Baek Yoonjun's first impression upon arriving at Shaolin was simple.

"It's quiet."

"It's because we're in seclusion, albeit for the sake of appearance."

"Seclusion, you say? Did you commit some crime?"

In Baek Yoonjun's memory, seclusion was.

'Wasn't it something like a sect suspending its business and closing its doors because it had committed some crime?'

Of course, it was a memory based on his friend's words.

Shinseung smiled benevolently at Baek Yoonjun's question.

"It is the price for leaving the alliance. Amitabha."

"The alliance? The Martial Alliance?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"That's right."

Although Baek Yoonjun had not had any particular thoughts about the alliance until now.

'I've been hearing about it a lot lately.'

Since he had been hearing about it continuously recently, he had become a little concerned.

'Just by looking at the building, the scale is enormous, so it would be nice if I didn't get involved in a troublesome way.'

Baek Yoonjun sincerely hoped in his heart that he would not get involved with the Martial Alliance.

"Since we are in seclusion, there are not many people, so Benefactor Baek will not be too uncomfortable. Please come in."

For now, he put aside his thoughts about the Martial Alliance and followed the guiding Shinseung.

The place they arrived at was the outer wall of Shaolin Temple.

Baek Yoonjun felt puzzled at the sight of Shinseung heading towards the wall without hesitation.

"This is not a gate."

"There is a gatekeeper at the gate. Since Benefactor Baek is reluctant to be with people, wouldn't it be better not to encounter them?"

"That's true, but..."

Baek Yoonjun's words trailed off, wondering how Shinseung was going to get in here.

'Don't tell me he's going to jump over the wall of his own house?'

But as they say, 'don't tell me' catches a person.

As soon as Shinseung arrived in front of the wall, he grabbed the villain who was following him and jumped over the wall.

It was a perfect wall jump without a moment's hesitation.

At the sight of a monk boldly jumping over the wall of Shaolin, which could be called his own house, Baek Yoonjun was momentarily dazed.

"Benefactor Baek, aren't you coming?"

"I'm coming."

Baek Yoonjun, who had been dazed, jumped over the wall as soon as he heard Shinseung calling him.

Fortunately, there was no one on the other side of the wall.

"Now, please follow me. Then you won't encounter anyone."

"I understand."

Although Baek Yoonjun was momentarily dumbfounded at Shinseung's suspicious behavior, which seemed more like a thief jumping over a wall than going to his own house.

'Well, it's comfortable for me too.'

Since it was also comfortable for him, he followed without saying anything.

While following Shinseung, he really did not encounter anyone.

Baek Yoonjun, who had been nervous at first, was soon relieved and had the leisure to look around.

Although there were quite a few large buildings in Shaolin, they felt more solemn and frugal than magnificent.

'This is the first time I've been inside a sect.'

Of course, there was the village below Baek Yoonjun's residence, which had become the Cheongseong Sect, but since that was still more of a village than a sect, it was an exception.

And so, passing by several buildings, and in a deep corner even inside.

"We have arrived. Please come in."

Shinseung opened the door of a shabby building and went inside.

The inside, like the outside, was a frugal but clean space.

Baek Yoonjun wondered why he had been guided to a shabby building when there seemed to be many good buildings.

"Where is this place?"

"This is my residence."

At Shinseung's words, Baek Yoonjun felt a pang of pity.

'It seems his position is lower than it looks.'

Baek Yoonjun carefully observed Shinseung.

Although he couldn't predict his exact age because he had no wrinkles, from his tone and behavior, it seemed he would be close to middle age.

'Is it because his martial power is weak? Or is he just frugal?'

While Baek Yoonjun was having such various thoughts, Shinseung made a suitable place to sit.

"Benefactor Baek, please rest for a while. I will guide this benefactor and come back."

"Ah, please go ahead."

After confirming that Baek Yoonjun had entered the building and sat down, Shinseung left with the villain.

Left alone, Baek Yoonjun enjoyed the peace of being alone and in a corner.

'It's quiet.'

The surroundings were so quiet that it was like a ruined ghost town.

'By the way, can I spread my senses... I can.'

When he stealthily spread his senses, people were gathered in only one building, and since they were continuously chanting Buddhist scriptures, it seemed they were studying Buddhist scriptures.

There were certainly no people around.

Thanks to that, Baek Yoonjun just spent his time without any thoughts.

That appearance was just like a stone statue, and time continued to pass.

And so, after a long time had passed.

"Who are you?!"

At the sound of the door opening and a shout, Baek Yoonjun stopped spacing out and turned his head.

