Book 12: Chapter 23: Way to Control the Mind

Luoyang Sword Family, Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.

Unlike usual.

Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment, lacking the maids busily coming and going since morning, was simply peaceful like a place set apart from the mundane world.

However.

Just because a place was peaceful did not mean a person's heart also became calm.

The Tea Fan Maidens, who were classified as non-combatants and had to wait in Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment, the safest place in Luoyang.

Could only breathe a sigh of relief after hearing the news of the Eldest Young Master's victory.

“What a relief, what a relief.”

Sangwan Nan-hwa, the former representative of the Tea Fan Maidens and also famous by the moniker of the Number One Beauty of Sichuan, swept her chest in relief.

“Since he is 'that Eldest Young Master,' I was certain that he would never lose, but…”

Currently, there were three Tea Fan Maidens here, including Sangwan Nan-hwa.

The other two were, by the Eldest Young Master's command, accompanying the members of the Spring of Luoyang who had left Henan Province.

Even while sending the two on a business trip to a place where they had no connections.

She trusted Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon so much that she was not even anxious, but.

“Since this time was a physical clash…”

Excluding her, who possessed internal energy, the other two Tea Fan Maidens had already.

Fallen asleep as if fainting, their tension released by the news of the Eldest Young Master's victory that arrived with the dawn.

She did not feel like scolding them.

‘They must have had no choice but to be exhausted.’

They had spent day after day under pressure with their families held hostage by the Emei Sect.

From the very first day they arrived in Luoyang, they were attacked by assassins.

And from the day they joined hands with Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, they ended up intervening in the succession struggle of the Luoyang Sword Family, which was on a scale beyond imagination.

In the history that Yeon So-hyeon remembered.

Even for the Tea Fan Maidens, who would later list their names among the Ten Great Merchant Groups of the State of Zhongyuan.

It was matchlessly overwhelming.

‘Somehow, during the time spent in Luoyang recently, it feels as if I have experienced far more things than in all of my past life combined.’

Because she was deeply immersed in thoughts like that.

“Amitabha.”

“Is anyone there?”

In Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment, which was blockaded so that even outsiders could not approach.

When the friendly voices of old men suddenly rang out, she was startled as if about to faint.

* * *

Fortunately.

She had heard from the maids about these two old monks from Shaolin Temple who were said to appear and disappear like ghosts.

“This is dried beef jerky for the novice monks, and this is rice.”

The two old monks chanted Buddhist invocations continuously and expressed their gratitude.

“This is indeed a gratitude every time.”

“Amitabha, Amitabha.”

However.

The monk who was receiving the beef jerky and rice from Sangwan Nan-hwa twitched his eyebrows upon seeing her hand.

“Hmm…?”

Then, he raised his head and began to stare blankly at her face.

“…Yes? Why is that?”

Because she had heard that they were extraordinary monks, Sangwan Nan-hwa did not flare up at their rudeness, but.

The old monk's eyes were so deep that the bottom could not be known, leaving Sangwan Nan-hwa with no choice but to be flustered.

“The Bodhisattva…”

The old monk casually tossed out a heavy remark.

“Possesses a physiognomy destined to meet a sudden disaster.”

“Pardon?!”

“It is a physiognomy destined for a life that will be thin and meager.”

The other old monk also looked into her face and added.

“In your childhood, you were born with blessings, growing up without worries in a wealthy family, and you also possessed outstanding business talent, but because your life was rugged, you suffered hardship after hardship. Only after crossing those waves will you see the light.”

Sangwan Nan-hwa, who had the Governor of Chengdu as her father and a relative of the Dali Duan Family as her mother.

Originally, in history.

The Tea Fan Maidens, on their way to Luoyang, fell into a scheme of the Emei Sect, having their members assassinated.

They were captured by the Emei Sect's evil hands from that point on, lining their pockets, and only achieving great success much later.

The old monk's eyes could be said to be strange and highly accurate, in a way.

“Monks. You say I will suffer a sudden disaster?”

“No.”

The old monk shook his head at her words.

“Precisely, it is a physiognomy that should have suffered a sudden disaster.”

The other old monk continued speaking.

“The Bodhisattva's destiny has already been twisted.”

The old monk raised his hand and pointed to the pavilions of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.

