Chapter 507: Just Let Me Hold It Once. (14)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 507: Just Let Me Hold It Once. (14)
Namgung Bi-ah had a path.
It was the road she wished to walk as a swordswoman, the goal she yearned to reach. She fixed her eyes upon that distant, unwavering path and walked it relentlessly.
The destination was nowhere in sight, a journey so daunting it could break one's spirit. Yet Namgung Bi-ah did not stop.
Had she already seen the result?
-Come slowly.
She remembered the voice she had heard during the duel in Hanam.
-If you rush, unbefitting of your station, you are bound to fall.
-So take your time, lest you stumble.
Walk without wavering, so as not to stray from the path.
-Do so, and I shall give you a gift.
That voice was branded into her mind. She could not forget it.
Whose words were they? The old man’s blue martial robe was the only clue, marking him as a member of the Namgung clan. She didn't know his identity, nor why he had beckoned her this way.
But Namgung Bi-ah walked.
Just as the old man had said, she walked slowly, ensuring she did not stray from the path, no matter how long it took. And she did so without hesitation.
Swoosh-!
The sword in her hand sliced through the air. It was not wreathed in sword qi, nor was it bolstered by internal energy. It was a pure, unadorned sword art.
She simply swung.
Without her qi, the blade felt heavy and slow, but that didn't matter. What was important was staying true to the path she intended to walk. She focused on that alone.
Grrrk.
Her foot extended to maintain balance, meeting the ground with firm pressure. Her fingertips were light, but her lower body was incredibly heavy, anchoring her stance.
Drip-!
A bead of sweat trickled down her pale skin. The movement looked simple, but the physical strain to endure it was immense.
And so, the Second Sword.
Swish-!
As she swung, Namgung Bi-ah’s gaze was not on the sword's tip. Her eyes were closed. She had to understand the subtle shifts within her body as she brandished the blade. Without qi, she had to feel the difference through her muscles alone.
Her foot landed; her waist twisted. Her white hair fluttered. Using the recoil from the rotation, she brought the sword down.
Thus, the Third Sword.
Swoooosh-! A clear sound cut through the air.
At the same time.
Vwooom-!
The sword cried out.
Sword Resonance.
Hearing the sound, Namgung Bi-ah’s ears perked up.
This is the beginning.
The path she saw with her eyes closed had begun to react. It appeared before her: the illusion of flowers blooming on a withered road, the sensation of leaves sprouting from a dead tree.
The tension in her muscles, held taut for the movement, began to relax. A certain naturalness flowed into her swing.
It was as if… she were growing closer to her sword, little by little.
Vwooom-! Vwoom-!
Even without qi, the sword sang. Listening to it, Namgung Bi-ah continued to swing.
The Fourth Sword, and then the Fifth.
It was the sword art of the Namgung family, which she had practiced for so long. From a distance, it looked exactly as taught, but Namgung Bi-ah was creating subtle differences.
Voom-! Vwooom-!
Before long, the sound emanating from the sword grew louder than the sound of it cutting through the air. The Sword Resonance had amplified.
The Namgung clan's sword art was fundamentally based on qi. It was a style that could not be used without it.
Why was that? Namgung Bi-ah had always wondered. Why couldn't the Namgung sword be completed without qi? Could that truly be called completion?
The energy that represented the Namgung clan was Lightning Qi. The Emperor Sword Form, expressed with a domineering spirit. The common perception was of them unleashing thunder.
But Namgung Bi-ah had her doubts.
Why?
A clan that dreamed of becoming the greatest sword family. How could they not conceive of a complete sword? A sword that cannot be used without qi is, in the end, an incomplete sword. It could not be called whole.
Did the Namgung clan truly not know this? It was something she had always wondered, but she never voiced her questions. Her environment was not one where she could voice such opinions, and she herself had judged it meaningless.
Power flowed into the tips of her toes. Muscles tensed to express the sword art; her lower body strained to endure the movement. A sword art born from countless actions.
She had to eliminate the dissonance—that fishy, nauseating scent she felt within the sword art. To purge it, Namgung Bi-ah focused all her being on every single motion.
And so, after twenty swings. Exactly twenty.
“Hah… hah…”
Her movements stopped. She was drenched in sweat, panting heavily. She had no choice.
Clang.
