Chapter 161

Dang Ran-yeong removed Cheong-ra's gag. As soon as he did, Cheong-ra demanded,

"Ha... Now that we've arrived, please untie this, Young Master Dang."

"It's still a bit too early to untie you. We came in with the excuse that your mind is unstable, so wouldn't it be strange to leave you free?"

"You just want to torment me!"

Dang Ran-yeong caressed Cheong-ra's cheek as if he found his defiance quite cute, then tilted a water container to his lips. Cheong-ra glared at him but obediently drank the water offered. When he made a groaning sound, feeling dizzy from the blood rushing to his head, Dang Ran-yeong offered his thigh as a pillow. Cheong-ra stammered,

"Wh-what are you doing..."

Giving him water was one thing, but using his lap as a pillow was very strange and inappropriate. So he tried to lower his head, but Dang Ran-yeong firmly pressed his forehead down with one hand.

Cheong-ra looked at Nam Gang-ryong in embarrassment. Nam Gang-ryong, thankfully, drank his tea with a compassionate face like the Buddha, pretending not to see. Though they weren't lovers, doing such things between men in front of a monk made Cheong-ra feel very self-conscious.

"Stop playing around and untie me, I said."

"Playing? Why bother untying you when I'll have to tie you up again? After the conversation ends, I'll have to carry you like this to the Hall of Repentance."

"What...!"

The Hall of Repentance? The Hall of Repentance! Shaolin's Hall of Repentance was famous in the martial arts world for various reasons. It was a notorious place where monks who had not only violated precepts but abandoned human morality, or evil sect leaders captured instead of killed to keep the precept of not killing, were imprisoned, and once entered, one rarely came out. To think that he would be entering such a place!

"Why should I go to the Hall of Repentance?!"

When Cheong-ra protested in great surprise, Dang Ran-yeong rested his chin on his hand. As Cheong-ra tried to escape from the lap pillow, Dang Ran-yeong tidied his disheveled hair and muttered,

"Indeed, why should you go to the Hall of Repentance? Perhaps it's because Beauty has committed so many sins..."

As Dang Ran-yeong continued to tease Cheong-ra severely, Nam Gang-ryong, who could no longer just watch, stepped in.

"Devotee Baek, don't worry. Lord Dang is just teasing you. And while the Hall of Repentance is a place to confine sinners, it's sometimes used for other purposes as well. For instance, when confining someone who has lost their reason due to qi deviation."

Relieved by Nam Gang-ryong's words, Cheong-ra sighed deeply, and only then did Dang Ran-yeong, having teased him to his heart's content, untie his bindings. He pressed and massaged the acupoints on Cheong-ra's numb arms and legs, truly giving the cure after causing the illness. Just as Cheong-ra was sitting up properly and tidying his disheveled appearance, they sensed someone approaching.

Soon, Won-jung and a young monk opened the door and entered. Won-jung bowed his head slightly and introduced the monk.

"This is the Abbot."

This young man is Shaolin's abbot? Caught off guard, Cheong-ra jumped to his feet in surprise. Then he politely paid his respects.

"Baek Ri Cheong-ra of Moon Lake Sect, a junior in the martial arts world, greets the great senior."

"This old one is also pleased to meet such precious connections."

The young monk who received Cheong-ra's greeting smiled gently and returned the greeting.

Shaolin's Abbot, Great Master Kong-ryun!

Until now, Cheong-ra had only heard the name of Shaolin's Abbot Kong-ryun, but this was his first time seeing him in person. It was because he always stayed at Shaolin and rarely ventured outside. His activities were unknown except for the one time he lent a hand in eradicating the Blood Cult fifty years ago.

Although Dang Ran-yeong had requested it earlier, Cheong-ra's heart raced as he didn't expect to meet the abbot so quickly.

As far as he knew, Kong-ryun was already ninety years old this year. But seeing him look so young, he must have surely achieved the reversal of aging. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary monk, but up close, his eyes were wise, deep, and pure. As Cheong-ra was admiring his clear energy, he turned his gaze to see Dang Ran-yeong's reaction and was a little surprised.

Dang Ran-yeong's face looked calm, but his eyes somehow seemed displeased. Come to think of it, hadn't he been like this at Hengshan Sect too? Or was it just his imagination? Cheong-ra looked at Dang Ran-yeong again doubtfully, but on second glance, he didn't seem much different from usual. Surprised and honored that Kong-ryun personally poured tea for him, Cheong-ra soon forgot about it.

"Young Master Dang, when I last saw you, you were less than half this old one's height, but you've truly grown a lot since then."

Then, as he poured tea into Dang Ran-yeong's cup, Kong-ryun looked intently at his face. Strangely, he seemed to be examining his eyes in particular. Dang Ran-yeong replied, barely sipping his tea,

"It's only natural, as it was over twenty years ago."

