me."

"It is not too much at all. If you are trying to be humble now, which does not suit you, then stop."

"It is not humility..."

He looked at me and said with a smile, "Do you think I don't know your intentions? You're just trying to avoid troublesome things, right?"

"What? That's not it..."

"What do you mean, it's not? Aren't you refusing because you have grasped the meaning of me giving you these prayer beads very accurately? My intention of entrusting the lives of Il-jik and Il-won to you if necessary."

I let out a hollow laugh without my realizing it because I had not expected him to say it so directly.

That's right.

In fact, the reason I was trying to refuse that token was because I thought that a situation would come where I would have to take care of the lives of the Shaolin monks, not to mention my own senior brothers.

Even though it is a mission where rising stars are gathered, since it is something that happens in the martial world, you never know when or where you will be stabbed by a sword.

In that situation, the Abbot is asking me to protect the Shaolin monks.

"Yes. I can't help it. I have no choice but to ask the proud Taoist of the Wudang Sect directly."

The great master Gak-il suddenly took a formal posture and, after looking at me straight, said with his hands politely clasped together, "I ask you this. Please take care of the disciples of our Shaolin."

"Abbot... I am still immature. I am not a person who can be responsible for the lives of the disciples of other sects, especially those rising stars with such tremendous talent."

"I don't think so. Considering that you defeated my disciple in a spar, and the deeds you have shown in the martial world so far, it can be seen that you have already surpassed the level of a rising star long ago. Among the abilities I have gained while living to this age, the most useful ability is the eye to see people. Do you know why I gave you the Great Return Pill, which is a treasure of Shaolin, for no reason?"

"Ugh..."

Since the Abbot has said that much, and has even brought up the Great Return Pill, I now have no reason to refuse any more.

I also, showing him respect, said with a fist-and-palm salute, "I understand. I will accept the Abbot's token. And I will cherish the Shaolin monks as if they were my own senior brothers."

"Haha! Thank you. Thank you."

He, as if he were very happy with my words, burst out laughing.

He also looked as if he were relieved, as if one of his worries had been resolved.

'Well... it's not bad to be expected.'

I decided to think positively since it had come to this.

In the first place, if he had not seen that I was overwhelmingly superior compared to the disciples of Shaolin, he would not have made such a request.

"Abbot, when are you planning to return to Shaolin?"

"I will have to return soon. It has been too long since I have left the temple."

"Thank you for coming all the way here. And... I have received too much. I don't know how I can repay all this grace."

"Grace? To whom are you saying you will repay the grace?"

I, looking at the great master Gak-il who was asking a very natural question, tilted my head.

Since the great master Gak-il would not have said that without any meaning, I wondered what the inner meaning was...

To be honest, no matter how much I think about it, I don't know.

So I decided to answer as I had originally thought.

"Of course, I mean to repay the grace to you, Abbot. And to the monks of Shaolin. Didn't you help me to become as strong as I am now? You readily gave me the Great Return Pill, and you gave me various kinds of help so that I could become stronger, didn't you?"

"Hoho... was that Great Return Pill Shaolin's?"

"Of course, isn't it Shaolin's? Since no other place can make the Great Return Pill."

Then the great master Gak-il looked at me and smiled.

I know well when monks make that kind of expression.

Right now, the great master Gak-il wants to have a Zen dialogue with me.

"What is the meaning of it being Shaolin's? If it was made in Shaolin, is it all Shaolin's? Or should it be said to belong to the people who made it possible to make it?"

"I still think it is Shaolin's. If you put it that way, in the end, you have nothing of your own, and shouldn't you say that everything belongs to the giant Pangu who is said to have created this world?"

"Haha! That's also true."

I know well how to deal with monks who engage in Zen dialogue, especially old monks.

If you think too deeply about the meaning of the question and fall into a long thought, you will rather be drawn in by the monks.

In this case, it is best to just give the answer that comes to mind as soon as you hear it with conviction.

Even now, I don't know if the great master Gak-il thought my answer was interesting, or if he thought it was bold, but since he is laughing so loudly.

"Seeing your expression, it seems you are thinking that the question I am asking is a Zen dialogue that old monks often do, right?"

"H-Hmm. That's right."

"Hehe... but what I was trying to do was a Zen dialogue, but it was not a Zen dialogue."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Originally, a Zen dialogue should discuss a problem that has no answer. Although it is true that I said it with the intention of breaking the frame of thought that I usually have, this question was a question with a correct answer."

"Is there a correct answer to that question?"

He smiled and nodded his head.

And then, without any more delay, he said, "First, be grateful for your talent and ability. Be grateful to the world that has given you that. And repay that grace not to us, but to the world. That is, to the common people. In the first place, the fact that we can exist as a sect is all possible because the faith and support of the common people who do not know martial arts have gathered one by one."

