Chapter 85: The Proxy (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 85: The Proxy (3)
‘The Great Dao Heavenly Thunder Sword Method?’
Now that I thought about it, there was a legendary anecdote regarding the Sword Immortal.
It was a tale from the days when the Sword Immortal traveled the world, claiming he had slain a Dragon Serpent at Mount Lu using the Heavenly Thunder Sword Method he had realized there.
Since it was such an absurd story, I had simply assumed people were deifying the Sword Immortal, but it turned out to be a real martial art.
‘No.’
The older version of the Sword Immortal I met in my mindscape had said he had lost the specific forms of his sword techniques, and instead, he had helped me further develop the Life Bright Sword Technique.
‘Ah...’
A sword method that still possessed the Sword Immortal’s original forms.
As someone who lived by the blade, it was a temptation I couldn't ignore.
“Offering the Great Dao Heavenly Thunder Sword Method to a proxy who isn't even a disciple... Your intentions are far too transparent, Senior Brother.”
The woman wearing only one shoe spoke while shaking her head.
The Sword Immortal replied nonchalantly.
“We are facing a highly cultivated Taoist who possesses four Dharma Tools without even needing their power. If I do not teach him at least this much, how can he possibly stand against him?”
“Even so, this is excessive.”
“Better too much than too little. At the very least, this young man must not die because of my own karma.”
The Sword Immortal’s stance was firm.
Seeing his resolve, the woman let out a sigh.
Then, the middle-aged Taoist with a flute tucked into his waist spoke up.
“If Senior Brother is passing on the Great Dao Heavenly Thunder Sword Method, then I cannot afford to be stingy with my skills either. As the one who was responsible for managing the Dharma Tools, I shall pass on the Wood Garden Flower Pine Valley to this young man.”
“What! Junior Brother Han, are you serious...?”
The woman holding the lotus flower looked aghast.
It seemed she had intended to remain silent, having no initial intention of passing on her skills.
The middle-aged Taoist gave her a sly smile.
“If you have no suitable skills to pass on, Senior Sister, you need not force yourself.”
At his words, a deep furrow formed between the woman’s brows.
It seemed her pride had been pricked.
She spoke in a displeased tone.
“No suitable skills to pass on, you say?”
“You possess the talent to see fortune and calamity, but that is not something that can be mastered in a mere three or four years, is it? That is why I told you not to force yourself.”
That was the finishing blow.
The hand holding the lotus flower trembled slightly, and she spoke with a voice full of conviction.
“To dismiss the path of the Dao and the pursuit of immortality as a lack of skill... Fine. Then I shall pass on the Transformation Eye Method to this young man.”
‘The Transformation Eye Method?’
I was momentarily startled by her words.
Two characters were added to the front, but could it be the same Illusion Eye I knew?
As I was wondering, the Taoist in tattered robes holding a gourd bottle burst into a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! Junior Brother Han used his silver tongue to provoke Senior Sister into giving up her skills after all.”
“I merely suggested she shouldn't overexert herself.”
“Regardless, you’ve made her teach a great technique. Let’s see... then what skill should this humble Taoist pass on to the young man?”
As the Taoist with the gourd bottle rested his chin in his hand as if contemplating, the woman with the lotus flower said brusquely:
“Since we’re teaching everything from the Great Dao Heavenly Thunder Sword Method to the Transformation Eye Method, surely you aren't planning to be stingy. Why don't you pass on that Nine Clouds Myriad Flower Palm you’re so proud of?”
“That is...”
“Why? Were you going to give him some trivial trick instead?”
“Good grief.”
At her words, the Taoist with the gourd bottle slapped his forehead.
“I shouldn't have said a word; now I’ve been caught in a trap. Very well.”
The Sword Immortal clasped his hands in a salute to express his gratitude.
The Taoist with the gourd bottle then addressed the other Taoists who had remained silent.
“What do the rest of you Senior and Junior Brothers intend to do? Since it’s come to this, why not release your skills generously?”
“Hmph. I suppose there’s no choice.”
The Taoist sitting in front of the white donkey shook his head.
Then, he suddenly glared at me and said:
“If you ever teach the skill I pass on to anyone else, I will never forgive you.”
...Excuse me.
I haven't even said I’d help yet.
They were putting on the whole show by themselves; I didn't know what to do.
“Hmph. You don't even know how to be grateful.”
The Taoist snorted and clicked his tongue before speaking to me.
“I shall pass on the Golden Spear True Scripture, which contains the essence of my spear arts. I will be a harsh teacher, so be prepared.”
At his words, the Taoist with the flute laughed uproariously.
“Hahahaha! You talk as if you’re doing it reluctantly, yet you’re handing over the very technique that made you famous as the Spear King in the secular world.”
“I merely wish to show him that the sword is not everything.”
The Taoist’s brusque gaze turned toward the Sword Immortal.
It was as if he were asking, 'Are you satisfied now?'
The Sword Immortal bowed his head deeply in gratitude.
Then, he looked back and forth between the two remaining Taoists.
