The Miraculous Divorce Technique

Chapter 5

“Rejuvenation? Is that really true, Martial Uncle?"

Gongseon, still disbelieving even after hearing Grand Master Musan's words, asked again.

Cheok Sagyeol frowned and said.

"You seem to have quite a grudge against me, but to not even believe the Abbot's words?"

"It's not that, but throughout history, there are no records of Rejuvenation..."

"Just because it doesn't exist in the records, it's impossible? This is why you ink-stained scholars! Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

Gongseon sweated profusely with a troubled face.

It was because Grand Master Musan's expression also clearly showed that he was clicking his tongue.

"My view was narrow, and I seem to have been rude to the Lord Abbot and Martial Uncle. I apologize."

As Gongseon bowed his head and performed a half-bow, Cheok Sagyeol waved his hand and said.

"Cut the insincere formalities. Now that you know I've achieved Rejuvenation, there's something you need to do as the head of the Scripture Pavilion. That's why I called you."

"Ah, yes, of course. Thanks to Martial Uncle, who has pioneered a new realm, we can now leave a record of Rejuvenation, so as the head of the Scripture Pavilion, I am deeply grateful. Lord Abbot, may I use some ink and paper?"

At Gongseon's question, Grand Master Musan nodded lightly.

As Gongseon spread out the ink, paper, and brush to prepare for recording, Cheok Sagyeol grinned inwardly at the sight.

'Hehe. You and Muheo will leave your names in history as the ones who left a fake record of Rejuvenation. Write it beautifully.'

If he were to return to his original body in the future, he planned to announce that the Rejuvenation phenomenon proclaimed by Shaolin was a fraud and smear Shaolin's face with shit.

While Cheok Sagyeol was thinking, Gongseon, who had finished his preparations, asked a question.

"When did you achieve Rejuvenation? And where?"

"I experienced Rejuvenation this morning during wall-gazing meditation in the Bodhidharma Cave. But I had a feeling that I was going to achieve Rejuvenation for some time now."

"Since when?"

"Since I entered the Scripture Pavilion after returning from the war with the Demonic Cult. Thinking back now, I think I had an itching feeling that enlightenment was coming. Everyone probably felt that I was strange."

Gongseon nodded his head without realizing it.

He himself had felt that the man had suddenly changed.

"Then how did the decisive enlightenment come?"

"At that time, I was seized by a desire to dissect Shaolin's martial arts from beginning to end. That's why I also requested the manuscripts of the seventy-two ultimate arts. Then, while practicing wall-gazing meditation in the Bodhidharma Cave, I achieved Rejuvenation without even realizing it. And not only my appearance, but a very different change occurred."

"What kind of change?"

Gongseon, with an excited face, tightened his grip on the fine brush.

"I've forgotten many memories, including my martial arts. I've completely forgotten them. Now, I can't even remember the basic Arhat Fist."

As if his mind was disturbed by Cheok Sagyeol's words, Gongseon's scribbling brush slipped.

"No, then does that mean you've also forgotten the Bodhi Lotus Art!? You haven't, right?"

Gongseon asked with a terrified face.

The Bodhi Lotus Art was a supreme martial art that had been in the process of being perfected for three generations before Muheo.

It was a divine ultimate art that was evaluated to be able to make the three great ultimate arts of all time into the four great ultimate arts if it were completed.

"That's right. I forgot."

"..."

Gongseon's heart sank.

Watching Gongseon, Grand Master Musan opened his mouth.

"Gongseon, you shouldn't cling to what's not there. Now is the time to focus on what needs to be done."

"Abbot Martial Uncle! But..."

"You said that Martial Brother Muheo had requested to take out the manuscripts of the seventy-two ultimate arts from the Scripture Pavilion, right?"

"That's right."

"At that time, Martial Brother Muheo was feeling a sense of unease that he might forget the Bodhi Lotus Art if he reached a certain realm. So, even if enlightenment came, he intended to reinterpret the seventy-two ultimate arts in advance to arrange a sliver of hope so that he wouldn't forget his martial arts."

"And I was the one who coldly refused him..."

Gongseon sighed with a dejected face.

But what could he do? The damage was already done.

"Gongseon."

"...?"

When Cheok Sagyeol called him, Gongseon turned his head to look at him.

"It's not your fault. I was half out of my mind at the time. So, can you give me the manuscripts of the seventy-two ultimate arts now? If I look at them one by one from the beginning, I think I might be able to regain my martial arts."

"..."

