Chapter 88: This Matter
Chapter 88: This Matter
The fifth disciple of Cheonggwangjinin, the supreme master of the Cheongseong Sect and one of the Five Stranges of the world, Lee Geon had been unable to see from the very moment he could remember.
For some reason, even the cause of his blindness was unknown to him.
All he knew was that he had been abandoned by his parents for his sightlessness, and that an elderly mountain keeper had taken him in and raised him.
The old mountain keeper had called the then-nameless Lee Geon 'child.'
It was a deprived and lonely life, one where he often went hungry and had to live alone with the old man in a forest empty of all others.
But he had never really felt sad about it.
Because he had never possessed anything, he could not feel the lack of anything either.
In his childhood, he had wished for only one thing.
'I want to see with my own eyes. Grandfather, the trees, this world.'
That was it.
Seeing the world through his own eyes was Lee Geon's sole desire.
The old mountain keeper had always told him stories about the world around them.
About the form of the sun that warmed the world and its radiant light, about the moon and starlight that beautifully adorned the dark night, about the birds and insects that always sang fresh songs, and about the trees, grass, and flowers that were the masters of all the scents filling the world.
Lee Geon wanted so desperately to see all of those things.
If merely hearing their sounds and smelling their scents was this wonderful, how happy would he be if he could see them as well?
That had been young Lee Geon's only wish.
Perhaps because of that?
At some point, Lee Geon began to see the world through senses other than his eyes.
Through the resonance of sounds, the tactile sensation of flowing air, the density of scents.
Lee Geon could 'see' the shapes of things through those alone, and could even discern their exact size and location.
In terms of perceiving space itself and grasping the essence of objects, he could actually 'see' better than his grandfather.
Although he could not perceive the thing called 'color' that his grandfather had told him about, Lee Geon was happy enough with just that.
'This is enough. I have nothing more to wish for now.'
It was around the time when young Lee Geon was thus content with his life.
Someone came looking for him.
To Lee Geon's senses, it was an old man with a beard as thick as the mountain keeper's.
But this person was exceedingly strange.
If his beard was that thick, he should naturally be an elderly person, and somewhere his body should feel infirm and weakened, but this person did not feel infirm or weak in the slightest.
Far from weak, he felt as overwhelmingly powerful as a raging storm or the sun itself.
It was an extremely odd sensation.
A strange feeling where the perception from his senses and the intuition screaming warnings spoke of two different things.
While Lee Geon observed him with curiosity at that bizarre discrepancy, the man spoke first and asked.
"Can you feel this?"
As he said this, the old man slowly drew his sword.
But that was something he only learned later.
Because what Lee Geon had felt in that moment was simply a wondrous sensation, as if a mighty storm was unfurling its limbs before his very eyes, stretching itself toward the world.
A feeling as if some colossal existence, absolutely not human, was being released from its seal.
And finally, when the man who had drawn his sword lightly swung it, Lee Geon was able to feel it.
That simply through the act of bringing the sword down, the world had briefly been split in two.
The instant he felt the air, the scents, the sounds, all space itself cleaved in two, Lee Geon realized for the first time in his life what a shudder was.
He could not utter a single word.
He simply stood there vacantly, his mouth agape.
At that moment, the man spoke.
"A child who, because he cannot see as others do, has come to see what others cannot... If it is you, perhaps you truly might be able to glimpse the divine realm. Child, would you not like to follow me?"
Unable to contain himself, Lee Geon urgently asked.
"If I follow you, will I be able to do something like that too?! Will I be able to cut through the air, the scents, the sounds, space itself?"
The man gazed at Lee Geon for a moment, then answered.
"If it is you... you may perhaps even be able to cut through the world itself."
That was the first meeting with his master, Cheong-gwang Jinin.
His master gave the then-nameless Lee Geon the name 'Geon,' saying it was the name of a person he should emulate, and since his surname followed that of his grandfather, it was only then that the child finally came to possess the name 'Lee Geon.'
Having followed his master thus, Lee Geon was unable to descend from the mountain until he passed the age of twenty.
And at twenty-one, the world he came down to for the first time was a place that pleased him immensely.
The people, the objects, the events that occurred.
There was not a single thing that was not fascinating.
Of course, that was probably because it was a rest period granted to him for exactly one year, before he went back into closed cultivation.
Lee Geon already knew well that the silence of the mountains suited him better than the clamor of the secular world.
He also had no intention of coming down from the mountain before he glimpsed the divine realm, just as his master wished.
That was already the fervent wish of not just his master, but Lee Geon himself as well.
But anyway, right now it was a vacation.
A vacation of exactly one year granted by his master before he returned to closed cultivation.
Lee Geon wanted to enjoy this vacation without any regrets.
And so he stood before the two people who had made him the happiest since he came down from the mountain.
And he made his request.
"Seonu Gongja, would you do me the honor of sparring with me once?"
Lee Geon's respected senior brother Hwa Yeong-bin had told him so.
That if there was one person among his peers who could become a rival to him, it would be that very Seonwoo Jin.
