-Drip, drip.

Hot tea was poured into a rough teacup.

This was the pavilion right next to the reception hall where the Abbot of Shaolin greeted guests.

Originally, we were supposed to enter the reception hall, but because of the children, we settled here instead.

The older children couldn't enter through the reception hall doors and had to wait outside.

Of course, my children would have waited outside just fine, but the Shaolin disciples were so nervous about making them wait that they couldn't bring themselves to leave them outside.

Even though I said my kids wouldn’t bite, the Shaolin monks were surprisingly timid.

'If you die, you’re supposed to reach nirvana and go to paradise. Monks sure are more scared than I thought.'

Weren't religious people supposed to naturally be unafraid of death?

Thinking such things, I settled into the pavilion.

The younger children were leaning their bodies against me here and there, and the older ones were underneath the pavilion, resting only their heads on the wooden floorboards as they looked up at me.

"Here, take it."

"Thank you, Master."

Following the Abbot's offer in the reception hall, I brought the tea to my lips, and a savory aroma gently rose.

Though I wasn’t deeply versed in tea, I couldn’t help but ask with a look of admiration at the rich scent.

It was just as rich as the tea I'd recently tasted thanks to my new friend, Geum Gi-ryung.

"The fragrance is wonderful."

"I picked and dried it myself. Does it suit your taste?"

"Yes, the aroma is truly excellent."

"I’m glad to hear that."

A satisfied smile spread across the face of the Abbot, pleased that I liked the tea.

He quietly observed the children for a moment before speaking.

"Still, it’s amazing how those spirit creatures follow you around like dogs or cats. Truly remarkable."

He was amazed at how they clung to me like pets, but... to liken them to dogs and cats—honestly, that hurt a bit.

After all, they were like my own children.

'How could you compare my kids to dogs or cats...'

"I've raised them since they were young and built a good bond. I don't think of these children as mere beasts or livestock. To me, they’re like daughters and sons."

At my explanation that they were like my sons and daughters, the Abbot's expression shifted to one of surprise.

Then, with a look of admiration, he said,

"Sons and daughters, huh? Hahaha. Originally, even beasts and creatures are just passing through countless reincarnations. They may have been human once or may become human one day. You, my friend, have been looking at their essence with the eye of wisdom."

Isn't that what they call seeing the dream better than the dream itself?

Truthfully, the reason I treated them like sons and daughters was simply because they were cute, lovable, and smart enough to rival people.

It wasn’t anything grand like that, so I scratched my head.

"Well, it’s not quite that profound..."

Still, as I answered modestly, the Abbot gently nodded and, after savoring the tea for a moment like me, continued speaking with a warm smile.

"Anyway, let me once again thank you for resolving Shaolin’s problem. And as repayment, Shaolin promises to assist you once, whenever needed. Amitabha."

The Abbot said that since I helped them, Shaolin would help me once in return.

At that, I tilted my head and asked,

"Wasn't the reward for catching that fake Taoist supposed to be that you’d answer my questions?"

Sure, I’d appreciate an extra reward, but that had already been the agreement.

I would resolve Shaolin’s troublesome matter, and in return, they would answer my questions whenever I visited.

It’s important to be thorough about these things, so I asked again, and upon hearing me, the Abbot’s smile grew even warmer as he answered,

"It seems there was a misunderstanding. The favor and the answering of questions were separate matters."

It felt like my brother, who had left to meet someone he knew at Shaolin, had somehow conveyed the terms incorrectly.

The Abbot explained,

"Did you not say you would be asking about the Dharma?"

"Ah, yes."

"A monk answering those who seek the Dharma is not something to be considered a favor or payment. It’s something we should be glad to do.

When a sentient being asks questions on the path to salvation, it is a monk’s duty to guide them to the right path.

Thus, the favor must be repaid separately."

"Ah..."

So that’s why the reward was overlapping.

Indeed, if someone came to ask about religious teachings, it wouldn't make sense to call answering them a favor.

What I was going to ask was about the concept of karma and fate, but wasn’t that a core concept deeply tied to Buddhism?

So technically, it was part of spreading Buddhist teachings, and it wouldn't be right to ask for payment for that.

"Ah, so that's the reason."

As I nodded, the Abbot finally asked the real question.

"Then, what aspect of the Dharma do you wish to inquire about?"

Since he was ready to move on to the main topic, I immediately asked what I had come to learn.

It was about karma and fate.

"Yes, I would like to gain insight into what karma and fate are."

"Karma and fate?"

"Yes, karma and fate."

"Haha. Is it because of those children?"

"Yes, that's right, Master."

To be exact, it was because of martial arts, but it was easier to just say it was because of the children.

The Abbot immediately turned his gaze toward the children.

After wetting his throat with another sip of tea, he continued while gazing at the children.

"Hmm, karma and fate... you ask something difficult."

"Difficult?"

It was a bit surprising to hear the Abbot of Shaolin call it difficult.

Wasn’t Shaolin supposed to be the leader of Buddhist teachings in the Central Plains?

Yet he said explaining karma and fate was difficult.

However, it seemed he meant it would be difficult for me to understand.

"People usually think of karma and fate as simply the relationship between people, but in Buddhism, karma and fate have a far grander meaning."

"Grander?"

"It explains the entire order of all things in this world. It is the essence of Buddhism itself. You could say it encompasses everything."

Just hearing the beginning was already making my head hurt.

Like the Abbot said, I had simply thought of it as relationships between people, but clearly it wasn’t that simple.

'This sounds complicated... My head’s going to hurt.'

As I was thinking about how painful this was going to be, the explanation continued.

"Karma and fate originally refer to 'cause' and 'condition' separately.

The Buddha said, ‘Everything in the world arises through the combination of cause and condition, and when cause and condition disperse, it disappears.’"

