Chapter 58: Spirit Treasure (1) (Revised)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 58: Spirit Treasure (1) (Revised)
—That old book is the spirit treasure left by the Sword Immortal?
The Sword Immortal.
A mythical figure from six hundred years ago, hailed as the greatest swordsman to ever live.
As a man considered the finest in the history of the Central Plains' martial world, he left behind countless legends.
—Didn't you say that before you regressed, you died after 'consuming' the Secret Records of the Sword Immortal or something, and that's how you came back to life?
That’s right.
The enlightenment the Sword Immortal left behind before his ascension.
That was the Secret Records of the Sword Immortal.
It was the ultimate treasure sought by every swordsman—no, by every martial artist in the land.
—Then what on earth is that?
The tattered volume held in Tian Wuxing’s hand.
At a glance, it looked remarkably similar to the one I had seen before.
The volume containing the Secret Records of the Sword Immortal that I had found was specially treated with chemicals to ensure it could be preserved for a long time.
—Maybe he made several copies?
I inwardly dismissed the Short Sword’s question.
It was likely a fake.
—A fake?
'Even before my regression, quite a few fake spirit treasures threw the martial world into chaos.'
Every time one appeared, a bloody struggle ensued.
In the end, when they were revealed to be fakes, countless martial artists were left in despair.
—Then that one must be a fake too.
Probably.
No matter how much the flow of history might have changed due to my actions, the decisive event that leads to the appearance of the real Secret Records of the Sword Immortal hasn't happened yet.
There was no way Tian Wuxing could have the real Secret Records.
Still, just in case, should I check?
“...Are you saying that is the spirit treasure of the Sword Immortal I’ve heard of?”
At my question, Tian Wuxing nodded.
I feigned surprise and asked, “Where on earth did you find such a thing?”
“You seem quite shocked. Even I didn't expect to obtain this on Kunlun Mountain.”
“Kunlun Mountain?”
Kunlun Mountain was the sacred peak where the now-extinct Kunlun Sect once resided.
Hearing his words, I let out a faint breath.
'It’s a fake.'
—Really?
'The real one is in the Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang.'
If he found it at Kunlun, it definitely wasn't the real deal.
I felt a sense of relief, as I had planned to go to the Tianshan Mountains later to secure the Secret Records myself.
I suppose I really am only human.
Seeing as I don't want the Secret Records of the Sword Immortal to fall into anyone else's hands but mine.
—What’s wrong with that? Anyone would feel that kind of greed.
Is that so?
Anyway, now that I knew it was a fake, I became curious about something else.
Kunlun Mountain was a holy site guarded by the Kunlun Sect.
Finding a spirit treasure on their sacred mountain meant it was discovered after Kunlun had fallen.
I decided to probe him slightly.
“It must have been a stroke of luck that the Kunlun Sect was gone.”
At my remark, one of Tian Wuxing’s eyebrows arched.
Though he had been imprisoned for a long time, he was once the leader of Peerless Fortress.
He seemed to immediately grasp the intent behind my words.
“It seems you think I took advantage of Kunlun’s crisis to obtain this.”
“...I apologize if it sounded that way.”
“You are honest. If my prowess were what it used to be, you wouldn't have been able to say such things so easily.”
That was hard to deny.
If he still possessed his former strength, I wouldn't have even been able to hint at it indirectly.
Tian Wuxing let out a sigh.
It wasn't so much irritation as it was the hollow feeling of facing his own weakened state.
Eventually, he spoke again.
“I am the rightful owner of this.”
“The owner?”
“My great-grandfather, one of the three patriarchs who founded Peerless Fortress, was originally a Taoist of the Kunlun Sect.”
“A Taoist of the Kunlun Sect?”
This was a secret I was hearing for the first time.
Who would have imagined that the roots of the Mucheonjeong Sect, one of the four great martial sects of Peerless Fortress, lay in the extinct Kunlun Sect?
Peerless Fortress was, by nature, far removed from Taoism.
“Aside from the bloodline of this sect, you are the first to hear this story.”
