Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 158

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 158. When Rain Falls on Chaotic Times, the Hidden Dragon Stirs—1
A woman walked through the streets. Even among countless people, her curves drew every eye at a glance, and an air of mystery about her only deepened that attraction.
A sheltered noblewoman might have flushed under such heated gazes, but she moved with the ease of one long accustomed to it, her expression unmoved.
The woman’s name was Eum Yu Gyeong.
After her fight with Dam Ho, she had left Hunan Province and traveled north. Now she stood in Dengfeng County, Henan Province.
Dengfeng County held Songshan Mountain. And on Songshan stood the Shaolin Temple—the head of the Nine Great Sects and the spiritual pillar of Buddhism itself.
There was a saying.
All martial arts under heaven originate from Shaolin.
Every martial technique in the world, it was said, had begun within those walls.
Since the Patriarch Bodhidharma transmitted the Yi Jin Jing and the Marrow Washing Classic, countless schools of martial science had flourished.
Most famous among them were the Seventy-Two Shaolin Techniques.
Secret arts that would be ultimate treasures in any other sect existed at Shaolin in seventy-two varieties.
Nor was that all. The Shaolin Temple guarded numerous supreme techniques unknown to the world.
For this reason, those in the Jianghu tacitly acknowledged Shaolin as the source of all martial arts. Had Shaolin harbored ambitions to conquer the Jianghu, the world would likely have been theirs already.
That the Wudang Sect possessed power approaching Shaolin’s was the general consensus, yet even in pure martial might alone, they fell short.
It was no empty boast that all martial arts beneath heaven had sprung from Shaolin. Their knowledge was as vast as it was profound.
Thus Shaolin’s influence spread evenly not merely throughout Dengfeng County, but across the entire Central Plains.
Countless people journeyed there seeking to learn even the smallest fragment of Shaolin’s martial arts. Among them were many warriors whose names carried weight in the Jianghu.
For this reason, the people of Dengfeng County regarded martial artists favorably. Though swords and sabers hung openly on many who walked the streets, none looked upon them with fear.
Because of this, Eum Yu Gyeong too could move freely through the streets without concern for others’ gaze.
The atmosphere of the town breathed reverence for martial prowess. In Dengfeng County alone, the number of those who had learned even a little martial arts from Shaolin was beyond counting.
Though lack of talent prevented them from becoming Inner Disciples, still they had all mastered one or two of Shaolin’s fundamental techniques.
Eum Yu Gyeong envied that spirit which filled Dengfeng County.
‘If only such a day would come for the Divine Sect as well.’
Most likely, all those who had pledged themselves to the Demon Cult shared her wish.
Eum Yu Gyeong soon put aside her thoughts and began to climb Songshan.
It was Songshan, called the Central Peak among the Five Sacred Mountains of Central Plains.
It lacked Hua Shan’s sharp, aggressive presence, yet in its place dwelt a spiritually serene energy that suffused the mountain—powerful and comforting at once.
After climbing for some time, the temple gate of Shaolin came into view. Two monks stood guard at the great gate, bearing witness to Shaolin’s power. They were Guest Reception Monks of the Shaolin Temple.
Though the Shaolin Temple belonged to the Nine Great Sects as a Martial Sect, it was fundamentally a Buddhist temple. Hundreds of visitors climbed the mountain each day to offer prayers or burn incense.
The Guest Reception Monks’ duty was to distinguish between ordinary visitors and martial artists with specific business, and to guide them accordingly.
“Amitabha Buddha! Patron, please wait a moment,” one called out.
The Guest Reception Monks moved to block her path. Eum Yu Gyeong came to a willing halt.
“What brings you to our temple?”
“I was passing through Dengfeng County and wished to stay a night here at Shaolin to offer prayers before continuing on.”
“I see. Have you trained in martial arts?”
“Only enough for self-defense. Is that a problem?”
“None at all. However, if you wish to stay the night at our temple, you must leave any weapons here. Would that be acceptable?”
“Of course.”
Eum Yu Gyeong answered without hesitation. The monk’s face warmed with a gentle smile.
“Then please write your name and sect in the Visitor Registry here, and I shall guide you to the Guest Reception Hall.”
“Very well, Reverend.”
Eum Yu Gyeong handed her sword to the monk and wrote her name in the registry.
Eum Yu Gyeong, native of Yin Clan Fortress in Hami, Xinjiang. Self-taught in family martial arts.
