Chapter 85: The Proxy (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 85: The Proxy (2)
"Junior Brother... it doesn't have to be us."
As the Sword Immortal looked over, the middle-aged Taoist followed his gaze and turned toward me.
What on earth are they talking about?
While I was wondering, the middle-aged Taoist raised an eyebrow and spoke.
"Now that I think about it, I meant to ask—who exactly is this person? He isn't wearing Taoist robes, and his face is unfamiliar."
I could sense wariness in the middle-aged Taoist's tone.
It seemed most of the Taoists here reacted this way toward anyone who didn't practice the Way alongside them.
The Sword Immortal spoke to the middle-aged Taoist.
"This man is from the secular world."
"What? A secular person?"
At those words, the middle-aged Taoist jumped in surprise and pulled something from his waist.
Thinking it might be a weapon, my hand instinctively went to the scabbard of the Namcheon Iron Sword, but the object was nothing other than a flute.
It had a polished, jade-like luster that looked far from ordinary.
The Sword Immortal placed a hand between the two of us, speaking in a soothing tone.
"Junior Brother Han, calm yourself."
"What is the meaning of this? Bringing a secular person into Dohwaseon? If Great Immortal Jeongyang finds out, there will be an uproar."
"It was not this old man who brought him in."
"It wasn't you, Senior Brother? Then are you saying this secular man walked in on his own? How could someone without permission possibly..."
At that moment, the Sword Immortal's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
It seemed he was explaining the situation using the Secret Sound Transmission technique.
The middle-aged Taoist, who had been nodding along, suddenly looked at me in shock.
"Is that true?"
"It is."
"Heh. How could such a thing happen...?"
Judging by his reaction, the Sword Immortal must have told him that I wasn't someone from this current era. There was no other reason for him to react like that.
The middle-aged Taoist tucked the flute back into his waist and spoke.
"If that's the case, then he has essentially inherited Senior Sister Yeo's legacy. He isn't entirely unrelated to us, then."
"That is correct."
At the Sword Immortal's confirmation, the middle-aged Taoist offered a fist-and-palm salute and spoke in a softened voice.
"My apologies. I have unintentionally committed a discourtesy."
I felt a bit annoyed, but since I didn't want to cause a scene, I returned the salute.
"No, it's fine. I'm glad the misunderstanding has been cleared up."
"If you've inherited my Senior Brother's Way, you're practically a fellow disciple. You could even call me Senior Uncle..."
"Junior Brother Han."
The Sword Immortal shook his head as he called out to him.
The middle-aged Taoist let out an "Ah!" and nodded.
They were speaking in a way only they understood, making it difficult for me to guess the meaning.
I asked the Sword Immortal.
"What did you mean by what you said earlier? You said it didn't have to be you, and then you looked at me. Why?"
I asked him directly.
If they were discussing their own internal affairs, that would be one thing, but since they had brought me into it, it was no longer just someone else's business.
The Sword Immortal spoke to me with an apologetic expression.
"I apologize for saying that without asking for your opinion first."
"That's fine. As long as you tell me exactly what you meant."
At my question, the Sword Immortal let out a sigh.
He pointed toward the damaged scriptures and spoke.
"As you know, all of this happened because of this old man's lack of virtue. It is the karmic retribution for failing to raise my disciple properly."
"...How could that be your fault, Elder?"
It was entirely that madman's fault.
From my conversations with the Sword Immortal, I had realized that men of his character were rare. For someone to commit such acts under a master of such deep cultivation, the problem lay within the individual himself.
Or perhaps he was simply a flawed vessel from the very beginning.
"How can I evade responsibility for failing to correct that child's character?"
"Then wouldn't it be right for you to personally capture him and teach him a lesson?"
Before being a Taoist, he was the Sword Immortal, hailed as the greatest martial artist. Had he not suppressed both me and that man with nothing more than a shout?
"If you were to step in, Elder, I don't think capturing him would be that difficult."
At my words, the Sword Immortal sighed again.
"Do you think this old man doesn't wish to do so?"
"Then what is the problem? Is there a reason you cannot leave Dohwaseon?"