“To think the Mucheonjeong Sect came from Kunlun. That is surprising.”
“It is a secret of our sect that would have remained hidden forever had Kunlun remained safe. That was the promise my great-grandfather made.”
Now that Kunlun was gone, the secret was likely meaningless.
However, he probably wouldn't mention it to the outside world.
The reputation of the Mucheonjeong Sect already far surpassed that of the fallen Kunlun Sect.
“Though our ties with Kunlun were severed long ago, I agonized over it after they met their mysterious end. I felt I had to do something for them, as they are the roots of our sect.”
“...So you went there?”
“I did. To see if I could find even a trace of the culprits. But not a single shred of evidence remained at Kunlun. They say a torrential rain poured down that day. It was likely calculated. I do not know what organization could pull off such a feat, but the destruction of Kunlun was undoubtedly prepared with absolute thoroughness.”
A massive sect vanished in a single night.
Excluding the Blood Cult, the Martial Alliance, and Peerless Fortress, what kind of organization possessed that much power?
As I was wondering, Tian Wuxing held up the volume.
“This book was found in a cave on Kunlun Mountain called Wisdom Light Cave. It is a cave where the remains of deceased Taoists are enshrined.”
“The book was there?”
“Yes. I believed it was fate. That the restless spirits of Kunlun gave this to me so that I might avenge the fallen sect.”
Vengeance for restless spirits...
It was a sufficient justification for taking something from the fallen Kunlun.
But did Tian Wuxing, having obtained the treasure, actually do anything for them?
As if sensing my doubt, Tian Wuxing spoke with a bitter expression.
“You likely think I simply took the treasure and did nothing. But that is not true. I truly did conduct a secret investigation into those who destroyed Kunlun.”
That was unexpected.
In truth, no one knew Kunlun was the root of Peerless Fortress.
Even after obtaining the treasure, no one would have blamed him if he hadn't gone to such lengths.
The fact that he investigated anyway spoke volumes about his character.
“Did you find anything out?”
At that, Tian Wuxing’s face grew serious.
“After years of inquiring around Kunlun, I discovered one fact.”
“What is it?”
“Are you sure you want to know?”
“Pardon?”
“Not long after I learned this fact, I encountered that fake—no, Mu Ak.”
Was he saying that knowing the truth could be dangerous?
I looked around.
My Qi Sense picked up no presence nearby.
“There is no one listening or watching.”
At my words, Tian Wuxing took a deep breath and spoke.
“After a long pursuit, I found a witness who saw those who destroyed the Kunlun Sect.”
“Is that true?”
If Myeong Gyeongin, the last survivor of Kunlun and the future 'Lone Eye of Kunlun,' were to hear this, how happy would he be?
It seemed I could put him in my debt once more.
The Lesser Conversation Sword clicked its tongue.
—I wondered why you were asking all this.
It was an opportunity to make the Lone Eye of Kunlun one of my pieces.
There was no reason to miss it.
Especially since that fake treasure wasn't going to be of much use anyway.
“Did you find out who they were, then?”
At that, Tian Wuxing shook his head.
He found a witness, but didn't find out who they were?
As I was feeling puzzled, unexpected words came from Tian Wuxing’s mouth.
“The witness said they saw dozens of masked men and the leader who led them. But they said one of that leader's eyes was golden.”
'Golden eye?'
I didn't expect the man with the golden eye to pop up here.
If only one eye was golden, was it the same man who had attacked various masters, including the Namcheon Sword Guest?
When I didn't show any outward reaction, Tian Wuxing continued.
“This information was a vital clue. All I had to do was find a man with one golden eye. But in the end, I was unable to do anything.”
“...They had a tail on you.”
“Indeed. They realized I was digging into their tracks. This state I am in is the result.”
Tian Wuxing couldn't hide his bitterness.
However, a question arose in my mind.
If the golden-eyed man could see the flow of energy with his eyes like I could, there was no way he would have missed a witness.
—Maybe he missed them because of the heavy rain?
That was possible, but I also considered that the witness itself might have been a trap.
If he had been investigating the Kunlun area for years, they might have set a bait to see who was digging into them.
