The Miraculous Divorce Technique

Chapter 4

CRACK. CREAK.

It was the change occurring in Cheok Sagyeol's body as he sat cross-legged after mastering the hidden incantations of the Marrow Cleansing Classic and the Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic.

And the change that occurred in his skeleton soon spread to his flesh and skin.

PULSE. PULSE.

At first, his wrinkled and sagging skin tightened and became taut.

Then, his gray eyebrows and beard, those of an old man, turned black.

It was as if vitality was circulating throughout his entire body, regaining his youth.

"Hehehehe. Success."

Cheok Sagyeol had succeeded in making Muheo's old body young, as if he had achieved Rejuvenation.

The hidden incantations were, as he had guessed, the training methods of the Indian ascetics, and they had the function of placing all parts of the body under one's will.

Simply put, although it was his own body, internally, the organs were a prime example, and externally, there were more organs than one might think that could not be moved at will, such as the ears and hair.

But the hidden incantations made it possible to move them and even activate his physical potential.

Indian Yoga Divine Art.

It was a martial art that Bodhidharma had named in the Central Plains style, based on the training methods of the Indian ascetics called yoga.

He didn't know why only the simple training method was spread and the core, which was the essence, was hidden, but after countless years, it had been passed down to Cheok Sagyeol.

"That aside, that bastard Muheo. He really was bald since he was young."

SLAP.

Cheok Sagyeol muttered as he caressed his still bald head with a crisp sound.

It was as if he had once again confirmed his guess that Muheo had entered Shaolin because he was bald.

"If my achievement gets higher, I might be able to grow hair too. For now, let's stop here and move on to the next step."

Cheok Sagyeol moved immediately, and the Bodhidharma Cave he left behind was a mess, with crumbled grain pills and the smell of urine.

* * *

CRASH. BANG.

'What's all this commotion...'

Grand Master Musan, who was meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly felt a disturbance outside.

Focusing his senses, he realized that the Arhats guarding the Abbot's Hall were scuffling with someone.

"Let go!? Do you bastards know who I am!"

"How would we know who you are, young benefactor? This is where the Abbot resides, so no one is allowed to enter without permission."

"So go ask for that permission!"

"Didn't I tell you to reveal your identity? How can I inform the Abbot about someone who won't even reveal their identity?"

"Then tell him to come out. That'll solve it!"

"Hmph! Young benefactor, you have no manners. How dare you tell Grand Master Musan, the Abbot, to come and go!"

Cheok Sagyeol frowned in frustration.

To get what he wanted, he couldn't reveal that he was Muheo right now.

"I have circumstances I can't speak of, so just go and tell him. It'll be resolved when we meet."

"Impossible! A person of uncertain identity can never enter the Abbot's Hall."

"Ah, really! I just want to see a monk's face in a temple, but you're playing so hard to get! You'll regret it later when you find out who I am. Are you confident you can handle it?"

He was Muheo, the martial brother of the Shaolin Abbot, Grand Master Musan, and the one with the highest seniority in Shaolin.

If he was provoked any further, he was thinking of forgetting the plan and everything and going back to being the original-aged Muheo to screw them over.

But the martial monk, unaware of this, his face contorted and began to emit a massive aura.

"Did you just say 'monk bastard'!? How dare you say such vulgar things in front of the Great Shaolin's Abbot's Hall and think you'll get away with it!"

The martial monks surrounded Cheok Sagyeol and began to form a circular formation.

"Oh? You're going to hit me if I'm not careful?"

Cheok Sagyeol sneered at the fighting spirit he hadn't felt in a while and scanned the Arhats who had formed the circular formation.

He was a man who enjoyed hegemonic and bloody battles, so much so that he had earned the moniker 'Blood Fiend.'

Although he couldn't use demonic arts, there was no sign of intimidation in Cheok Sagyeol.

"That's enough."

At the voice coming from the direction of the Abbot's Hall, the Arhats relaxed their momentum and performed a half-bow.

The one they were showing respect to was Grand Master Musan.

"Lord Abbot!"

"As the child said, if he's looking for a monk in a temple, what reason is there not to meet him?"

Grand Master Musan shifted his gaze to Cheok Sagyeol and looked at him.

