Chapter 392: Mysterious Woman (2)

Seol-Hwi could not communicate with her in a casual manner.

She was a woman who could discern his progress at first sight. He was unsure of her intentions, but there was no need to create any issues at the moment.

Thus, he chose to remain silent.

"...?"

Chrik. Chrik.

The water bugs started to chirp softly by the stream's edge. A couple of minutes passed this way, and the woman then clasped her hands together and bowed.

"I apologize for my rudeness. It was not my intention to unilaterally judge others upon meeting them. I did not mean to unsettle you like this."

A formal way of saying sorry, but Seol-Hwi's demeanor remained unchanged.

Observing this, she continued,

"To you, I am merely a stranger. However, to me, you are a friend I have reunited with after a long time... in fact, I have been anticipating this for the past year."

"And?"

Upon Seol-Hwi's inquiry, she responded as if expecting it.

"The natural flow... things began to shift from there. At times calm like a river, at times raging like a fierce storm. Naturally, it would have caught your attention, wouldn't it?"

Not just with the eyes.

Upon hearing these words, Seol-Hwi had a realization.

This woman could perceive the natural flow.

The airflow he had consciously manipulated during his year of training. Seol-Hwi had willed the flow to be strong and could sense it.

It had been intentional, yet he had not believed anyone would have noticed.

However, if it was someone of such caliber, the situation changed entirely.

Seol-Hwi then inquired, joining his hands in responding,

"What kind of martial arts does the Emei Sect teach, Satae?"

"Oh."

She gently smiled at Seol-Hwi's question and then shook her head.

"You seem to have misunderstood. While I reside there, I am not one of their members. I am merely one who scares off the tigers in the vicinity."

Mount Emei had been known as a place teeming with tigers since ancient times. That's why the Fuhu Temple, now an important temple, and the martial arts of the Emei Sect were developed to make tigers retreat.

For a person with a complete body and no missing parts, confronting and chasing a tiger was quite ordinary.

It made sense.

But with such basic self-defense skills, could she understand his progress? Could that be comprehended?

"If you're not a martial arts expert, how can you perceive the natural order? Isn't that something only those with exceptional strength can grasp?"

"Hmm, how can I explain this..."

The woman paused for a moment. She glanced around and then chose her words.

"Do you know about the Inner Cannon of the Yellow Emperor?"

"I do. The ancient texts compiled by the emperor, right? Aren't they the foundation of medical literature? For healing?"

"Exactly. So, were all those physicians warriors? How did they comprehend the acupoints and meridians, which are invisible to the naked eye?"

"Hmmm."

Seol-Hwi felt like a nail had been driven into his head.

The acupoints, meridians, blood points, and the vast knowledge of the human body were not exclusive to warriors.

Physicians and healers had disseminated this knowledge through books, understanding energy flow. The Wudang Sect had embraced them, organizing their knowledge systematically.

"They were the first to diagnose illnesses visually, feel pulses through blood vessels, identify muscle and bone structures, and discover acupoints and meridians."

"So, what are you suggesting?"

"Yes. Even if you're not a warrior, through diligent study and enlightenment, you can perceive the natural order with your own eyes."

The woman nodded.

She gazed at Seol-Hwi once more and spoke calmly.

"There are various training methods in Buddhism, but at Emei, we emphasize the precepts, concentration, and wisdom. Among the Buddha's teachings, the precepts help us understand normal norms, concentration keeps the mind undistracted, and wisdom involves thorough training for better understanding. I can share this much with you; through this, you can intuit the mind and unify it."

In essence, her achievement was not solely due to her prowess as a warrior but because she followed the Buddhist way of life and mastered her mind.

Seol-Hwi nodded calmly.

Miss Cheon's master followed the same path.

This realization eased his anxiety a bit.

The nun before him was undeniably remarkable, but her excellence did not stem solely from martial arts training.

However, this raised another question.

How could one attain enlightenment or a similar level of insight purely through self-discovery without physical training? Were the goals of warriors and healers the same?

He pondered that the perspectives of martial artists might differ.

The path from the Supreme to the Profound is arduous and lofty.

Whether through medicinal practices or martial arts, both required decades of dedication.

Perhaps the state of the Profound Demon could be reached through mental discipline rather than martial arts, as warriors believed?

The Supreme Master always emphasized physical training, while the Profound Master focused on training the mind to comprehend and harmonize with natural laws.

Though the two realms were seen as superior and inferior, they could be different yet equal levels simultaneously.

The nun before him stood as evidence of this.

"I am someone who gained enlightenment in the Wudang Sect and achieved Taiji."

So Seol-Hwi spoke of himself.

It was unfortunate.

First, to show what he has, and there might be some areas he could get help from her.

"Profound Master... I heard that it is one of the highest realms of warriors. But there is still something about the shaking of the peace in your heart and preparing for the war that makes it feel lacking?"

Seol-Hwi felt it the moment he saw the woman staring at him.

The eyes.

While the warriors usually feel the other person's identity by feeling their energy, she was looking into them with her eyes.

Probably like the physicians and healers she spoke of. It seemed like the change that enlightenment had brought for her.

