novelraw Chapter 177 : Second Summoning (2)
Chapter 177 : Second Summoning (2)
Chapter 177: Second Summoning (2)
Jang Woo-hyun casually called it “monkey, monkey,” but in truth, the monster known as the Wind-Passing Great Sage was not an existence to be taken lightly.
One of the Great Seven Saints of the Demonic Spirit Realm.
Among them, the monkey monster who had gone mad for battle—that was the Wind-Passing Great Sage, Miho Wang.
Back when they were being chased by the Twin-Winged Lotus, the power of the Wind-Passing Great Sage that had been summoned had left Jang Woo-hyun and Maeng Ye-ju unable even to breathe properly.
That was living terror, an existence that could well be called a walking calamity.
Yet Jang Woo-hyun was now speaking as though summoning such a monster again was nothing at all.
“You… you’re not insane, are you?”
“It’s nothing like that. Here’s what happened.”
Jang Woo-hyun explained that he had received the Wind-Passing Great Sage’s help in returning from the Lower Realm back to the Central Heavens, and that in return, he had promised to summon him.
“You didn’t make a contract or anything, did you? You must never recklessly form a contract with an existence like that. After all, even within the Demonic Spirit Realm, he’s one of the rare monsters among monsters.”
“It wasn’t anything like that, so don’t worry.”
Since there had been no special contract, the Wind-Passing Great Sage could do nothing even if Jang Woo-hyun ignored summoning him.
But, should they meet again, things could become troublesome, so Jang Woo-hyun intended to summon him quickly and settle that debt.
“Haa, I really don’t know. Whether this is right.”
“A promise was made, so keeping it would be the right thing. If the Wind-Passing Great Sage chooses to nitpick later, that could be troublesome.”
Cho-su had the same thought as Jang Woo-hyun.
In the end, Maeng Ye-ju reluctantly led the group to where Nokgak Baekmyeon was staying, and they soon met him.
“Hero Jang?”
Removing his mask, Nokgak Baekmyeon turned out to be a young man with an overall soft and round impression.
His bright, sparkling eyes made him look even younger than Jin Ha-un. He gave the impression of a boy who had just stepped into youth.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it’s good to see you again. To meet like this once more.”
“These are my companions.”
Cho-su and Jin Ha-un introduced themselves, and Jang Woo-hyun immediately cut to the heart of the matter.
“The Wind-Passing Great Sage, you say?”
“Yes, back at the last gathering. You asked me to let you meet the Wind-Passing Great Sage, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes, I did.”
The sorcery of summoning monsters and borrowing their strength—Demon Beast Contract Technique.
Since Nokgak Baekmyeon also used the Demon Beast Contract Technique, he had asked Jang Woo-hyun during the Ten Sects gathering to let him meet the Wind-Passing Great Sage.
“I already have the mark, so if you use that as a medium to summon him, he’ll come. I already spoke with him, so he’ll likely respond to the summoning easily.”
“……”
The suddenness of it all made Nokgak Baekmyeon unable to answer right away.
“Does it require preparation? Then I’ll help. We must move quickly, so I’d like this done as soon as possible.”
“Woo-hyun.”
At the sound of her voice, Jang Woo-hyun turned. Maeng Ye-ju stood there, looking incredulous.
“What is it?”
“You’re going to summon him right here?”
At her words, Jang Woo-hyun laughed awkwardly.
He had been in too much of a rush, wanting to summon quickly and finish the matter.
But this was the main division of the Beast King Sect. Countless beastkin lived here—summoning the Wind-Passing Great Sage here was impossible.
“My thinking was shortsighted. Let’s go outside. Far away, and summon him there.”
While Nokgak Baekmyeon was still stammering, “Huh? Huh?”, things moved quickly, and before he realized it, he was already riding on Cho-su’s flying apparatus and being taken to a distant location.
Since the flying apparatus itself was extremely fast, the group swiftly left the main division of the Beast King Sect.
A gust began at Jang Woo-hyun’s shoulder, spreading outward until it became a massive whirlwind.
The wind grew so fierce that the companions nearby had to crouch down, holding on with all their strength so as not to be blown away.
Moments later.
The raging whirlwind subsided, and there appeared a white monkey monster clad in garments of blue and white.
Contrary to expectations that he would immediately cause a racket, the Wind-Passing Great Sage quietly looked around. He tilted his head a few times as he looked at Jang Woo-hyun.
