Chapter 81: The Secret of the Jonju (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 81: The Secret of the Jonju (2)
My father-in-law, Moon Evil Sword Sama Chak, sent a message through Sound Transmission, his eyes filled with deep suspicion.
[I cannot understand this. How can you, who has not even crossed the first Wall, reach the realm of the Heart Sword?]
Now, how should I explain this?
Heart Sword.
It literally meant the sword of the mind.
True, it does sound like a vague concept when you first hear it.
As my father-in-law said, it is known as the stage where one controls a sword through sheer will alone.
In truth, while Sword Flight and the Self-Moving Sword Art are considered legendary, those who have achieved them appear from time to time.
However, the Heart Sword is an entirely different realm. It exists on a completely different plane.
The origin of this term traces back to a man from the ancient Zhou Dynasty named Baek Muja.
If the Sword Immortal was called the greatest under heaven with a blade, Baek Muja was the man called the progenitor of all sword sects in the Central Plains.
Though swords existed before him, he was the one who established the proper framework for sword techniques.
You know the basic sword technique that everyone who learns the way of the sword masters first, right?
‘…….’
It is the Three Talents Sword Technique.
It consists of three forms: 'Heaven,' a vertical cut; 'Earth,' a horizontal cut; and 'Man,' a thrust. These are the fundamental forms of all swordplay.
Yes.
He created the basic framework of the sword.
The words left behind by Baek Muja, the progenitor of the sword, have been passed down orally to countless swordsmen.
He said there are three realms of the sword.
The first is the realm of Divine Sword Unity, where there is nothing the sword cannot cut.
Yes. The second is the realm of Ten Thousand Swords Transformation, where even a blade of grass held in the hand becomes a sword.
If you can generate sharp killing intent through wind pressure alone, even a blade of grass or a wooden stick can emit a sufficiently sharp aura. Of course, I’m not sure if it’s possible to split a boulder with a blade of grass.
The final, third realm is the realm of controlling the sword through will.
It is said to be the ultimate stage where, even without a physical blade, a sword always resides in the heart, allowing one to pierce or cut anything without lifting a finger.
In truth, most people believe this third realm isn't a literal physical phenomenon, but rather an instruction to harbor a sword in one's heart and solidify that will.
Even Baek Muja, who formulated this theory, is not confirmed to have actually reached that ultimate peak.
Yet, my father-in-law believes I have reached the realm of the Heart Sword.
Isn't this just a type of suggestion and art?
‘!?’
……Now that you mention it, that’s true.
In a way, it is very similar to the Heart Sword Baek Muja spoke of.
Is the Heart Sword also a concept similar to deceiving the human senses?
I feel as if I could almost grasp it if I just reached out. It feels like this stifling fog would clear if I just waved my hand a little more, but my enlightenment hasn't reached that level yet.
Regardless, as Lesser Conversation Sword said, if I intend to deceive, it could truly look like the Heart Sword.
Even my father-in-law was misled.
I should clarify things for now.
[Father-in-law, what happened just now was not the Heart Sword. It was a type of art….]
[Do you truly believe such a thing is possible through mere arts alone?]
He didn't seem to believe me easily.
The common prejudice people have toward arts is that they are no different from evil arts. They believe that while arts can bewitch humans, they cannot cause actual physical harm.
It seemed my father-in-law shared that sentiment.
[It is not a lie, it really is….]
As I tried to explain, Wicked Heart Granny Cheol Su-ryeon, who had been sighing in hollow despair, spoke up.
“What are you doing? If you intended to sell out your mother, shouldn't you naturally take your own life?”
The person Cheol Su-ryeon was addressing was none other than her only unharmed adopted son, Cheol Eum-yu.
Because he had tried to divulge her secrets, she seemed to want him dead.
Despite calling him her adopted son, she was ready to kill him the moment he tried to harm her, regardless of the circumstances.
In the end, it was a false relationship between mother and son. They used those titles, but in reality, he was nothing more than a subordinate.
At that moment, Cheol Eum-yu formed a hand-blade and brought it toward his own head.
“This son follows Mother’s command.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Cheol Eum-yu attempted to strike his own Spirit Command Point to commit suicide.
At that moment, I flicked my finger.
Snap!
Exquisitely, his hand-blade stopped just before it touched his head.
I had temporarily frozen his movements with an art.
However, after his hand trembled for a moment, he muttered something and forcibly broke the art.
Grab!
But in that split second, I snatched his wrist.
Cheol Eum-yu looked at me and asked, “What are you doing?”
He wasn't the only one puzzled.
Cheol Su-ryeon screamed at me.
“What is the meaning of this? Let the brat die!”
“Mother is right. Leave me be,” Cheol Eum-yu added.
He’s certainly loyal.
It felt like a waste to let him die like this.
I looked at Cheol Eum-yu and said, “If you’re going to die anyway, I’d like to take that life for myself.”
‘!?’
At those unexpected words, Cheol Eum-yu frowned and stared at me.