"Right, it is still incomplete. I don't know how to handle it since it is higher for me. It is really something which isn't that huge and from my perspective, the noble man already has trouble finding an opponent worthy of you in this world. And yet the strong emotions you show must be... Is the person who you are fighting against a god?"

Seol-Hwi hesitated for a moment.

He kept being stabbed in a sensitive point.

The monk of the Emei Sect made amazing inferences by what he showed as if she were looking deep into him.

Seol-Hwi felt like he was constantly losing control, so Seol-Hwi first realized that this woman had no limitations.

"Since you seem to hold such vision, I have something to ask. The woman I had broken away from in the past... how do I meet her?"

Miss Cheon and Seo Ryeong.

He wanted to change the flow of the talk, but this was because of how tough it was for Seol-Hwi.

It was something he held sadness over.

"You are talking about relationships? In Buddhism, it will eventually turn around and one day you will meet."

"In essence, it is true. But reincarnation might not be as a human. I died in the space of a world created by some god, so how can I have a normal life next time?"

Seol-Hwi posed a challenging question.

Actually, the correct answer was that he did not do anything about her. It would be good to let her know he had insight into something, but even if not, he felt like it would be nice to challenge her way of speaking as if she could see through his inner self.

But—

"Both have to be born human."

"...?"

"Normally, if one dies with karma, they will head to hell, but if it is a world of God, that karma will also be handled by the God himself. So she will always have to step back into the world in the form of a human."

"...!"

Seol-Hwi was flustered.

The existence of God was being discussed. Was she not answering as if she knew everything?

"Even if they are human, one cannot know when they will be born. If there is such a thing, then it will all be the decision of the God who created the world."

"Then in the end, I have to kill him."

"...!"

Now the woman looked shocked. Killing God.

Anyone would think it was a joke. But, looking at how sincere Seol-Hwi seemed now, and the strength of his, it felt possible with enough time.

"That is reckless. Although it is a state so high that one can reach God, it only represents God. Then it will not be enough to fight, right?"

"Which is why I am trying to be different."

"...How so? The path you are taking now isn't the next step, but an entirely different one."

"Honestly, no path is easy. I am going to find what the best I can do is."

Seol-Hwi nodded at her words.

The path was indeed different. What she thought of was the royal path to be a saint. However, the path he was trying to take was to cultivate martial arts through principles and contradiction.

There were many aspects that Seol-Hwi himself found difficult to be certain of. Could he truly defeat someone known as the Absolute, now transformed into a Demon God, solely through martial arts practice?

He had already faced numerous challenges and setbacks to reach his current level.

Currently, he had 100 lives remaining to keep trying and striving.

What if the level of the Demon God was completely different from what he had anticipated? What would be his course of action then?

"Amitabha. It is said that Man proposes and God disposes, but even if your decision seems reckless, I wish you success on the path you choose."

Seol-Hwi's heart was shaken once more.

How much did she truly understand?

Despite his efforts to disclose as few crucial details as possible, he was amazed by her comprehension and responses.

Was that the reason?

"Have you heard of antithesis?"

Seol-Hwi was now beginning to confide in her about his predicament. The dark arts and the arts of the Justice faction.

His endeavor to merge the two distinct martial arts.

"I know it may be risky, but I am determined to attempt it."

"..."

The woman fell silent for a moment.

Seol-Hwi persisted.

"Becoming a God is one path, but I am aware that it is no easy feat, no matter how long one lives. It takes even a thousand years for an Imoogi to ascend to a dragon."

"Although it may seem unattainable, I have already tasted it once at a lower level. And through that process, I harnessed the power of nature."

"Nature... you mean the wellspring of power?"

The woman appeared quite taken aback.

"Ah..."

Her lips parted, and she shook her head as if struggling to comprehend this.

Did she deem it impossible?

However.

"No. You will perish."

"?!"

Seol-Hwi's head snapped up abruptly.

Though he knew little about her, he sensed that she could grasp his essence with just a few words.

The thought of his own demise left him utterly desolate.

"You can achieve harmony in the Supreme state. That power lies in nature because it is limited."

"Then?"

"A direct combination of demonic arts and justice arts? That is fusion. Light and heavy. It won't worry. This is the law of nature and how the land works."

"..."

"Achieving that requires a force beyond nature. Nature rules. Beyond that, it is all a matter of whether one can handle the energy of the universe.... Only God can do it."

"Hmm."

This made Seol-Hwi nervous.

She suddenly raised her eyes and looked up and spoke as if scolding Seol-Hwi,

"It will balance things out, but it will not be enough to kill God. Well, I think it would be possible if the power of infinity and nature is used."

Unless he was stronger than the true God... Seol-Hwi agreed to it.

He just has god-like powers, but was not a real god. Moreover, he would not be a god capable of blocking the other power.

"So you are saying it's possible to strike that balance?"

"It will not be easy... but I think it's possible for you. Even if you die, you will be reborn."

"...!?"

Seol-Hwi sighed now.

Does she know that he had gone through life and death too many times? He was curious to see what level this woman was at.

"You probably have a lot of questions, but actually, I do too. About the person you are."

"Then ask me..."

"Is that needed though?"

"...?"

"You will meet me again. Not in this life...

"In the next life and the life after that."

She laughed, leaving Seol-Hwi confused. She could not understand at all how scared Seol-Hwi felt of her now.