Chapter 32: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 32: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (3)
The waves, set ablaze by the flickering lamplight, lapped rhythmically against the side of the boat.
Standing on the deck with his back ramrod straight, Yeon So-wol slowly straightened his disheveled clothes. He tugged at his garments, smoothed the wrinkles in his dopo, and checked the red Sajo Cord at his waist. His poise was like that of a crane standing in the shallows.
Unable to hold back any longer, Mobile Unit Commander Seol Cheong let out a heavy sigh.
“Why… How… How can you be so exceptional?”
Yeon So-wol slowly turned to face him.
…What am I even supposed to say to that?
Anything he said would sound like he was either mocking the man or boasting. Yeon So-wol chose to keep his mouth shut.
With trembling lips, Seol Cheong continued. “That was not a force that could be neutralized with the Breath of Smoke and Clouds alone…”
The character gyeong (勁) means power.
But it is not just any power. It is not the mere physical strength generated by muscles, but the martial power cultivated through internal and external arts. Only when that power is perfectly aligned and focused can it truly be called gyeong.
It is like how the same amount of force applied to the blunt end of a club cannot pierce a steel plate, yet when concentrated at the tip of an awl, it slides through with ease. Even if one’s internal and external power is immense, if that power is scattered and unaligned, it cannot be called gyeong.
“…You praise me too highly,” Yeon So-wol replied, feigning modesty to hide a pang of unease.
Seol Cheong was right. The force of that spear was indeed too great to be handled by the Breath of Smoke and Clouds alone, which was why he had secretly drawn upon the power of the Heavenly Killing Star to receive it.
…Does he suspect something?
Just as a cold sweat began to trickle down his back, Seol Cheong spoke again, his eyes wavering with respect.
“I’ve been told many times not to underestimate the methods of martial artists, but I never truly believed it. Now, my mind has changed. To be at the level of the Breath of Smoke and Clouds, yet so easily receive my spear throw—which had reached the state of Fierce Fire Piercing the Heavens… I suppose that is what is meant by superior learning. The martial arts of the Pungryu Sect are truly magnificent!”
“…Thank you.”
“However, no matter how great the martial art, it is the martial artist who brings it to life. I cannot even begin to fathom how deep your Fire Phase must be to display such a marvel at your age while still at the level of the Breath of Smoke and Clouds. My eyes have been truly opened today. Thank you. No… I thank you, Young Hero Yeon.”
Seol Cheong clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute and bowed deeply. Yeon So-wol quickly followed suit, returning the gesture.
Thankfully, that went over well.
“Please, this way. I pray that both you and your adoptive father achieve what you have set out to do.”
Guided by Seol Cheong, Yeon So-wol made his way toward the center of the boat.
After Yeon So-wol had departed, Seol Cheong stood in silence for a moment before turning to his men. Their eyes were all trembling. Seol Cheong hung his head low.
“I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop him…”
His men buried their faces in their hands.
“We’re screwed…”
These were military officers, handpicked from across the country after passing the rigorous military examinations, yet they had been defeated by vagrants of the Jianghu. Twice, at that.
What would the generals—men who had passed those same examinations long ago and risen to lofty positions—think of this disgrace?
“Aaaargh…”
The eighth day of the fourth lunar month. A spring day in full bloom. The boat, out for a night of revelry, was filled with brilliant lanterns, the scent of wine, and the sound of music, but the worries of the military officers only deepened.
*
Still, it was a relief the general wasn't watching. The Chief Daoist is a civil official anyway, so it doesn't matter whether he saw or not.
The Chief Daoist of Yanggwang, a civil official of the senior first rank.
The General Commander of Yanggwang, a military official of the senior second rank.
They were both drinking in a two-story pavilion set up in the center of the boat. From their high vantage point, they could observe the overall situation, but they wouldn't have seen Yeon So-wol leap up from right below the hull. He had been in their blind spot when he used the power of the Heavenly Killing Star.
Relieved by this fact, Yeon So-wol walked toward the two-story pavilion.
“…”
As he walked,
“…?”
He suddenly,
“…!?”
realized something.
What is this?
Throughout this entire area, the natural qi was moving in a very strange way. It was something only Yeon So-wol, with his exceptionally keen Qi Sense, could have noticed.
If one were to look at the natural qi in isolated parts, there was nothing strange about it. Like flowing air, it simply moved here and there, trembling minutely only when a person’s mind was directed toward it.
But it was different when he took in the entire area with his Qi Sense and observed it quietly. Viewed one by one, the movements were subtle and faint—the kind that could occur by chance. But when viewed as a whole, he could discern a highly structured regularity that was utterly impossible in nature.
It was like watching grains of sand, scattered at random, pile up and disperse to spontaneously paint a landscape, erase it, and paint it anew.
A shiver ran down Yeon So-wol’s spine. It was a shock perhaps even greater than when he had first seen General Commander Chu Seong-ho.
This was because the disturbance spanned such a vast area. It was a tremor that, while not minutely detailed, missed nothing.
A human could not do this. It was impossible for a human mind to simultaneously touch upon such a wide area without missing a single spot. How could a mind reach places it could not even see or hear? Considering the timeless truth that what is out of sight is naturally out of mind, it made even less sense.
It can’t be a human mind. It’s impossible for a person.
He instinctively recalled what Lee Yu-baek had told him—that monsters and ghosts truly existed in this world. Was he finally about to encounter one?
What in the world is over there…?
Tense, Yeon So-wol placed his foot on the stairs leading up to the second-floor pavilion. Suddenly, he heard voices.
“General Chu, shall we make a wager? On who will be the victor of this little entertainment.”
“Hmm… I haven’t the faintest idea. I’m not familiar with the names of Guangdong’s young martial artists.”