Cheok Sagyeol had currently shaved his beard and even trimmed his eyebrows, so he looked to be around 15 years old.

And looking at that young appearance, Grand Master Musan felt that the face was familiar.

'The face is familiar, but he is definitely not a disciple of Shaolin. But why has he shaved his head and is wearing Shaolin's monk robes...'

Grand Master Musan felt a sense of wonder as he looked at Cheok Sagyeol.

Judging by his behavior, he was not a monk from another temple, nor did he have any acquaintance with him. But the fact that his face was familiar strangely bothered him.

Then, a thought quickly flashed through his mind.

'This... this damn martial brother! Don't tell me!'

Grand Master Musan sighed, pressing his forehead.

At his appearance, Cheok Sagyeol grinned and said.

"I knew you'd recognize me. See, you bastards!"

Cheok Sagyeol thought that Musan had recognized his younger face.

GRIND.

Despite Cheok Sagyeol's sneer, the Arhats gritted their teeth and held their ground.

The reason they restrained themselves despite his provocative remarks was that Grand Master Musan's behavior was clearly different from usual.

"Arhats, stand down. You, follow me inside."

Grand Master Musan spoke, his eyes glinting coldly, and then entered the Abbot's Hall.

From his cold expression, Cheok Sagyeol felt something was strange.

'What's with that expression? He must have recognized the young Muheo's face. Is he jealous that his martial brother got younger?'

Cheok Sagyeol pouted and followed Grand Master Musan.

And... upon arriving at the Abbot's office, he understood the reason from Grand Master Musan's first question.

"Did you perhaps come to Shaolin thinking of Muheo, that person, as your blood relative?"

Grand Master Musan had guessed so from the Shaolin monk robes Cheok Sagyeol was wearing, his lack of hair, and his face that resembled a young Muheo.

His martial brother had suffered from severe hair loss since he was about ten years old, and it was hereditary.

And he was such a troublemaker that he was an eccentric who could easily cause this type of incident.

"What!? Ha... I really..."

Cheok Sagyeol felt a surge of annoyance at being treated as a hidden bloodline.

What on earth had Muheo been doing in his daily life to be misunderstood as a monk who had a child?

From the attitude of the Scripture Pavilion head, Gongseon, to the Abbot, Musan, treating him like this, Cheok Sagyeol was once again fed up with Muheo.

"If not, then who are you, young benefactor?"

Grand Master Musan swept his chest in relief that his guess was wrong.

Fortunately, his martial brother was not that much of a scoundrel.

Grand Master Musan looked at Cheok Sagyeol with eyes of relief.

"I am your martial brother."

"Hmm?"

"I am Muheo, Muheo. Your martial brother."

"Hmm..."

Grand Master Musan narrowed his eyes and looked at Cheok Sagyeol.

Then, in an instant, he struck out.

SWISH, SMACK.

"Gah!"

Cheok Sagyeol, whose jaw was smacked in the blink of an eye, glared.

He had seen Grand Master Musan's strike, but his body couldn't react properly to avoid it, which made him even more angry.

It was proof that he had not yet fully adapted to Muheo's body.

"This bastard threw the first punch!?"

"My humble self's martial brother is not so weak that he can't even block this. Haha. Who on earth are you, young benefactor? Are you really not Martial Brother Muheo's blood relative?"

"I've achieved Rejuvenation, you bastard."

"What... what do you mean..."

Grand Master Musan doubted his ears, wondering if he had heard wrong.

Rejuvenation.

It was similar to the Body Transformation that one obtained upon reaching the peak of the Transformation realm, but Rejuvenation, which regained youth, was only an ideal.

Literally, it was an unprecedented realm.

"Come to think of it..."

Only then did Grand Master Musan flinch upon seeing the mole under Cheok Sagyeol's neck and the wart behind his ear.

Those were definitely features on his martial brother Muheo's body.

Next, Grand Master Musan pulled down the collar of Cheok Sagyeol's shoulder and examined his left collarbone.

"Ugh. What is this bastard suddenly doing!?"

"Stay still for a moment."

When Grand Master Musan confirmed the red dot under the collarbone, he was astonished.

"How can this be! A-are you really my martial brother? But how could you not avoid that just now?"

"I lost my martial arts while achieving Rejuvenation."

