An old man facing a large golden Buddha statue was reciting a sutra, his eyes cold.
A very common sight in Buddhism, yet anyone who had seen this monk doing so would never think of it as such an ordinary occurrence.
His appearance was special, even though nothing out of the ordinary was happening. It was a sight that seemed to prove their specialness has true value when it emerges from the mundane.
At heart, there is no love, no fear, no affection, no knowledge, no enlightenment; all there is is Nirvana.
As he continued to chant, the face of the monk began to relax slightly.
But his deep self-discipline felt shattered.
A-abbot!
An urgent voice came from the door outside. The old monks eyes twitched at this.
Cultivating Buddhism was the most important thing for someone who studied it. Therefore, no matter what the situation, someone who was chanting shouldnt be interrupted.
But the person screaming must have known that. This meant that something more important than this was happening.
Come in.
As soon as his low voice rang out, the door burst open, and a Buddhist monk wearing the Shaolin yellow robes hurriedly came inside.
S-something huge just happened, abbot!
First, calm down.
Hearing the calm and composed words of the monk, the man took a deep breath and sat down.
I apologize. I think this needs to be informed as quickly as possible.
Now tell me. What is the matter?
Abbot! Wudang has been defeated!
The abbot of Shaolin slowly opened his closed eyes and then looked at the monk with heavy eyes.
Speak to me in detail.
Yes. It appears that Wudang and Mount Hua had a spar in Wuhan.
Spar
The abbot, who repeated the word, sighed softly.
There is no way that the first-class disciples of Mount Hua went to fight, then Wudang sent their second-class disciples?
It isnt that. It seems the disciples of the second class came forward for Mount Hua, but Wudang is said to have brought their first-class disciples, not the second and third.
The abbot frowned at this.
Although the abbot was someone who rarely showed emotions on ones face, this situation seems to have been unexpected by him.
Tell me everything in detail.
Yes, that
The abbot listened to the entire report without interruption and quietly shook his head.
The sect leader of Wudang has raised his hands.
Who could have even predicted this outcome? When it comes to the first-class disciples of Wudang, they are recognized as the best warriors everywhere in the world. No matter how formal the spar defeat was, isnt it true that Mount Huas young disciples defeated the first-class disciples of Wudang time and again?
Yes.
Among the second-class disciples of Wudang, there are only a few who can guarantee victory against the first-class disciples of Wudang. It is especially difficult if the opponents are famous among the disciples.
However the difficult task was accomplished by someone from Mount Hua.
Not somewhere else, but Mount Hua.
Are you alright, abbot?
The monk gulped and spoke with a slightly nervous face.
This isnt something that will simply end in the defeat of Wudang. Wudang, along with Shaolin, is a symbol of the Central Plains. In addition, arent they among the Nine Great Sects?
The abbot nodded silently as if there was nothing wrong with what he said.
The fact that they were defeated by Mount Hua means that the best Taoist sect was defeated by Mount Hua. Wouldnt it be common for people to say that Mount Hua has defeated them all?
Hmmm.
The abbots eyes twitched.
Mount Hua is also one of our Central Plains sects. Why do you speak of them like they are strangers?
That child has dozens of snakes growing in his stomach. No, not a snake. It is a child holding too many imoogi dragons. Even I dont understand what that child is planning.
you are talking about Mount Huas Divine Dragon?
Right.
If he is that wise, he would avoid the cautious glare of many sects.
He would have done that if he had enough time.
what do you mean?
When you have enough time, you can treat and boil the medicine, but when you dont have time, there are times when one uses a knife right away.
The monk expressed his doubts with suspicion, but the abbot didnt say much. This was because it was clear that the monk wouldnt understand.
It wasnt because he wasnt smart, but because the world the monk saw and the abbot saw were different things in the first place.
You are trying to be on guard and threaten Mount Hua?
Ultimately, this meant that from the point of view of the Nine Great Sects, they would be a common enemy.
When enemies rose up outside, the inside was cleaned up. A fact that hadnt changed since ancient times.
As things turned out like this, it was natural that the unity between the two sides, which had been fighting over the land, would get stronger. If Mount Hua became the leader of the Heavenly Friend Alliance and increased its reputation, the trend was bound to accelerate.
If they fought each other and shed blood, things would be different. Still, as long as it didnt go to that extent, the existence of the Heavenly Friends Alliance would help the Nine Great Sects to take a step further.
And Wudang was bound to lose the power it held over the others due to this incident.
On the other hand, thanks to Wudang stepping forward to take the hit, Shaolins mistake in the tournament was buried.
There was no need for Shaolin to unite further nor for Shaolins position to increase.
I guess there wont be enough presents.
Uh?
The abbot smiled.
He knew that Mount Hua harbored no fondness for Shaolin, and he could understand why. But Chung Myung, whom he had met and come to know, wasnt someone who would jeopardize the Nine Great Sects over such fleeting emotions.
Hostile dependency.
No other term could more aptly describe the relationship between Mount Hua and Wudang.
It was as if the abbot could hear a very frustrated voice.
-If one sets a meal on the table, they need to have the ability to hold chopsticks and eat, right? If one cannot even do that, they should be removed from the table!
Hahaha.
The abbot smiled at those words.
The stronger the enemies who come, the better.
What do you mean, abbot?
When is the inauguration of the Heavenly Friends Alliance?
It hasnt been clearly declared yet, but it will begin once Mount Hua returns to their sect. I heard that the Tang family is busy.
I cannot go there myself, so I will have to send someone suitable. It has come to this extent, so please go and offer our congratulations in person.
A-abbot?
And.
Uh?
The abbots eyes darkened.
It is a sin not to seize the opportunity created. There are matters to discuss about the alliance, so you will convey my message.
The monk gulped, slightly flustered at that.
I guess things are a lot bigger than I thought.
He wasnt sure what the abbot was planning. However, it was quite possible to predict that if this meeting were to happen, then the impact would be significant.
And so, he nodded with a grave expression, realizing that the entire course of the Central Plains was about to change.