Chapter 84: A Strange Connection (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 84: A Strange Connection (3)
“In the secular world, I believe they called him the Sword Immortal. You martial artists do love your titles, don’t you?”
Ah!
Now I knew who Sunyangja was.
It was the Sword Immortal’s Taoist name.
But did that mean she realized that what I called my master’s ‘Way’ wasn’t the Sword Control Art, but the power of Prison Torture?
Even the Eight Great Masters and the Great Villains hadn’t been able to recognize it.
Come to think of it, this woman spoke as if the Sword Immortal were her own master. Did she simply revere him as one who had ascended to immortality?
“...Who exactly are you?”
“Me?”
The woman chuckled, then cupped her hands in a formal salute, speaking with confidence.
“I am Yeoyangseon, the official second disciple of Lord Sunyangja.”
“The official second disciple?”
I didn’t understand what she meant. She spoke as if she were the disciple of a living Sword Immortal.
If this woman, who identified herself as Yeoyangseon, had truly inherited the Sword Immortal’s legacy, she must have obtained the third and final spirit treasure. But her mention of being the ‘second’ disciple implied there was someone else who had also inherited his teachings.
As I stood there puzzled, she spoke again.
“The fact that you’ve come this far means you received the calling and entered Dohwaseon to leave the secular world behind. So, isn’t it about time you revealed your identity?”
“My identity?”
“Yes. I need to know if you’re a fellow disciple or not so I can figure out where you fit in the lineage, right?”
This woman was more humorous than I expected. I don’t think I’d ever met a woman with such a diverse range of facial expressions.
-What will you do, Un-hwi?
I had never openly revealed that I had inherited the Sword Immortal’s legacy. The reason was simple: the repercussions of being known as the successor to the man called the greatest swordsman in the history of the Central Plains would be immense.
However, if this woman named Yeoyangseon had also inherited his legacy, it would be better to reveal my own connection rather than hide it.
I cupped my hands in return and spoke.
“I am So Woon-hwi, and I have inherited the legacy of the Great Sword Immortal.”
There was no need to mention that I had inherited two of the treasures, was there? That would only invite unnecessary trouble.
At my words, Yeoyangseon sheathed the sword she had drawn, looking as if her suspicions had been confirmed.
Then, she muttered softly to herself.
“Honestly, Master is too much. If there was another disciple, he should have just said so. No wonder Senior Brother is throwing such a fit because Master kept it a secret.”
What on earth was she talking about?
While I was wondering, she turned to the surrounding Taoists and spoke in a polite voice.
“I offer my apologies to the Taoists of the other lineages for the trouble my fellow disciple has caused.”
At her words, the Taoists grumbled as they helped up their fallen comrades.
“It would have been nice if you’d said so from the start.”
“No wonder he was like a monster...”
“Forget it. Let’s go to the hall. That lineage is always so mischievous.”
Yeoyangseon maintained a thick-skinned, beaming smile, repeatedly bowing and saluting. Once the Taoists had withdrawn, she approached me.
“How long have you been training?”
Was she asking how long I had been practicing since obtaining the Sword Immortal’s spirit treasures? Since it was so different from standard martial arts training, I wasn’t sure what metric to use.
As I hesitated, she continued.
“I’ve been training under Master for about fifty years. If you’ve been taught a skill that even my Senior Brother hasn’t mastered, you must have been training for at least a hundred years, right? Does this mean I’m getting another Senior Brother? Sigh.”
“!?”
Fifty years?
Did this woman just say she had been training for fifty years? No matter how I looked at her, she didn't seem a day over twenty. I had assumed she was a martial talent on par with Baek Hye-hyang.
“Fifty years? Then your age must be sixty or seventy?”
“If you received a Golden Pill from Master, you should be much older than me. Why are you so surprised?”
“What are you talking about? I’m only twenty-two...”
“What?”
Before I could even finish, Yeoyangseon’s eyes went wide. She looked at me as if she couldn't believe her ears.
