Chapter 273: Zhejiang Province-2
Chapter 273: Zhejiang Province-2
Seonwoo Jin's group continued heading north without rest even after entering Zhejiang Province.
Their goal was Antang Mountain, a massive mountain located in the central region of Zhejiang Province.
However, their pace was not particularly fast.
Since they were moving separately from the Six Harmony Swordsmen, they had to stay within a distance where the heart-soul bond could communicate with them.
Thus, the group, walking at a suitably brisk pace, constantly encountered martial artists of Zhejiang Province as they passed through.
The same was true now.
A martial artist wielding a dao was walking along the road from the opposite direction.
If there was a moment of greatest tension for martial artists, when would that be?
Though there might be slight differences in degree, most martial artists would answer that it was the moment they encountered an unfamiliar martial artist on the road.
That moment when you faced someone on the path, unable to tell if they were enemy or ally, not even able to gauge whether they were stronger or weaker than you.
Because at that moment, a martial artist's nerves had no choice but to sharpen to their keenest point.
But strangely, the martial artists of Zhejiang Province seemed to be different.
The martial artist walking from the opposite direction saw Seonwoo Jin's group, smiled warmly, and clasped his fists in a respectful greeting.
"Martial fortune be with you."
At his greeting, Seonwoo Jin's group also awkwardly clasped their fists and returned the gesture.
"Martial fortune be with you."
Then, the martial artist who had finished greeting them simply continued on his way as if nothing had happened.
It seemed he had offered the friendly greeting with no particular business, simply because the travelers were fellow martial artists.
Jin So-eun watched his retreating figure with curious eyes and whispered softly.
"How remarkable. The atmosphere of this sacred land of Zhejiang is truly different in some definite way."
At her words, even Jeung Chil and Yeon Tae-jin, who had initially not let down their guard, nodded as they watched the martial artist grow distant.
This was not the first time they had met a martial artist who greeted them like this and passed by.
No, in fact, ever since entering Zhejiang Province, the same situation had repeated itself every time they met a martial artist on the road.
The inexplicably kind smiles and greetings from martial artists they had never seen before.
The fact that martial artists they encountered greeted each other without wariness, and even more, offered kind smiles without any reason, was something they had never experienced in any other region.
Seonwoo Jin agreed with Jin So-eun's words and added.
"What's more, it's not just simple kindness; you can feel a sense of pride and confidence from each and every one of them. It seems they feel tremendous pride simply in being a martial artist of Zhejiang Province, the sacred land."
Everyone nodded at Seonwoo Jin's words.
Because they had all distinctly felt the same.
The atmosphere of the sacred Zhejiang Province, the holy land of the orthodox faction, was thus giving the group a refreshing shock.
The journey was smooth.
Though they did not move particularly fast, there were no incidents, and everyone they met was kind, so before long they arrived at the foot of Antang Mountain without any trouble.
Seonwoo Jin gazed blankly at the enormous mountain whose summit was shrouded in clouds and murmured.
"We've finally arrived."
At that, Mukrang replied from within his heart.
- Indeed. So we have truly returned to this place after all.
His voice was thick with deep emotion.
Seonwoo Jin suddenly asked him.
'But is there a reason you left your true godly ultimate technique here on Antang Mountain, rather than at your main house in Onju?'
To his question, Mukrang answered.
- There is. This is the place where our ancestors left behind arrangements for future generations.
According to Mukrang, when he was young, his clan had also lost its secret ultimate techniques and fallen to become just another third-rate sect.
- We had neither the sword techniques of the clan that once commanded the world, nor the secret internal energy cultivation methods. Only a few basic martial arts and basic heart methods remained. So, far from all of Zhejiang Province, we were in an insignificant position even in Onju, a remote corner of Zhejiang...
It was the Thunder God, the elder brother of the Sword God, who had resurrected the clan from the very bottom.
And the clan's secret ultimate techniques hidden here on Antang Mountain were also recovered by him.
That event was nothing short of a flare signal that launched the resurrection of the Sword God's clan at that time.
Mukrang spoke in a wistful voice, recalling his elder brother.