"You lost your martial arts?"

If it was Rejuvenation, he must have entered a higher realm, but instead, he lost his martial arts?

Grand Master Musan couldn't understand it with his common sense.

"I don't know, you punk. I lost my martial arts as soon as Rejuvenation was over, so how would I know why? If you're curious, you can achieve Rejuvenation yourself."

Cheok Sagyeol answered grumpily.

What good would it do to explain Rejuvenation, which no one had ever experienced?

No one knew anyway.

"Haha. How can this be? By the way, you are amazing. Rejuvenation. Martial Brother, you are truly a martial talent sent from heaven."

Grand Master Musan once again looked at his martial brother, who had reached a realm no one had ever achieved, with respect.

Everything else was below common sense, but when it came to martial arts, the person no one could follow was Muheo.

That fact once again made Grand Master Musan's heart pound.

"Don't talk nonsense. Anyway, the important thing is that I lost my martial arts."

"If you've lost it, can't you just find it again? How long would it take to walk the path you've already walked? You've become so young, so you have plenty of time."

"So, about that. I need you to help me."

"No, how can I be of any help to you, Martial Brother?"

Grand Master Musan couldn't understand.

His martial brother, who had already seen the end of Shaolin martial arts, was asking him for help?

"Well... to be precise, when I lost my martial arts, I forgot everything."

"What? You... forgot your martial arts? Haa..."

Grand Master Musan let out a sigh with a pitiful expression.

It was common for one to become less conscious of using martial arts as their realm became higher.

That's why there was a saying that the end of martial arts was to forget everything.

But realistically speaking, forgetting was the same as disappearing.

"I forgot everything, from the forms to the internal energy cultivation method."

Cheok Sagyeol said, acting with a pitiful expression.

Grand Master Musan sighed at his words and asked.

"The Bodhi Lotus Art that you learned was not a completed martial art, so there wasn't even a secret manual, was there? Then what should we do?"

"I can't get the Bodhi Lotus Art back right away, but I think I might remember if I learn the seventy-two ultimate arts one by one. Since they are all Shaolin martial arts, they can't be completely unrelated. Phew! I had a feeling this would happen, so I needed them in advance... If it weren't for that bastard Gongseon... Damn it!"

Cheok Sagyeol stomped his foot as if throwing a tantrum and glanced at Musan.

"Them? What do you mean by that?"

When Grand Master Musan asked back, Cheok Sagyeol poured out the words he had thought of as if he had been waiting.

* * *

'Why is the Abbot Martial Uncle looking for me?'

Gongseon was heading to the Abbot's Hall at Grand Master Musan's call.

The Scripture Pavilion was a quiet place where most of the work was tedious, such as interpreting and organizing scriptures, and special events were rare.

Because of that, it was rare for him, the head of the Scripture Pavilion, to have a private meeting with the Abbot, Grand Master Musan, but he had been personally summoned.

Arriving at the Abbot's Hall, Gongseon spoke to the Arhats who were performing a half-bow towards him.

"I am Gongseon, the head of the Scripture Pavilion. Please announce me."

An Arhat entered the Abbot's Hall and came out, and Gongseon followed him into the Abbot's Hall.

Although he was the head of a pavilion, the Abbot's Hall, which could not be entered without clear identification and procedures, was the most heavily guarded place in Shaolin.

"Lord Abbot, it is Gongseon, the head of the Scripture Pavilion. I heard you were looking for me."

As Gongseon opened the door and entered, Grand Master Musan and a young monk he had never seen before were there.

Thinking that the face was familiar, Gongseon looked at him for a moment, then averted his gaze and performed a half-bow to Grand Master Musan.

"Welcome, Gongseon."

"For what reason did you call for me?"

"Do you recognize this person?"

"This person... you say?"

Gongseon looked at Grand Master Musan, who was using honorifics for the young monk, with a puzzled expression.

And at Musan's following words, he couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"It's Martial Brother Muheo. He said he recently reached the realm of Rejuvenation."

"Whaat!?"

Gongseon blinked his eyes with a shocked expression and looked at the young monk.

"It's been a while, Gongseon."

Watching his reaction, Cheok Sagyeol just smiled mischievously.

(End of Chapter)