“Hmmm.”
Next, he examined Maeng Ye-ju and Jin Ha-un, then approached Nokgak Baekmyeon and wrapped an arm around his neck.
“What is the meaning of this…?”
The Wind-Passing Great Sage dragged the flustered Nokgak Baekmyeon off to the side.
Pointing at Jang Woo-hyun, then at himself, he explained something with great enthusiasm. Somehow, despite the short distance, the group could not hear a single word of what they were discussing.
“What is he doing?”
“Not sure. I don’t really know either. Monkey, now that I’ve called you, you—what the?”
The Wind-Passing Great Sage, after patting Nokgak Baekmyeon on the back, suddenly disappeared.
Even after spreading out their qi senses and searching, no trace of him remained. He hadn’t hidden—he had literally vanished from the place.
“What’s this supposed to mean?”
“What is going on?”
Looking bewildered, Nokgak Baekmyeon approached and spoke.
“He says to summon him again.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“He said I summoned him too weakly, and told me to call him again. He says stronger power is needed than that.”
The strength of the manifestation just now had been comparable to a martial artist at the Realm of Transcendence. But apparently, that wasn’t enough—the Wind-Passing Great Sage had asked Nokgak Baekmyeon to summon him once more.
“That damned bastard, what game is he playing now?”
Jang Woo-hyun’s plan to quickly settle the debt had already gone awry from the very start.
Five shichen later.
Nokgak Baekmyeon, focused in concentration, drew a massive spell formation.
Within it, two circles of about one jang in diameter were drawn—Jang Woo-hyun sat within one, while within the other lay a dharma treasure.
It was one of Nokgak Baekmyeon’s dharma treasures, an object that stirred the wind, which he intended to use as an offering to summon the Wind-Passing Great Sage more powerfully.
“Then I will begin.”
As Nokgak Baekmyeon chanted the incantation and poured in his power, the massive spell formation began to glow.
A faint wind began at Jang Woo-hyun’s shoulder and flowed toward the dharma treasure at his side.
Sssrrrk.
The bracelet-shaped dharma treasure slowly floated up.
At first, it rotated lazily in place, but then it began to spin rapidly, generating a massive whirlwind.
The ground shook, and razor-sharp winds lashed in every direction.
Each gust that surged out carried an edge as keen as a finely honed blade.
Maeng Ye-ju, who was a little distance away, stepped forward to protect the group, cutting down the flying blades of wind.
Moments later.
Puuuuung—
The whirlwind burst apart, and the raging storm vanished.
And in the place where the whirlwind had been, the white monkey monster stood.
“Uhehehe.”
A presence unlike before.
Comparable to a martial artist in the Realm of Immeasurability. At that level, aside from Jang Woo-hyun, no one in the group could face the Wind-Passing Great Sage.
The Wind-Passing Great Sage laughed, clenching and unclenching his fists a few times. This time, as though satisfied, he threw his head back and laughed to himself.
“Good! It has to be at least this much.”
Walking down through the empty air, the Wind-Passing Great Sage approached Antlered White Mask.
“Hold out your hand.”
When Antlered White Mask extended his hand, the Wind-Passing Great Sage poked his palm with a finger.
“Ugh!”
Clutching his head, Antlered White Mask staggered backward.
Through his palm, the spell arts of the Wind-Passing Great Sage had been imprinted directly into his mind.
“Now you’ll be able to borrow my power.”
Properly summoned at last, the Wind-Passing Great Sage turned his body toward Jang Woo-hyun.
Seeing the approaching monkey monster, Jang Woo-hyun subtly reached for Mukya.
The two had fought together before and had exchanged help, but theirs was not a simple relationship.
The Wind-Passing Great Sage had branded Jang Woo-hyun as prey, and Jang Woo-hyun had once shattered the Great Sage. On top of that, the monkey monster was insane, so vigilance was necessary.
But unlike the tense Jang Woo-hyun, the Wind-Passing Great Sage made no sudden moves.
“So, what are we going to do now?”
The Great Sage asked with arms crossed.
“…What?”
“Didn’t you hear? I asked what we’re going to do.”
The question was so unexpected that Jang Woo-hyun’s reaction came late.
Why was this crazy monkey acting like this?
“Why would you even ask that?”