- They say that nowadays people often debate who was the greater martial artist between my brother and myself. But in truth, it is not even worth comparing. If my brother revived a dying tree, I merely plucked and ate the fruit that grew upon that tree. My very existence could be considered one of my brother's achievements, so is there even a need to argue over who was the finer martial artist?
Seonwoo Jin simply listened to him silently.
Whenever Mukrang spoke of his elder brother, the Thunder God, he would always humble himself as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
And so, every time, Seonwoo Jin would grow curious.
What kind of person could the Thunder God, Mukrang's elder brother, have been, to command such absolute reverence from the Sword God, the man hailed as the All-Time Supreme?
He suddenly recalled the face he had seen in the vision at the Emperor's Tomb.
His manly face and his expression full of mischief still remained deeply etched in Seonwoo Jin's mind.
***
A short while later, the group had a rough meal at a nearby inn and then began to ascend Antang Mountain.
The path was wide and comfortable.
Also, countless people, most of whom appeared to be martial artists, were continuously coming and going along the mountain path as if navigating a bustling city street.
That was not all.
They even brushed past each other at dangerously close, defenseless distances, seemingly not wary of each other at all.
Inns doing business here and there, a wide mountain path, numerous martial artists passing along it—the area around Antang Mountain, which should have been a remote mountain region, was welcoming the group with an appearance completely different from their expectations.
Hawondalgi Yeon Tae-jin looked around as if finding it strange and said.
"What kind of mountain backwater has more martial artists than the bustling streets of Hawon? Is this all because of the Sword Emperor?"
Seonwoo Jin answered her.
"It seems so. I have heard that martial artists who follow the Sword Emperor have gathered in droves around Antang Mountain, forming something akin to a city. I thought it must be an exaggerated rumor, but seeing it to this extent, it was not an exaggeration at all."
Throughout their walk along the mountain path, the group encountered martial artists roaming the area.
They all appeared to be members of the orthodox faction, and every one of them would clasp their fists with a friendly smile and offer greetings to the group.
Occasionally, there were those who cast glances at the Black Leopard Sak-wol and Yeon Tae-jin, but it was merely a gaze of interest; no one tried to pick a fight.
Jin So-eun suddenly spoke with admiration.
"So such a place can truly exist. When I return to the main house, I will make it my goal to turn Guangdong Province into a place like this. A place where martial artists can live with smiles, without being wary of each other."
At her words, Jeung Chil and Seol Pung nodded.
Though there might be slight differences in degree, most of the group were marveling at the atmosphere of this place.
Of course, this sight was an extension of the atmosphere they had felt since entering Zhejiang Province.
But the fact that this atmosphere was maintained even with so many martial artists, not just one or two, coming and going, was truly an astonishing thing.
Martial artists were a breed who, the moment they saw another person, instinctively began considering how to defeat them.
For them, the perception that another martial artist was either a current rival or a potential future rival was instinctually ingrained.
And such martial artists were living peacefully together, showing no wariness toward one another?
It was undoubtedly something they would never have believed if they had not seen it with their own eyes.
Seol Pung spoke as if sighing.
"That this is possible must mean that everyone here believes they are not enemies with one another."
Seonwoo Jin nodded at his words and answered.
"It seems to be the belief that in the sacred land of Zhejiang, and moreover within the domain of the Sword Saint elder, the other party would never commit an unjust act. The influence of the number one under heaven is truly astounding."
Then Yeon Tae-jin interjected with a sulky expression.
"But isn't it too reckless not to be wary of others based on such blind faith? For martial artists to abandon their guard by trusting others, not themselves. What if just one among them harbors ill intentions? What if they target and attack those defenseless people? All rules become useless the moment there is even just one person who breaks them, don't they? It just seems too lax to me."
To Yeon Tae-jin, a member of the unorthodox faction, this atmosphere did not appear so favorably.
But regardless of the emotional aspect, her point was valid enough.
The reason trusting others is considered beautiful is likely because it is such a difficult thing to do.
Others are beings with thoughts different from one's own, and therefore, trusting such a being means one must also keep in mind the danger that they might differ from your common sense, and further, that they might betray you.
So if one were to disregard all those risks based on faith in an external entity like the Sword Emperor, that would clearly be a very dangerous and foolish thing.
