Chapter 184: Heavenly Eye (2)
‘It seems he’s not really hiding it.’
The fact that he was allowing me to know this much indicated that the Chief Abbot wasn’t concealing much from me.
From what I gathered solely from the Chief Abbot’s words, Meteor was formed to prepare against the Blood Demon crisis, and he hoped we, talented youths, would belong to it.
And Jang Seonyeon was part of that organization as well.
‘Jang Seonyeon.’
Thinking of him immediately reminded me of the Blood Demon.
The Chief Abbot spoke.
He said that joining Meteor would allow me to gain many benefits.
‘And that I would see a bigger world, huh?’
Considering the energy the Blood Demon imparted through Jang Seonyeon, questions naturally arose.
Where did Jang Seonyeon acquire that energy?
Moreover, how did Namgung Cheonjun possess the same kind of energy?
‘Could Namgung Cheonjun also be…?’
If the Pissing Dragon was part of Meteor, my understanding of the energy connection was beginning to clarify.
‘Though I’m not entirely certain yet.’
If those two truly belonged to Meteor, it raised the question—
‘Did they get the Blood Demon’s energy from them?’
Ultimately, this was just a wild speculation, yet, for some reason, I couldn’t dismiss this suspicion.
“You seem to need time to think.”
The Chief Abbot remarked.
Pushing aside the torrent of thoughts swirling in my mind, I first replied to the Chief Abbot.
“…Yes, I’m sorry.”
“It’s nothing. I called you here so abruptly; it’s understandable.”
I examined the Chief Abbot’s kindly eyes as he spoke.
‘Does the Heavenly Eye also know about the Blood Demon?’
If the Blood Demon was indeed tied to Meteor, then naturally, the Chief Abbot must be involved as well.
‘If that’s not the case…’
I would prefer it that way.
No matter how corrupted the Murim Alliance had become, it was unsettling to realize that the Shaolin—referred to as the spirit and eyes of the Orthodox Faction—had fallen so low.
Even though I was aware it was already too late to change anything.
[You call it a guess, but you seem pretty sure already.]
‘…’
[You mentioned Heavenly Eye, right? That old monk’s nickname.]
I internally nodded to Elder Shin’s words.
[Heavenly Eye, huh…]
It sounded somewhat vague.
‘What’s wrong?’
[Hmm… No, let’s discuss that later.]
His voice hinted at something concerning.
If I could see Elder Shin’s true expression, I bet he’d have a face identical to mine right now.
Pretending to think, I sipped another cup of tea.
‘It would be dangerous to ask the Chief Abbot directly about the Blood Demon,’
and I couldn’t let any hint of my knowledge slip.
“As you said… I would like some time to contemplate.”
“Of course, I’ll send a letter to your parents to inform them.”
The mention of sending a letter to my father made me realize the Chief Abbot didn’t mind discussing this matter publicly.
‘Though I might not know what’s in his mind, the Heavenly Eye has a reason for alerting us about the upcoming disaster.’
Remembering the Chief Abbot’s words made me wonder if my father was also aware of Meteor.
‘I should inquire as soon as I get back.’
Though I doubted if my father would provide any answers.
“Are you planning to do the same?”
The Chief Abbot directed the question toward Namgung Bi-ah. In the midst of our conversation, Namgung Bi-ah, who had been silent, turned to me and asked.
“…Are you going to?”
I found myself coughing awkwardly at Namgung Bi-ah’s sudden inquiry.
I hadn’t expected her to direct a question at me.
“I said I’d think about it. Why are you asking me?”
“…Then I guess I will too…”
Namgung Bi-ah didn’t seem particularly excited about this whole conversation from the start.
Rather than chatting about Meteor or whatnot, she probably just wanted to rush back and swing her sword again.
She was always like that, and it was remarkable how, after gaining enlightenment from that previous battle, she had dedicated her whole day to sword practice.
To think she dove back into training so soon after recovering was honestly impressive.
Hehe.
Hearing Namgung Bi-ah’s remarks prompted a chuckle from the Chief Abbot.
It could be considered somewhat disrespectful, so I had to come up with a way to salvage this situation.
“Very well, just take your time to think.”
Fortunately, the Chief Abbot seemed unbothered.
“You must be busy, so I apologize for taking up your time.”
“Not at all. I, too, am sorry I couldn’t provide a better response.”
Although our conversation had been brief, the Chief Abbot seemed to have shared all he needed to say.
As he gestured for us to rise comfortably, I gently pulled Namgung Bi-ah along, bowed respectfully to the Chief Abbot, and headed toward the door.
“I hope we can truly collaborate. For the future.”
As I was about to walk out, the Chief Abbot’s words momentarily halted me.
‘Together.’
I felt like my expression might betray my true feelings, so I had to maintain my composure.
Did Namgung Bi-ah notice my expression?