“Perhaps it is my isolation here in the west, but I have not heard of Yin Clan Fortress before,” the monk mused.
“That is likely. It is a small family in Hami.”
“I see. Then please follow me.”
“Of course.”
Eum Yu Gyeong followed the Guest Reception Monk deeper into the temple.
“Currently, only a few areas—the Gatekeeper Hall, the Great Hero Hall, and so forth—are open to ordinary pilgrims. I hope you understand.”
“Why is that? Most other temples seem to open everything.”
“It is because Shaolin is not an ordinary temple but a Martial Sect where martial arts are taught and practiced. And given our long history, there is much to preserve. For various reasons, we cannot open every area to the public. I hope you will understand.”
The Guest Reception Monk answered her question without the slightest trace of annoyance, explaining it all with care.
The Guest Reception Monk’s Dharma name was Hae Woo.
Hae Woo held a position of some standing among the Guest Reception Monks, and he enjoyed explaining Shaolin’s history to visitors this way. His pride in the temple was evident.
While listening to Hae Woo’s explanation, Eum Yu Gyeong arrived at the Guest Reception Hall.
The Guest Reception Hall stood near Shaolin’s temple gate, surrounded on all sides by high walls that ensured complete seclusion. Yet because the hall and its surrounding Training Ground were so expansive, there was no sense of confinement.
Hae Woo showed Eum Yu Gyeong to one of the rooms in the hall.
“You may stay here. Evening meal is in about one hour. The dining hall is through that way,” he said, gesturing toward the back.
“Thank you.”
“Then please rest comfortably.”
Hae Woo bowed respectfully and withdrew.
The moment he left, the smile vanished from Eum Yu Gyeong’s face.
“Remarkable.”
Shaolin had not pressed her about her identity. It was the opposite of how other sects questioned and thoroughly verified every detail.
To Eum Yu Gyeong’s eyes, this restraint spoke of the composure of the truly powerful.
A thousand years of accumulated strength and experience. The confidence that comes from such a foundation made this approach possible.
Yet it was not without vigilance.
The Guest Reception Hall was completely separated from Shaolin’s main temple grounds. There was no way to access the sect’s important buildings from here.
To Eum Yu Gyeong, Shaolin itself appeared as the Dragon’s Pool Tiger’s Lair.
“Sigh.”
Eum Yu Gyeong breathed out without thinking.
She wished she had a choice, but as always, circumstances offered her no mercy.
Eum Yu Gyeong spent her time confined to the quarters in the Guest Reception Hall. She kept strictly to meal times and made every effort to avoid drawing attention.
She moved only after the evening prayers had ended. Slipping away from the others on the walk back from the service, she took a side path.
From her robes, Eum Yu Gyeong withdrew a face mask and pulled it on—something she had prepared before entering.
With her face concealed, Eum Yu Gyeong moved in silence.
Though she had never visited Shaolin before, its layout was fixed in her mind. Those who rose to any significant rank within the Demon Cult had to study the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans as a matter of course.
Eum Yu Gyeong moved without a sound.
Despite being the head of the Nine Great Sects, Shaolin’s defenses held curious gaps. Thanks to this, Eum Yu Gyeong reached her destination without difficulty.
The Janggyeong Pavilion.
It was the repository of all Shaolin’s martial arts and scriptures. One would not be exaggerating to say that the entire history and strength of Shaolin was preserved here. Because of this, the Janggyeong Pavilion was guarded far more vigilantly than any other temple building.
Over a dozen martial monks stood watch outside. Their eyes burned with such intensity that their martial prowess was clearly far from ordinary.
“Hm.”
Eum Yu Gyeong drew in a breath.
An ordinary martial artist would have been so intimidated by the monks’ presence that they wouldn’t dare attempt infiltration. But she was different.
She had mastered not only martial arts but also the Concealment Art and Infiltration Art to the highest realms, precisely for situations like this.
Empty Spirit Cloud Fog Movement.
A secret art of the Demon Cult. To hide one’s body and presence within the very air itself—it could not be detected by anyone unless they had reached the absolute pinnacle of enlightenment.
Eum Yu Gyeong deployed the Empty Spirit Cloud Fog Movement and approached the pavilion. The Shaolin monks stood mere feet away, eyes wide and alert, yet they perceived nothing of her approach.
Eum Yu Gyeong slipped safely inside the Janggyeong Pavilion.