Mukrang suddenly opened his mouth.
- In truth, the ones who first began to create this atmosphere were my brother and I. We wanted to build a place where ordinary people could live without fearing martial artists, a place where the common sense that people should respect each other regardless of who they are was alive and well. But it seems that now, it has gone even further and turned into a region where even martial artists do not fear one another.
Hearing this, Seonwoo Jin asked him.
'You must feel proud. Doesn't this mean that the culture the two of you created has transcended a century and evolved into a tradition?'
Then Mukrang answered in a bitter voice.
- Well. I am not so sure. My brother and I once had a conversation. It was a discussion about what would happen if there were animals that could live on sunlight and water alone in an always peaceful world. Much like plants, you see. If such animals truly existed, could they live peacefully for all eternity?
Animals that could survive by producing their own nourishment like plants...
Seonwoo Jin suddenly tried to imagine such an animal.
Mukrang continued speaking.
- If such an animal existed, that animal would likely have no need to move elsewhere. Since it could survive perfectly well without needing to do anything at all, you see. It might not even need eyes, a nose, or a mouth. For those with no natural enemies and no need to hunt for food, what need would they have for such things? Perhaps they might simply end up floating idly upon the water.
Seonwoo Jin sighed involuntarily.
Come to think of it, weren't all human actions fundamentally rooted in the need to make a living and survive?
If there was no need to do that, then just as Mukrang said, there might be no need for senses, movement, or communication at all.
Mukrang continued.
- But, you see. What do you think would happen if those animals, living in such a way, were to encounter other carnivorous animals?
'Ah!'
The moment he heard those words, only a single word surfaced in Seonwoo Jin's mind.
That word was 'extinction.'
- My brother and I were very cautious, fearing that the world we were creating might become a place inhabited by such beings. Because even if it was a world where righteousness had become common sense, a world one created for oneself and a world created for one by others would be completely different. So we always emphasized righteousness while simultaneously emphasizing the strength to protect it. And yet...
That was all Mukrang said.
But Seonwoo Jin felt he could fully understand what Mukrang's next words would be even without hearing them.
Because among the martial artists passing before his eyes without any wariness now, no matter how generously he looked, he couldn't spot one above first-rate.
If just a few demon heads of the Blood Cult raided a place like this, it would inevitably be reduced to scorched earth in an instant.
Even if the Sword Emperor's followers came to help, everyone here would already be dead by then.
Strangely, his feelings were complicated.
This place, which he'd thought of as a paradise on earth until just a moment ago, suddenly felt like a castle built on sand.
Seonwoo Jin voiced a question that suddenly occurred to him to Mukrang.
'Does the Sword Emperor not know this? This is something even we, who've only just arrived, have figured out.'
- Well....
The group now began silently climbing the mountain path toward the place where the Sword Emperor was staying.
***
The place where the Sword Emperor was staying was a manor on the mountainside.
It couldn't be called large for the residence of the greatest under heaven, yet the manor, built by cramming the narrow space of the mountainside to its absolute limits, nevertheless boasted a scale on par with that of a typical mid-level sect.
Seeing it, Mukrang spoke with a slightly surprised voice.
- They built it up like this. Originally, there was only a small hermitage here.
According to Mukrang's words, there was originally a single small hermitage here, and behind that hermitage there seemed to have been a secretly hidden cave.
And Mukrang said he had left his own True Godly Ultimate Techniques inside that cave.
So, since such a manor had been built in front of it now, it meant that to find the Sword God's True Godly Ultimate Techniques, they would now have to enter the deepest heart of this manor.
Seonwoo Jin's group went to the gate guards of the main gate and requested a visit.
"I have come wishing to see the Sword Emperor."
At that, the guard squad leader asked solemnly.
"I see. Do you happen to have an appointment?"
At his question, Seonwoo Jin showed the Mukrang Sword and answered.
"I do not. However, if you tell him that the owner of the Mukrang Sword has come, the Sword Emperor will surely not refuse to meet me."
The gate guards, including squad leader Warrior Jang, made utterly astonished expressions upon seeing Seonwoo Jin's Mukrang Sword.