"I know they can't be taken out, but I'm more comfortable in my own residence. I can't concentrate on training in the Scripture Pavilion."

"But..."

When Gongseon still hesitated, Cheok Sagyeol glared at Musan.

His expression said, 'Do something.'

Musan finally cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

"Ahem. Gongseon. As you know, the Bodhi Lotus Art is a martial art that Shaolin's capabilities have been concentrated on for nearly a hundred years. As the head of the Scripture Pavilion, don't you also have a duty to record and preserve the fruits of the efforts that our predecessors have built?"

"..."

"Also, Martial Brother has left you with the achievement of recording Rejuvenation. How about showing that much flexibility?"

Cheok Sagyeol felt a surge of annoyance at Grand Master Musan's words.

'What is this bastard, the Abbot, doing? Just beg. Beg, you damn beggars. Phew, in the Demonic Cult, one word was enough for them to get it done. Anyway, these righteous faction bastards are so frustrating.'

While he was thinking that, Gongseon still remained silent.

Cheok Sagyeol gave Grand Master Musan another look, but he slightly shook his head and avoided his gaze.

'You're backing out now?'

Cheok Sagyeol cursed inwardly and opened his mouth himself.

"Ahem, Gongseon. I had an epiphany while practicing wall-gazing meditation in the Bodhidharma Cave. Would you like to hear it?"

"...What... is it?"

Gongseon looked at Cheok Sagyeol with eyes full of heavy thoughts.

His expression was as if he didn't want to hear any words that might shake his own beliefs.

'Still, open your ears and listen carefully, you bastard.'

"Bodhidharma always emphasized seeing one's nature. Isn't that right?"

"That's right."

When he mentioned seeing one's nature, a basic teaching of Bodhidharma, Gongseon's expression softened.

"Seeing one's nature, it means to see the original nature within one's mind. The Buddha exists within the mind, so everything depends on one's mindset, doesn't it? I think I might have achieved Rejuvenation by reflecting on myself according to that passage. How about you also look at the essence without being bound by rules?"

In other words, it meant to please just throw away the regulations and rules.

"What essence are you talking about?"

In that voice, he felt that Gongseon had taken a step closer.

"My residence is not far away, and it's all within the same Shaolin mountain gate, isn't it? If Shaolin is in your heart, what is there to be deterred by, whether it's the Scripture Pavilion or my residence?"

'Please show that much flexibility.'

Cheok Sagyeol was desperately trying to smuggle the seventy-two ultimate arts out of the heavily guarded Scripture Pavilion.

"As you said, Martial Uncle, Patriarch Bodhidharma advocated for the Sudden School, which is to become a Buddha oneself by directly perceiving one's nature. He said that there is no Buddha outside the mind, and no mind outside the Buddha, so the mind is the Buddha. Therefore, to become a true Buddha, one must first awaken to one's own nature. Thanks to you, Martial Uncle, I feel like my insight has broadened."

'What kind of incomprehensible bullshit is he spouting?'

'Don't tell me your original nature is a stone Buddha, so you'll stick to the rules even if you die.'

Cheok Sagyeol looked at Gongseon with a 'don't tell me' expression.

"I'm afraid it won't do. This humble Martial Nephew is lacking, and it seems my Buddha cannot leave the Scripture Pavilion."

In the end, Gongseon bowed his head and expressed a polite refusal.

Grand Master Musan laughed heartily at the sight.

"I never imagined a day would come when my martial brother and martial nephew would have a discussion like this. It's a very good sight. Hahahaha."

'Damn it, you're laughing?'

Cheok Sagyeol glared at Grand Master Musan with fiery eyes.

Grand Master Musan gently received Cheok Sagyeol's gaze and opened his mouth.

"Originally, the Buddha is in the mind, so the Buddha does not lose the scriptures, nor does the Buddha have precepts, nor does he violate them. Isn't that right, Gongseon?"

Grand Master Musan meant that since the Buddha in one's mind has no precepts, it is not a violation of them.

Gongseon could not easily answer his words.

"Also, the seventy-two ultimate arts were named as such because they are the representative ultimate techniques of the current Shaolin, but haven't they always changed with the flow of the times? There is no law that today's seventy-two ultimate arts will be the same as tomorrow's seventy-two ultimate arts. All things flow like water."

At Grand Master Musan's words, Gongseon nodded his head.

"That's... right. If the Bodhi Lotus Art had been completed, it would have been included in the seventy-two ultimate arts, and one of the last ones would have been removed. Is that what you wanted to emphasize, Abbot Martial Uncle?"

