The Heavenly Demon Cult’s Strongest Maid - Chapter 114
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 114
How did I know that this tremendous Buddhist scripture would be in such a shabby bookstore?
It’s because I’m a transmigrator!
‘Heh.’
In the original story, a devout elderly lady came to pay respects at Shaolin Temple, the birthplace and headquarters of Zen Buddhism, and happened to visit this bookstore.
There, she saw Buddhist scriptures occupying only corner spaces, unsold and covered in dust, and felt sorry for them, so she bought the entire collection.
The Lankavatara Sutra that had fallen behind the other books was also sold along with them.
Having read so many Buddhist scriptures, the elderly lady immediately recognized the true value of the two volumes of the Lankavatara Sutra.
She returned to Shaolin Temple with her son, who ran a fairly large martial arts school, and donated the Lankavatara Sutra to Shaolin Temple.
Moved by this gesture, Shaolin Temple gave the elderly lady and her son Daehwandan pills as a token of gratitude.
But the ending wasn’t good.
The son who ran the martial arts school ended up bragging about his mother’s devotion and their connection to Shaolin Temple at a drinking party, and mentioned the Daehwandan pills. A few days later, the martial arts school suffered complete annihilation.
‘So I don’t need to feel guilty!’
I save Grandmother.
And those people avoid misfortune and continue living peacefully as they are now.
This is what you call a win-win situation. Right.
“Thank you.”
I paid generously for the books and left the bookstore.
Outside, Eok I-geon, Cheon-gang, and Seo-ryeon were waiting for me.
“Let’s go now.”
It would be natural to find it strange, but Eok I-geon didn’t ask at all about why I came here or what was in my arms.
Whether he wasn’t curious at all or just wasn’t interested.
At times like this, being taciturn doesn’t seem entirely bad.
“Get on my back.”
“…Pardon?”
“The path ahead is treacherous.”
I know that too.
…But right now my legs are trembling quite badly.
As he said, the path to Shaolin Temple wouldn’t be easy.
“Thank you.”
I shamelessly got on Eok I-geon’s back.
Eok I-geon, who carried me up the mountain even with his internal energy sealed, was truly great.
Thud— Thud— Thud—!
King Dang Cheol-u’s footsteps, covering ten zhang with each step as he cut through the mountain path, barely touched the ground.
His body was light as the wind and his legs were full of strength.
It was because his heart was urgent.
‘Ling…!’
The massive mountain gate of Shaolin Temple revealed its majesty in the distance, but he didn’t slow down.
Instead, he leaped even higher.
“Hah!”
Taking a deep breath, Dang Cheol-woo leaped up in great strides in front of the mountain gate as if climbing stairs.
As he gracefully flew overhead like an immortal roaming the heavens, the warrior monks guarding the mountain gate stared blankly at the sight for a moment.
These were warrior monks who had never even imagined such a thing in their dreams.
“It’s, it’s an enemy!”
“Enemy invasion!”
Several warrior monks who belatedly came to their senses urgently beat the drums.
Boom! Boom boom! Boom boom boom!
The drum sounds announcing enemy intrusion echoed through the mountain gate.
The tranquil silence of the temple grounds was instantly shattered.
While warrior monks rushed out from all directions trying to assess the situation, King Dang Cheol-u was already landing in the courtyard of Daeungjeon, the heart and tiger’s mouth of Shaolin Temple.
Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom boom!
Shaolin Temple was completely awakened by the invasion drums.
Nearly a thousand warrior monks gathered at Daeungjeon.
Though they surrounded Dang Cheol-woo, only deathly silence flowed through the temple grounds.
It was by no means a light silence. The aura emanated by a thousand warrior monks was as great and heavy as Mount Tai.
“Benefactor Dang.”
Abbot Gong-heo Daesa appeared on the platform of Shaolin Temple’s Daeungjeon.
His face was as peaceful as always.
However, only his eyes surveying Dang Cheol-woo and the surroundings shone sharply.
“It has truly been a long time, Abbot.”
Dang Cheol-woo unclasped his hands from behind his back and respectfully performed the cupped fist salute according to Shaolin etiquette.
No one in Gangho could treat the Shaolin Abbot lightly.
That was the power Shaolin possessed.
“Indeed. Already seventeen years have passed. Amitabha.”
Gong-heo Daesa raised one hand in a half-palm gesture to receive his greeting.
“I heard you were unwell, but seeing you in good health makes this humble monk truly overjoyed.”
“Perhaps it was heaven’s will, I am fortunately still alive like this.”
Even in this situation, Gong-heo Daesa genuinely rejoiced that the King had regained his health.
“Amitabha.”
The pleasantries were brief.
“It’s regrettable that you didn’t come in a way we could have received you with proper honor.”
Gong-heo Daesa’s words were still gentle, but they contained reproach for Dang Cheol-woo’s rudeness.
“My heart was urgent, so I committed a breach of etiquette. I apologize for that.”
