Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Protagonist (4)

After the bout between Jegal Jin-hee and Hong So-il ended, two more rounds of duels proceeded.

Finally, the duel that Mu-jin had been waiting for arrived.

On each side of the duel stage stood a swordsman and a saber master.

Dao Yuetian and Namgung Jin-cheon faced off.

In terms of betting odds by the Daegum Sangdan, it was a match between 100 to 1 odds and 1.07 to 1 odds. Without a miracle, it seemed impossible for Dao Yuetian to win.Cheêck out latest novels on n/o/ve/l/bin(.)c/o/m

*Cheng!!*

“Winner! Namgung Jin-cheon Sohyeop!”

In reality, the duel ended in just one move.

On the duel stage.

Namgung Jin-cheon, the victor, looked expressionless as if it was the most natural outcome, while Dao Yuetian looked slightly dazed.

It was the moment when a man, who had lived like a frog in a well, first encountered the ‘wall.’

‘It’s just beginning.’

And more importantly, this was the starting point of the novel *Legend of the Evil Emperor*.

However, it wasn’t merely to feel such sentiments that Mu-jin was observing the duel.

Spotting Dao Yuetian descending from the duel stage, Mu-jin carefully followed him.

Mu-jin had already made a decision regarding the dilemma he’d been pondering since he first met Dao Yuetian.

Thus, Mu-jin followed Dao Yuetian as he left the area prepared for the Yongbongji Conference and exited the outer hall.

“Sir.”

At some point, he overtook Dao Yuetian and blocked his path.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

Looking at the puzzled Dao Yuetian, Mu-jin thought.

‘At this point, he was still quite naïve.’

If he had suddenly blocked the path of Dao Yuetian, who had started walking the Asura Path after his family was massacred, he would have likely drawn his saber immediately.

And the tremendous saber strike would have cleaved his body in two.

However, seeing Dao Yuetian’s naïve reaction instead, Mu-jin felt assured of his choice.

“I am Mu-jin, the third disciple of Shaolin. Amitabha.”

“I know from watching the duel. I am Dao Yuetian of Cheon Seom Moon.”

Responding naïvely to the sudden greeting from a stranger blocking his path, the young man showed his simplicity.

If he had ignored the misfortune that would befall this young man, who was to become the future Evil Emperor, he would have deeply regretted it later.

The driving force that had helped him overcome his troubled childhood was the desire not to turn a blind eye to the misfortune that would befall his schooldays idol.

And most importantly,

‘This guy, even without that misfortune, would still grow strong.’

Mu-jin decided to trust in Dao Yuetian, his idol from the past.

The only problem was,

‘Suddenly showing up and saying your entire family will be massacred soon would just make me seem like a madman.’

Therefore, Mu-jin pondered how to persuade Dao Yuetian on their first meeting.

The conclusion Mu-jin reached through his deliberation was simple.

“Dao Yuetian Sohyeop, do you have any interest in the Buddha’s Way?”

He intended to sell the idea to the future Evil Emperor.

* * *

As expected, Dao Yuetian looked at Mu-jin with an expression that he had seen something bizarre.

“...I have no interest in the Buddha’s Way. Goodbye.”

And shortly after, Dao Yuetian, managing his expression with effort, replied bluntly and tried to pass by Mu-jin.

“Amitabha. While you, Dao Yuetian, may not be interested in the Buddha’s Way, there is such a thing as fate in this world.”

At some point, Mu-jin had moved a step to the side and blocked Dao Yuetian’s path again.

Already frustrated from losing in just one move and on his way back home, Dao Yuetian was beginning to get annoyed by this persistent monk blocking his path, but he was also curious.

‘Why is a monk, who defeated Hwang Bo-ung from the Five Noble Families in just one move like Namgung Jin-cheon, doing this?’

Mu-jin handed him the box with the pills as if he might cry at any moment, and Dao Yuetian accepted the box, not knowing what else to do.