There, the most rugged human he had seen so far was looking at Baek Yoonjun and was flustered.

A rugged body and a rough impression.

A human who could only be described as a ruffian was wearing a monk's robe and had his head shaved.

That appearance made him look even more like a ruffian.

'Since the place is the place, he must be a monk, right?'

Baek Yoonjun tried to think as rationally as possible.

But due to his disposition as a homebody introvert, his body was completely shrunken.

Perhaps because of that, all his senses became extremely sharp.

In front of his eyes, the future events were clearly reflected.

That large monk would use his hands to subdue him.

There was no malice in that touch.

It was just that due to his quick temper, he had judged Baek Yoonjun as an unidentified intruder and was trying to subdue him.

Since he seemed to have a quick temper, it was clear that an unnecessary conflict would occur.

For Baek Yoonjun, it was a very reluctant matter.

If you can avoid it, it's better to avoid it.

Baek Yoonjun quickly scanned the information he needed in his head.

That monk knew Shinseung, and this was Shinseung's residence, and in such a place, Shinseung was not there, and only he was, so he was flustered and was trying to subdue him.

'I just need to explain it well.'

Since there was no time, Baek Yoonjun considered efficiency and opened his mouth.

"Ah. You mean the owner of this room?"

Since it was burdensome to meet the man's eyes, Baek Yoonjun turned his eyes and looked at a distant place and said.

"Although his martial arts are weak, he was a great person."

Baek Yoonjun said as politely as possible.

It was an appearance that felt wistful due to being so polite.

"You, you bastard! What did you do to my master?!"

As a result, what came back was a reaction completely different from what Baek Yoonjun had expected.

'Why is this human suddenly exploding?'

Baek Yoonjun was dumbfounded.

On top of that, due to the rough impression of the monk in front of him, he was completely shrunken.

'It seems there is some misunderstanding, so I have to clear it up quickly.'

Baek Yoonjun remembered that he had not felt Shinseung's presence nearby when he had checked with his senses earlier.

Since the opponent's appearance was unusual, Baek Yoonjun quickly uttered the next words.

"Your master was so busy with something... he is not here now."

"This bastard!!"

The rugged man rushed at Baek Yoonjun.

Although he had just been trying to subdue him, now he had the momentum to beat him to death right away.

Although Baek Yoonjun was completely shrunken by the rough impression, he naturally had no intention of just taking it.

'But can I subdue that human without internal energy?'

Contrary to his thoughts, his body was already moving.

A hand stretched out towards the rushing man.

"Where do you think you're going!"

The man dodged Baek Yoonjun's hand, which was clearly approaching, by stepping on his movement technique.

At that moment.

Although he thought he had dodged, he was somehow in his original position, and his hand was caught as if it were natural.

The man was horrified.

A situation where he could not understand what on earth had happened.

But the man soon regained his composure.

The roots of Shaolin's martial arts were deep, and it wasn't that there was no way to resist just because he was caught.

The man firmly planted his feet on the ground.

His momentum was like a tree with its roots firmly planted in the ground.

A hard tree that could never be pulled out or cut down by human strength.

But a tree was just a tree.

A lukewarm gentle breeze blew by his foot that was firmly rooted in the ground.

That gentle breeze swept away the earth where the roots were planted and swept away the tree.

At that moment, the man's world spun.

And.

Thump!

The man was slammed into the ground.

The man's mind went blank.

And Baek Yoonjun, who had slammed the man into the ground, was also dazed, although he looked fine on the outside.

'What is this?'

Baek Yoonjun had no internal energy, and the opponent had clearly operated his internal energy.

There was a big difference between a body that had operated internal energy and one that had not, like an egg and a rock.

But Baek Yoonjun had slammed the opponent into the ground without any particular difficulty.

'I didn't use the heart sword.'

The heart sword was a power that even Baek Yoonjun had not fully grasped.

It was not an item to be swung at a person who was clearly not a villain.

Baek Yoonjun, wondering if the opponent who was slammed into the ground would get up, gently pressed down and replayed the situation just now.

Since he had no internal energy, there was naturally no movement of internal energy.

He had just moved as his body remembered.

No, it was different.

'I don't know what's different.'

He couldn't tell what was different.

He just hadn't been bound and had produced the best result.

Having finished his worries about the unknown phenomenon, Baek Yoonjun turned his gaze to the man he had pressed down.

"Keuk, keuk. Shaolin does not yield."

Although he was clearly trying to resist by operating his internal energy, he could not shake off Baek Yoonjun, who was pressing him down.

