Chapter 105: Sword Saint-2
Chapter 105: Sword Saint-2
I sat in that spot for a long while, as if I had fallen into a state of selflessness.
I had once heard rumors about a martial art where one enters their dreams to train.
A mysterious martial art where, within the dream space, one could endlessly replay desired memories, or even conjure a past opponent to spar against.
Of course, I couldn't use that martial art.
But I could do something faintly similar.
That was, using my greatest talent—memory—to replay a scene I had witnessed in reality, exactly as it was.
In meditation, I recalled the wondrous sword strike I had just witnessed.
And then, the scenery from before, the figure of the Sword Saint, and that transcendent sword strike began to unfold vividly within my mind's eye once more.
'Actually, the reason I was able to internalize the things I learned from Mukrang so quickly was thanks to this method. The application of Divine Eagle Flight, and Emptiness is Form too.'
Especially in Mukrang's case, since it wasn't just observing a movement but my own body moving, being able to recall even the feeling and sensation from that moment had been an immense help.
So even now, I was continuously and repeatedly observing the Sword Saint Elder's slashes and thrusts within my mental image.
So that his breathing, his movements, his sensations would all be etched into my soul.
After meditating like that for a long while, I slowly opened my eyes, accompanied by a slight sense of regret.
It was because I had a dinner appointment soon, so I couldn't continue training.
'A shame. I wanted to see it at least a thousand more times.'
But as I opened my eyes with that thought, I was startled by what I saw before me.
Because right in front of me, the Sword Saint Elder had been waiting for me until my meditation ended.
And with a pleased smile, he was gazing at me gently.
"Wh-What, Sword Saint Elder?!"
I was so flustered that for a moment, I didn't even know what to say.
Instead, the Sword Saint Elder spoke to me first.
"I wondered what we'd do if you were late for the dinner gathering, but you woke up at just the right time. Now, let's go together."
Today was the day of our Seventh Squad's dinner gathering.
It was a gathering serving as both a farewell party for Miss Cheongyeon and me, and a welcome party for Ma Maeng-un and Miss Ya Un-hyang.
It was a bit unfortunate that Miss Na hadn't returned yet, but since we didn't know when she'd be back, we decided to go ahead with those of us who were present.
The Sword Saint Elder must have been waiting to take me there.
"If I had known you were here, I would have gotten up sooner. My apologies."
When I offered my sincere apologies to the Sword Saint, he laughed heartily and shook his head.
"Hahahaha! I was watching because it was a pleasure to see you so focused. If I had caused you to lose your concentration in training, wouldn't I have been the sorry one instead? So there is absolutely no need for you to be sorry."
"Still, didn't you waste too much time because of me? When it was time that could have been spent with Miss Cheongyeon."
At that, he glanced around briefly and then whispered softly.
"I may love my daughter more than anyone in the world, but that doesn't mean I want to be with Cheongyeon every single moment. I need to have my own life too, don't you think? Of course, what I just said is an absolute secret from Cheongyeon."
At his joking manner, winking as he spoke, a slight laugh escaped me.
He could put someone at ease so quickly; he truly was the Sword Saint Elder, I thought.
I suddenly asked him.
"Why do you so generously bestow teachings upon us, who are of no relation to you? To us, who are neither your disciples nor your sect juniors."
To a martial artist, martial arts or profound insights were the greatest treasures, incomparable to material wealth.
Therefore, it was extremely rare for a martial artist to teach outsiders who were not disciples or sect members.
Furthermore, wouldn't the growth of other sects' disciples potentially become a threat to one's own sect in the future?
But the Sword Saint did not seem to think that way at all.
Though he didn't teach his Stellar Net Sword Art, whenever he had the chance, he generously gave instruction to all the warriors of the Flying Dragon Squad.
At first, I had thought perhaps he was extending kindness to us because we were Miss Cheongyeon's comrades.
But later, I learned that wasn't the case either.