"That's part of it, but I'm also curious to see how the seventy-two ultimate arts will be transformed if they are reinterpreted with my martial brother's current realm. As I get older, my curiosity seems to grow more vigorous. Hahaha."

"..."

At Grand Master Musan's words, Gongseon pondered.

As he said, although Martial Uncle Muheo had forgotten his martial arts, he had reached an unprecedented realm.

He couldn't guess how he would change the seventy-two ultimate arts.

'Right. As the Abbot Martial Uncle said, this could be an opportunity for a major turning point in Shaolin's martial arts. No matter how much I am the head of the Scripture Pavilion, what right do I have to block the tide of change?'

Gongseon's heart was gradually wavering.

Cheok Sagyeol, like a ghost, noticed the crack in his heart and his eyes shone.

'If you're not swayed even after seeing this, I'll call you an iron monk, not a stone monk.'

Then, he stretched out his right hand to the right.

SWOOOSH.

Cheok Sagyeol's right arm lengthened by about half a foot, grabbed the teacup on the tea table to the right, and then shortened again.

Grand Master Musan and Gongseon's eyes were wide open as if they were about to pop out.

"M-Martial Brother, w-what is this!"

"Martial Uncle! That just now!?"

Cheok Sagyeol grinned and looked at Gongseon.

As expected, since Gongseon was the head of the Scripture Pavilion, he had read 'Journey to the West in the Great Tang Dynasty' and clearly knew about the ascetics of India.

"Isn't it cool?"

"..."

"After achieving Rejuvenation in the Bodhidharma Cave, I reinterpreted the Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic there in my own way."

"...The Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic of the Bodhidharma Cave, you say? Haa..."

If he still didn't allow it after this, Cheok Sagyeol was determined to give up everything and raid the Scripture Pavilion at night.

But belying that determination, Gongseon was pouring out the desired answer with fervent eyes.

"I will go and send the manuscripts right away. Is there anything else you need?"

Gongseon was restless.

It was only natural, as the ascetics of India were divine beings veiled in secrecy.

Gongseon had come across a lot of materials and had obtained fragmentary information about them, but the identity of their training methods and techniques was a complete mystery.

But now that he had obtained a clue that could get him closer to that secret, Gongseon couldn't help but take the bait.

* * *

An hour later.

Cheok Sagyeol was engrossed in reading the manuscripts of the seventy-two ultimate arts in his residence.

There was one reason why he was reading them before smuggling them out.

Bodhi Lotus Art.

It was also known as the Demon-Subduing Qi Art, the best divine ultimate art of Shaolin Temple.

A martial art that was created in his later years by the Martial God Buddha, Dharma Wheel Grand Master, who was called the world's greatest a hundred years ago, and was considered the strongest Buddhist martial art despite being incomplete.

According to the Shaolin precept of not leaving incomplete martial arts as secret manuals, it had been passed down orally in the form of a single-person succession, and currently, Muheo was the successor of the generation.

Because of that, Cheok Sagyeol had the heavy internal energy accumulated by the Bodhi Lotus Art in his dantian, but he couldn't use it at all because he didn't know the incantation.

Cheok Sagyeol was checking if there was any martial art among the seventy-two ultimate arts that his internal energy reacted to. After all, the foundation was all the same Shaolin martial arts.

'There's no reaction at all... Is it because it resembles its owner? It's so damn picky.'

Cheok Sagyeol had already skimmed through half of the secret manuals, but he started to get anxious as he felt nothing in his dantian.

Since he couldn't find any clues about Bodhidharma's out-of-body experience, he needed to catch the suspects, the Four Eccentrics, and interrogate them.

But each of the Four Eccentrics was a master, so internal energy was desperately needed.

No matter how much he had obtained the Indian Yoga Divine Art, it was ultimately an external art, so he felt anxious.

The importance of internal energy to a martial artist was that great.

Three days later.

"It's not moving! Damn it! For fuck's sake!"

Cheok Sagyeol threw down the last volume and went outside the thatched hut.

He had dug through the secret manuals ten times in three days, but there was no gain, and he felt like he needed a change of pace out of frustration.

CREAK.

As he opened the door, the pouring sunlight tickled his eyes, and the refreshing mountain breeze brushed against his earlobes.

Sitting on the flat bench, Cheok Sagyeol leaned his head against a pillar and looked at the flowing clouds.

'Phew, what a mess.'

As he let out a deep sigh from the depths of his lungs, two women and one man came into his sight.

'What's with those well-dressed bastards.'

(End of Chapter)