The Taoist holding the Yin-Yang Plate chuckled and spoke.
“I shall pass on the Snow Sound Flower Sun Dance. It will be of great help to this young man in understanding the principles of Yin and Yang.”
“Thank you, Junior Brother Jo.”
Naturally, the Sword Immortal’s gaze moved to the last person.
Excluding Great Immortal Jeongyang at the head of the table, she was the only one left.
“Sigh.”
The woman wearing only one shoe let out a long sigh.
She looked at me with a complicated expression before finally opening her mouth.
“If everyone else is passing on their skills for the greater good, I would look quite foolish if I were the only one who didn't.”
With those words, a startling transformation occurred.
The muscles in her face rippled, and wrinkles began to form until she had the exact same face as the Sword Immortal.
With the Sword Immortal’s face, she spoke.
“I shall teach you the Body Transformation Art.”
Even her voice was identical to the Sword Immortal’s.
Looking closely, her physique had also expanded to match his almost perfectly.
I had heard that among the eccentrics of the martial world, there were those who could manipulate their facial muscles to mimic others as if wearing a human skin mask, but this appeared to be a far more profound technique.
She had even seemingly changed her gender.
Ssssh!
The woman returned to her original form and said:
“It will be useful when you approach Jagyeongjeong. However, I too must warn you. You must never teach this to anyone else. If you swear that oath, I will teach you.”
She gave the same warning as the Taoist with the white donkey.
Then, someone added to her words.
“Not only that, but you must never teach any of the skills learned here in the Dohwaseon to anyone else. That is the prerequisite for passing them on.”
It was Great Immortal Jeongyang, sitting at the head of the table.
The Sword Immortal answered on my behalf.
“Of course.”
“If there is anything this young man still lacks after learning all the skills of the Lesser Immortals here, I shall fill that void myself.”
At his words, the other Taoists sent me looks of strange envy.
It was likely because he was the leader of all the Taoists gathered here.
Should I call this good luck?
None of the Taoists here were ordinary.
Therefore, every single skill they mentioned was extraordinary.
This also meant that I had to learn such incredible techniques just to stand a chance against that man.
But what if I failed?
If that happened, I might never be able to return to where I came from.
Then, the Sword Immortal bowed to each of the seated Taoists in turn before speaking.
“Thank you for granting my difficult request.”
“It is all to set things right, so how could we refuse? Now, it all depends on this young man’s choice.”
Great Immortal Jeongyang’s gaze turned toward me.
The other Taoists did the same.
The Sword Immortal stepped closer to me and spoke.
“While the damaged scripture is being restored, you can learn their techniques.”
“...I heard and understood. However, if I should fail, will I be able to return to where I came from?”
“That is...”
Before the Sword Immortal could finish, the woman holding the lotus flower cut him off.
“If things go according to your plan, Junior Brother, he won't be able to return, will he?”
‘!?’
In a moment of panic, I looked at the Sword Immortal.
The Sword Immortal took a long breath and said:
“I will make sure you can return.”
“How, exactly?”
I didn't need a mere assurance; I needed a concrete plan.
Then, the Taoist with the white donkey chimed in.
“Considering the time it will take to track the Dharma Tools and catch that man, it will be difficult to return to the Dohwaseon. How can you make such a promise?”
The Taoist with the gourd bottle added:
“I was wondering the same thing. If we don't catch your foolish disciple around the time he fled the Dohwaseon, it will be even harder to deal with him later. Surely you aren't telling this young man to catch him after returning to his original time?”
I was momentarily stunned.
If that were the case, how was it any different from asking me to give up the life I had lived just to catch that man?
“Is what they’re saying true?”
In response to my question, the Sword Immortal silently pointed out the window.
He was pointing toward the hill where the cave, the very heart of the Dohwaseon, was located.
“Because the scripture was damaged, the Dohwaseon is trapped in the middle of the flow. However, the moment the scripture is restored, it will move again.”
“And?”
“When that happens, it will be at a point in time not far from when my foolish disciple escaped the Dohwaseon. You can subdue Jagyeongjeong and retrieve the Dharma Tools then.”
“By what means? If the entrance to the Dohwaseon closes while I am trying to catch him, how can I return here?”
The Sword Immortal had told me back in the cave that because the Dohwaseon constantly moves along the flow, no one on the outside knows when or where it will appear.
Therefore, if the entrance closed, I would be trapped in this unknown time.
If that time were later than my original era, it would be the worst-case scenario.
The Sword Immortal spoke to me with a voice full of resolve.
“I will definitely send you back to where you belong.”
“How?”
“Even if I have to exhaust all my vitality, I will hold the flow of the Thirty-Six Celestial Scripture.”
At those words, the Taoist with the flute cried out in shock.
“Senior Brother! How can you do something so reckless!”
The reactions of the other Taoists were much the same.
They all spoke as if to dissuade him.
I couldn't understand why they were reacting this way.
But soon, I learned the reason from Great Immortal Jeongyang’s words.
“You know that if you exhaust all your vitality, your physical body will also wither. Are you truly prepared to endure that?”
