This was the principal reason he had suffered all manner of hardships. Of course, his unyielding, upright temperament and
his hideous appearance also contributed, but had it not been for this, he would have had no reason to endure such long-standing
contempt. As he recalled all those facts, Dokgo Seong's gaze slowly sank into darkness.
And his anger toward all those who had shown him contempt gradually festered.
The experience had been so intense that he could never forget it. Having finished all his musings, Dokgo Seong spoke in a deeply
subdued voice.
"So? There is no mistake that I am the Young Cult Lord of the Heretical Cult?"
Do Wicheong answered without a moment's hesitation.
"It is an undeniable fact. Now you may return to our cult, not as a mere menial of Shaolin Temple, but as the successor to the Absolute Ruler of the Unorthodox Faction."
At those words, Dokgo Seong let out a long sigh. Now that he knew his true identity, the days of contempt he had endured all this time felt unbearably unjust to him. Suddenly, a voice mixed with tears slipped past his lips.
"It is far, far too late. If only you had come a little sooner……．"
As if he had fully anticipated this reaction, Do Wicheong simply hung his head low.
"Please forgive us. At that time, we were in no position to do so. After the death of the previous Cult Leader, various factions aiming for personal advancement seized the opportunity to stage rebellions in order to take over our cult. Had it not been for Commander Sa Junhwan, our cult would have already perished due to internal strife. As such, not only were we unable to attend to it, but even if we had come to retrieve you, we could not possibly have guaranteed your safety. Please understand. It was only recently that we eradicated all subversive elements and reorganized the cult. Thus, we were finally able to come retrieve the Young Lord."
Having heard all of Do Wicheong's explanation, Dokgo Seong nodded as if it made sense.
"Then does this mean the Heretical Cult is currently under the command of the commander called Sa Junhwan?"
"Exactly so. That man is filled with nothing but loyalty to the Dokgo family. In other words, he has made perfect preparations for the Young Lord. Now, if you return to our cult and master peerless martial arts, in the near future you will undoubtedly ascend to the position of Cult Leader."
At Do Wicheong's words, Dokgo Seong felt the tension completely drain from him. With the hope of escaping Shaolin Temple, he raised his head and looked up at the sky. Because of that, Dokgo Seong failed to perceive the ambiguous expression lurking at the corners of Do Wicheong's eyes. Dokgo Seong stared at the sky for a while. As he gazed at the sky, painted entirely in pitch-black, tears flowed out before he knew it.
"My wish has come true."
The childhood vow to somehow learn martial arts and make every last one of those bastards who had despised him taste bitterness came back vividly. How much contempt he had suffered here because of his hideous appearance.
He was even a figure shunned by the menial workers who labored alongside him. To the extent that there was no one who would eat with him. In such a state, upon meeting for the first time in his life people who treated him with extreme deference—moreover, people who were his father's subordinates—he had half lost his reason. That was how much he could not accept the reality before him as truth.
Then, Dokgo Seong's mind snapped to attention. Only then did he suddenly recall the existence of the Guardian Monks, and he urgently turned to Do Wicheong.
"There are Shaolin monks nearby who watch over me. If they find out, it will be disastrous."
Do Wicheong smiled as if to say not to worry and made a gesture. At that, several figures who had been prostrate rose and held something out before them. Dokgo Seong's eyes filled with astonishment. They were none other than the severed heads of the Guardian Monks who had been watching him.
"Th-these are?"
"We took care of these ones. They had already committed offenses against the Young Cult Lord many times, so I judged they were not worth keeping alive and disposed of them. If my judgment was incorrect, please mete out the appropriate punishment."
"Ah, no."
Dokgo Seong was visibly bewildered. The Guardian Monks who had been watching him were among the Shaolin Temple's martial monks, and possessed considerable skill. They were experts who had been assigned under the judgment that the surveillance of Dokgo Seong—the sole son of the Heretical Cult's leader—could not be neglected. To think that such Guardian Monks had been dealt with so easily……．
Of course, it was true that they too had despised him, so rather, Dokgo Seong felt a sense of satisfaction. Moreover, upon realizing that experts capable of handling even Shaolin's Guardian Monks with ease had come, Dokgo Seong felt extreme fondness well up for the organization called the Heretical Cult, which his faceless father had ruled. As if he no longer needed to think, he approached Do Wicheong.
