Chapter 162

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. Instead, he pointed at the still steaming food and asked,

"Where on earth did you get this food from?"

"You'll soon be locked up in the Hall of Repentance, so how could your last meal be something like grass?"

Saying this, Dang Ran-yeong placed an especially greasy and large piece of meat on Cheong-ra's plate. Cheong-ra looked at him suspiciously before taking a bite of the warm meat and thought, He must be joking, right?

But contrary to his thoughts, after they finished eating, Dang Ran-yeong tied Cheong-ra up again, just like yesterday. As his wrists and ankles were being bound, Cheong-ra struggled and asked urgently,

"What? Really? We're really going to the Hall of Repentance? No, wait... Mmph, mmph!"

"Devotee Baek, that's..."

Nam Gang-ryong tried to explain something, but Dang Ran-yeong covered his mouth and slung Cheong-ra over his shoulder like a sack. Nam Gang-ryong had no choice but to quietly lead the way. Although it was dark all around and no one could see them, both men walked stealthily.

They arrived at the entrance of a cave deep within Shaolin Temple. Cheong-ra's eyes widened as he was lifted up. He could see three Chinese characters carved into the stone above the cave entrance.

Hall of Repentance!

Cheong-ra, who had really been brought to the Hall of Repentance, wriggled and tried to say something faintly. However, Dang Ran-yeong firmly grasped his inner thigh, startling him. In front of the Hall of Repentance's door, four monks including Won-jung were standing and waiting. Nam Gang-ryong bowed slightly, and the four monks returned the greeting before turning their gaze to Dang Ran-yeong.

"Then we will open the door of the Hall of Repentance."

Cheong-ra never thought he would see the door of the Hall of Repentance open in his lifetime, let alone enter it himself. Half-resigned, Cheong-ra quietly watched as the cave door opened. Two monks each inserted two iron staffs into the joints of the cave door. A clicking sound of engagement was heard.

"Hup!"

The four monks took a deep breath and then, two on each side, grasped the staffs and pulled with all their might. The veins on their thick arms bulged. With a rumbling sound like thunder, the heavy door of the Hall of Repentance opened. Dang Ran-yeong took the lead and stepped into the dark interior. As Won-jung and Nam Gang-ryong followed him inside, the cave door closed again with another rumbling sound. The sound of the staffs being removed from outside was heard, and one of the monks called out,

"Then we will come to check every two hours after three days!"

With a final click, the door fully closed, and only then did Dang Ran-yeong put Cheong-ra down. In the dark cave, the only light source was the night pearl held by Won-jung. However, for the four martial artists, it was enough light to survey their surroundings. Cheong-ra, now free from his bindings and gag, unconsciously muttered,

"So this is the Hall of Repentance..."

The Hall of Repentance was a space of utter silence, except for a faint breeze coming from somewhere. Cheong-ra moved stealthily and unconsciously stuck close to Dang Ran-yeong. The most common thing in such caves was insects, and Dang Ran-yeong had an insect-repelling sachet. Won-jung, unaware of Cheong-ra's fear of insects, kindly explained,

"This is the only exit from the Hall of Repentance, so there's no place more secure than here. So you can rest easy, Devotee Baek."

"I see..."

Cheong-ra nodded, quickly scanning the floor and walls for insects by the light of the night pearl. Won-jung moved forward, relying on the night pearl. The endlessly long cave passage occasionally split into several paths. It was like a maze.

"Are there still many evil sect leaders imprisoned here now?"

"Yes. They are living here, repenting for their sins under the Buddha's compassion."

The captured evil sect leaders confined in the Hall of Repentance would live out their days in this dark place, chewing on fasting pills until death. That's why its reputation was so notorious.

"This is the place."

Won-jung, who had been walking without hesitation, stopped in front of a passage. Then he called out loudly,

"Master, it's Won-jung. I've come with Won-ho."

Monk Gang-ryong's master is in here? Surprised, Cheong-ra looked into the dark passage, and soon someone came out. It was a middle-aged monk wearing shabby and worn robes. When he saw Nam Gang-ryong, he was greatly surprised and hurriedly ran over.

"Won-ho! To see you again... Is this a dream or reality?"

"Master...!"

Nam Gang-ryong's voice choked up, unable to continue speaking properly. His eyes reddened and filled with tears. His master confirmed his disciple's face flickering in the light of the night pearl, stroked it several times, and then hugged him tightly, patting his back. Watching this reunion between master and disciple, Cheong-ra felt moved himself and sighed inwardly, then unconsciously looked at Dang Ran-yeong and flinched.

"...Young Master Dang, what's wrong?"

Surprised by the extremely fierce look in his eyes as he gazed at the middle-aged monk, Cheong-ra asked. Then, using sound transmission, he secretly asked if Dang Ran-yeong knew Monk Gang-ryong's master, but Dang Ran-yeong shook his head. Then he replied indifferently, as if it was nothing,

"The air here is bad, probably because it's a cave."