"Ho ho, has it already been that long? Time is truly impermanent..."

Curiosity suddenly arose in Cheong-ra's heart. What kind of occasion could there have been for Dang Ran-yeong to meet Shaolin's abbot when he was young? However, this was not the place to satisfy personal curiosity, so he quietly drank his tea.

After pouring tea for all four people in turn, Kong-ryun laughed heartily and asked,

"So, what is this matter of Shaolin's survival?"

However, contrary to his kind laughter, his eyes were very sharp.

***

Cheong-ra asked in a worried voice,

"Monk Gang-ryong, are you sure it's alright not to go out?"

Nam Gang-ryong, who had been meditating in the lotus position, opened his eyes and answered gently,

"I had vowed not to set foot in the main temple until the Blood Cult was destroyed, but I've returned to Shaolin sooner than expected, so I'm just happy. So what more could this humble monk ask for? Being here is enough."

Although he must desperately want to meet his close friends after returning to the main temple for the first time in years, Nam Gang-ryong stayed cooped up in this small pavilion without moving. It was as if he was confining himself. And in fact, Cheong-ra was in a similar situation.

Cheong-ra recalled his conversation with Kong-ryun from a few days ago. After hearing the detailed story from Dang Ran-yeong that day, Kong-ryun remained silent for a moment. Then he smiled gently and replied,

'To have come such a long way to deliver such important news, Shaolin has once again received a great favor. Truly, these are precious connections.'

He then granted permission for Dang Ran-yeong and his companions to stay here as long as they wished. He also personally promised to cooperate fully in Cheong-ra's treatment. From that day on, Shaolin immediately went on alert. Although it seemed almost no different from usual, Cheong-ra, inside the pavilion, could sense the monks quietly and thoroughly examining the temple grounds several times even now.

"Monk Gang-ryong, do you think the Blood Cult really still believes I'm controlled by Demon Soul Insects?"

"Since Yeon Jeok-san, the only one who knew that fact, is dead, there's no way for them to find out. So rather than thinking we've discovered Shaolin's plan, they're more likely to believe we've come to confine Devotee Baek in the Hall of Repentance."

"I really hope that's the case. Of course, that misunderstanding won't last very long."

As Shaolin was the largest among the righteous factions, there were many who were officially affiliated with the main temple. Weren't there countless branch sects of Shaolin alone? So surely, some among them must be Blood Cult spies or unwilling traitors. Cheong-ra hoped that enduring the discomfort of being tightly bound on the way here would be worth it.

'By the way, so his dharma name was Monk Won-ho.'

Cheong-ra looked at Nam Gang-ryong, who had his eyes closed tightly while rolling prayer beads in his hand. At first, Nam Gang-ryong had asked to be called by his name. So, without avoiding it, he had been calling him Monk Gang-ryong all this time.

His dharma name before being defrocked was Won-ho. And although he had clearly been defrocked, Won-jung called Nam Gang-ryong "Won-ho" without any hostility. This was the same for Abbot Kong-ryun, which made Cheong-ra curious.

What kind of story did Nam Gang-ryong have that made his defrocking not really a defrocking? What was the reason for the dark guilt that flashed across this monk's eyes from moment to moment? What cruel act had the Blood Cult committed against Nam Gang-ryong...

At that moment, Dang Ran-yeong, who had left the pavilion early in the morning, opened the door and came in. Nam Gang-ryong, who had been muttering sutras, lifted his head abruptly.

"Lord Dang, did you find out?"

"No. I didn't sense any suspicious presence that might suggest Blood Cult members are hiding anywhere in Shaolin Temple."

Saying this, Dang Ran-yeong put down the basket he had brought. A delicious smell wafted from it, and as Cheong-ra had hoped, the basket was full of tasty food. He couldn't tell where Dang Ran-yeong had gotten the food made with rich ingredients that could never be seen in Shaolin Temple.

'Is it alright to eat meat within the temple grounds?'

When he unconsciously looked at Nam Gang-ryong, he was setting out the food without a word. Having no choice, Cheong-ra sat down awkwardly, and Dang Ran-yeong went a step further by bringing out alcohol. Cheong-ra couldn't believe his eyes.

"You're drinking alcohol within the temple grounds?"

"What are you talking about? This is grain wine."

"No..."

When he looked at Nam Gang-ryong again, he was brewing hot tea, pretending not to see the bottle of alcohol. Meeting Cheong-ra's gaze, he even said,

"Ho ho, this humble monk is a defrocked monk. And Lord Dang is not a Buddhist..."

At this point, Cheong-ra gave up trying to stop them, as it didn't seem like they would refrain from drinking even if he told them not to.