It wasn't the Sword Immortal who answered that question.
The middle-aged Taoist he called Junior Brother Han spoke up.
"We are beings who can neither interfere in the affairs of the secular world nor leave this place."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Long ago, we swore an oath before the Three Purities never to appear in or interfere with the secular world again. If we break this, we will be unable to ascend to the 36 Heavens and will lose even our Primordial Spirits."
‘Three Purities? 36 Heavens?’
I had no idea what he was talking about.
It sounded like terms from Taoist scriptures, but the conclusion seemed to be that they were physically unable to leave Dohwaseon.
But if the matter was that serious, shouldn't they be willing to risk it?
As if sensing my confusion, the Sword Immortal spoke.
"To lose one's Primordial Spirit means to fall out of the cycle of causality and lose both one's Soul and Spirit Fragment. Ultimately, it means the erasure of one's very existence."
‘!!!’
The restriction was that severe?
I didn't know about the rest, but the mention of losing one's Soul and Spirit Fragment was shocking.
If even the soul vanished after death, it truly was the extinction of one's existence.
"Then how did that man leave?"
Jagyeongjeong was also a member of Dohwaseon. If he had gone outside, it meant he had also accepted those risks.
The Sword Immortal shook his head.
"Only we eight Taoist masters took that oath."
The eight Taoist masters?
Did he mean the highest-ranking Taoists in Dohwaseon, including himself?
Then there should be a way for the disciples who hadn't taken the oath to join forces and capture him.
Was that not possible?
The Sword Immortal cleared up that doubt as well.
"However, all disciples of Dohwaseon have also sworn not to interfere in the secular world. Even if they didn't stake their Primordial Spirits on it, how could a Taoist break his own oath?"
"...So that man broke such an oath."
"He has essentially abandoned his own path to the 36 Heavens."
The middle-aged Taoist clicked his tongue.
In the end, it meant there was no one among the Taoists of Dohwaseon who could go out and catch the man.
When the Sword Immortal said earlier that he would go himself, he was showing his resolve to take responsibility even if it meant his existence would be erased.
Do you think I don't know that?
It was obvious.
It was just that I didn't think I was in a position to help the Sword Immortal either.
Think about it.
I have to wait for the scriptures here to be restored and then return to my own time.
But what if I impulsively leave Dohwaseon to catch that man and something happens, or I can't find my way back?
Everything would get tangled up.
I don't even know what era it is outside of Dohwaseon right now.
That's also difficult.
In a way, I'm living my second life because of the Spirit Treasure the Sword Immortal left behind.
It was as if I owed him my life, so refusing outright just for my own safety weighed on my conscience.
While I was agonizing over this, the Sword Immortal spoke.
"You must have sensed it vaguely, so I will be honest. This old man wishes to ask this favor of you."
He probably didn't just "sense" it; he likely overheard my conversation with the Lesser Conversation Sword.
But this request was truly hard to grant.
I couldn't bring myself to answer the Sword Immortal immediately.
Then, the Sword Immortal raised the sword he was holding toward the sky.
I wondered what he was doing, but then a brilliant light began to shimmer from the blade before shooting up into the heavens.
It happened in that very instant.
Rumble! Boom!
Suddenly, the sound of thunder echoed through the hollow.
Through the opening in the cave ceiling, I could see dark clouds gathering.
Then, along with a flash of light from the opening, a blue streak like a pillar of light skillfully passed through the gap and fell into the hollow.
CRACK!
It was none other than a bolt of lightning.
Blue sparks flew, and the ground where the lightning struck was scorched black.
I stared blankly at the sword the Sword Immortal was holding.
I couldn't fathom what kind of miracle this was.
The Sword Immortal spoke to the stunned me.
"This is Cheondun, one of the eight Dharma Tools of Dohwaseon."
"Ah..."
"It is a precious treasure capable of repelling demons and summoning thunder and lightning. I received it from a noble person at Mount Lu during my days of cultivation."
"You're saying... this is a Dharma Tool?"
It was a truly terrifying sword.
Weren't thunder and lightning the domain of the heavens?
To be able to summon them through the power of a sword meant it was nothing short of a divine artifact.