The interior was overwhelming. Countless shelves held books packed in without a single gap. Many of them were martial texts.
The Seventy-Two Shaolin Techniques were here, along with supreme techniques from other sects that had somehow found their way to Shaolin. The release of even one of these would shake the entire Jianghu.
But Eum Yu Gyeong did not so much as glance at these treasures. What she sought was elsewhere.
Her eyes swept rapidly across the shelves.
‘The Thousand Day Secret Records.’
That was the name of the book she sought.
It was a record written thirty years ago by one called Cheon Gwan Seo Saeng, an account of the Jeong-Ma Great War made with objective precision.
Cheon Gwan Seo Saeng had wandered countless battlefields for a thousand days during the final stages of the Jeong-Ma Great War, setting down everything he witnessed without embellishment or exaggeration. That was the Thousand Day Secret Records.
‘Cheon Gwan Seo Saeng was present at the battlefields where our sect’s Sacred Object vanished. The Thousand Day Secret Records must contain an account of what happened then.’
She had learned of the Thousand Day Secret Records only recently. To trace the Sacred Object’s whereabouts, she absolutely needed this book.
Eum Yu Gyeong passed more than a dozen shelves in quick succession. A look of urgency crossed her face.
‘If I cannot find a clue to the Sacred Object’s location even in the Thousand Day Secret Records, there will be nothing left to stop the Sect Leader from having his way.’
She was among the rare few within the Demon Cult who did not wish for another Jeong-Ma Great War to occur.
How much time had passed?
Eum Yu Gyeong’s eyes brightened.
‘Found it.’
There, tucked into the corner of the final shelf, sat a book with the clear title: Thousand Day Secret Records.
Eum Yu Gyeong hastily withdrew it and began to scan its pages.
“It’s genuine.”
“Amitabha Buddha! So you were searching for the Thousand Day Secret Records all this while.”
A calm voice suddenly spoke from behind her.
Eum Yu Gyeong felt her spine crawl with cold.
‘When did he—?’
She had kept every nerve tensed the entire time. She had checked multiple times that there was no one else in the pavilion. Yet the voice came as though the person had been watching her from the very beginning.
Eum Yu Gyeong turned carefully. There stood a young monk in a plain gray robes.
He appeared to be barely past his early twenties.
His eyes were innocent black pools without the slightest impurity, and his smile was radiant.
“Who are you?”
“Amitabha Buddha. This humble monk is called So Cheon.”
“So Cheon? The Nine-Dragon Move?”
Eum Yu Gyeong’s eyes widened with alarm.
Was there anyone alive in Jianghu who didn’t know the name So Cheon?
He was a prodigy for the ages—one who had mastered fifteen of the Seventy-Two Shaolin Techniques to perfection. How many whispers circulated that he was the greatest talent in all of Shaolin history?
So Cheon loved learning martial arts more than eating rice, and rumors had it he spent most of his time either in the Training Ground or within the Janggyeong Pavilion.
“Amitabha! Who exactly are you, Visitor? Why do you seek the Thousand Day Secret Records? That book is nothing particularly special.”
“For some, a worthless stone may be more precious than gold to another.”
“You are no ordinary person, Visitor. Indeed, no ordinary person could slip into the Janggyeong Pavilion of Shaolin Temple. Where do you hail from?”
“Have you been watching from the start?”
Eum Yu Gyeong answered his question with one of her own. At that, So Cheon laughed brightly.
“Amitabha! This humble monk has been here since the beginning.”
“Then you’ve been watching me search for this book? Why?”
“Because it was interesting. Most who come to this place seek the Supreme Techniques—they don’t care about miscellaneous texts like this.”
Eum Yu Gyeong’s face hardened like stone.
If he had been here all along and she had sensed nothing, his martial prowess might very well surpass her own.
Whoosh!
The moment Eum Yu Gyeong grasped her disadvantage, she hurled herself out of the Janggyeong Pavilion.
So Cheon shook his head.
“Just as I thought!”
His expression held not a trace of concern.
There was no reason for concern. This was Shaolin Temple, after all.
“An intruder!”
The martial monks standing guard outside cried out upon spotting Eum Yu Gyeong’s sudden emergence.
The quiet temple stirred awake.
Martial monks moved into action, and a deep, resonant bell toll rang out across all of Songshan.
“Amitabha!”
So Cheon’s figure vanished from the Janggyeong Pavilion.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————