"Ah..."

"That is enough. The grace you said you wanted to repay to Shaolin, let's replace it with you receiving those prayer beads."

I suddenly felt that the prayer beads were much heavier than a little while ago.

Perhaps it was because of the sense of responsibility I had received from the great master Gak-il.

"I understand. I will keep those words in mind."

"Hoho... donor Unhwi is indeed quick to understand. I'm looking forward to the future even more, you know?"

"Thank you for looking forward to it."

"Ah, and one last thing to ask."

"Yes, Abbot."

"That... it might be a slightly difficult request."

He hesitated for a moment, wondering what to say, and then said with a smile, "I heard that you have promised to meet Yeong Hwan again and have another match. Can you win against Yeong Hwan then? No. Please win in all the spars you have with Yeong Hwan in the future."

"Yes?"

I opened my eyes wide, wondering if I had heard him correctly.

Because usually, people ask you to lose just once, but they don't ask you to please win.

But his expression seemed serious.

"I have never seen Yeong Hwan work as hard as he is these days. Although it may seem to others that he has trained hard, the standard of that hard work is different for each person, isn't it? This is the first time he has trained to the point where he can fully draw out his potential. Even though I have seen that child for nearly twenty years."

He chuckled and then continued, "So please remain in a relationship where you are helpful to each other until the end. Didn't you say that to me when you first came to Shaolin? That you were worried about the evil ways of the unorthodox faction. That worry. Is it still valid now?"

"Yes. Of course."

"If you both work hard like that, won't you be of a little more help when the evil ways of the unorthodox faction really covet the Central Plains someday?"

The great master Gak-il smiled kindly.

Although I also smiled along with him, in fact, I had a hard time not showing that I had goosebumps.

Because for a moment, I had the thought that he had also seen the future like me.

"Then I will also have to start preparing to leave soon. When I have finished preparing, if I can see your face again, I will say goodbye then."

"I understand, Abbot."

I, understanding his polite dismissal, quietly left his lodging.

The more I chewed on the conversation I had with him, the more I thought that he was a great person.

Although he is a monk, I also had the question of how he could think and act for the martial world like that.

Probably, if it were me, even if I thought it was not mine, I don't think I would have been able to readily give out the Great Return Pill.

'To meet these expectations... I must stop the Demonic Cult guys.'

I, making a promise to myself, headed for the Yuyeop Hall.

Although it seems it will be boring now, I can't help it.

For me, there is only training, training, and training.

***

After Unhwi left the room, another Shaolin monk came to the great master Gak-il's room.

He was also an old monk who looked to be about the same age as the great master Gak-il.

He seemed to be of the generation of the current elders of the Shaolin Temple.

"Abbot. The prayer beads you gave to donor Unhwi... did you really give them to him? Those prayer beads are our deceased master's..."

"Junior brother. How many times have I told you not to be so formal when we are alone?"

"... I understand, senior brother."

He was the current elder of the Shaolin Temple, the master of the Arhat Hall, and the junior brother of the great master Gak-il, the great master Gak-gyu.

At his worried question, who was greatly recognized not only as a monk but also as a monk who studied the Buddhist scriptures, the great master Gak-il said in a firm voice, "It was an item I didn't need. I couldn't use it either. And didn't our master leave those prayer beads to me, telling me to pass them on if a person who could use them better appeared? I had kept them for a long time because I had not met a person who gave me that conviction, but now it feels like they have found their rightful owner."

"Do you really think that donor Unhwi is worthy of that, senior brother?"

The great master Gak-il nodded his head firmly.

"I think so."

"I see. But I also feel a little wronged. To think that the only clue to inheriting his true teachings is in the hands of a disciple of the Wudang Sect, not our own disciple..."

"Hoho... isn't that also all the will of the Buddha? Now that I see it, junior brother needs to cultivate his mind more. How about it? A wall-gazing training for the first time in a long time?"

"Senior brother. Please give me a break. I am also now over sixty years old. My bones ache when I meditate for a long time."

"Tsk. That's also all because you lack training."

The great master Gak-il and the great master Gak-gyu looked at each other and smiled.

Although they were exchanging conversations with playful faces, their voices and eyes were filled with a small concern and a strange expectation.

"I will have to pray that donor Unhwi can find a way to inherit the true teachings of the great master Bodhidharma. Although he probably doesn't even think about what meaning those prayer beads have now."

"He will naturally come to know as time passes. Everything will flow according to its natural course. According to its natural course..."

That concern was a concern about the fact that he had handed over his prayer beads, which might be the only clue to inheriting the true teachings of the great master Bodhidharma, who is said to have created the martial arts of Shaolin and created numerous martial arts that are the source of the world's martial arts, to Unhwi, and the expectation was the expectation that Unhwi might really find it.

(End of Chapter)