Light Novel: Volume 10 Episode 19
Seong-un sat in a posture as if he had been reading Buddhist scriptures.
He seemed at peace, sitting cross legged with his half-lidded eyes. At first glance, he just looked as if he had fallen asleep while reading.
However, he stayed completely still. He didn’t move at all which was strange.
If Seong-un was inside the room, he would have to turn his head and answer Bo-kyeong’s call, but Seong-un just continued to gaze at the Buddhist scriptures without any movement.
Feeling uneasy, Bo-kyeong raised his voice,
“Senior brother!”
Even then, Seong-un did not answer.
Bo-kyeong hurriedly approached Seong-un.
He placed his hand on Seong-un’s pulse, but he couldn’t feel anything. Even when he put his hand to Seong-un’s nose, he couldn’t feel any breathing.
“Senior brother!”
“What’s going on?”
Surprised by Bo-kyeong’s screams, Namgung Wol went inside.
He too was shocked to see Seong-un’s condition. It took him a short time to understand what happened to Seong-un.
“What is this?”
“How can it be! Senior brother— he reached nirvana.”
Bo-kyeong murmured with a sorrowful expression.
Namgung Wol also couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.
“How?”
Seong-un is a first-generation disciple of the Shaolin Temple.
Although he is not the best among the first-generation disciples since he is ranked third, the level of his martial arts was by no means trivial.
But Seong-sun still ended up losing his life.
What’s more is that he died in the Jin manor, and not anywhere else. He couldn’t even imagine what kind of consequences would happen. One thing is certain. Henan Jianghu would fall into extreme chaos because of this.
Namgung Wol hurriedly examined Seong-un’s body.
First of all, it is to find out whether it was a natural death or an assassination.
“This?”
A faint sword wound was visible on the back of Seong-un’s neck.
It was a faint scar, like a cut in paper. Not a single drop of blood was shed, but Namgung Wol instinctively figured out that this was the cause of Seong-un’s death.
Namgung Wol closed his eyes tightly.
‘Oh god!’
* * *
The Jin family was flipped over.
A first-generation disciple of the Shaolin Temple had just died in their manor.
Furthermore, it’s a monk who came as a messenger.
This was something that would not only turn the Jin family upside down, but also the entire Jianghu.
Within decades, there was no case of a Shaolin Temple disciple losing his life while traveling in Jianghu.
The same is true for a first-generation disciple.
Jin Siwoo looked at Seong-un’s body in front of him with a sad expression.
Seong-un’s expression was so peaceful that if some stranger saw him, he would have mistaken that he was asleep.
He didn’t appear to have been assassinated or killed. But it’s undeniable that he was dead.
He had no temperature, no pulse, no breathing.
His expression was peaceful, but his body was as cold as ice.
“What in the world…”
Jin Siwoo didn’t know what to say.
It wasn’t to make matters worse.
This was simply the worst.
This incident is something that could lead to a fight with the Shaolin Temple. Fighting against the Snow Sword Manor is not a problem. But against the Shaolin Temple? He wasn’t sure if the Jin family would be able to stay and survive in Henan if that were to happen.
If it turns out that the Jin family is involved in Seong-un’s death, no one in Henan will support the Jin family. Furthermore, all of the people who had gathered to help the Jin family would immediately leave.
Jin Siwoo couldn’t think of a way to fix this situation.
“Why give such an ordeal to the Jin family…”
Jin Siwoo couldn’t think of anything.
It was the same with the elders gathered in the room.
None of them could come up with a solution to the unprecedented situation.
Bo-kyeong opened his mouth,
“I will transport senior brother’s body to the Shaolin Temple.”
“We haven’t been able to identify the culprit yet—”
“Looking at the Jin family’s situation, I don’t think you’ll be able to find the culprit.”
Bo-kyeong’s voice was cold.
Even the most rational person could maintain his reason under such circumstances.
Bo-kyeong’s heart was currently full of guilt.
‘It’s my fault. This happened because I didn’t stay with senior brother.’
This incident happened when he was away so the guilt he felt was inevitably greater.
“It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself.”
Namgung Wol comforted him by his side, but Bo-kyeong couldn’t hear anything.
He only thought of taking Seong-un’s body to the Shaolin Temple. But Jin Siwoo couldn’t allow him to leave easily.
He had to at least reveal the cause of Seong-un’s death first, and guarantee that the Jin family is not responsible. If he just sent Seong-un’s body like this, the Jin family would have to take all the responsibility.
“I will leave the Jin family as soon as the day dawns.”
“Please wait a moment.”
“I can’t do that. I will take him to the Shaolin Temple as soon as possible. I will find the culprit by investigating the cause of his death.”
“You would be able to find the culprit here too.”
“How?”
“You can call him.”
“Who?”
“Pyo-wol. If it’s him, he will be able to reveal the cause of monk Seong-un’s death.”
Bo-kyeong was startled by Jin Siwoo’s suggestion.
The moment he heard the name Pyo-wol, he felt the chill as if ice water had been poured on him.
Pyo-wol is an assassin.
And one of the best assassins in the world at that.
He might be able to reveal the cause of Seong-un’s death.
But since Pyo-wol is also an assassin, he felt repulsed at the idea.
‘By any chance—?’
A seed of doubt bloomed in Bo-kyeong’s heart.
He wasn’t as calm or rational as Seong-un.
Although he is a member of the Shaolin Temple, he considers himself more of a warrior rather than a disciple of Buddhism. Perhaps that’s why, rather than judging something rationally, he had a stronger tendency to act based on instinct.
The moment he heard Pyo-wol’s name, Bo-kyeong suspected that Pyo-wol might have been the one who assassinated Seong-un.
He shook his head for a moment to shake off his doubts, but the buds that had blossomed deep in his heart still remained.
Namgung Wol, who was by his side, agreed with Jin Siwoo’s opinion.
“That’s a good idea. I’m sure he would be able to figure out how monk Seong-un was assassinated. Maybe he can even find the assassin.”
“What if he is the assassin who killed senior brother?”
“He’s not the type to do that. You’re being oversensitive.”
“Brother Namgung, please put yourself in my position. I’m in a situation where I can’t easily trust anyone.”
“I understand. But trust me this time and leave it to him.”
“Okay… I understand.”
In the end, Bo-kyeong accepted Namgung Wol’s opinion. However, the light of doubt in his eyes still lingered. Namgung Wol didn’t say anything more, and could only sigh.
It was the same with Jin Siwoo and others.
Jin Siwoo looked at Bo-kyeong and then sent someone to fetch Pyo-wol.
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