Chapter 194: Their Own Paths
Chapter 194: Their Own Paths
After the meeting, Seonwoo Jin told everyone to prepare to leave quietly.
But he himself had slipped away to meet someone else.
The place he arrived at a short while later, moving like a shadow to avoid the notice of the other Flying Dragon Thirteen Squad members, was the training ground of Sa Gun-il, the squad leader known as the Jeomchang Sword Dragon.
Sa Gun-il was engrossed in training alone, drenched in sweat, as he did every day.
"Haap!"
Shiiiiick!
He thrust his sword like a ray of light, and several beams burst forth from a single strike.
The technique he was practicing was Houyi Shooting the Sun, the ninth and final move of the Sail Sword Technique, a move said to contain nine instantaneous strikes in a single sword stroke when mastered.
It was the very same technique that Seonwoo Jin had once used to produce five instantaneous strikes while fighting Am Hyeol-hyang in the past.
"Hap!"
Shiiiiick!
But no matter how many times he repeated it, his Houyi Shooting the Sun could not show more than three sword silhouettes.
It seemed that was his current limit.
After repeating the sword strike dozens of times, Sa Gun-il finally stopped his sword and let out a deep sigh along with a bead of sweat.
"Huuuuu."
His achievements had been unable to break through the wall of eighty years of internal energy for years.
He even thought he might remain in this state for the rest of his life.
It was frustrating.
Sa Gun-il knew very well why he was stagnating.
Because there was no teacher's guidance, nor any senior to offer advice around him.
Suddenly, he let out a deep sigh and thought, 'I thought I could somehow manage alone...'
Sa Gun-il had done his very best for nearly ten years, refusing to use the Jeomchang Sect's annihilation as an excuse.
But now even that had reached its limit.
He too was now forced to admit that fact.
Fortunately, he had received a little guidance when the Sword Saint Elder was present.
But the socially awkward Sa Gun-il could not bring himself to go and persistently ask for instruction.
The Sword Saint was too busy, and colleagues seeking instruction were always stationed around him.
And now, the situation had become such that he could no longer seek advice from him again.
Sa Gun-il felt that the frustrating situation on this front line, where even the Sword Saint Elder had disappeared, somehow overlapped with his own future.
It was gloomy.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out.
"You look dispirited, sahyeong."
Startled by the voice, Sa Gun-il whipped his head around and pointed his sword in that direction.
Shick!
"Who's there?!"
No matter how distracted he had been, he couldn't believe he had failed to sense someone's presence to this extent.
But when Sa Gun-il confirmed the identity of the person smiling at him, he was even more shocked.
"...Seonwoo Jin?!"
He was doubly surprised that the person was Seonwoo Jin.
First, because Seonwoo Jin, who had supposedly gone into the jungle, had returned safely, and second, because he still could not feel Seonwoo Jin's presence at all, even though he was standing right before him.
Seonwoo Jin was clearly visible to the eye, yet his presence was completely imperceptible to him.
Like a ghost, or... like a master he could never hope to handle.
Seonwoo Jin politely cupped his fists in greeting.
"Forgive me for greeting you so late, sahyeong."
Only then did Sa Gun-il realize that Seonwoo Jin was calling him sahyeong.
He slightly furrowed his brows and asked, "...Sahyeong?"
Then Seonwoo Jin smiled brightly and replied, "That is correct, sahyeong. Since I learned the Sail Sword Technique, am I not clearly a disciple of Jeomchang, even if I am an unofficial disciple?"
At those words, Sa Gun-il unconsciously let out a faint smile.
It was because seeing someone as outstanding as Seonwoo Jin proudly declare himself a disciple of the fallen Jeomchang Sect had made him smile for the first time in a long while.
But Sa Gun-il's face turned stern again as he spoke to Seonwoo Jin.
"Yes, since you call me sahyeong, I shall ask you. Do you remember the promise you made when you learned the Sail Sword Technique from me?"
To that question, Seonwoo Jin also answered seriously.
"Yes, I promised to cut down the Blood Cult's demon heads with the Sail Sword Technique, and thereby elevate the Jeomchang Sect's renown."
That promise had indeed been made.
But that was not the answer Sa Gun-il wanted.
He hardened his expression further and asked again.
"Shouldn't there be one more? Did you not clearly promise to go with me when we charged into the Blood Cult?"
Only then did Seonwoo Jin realize what Sa Gun-il was asking.