Having seen a sword identical in appearance to the Sword Emperor's Blood Wolf Sword, it was a natural reaction.
Squad leader Warrior Jang held his sword and cupped his fist solemnly as he said,
"I will convey this inside immediately. Please wait a moment."
With those words, squad leader Warrior Jang immediately ran inside as if flying.
It was an extremely earnest and diligent attitude with not a single flaw to be found.
Suddenly, Mukrang asked.
- Doesn't it occur to you that you revealed the Mukrang Sword too easily? The Sword Emperor might harbor ill intentions, might he not?
'... As I've told you before, I don't trust the Sword Emperor, but I do trust the Elder who will be with him. The one who unsealed the Blood Wolf Sword wouldn't harbor selfish intent and harm me.'
But even as he answered like that, Seonwoo Jin didn't have the same degree of certainty as he did with Ma Yu-gyeom.
It was probably because he had seen the martial artists near Antang Mountain who had let their guard down, trusting in the Sword Emperor's reputation.
Without seeing the Sword Emperor in person, he wasn't sure if he could trust him based solely on the fact that he had undone the Blood Wolf Sword's seal in the past.
The wait wasn't too long.
Seonwoo Jin's group was immediately guided inside by the steward who came out.
"Come in, quickly. My apologies for making such honored guests wait."
"Not at all. We didn't wait long at all. But are we going to the Sword Emperor Elder right now?"
Everything was proceeding so swiftly and smoothly.
It was almost unbelievable that he was meeting the Sword Emperor, the current greatest under heaven, so easily.
But Seonwoo Jin, thinking that, couldn't help but think 'as expected' at the steward's answer.
Because the steward answered like this.
"No. The Sword Emperor Elder is currently engaged in closed-door training. So, you honored guests are being hosted by the Elder's second son, the Red Wolf Sword Knight, Young Master Ban Daeha."
"Closed-door... training, you say?"
"Yes, that is correct."
It could not be anything but an awkward situation for Seonwoo Jin.
Because whether it was true or not, if he was in closed-door training, they wouldn't be able to ask to force a meeting.
Mukrang said.
- If the Sword Emperor is in closed-door training, that place is probably 'there'.
'It would be, wouldn't it?'
Besides, the location where the Sword Emperor was conducting his closed-door training was surely the place where the Sword God's legacy relic was hidden.
So, it meant they couldn't secretly sneak into that place either.
Seonwoo Jin asked the steward again.
"Do you happen to know when the Sword Emperor Elder will come out of closed-door training?"
At that, the steward bowed his head solemnly and answered.
"That seems to be a matter I dare not answer. Please meet this young master to hear the details."
His attitude was solemn, but at the same time, it was like an iron wall.
He seemed to have no intention of telling Seonwoo Jin's group anything.
While Seonwoo Jin felt awkwardness in this unexpected situation, the group was guided to the reception room.
There, a noble young master who looked to be around his early thirties was waiting for them.
With a face wearing a gentle smile, he cupped his fist solemnly and greeted them.
"Welcome. I am called Ban Daeha. It is an honor to meet the one bearing the brother sword to the Blood Wolf Sword."
He was a man wearing an expression brimming with confidence, though not quite to the point of arrogance.
Even in a single glance of his eyes, and a single word, his pride in himself seemed to overflow.
Also, after his initial greeting, he began openly staring intently at the Mukrang Sword.
It was an extremely meaningful gaze.
"Truly, only the color is different, and it looks exactly identical to the Blood Wolf Sword. The shape and material are entirely the same. It's marvelous."
Seonwoo Jin suddenly glanced at the sword worn at Ban Daeha's waist.
That sword was also a red blade that looked similar in appearance to the Mukrang Sword.
Perhaps he had intended to openly make it in a shape resembling the Blood Wolf Sword.
Seonwoo Jin felt he suddenly understood why his epithet was the Red Wolf Sword Knight.
It seemed he likely wished to follow in the footsteps of his father, the Sword Emperor.
Seonwoo Jin smiled faintly and replied to his words.
"Because they're swords made by the same person. By chance, have you heard about this Mukrang Sword from the Sword Emperor Elder?"
It was a question to check whether Ban Daeha knew about the Mukrang Sword's secret.