"Then let us depart for the Heretical Cult without delay. I have nothing to pack. We can leave just as I am."
But Do Wicheong did not nod easily. Rather, his face filled with a grave expression and he shook his head.
"I am deeply sorry, but we cannot leave as we are."
Dokgo Seong's eyes widened sharply.
"Why? F-for what reason?"
"Though we have eliminated those who were watching the Young Lord, it is impossible to escape Mount Song like this. That is because an absolute master whom we cannot handle even with our combined strength is staying nearby."
"Wh-who is he?"
Do Wicheong met Dokgo Seong's eyes and continued.
"He is none other than the one who brutally slaughtered your late father. Have you perhaps heard the name of the Shaolin Sacred Monk, Hyejeong?"
Dokgo Seong was dumbfounded at those words. Of course, he knew of the Shaolin Sacred Monk all too well.
Dokgo Seong was the undisputed black sheep of Shaolin Temple. Yet there was one being who showed interest in such a person, and that was the Shaolin Sacred Monk, Hyejeong. Of course, setting aside the connection that he was the one who had personally performed the Seven Restrictions Tendon-Sealing Technique on him, he was the sole person in Shaolin Temple who had recognized Dokgo Seong's outstanding talent. One could truly say that Dokgo Seong's aptitude in martial arts was exceptional. The Shaolin Sacred Monk, who had been the first to notice that aptitude, had once let out a secret sigh as if the heavens would fall.
"Hah, what truly remarkable talent. This child possesses a gift that in no way falls behind the one called the greatest prodigy of Shaolin (referring to Yeong Homyeong). It is truly lamentable that such a child belongs to the unorthodox faction."
Of course, no matter how outstanding his aptitude, it was unthinkable to teach martial arts to the son of an unorthodox faction leader. Therefore, the Shaolin Sacred Monk resolved to teach Dokgo Seong Buddhist Law according to his original purpose.
Thus, Hyejeong arranged for Dokgo Seong to come to him once a day to receive instruction in the Dharma. For this reason, Dokgo Seong was able to interact with the Shaolin Sacred Monk from a relatively close distance.
But for him to receive instruction in Buddhist Law was a fundamentally mistaken endeavor from the start.
Buddhist Law is, by nature, a teaching that takes compassion as its supreme virtue. To Dokgo Seong, who had developed a bone-deep hatred for people amidst countless contempt, the principles of Buddhist Law could not possibly enter his ears. However, the Shaolin Sacred Monk did not give up and took time every day to instruct Dokgo Seong, and this had continued even until now, when he had become a menial worker of Shaolin Temple. Therefore, the shock Dokgo Seong received was unimaginable.
"H-he killed my father?"
"That is correct. Though they tried to keep it a secret, it is already a fact widely known throughout the various factions of the martial arts world."
At those words, Dokgo Seong was engulfed in serious deliberation. Because the Shaolin Sacred Monk was the only person in Shaolin Temple who had treated him like a human being. Having been subjected to contempt since childhood, Dokgo Seong's disposition was terribly twisted. Among those he interacted with, there was no one who held any goodwill toward him. Rather, he counted himself fortunate if they merely did not spit on him in contempt.
The son of a demon, and his hideous appearance were precisely the main reasons. But among them, there was an exception, and that was the Shaolin Sacred Monk. He alone showed interest in him and consistently treated Dokgo Seong with an unchanging attitude. With an endlessly benevolent demeanor.
This was the reason Dokgo Seong could not help but be conflicted.
'Although he brought me into this world, the one called Dokgo Mugi is merely a father whose face I do not know. And though he is my father's enemy, he is the only person in Shaolin Temple who has treated me like a human being.'
As Dokgo Seong fell into deep thought, Do Wicheong's voice continued to reach his ears.
"If he stands in our way, we will never be able to escape Mount Song, including the Young Lord. Because we have absolutely no ability to contend with him. Therefore, in order to return to our cult together with the Young Lord, we must somehow deal with the Shaolin Sacred Monk first."
An expression of shock spread across Dokgo Seong's face.
"Y-you mean to kill him?"
At Dokgo Seong's counter-question, Do Wicheong hung his head deeply with a grave expression. To Dokgo Seong, it seemed like self-reproach at being unable to rescue him.