Because he had given the same instruction to other Flying Dragon Squads just as he did to us.
So while his actions were certainly something to be immensely grateful for, on the other hand, it was also true that they raised questions.
At that, the Sword Saint sank into thought for a moment, then smiled faintly and abruptly began to speak.
"In my childhood, my dream was to become the greatest hero under heaven and create a world where righteousness and justice lived."
At his slightly unexpected words, I nodded with a touch of admiration.
"Ah, I see."
It was a story that could only inspire admiration.
Because he truly had become the greatest hero under heaven, just as he had dreamed in his childhood.
A life where one's dream had been fulfilled—it was admirable and enviable.
But the Sword Saint Elder, for some reason, continued his next words with a bitter expression.
"Now, to my shame, I am called the greatest hero under heaven. In that aspect, you could certainly say I have achieved my dream. But, you see. Even though I came to be called the greatest hero under heaven, a world where righteousness and justice lived simply never came. No matter how many vicious demon heads I killed, no matter how many evil men I punished, the world remained a harsh place for the weak to live. In fact, after gaining that empty reputation, it even became harder to punish them. Because the bastards began to avoid me like cockroaches."
Having spoken up to that point, the Sword Saint Elder suddenly let out a chuckle. It was a laugh tinged with a sense of self-deprecation.
And he spoke bitterly.
"It was arrogance. To think that I could change the world with my strength alone."
A sigh suddenly escaped me.
His confession resonated deeply within me as well.
Wasn't I also aiming to change the future with my own strength?
But if even this Sword Saint couldn't do it, had my own thinking been arrogance after all?
My heart grew complicated.
Just then, he grinned at me and said,
"So I pondered for a long time. And I was able to reach a conclusion of my own. This was my conclusion. To create a world where righteousness and justice live, it is absolutely impossible with my strength alone. In that case, it was an absolutely impossible task. Aren't there evil men among the weak, and evil men among third-rate warriors as well? But the ones I could deal with were only the masters who had become famous."
Then, with a sudden, mischievous look, he continued.
"So I thought. But even if it's hard for me alone, wouldn't it be possible if I increased the number of people to work together? By making good ordinary people strong if there are evil ones among them, and by making good third-rate warriors strong if there are evil ones among them. If the number of people equipped with righteousness and justice increases in each group like that, then eventually, won't a world where righteousness and justice lives finally come?"
The light in his eyes as he spoke those words was burning so intensely. Like a young man full of passion, like a conqueror harboring the ambition to dominate the world.
"Did you just ask if I am transmitting teachings to outsiders who are of no relation to me? That cannot be. Those words are very mistaken. They are absolutely not 'of no relation.' Are you all not comrades who will fulfill my dream together with me?"
For a moment, my heart swelled with emotion, and I couldn't say anything.
Because I was overwhelmed by his passion as he laughed like a boy, by his greatness in calling everyone his comrade.
He was truly the greatest hero under heaven, without a doubt.
"Your reasons for being on the frontlines must be varied, of course. But nonetheless, I think this way. For you who are dedicating the precious time of your youth to fight the Blood Cultists, there is no shortcoming in calling you heroes. So, isn't it only perfectly natural for me to help you become stronger?"
Having asked that, he looked at me with warm eyes.
It was a gaze so warm, the kind I had rarely ever received from adults in my memory.
And then, as if remembering something, he went 'Ah!' and spoke again.
"Of course, on the frontlines, there may also be characters like that Ma Yu-gyeom from last time. But didn't you, who received my teachings, stop him? Is this not proof that my dream is being achieved? Hahahaha!"
My throat choked up for a moment, but I managed to smile and open my mouth.
"I see. You are indeed achieving a truly grand dream, Elder."
At that, he grinned broadly and said,
"Indeed! You understand! Honestly, when I tell my close friends such things, they only scold me, saying I still haven't grown up despite my age, hahahaha! Indeed, my sa... Anyway, thank you, hahahaha!"
