"Senior brother!"
Hye Bang's face stiffened as he looked down from the Cave of Pennace.
"They're ascending Mount Song!"
Instinctively, Hye Bang began to recite Buddhist prayers, assuming the role of the head monk.
Just from the aura emanating from below the mountain, one could infer that the people climbing up here were not ordinary individuals.
The killing intent they exuded recklessly, without any attempt to conceal it, felt like it could cut through the skin.
They were undoubtedly different from the Evil Sect martial artists rampaging in Hanam. So their goal was clear.
"Senior brother, what should we do...?"
"Shaolin is not a suitable place for defense. It lacks the usual defenses because of the constant flow of pilgrims and the absence of a single fortification."
This lack of defense was a point of pride for Shaolin. No one in under heaven dared to attack Shaolin.
But now, that pride was tightening around Shaolin's neck.
"Senior brother!"
"Amitabha."
Hye Bang's Buddhist prayer calmed down his junior brother.
"I'm not sure what the right course of action is."
"...Yes?"
"But it's not difficult to know what needs to be done."
Hye Bang opened his mouth with a determined expression.
"We must find all the pilgrims who might still be within the grounds and evacuate them. The novice monks and students are no exception."
"S-Senior brother!"
Shaolin was a temple. Although it had gained fame for its martial arts prowess, not everyone within Shaolin had trained in martial arts.
There were still many novices who hadn't learned martial arts, and others who were focused solely on illegal activities.
But deciding to evacuate them now...
"Surely, you don't think we can't handle them?"
"They're probably here on orders from the Four Tyrants Alliance."
Hye Bang calmly replied as if he had already considered this.
"They didn't come just to pay their respects. If they didn't think they could destroy Shaolin, they wouldn't have come in the first place."
"That's... true."
If it was Tyrant Jang Ilso, he would have sent those who could wipe out Shaolin.
Given that, the remaining strength of Shaolin was originally less than half its full capacity. Considering the absence of the elders and the monks who were out dealing with the Evil Sect martial artists in Hanam, the remaining strength was almost negligible.
Even if it was Shaolin, with only one-third of its full strength, there would be countless sects eager to attack.
"Ask the students to evacuate the scriptures from the Janggyeong Panjeon outside Shaolin!"
"T-The scriptures? What about the secret books...?"
Hye Bang looked silently at his junior brother. His gaze was calm.
"Are the secret books more important than the scriptures?"
After a moment of silence, the junior brother raised his head.
"No, senior brother. Compared to the teachings of the Buddha, they are insignificant."
"Good. Then it's settled. Hurry."
"Yes!"
As his junior brother moved away using movement techniques, Hye Bang muttered a quiet Buddhist prayer.
"May the Buddha guide us..."
He had merely wanted to pursue enlightenment.
To escape from those who were corrupting the abbot and neglecting the true duties of a Buddhist monk, and to find an 'answer' that remained elusive.
But the world wouldn't leave him alone.
"Amitabha."
Hye Bang considered this to be natural.
"If hiding away in this place and meditating isn't the true duty of a Buddhist monk..."
Countless people were suffering.
In this sea of suffering called the world, 'finding oneself' was not merely attainable through meditation. Just as the Buddha cared for them, they too had to care for those who were in distress.
The chilling killing intent rising from below was the Buddha's punishment for confining themselves within this small temple, under the guise of discipline and respect.
If they truly sought enlightenment, the authority of the abbot and the name of Shaolin were nothing but trivialities. Unjust patience was merely a form of ignorance.
"Amitabha."
If this was truly Shaolin's fate, if it was the price they had to pay for their sins, then they must humbly accept it.
"It seems we're a little late."
Enlightenment always comes late. But even if it's late, knowing it is enough.
Hye Bang's steps moved slowly.
Moments later.
The tense-faced monks at the North Gate of Shaolin observed vigilantly.
A dense killing intent hung in the air, as if it were palpable. Along with it, a strong scent of blood pricked at their noses.
How many sinful deeds must these warriors have committed to exude such a stench?
"Amitabha..."
Buddhist prayers for calming the mind echoed from various places.
Thud!
Before long, the heavily barricaded mountain entrance burst open, and a horde of soldiers poured in through the broken gates or leaped over the walls, invading Shaolin.
Cloaked in red fabric from head to toe, these soldiers seemed more like a group of madmen than soldiers. Their eerie momentum and alien atmosphere made them appear more like zealots than soldiers. Above all, the intense killing intent they emitted was spine-chilling.
They were certainly not easy opponents. Perhaps the people here alone wouldn't be able to stop them. They were that fearsome.
In the moment of overwhelming darkness, Hye Bang involuntarily muttered a Buddhist prayer.
"Amitabha..."
The gap to bridge was not something one could overcome with effort alone.
"Thankfully, we evacuated the novices in time."
At least innocent lives were spared. What remained here were those who had to bear the burden of their sins.
But the weight of the punishment they had to endure seemed too heavy.
"Who are the visitors to Shaolin?"
Some gazes turned towards Hye Bang at the voice, but among the multitude, there were only a few.
Their responses were bizarre to an alarming degree.
"Shaolin is not currently receiving visitors, please turn back."
The dry response, the pale complexion, the emotionless faces.