It wasn't called a Dharma Tool for nothing.
"That foolish wretch stole half of these Dharma Tools and fled."
"......That is a very serious matter."
I could see why the middle-aged Taoist had made such a fuss.
If someone had escaped with such artifacts, it was hard to even imagine what they might do in the outside world.
The middle-aged Taoist clicked his tongue and said, "It's a relief that it wasn't Senior Sister Yeo's Cheondun or Great Immortal Jeongyang's Spirit Treasure Brush Method. If it had been those, then truly..."
He shook his head as if the mere thought was horrifying.
The Sword Immortal nodded in agreement.
The middle-aged Taoist spoke to me persuasively.
"Look here. Imagine that man throwing the world into chaos with such dangerous Dharma Tools. Isn't it horrifying?"
"Junior Brother Han. No matter what, he has cultivated the Way; would he really misuse the Dharma Tools so recklessly? This old man is merely worried that they might fall into the hands of an ordinary person..."
"He killed three Taoists just to steal those Dharma Tools; what makes you think he wouldn't misuse them?"
"......"
At those words, the Sword Immortal fell silent.
He let out a long, frustrated breath.
Just as the Taoist said, if that man were to throw the world into chaos with the Dharma Tools, I wondered how many people in the world could possibly stop him.
Furthermore...
"......Setting everything else aside, if that man has several of these Dharma Tools in his possession, how am I supposed to catch him?"
This was the biggest problem.
Even when we actually fought, his martial prowess was not inferior to mine at all.
I couldn't even gauge if I could win even if I used Blood Demon Transformation and gave it my all—so how was I supposed to catch him?
"Were you planning to lend me your Dharma Tool, Elder?"
I pointed to the Cheondun sword the Sword Immortal was holding.
I had thought it was extraordinary.
While the Lesser Conversation Sword and other swords had their own wills, I couldn't hear even a whisper from the sword called Cheondun.
The Sword Immortal shook his head at me.
"That is not possible."
"What?"
"We don't know what kind of chaos will erupt with just the four Dharma Tools that have already left Dohwaseon. If you were to lose, even Cheondun would be taken."
"......Then how on earth am I supposed to catch him?"
Was he telling me to risk my life and reclaim the Dharma Tools with my bare hands?
If that was the case, I would have no choice but to refuse.
Repaying a debt of gratitude and throwing away one's life were two separate matters.
"Look here. Don't be so hasty. Do you think my Senior Brother would ask such a favor of you without any plan? Isn't that right?"
At the middle-aged Taoist's question, the Sword Immortal remained silent.
The middle-aged Taoist frowned and looked at him with an expression that said, 'Don't tell me you haven't even thought of that?'
The Sword Immortal shook his head.
"It's not that. It's because it is a matter that I cannot decide alone. This is..."
Suddenly, the Sword Immortal's body trembled slightly as he looked toward a certain direction.
He wasn't the only one.
The middle-aged Taoist also looked in the same direction.
Both of them simultaneously dropped to one knee and offered a fist-and-palm salute toward that spot.
I had no idea what was going on.
Soon after, the two of them stood up.
The middle-aged Taoist said to the Sword Immortal, "As expected, Great Immortal Jeongyang was also watching."
"Since the matter has grown this large, how could he not know?"
What were they watching?
As I looked on in confusion, the Sword Immortal spoke to me.
"For now, let us go to Jeongyang Hall."
‘...Jeongyang Hall?’
I followed the Sword Immortal and the middle-aged Taoist out of the hollow and toward the largest temple near the lakeshore.
It was the only building with eight stories.
As we entered the first floor, I saw far more Taoists than in Sunyang Hall, all chanting scriptures.
In this Great Hall, statues of the three supreme deities of Taoism—the Primordial Heavenly Lord, the Lingbao Heavenly Lord, and the Supreme Venerable Lord—were all enshrined.
"Hahaha."
At the Lesser Conversation Sword's remark, the Sword Immortal, who was walking ahead, burst into a hearty laugh.
I didn't respond to the sword, but I was thinking the same thing.