After laughing heartily for a good while, as if thoroughly pleased, he suddenly asked me.
"But, I'm also curious about your story. Might I ask what your dream is?"
At his question, I shook my head with an embarrassed smile.
"It was a small goal, unworthy of comparison to your dream, Elder. I am too ashamed to even mention it."
At that, he grinned and shook his head.
"Don't be. If there's one thing I've learned at my age, it's that everyone is different. Those who cannot accept that fact, once they gain strength in martial arts, often become a blight upon the world."
Those who could not accept the existence of others different from themselves became a blight when they gained power.
The words resonated deeply within me.
He continued.
"So do not be ashamed. What does it matter if your dream is to become the strongest under heaven and dominate the world, or to build a happy, close-knit family? It's all your own dream. As long as it isn't a dream of exploiting the weak, what's the harm? Do not be ashamed of your own dream. In my view, that would be an apology owed to the dream itself. Ah, of course, this is just my personal opinion."
I could not help but admire his final words once more.
I had seen many masters who proclaimed their truths as the ultimate, righteous way, but I had never seen masters who said it was merely their personal opinion, as Lee Geon did.
Such generosity and consideration—to accept the differences of others without imposing one's own thoughts—how could one possibly grow to have such a heart like his?
I couldn't help but feel the deepest respect for him.
In that moment, I felt an overwhelming urge to tell him my own dream.
Because I felt that someone like him would surely cheer me on and promise to help.
I carefully opened my mouth.
"My dream is to erase the Blood Cult from this world. So that the people around me will no longer die because of them. That is my dream for now."
Hearing this, he patted my shoulder with a pleased expression and said,
"Just as I thought! I recognized right away that you were a true hyeopgaek! Yes, I sincerely hope you achieve that dream. I will help you to the full extent of my power!"
These were words of immense reassurance.
With a truly grateful heart, I bowed my head in thanks.
"Thank you. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you."
At that, he paused for a moment in thought, then suddenly spoke again.
"But tell me. I may be mistaken, but somehow I don't see *you* in that dream. Where is your own place within it?"
"...Pardon?"
His question left me utterly bewildered.
I wasn't in my own dream?
It was a question I had never considered before.
"You erase the Blood Cult. You save the people around you. It's a very admirable dream. But in that world where the Blood Cult has vanished, what are *you* doing?"
Only after thinking for a moment could I understand what he meant.
His dream was to become the greatest hyeopgaek under heaven and create a world where righteousness and honor lived. So his dream included himself, living as that greatest hyeopgaek.
But in my dream of creating a world without the Blood Cult, my own position didn't really exist.
It was something I only realized just then.
He spoke to me with a somewhat serious expression.
"This, too, is merely my personal thought. But at the very least, I believe that your own self is just as important as this world. Those who think themselves more important than the world may become villains, but I've seen many cases where those who think the world is more important than themselves ultimately fall into emptiness. The emptiness that comes when the world you thought more important than yourself turns out to be different from your expectations, I mean."
The world I thought more important than myself being different from my expectations?
The words didn't quite land for me.
Wasn't the world always a place different from my expectations?
At that, as if reading my expression, the Sword Saint gave an example to explain.
"This might be a bit of an extreme case, but what if you succeeded in bringing down the Blood Cult, but the others who came to rule the world because of it turned out to be villains just as bad? What if the people who survived thanks to you ended up throwing the world into chaos no less than the Blood Cult did?"
This time, I understood clearly.
Because the Murim Alliance immediately came to mind.
What if I brought down the Blood Cult, and then the Murim Alliance, now unrestrained, caused the deaths of my precious people?
The mere thought was unbearably bleak.
I abruptly asked him.
"Have you ever felt such emptiness yourself, Sword Saint Elder?"
He'd said earlier that he had seen such people, but the question slipped out because it sounded somehow like more than just someone else's story.