He was reproaching him for not telling him when he went to Mount Aenoesan this time.
Of course, the reason was simple.
Because only those with outstanding movement techniques and stealth arts had gone on this expedition.
But Seonwoo Jin did not answer that way.
He looked at Sa Gun-il for a moment and then replied, "That is because you are... too weak right now, sahyeong."
At those words, Sa Gun-il's eyes momentarily widened.
"I'm... weak?"
Sa Gun-il had long held the title of the Jeomchang Sect's greatest prodigy. Moreover, now that the Jeomchang Sect had fallen, he was the sect's acknowledged greatest master.
Thus, Seonwoo Jin's words were nothing short of preposterous to him.
But Seonwoo Jin nodded as if it were obvious.
"Yes, sahyeong, you are far too weak to fight the Blood Cult right now."
Saying someone is too weak to be qualified. It was a provocation that would make any martial artist bristle.
But the deeply disciplined Sa Gun-il did not immediately fly into a rage.
Instead, he glared at Seonwoo Jin with a fearsome gaze and asked, "Can you prove those words?"
At that, Seonwoo Jin smiled faintly and immediately activated the Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance.
Moonlight Illusion Sword Dance, third form.
Hyeonmangwol activation.
Wha-ah-ah-ak!
Within that expanded sensory field, Seonwoo Jin drew his sword like a ray of light.
Sail Sword Technique, ninth move.
Houyi Shooting the Sun.
Shoo-haak!
Then, in an instant, seven beams of light pierced through the space.
It was an ultimate quick sword that left Sa Gun-il no choice but to see the afterimages, not the moment the sword pierced the space.
"You...!"
Sa Gun-il's eyes bulged as if they would pop out upon witnessing that incredible sword.
He could also tell right away.
Each of those seven sword strikes was faster than the instantaneous strikes he had put his all into.
Sa Gun-il murmured blankly, "Houyi Shooting the Sun? And seven instantaneous strikes?"
Sa Gun-il remembered it.
The Houyi Shooting the Sun that the Jeomchang Sect's former greatest master, Ma Won-ung, the sect leader and Ma Yu-gyeom's father, had once executed.
In front of the young Sa Gun-il, the transcendent peak master Ma Won-ung, who was the sect leader at the time, had emitted seven instantaneous strikes with a single sword stroke.
That fantastic scene had remained a shock to the young Sa Gun-il and was still deeply etched in his mind.
Yet in this very moment, Seonwoo Jin, who had learned the Sail Sword Technique from him, had exactly reproduced the Houyi Shooting the Sun from his memory.
And he, who had been a mere second-rate warrior until just a year ago, at that.
It was absolutely unbelievable.
Sa Gun-il murmured vacantly, "How... how is this...?"
Then Seonwoo Jin said, "Will you now admit that you are too weak to fight the Blood Cult?"
Sa Gun-il gave a hollow laugh.
There was nothing more to say.
It was just devastating.
But he did not despair or rage.
He looked into the eyes of Seonwoo Jin, who was calmly gazing at him.
The reason Sa Gun-il had passed on the Sail Sword Technique to him was not merely because he was an outstanding talent.
Rather, it was more because he believed that Seonwoo Jin, who had repeatedly risked his life to save others, was a true chivalrous warrior who would use the Sail Sword Technique properly.
Sa Gun-il thought.
If it was Seonwoo Jin, whom he had judged to be that kind of person, he wouldn't have said such things just to humiliate him.
Rather, he might have been hoping for him to realize his own shortcomings and improve, just like the former teachers or seniors he missed so dearly.
Sa Gun-il suddenly opened his mouth with desperate eyes.
"Please tell me. What must I do? How can I become strong enough to crush the Blood Cult?"
At those words, Seonwoo Jin finally smiled brightly.
In truth, for Seonwoo Jin, Sa Gun-il's position was a bit ambiguous.
There had been little significant interaction with him in his past life, and in this life, while he was a grateful person who trusted him and taught him the Sail Sword Technique, there was no other point of contact.
That was why he had pondered.
To what extent he could trust him.
Whether to advise him to leave the front line together, or to exclude him.
'From now on, for us who must hide in the shadows, security will be our life. We cannot risk including someone we cannot trust.'
That was why he had deliberately provoked him.
To see how he would react to the growth of a junior, something any martial artist would inevitably feel jealous about.