“Wait. You mean he taught you such an incredible skill when you’ve only been learning for a few years? This is really too much. It’s not just Senior Brother who should be complaining; I should be complaining too!”
“What exactly are you talking about?”
She was saying things I couldn't understand at all. I decided I needed to state my own business.
“Young Lady...”
“You! If you’ve only been learning for a few years, you should call me Sajeo (Senior Sister)!”
“Senior Sister?”
“Of course, Senior Sister. Did you think I was your Junior Sister? I might look young and pretty, but I’ve been learning from Master for decades longer than you. What’s with this ‘Young Lady’ business?”
“.......”
Was she really trying to settle the hierarchy right now? She gave me a bright smile.
“Come on. Give it a try. Say ‘Senior Sister.’”
She seemed to be enjoying this immensely. It felt like she was delighted to finally have someone below her.
-Just go along with it, Un-hwi.
If she truly had inherited the Sword Immortal’s legacy long before me, treating her as a Senior Sister wasn't technically wrong.
I let out a deep sigh and spoke.
“If that’s what you want to be called.”
“Senior Sister!”
“I get it, so...”
“Senior Sister!”
“...Senior Sister. Now, about that pale-faced man...”
Squeeze!
“Oof!”
Suddenly, without warning, Yeoyangseon pulled me into a tight hug.
“Kyaa! I finally have a Junior Brother! My days as the youngest are over!”
I felt like my face was being smothered by her chest. I hadn't noticed because of her fluttering battle garb, but she was much more well-endowed than I had realized. Embarrassed by having my face buried there, I hurriedly pushed her away.
“Stop that. There should be boundaries between men and women...”
“Oh my. Are you shy? Our Junior Brother is so cute.”
She smirked at me. Being treated like a child made me feel strange. I composed my expression and spoke to her.
“Enough. Just tell me where that man is. That dagger is very precious to me.”
The Lesser Conversation Sword was like family to me, and it was a memento of my mother. I couldn't let it be taken by someone else.
At my words, Yeoyangseon smiled.
“It must be a precious dagger. But Junior Brother, do you realize that the pale-faced man you’re talking about is your Senior Brother?”
“Senior Brother?”
“Yes. Your Senior Brother. Actually, I suppose I should call him Eldest Senior Brother now. Anyway, are you worried Eldest Senior Brother might break your dagger? As if he would do such a thing.”
Yeoyangseon called herself the second disciple. That meant the man she referred to as Senior Brother was likely the one who had mastered the third spirit treasure first. It made sense; I had already suspected he was no ordinary person, given how he had forcibly pulled the Lesser Conversation Sword—which was flying via Prison Torture—into his hand using Void Object Retrieval.
What a coincidence. I had entered the misty forest by chance, only to encounter those who had mastered the third spirit treasure.
However, everything here was suspicious—from the Taoists and the scenery that looked like a paradise on earth, to the sudden shift between day and night. I was curious about the reasons behind it all, but the Lesser Conversation Sword came first.
“Just let me meet him.”
“You certainly are in a hurry. Well, I was on my way to see Master anyway.”
“You’re going to see Master? Is he at the Great Sword Immortal’s shrine?”
At my question, Yeoyangseon’s lips twitched. Then, she suddenly burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! A shrine? What are you talking about? Anyone would think Master ascended to immortality ages ago.”
“......What do you mean by that?”
I had felt a subtle dissonance in our conversation for a while now. It was common knowledge that the Sword Immortal had ascended over six hundred years ago. I had even met and spoken with his Baek (Spirit Fragment), which was essentially his soul.
Yet here she was, speaking as if the Sword Immortal were still alive.
“What do I mean? Master is right there in Sunyang Hall. Calling it a shrine is practically blasphemy.”
She laughed so hard she clutched her stomach. I was utterly bewildered.
I looked toward where she was pointing. On the plaque of a building that looked like a grand temple, the words ‘Sunyang Hall’ (純陽殿) were written in large characters.
The Sword Immortal... is alive?