She subtly wrapped her arm around mine as if to calm me down.
Thanks to her, my voice, which might have trembled, steadied.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
I managed to say it with a smile, fortunately masking my inner emotions.
Clink!
After closing the door and stepping outside, the same delightful sky greeted me.
‘Phew…’
Finally, I let out the breath I had been holding back.
The meeting with the Chief Abbot was unexpectedly sudden and bewildering.
As I felt the wind on my skin, a gentle sleeve appeared to wipe my forehead.
“Sweat…”
“What sweat are you talking about?”
Because I contained Fire Qi within, my body rarely broke a sweat unless I engaged in intense physical activity.
‘Wait, did I really sweat?’
If I did, it must have been from overthinking recently, even if I wasn’t particularly skilled at it.
“You shouldn’t be spacing out like that.”
I playfully jabbed at Namgung Bi-ah, who only tilted her head in response.
Her expression suggested she had never been in a daze.
“Did you hear what we were talking about earlier?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind.”
I wondered when she began zoning out.
From my observation, it likely started as soon as we entered the Chief Abbot’s quarters.
While Namgung Bi-ah, who looked sleepy and yawned, trailed behind, I strolled among the trees of Shaolin.
‘I didn’t expect to meet the Chief Abbot.’
Through this brief exchange, I managed to glean some valuable insights.
Though most of it was merely speculative.
‘The Blood Demon is connected to the Murim Alliance.’
And that connection was far deeper than I had originally presumed.
As I strolled slowly, Elder Shin posed a question.
[The Heavenly Eye was his title, correct?]
‘Yes.’
This was the same inquiry he made during our chat with the Chief Abbot.
[And you said it was a title specifically belonging to Shaolin’s Chief Abbots?]
‘Correct.’
After answering his question, I decided to ask Elder Shin back.
Something just felt off.
‘Elder Shin, what’s the reason for your question about this?’
[I’ve never heard of this before.]
His response reminded me that Cheolyoung’s title wasn’t the Heavenly Eye, but the Light of Might instead.
‘Was the Heavenly Eye not a title back then?’
I had never delved deeply into this concept before.
Mostly because it never truly felt necessary.
The Chief Abbots of Shaolin were known as the Heavenly Eye, and I never questioned the reasoning behind that title.
It felt natural to me.
[So, you suspect that the Blood Demon is secretly operating within the Murim Alliance?]
‘Well, that’s just a hunch.’
[Ha, you call it a hunch, but it sounds a lot like you believe it.]
‘But isn’t it possible that it isn’t true?’
Elder Shin scoffed at my rebuttal.
[Right, sure.]
‘…’
[I’m just worried is all.]
‘What’s troubling you?’
[The very fact that someone could truly see into the future—that such power has been passed down through Shaolin’s Chief Abbots.]
I sensed the nature of Elder Shin’s worry.
‘Do you think that could be linked to the Blood Demon somehow?’
Year after year, Shaolin’s Chief Abbot had changed multiple times.
And the ones with the Heavenly Eye had greatly helped bring peace to the Murim Alliance. So, it seemed far fetched for Elder Shin to think the Blood Demon was involved all along, right?
Realizing this, Elder Shin added,
[It’s merely a conjecture of mine.]
‘The Heavenly Eye and the Blood Demon, huh?’
What Elder Shin implied was that the Blood Demon either gifted the Heavenly Eye to Shaolin’s Chief Abbot, or it had full control of the Chief Abbot’s perception.
If that were true, it could imply that the entire Murim Alliance was under the Blood Demon’s influence, not just Shaolin.
And recalling the son of the Alliance leader, Jang Seonyeon, made that theory increasingly believable.
‘Now, this gets far too complicated.’
The Heavenly Demon alone was a significant threat; if the Murim Alliance—that I had believed would resist the Heavenly Demon—was actually under Blood Demon’s sway,
It meant I was encircled by enemies.
‘At this rate, it might just be wiser to ally with the Unorthodox Faction.’
I had never really entertained the idea of vanquishing the Heavenly Demon alone.
Having witnessed its power firsthand, I fully recognized how impossible that was.
[That’s why I asked what you intend to do about it.]
After hearing Elder Shin’s question, I felt a bit parched as I licked my dry lips.
It’s not a matter to decide quickly,
But I had at least one option that didn’t seem too awful. I was still considering it, but now that they had laid the groundwork, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.
I brusquely answered Elder Shin.
‘Since they called me, I might as well go. Isn’t that right?’
[Hmm?]
Elder Shin appeared slightly perplexed by my response.
[Kid, are you perhaps…?]
Seeming to figure me out quickly.
‘Everyone seems to be calling me from all directions, so is it really that strange?’
If I didn’t have a firm understanding of the enemies, the fastest way to learn about them lay right before me.
That was to step into Meteor on my own initiative.
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