The sword in her hand fell to the ground. At the same time, Namgung Bi-ah placed a hand on the ground, kneeling on one knee.
Drip, drip. Sweat fell from her fine chin. She tried to calm herself, but even that was difficult. She had not used qi, and had poured all her mental energy into concentrating on the sword art.
Even as she watched her sweat darken the earth, her mind was elsewhere.
…One more step.
Should I try just one more step?
Should I maintain this feeling and go a little further?
The desire was overwhelming. If she put her mind to it, she could go further. Just a little more, just a tiny bit closer to that distant destination.
Only by advancing, even by such small increments…
…can I protect… him.
She could build the strength to protect him.
Remembering that, Namgung Bi-ah pushed herself up and gripped the fallen sword.
“...”
Slide—click!
The sword slid quietly into its scabbard. In the end, she did not take that one more step.
Slowly…
The step she would take now would not be whole. She could do it, but it would be unstable. She would likely lose more than she would gain.
She must not lose her center just because she wanted to reach the end. Always remembering that, Namgung Bi-ah bit her lip.
It’s still so far. She could feel the immense distance to her destination.
Walking at this pace, will I ever be able to reach it?
A cowardly feeling brushed past her, but she suppressed it. She had always been good at enduring. Wasn't she enduring many things right now?
Most of them were directed at Gu Yangcheon, but she had to endure. She knew that if she acted on her impulses toward him, she would earn only his hatred.
She would endure. The sword was the same, so she had to endure.
She composed herself and slowly opened her eyes. She needed to wash up and change into a fresh martial robe.
…Where should I go…?
There was a place she had to go today. From the information she’d heard from her father, the Sword King, her great-grandfather, the Heavenly Venerable, was in Sichuan.
Namgung Bi-ah had requested that a letter be sent to him separately. Trusting in this, she planned to go find him.
The problem was…
…Where… to?
Where did she have to go to meet the Heavenly Venerable?
Should I start by slowly searching the mountains?
If she didn't know, she could just find him on foot. That was how Namgung Bi-ah had always found her way. She would meet him eventually.
With that thought, she turned to head for the back mountain.
“Well, now.”
A voice came from behind her.
The moment she heard it, Namgung Bi-ah drew her sword and swung.
Swoooosh-!
Clang-!
“…!”
She had thrust her sword toward the sound. But before it could properly accelerate, her sword path was blocked. The owner of the voice had intercepted her blade with its own hilt.
And so, Namgung Bi-ah saw him. Pale blue hair, shaking from the impact. It was the same color as her own.
“Was it because that monster over there was too big that I didn't notice? Hmm…”
Despite the sudden attack, the man’s expression was unconcerned. He examined her sword, as if gauging the extent of her strength.
Then, looking at Namgung Bi-ah, he smiled.
“My niece is quite the monster herself, isn't she?”
Only then could Namgung Bi-ah identify him. She had seen him before. He was the one who had followed Gu Yangcheon, the one called the Sleeping Dragon’s master. A man who shared the same Namgung blood.
“…The Monster of Wudang…”
The Monster of Wudang, Namgung Hyung. She presumed he was her father’s younger brother.
And he…
“My dear niece, by any chance.”
He looked at Namgung Bi-ah and spoke.
“Have you ever thought of becoming something like, say, the family head?”
“…?”
The words were completely out of the blue.
* * *
-Don't you need another mom?
That was what the White Ripple Sword had blurted out upon her sudden appearance.
As I frowned at this bizarre remark, she seemed to belatedly realize what she had just said. She quickly covered her mouth and fled.
What in the world was that about? It wasn't the first or second time that woman had acted strangely, but she seemed particularly odd today. Or maybe it was just because I hadn't seen her in a while. Perhaps she was always that strange.
Otherwise, her words made no sense.
Don’t I need another mom?
What the hell was she talking about? It was the craziest thing I'd ever heard.
I have more than enough already. What would I need another for?
Was she offering to become one if I needed it?
The White Ripple Sword as my mom?
Just imagining it sent a shiver down my spine.
The moment I shuddered at the dizzying delusion…
“…Stay still. I can't concentrate.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
The Immortal Healer, who was checking my pulse, uttered a complaint. At his words, I forced myself to compose my body.