—If it was a trap, wouldn't it be better not to reveal the golden eye or their appearance?
That was also true.
Then did he really fail to see the witness because of the rain?
'...The rain.'
For some reason, that bothered me.
Meanwhile, Tian Wuxing was looking at me with a puzzled expression as I was lost in thought.
Why is he making that face?
“Is something the matter?”
At my question, Tian Wuxing spoke.
“You are peculiar.”
“Pardon?”
“Usually, when the ultimate treasure is right before their eyes, anyone, regardless of who they are, cannot hide their greed. That goes for any martial artist.”
True, most martial artists would have shown greed or made a fuss in surprise, so it was natural for him to find it strange that I was asking about other things instead of showing interest in the book.
But why would I be interested when I knew for a fact it was a fake?
Tian Wuxing pointed that out.
“You are interested in completely different, external things rather than this spirit treasure.”
I must have shown too little interest.
It would be strange to suddenly act interested now, so I had to change the subject.
“If I weren't greedy, would I even be a swordsman? But what use is there in me coveting something that already has an owner? I am simply worried.”
“About what?”
“If that is the case, it means the man with the golden eye is behind that man Mu Ak. Now that they know you are alive, they will target you in some way, regardless of the treasure.”
At those words, Tian Wuxing let out a deep sigh.
“...That is why I wanted to resolve my relationship with you amicably.”
Ha!
Now I understood.
I thought it was strange that he had sent away his guardian warriors while insisting on thanking me.
If he had smoothed things over with me, he likely intended to ask my father, the Merciless Wind God Jin Seong-baek, and the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect for help.
He hadn't revealed the treasure so readily just because he was cornered by the mastermind behind Mu Ak.
He realized I wasn't favorable toward the Mucheonjeong Sect, and since the situation had become even more urgent, he had played his final card.
—That’s right. He probably thought it would be easier to ask you than to ask your father.
Even if he had lost his martial arts, he was still the head of a sect.
A sly old man indeed.
Then, Tian Wuxing showed me the book.
“I will be honest with you. If your father and the Wind Shadow Eight Streams Sect promise to protect me and the Mucheonjeong Sect, I will share the Sword Immortal's treasure with you.”
“You’re finally revealing your true intentions.”
Tian Wuxing let out a small chuckle.
“You are a clever fellow. But this is not a bad deal for you and your father either. It is a chance to see the spirit treasure containing the insights of the Sword Immortal, a treasure of the ages.”
“The Sword Immortal's treasure...”
There was one thing he didn't know.
That the treasure he held was a fake.
There was absolutely no reason for my father to protect him for the sake of a fake treasure.
I gave him a bright smile and said, “I am sorry, but I must decline.”
“What?”
For the first time, Tian Wuxing couldn't hide his bewilderment.
It was a natural reaction, as I had so easily rejected what he considered his ultimate card.
Seeing him like that made me want to tease him a bit.
“Do you really believe that treasure is real?”
At those words, Tian Wuxing’s brow furrowed.
Actually, I wanted to tell him it was a fake, but if I said that, I’d have to prove the truth of my words, so this much should be enough.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
I was about to perform a fist-and-palm salute and turn away when Tian Wuxing hurriedly called out to me.
“Wait!”
“I have nothing more to sa—”
“Now I see. You didn't show greed because you thought this was a fake. Then, look at this.”
Tian Wuxing hurriedly spread open the folded volume.
And he thrust it toward me.
There was no reason to look at a fake, so what did he hope to achieve by showing... Huh?
In an instant, I couldn't take my eyes off the open book.
—What is that? Is it just some scribbles?
There were no characters written in the book.
Ink had been splashed and stroked here and there, but it looked like a collection of countless sword traces.
They were intricately intertwined, and the mere sight of these strokes sent shivers down my spine; they were incredibly profound.
“...Swords.”
At my murmur, Tian Wuxing smirked.
“To feel the swords just from the depiction of the intent... your talent for the sword is quite remarkable.”
“What... what on earth is this?”
My mind was in a whirl.