Ignoring his reaction, I continued.
“Our Cult lacks those skilled in arts. I believe you, Cheol Eum-yu, could fill that role quite well.”
He was someone who had served by Cheol Su-ryeon’s side for a long time. Excluding her, he was practically a master of arts.
“……You want me to follow you, the one who killed my brothers and even threatens my mother?”
Cheol Eum-yu asked back, sounding as if he found the idea absurd.
I gave a short laugh and replied, “The brothers I know don't sell each other out, and the mothers I know don't urge their sons to commit suicide.”
At those words, Cheol Eum-yu fell silent, his face hardening.
He tried not to show it, but who wouldn't be disappointed in such a situation?
However, having already made up his mind, he let out a deep sigh and spoke.
“Blood Demon. This is none of your concern.”
With that, Cheol Eum-yu attempted to strike his head with his other hand.
It seemed that changing this firm resolve was the first priority.
I said to him, “Mu Jongyu.”
At that name, Cheol Eum-yu’s hand stopped mid-air.
He looked at me with trembling eyes.
“How…… do you know that name?”
It was Cheol Eum-yu’s birth name.
I had seen it in the memories I gained while absorbing Cheol Su-ryeon’s Spirit Fragment.
“Mu Jongyu?”
Cheol Su-ryeon, whose memories were jumbled, didn't even recognize the name I had spoken and tilted her head in confusion.
I had to hurry before she remembered.
I whispered to him, “I’m sure you’re more curious about your hazy past.”
“That is….”
Agitation flickered in the eyes of the man who had just tried to throw away his life.
The reason was simple. He, too, harbored doubts about his own past.
In fact, it wasn't just him; his deceased adopted brothers likely felt the same.
“How do you know that name?”
“Does that matter? Your past should be more important to you.”
At that moment, the confused Cheol Su-ryeon suddenly gasped and shouted.
It seemed her chaotic memories had finally aligned.
“Blood Demon! Don't you dare do anything useless…!”
Before she could finish, I pressed my finger against the center of Cheol Eum-yu’s forehead.
“Remember it for yourself.”
Tap!
"Gah!"
As I gave a light push with my finger, Cheol Eum-yu’s head snapped back as if something had pierced through him.
His eyes, staring upward, trembled violently.
Since a flood of sealed memories was rushing in all at once, he was likely experiencing a world-spinning dizziness.
Wicked Heart Granny Cheol Su-ryeon kidnapped children who resembled her own lost child and raised them.
Cheol Eum-yu was one of them. When she kidnapped him, she had slaughtered every single member of his family, the Anyang Mu Clan, leaving no one alive.
Yes.
Because Cheol Su-ryeon had forcibly placed a Restriction Seal on him so he couldn't remember the massacre.
I had broken the seal for now, but since he was already quite old, I wasn't sure how he would handle this reality.
“I told you to kill those unfilial children, yet you dare try something so useless.”
“I said I would guarantee your life. What I do with the others is none of your business, Cheol Su-ryeon.”
At my words, Cheol Su-ryeon gnashed her teeth.
She knew better than anyone that arguing with me here was pointless.
However, she was likely itching to kill Cheol Eum-yu, now that he knew her secret.
Just then, Cheol Eum-yu, who had been trembling with his head tilted back, straightened himself.
His face was contorted in agony from the shock.
When he finally turned his gaze toward Cheol Su-ryeon, his eyes were no longer filled with loyalty, but with burning hatred.
After all, she was the murderer who had brutally killed his biological parents.
I asked him, “Do you still intend to follow Cheol Su-ryeon’s orders?”
At my question, Cheol Eum-yu gritted his teeth and spoke.
“I…….”
Time to drive the stake in.
“If you follow me, you will no longer have to kidnap women for that old hag. And I can also release the Restriction Seal she placed on you that threatens your life.”
Cheol Eum-yu wavered at those words.
“I treat my people well.”
“……Can you also release the seals on my other brothers who aren't here?”
There were others who hadn't come to this place.
Well, that wasn't difficult. I gave a light nod.
At that, Cheol Eum-yu suddenly dropped to one knee, performed a Fist-and-Palm Salute, and spoke with deep respect.
“Though I am lacking, I ask the Leader of the Blood Cult to accept this man named Mu.”
He referred to himself by the surname Mu.
By using his original surname instead of Cheol Su-ryeon’s, he was signaling a complete break from her.
I felt a smile tugging at my lips.
I had been half-doubting, but he had requested to serve under me just as I intended.
Lesser Conversation Sword clicked his tongue.
How could I let such an opportunity slip by?
After the Maoshan Sect was destroyed, the number of people in the Central Plains skilled in sorcery and arts had plummeted.
In such a time, a man who had studied evil arts under Cheol Su-ryeon for decades had come under my command. Looking toward the future, this meant I could now train a corps of art-users.
If that happened, our combat power would increase significantly, allowing for a vast array of new tactics.