That was why Lee Geon did not want to let him go like this.
Seonwoo Jin silently gazed at Lee Geon for a moment as he suddenly appeared and made this unexpected request for a duel.
But soon, he grinned and nodded.
"Very well. However, may I attach one condition?"
***
Several days after Cheongseong and the Dang Clan occupied Jeonghyeopbang, I and Bi Sa-yeong finally decided to leave Jeonghyeopbang.
We could have left immediately, but there were a few things I wanted to confirm, so we had been lingering a while longer.
Only three people came out to see us off.
This was because the Cheongseong Sect and the Dang Clan, who had occupied Jeonghyeopbang, were still sharpening their blades over territorial disputes, and still had absolutely no interest in Bi Sa-yeong and me.
It was an incredibly frustrating and pathetic sight, but after hearing Hwa Yeong-bin's explanation—whom I had now come to call hyungnim—it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.
He explained it to us like this.
'The spheres of influence of Cheongseong, Ami, and the Dang Clan have been fixed for the past several hundred years. Can you guess the reason?'
The domains had not changed for hundreds of years.
I could roughly guess how things stood.
Even the reason why they were so desperate right now.
'Because they are orthodox sects, I suppose. Then it would seem an opportunity they cannot miss has presented itself.'
Brother Hwa smiled gently and nodded.
'Exactly. Though I hardly know if it's something so important myself.'
At that, Bi Sa-yeong let out a deep sigh and said.
'If you're going to talk like that, at least do it when I'm not around.'
At his sulking tone, Brother Hwa burst out laughing and apologized.
'Ah, my apologies. When I talk with junior brother Seon-woo, the intermediate steps keep getting dropped. So, in short...'
That was the gist of it.
The Cheongseong Sect and Dang Clan, who possessed the mightiest power of anyone, were orthodox sects that formed a pillar of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families, and thus could not simply invade other minor sects and expand their territory recklessly.
With Cheongseong, Ami, and the Dang Clan standing firm in Sichuan Province, there was no way the evil factions could gain a foothold, and since all the existing sects were already subordinated to them, there had been no pretext whatsoever to expand their domain.
Brother Hwa added one more word to that.
'It is also true that these three great sects were keeping each other in check, and so there was no room for them to move rashly.'
Such was the state of things, when one day, a faction called Jeonghyeopbang—orthodox only on the surface—suddenly appeared, unified all the factions that the three great sects had not even been able to touch, and then, obligingly, vacated the seat like this.
As if a traveler had suddenly appeared one day, cleared the wasteland and turned it into a field, then quietly departed.
In other words, the situation now was that simply stepping into that vacant space could expand a domain that had been fixed for hundreds of years.
Moreover, the Ami Sect, which had been maintaining the balance among the three powers, was currently unable to even take care of itself, so there was no way the Cheongseong Sect and the Dang Clan would let this opportunity slip by.
Having heard the explanation up to that point, Bi Sa-yeong spoke.
'Then for the time being, Sichuan will become quite chaotic due to friction between the two forces.'
I burst out in admiration at the rare accurate prediction from the guy.
'Oooh! Not bad at all?!'
'...Are you mocking me right now?'
'Ooh! You even picked up on that, impressive!'
'You son of a bitch!'
Bi Sa-yeong pummeled me relentlessly, but to me, tempered by external arts, a beating without internal energy invested in it was merely ticklish.
In any case, just as Bi Sa-yeong predicted, the Cheongseong Sect and the Dang Clan were likely to be tied up in territorial disputes for the time being.
So I entrusted the remaining matters to Hwa Yeong-bin, who had come to see us off.
"I leave it in your hands, hyung-nim."
"Worry not. I will not leave a single remnant behind."
The Hao Gates of Sichuan finally decided to actively cooperate in rooting out the Blood Cult forces operating covertly within Sichuan.
Since the Hao Gate itself was not a centralized sect but a loose coalition of regional branches, I couldn't secure the same promise for other provinces, but they at least promised not to provide intelligence to the Blood Cult going forward.
It was precisely the outcome I had wanted.
An outcome that made it highly probable that the Blood Cult's prior infiltration, which I had experienced in my previous life, could be prevented.
My second life was truly changing history.
'So it was possible. Changing the future...'
I felt immensely proud.
However, the task of collaborating with the Hao Gate to eradicate the Blood Cult forces at their roots could not be entrusted to the Murim Alliance or to the Cheongseong Sect and Dang Clan, who were currently absorbed in territorial disputes.
So I entrusted that part to Hwa hyung-nim.
Of course, hyung-nim readily agreed to do it.
And not by moving alone as before, but by leading the forces within Cheongseong that followed Cheong-gwang Jinin.
The reason hyung-nim had disliked mingling with others until now was probably because he had no will to live.
Now that the vitality had returned to his eyes, he had spoken with a confident tone.
"Now that I think about it, I hadn't been using what I possessed even as much as you, whom I only met briefly. From now on, I intend to make proper use of myself. By making the most of the position and forces I have, that is."
His lively expression was so deeply gratifying.
