Chapter 353

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Bop Jeong sighed softly.

"How could that be?"

“Please tell me if so. I can't move on without confirming this fact."

Bop Jeong finally nodded at Hye Yeon's firm will.

He doesn't know if it's anyone else, but Hye Yeon, who someday will lead Shaolin, should know.

"……That's what happened."

After completing all the explanations, Bop Jeong looked at Hye Yeon quietly.

There was no significant change in expression on his emaciated face, so it was difficult to guess what he was thinking.

Finally, Hye Yeon opened his mouth.

"How come…."

But he blurted out the end of his words as if he couldn't put them into words. Bop Jeong shook his head.

"It's the work of the ancestors."

"How can you write it off like that?"

"You can't pay for what you haven't done. If your enemy dies and you can't solve the grudge, will you cut their child to solve the grudge?"

"……."

“We have no reason to take full responsibility for what has happened in the past. That's a harsh thing to do. I can do them a favor, but...…."

"Bangjang!"

Hye Yeon, who couldn't stand it, shouted and cut off Bop Jeong's words.

"Everything that Shaolin enjoys now comes from its ancestors. If we don't strip away the husks of the Shaolin and go back to being just one Buddhist, then how can we judge the work of our ancestors!"

"That's ridiculous!"

Bop Jeong's voice has also been somewhat raised. A determined look was directed at Hye Yeon.

"Then what fault has Shaolin committed so far? Human beings live by sin. How many sins have been committed by those who have passed by (live in) Shaolin so far! If all that sin is not yours to bear, then you shouldn't say it recklessly!"

"……."

"Dharma begins with establishing oneself completely. Sorting one's inner self does not just mean cutting off the worldly materials. You must be able to cut off all of them and establish yourself in order to walk in Dharma!"

Hye Yeon, who quietly listened to Bop Jeong, nodded very slowly.

"Did you tell me to move on?"

"That's right."

"You mean don't be tied up, right?"

“Yes. Even if a thousand eons pass, the karma you have done will not disappear. If that is the case, then the karma of the past should also be fully borne by the ancestors. Did you need to bear that sin?”

"……Amitabha."

Hye Yeon softly chanted.

"Bangjang is absolutely right."

"Did you understand?"

"Yes. This monk finally understood."

Bop Jeong smiled and relaxed his stiff face.

"That's a relief. Don't be tied up anymore and do what you have to do."

"Yes."

Hye Yeon stood up with a face saying he had put down a big burden.

"Yes, go ahead."

Then he took exemplary Half-Palm stance.

"Bangjang. We may not be able to see each other for a long time, so please take care of yourself."

Bop Jeong opened his eyes wide.

"What does that mean?"

"This monk wants to go to Mount Hua."

"…wha- what?"

At the unexpected remark, Bop Jeong's face contorted into absurdity. But Hye Yeon didn't pay much attention. Rather, he said with a refreshing face.

"Did I find the answer in Bangjang's sermon (설법(說法))? I have seen Buddhism in him. I didn't understand why the young Taoist had our Buddhism, but Bangjang has told me."

"…me?"

"Yes."

Hye Yeon nods his head.

"If there is Buddhism there, of course it is right that we should seek it out (궁구(窮究)). But I couldn't cut off the relationship between Shaolin and Bangjang, so I pondered and pondered again.  But Bangjang here told me not to be bound by ties and walk in the Dharma, so I am willing to put that into practice.”

Bop Jeong's mouth was wide open.

‘What the hell is this all about?’

"Hye- Hye Yeon. That's not what I meant!"

"There is no need to panic. My Dharma is not that deep yet to sever my ties with Shaolin. So……."

Hye Yeon turned his head and looked at the closed door. No, he felt like he was looking beyond.

"I'll go and see. What he does. How he lives. I think I can go further if I look him with both of these eyes."

"……."

Bop Jeong bit his lower lip. He never thought this would happen.

"What would you do if I didn't allow you?"

"With the grace I have received, how can I disobey Bangjang’s orders?"

"Then……."

"If you want to stop me, I'll go back to Repentance Cave. If I'm not allowed to pursue it even after seeing the path, then i should at least search for it in the place where i stand."

"……."

Bop Jeong trembled without saying a word. He couldn't bear to say anything even if he wanted to.

Hye Yeon once again took Half-Palm stance and turned away.

Bop Jeong, who stared blankly at the back of such Hye Yeon, hurriedly opened his mouth.

"Hye Yeon-ah."