'What is it? Is it because he's weak?'

The man who was pressed down was also third-rate or lower, but compared to Shinseung, he was pathetic.

But he clearly had internal energy.

'I don't know. It must be because he's weak.'

And so, as Baek Yoonjun was lost in thought while pressing down the man.

"Benefactor Baek, what is going on?"

Shinseung, who had just returned, looked back and forth between Baek Yoonjun and the pressed-down man.

Although Baek Yoonjun worried about what to say, fortunately, Shinseung spoke first.

"No. It is clear what is going on. Amitabha."

Shinseung looked at the pressed-down man solemnly.

"Hyejin. Didn't I tell you to think once more before acting?"

"M-master? What on earth...?"

The man called Hyejin looked at Shinseung with a confused look.

Looking at such a Hyejin, Shinseung let out a deep sigh.

"Benefactor Baek is my guest. I had some business, so I brought Benefactor Baek to my residence for a while and was on my way back after taking care of it."

"Ah..."

At Shinseung's words, Hyejin's face turned red.

He slammed his head on the ground and did not even move for a long time.

Since it didn't seem like the opponent would attack, Baek Yoonjun stealthily removed the foot that was pressing him down and then sat down as if nothing had happened.

"You're late, monk."

"I'm sorry. I had to decide on the whereabouts of the benefactor I had caught, and another matter came up, so it took some time."

"It's okay. Since nothing happened, it's fine."

Shinseung sat down across from Baek Yoonjun, showing a sorry look.

And Hyejin, who had been freed from Baek Yoonjun, stealthily headed for a corner, looking at Shinseung's face.

And so, Hyejin, who was moving stealthily, met Shinseung's eyes.

"Hyejin."

"Did you call?"

"Since you're in the corner, kneel down and hold up your hands."

At Shinseung's words, Hyejin quickly headed for the corner, knelt down, and held up his hands.

It was a very strange sight to see a rugged man holding up his hands.

Since Baek Yoonjun did not have the courage to meet such a man's eyes, he tried to avoid looking in that direction as much as possible.

"That child is still lacking in training, so his temper is quick. He has caused a great inconvenience to Benefactor Baek. May I apologize on his behalf?"

"Since nothing happened, it's okay."

Baek Yoonjun had no particular feelings for the man named Hyejin.

Although he seemed to have a quick temper, he knew that it was a situation where he could have easily misunderstood.

Although he still didn't understand why he had rushed at him even after he had explained.

'Still, I learned something thanks to that.'

He had subdued a man who was using internal energy even though he couldn't use internal energy.

Although by Baek Yoonjun's standards, he was a low-level among the third-rate, just by confirming such a fact, Baek Yoonjun was greatly satisfied.

In the first place, since the reason Baek Yoonjun had learned martial arts was because of his fear of martial arts, whether he could do it or not was a big problem.

"Although I was the one who invited you, I am sorry for causing an inconvenience."

"It's really okay. There was no problem."

And so, Shinseung apologized, and Baek Yoonjun repeated that it was okay for a while.

"Thank you for your generous understanding, Benefactor Baek. Ah, come to think of it, I haven't offered you a cup of tea yet."

Shinseung turned his gaze to Hyejin.

"Hyejin. Apologize to Benefactor Baek yourself and bring a cup of tea."

"Yes! Master!"

Hyejin immediately approached Shinseung and then turned his gaze to Baek Yoonjun.

Since his impression was so intense, Baek Yoonjun was completely scared.

"I'm sorry! Benefactor Baek!"

Even with a sincere apology, his impression and physique made him feel strange.

"It's okay."

"Thank you for your generous forgiveness! Then I will bring tea right away."

Hyejin bowed his head at a ninety-degree angle, which was not suitable for a temple, apologized to Baek Yoonjun, and then left the room.

"He's a good child, except for his quick temper."

"Th-that seems to be the case."

Baek Yoonjun unconsciously almost said, 'Shouldn't you also exclude his impression?', but he endured it.

And so, after Hyejin went out, and not even a moment had passed.

"M-master!!"

The voice of Hyejin, who had gone out, was heard.

Since there was no tea in his hand, it didn't seem he had brought tea.

Looking at Hyejin, who had rushed inside, Shinseung clicked his tongue.

"Didn't I tell you not to act rashly?"

"I-I'm sorry. No, that's not it!!"

Hyejin urgently conveyed his business to Shinseung, and Shinseung let out a deep sigh and got up from his seat.

(End of Chapter)