Judging by the attitude of the Sword Immortal and the middle-aged Taoist, it seemed the highest-ranking person in Dohwaseon was here.
As we ascended to the highest floor, we reached a hall that was smaller than the Great Hall but still impressive.
‘Ah!’
There were eight seats there, and in six of them—excluding two—sat Taoists with extraordinary appearances.
Each and every one of them was someone who couldn't help but stand out.
Following the Lesser Conversation Sword's words, I looked and saw a woman wearing a white veil and holding a lotus flower, and next to her, a woman with a flower basket who was wearing only one shoe. They were sitting side by side.
And on either side of them were a Taoist in tattered robes holding a gourd bottle, and behind them, a Taoist sitting quietly in front of a white donkey.
‘Strange. Truly strange.’
The middle-aged Taoist greeted the others and took one of the empty seats.
Opposite one of the empty seats was a man wearing what appeared to be official robes rather than Taoist attire.
"Yeo Mo has come at the summons of Great Immortal Jeongyang."
The Sword Immortal bowed his head in greeting to the person in the most senior seat.
It was an old man whose belly was as swollen as a pregnant woman's, which he didn't hide but left exposed. He held a large fan in his hand.
Stop it.
If you keep that up, I won't be able to stop looking at it.
I tried my best not to look at the old man's belly and shifted my gaze elsewhere.
However, the old man's eyes were fixed precisely on mine.
He possessed a profound depth, as if he could see through everything.
Then, the old man called Great Immortal Jeongyang spoke.
"I have already explained the brief circumstances to the Lesser Immortals here."
He knew what had happened without seeing or hearing anything?
At the old man's words, the Sword Immortal spoke contritely.
"I offer my apologies to the Great Immortal and everyone here for what has happened due to this humble one's shortcomings."
The old man shook his head at the Sword Immortal's words.
"Did I not tell you long ago when I was teaching you? Everything flows according to the natural order."
"That is so."
"This old man has also failed in raising disciples, so I have no intention of rebuking you for this."
"......"
"However, this is not a matter we can simply leave be. Sunyangja, I wish to hear what plan you have."
With those words, the old man looked at me.
The gazes of all the Taoists in the hall also turned toward me.
The Sword Immortal took a deep breath and spoke.
"Since my unworthy disciple fled with the Dharma Tools, ordinary mortals may be unable to do anything about it."
Then, the Taoist sitting in front of the white donkey spoke.
"Surely you aren't suggesting we send the other Dharma Tools outside as well?"
"How could that be, Senior Brother Jang?"
The Sword Immortal shook his head in denial.
Then, the woman holding the lotus flower spoke.
"Then, Senior Brother, how do you plan to recover the Dharma Tools and capture that child, Jagyeongjeong?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the woman wearing only one shoe next to her said, "Junior Brother. Surely you aren't thinking of asking that young man. He is not someone who belongs here. His mere presence here is already disrupting the natural order."
...It's not like I'm here because I want to be.
If that guy they're discussing hadn't stolen the Lesser Conversation Sword, none of this would have happened.
Just as I was starting to feel offended, the middle-aged Taoist with the flute spoke up.
"Senior Sister. He did not come here of his own will either. Even if we wanted to send him out, it is impossible until the damaged scriptures are restored."
At least he was defending me since we were somewhat acquainted.
I sent him a grateful look.
Then, the Taoist in tattered robes holding a gourd bottle spoke.
"Let us first hear Senior Brother Yeo's story. It won't be too late to decide something after that."
"Thank you, Junior Brother Lee."
Listening to their conversation, it seemed they were all fellow disciples.
Even though they were people who cultivated the Way, their thoughts were all diverse.
I didn't know what I was doing caught in the middle of this.
The Sword Immortal spoke again.
"As you all know, we Taoists of Dohwaseon cannot interfere in the secular world. However, even so, we cannot allow the Dharma Tools to cause suffering in the world. Therefore, I propose..."
With those words, the Sword Immortal pointed at me and said, "Let this young man become our Proxy and capture my unworthy disciple."
‘Proxy?’
At those words, I couldn't just stand by and listen.
"Elder. I'm sorry, but I still..."