"……."

"Will you come back?"

"I will."

"…then, go ahead."

"Yes."

Hye Yeon opened the door and left the room without hesitation.

Silence settled when the door closed.

Left alone, Bop Jeong sighed quietly as he looked at the cold tea.

‘It's karma.'

The world is shaking even at this moment.

If they had established a new order based on the sacrifices of Mount Hua and numerous sects in the past and helped each other, the world would have been different by now.

But Jungwon only thought of their own interests. And in the field of the previous war, the collapsed Magyo is slowly showing its strength again.o

A turbulent era.

The turmoil is coming.

To the shadow of the sacrifices made in the past.

'Yes, go and see.'

In essence, Hye Yeon is someone that cannot be led. Dragons are creatures that humans cannot tame. Only the same dragon can lead a dragon.

If Hye Yeon is a dragon, then Chung Myung is also a dragon.

There must be something Hye Yeon will learn from Chung Myung.

"Amitabha."

Bop Jeong chanted.

But he was missing one thing.

No matter how white dragon boasted his pure white scale, if he gets along with a black dragon, he too will turn black in an instant.

If Bop Jeong had known this first, he would have held onto his bottom robe and stopped Hye Yeon.

Unfortunately, however, Bop Jeong didn't know that at this time.

……Unfortunately.

* * *

"That's it!"

"Oh!"

"It's Xian!"

Mount Hua's disciples raised their voices. Chung Myung frowned at the excited voice and bluntly rebuked it.

"Are you going on a picnic?"

"You often go in and out of Xian because of Eunha Merchant Guild, but this is our first time."

"…Really?"

When Chung Myung asked again with a tone of absurdity, the disciples of Mount Hua sighed deeply.

"We don't often go down from Mount Hua, what's the point of coming all the way to Xian?"

"…What a bunch of hillbillies."

"You’re noisy!”

Chung Myung grinned when Yoon Jong screamed.

"Well, that's fine. You'll soon travel all around the place."

"You all will be."

Hyun Young also nodded and helped with the conversation.

"There will be more opportunities to travel around the world in the future as well as Xian. Didn't they say that the ancestors of Mount Hua in the past performed cooperative activities around the world and accumulated many merits? You will soon too."

"Yes, Elder!"

Mount Hua's disciples answered with a loud voice of anticipation.

But only Chung Myung didn't let go of his sour face.

'To hell with cooperative activities.'

Hey, look!

That's all zone management!

If other sects set up subsidiary sects where their subsidiary sect is located, they'll go and squeeze them, and if bandits and thieves set up where the subsidiary sect lives, they'll beat it up!

Then the subsidiary sect will pay the reward with their own hands, and the sect will be enriched!

That's the way the world is, to hell with cooperative activities.

Of course, while moving to manage the area, there was often the case of breaking in and smashing everything if it was upsetting to hear. However, there were not many occasions for the cooperative activities itself.

Why does he have to do many things when he is busy learning the sword?

‘Well, you'll find out soon enough.'

The reality is that it's not that easy.

And it is from there that you realize that fact.

Chung Myung captured the high walls of Xian with both eyes.

"Well then, let's see!"

The corners of his mouth curled up.

"Shall I start with here for now?"

‘Let's start with Xian and eat all of Shaanxi! Just like how Mount Hua used to be.’

"Kikikik."

Seeing Chung Myung secretly starting to laugh alone, everyone felt anxiety flooding in.

‘What's wrong with him?'

'Leave him. It’s not the first or second he is like that.'

They don't know why he's doing this, but they knew deeply from experience that something must happen every time he smiles like that.

Baek Chun and the rest of the disciples prayed and prayed that this ominousness would go away this time.

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*note 

1. 시법평등, 무유고하 (是法平等, 無有高下 / Equality of the law, no superiority or inferiority)

It is the equality of laws, and there is no superiority or inferiority, a doctrine proposition. It is said that all dharmas are facilities of names and appearances, and "there is nothing in reality." Achieving this kind of knowledge is the highest enlightenment.

2. 시명아누다라삼막삼보제 (是名阿耨多羅三藐三菩提)

The phonetic transcription of Chinese characters is Anudara Sammak Samboje (阿耨多羅三藐三菩提), but it is read as 'Anydara Sammak Sambori' due to a change in the syllabic pronunciation. It refers to the full enlightenment of the Buddha.
[출처: 한국민족문화대백과사전(Agnodara Sammyeon Sambori)]

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