Dang Cheol-woo apologized but didn’t bow his head.
He had the most important business remaining.
“Is my daughter here?”
It was a question, but spoken with a tone of certainty. At this, Gong-heo half-closed his eyes and quietly chanted his Buddhist name.
“Amitabha.”
“Might that place be the Diamond Prison?”
Dang Cheol-woo asked another question.
This time it was a tone demanding a definite answer.
“Benefactor Dang!”
At that moment, Gong Ji Daesa, the head monk among the Four Great Vajra Guardians who had been listening to their conversation, showed displeasure and shouted.
“How rude!”
“Is that so? Then I apologize in advance. It seems I’ll be committing repeated breaches of etiquette today.”
Gong Ji Daesa’s mood changed at Dang Cheol-woo’s shameless response.
“Do you mean you’ll take your daughter by force if necessary?”
It was a tone laden with the threat of whether he dared to do such a thing.
“If I must.”
Dang Cheol-woo’s answer was concise.
The corners of Gong Ji Daesa’s eyes curved menacingly.
“Words once spoken cannot be taken back!”
This was no longer a threat. It was the beginning of direct confrontation.
“Gong Ji Daesa.”
Dang Cheol-woo looked directly at his opponent and spoke without wavering.
“Though I’m not unaware of your martial prowess and reputation, can you take responsibility for how this conversation ends?”
“Grr!”
Gong Ji Daesa’s body trembled with rage. A fierce energy swirled around him.
“Stop!”
Abbot Gong-heo Daesa unleashed a lion’s roar. With just that single word, the entire Shaolin Temple trembled as if a massive bell had been struck.
Even the head monk of the Four Great Vajra Guardians could not defy the abbot’s command.
Gong Ji glared at Am-wang once before withdrawing his energy.
“Benefactor Dang’s daughter is in Chamhoe-dong.”
At Gong-heo Daesa’s words, Dang Cheol-woo let out a short sigh of relief.
“Haah.”
It was an exclamation that represented the countless emotions he had harbored.
Chamhoe-dong, like the Diamond Prison, had restrictions on physical movement, but it was not a prison.
Fortunately, Shaolin Temple’s treatment was not bad.
However, the fact remained that she was being detained.
“Abbot!”
Dang Cheol-woo made a proposal to Gong-heo Daesa.
“I will challenge the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation.”
Gong-heo Daesa’s eyes narrowed.
“Do you know what that means?”
The One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation was the essence of Shaolin Temple’s thousand-year martial learning.
Therefore, it was a formation among formations where defeat could not even be imagined.
Anyone could challenge it, but precisely because of that, no one dared to challenge it.
However.
“Yes.”
Dang Cheol-woo’s answer was unwavering. Not a trace of hesitation could be felt from him.
“Buddha is merciful, but challenges to Shaolin are not so merciful. Are you certain you’ll be alright?”
“I’ll be fine.”
Gong-heo Daesa stared fiercely at Dang Cheol-woo.
“Are you truly confident you won’t regret this?”
Even with repeated questions, Dang Cheol-woo didn’t blink an eye. This was something he had already decided before coming here.
Gong-heo Daesa, having perceived Dang Cheol-woo’s determination, nodded his head.
“Very well. If you can break through the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation, I will release Benefactor Dang’s daughter.”
“In addition.”
When Dang Cheol-woo added a condition, Gong-heo’s expression hardened.
“I intend to request a retrial from the Martial Arts Alliance. I hope Shaolin will lend its support.”
Gong-heo’s eyes wavered slightly.
Was he not simply trying to rescue his daughter who was confined in the temple?
“Are you saying you judge that incident from seventeen years ago to have been wrong?”
“Don’t you also know that the circumstances at that time were strange, Abbot?”
“Amitabha.”
How could he not know?
He substituted his answer with a Buddhist invocation.
“Just voicing an opinion of support would be sufficient.”
At Dang Cheol-woo’s weighty resolve, Gong-heo Daesa closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.
“If I lose, I will grant whatever Shaolin desires. If you want my head, I’ll offer my head; if you request the Dang Family’s secret arts, I’ll give those as well.”
It was quite a radical condition.
The surrounding warrior monks began to murmur.
Gong-heo’s contemplation deepened as well.
No martial artist challenges the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation.
The reason is simple.
The outcome is obvious.
Certain defeat.
That’s why no one challenges it.
‘Unless it were Cheonma.’
As his thoughts reached that point, Gong-heo’s eyes snapped open.
He tried to examine Dang Cheol-woo again, but no energy could be detected from his body.
He seemed exactly like an ordinary person who had never learned martial arts.
‘Returning to simplicity… and even becoming younger.’
He had achieved rejuvenation.
“Shaolin does not avoid challenges.”
A dilemma with no good options.
Perhaps today the One Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation would face one of its rare defeats in history—at this ominous feeling, Gong-heo’s body trembled slightly.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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