"Yes, I trust you, hyung-nim."
As we finished our farewells with him, his junior brother Lee Geon, who had been standing beside us smiling brightly, spoke to me as well.
"Let's fight an interesting match again next time. Take care. Jin, sa-hyeong."
I had decided to become friends with Lee Geon, the genius swordsman and fifth disciple of Cheong-gwang Jinin.
That was the condition for him to duel me.
"Yeah, see you soon. Sahyeong said he'll come to Sichuan again on his next leave, so we can meet then. Ah, but then will sahyeong be too busy looking at other people to have time?"
"Cough!"
To be honest, my reason for suggesting friendship with him had been quite impure.
If I became friends with a genius who might one day ascend to the mythical realm, then even if everything I attempted against the Blood Cult ended in failure, I might gain one more chance... well, that kind of calculated reason.
But having spent a few days with him, he was truly such a charming guy that I felt it was a relief to be friends with him, regardless of that reason.
Looking at him, I was able to break a long-held fixed notion.
'I thought innocence and wisdom were traits that couldn't coexist in the same person...'
Whether it was because he had devoted himself solely to training in the mountains, or because he perceived the world through senses other than sight, he was the first type of person I had ever met who possessed both the innocence of a child and the wisdom of an elder.
Being with him made my heart feel endlessly clear, and I also found myself admiring his wise perspective moment by moment.
His swordsmanship was beyond words.
Our first duel had ended in a draw.
But that was because the guy lacked experience, so I barely managed to make it even; looking purely at skill level, he was on a level incomparable to me.
Because every single moment I faced his sword, I could gain new inspiration.
'Is that all? His inner qualities are top-notch, but his outer qualities are staggering too.'
Lee Geon's appearance was as beautiful as a woman's.
No, that was the wrong way to put it.
Because I couldn't even think of more than a few women in my head as beautiful as Lee Geon.
Watching the guy smile brightly, there were even times my heart would pound without me realizing it.
It was truly lamentable that he himself could not see such a beautiful face.
Just yesterday, I had even gotten into an argument with Bi Sa-yeong because of the guy's appearance.
Because we had a difference of opinion on who was prettier between Lee Geon and Jeong-an Sojeo.
'Honestly, objectively speaking, isn't Geon prettier?'
'What nonsense are you talking?! Does that even make sense?!'
'But why are you getting so worked up?'
'W-worked up, my ass, anyway! No matter how pretty the guy is, he's not someone to compare to Jeong-an Sojeo!'
No matter how I looked at it, in my opinion, Lee Geon was prettier.
Anyway, getting to know Hwa hyung-nim and Lee Geon through this incident was truly a great fortune for me.
After exchanging farewells with the two of them, we exchanged farewells with the final, third person.
She was Lady Jeong-in of the Ami Sword Peak, who had been rescued from the Jeonghyeopbang.
She was also the most important reason I had to stay here a few more days.
"Seonwoo Sohyeop, Bi Sohyeop. I will repay this life-saving grace someday. Well, if I find I can't repay it, I'll just marry one of you gongja-nim. Hahaha! Until next time! Take care!"
She was a lady warrior who boasted a voice and disposition far more spirited than most men.
At her unreserved words, we smiled awkwardly and exchanged farewells with clasped hands.
"Yes, Lady Jeong-in. I wish you good fortune in the Ami Sect's future."
"Please give my regards to Jeong Yeon and Jeong-an Sojeo as well."
The reason I had remained at the Jeonghyeopbang to watch over her was out of a nagging concern.
Because if she, who was called the Ami Sword Peak, had been subjected to the Blood Cult's possession art, it would be a serious matter.
But even after watching her for several days, I could detect no sign that she had been subjected to possession or the suggestion technique.
My conclusion was that if she had been subjected to something, she couldn't possibly be that cheerful.
According to her, a man called the White Jade Dragon Gu Yu-sang had said he would do something to her, but he had left his post and never returned.
'At first I was very nervous, but rather, thanks to that, I was able to remain unharmed without anything happening. Truly, life seems to be a blessing in disguise. Hahahaha!'
Saying that, she laughed cheerfully like a man again.
Hmm, the White Jade Dragon Gu Yu-sang...
I still couldn't find any trace of his movements, though he was clearly a member of the Blood Cult. He would probably turn up when the remaining remnants were completely annihilated along with the Hao Gate.
In any case, it was finally time to go meet the Jo Won members, who were like family to me.
Just thinking about seeing them again after so long was already lifting my spirits.
Suddenly, Bi Sa-yeong asked.
"But how are we going to meet the Jo Won members? Are they still at the Mountain Sword Gate?"
"Well, probably? But even if not, we can find them quickly. They've all become famous in Guizhou Fortress, haven't they?"
"True, now that you mention it."
Hmm, famous people, huh.
I was a bit concerned.
Receiving too much attention...
When I met Cheongyeon, I'd have to discuss this part as well.
Because it could become some kind of variable.
If the Murim Alliance's Jegal Ji-gang were to become aware of us, the situation might get a bit complicated.