“Why? Because we’re on the same side, aren’t we?”
“…What nonsense. I summoned you like I promised, so go on your way.”
“Go where? I’m going to follow you.”
At the words no one had anticipated, Jang Woo-hyun’s face twisted, and the expressions of the others around them hardened.
To the Wind-Passing Great Sage, Jang Woo-hyun had been an amusing prey.
‘But not anymore.’
Now he was less prey than bait.
By traveling together, he would surely find even more enjoyable battles.
From the moment he witnessed the strength of a True Immortal entangled with Jang Woo-hyun in the Lower Realm, the Great Sage had made up his mind. To travel alongside him.
“So, the reason you asked me to summon you was just so you could come with me?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
He spoke as though going out to play with a close friend. His brazenness made Jang Woo-hyun briefly wonder, ‘Am I failing to understand something here?’
“But can’t you cross over directly? Last time you came without being summoned.”
He asked, remembering when they had been chased by the Twin-Winged Lotus.
“That’s not something I can do often. If I do it once, I need a long time to rest. We’re not supposed to easily leave the Demonic Spirit Realm in the first place. That’s why I needed to be summoned this time.”
Still wearing an unshakable grin, the Wind-Passing Great Sage explained kindly, as though in high spirits.
“But why are you trying to follow me?”
“Uhehehe, why? You know it too—being with you means a lot of fun things will happen.”
The Great Sage glanced at the sky, then locked eyes again with Jang Woo-hyun. From that demeanor, it was clear what he wanted.
“Haa.”
Mentioning the name of a True Immortal last time, just to get help, had been a mistake. Now that this insane monkey had directly witnessed the power of a True Immortal, he would not easily leave.
‘Tried to get rid of a burden, only to gain another.’
The help he had received on the Dawn Continent now weighed on him as a debt. And a considerable one at that.
Thinking of the annoyance now stuck with him, Jang Woo-hyun looked at his companions.
Cho-su, looking disgusted, subtly shook his head. Maeng Ye-ju mouthed the words “No way” several times.
As for Jin Ha-un, whether monkey monster or fiend, he did not care much so long as Jang Woo-hyun was there. In fact, he seemed intrigued by the Wind-Passing Great Sage, even edging closer to observe him.
‘What should I do with this guy?’
Judging from the negative reactions of the group, the right thing was to get rid of him. But he wasn’t someone that could be so easily dismissed, and the truth was that he had been helpful. Without him, Jang Woo-hyun might still be stranded on the Dawn Continent.
‘Could this guy be useful?’
He recalled the words of Kim Min-soo’s projection—that he should make companions. At the time, he had considered the Wind-Passing Great Sage, but dismissed it. The monster was too powerful, too difficult to control.
But now the situation was different. This was only a projection of the Great Sage. Against that, Jang Woo-hyun could suppress him with strength if need be.
Organizing his thoughts, Jang Woo-hyun decided to test him.
“Monkey, can you promise not to fight?”
“Not fight? Why?”
The Great Sage looked puzzled, as though the very idea was incomprehensible.
At present, Jang Woo-hyun’s group was short-handed. If someone of the Great Sage’s strength joined them, it would be reassuring.
But only if he could be controlled. If he rampaged at will, it would be worse than not having him at all.
“Can you fight only when needed? You can’t just attack recklessly.”
“What nonsense? If someone looks like an enemy, you fight, that’s all.”
As expected, he was beyond reason. His mind held nothing but thoughts of battle.
“In my homeland, there’s a saying. Let me give you a snack… a sweet treat.”
“I don’t like sweets.”
“Just shut up and listen, you damned monkey.”
At Jang Woo-hyun’s curse, the Great Sage flinched and nodded. Somehow, he instinctively realized that pressing further here would complicate things.
“Let’s say someone gave you a sweet and said they’d step out for a moment. They told you if you waited without eating it until they came back, they’d give you another one. What would you do then?”
“You’re saying if I wait without eating, one becomes two?”
Jang Woo-hyun nodded.
“I don’t get it. Why not just tear the guy’s head off before he leaves? Then I get two right away. Oh wait, is he going to fetch another one? Then I should rip off an arm instead and tell him to bring it back. That makes more sense.”
At the answer, Jang Woo-hyun’s face twisted.
What was he supposed to say to this lunatic?
There was no need to ask further. This one could not be controlled.