Right after the White Ripple Sword left, I had gone to the Immortal Healer. I was about to tend to Tang Duk’s hand, but the gust of wind the White Ripple Sword stirred up cleared my head, making me realize I didn't have much time.
I had a lot to do today, so I couldn't afford to spend time on Tang Duk. After infusing him with some qi and ordering him to resume escorting Tang Soyeol, I headed to the Immortal Healer.
I had given him a heads-up, so he didn't seem particularly flustered.
As his dry hand touched my wrist… I felt a faint wisp of qi penetrate my body. It was the Immortal Healer's qi.
I had never been able to feel such an exchange before, but perhaps because of my transformation, I could feel it clearly.
How strange.
The Immortal Healer was not a martial artist. Yet he possessed a handful of qi. Did he need a certain amount to check the pulse of a martial artist?
He can examine my entire body with this little qi?
It was a truly minuscule amount, yet his energy was so solid it didn't dissipate, circulating through my entire body without tiring.
From head to toe, the qi made a full circle before returning to him.
Only then did the Immortal Healer open his closed eyes and remove his hand.
“…Hah…”
A sigh escaped him immediately.
“Your vessel truly has… been reconstructed.”
He had discerned that the vessel he'd said was on the verge of shattering had been properly formed.
“The frame has also become sturdier, and the density of your muscles is extraordinary. Your physique was never poor to begin with, but what on earth happened to you?”
“Are there any particular points I should be cautious about?”
“None. A body this perfect is something I am seeing for the first time in my life.”
Oh… I couldn't help but be surprised. As the man called the greatest healer in the Central Plains, he must have examined countless martial artists. For him to say my body was the most outstanding among them all… how could I not be surprised?
Does that mean it's okay to wreck it a little more?
If it was perfect, didn't that mean it could withstand rougher treatment? At this rate, I could significantly increase the intensity of my training.
[You brat, you speak of it as if it's a tool. Have you forgotten it's your own body?]
That’s what makes it convenient, isn’t it? It’s not someone else’s.
[No, that… never mind. Do as you please.]
After the pulse diagnosis, I twisted my body here and there. Fortunately, there seemed to be no major problems.
Just as I thought it was all over…
“…However.”
The Immortal Healer spoke, his voice tinged with doubt.
“There was a slightly strange part, faint as it was.”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems perfect, and yet, there was a certain dissonance. In the bones, the muscles… It’s not enough to be a concern, but there’s a nagging feeling.”
“...”
Hearing his words, I was inwardly surprised.
The dissonance he mentioned… …It must be an aftereffect of the Qi Body Transformation Technique.
It was likely a gap created by forcibly twisting my muscles and bones to change my physique. Since I was still using the technique, the Immortal Healer had detected it.
To put it another way… Even the Immortal Healer can only detect a slight dissonance?
It meant that even he couldn't properly discern a body changed by the technique.
But then… How did my father know the moment he saw me?
That was the only thing that was truly strange.
Remembering this, I reached into my robes and took something out. It was an item I had originally brought for the Immortal Healer.
A White Demonic Stone.
As the lustrous stone was placed on the table, his eyes widened.
“The White Demonic Stone you mentioned.”
“…This is…”
He reached a hand toward it. Seeing this, I immediately pulled it back. Just as his hand was about to touch it, the stone disappeared. I saw his brow furrow.
“Now, what do you think you're doing?”
He seemed to think I was playing a prank. He wasn't wrong.
“Originally, I was just going to give it to you. But it seems I'll have to add one more condition.”
“…What did you say?”
In contrast to my smiling words, his expression soured further. Of course it would. I was adding another condition to an item I had already promised to deliver.
But what could he do? Right now, I held the advantage, and the Immortal Healer was the one in need. He knew this, which was why he couldn't protest, despite his displeasure.
That must mean this is incredibly important to him.
I narrowed my eyes at the silent healer. Just how important was it that he desired it so desperately? He said he'd bring me Zhuge Hyuk's head, didn't he?
I don’t need to know that right now. It didn't matter.
“You said you were going to do something with this stone, didn't you, Immortal Healer?”
The reason was… “I'd like to watch you do it from the side.”
Because I could just find out starting now.
“…!”
Hearing my words, his eyes widened. The Immortal Healer's intention to use the White Demonic Stone for some purpose… my desire was to witness that act myself.
And furthermore, this wish was, surprisingly, also Elder Shin's.