It felt as if countless sword forms were tangling together.
It was so complex that it was hard to tell which was real, but among the myriad sword forms, there was something shining intensely.
“Did I not tell you? It is the Sword Immortal's spirit treasure.”
“The Sword Immortal?”
That couldn't be.
The real Secret Records of the Sword Immortal should be in the Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang.
Moreover, I had seen it with my own eyes.
Tian Wuxing said to me, “Even I have gained much enlightenment from looking at this for several years. With your current level, it will be difficult for you to understand this.”
I couldn't deny his words.
Though it contained countless insights into the sword, my head was just spinning.
It was at a level that would require long study to grasp.
“Those insights are within my mind. If you accept my proposal, I will teach you the sword of the Sword Immortal that I have realized...”
“So that was it. I wondered what the old man was hiding.”
At the voice coming from somewhere, Tian Wuxing and I hurriedly turned our heads.
It was in front of the stairs leading up to the third floor.
A man wearing the martial uniform of the Mucheonjeong Sect was standing there.
“Who are you? I told everyone not to let anyone up...”
I reached out my hand and stopped him.
“He is not from the Mucheonjeong Sect.”
Tian Wuxing couldn't sense it because his martial arts were gone, but it was the same for me.
Even though he was right before my eyes, he was as silent as if he were one with his surroundings, and I couldn't feel any presence at all.
This meant he was an expert whose presence was difficult to detect with the Lower Dantian alone.
I drew upon my Innate True Qi and opened my Middle Dantian.
'To be able to suppress his aura to this extent...'
Even with my Middle Dantian open, his presence felt faint.
He seemed to be an expert who had mastered the Silver Hiding Technique to its peak.
—Can you handle him?
I don't know.
He’s hiding his aura, and in this state where I’m wearing a blindfold, I can only see the flow of energy clearly when I’m close, so I’ll have to get nearer to find out.
Just then, he moved.
Swish!
I also launched myself forward in response.
His target wasn't me, but Tian Wuxing.
Shring!
I unsheathed the Namcheon Iron Sword and thrust it toward the space between his eyes.
In that instant, he tilted his head slightly to avoid it and swung a dagger at me.
I also performed footwork to dodge the strike.
Then, I shifted the direction of my sword and swung it toward his shoulder.
Clang!
With the sound of clashing metal, both he and I were pushed back about three steps.
'Both hands?'
He was holding a dagger in his left hand as well.
—How is he?
'...He’s strong.'
The flow of energy I saw as I got closer was almost equal to mine, or perhaps slightly superior. He was an expert at the very peak of the Supreme Peak Realm.
In terms of internal power alone, he was slightly stronger than me.
Still, I wasn't at a disadvantage.
Because I had the Golden Eye that could sense the flow of energy.
“You’re quite something,” the man said to me.
Without a word, I lunged at him with my sword.
He then performed dazzling footwork to evade the blade.
For nearly ten exchanges, I watched the flow of his energy and continued to observe him.
Once I had adapted to it, I lunged into his personal space in a single breath and aimed for his head.
"Hup!"
The moment he desperately jerked his head to the side, I shifted the direction of my sword.
My true target wasn't his head, but his chest.
Thuck!
The sword pierced slightly into his chest, but he crossed his daggers and struck upward.
His clothes were torn upward, and the Namcheon Iron Sword was also knocked back.
Clang!
He followed up with a kick toward me.
I also threw myself backward to avoid it.
The man frowned and said, “What are you? No matter how I look at it, the energy I feel from you doesn't match mine.”
Of course.
Unless one is an expert who has 'broken the wall,' they cannot sense Innate True Qi.
He likely gauged my martial prowess based only on the internal power in my Lower Dantian.
“You’re not someone I can deal with half-heartedly.”
“Shouldn't you have realized that before a sword was stuck in your chest?”
At those words, the man gave a sinister smile and said, “What does a wound like this matter?”
Then, something incredible happened.
The area on his chest where he had been stabbed began to heal rapidly, with veins wriggling and crawling over the wound.
'The wound is...?'