Mu-jin, still smiling warmly, added,

“To be honest, even taking two Lesser Restoration Pills won’t be enough to fend off the misfortune that will befall you.”

“Then what should I do? Should I relocate my family’s home?” Dao Yuetian asked urgently, completely swayed by the pills and Mu-jin’s persuasion.

Mu-jin shook his head and replied,

“Moving to another place won’t avoid this disaster. But, as fate usually dictates, there’s no adversity that can’t be overcome. After all, hardships exist to be conquered.”

“Then, what is the way to overcome this disaster?”

“As I said, Dao Yuetian benefactor must become strong enough to overcome this disaster. For this, your resolve is necessary.”

“My resolve?”

“Yes. The resolve to acknowledge the limits of your talent.”

“!!!”

“And above all, the resolve to endure hellish suffering to surpass those limits.”

Acknowledging the limits of his talent? He had already sensed a wall when sparring with Namgung Jincheon, but hearing it from someone else was not pleasant. However...

“Until the disaster arrives, should I train relentlessly to overcome my limits?”

The threat to his family was more important than a slight sense of humiliation.

“That alone is not enough. You must let go of your greed. Abandon the desire to master the martial arts of your sect. Instead, you must hone just one technique to its limit, just as monks achieve enlightenment through asceticism. The Lesser Restoration Pills I gave you are merely a gift to slightly shorten the period of suffering.”

“......Are you saying that even with my talent, it’s difficult to master just one technique? Even with these Lesser Restoration Pills?”

To Dao Yuetian’s somewhat forlorn question, the monk standing before him made a peculiar expression.

“Yes.”

The monk, as if looking at a distant place or swimming in a dream, added.

“But once you have mastered that one technique, benefactor Dao Yuetian, you will gain a blade capable of shattering the heavens.”

* * *

“Whew.”

Watching Dao Yuetian’s departing figure, Mu-jin sighed.

It seemed his acting had worked.

Well, the main reasons were probably the personal matters he brought up and the bribe of the Lesser Restoration Pills.

‘It wasn’t my original intention to care for Dao Yuetian.’

From the beginning, Mu-jin had secretly taken three Lesser Restoration Pills from the pharmacy when he left Shaolin this time.

Originally, they were meant for Mu-gung, Mu-gyeong, and Mu-yul.

Although all three had taken one each, their internal energy was still lacking compared to their martial arts levels.

Since it was their second time taking the pills, the effectiveness would be less than the first time, but they could still gain about ten years of internal energy each.

However, he had given two of the three Lesser Restoration Pills to Dao Yuetian. Despite this, Mu-jin wasn’t particularly worried.

‘There are ways to obtain elixirs once I leave Shaolin this time.’

Mu-jin couldn’t remember all the fortuitous encounters or elixirs from the first and second parts of the novel, but he remembered one or two.

During this journey, he planned to obtain one of them and share it with the Muja-bae trio.

Since that was the plan, it wouldn’t be bad to give all three Lesser Restoration Pills to Dao Yuetian, but taking the same elixir multiple times reduced its effectiveness.

Up to two pills might retain about half the effectiveness, but by the third pill, there would be little benefit.

‘I should keep the remaining Lesser Restoration Pill as an emergency medicine for internal injuries.’

With that thought, Mu-jin watched Dao Yuetian’s distant figure.

With a face mixed with expectations and concerns.

Could Dao Yuetian overcome his limits before facing misfortune?

It would be nice if Mu-jin could help prevent that bloodshed since he decided to assist him.

‘For now, I can only trust him.’

Helping Dao Yuetian was never part of Mu-jin’s original plan. He had intended to leave him alone.

He thought he could finish his planned tasks and only assist if the bloodshed had not occurred by then.

‘First, I need to win the Yongbongji Conference.’

With his thoughts organized, Mu-jin turned away from the disappearing figure of Dao Yuetian.