"We have absolutely no confidence that we can contend with the Shaolin Sacred Monk. His martial arts are that profound. And among us, the only person who can approach the Shaolin Sacred Monk without arousing his suspicion is the Young Lord. Please punish us for having no choice but to make such a difficult request."
From those words, Dokgo Seong could infer that the Heretical Cult's side had investigated him in relatively great detail.
"In the end, you are telling me to deal with the Shaolin Sacred Monk. But how could I, who knows no martial arts……．"
Do Wicheong, keeping his head lowered, took something out from his sleeve. It was a paper packet folded neatly.
"By whatever means, make the Shaolin Sacred Monk ingest this. That is the only way we can escort the Young Lord and safely escape Mount Song."
Deep anguish appeared on Dokgo Seong's face as he took the paper packet. Avenging his father, who had died unjustly, was a matter of course to him. But of all people, the target had to be the Shaolin Sacred Monk, the only person in the world who had treated him with kindness……．
Dokgo Seong had originally lived by a single principle established since childhood. It was the principle of returning exactly what he received. Insults and contempt were to be repaid thoroughly, in the exact same manner. Although he had lacked the strength to act on it, the details and names of those who had despised him were already firmly engraved in his mind.
In the same vein, Dokgo Seong never forgot a favor once received. Of course, one could say that there were virtually none who had shown him kindness, but the sole exception among them was the Shaolin Sacred Monk.
He was the only person who had treated him like a human being until now, and had also saved him several times when he was undergoing humiliation. At the very least, there were none who tormented him in front of the Shaolin Sacred Monk, so Dokgo Seong's feelings toward him were distinctly different from those toward others. To Dokgo Seong, betrayal of someone who had treated him well was absolutely impossible.
Yet the reality he faced was demanding that he betray the Sacred Monk now……．
'It is something I cannot do.'
A light finally appeared on Dokgo Seong's face—the light of having made a decision. He assumed a grave expression and held the paper packet back out to Do Wicheong.
"I am sorry, but I cannot kill him. Though he is the enemy who killed my father, he is the only person here who treated me like a human being. I simply cannot betray him."
Rather, it was Do Wicheong who was bewildered by Dokgo Seong's reaction. He stammered, as if he could not believe it.
"H-he is the enemy who killed your father. How could you……．"
"Even if I must spend my entire life in Shaolin Temple, it does not matter. A father whose face I do not even know. But I simply cannot forget the grace the Shaolin Sacred Monk has shown me."
Dokgo Seong turned his body around, leaving the endlessly perplexed Do Wicheong behind. He headed toward his ramshackle hut that was on the verge of collapse. Although his desire to escape Shaolin Temple had been fervent, Dokgo Seong simply could not betray the Shaolin Sacred Monk.
'How can this be.'
Do Wicheong, who had been staring at Dokgo Seong with an expression of incomprehension, suddenly clenched his teeth. He had infiltrated this enemy stronghold under secret orders, yet an unexpected event was now hindering his mission. To think that the one he had come to rescue would display such absurd stubbornness in this situation……．
But this mission had to be carried out no matter what. Even if the cost was death. Do Wicheong, upon a sudden flash of inspiration, hurriedly called out to Dokgo Seong.
"Young Lord. It seems you have misunderstood my intentions. Please wait a moment."
Dokgo Seong's steps halted.
"What is it?"
Do Wicheong composed his expression and approached Dokgo Seong.
"I believe there has been a misunderstanding. You seem to have thought this medicine was poison, but to speak conclusively, it is absolutely not poison. Therefore, even if a person ingests it, they will by no means die."
"………．"
"The true nature of this medicine is a powerful sedative. Once ingested, it is potent enough that at least three days must pass before one awakens."
"Th-then."
Dokgo Seong's eyes gleamed with a certain hope. An opportunity to escape Shaolin Temple without betraying his benefactor was finally arising. As if guessing his thoughts, Do Wicheong nodded.
"If the Young Lord succeeds, the Shaolin Sacred Monk will in all likelihood fall into a deep slumber. And by the time we have nearly reached the Heretical Cult—precisely three days later—he will awaken safely."
"Th-that is true?"
"It is a fact without a single deviation. I can swear to it upon the honor of my subordinates."
At Do Wicheong's answer, a light of ecstasy appeared on Dokgo Seong's face. Though he had resigned himself to the situation as something unavoidable, a way to finally escape the detestable Shaolin Temple had appeared. Without hesitation, he took the paper packet.