This was similar to what he had said at Hengshan Sect. Then Dang Ran-yeong slowly caressed Cheong-ra's waist, teasing him. Cheong-ra flinched and unconsciously looked around. Fortunately, everyone was too moved by the long-awaited reunion to notice. Then he tilted his head. By the way, Dang Ran-yeong seemed to find Buddhist or Taoist energy unpleasant, or was it just his imagination?

'Could it be because Dang Ran-yeong is the Star of Heavenly Killing, just like I might be the Purple Subtlety Star...? Could the Star of Heavenly Killing find Buddhist or Taoist energy unpleasant?'

While he was pondering this, the middle-aged monk, having finished his reunion, bowed slightly to Dang Ran-yeong and Cheong-ra. Cheong-ra quickly returned the polite greeting.

"I am Baek Ri Cheong-ra of Moon Lake Sect. This junior greets the senior."

"I am called Yeo-cheon. So, what brings you all to this Hall of Repentance?"

Yeo-cheon, who had been confined in the Hall of Repentance all this time, was very puzzled by the situation. Nam Gang-ryong quickly stepped forward to explain the circumstances.

"Master, Devotee Baek here has been affected by the Blood Cult's sound technique and his mind is not very clear. So we've come to seek your help."

"The Blood Cult..."

Yeo-cheon's voice hardened as he muttered. After carefully examining Cheong-ra, he nodded and turned around.

"It's too dark here, so let's go inside first."

Cheong-ra, following him, was surprised. Unlike the other dark passages until now, bright light was seeping in from deep inside.

At the end of the passage was a small cave chamber. The chamber was as bright as day with several night pearls hanging from the ceiling, far from being a prison cell. Looking around, he saw that it was equipped with various necessities for living without much inconvenience. There was a spring with clear water seeping out, a pile of fasting pills, chairs and tables, and so on.

And on one side, two young monks were lying on beds. They seemed to be about the same age as Nam Gang-ryong or Won-jung, and appeared to be in a deep sleep. Their bodies were emaciated, as if they had been in a long sleep. Yeo-cheon seemed to be taking care of the two here.

"Won-dang, Won-gak..."

Nam Gang-ryong, who had approached closely, knelt down and looked at the people on the beds. His touch as he caressed their thin bodies was indescribably affectionate, and his face was filled with unspeakable emotions. Won-jung's eyes also reddened as he watched. Yeo-cheon quietly approached and placed his hand on his disciple's shoulder, sighing deeply.

Cheong-ra stepped aside for a moment to give them space. After they had exchanged nostalgic conversations in low voices, Nam Gang-ryong approached, his face back to its usual expression. He explained the past tragedy for Cheong-ra, who was the only one here who knew nothing.

In the past, when Nam Gang-ryong was known by his dharma name Won-ho, he lived peacefully training at Shaolin Temple with his martial brothers Won-dang, Won-gak, and Won-heo. But that was only for a short while.

As Cheong-ra had guessed, the Blood Cult took advantage of Won-dang leaving Shaolin Temple to feed him Demon Soul Insects, and the controlled Won-dang then fed Demon Soul Insects to Won-gak and Won-heo. The three, with their Demon Soul Insects awakened, attacked their master Yeo-cheon. Their goal was to subdue Yeo-cheon, who was very flustered and caught off guard by the sudden attack from his disciples, and feed him Demon Soul Insects.

At that time, Nam Gang-ryong had gone with younger disciples to find their master, as they had questions during their training, and accidentally witnessed the scene. Shocked by the unfilial act of disciples attacking their master, Nam Gang-ryong tried to stop the three. In the process, when Won-heo tried to kill the young disciples who had come along, Nam Gang-ryong urgently tried to stop him and ended up killing Won-heo, who was like a brother to him. He also failed to prevent his master Yeo-cheon from eating the blood insects.

Belatedly, the Ten Precept Ten Monks who maintain and manage Shaolin's precepts rushed in and were barely able to subdue Won-dang and Won-gak.

Even after being confined in the Hall of Repentance, Won-dang and Won-gak continued to act wildly to carry out the orders they had received from the Blood Cult. They tried various means to feed blood insects to their fellow disciples, threatening, begging, and deceiving them. At the same time, they were rapidly dying.

It was Dang Ran-yeong who visited Shaolin Temple at that time and used Tang Clan poisons to put Won-dang and Won-gak into a comatose state, putting them into a deep sleep. It was also he who tenaciously extended their lives, which were about to end within days due to the rampaging Demon Soul Insects, for over several years.

Thus, after that day, Nam Gang-ryong decided to go out into the secular world to find a way to stop the Blood Cult and remove the Demon Soul Insects. He also requested to be defrocked for the sin of killing Won-heo. Abbot Kong-ryun accepted his request but did not seal his dantian or cut the tendons in his limbs. Master Yeo-cheon, having also eaten Demon Soul Insects, entered the Hall of Repentance voluntarily, saying he would bear the sins of his disciples.