But he immediately shook his head.
"The Mukrang Sword... I have heard that a brother sword exists, but I did not hear any detailed story."
"Hmm, I see."
Seonwoo Jin had to feel awkwardness once again.
Because if he didn't know the secret of the Mukrang Sword, explaining the reason he needed to see the Sword Emperor was also ambiguous.
"We have come to see the Sword Emperor Elder. Do you happen to know when the Elder will finish closed-door training and come out?"
At that, Ban Daeha smiled faintly and answered.
"Well. My father is not someone who sets a fixed period for closed-door training, so it's a bit hard for me to tell you when. And... even if he finishes closed-door training, I can't guarantee he will wish to meet you, either."
They were peculiar words.
The statement that they might not be able to meet the Sword Emperor regardless of his closed-door training. It could not be anything but the opposite of the solemn attitude shown so far.
At those words, Seonwoo Jin frowned slightly and asked.
"Those words...?"
At that, Ban Daeha answered with a scoff.
"My father is the greatest under heaven. No matter that your sword is the Blood Wolf Sword's brother blade, could you possibly meet the greatest under heaven that easily for such a mere reason alone? Ah, by any chance, do you intend to gift that sword to my father?"
His tone suggested that perhaps they could meet if they gifted the Mukrang Sword.
At his words, the expressions of the group members hardened.
Because saying it was a gift was just a nice way of saying whether they would offer up a sword, which was a martial artist's very life.
Seonwoo Jin managed his expression so his mood wouldn't show on his face as he answered.
"That is not the case. Because just as the Blood Wolf Sword is precious to the Sword Emperor, so too is the Mukrang Sword precious to me. And... I think if he heard the story of the Mukrang Sword, the Sword Emperor would certainly call for me even now."
At that, Ban Daeha scoffed again and countered.
"Is that so? Well, for now, I shall let him know once he finishes closed-door training. At any rate, it's an impossible matter for the time being."
Having said that, Ban Daeha looked at Seonwoo Jin with a faintly smiling face.
It was an expression that seemed to ask if he had any other business.
Seonwoo Jin acknowledged that nothing could be done right here and now.
He had no choice but to retreat for the moment.
Because unless he intended to pick a fight with the Sword Emperor's son and forces, he could not cause a disturbance here.
And if he did pick a fight with them, he might become the enemy of every martial artist in Zhejiang Province.
He let out a sigh and said.
"It can't be helped. Then I shall come visit again next time."
At that, Ban Daeha also cupped his fist as if he had been waiting.
"Yes, then let us meet next time. I bid you a safe journey."
Leaving the reception room without any gain, Seonwoo Jin thought that finding the Sword God's True Godly Ultimate Techniques might not be as easy as he thought.
Until now, he had only considered the difficulty of mastering them, but this was an unforeseen obstacle.
And it was as they were leaving the reception room.
Mukrang said to him.
- That fellow just told a lie.
'Pardon? Do you mean the statement that the Sword Emperor is in closed-door training is a lie?'
- No, that part was the truth. However, what that fellow said about never having heard of the Mukrang Sword before was a lie. It seemed that fellow knows about the secret of the Mukrang Sword after all.
At Mukrang's words, Seonwoo Jin's mind grew more complicated.
Because if Mukrang's words were true, it meant that this fellow called Ban Daeha knew the secret of the Mukrang Sword and yet pretended he didn't.
If so, his intentions could never possibly be good.
Perhaps it was precisely because he knew the secret that he tried not to let them meet.
Seonwoo Jin let out a sigh and said.
'Revealing the Mukrang Sword was indeed a rash act. As for the Sword Emperor, maybe that's one thing, but we were in a situation where we didn't know what kind of people those around him would be.'
- Indeed. It's an awkward situation.
***
The moment Seonwoo Jin's group left the reception room, Ban Daeha wiped the smile he had worn on his face clean away.
And he summoned the steward and said.
"Investigate this man called Seonwoo Jin thoroughly for me."
"Understood."
As the steward heard his command and left the reception room, Ban Daeha looked back toward the door through which Seonwoo Jin's group had exited.
The emotions filling his eyes were precisely hostility and greed.