I’m in luck.
Unlike me, Cheol Su-ryeon was not pleased.
She screamed in a voice filled with spite.
“You dare betray your mother!”
“Betrayal? Ha! I have more than repaid you for raising me by serving you for decades. You old hag! But how will you take responsibility for the slaughter of my entire family?”
It was no longer Cheol Eum-yu, but Mu Jongyu, and he no longer called her mother.
To him, Cheol Su-ryeon was now an irreconcilable enemy.
If I released the seals on the others under her, they would likely react the same way.
Mu Jongyu said to me with a salute, “Cult Leader, if you wish, I will tell you immediately where the Extreme Ice Coffin containing that old hag’s physical body is hidden.”
Mu Jongyu was offering up her weakness of his own accord.
At this, Cheol Su-ryeon shouted urgently.
“Blood Demon! Do you intend to break our promise? If you do, I will never tell you anything about that man!”
She was desperately trying to cling to life with her only remaining card.
It was clear she was anxious about losing her original body.
I looked at Mu Jongyu and shook my head.
Well, since he was now under my command, I could find out where that body was whenever I wanted.
I walked toward Cheol Su-ryeon and said, “You’re in no position to haggle. I can find the Extreme Ice Coffin at any time and end your life permanently.”
“If you do that, you’ll never know what you want to know.”
“You’re acting tough.”
“Kill that brat. Then I will tell you.”
She seemed desperate to bury her secret.
To this, I spoke firmly.
“He is my person now.”
"Ah!"
At those words, a strange light flickered in Mu Jongyu’s eyes.
He probably didn't expect me to protect him over such important information when he had only just joined my ranks. But I had to show at least this much to earn true loyalty.
Lesser Conversation Sword clicked his tongue again.
Do you think winning people's hearts is easy?
Well, there was that, but I also had a rough idea of the weakness thanks to Ghost-Slaying Fist Demon Jang Mun-ryang.
I was only doing this to confirm if my suspicion was correct.
If the goal was to collect the five demon swords to overcome a weakness and find the Tomb of King Ping, I could simply go there first and take them.
The Jonju likely didn't even know the secret of the demon swords yet.
“………”
As I also stood my ground, she fell into a thoughtful silence before speaking.
“Then make a vow.”
“A vow?”
“Vow upon the title of the Blood Demon that you will absolutely not seek out the Extreme Ice Coffin for three months.”
She had changed the terms of the deal. She was using her head.
If I made the vow, she likely intended to move the coffin within those three months.
What else? I have to agree.
I nodded and replied, “Fine. I shall do so.”
“Cult Leader!”
Mu Jongyu tried to say something, but I held out my hand to signal him to stay back.
Then I said to her, “I have vowed upon the title of the Blood Demon. Now, speak.”
“……What was it you wanted to know?”
Finally, the story of the Jonju was about to come from her lips.
I asked the questions I was most curious about.
“The Jonju—why is that man gathering five swords? According to Yeong Jeong, one of your adopted sons, it is to overcome something. What is it?”
At my question, Cheol Su-ryeon took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Can you handle the truth?”
“Handle it?”
“Do you think knowing it will make you any more capable of handling that man?”
To hear such words from this old hag...
Just what was that man’s true identity?
“Just answer the question.”
At that, Cheol Su-ryeon snorted and spoke.
“That man has lived far longer than I have.”
That was something I had already guessed to some extent.
Even the man with two golden eyes had lived since the time of the master blacksmith Gu Yaja.
If so, it was highly probable that the one-eyed golden-eyed man, the Jonju, had lived just as long.
“How long has he lived?”
“I don't know exactly. However, it seems he has lived long enough to see imperial dynasties change several times.”
“He has lived through several changes of dynasties?”
My father-in-law, who had been listening quietly, asked back in disbelief.
Cheol Su-ryeon scoffed.
“Even I have lived for over two hundred years using this method. Do you think there couldn't possibly be a way to live longer than that?”
I suppose so.
If what she said was true, he was at least several hundred years old.
Judging by the mention of dynasties rather than just a single country, he might not have lived quite as long as the man with two golden eyes.
However, if he had lived that long, he was certainly a powerhouse far beyond Cheol Su-ryeon.
“So, what of it?”
“I believed that man was the ultimate martial artist who had achieved immortality.”
What? She spoke as if it were a thing of the past.
“However, even he had a single wall he could never overcome.”
“A wall?”
“He could not overcome the wall of the Sword Immortal.”
‘Ah!’
So, the man called the Jonju had fought the Sword Immortal and lost?
It made sense; the Sword Immortal was a peerless martial artist called the greatest under heaven with a blade. If he had lost even once, he wouldn't have remained a legend as he is now.
But then, completely unexpected words came from Cheol Su-ryeon’s mouth.
“It’s laughable, really. To think he was defeated not by the Sword Immortal, but by a mere successor who inherited the Sword Immortal’s legacy.”
“……The Sword Immortal’s successor?”