But what Sa Gun-il had shown was not jealousy of a lesser warrior, but a yearning for growth, and a firm resolve to destroy the Blood Cult.
'As expected....'
He was, as expected, a pure and simple martial artist.
A pure martial artist who was so ashamed of the deeds committed by his own sect, the Jeomchang Sect, that despite loving his sect, he could not even entertain the thought of rebuilding it.
That was why he felt he could truly trust him.
Seonwoo Jin finally opened his mouth honestly.
"We went to Muhwang's Tomb, located on Aenoesan Mountain, this time. The Blood Cultists were producing demons there. And we succeeded in destroying that place. That means the number of demons on the frontline will no longer increase. Rather, they will gradually decrease and might even disappear entirely in the end."
At his words, Sa Gun-il's eyes widened in shock.
But he did not interrupt Seonwoo Jin.
He merely listened silently to the words that followed.
Seonwoo Jin then repeated to him the stories he had shared with his comrades during the meeting.
"...So, the comrades of the Seventh Squad plan to leave the frontline and go to my master to build up their strength. What about you, Sahyeong? Are you willing to leave this place with us?"
Sa Gun-il, who had been lost in thought for a moment at his words, soon nodded with a glint in his eyes.
"If I can grow strong enough to fight those bastards, I must do whatever it takes. It couldn't have been easy, so thank you for sharing that information with me."
He now felt he could understand why Seonwoo Jin had tested him.
Even though he had taught him the Sail Sword Technique, there had been no other connection between them, so including him in this matter must have been burdensome.
But Sa Gun-il, who had spoken thus, showed a moment of hesitation.
Then he carefully opened his mouth.
"By any chance... what do you think about my close friend, Je Won-yeong? Could he not come with us as well?"
He was talking about Je Won-yeong, the Jeomchang Sword Tiger, with whom they had fought together during the past Jeonghyeopbang Incident.
As he was a close friend of Sa Gun-il, it seemed burdensome for him to disappear without a word to him.
"Je Won-yeong, you mean my elder brother."
Of course, Je Won-yeong was also someone Seonwoo Jin could fully trust.
He was a broad-minded and frank martial artist who, for some reason, gave the impression he might turn out like the Sword Saint Elder when he grew older.
But the reason Seonwoo Jin hadn't considered him was that he had been gravely injured when Hae Cheong-yeon was kidnapped and was currently in a state where he couldn't move.
"If it's my elder brother, he's someone I can trust as well. But he still won't be able to move, will he?"
At that, Sa Gun-il answered with a faint smile.
"That answer is enough. Because it'll be sufficient if I can just explain to him why I'm leaving. And... could I bring him later when his body has recovered?"
Seonwoo Jin grinned and nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine with that."
At his refreshing answer, Sa Gun-il showed a relieved laugh as if his heart was now at ease.
It was the moment the list of people who would escape the frontline together was finalized.
***
A short while later, the people who had finished all preparations quietly gathered at the Seventh Squad's training ground.
Seonwoo Jin, Seol Pung, and Jeung Chil, who had to travel a separate path, bid farewell to each and every one of them.
Because no one knew how much time would pass before they could meet again.
Seonwoo Jin firmly clasped Bi Sa-yeong's hand, who was now on the verge of parting, and said,
"Don't be lazy, Sa-yeong. I'll check up on you later."
At those words, Bi Sa-yeong snorted.
"Hmph, after receiving something like that, how could I be lazy? Don't worry. I'll make you sob later, regretting you gave it to me for nothing."
When returning from Aenoesan Mountain, Bi Sa-yeong had received Muhwang's secret manual from Seonwoo Jin and for a moment, had been unable to say anything at all.
Muhwang's secret manual—such a thing was practically an eternal treasure for martial artists.
And yet, Seonwoo Jin was saying he would just hand it over to him.
He knew well that his friend was a strange fellow, but this was truly absurd.
What martial artist in the world would hand over such a peerless secret manual to a friend without any price?
So he had shaken his head, saying he absolutely could not accept it.
At that, Seonwoo Jin had replied as if it were nothing.
'I've already memorized it all anyway, so I'm giving it to you. Just master this and get strong quickly, and stop holding me back.'
It was a playful remark meant to keep him from feeling burdened.
But Bi Sa-yeong had felt even more choked up at those words.
So he hadn't been able to say anything at all.
Neither words of thanks, nor a promise to repay the favor.
But he couldn't do it even now.