“If this young man might be sacrificed because of me and my foolish disciple, how can I not be prepared to endure at least that much?”
I was momentarily speechless at the Sword Immortal’s words.
It was because he, too, was prepared to sacrifice himself.
The Sword Immortal said to me:
“I do not believe any of this is a mere coincidence. Everything is providence and destiny. If you do not catch my foolish disciple, the time you came from may also be in danger.”
“.......”
I closed my eyes and let out a sigh.
Was all of this truly destiny?
The people here in the Dohwaseon could not catch Jagyeongjeong, who had fled with the Dharma Tools.
If that were the case, there was no telling what Jagyeongjeong, who possessed such immense power and would live for a long time through his Taoist cultivation, might do.
At the Lesser Conversation Sword’s words, the Sword Immortal smiled faintly and said:
“That might be the answer.”
“Pardon?”
“It might be that nothing happened because you caught my foolish disciple.”
The Sword Immortal’s voice was full of conviction.
Hearing his voice, a strange sense of peace settled over me.
Perhaps it really was so.
Perhaps because I became their proxy and fulfilled my mission, those events never came to pass...
‘Wait.’
Suddenly, something flashed through my mind.
It was something Wicked Heart Granny Cheol Su-ryeon had said.
[That man was defeated by the successor of the Sword Immortal.]
Wait a minute.
There are two true successors of the Sword Immortal.
Jagyeongjeong and Yeoyangseon.
Since Yeoyangseon was the one kidnapped, if we exclude her, could it be that the escaped Jagyeongjeong was the one who defeated the man known as the Jonju?
If that were the case, the current time Jagyeongjeong fled to might be the period when the Jonju is directly revealing himself and active.
If I catch Jagyeongjeong, I might be able to discover the Jonju’s identity.
This could be a golden opportunity.
Would it be better to use Jagyeongjeong to wipe out the Jonju along with him?
The Lesser Conversation Sword agreed, but then the voice of the Namcheon Iron Sword echoed in my head.
‘Huh?’
‘Ah!’
I understood what the Namcheon Iron Sword was saying.
He was right.
If I killed the Jonju here, the future would be completely rewritten.
For instance, the Jonju was the reason the Namcheon Sword Guest ended up in a desperate situation and left the Namcheon Iron Sword in that cliffside cave. If the Jonju died now, that would never happen.
In that case, I would never have met the Namcheon Iron Sword, and the opportunity to relearn martial arts would vanish.
‘...In the end, even if I find out who he is, I can't kill him.’
For the sake of the events to come, I couldn't let him die.
Ultimately, the only thing I could do was find out who he was and nothing more.
I agreed with that.
To do that, I had to catch Jagyeongjeong.
At the very least, I shouldn't catch him immediately, but wait until he targeted the Jonju.
That would take quite some time; would it be alright?
I looked at the Sword Immortal.
The longer he held the Dohwaseon, the more his vitality would be depleted.
As I watched him with concern, the Taoist with the flute spoke.
“How can we let Senior Brother take all the responsibility alone? I shall join him.”
The Sword Immortal scolded him.
“This is not something you should get involved in, Junior Brother.”
“Not get involved? How long do you think you can hold the Dohwaseon alone? No matter how deep your vitality is, it would only be a day or two at most.”
“That is...”
“If I help, we can hold out for at least three or four days.”
“Junior Brother...”
The Sword Immortal and the Taoist with the flute looked at each other with deep affection.
Then, the Taoist in tattered robes with the gourd bottle raised his hand and spoke.
“I will help as well. That way, we can hold out for at least five or six days.”
Did that start a chain reaction?
The woman holding the lotus flower also raised her hand primly and said:
“I can't very well lose my fellow disciples to a moment of reckless bravado. I shall lend a hand as well.”
“If Senior Sister is stepping up, I can't just stand by either.”
The woman wearing only one shoe also spoke with a voice full of resolve.
Great Immortal Jeongyang watched them with a satisfied expression.
Then, the Taoist holding the Yin-Yang Plate spoke up.
“Um... I’m sorry to dampen the mood, but isn't there a way for him to return to the Dohwaseon?”
The Sword Immortal frowned and looked at him.
"What is it?"
The Taoist replied:
“It’s a bit of a shortcut, but if this young man becomes a temporary member of the Dohwaseon, wouldn't he be able to know when and where it appears, regardless of how much time passes? Then he could take his time catching Jagyeongjeong and bringing him back.”
‘!!!’
At those words, everyone couldn't hide their embarrassment.
They had all been so resolved to sacrifice themselves together, yet such a shortcut existed.
Great Immortal Jeongyang also hadn't thought of it, as he burst into a boisterous laugh.
The Sword Immortal let out a sigh of relief and asked me:
“So there was such a way. Now that the problem of sending you back is resolved, what will you do?”
Was there any reason to refuse?
I clasped my hands in a salute toward the Sword Immortal and the other Taoists and said:
“Jin Un-hwi offers his greetings to his many masters.”
.
.
.
And so, three years and eight months passed.