"They look like corpses."
Although they were certainly not zombies, they were incredibly eerie. Cold sweat dripped down Hye Bang's neck.
"Senior brother..."
Someone couldn't help but let out a whimper-like voice, and Hye Bang sighed.
It was futile, but in the absence of the abbot, they had to preserve the appearance of Shaolin until the end.
But before Hye Bang could speak again, someone else spoke first.
"The will of the Buddha shines everywhere."
The voice, scratching like rusty metal, sent chills down everyone's spine as all eyes turned to the speaker.
The man, wrapped in red bandages revealing glimpses of his body, stared directly at Hye Bang.
"If Shaolin is to be soaked in blood, everyone will know. That talk is just nonsense."
At the almost murmured words, Hye Bang clenched his fist unknowingly. There was something eerie about the man that made him shudder involuntarily.
"Amitabha..."
Struggling to steady his trembling voice, Hye Bang spoke to the man.
"We have heard of you. There are those from distant lands with different religions."
"Hmm."
The man chuckled softly at that.
"Buddhists certainly have a way of twisting words. Calling us 'heretics' is a nice touch."
"Amitabha..."
"It doesn't matter. Whether you call us by whatever name, Shaolin's fate will not change today. You will soon follow in the footsteps of your senior and junior brothers."
At that moment, Hye Bang flinched.
"Follow... behind?"
"Well? What do you think is the reason we can be here?"
Unconsciously, Hye Bang bit his lip.
It was undoubtedly a lie. There was no way they would receive news from such a distant place before these men did.
But even within that lie, there was truth. If they were sent by the Four Tyrants Alliance, they couldn't afford to turn their backs on Shaolin without absolute certainty.
"Abbot..."
Hye Bang's fingertips trembled. It wasn't fear of death. It was regret.
"In the end, whatever happens..."
Hye Bang sighed briefly, almost as if lamenting. At that moment, the man from Blood Cult slowly walked forward.
"Indeed... you seem to have a bit more thought than that foolish abbot."
The Blood Cult leader stepped forward, speaking slowly.
"But if the result is the same, there's no difference in the end."
"Even so, Shaolin will not retreat."
"Of course not."
The leader of Blood Cult nodded. As he did, the Blood Cult disciples, who stood like corpses, erupted with killing intent all at once.
A suffocating stench of blood and thick killing intent filled the air.
Hye Bang's face darkened with despair.
"Die. Today, the name of Shaolin will disappear from this world."
The zombie-like Blood Cult disciples charged towards the disciplined monks of Shaolin, emitting eerie noises.
❀ ❀ ❀
"Shaolin?"
"Yes."
Hyeon Jong's eyes trembled.
Hye Yeon grabbed his right wrist tightly, her face as if her soul was about to flee.
"The Four Tyrants Alliance is targeting Shaolin?"
Chung Myung sharpened his gaze and nodded.
"That's their style. They will target the weakest spot."
Shaolin. There is no name stronger than that in the Martial Arts World.
But isn't everything relative? Believing in their strength and sending their main forces to the battlefield, the few remaining in Shaolin would be a tempting prey for Jang Ilso.
There's no reason for Jang Ilso not to target their weakness.
"Then, Shaolin..."
"Disciple!"
Hye Yeon screamed like a banshee, but Chung Myung raised his hand.
"No."
"Y-yes?"
And then, he blinked and looked into the distance.
"We can also read the enemy."
❀ ❀ ❀
Kwaaaang!
A meteor streaked down.
"Hold on!"
The Blood Cult disciples, charging with momentum, froze in place.
The leader of Blood Cult also turned his gaze towards where the meteor had struck.
It was a sword. Nothing particularly special, just an ordinary one. But the sharp eyes of the Blood Cult leader keenly caught a small pattern engraved on the hilt.
Slowly, his gaze shifted towards the corner of the eaves, precisely to the rooftop.
And then, a man descended from the roof like a phantom.
Clang!
His white robes, swelling like wings, gradually settled.
Hye Bang's eyes widened as he involuntarily shouted, seeing the figure's back. The owner of that back. His name.
"Disciple Baek Cheon!"
Thunk.
Grasping the sword that had been stuck in the ground, Baek Cheon turned to Hye Bang without meeting his eyes.
"I've come to settle a debt... No."
Then, he glanced back and smiled.
"I've come to save a friend, venerable sir."
Before his words could finish, martial arts soldiers emerged from behind the corner.
"Aaaargh!"
"...Don't exert too much force ahead of time, you fool."
Jo Gol and Yun Jong, accompanied by Mount Hua and Nangong's disciples, had arrived.
Hye Bang felt a surge of relief for a moment.
"We barely made it in time, damn it! Where are these bastards causing trouble? You damn bastards!"
"...You're the one causing trouble, Gol."
Baek Cheon chuckled at the sight of his junior nephews, who seemed no different than usual. Then, he turned serious again, facing the leader of Blood Cult.
"You want to erase the name of Shaolin?"
"..."
"Shaolin may not owe you anything, but its people do. Come and face me first."
Baek Cheon's sword pointed directly at the leader of Blood Cult.
"This... changes things."
Despite the bandages covering his face, the displeasure on the leader of Blood Cult's face was palpable.