At that, he smiled bitterly and answered.
"Well, the results of chivalrous deeds are not always beautiful, after all."
I simply nodded at his answer.
The weight carried in his expression seemed too heavy to press further.
I asked something else instead.
"Then how did you overcome that emptiness?"
He grinned broadly and answered.
"In my case, it was family."
"Family?"
"Yes, family. Even though I couldn't change the whole world, at least the world my family lived in, I could change into a place where righteousness and honor lived. And having a place to return to, even if I failed—having a place where I could rest comfortably and start again—that gave me truly great strength."
His expression as he spoke of family looked so utterly happy.
So much so that even my own heart, watching him, seemed to grow happy as well.
He continued speaking.
"Some say that for a martial artist, family is merely a weakness. But I don't think so. Isn't being a weakness proof that they are a precious existence to you? To me, family was the pillar that supported my life. If not for them, I might have long ago become disillusioned with the world and given up on my dream. Look even now. Wasn't I betrayed by a friend of the Murim Alliance, someone I had known and trusted for over ten years? If not for my family, how on earth would I have endured that?"
I nodded in admiration at his words.
It wasn't something I had deeply considered before, but surely, Jegal Ji-gang's betrayal must have been a great shock to him.
If I had to compare, wouldn't it feel like Bi Sa-yeong or Bae Jong-gwan betraying me?
Just imagining it was horrifying.
"Family, huh...."
For me, family had never been a word that resonated with particularly good feelings.
But if I could build a happy family like the Sword Saint Elder had, it felt like it could indeed become a great source of strength for me.
While I was thinking such thoughts, the Sword Saint Elder suddenly stole a glance at me and asked in a suggestive voice,
"So, tell me, do you happen to have a woman in mind as a marriage partner?"
For some reason, his voice carried a strangely burdensome enthusiasm.
Na So-jeo flashed through my mind, but I soon shook my head and answered with a smile.
"No, I haven't thought about that yet. Right now, just surviving takes up all my energy...."
At this, the Sword Saint nodded with a somewhat disappointed look in his eyes.
"Hmm, is that so?"
I felt oddly sorry.
Here he was, earnestly giving me his teachings, and it seemed I had let him down somehow.
I felt like I had done something very wrong.
So I hurriedly added,
"I will start looking diligently from now on. I've come to realize, as you said, that I need a place for myself in my own dream."
At that, his expression brightened immediately, and he clapped my shoulders with a bang, bang!
"Oh! I'm grateful you think so! Indeed, my discip—ahem, ahem, I meant to say, you're like a nephew to me."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
Even if not a formal disciple, it was a tremendous honor that the Sword Saint of the world thought of me as a nephew-like figure.
The Sword Saint cleared his throat briefly, then spoke again in a suggestive voice.
"Ahem, ahem. And, let me tell you. In my experience, the best woman is always the woman who is right beside you. So keep a good eye on your surroundings."
Hearing his words, Na So-jeo came to mind again.
I felt a slight bitterness creeping in, but I just smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I think that is certainly true."
At that, he burst out in a hearty laugh and slapped my shoulders with a bang, bang! again.
...It stung a little.
"Hahahaha! I knew you'd think so too. Just as I thought. Foolish men get infatuated with women they've just met, but isn't that truly the most foolish thought? The most precious thing is always right beside you! Hahahaha!"
"Yes, I think that's absolutely right."
"Uhahahaha! We really do think alike! You're a born stud—I mean, like a nephew to me! Hahahaha!"
Even after that, on the way to the gathering, the Sword Saint and I were able to share many conversations.
From topics about martial arts, to life on the front lines, to stories of love with women in his younger days.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
'If only a man like this had been my father, it would have been truly wonderful.'
'If I could have spent time like this with my own father, it would have been truly nice.'
It was a day when I felt deeply envious of Miss Cheongyeon.