“Near a 'giant star' like the benefactor of this house, such an innate destiny is twisted and broken.”

At the words like a Zen riddle that could never be understood precisely, Sangwan Nan-hwa asked with a confused expression.

“Twisted and broken? Is that in a good sense? Or is it in a bad sense?”

“It is neither in a good sense nor in a bad sense.”

The old monks laughed with a deflating sound.

“It is merely such a thing.”

“Since your innate destiny has returned to a blank sheet, the result is dependent on how hard the Bodhisattva lives.”

She did not know precisely, but.

If things had gone originally.

Did it mean that she, who should have suffered bad things, met the owner of this house, Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon, and the outcome changed?

And it seemed to mean that her future life was now entirely up to herself.

At any rate, Sangwan Nan-hwa judged that those words were not a bad story for her.

“…I will keep it in mind, monks.”

“Please, do not be offended, and simply think of it as the well-wishing words of these poor monks.”

“Amitabha.”

The old monks smiled, clasped their hands in prayer, and moved their steps.

“…….”

Standing in the beautiful yard of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.

Their gazes, which had looked upon Sangwan Nan-hwa lost in thought with a complex expression with warm eyes.

Finally turned toward the quarters of Eldest Young Master Yeon So-hyeon.

“…Even while twisting and breaking the destinies of others, he himself is entering an even heavier and deeper path of asceticism.”

Regret and pity showed in the eyes of the old monks moving away from Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.

“Rule of darkness, hopefully, the small gift we handed over will be of help…”

That small gift.

Referred to the worn-out book they had handed over to Yeon So-hyeon during their last visit.

* * *

At that time.

The space where Yeon So-hyeon sat cross-legged, though only about the size of a regular room at best.

That space, enveloped in a sticky darkness, felt infinite for some reason.

[You…!] and.

From that darkness, a sound like thousands of beasts howling simultaneously was heard.

[Where do you dare to try to deceive us?!] they were the voices of the practitioners who had succumbed to the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens.

[We have watched every single one of your moves without missing a thing until now.] Yeon So-hyeon felt as if he, alone in the vast space of the universe.

[We have already seen through that you have no way to respond to this runaway of demonic qi!] in the infinitely deep darkness of the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens.

Was falling endlessly, but.

“Is that so? Are you sure I have no way to respond?”

What hung on his lips below the mask.

Was clearly a smile.

It was, as usual.

A smile full of confidence, to the point of being arrogant. […….] currently.

The demonic qi of the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens, which had devoured the demonic qi of the Demonic Cult, was raging like never before.

But.

Yeon So-hyeon had no time to manage the demonic qi through breathing exercises in order to coordinate this matter reliably until the very end.

The result was the current runaway.

Nevertheless.

Even in an uncontrollable situation with the demonic qi running amok internally and externally.

His attitude was so matchlessly proud.

That even the practitioners who had succumbed to the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens, who had been certain of victory, recoiled momentarily for a short while.

[…If your intention was to drag out the time even a little, it was a good attempt.] nevertheless.

[However.] did it mean they would not be caught by the same trick multiple times?

[Now, that composure is also at an end.] having completed the check of Yeon So-hyeon's condition completely once more, they gained confidence.

[If you are planning to respond by changing the vessel that handles the demonic qi like last time, give up.] it seemed they had already devised a countermeasure.

[That method will no longer work.] indeed, a demonic creature of a thousand ages.

“Is that so?”

Even while pouring cold sweat.

Even in a situation where the blood vessels of his entire body were dyed with demonic qi and bulged blackly.

The smile on Yeon So-hyeon's lips did not stop.

“But it does not matter.”

[You—!] at the moment when the practitioners who had succumbed to the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens tried to shout something.

All sounds disappeared, and.

Light burst out from Yeon So-hyeon.

[This is…?!] as the darkness of infinite width and depth cast by the demonic qi of the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens cleared, the scenery inside the room was revealed plainly.

[The sacred light of the Buddhist Dharma…?!] the light emitting from Yeon So-hyeon lit up all directions brightly.

A light more dazzling than the dawn.

The practitioners who had succumbed to the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens referred to it as the sacred light of the Buddhist Dharma.

[This is absurd!] was watching every single move of Yeon So-hyeon.