"Please wait a moment. Listen to all of this old man's words before you make your decision."
"......"
I let out a long sigh and closed my mouth.
Fine. I should at least hear what the Sword Immortal has to say.
It wouldn't be too late to refuse if it really seemed wrong.
"This young man obtained the Spirit Treasure I left behind in the future, and through that connection, he came here. Do you believe that is merely a coincidence?"
At the Sword Immortal's words, the Taoists began to murmur.
Among them, the Taoist holding the gourd bottle asked directly, "Are you saying, then, that all of this is a predetermined natural order?"
"It is."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Of all people, this young man obtained the Spirit Treasure, and he entered this place exactly when my unworthy disciple committed such an act. Do you see that as a mere coincidence?"
"That is..."
"Does it seem like a mere stroke of luck that this young man appeared when no one in Dohwaseon could step forward?"
‘!?’
At those words, the Taoist holding the gourd bottle frowned and fell silent.
The other Taoists had similar reactions.
‘...It's not a coincidence?’
The Sword Immortal's words made me feel somewhat confused as well.
Come to think of it, the way things were clicking together felt strangely precise.
Then, Great Immortal Jeongyang, sitting in the senior seat, stepped in.
"Are you saying that all of this is the logic of what must happen?"
"Did you not say so yourself, Great Immortal? That all things happen according to the flow of natural order."
"Hmm."
At those words, Great Immortal Jeongyang let out a groan as if lost in thought.
Then, he spoke again.
"Even so, without a Dharma Tool, how is that young man supposed to face Jagyeongjeong, who has cultivated the Way and even possesses Dharma Tools?"
Agreeing with this, the woman wearing only one shoe also nodded and said, "I share the Great Immortal's thoughts. Although that young man's martial prowess is quite impressive, this is no different from jumping into a fire with a bare body."
"Therefore, I humbly ask the Great Immortal and the Lesser Immortals here for a favor."
"A favor?"
"During the four years this young man stays in Dohwaseon, I ask that each of you pass on one of your skills to him."
‘!!!’
At those words, everyone in the hall looked shocked.
The Taoist in front of the donkey spoke as if it were absurd.
"Look here, Junior Sister Yeo. Are you suggesting we take him as a disciple? If that happens, he too will belong to Dohwaseon..."
"As I said, I am requesting that you pass them on to him in his capacity as a Proxy, Senior Brother Jang."
"Ha..."
The Taoist in front of the donkey snorted in disbelief.
The reactions of the other Taoists were no different.
They looked at me as if the idea was preposterous.
‘What is he planning?’
I was also dumbfounded by his sudden proposal.
Who could have imagined he would demand these extraordinary Taoists hand over their secret techniques?
While everyone else reacted with disbelief, their leader, Great Immortal Jeongyang, suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
The other Taoists watched him in confusion as he laughed heartily. After a long moment, Jeongyang shook his head and turned to the Sword Immortal.
"You haven't changed. You're still looking for a shortcut, just like you used to."
"…I apologize."
"If this is indeed the natural order as you claim, then perhaps this is the answer."
At his words, the woman holding the lotus gasped and raised her voice.
"Great Immortal! Are you truly suggesting we grant Senior Brother's request?"
"Do you have a better solution?"
"I would rather the disciples…"
"Are you suggesting they abandon the Dao of the Thirty-Six Heavens and leave this place?"
The female Taoist fell silent. Jeongyang chuckled softly before turning back to the Sword Immortal.
"Since you've already essentially taught the young man your skills, only the others need to do so."
The Sword Immortal shook his head.
"I am the root cause of all this. How could I fulfill my responsibility with just a single technique?"
"Does that mean you intend to teach him as well?"
"I do. With your permission, I intend to pass on the Great Dao Heavenly Thunder Sword Method to him."
"The Great Dao Heavenly Thunder Sword Method? Hah!"
"Yes, Great Immortal."
Jeongyang clicked his tongue in amazement, then turned his gaze toward the other Taoists.
"If Sunyangja is going to pass on a technique of that caliber, the rest of you will lose face unless you offer something comparable."
The expressions on the Taoists' faces were truly a sight to behold.