Now that they were parting, there was no knowing when they would meet again.
Bi Sa-yeong hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.
"Hey, you. Do you know something?"
"...Something?"
Then Bi Sa-yeong looked at Seonwoo Jin with an uncharacteristically serious gaze and said,
"If there is a greatest stroke of fortune in my life, it would be meeting you. The fact that I became your friend and could stand with you. So... get strong. I'll get stronger, no matter what, and become strength for you. Truly, with all my heart, thank you."
Seonwoo Jin, who had been staring at Bi Sa-yeong with a momentarily surprised look at his sincere confession, soon grinned and extended his fist to him.
"What nonsense you spout. Between friends."
At that, Bi Sa-yeong also chuckled and bumped fists with him.
"Indeed, it was a bit much? Between friends."
That conversation was enough for the two of them.
For true friends who trusted each other, no more words were needed.
After exchanging farewells with Bi Sa-yeong, Seonwoo Jin also said teasingly to Bae Jong-gwan,
"I left a secret manual with Sa-yeong that can truly help you achieve the Diamond Body Invulnerability. You have to work hard too, Jong-gwan."
At that, Bae Jong-gwan replied with his characteristic innocent laugh,
"Of course. Let's train external arts together again next time we meet, Jin."
"Yeah, let's do that."
Seonwoo Jin bumped fists with Bae Jong-gwan's large fist and turned his head.
There stood Na Seo-yu, who had been whispering secretly with Seol Pung for a long while, wiping away her tears.
Seonwoo Jin grinned and approached her, saying,
"Na Sojeo, please take care of these guys as you always have. They're such immature brats that I can't help but worry."
At that, she also answered with a bright laugh,
"Don't worry about the people going with me. I'm honestly more worried about you, my grown-up son Seonu Gongja. Will you be alright without this mother looking after you by your side?"
"Ugh!"
Her grown-up son.
Seonwoo Jin, who had smiled bitterly at her joke, suddenly made a request to her through telepathic transmission.
[And please take good care of the Blood Demon lady as well. If it's your master, he might know a way to restore her memories. And even if not, please guide her well, Na Sojeo.]
The female Blood Demon they had brought from Muhwang's Tomb still could not remember her past, even after the mental restriction was broken by Mukrang.
Of course, she didn't seem likely to repeat the actions of the Red-clothed Blood Demon Woman from Seonwoo Jin's past life.
That was because she now remembered everything that had happened at Muhwang's Tomb, and had realized that her former loyalty to the Blood Demon was due to the mental restriction.
So Seonwoo Jin entrusted her to Na Seo-yu, whom she followed best, and arranged for her to be taken together to the Light Sword Tomb.
While he hoped she might recover her memories someday, it was also with the expectation that even if not, turning a Blood Demon into an ally would be a great asset.
Furthermore, Seonwoo Jin was anticipating that her original identity was probably not ordinary.
'Her original identity, having reached a peak-level at such a young age, wouldn't have been ordinary. Perhaps....'
Having thought that far, Seonwoo Jin shook his head to dispel the thoughts about her.
Then, he finally went to find Dang Yeo-eun, whom he had been longing to run to all along.
She, who was scheduled to remain here, was standing a little apart from the others with White Crane Old Sword Yang Moon-heon and Je Un Swordmaster Byeok Ri-jung.
Seonwoo Jin quietly reached out his hand, brushing the tips of her fingers, and said,
"I'll be back, Yeo Eun."
At this very moment, Seonwoo Jin wanted to hold her tightly in his arms and kiss her.
For a very long time, forever if possible....
But he couldn't bring himself to do it in front of so many people.
Though immensely regretful, it was unavoidable.
Then Dang Yeo-eun also gazed at Seonwoo Jin with glistening eyes full of longing and answered,
"Go safely."
Seonwoo Jin didn't know what to say in reply.
Too many words swirled in his head, and he couldn't bring himself to speak them out loud.
So he barely managed to pick the single most desperate phrase and sent it to her through telepathic transmission.
They were the words he most wanted to convey to her.
[I love you, Yeo Eun.]
At that, Dang Yeo-eun's eyes widened in surprise.
Then, tears welling up, she looked at Seonwoo Jin and answered via telepathic transmission.
[Me too. ...I love you, Jin.]
It was a moment he wished he could stop time by pleading with Mukrang, if only he could.
And so, they all now headed toward their separate paths.