[It is impossible to secretly practice a mind cultivation art of the Buddhist Sect that can emit this degree of sacred light!] the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens, as they had been confident.

Closely dismantling the mind cultivation arts he was improving and digging out in detail what he was plotting.

[Just what trick did you use?!] emitting the bright sacred light, Yeon So-hyeon smiled with a much more comfortable face.

“You have no choice but to be ignorant.”

“Because this is not a mind cultivation art that 'I' practiced.”

* * *

The world of Yeon So-hyeon's consciousness.

The deepest place.

In that place, which even the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens had not yet found, lay a giant precipitous cliff.

Perhaps below the cliff made of hundreds of millions of skulls, light was surging up.

It was, without a doubt, the sacred light of the Buddhist Dharma.

The one emitting it.

Was none other than the second Yeon So-hyeon.

The vessel replicated by the Dual Principles Mind Art to handle the demonic qi instead.

It was another ego of Yeon So-hyeon.

“This is it. The ancient Buddhist secret, the Muscle-Tendon Transforming and Marrow-Cleansing Scripture.”

Looking at the demonic qi of the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens writhing in the air as if struck by lightning, he burst into laughter.

“How does it taste?”

The Muscle-Tendon Transforming and Marrow-Cleansing Scripture was a legendary mind cultivation art said to have been left behind by Bodhidharma.

It was a gift given to Yeon So-hyeon by the high priests of the Shaolin Temple who frequented Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment.

[———–!!] along with a giant, soul-shaking shriek, the demonic qi of the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens retreated.

And the erosion that had penetrated to the depths of the mental image world was gradually disappearing.

“Hahahahat!”

The second Yeon So-hyeon, bound in chains, laughed delightfully as he watched that scene.

That Yeon So-hyeon had received the Muscle-Tendon Transforming and Marrow-Cleansing Scripture was quite a while ago.

It was before the Tea Fan Maidens had even arrived.

However, Yeon So-hyeon could not practice it immediately.

Because if he began to practice it.

The Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens, which had been watching his everything, would easily find a countermeasure.

Therefore, Yeon So-hyeon waited.

[———–!!] although he did not even attempt to practice the Muscle-Tendon Transforming and Marrow-Cleansing Scripture, Yeon So-hyeon, who remembered all its contents.

From the moment he replaced the original, first Yeon So-hyeon, becoming the vessel and being bound.

In the deepest part of Yeon So-hyeon, where even the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens had not reached.

The cultivation began.

And.

At this very moment.

With the complete Muscle-Tendon Transforming and Marrow-Cleaining Scripture, he had successfully delivered a perfect surprise blow to the Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens.

“Hahahahahahat!”

* * *

“…….”

When Yeon So-hyeon, who was sitting cross-legged, opened his eyes, the scenery of a neat room unfolded there.

While the noise of the city streets was heard faintly in the distance.

The sunlight coming through the blinds was gently illuminating the room, which was simply tranquil.

The mask that had been covering his face had fallen off before he knew it.

And was rolling on the floor.

To the point where what had happened here just moments ago felt like a lie.

“Whew…”

Yeon So-hyeon, who finally regulated his breathing with a long exhale, rose from his seat, drew back the blinds, and opened the window.

“Long live—!”

“Long live the Eldest Young Master—!”

While the shouts of long live were still heard occasionally from here and there on the streets.

A pleasant breeze shook Yeon So-hyeon's sweat-drenched hair.

“…….”

The Scripture of Controlling Darkness and Shaking the Heavens retreated, the erosion ceased, and the runaway ended.

For the time being, control of the demonic qi belonged to Yeon So-hyeon.

Although the power of the Muscle-Tendon Transforming and Marrow-Cleansing Scripture would only be effective for a while.

At that time.

There would be a way for that time as well.

“…….”

Closing his eyes for a moment.

Enjoying the coolness felt while drying his sweat, Yeon So-hyeon shouted toward the outside.

“Head Maid, are you there?”

The Head Maid Jeong-ah, who had been waiting outside the door while soothing her anxiety, immediately opened the door and entered.

“Yes, Master. This young girl is here…!”

To her, who wore a bright expression upon seeing her master's complexion, Yeon So-hyeon spoke.

“Now, let us begin the next schedule.”