"Everything arises from cause and condition combining, and disappears when they scatter?"

"Exactly. Karma and fate combined are referred to as such."

"Then what exactly are cause and condition?"

"Cause is the internal factor that produces a result. Condition is the external factor."

'Ugh, my head really hurts.'

As I showed an awkward expression at the complicated explanation, the Abbot gave a small laugh and tried to explain it more simply.

"Let’s use the tea you're drinking as an example. Imagine you plant a tea tree by sowing its seed.

The seed of the tea tree is the cause. You, watering it, along with the water, the warm sun, and fertile soil—those are the conditions."

"The seed is the cause. The water, sunlight, and soil are the conditions..."

I decided to apply the words of Cheong-yu Sojeo to this example.

『Even in the Five Venoms Sect, no one has fully achieved So-ryong's realm, but according to the founder’s notes, it is said that when your bond with the venomous creatures deepens, it will unlock.』

'Seed is cause. Water, sunlight, and soil are conditions. If I substitute venomous creatures into this...'

As I was getting lost in this almost-understandable thought process, without realizing it, my eyes gently closed.

***

As So-ryong closed his eyes and sank into thought, the Abbot of Shaolin, still smiling gently, gave a warning to the spirit creatures.

Since So-ryong seemed to have fallen into a moment of enlightenment, he was trying to caution the spirit creatures to be careful.

Given that they had understood him well enough earlier, he believed they would understand this too.

"Your father seems to have entered a deep state of realization. You must not shake him or try to wake him. Understand? Otherwise, he could be gravely harmed."

-Chrr?

-Piik?

At his words, the venomous creatures exchanged glances, as if holding a silent conversation among themselves.

Then, as their representative, the large centipede lowered its head in a bow toward the Abbot.

-Chrr.

"Is that a thank you?"

The Abbot watched their behavior with fascination, and soon after, the spirit creatures withdrew from So-ryong.

They began to spread out around him in a protective circle.

"What... what is this?"

A nearby Shaolin disciple opened his eyes wide in shock.

No wonder—the spirit creatures, seemingly experienced with such situations, each took up familiar positions.

The spider hung upside down from the pavilion ceiling.

The black, blue, and red centipedes coiled protectively around So-ryong’s body.

A horned serpent slithered to the entrance of the pavilion.

And a jade-colored snake floated above the pavilion in the sky.

The rest of the creatures scattered strategically around the area.

"Haha. Astounding."

The Abbot watched in admiration.

It felt like a natural formation of Heaven’s Net, crafted by the spirit creatures.

Now, no one would be able to approach the pavilion easily.

Once all the creatures had taken their positions, a deep affection and an unyielding determination radiated from them, something the Abbot could clearly feel.

A fierce resolve to allow no intruder, no matter the cost.

And along with it, the immense power he had sensed in each of these creatures when he first met them now tingled through his senses, carried on their combined will.

Come to think of it, hadn't it been said they tore through the Blood Cult’s forces like paper?

That thought triggered a memory of what his late master, Master Taebok, had said before passing into Nirvana.

『You lack innate talent. No matter how hard you cultivate the Dharma, you will not reach the truth. So before I die, I will reveal a fragment of heavenly fate for the sake of the future. Listen well and remember.』

『Yes, Master.』

『Soon, great turmoil will arise in the martial world.』

『Could it be... the Blood Cult again!?』

『No. The Blood Cult is merely food for the great worm. A monstrous insect will crawl out from the lands of the southwest and attempt to devour the Central Plains.』

『A worm?』

『For now, just listen and remember.』

『Yes.』

『It will be a malevolent insect unlike anything ever seen. It will have the body of a serpent, the antennae of a centipede, the tail of a scorpion, limbs like a toad, and it will appear anywhere like a lizard, using spider silk to ensnare people and plunge the martial world into chaos. Before they know it, the martial artists of the Central Plains will fall into its grasp...』

『Th-that sounds disastrous!』

Though he had been told only to listen and remember, Hye-won couldn’t help but respond.

The idea that something far more terrible than even the Blood Cult—who had once plunged the martial world into a bloody catastrophe—would devastate the Central Plains was terrifying.

But Master Taebok simply continued without answering.

『At that time, ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ a small centipede will crawl out from an island to the southeast to oppose the monstrous worm. It will gradually grow stronger and eventually swallow the monster whole.』

『So... everything will proceed according to the natural order? Then what must I do to prepare?』

If the monster was destined to be defeated, there seemed no need to be concerned.

Everything would follow its course naturally.

Still, he asked, and Master Taebok's eyes shone brightly as he gave his final instruction.

『Good. Now I shall tell you what you must guard against.』

『W-what is it?』

『If everything follows its course, the small centipede will lead the martial world down a new path. But if fate is disrupted, and the centipede is killed by the monster, then a calamity even greater than the monster itself will befall the Central Plains. Therefore, you must never—never allow the centipede to die. Understand?』

Not long ago, when news spread that the Blood Cult had reappeared and something called the Five Venoms Sect had surfaced, the Abbot finally realized the true meaning of his master’s words—after ten years.

But he still didn't fully understand why the small centipede was so important, or why its death would bring such disaster.

At first, hearing rumors that a son-in-law of the Tang Clan was traveling with a small centipede, he thought maybe that was the small centipede his master had spoken of.

Or perhaps it wasn't even that centipede at all.

Surely, his master hadn’t meant an actual centipede.

So he waited for some other “small centipede” to appear.

But the moment he personally witnessed the child and the spirit creatures, and sensed the overwhelming presence of the venomous beasts, he understood instinctively.

The small centipede wasn’t the creature the child carried.

It was the child himself.

And he could now see why if the small centipede were to die, catastrophe would follow.

Because if that child were to fall, these spirit creatures would never sit quietly.