*
I followed Yeoyangseon into Sunyang Hall.
The first floor was a grand hall where about twenty young Taoists were chanting scriptures before a large statue of the Primordial Heavenly Lord. The atmosphere was incredibly solemn.
Yeoyangseon put a finger to her lips, signaling me to be quiet. Following her, we crossed the side of the hall to a staircase leading to the second floor. We passed the second floor and went straight to the top, the third floor.
On the third floor, I saw a room where the entire wall was covered in paper screens. In front of it, a hunchbacked old man was writing like a scribe.
Yeoyangseon bowed deeply to him.
“Martial Uncle.”
“Ah, Yangseon is here. Have a sweet before you go.”
The hunchbacked old man nudged a dish of five-colored sweets on his desk toward her. Yeoyangseon shook her head.
“No, thank you. I’ve come to see Master. Is Senior Brother inside as well?”
“He is. But I think it might be difficult to go in right now.”
“Ah... so trouble has finally brewed.”
The old man shook his head and sighed.
“Seeing those two reminds me of the days when your Martial Father was under our Master. But who is this young friend who entered Sunyang Hall without wearing Taoist robes?”
The old man finally turned his attention to me. As I was about to salute him myself, Yeoyangseon spoke first.
“Oh, he’s a disciple Master took in secret.”
“In secret?”
“Yes. Seeing as he’s even mastered Master’s Way, he’s definitely an official disciple.”
“Ho? Is that so?”
The old man looked at me with interest and gave a slight nod. I cupped my hands and bowed my head slightly in return.
“No wonder you seemed so excited.”
Yeoyangseon grinned broadly.
“Well, my days of cleaning up after those two senior brothers are finally over.”
She was acting as if I truly were her Junior Brother. It seemed all my questions would be answered once I stepped inside. If the Sword Immortal was truly alive, as Yeoyangseon claimed, it would be truly astounding.
Just then, a thunderous shout erupted from behind the paper screens.
—You rascal! Is that all you have to say after coming here?
“!?”
For a moment, I couldn't believe my ears. That voice was unmistakably the Sword Immortal’s. It was the exact same voice I had heard in my mindscape and every time I opened a new star of the Big Dipper.
The only difference was the raw anger laced within it.
Despite the fury, Yeoyangseon giggled as if this were a common occurrence.
“See, Junior Brother? Why would you try to put a perfectly living Master in a shrine?”
Rather than listening to her, I focused all my attention on the voice behind the screens. Since the volume had increased, I could hear it clearly by sharpening my senses.
—The Imperial family’s senseless oppression is leading to the misery of the innocent people. How can you just stand by and watch?
That voice. It definitely belonged to him. The man who had taken the Lesser Conversation Sword.
“Your Senior Brother really is something, doing this day after day.”
“He has a natural talent for adding wrinkles to Master’s face.”
I wanted to go inside, but did I have to keep waiting? The voice of the man who took my dagger continued from within.
—Do you think it will end once they’ve suppressed the martial artists? No. That ambitious man will eventually target hidden Taoists like us as well.
—Hmph. And how exactly would they find us? This place is...
—Are you going to ignore the Maoshan Sect?
What? Did he just say the Maoshan Sect? I couldn't understand why he would mention a sect that had been destroyed. It made me prick up my ears even more.
—Why bring them up?
—I must. Did the Masters not refuse to invite them to Dohwaseon because they claimed they toyed with the dead?
—The Way they pursue is fundamentally different from ours. How could we ever walk the same path?
—Even if the arrows of their resentment are aimed at the martial world and us? What will you do if the Maoshan Sect joins hands with that man?
The more I listened, the more confused I became. They were speaking as if the Maoshan Sect, which had been wiped out long ago, still existed. Or was the Maoshan Sect still maintaining its lineage in secret?
—Sigh. Enough. How can you get worse as time goes on? You should learn from your Junior Sister. A fellow who should be deepening his cultivation is so obsessed with the secular world.
—Weren't you and Martial Uncle the same in the past? If anything, you were even worse than me.
—Hmph. And do you know what happened to your Martial Uncle because of that? Do you wish to end up like him?
—.......
A brief silence followed. Yeoyangseon and the hunchbacked old man were also listening intently, their expressions somber. Eventually, the voice spoke again.
—Is that what you intend anyway? Have you not already erased me from your heart, Master?
—How could you say such a...
—Otherwise, there’s no reason you wouldn't acknowledge the relationship between me and Junior Sister Yeo.
—How can I acknowledge a Taoist obsessing over such secular relationships? You truly haven't come to your senses. Leave at once and go to Hwapyeong Rock for wall-gazing meditation...
—No. I will not leave.
—What?
The argument between the two was growing increasingly heated. It felt like it was reaching a breaking point, far beyond a simple daily occurrence. Yeoyangseon, who had been smiling just moments ago, now looked grim.
—If you truly considered me the successor to your legacy, you wouldn't have taken in another disciple like this. What do you think this is?
—What is that dagger?
The dagger? Was he showing him the Lesser Conversation Sword?
Without thinking, my body flinched as I prepared to rush forward, but Yeoyangseon grabbed my arm.
“Wait, Junior Brother.”
At her words, I exhaled and stopped. The voices continued from behind the screens.
—Can you not read it yourself, Master?
—You are forcibly suppressing the sword’s energy. How am I supposed to communicate with it?
—...Was I really that untrustworthy? Is it so wrong to worry about the people in misery and the masters and brothers of Dohwaseon?
—Gyeongjeong...
—I am asking why you won't give me a chance!
—I am always giving you a chance.
—No! Then why is it that after seventy years of serving you, you passed your Way to someone else instead of me?
—I passed my Way to someone else? What on earth are you talking about? Delusions have seized you. Come here.
—Will you still say that after seeing this?
CRASH!
At that moment, the paper screen doors were torn from their tracks and flung open. Through the wreckage, I saw a pale-faced youth holding out his palm toward us.
Behind the youth stood an old man in snow-white robes with the air of a transcendent immortal. He had his hands behind his back and was turning toward us with a scowl.
The Sword Immortal!
My eyes nearly popped out of my head. The Sword Immortal was truly inside. And he looked a bit younger and more vigorous than when I had seen him in my mindscape...
A bit younger?
If my eyes weren't deceiving me, he was still an old man, but he definitely looked younger. His hair wasn't entirely white; there were still strands of black mixed in.
The pale-faced youth pointed at me and spoke.
“How do you explain him? Is he not your secret disciple?”
The Sword Immortal frowned at his words.
“...I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is this man, and how did he enter Dohwaseon?”
Looking at the Sword Immortal’s expression, he seemed genuinely not to know me. Had I not seen him in my mindscape? If so, then who—or what—was the Sword Immortal I was looking at now?
“Senior Brother, stop this. This isn't like you.”
Yeoyangseon stepped forward and spoke to the pale-faced youth. But the youth didn't budge. Instead, he turned back to the Sword Immortal, looking exasperated.
“Ha! You’re going to play innocent until the very end? If he’s not your disciple, then why is it that with this dagger...”
Grip!
It happened before he could finish his sentence.
Having closed the distance in an instant, I grabbed the youth’s wrist—the one holding the Lesser Conversation Sword. The youth turned to me, his face twisted in a terrifying scowl.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I spoke to him in a voice that had gone cold.
“You’re quite bold for someone who stole something that doesn't belong to him.”
“Stole? Ha!”
Internal power began to surge in his hand. He was trying to use the repulsive force of his energy to fling me off, but did he really think it would be that easy? I circulated my own internal power in response.
Tremble!
Both his hand and mine began to vibrate simultaneously.
“!?”
When his hand remained trapped despite his efforts, his eyes narrowed. I gave the youth a low-toned warning.
“If you ever want to use chopsticks again, you’d better let go of the Lesser Conversation Sword.”