“I believe it will be that man. The adopted son of the Pungryu Sword, Yeon So-wol.”
“…Isn’t he a bit young?”
“Young, yes. Very young. But if he were to break through all the obstacles and stand here, would it not greatly bolster the Pungryu Sword’s reputation?”
“That it would.”
“Which means his disciples will do whatever it takes to place Yeon So-wol before me.”
Goosebumps erupted on Yeon So-wol’s skin.
What? Who is that person?
It was as if the speaker had overheard the entire conversation between him and the Three Gentlemen of Pungryu, seeing through the whole situation.
“And from what I can see, that young man named Yeon So-wol seems to have a hidden talent. Otherwise, no matter how much courage he has, he couldn’t have been so bold in front of the General Commander. That was the spirit of a man who has survived an encounter with an enemy he could not handle.”
Yeon So-wol’s back was now damp with sweat. It was as if the man could even read the moment Yeon So-wol had first fallen into this world—the time he had been cornered by the Demon Slayer, only barely surviving thanks to the power of the Heavenly Killing Star.
“There’s definitely something. A superior stealth ability? Or perhaps a life-saving ultimate technique for a desperate moment? Whatever it is, he has something. And he seemed to have the wisdom to use it well. Therefore, I believe he will soon appear at the top of those stairs.”
“Hmm. I cannot be certain if it will be Yeon So-wol, but it is clear the victor has something special. My Qi Sense tells me that Mobile Unit Commander Seol Cheong threw his spear with all his might, yet that hard force was erased with ease. I don’t know what kind of marvel that was, but…”
Creak.
Creak.
Why did the sound of his footsteps on the wooden stairs seem so loud today? Yeon So-wol swallowed hard, again and again.
Monsters. How do they know all this without even seeing it?
Could they really be monsters or ghosts, not people? Trying not to tremble, Yeon So-wol finally stepped onto the top of the stairs.
“Well? Was I right? I believe that is the young man, Yeon So-wol.”
“…You are correct. Your Excellency the Chief Daoist’s insight never ceases to amaze me. I have devoted my life to Martial Studies, but I cannot help but bow my head before the loftiness of Sage Learning.”
“If the General gilds me with such praise, I will find it hard to lift my face.”
Whooosh—
The first thing he noticed was the thin wisp of smoke swirling above the pavilion. The smoke, rising gracefully from the Chief Daoist’s long pipe, spread throughout the pavilion like a long ribbon of silk.
Its scent, however, was less acrid and more like the smell of burning charcoal in winter. Incense was burning in various places—a rich, head-clearing woody scent mixed with a sweet, light fragrance, and at the end, a scent like a crisp autumn breeze. It was a strange aroma, the likes of which Yeon So-wol had never smelled in his life. A sacred fragrance he hadn’t encountered even in the 21st century.
But even more dizzying than the fragrance was the presence of the old man sitting in the seat of highest honor.
No power could be felt from the faintly smiling elder. His muscles were gaunt, his bones looked thin. His breathing was not deep like a martial artist’s, and the hand holding the long pipe was frail with age.
And yet, Yeon So-wol felt an irresistible pressure from the old man. He knew it instinctively.
All of this… is that old man’s mind?
He realized that the vast mind he had sensed on his way here, the one that had completely dominated the area, belonged to this old man. The elder’s five senses were ordinary, likely unable to even cover the small pavilion, but his mind transcended his senses, stretching out to see and predict a thousand miles from where he sat.
It wasn't a monster or a ghost…?
Yeon So-wol reasoned based on General Commander Chu Seong-ho’s words.
He said Sage Learning, right?
It was likely a new form of cultivation, different from martial arts.
Martial Studies and Sage Learning…
His assumption that a civil official would just be an ordinary person completely vanished. He suddenly recalled a story Lee Yu-baek had told him.
‘The Sage said to first correct the mind, then cultivate the self. We martial artists, on the other hand, first cultivate the self, and only then do we polish the mind.’
Sage Learning. The study of polishing the mind first, not the body.
He said the mind is the Spirit…
A person is made of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. If martial artists first cultivate Essence and Qi, then perhaps practitioners of Sage Learning cultivate Spirit from the very beginning. Yeon So-wol felt a thrill at the profound principles that governed this world.
“You’ve worked hard to get here. Our conversation is not yet over, so let us speak later. We have prepared a seat for you over there. Go and sit.”
Chief Daoist Seo Myeong-eum pointed to an empty seat with his long pipe. Yeon So-wol politely clasped his hands, bowed deeply, and then carefully went to his seat.
“Ho ho. His father, too, moved with proper etiquette, unlike a typical man of the Jianghu. The son is even more so. His attire, his bearing—not a single flaw to be found. Excellent. Truly excellent. This is propriety!”
Yeon So-wol bowed his head at Seo Myeong-eum’s praise. Only after the man’s attention had shifted away did Yeon So-wol slowly look around. He did not forget, even for a moment, that the old man’s mind was still meticulously combing through the entire space.
The pavilion was filled with bonsai. Small trees of all shapes and sizes, cultivated to fit their pots, stood in verdant rows. And there were dozens of people.
At the highest seat was Master Seo Myeong-eum, the Chief Daoist, and next to him was General Chu Seong-ho, the General Commander. Lee Yu-baek sat near them, and beyond him, young scholars were seated in rows to the left and right. The seat Yeon So-wol now occupied was at the very end of the row of scholars.
…It seems this was originally a gathering to encourage the young scholars.
The atmosphere was pleasant, with frequent exchanges of wine and words of blessing. Yeon So-wol, who had been extremely tense, was just beginning to relax.
⌜Be careful.⌟
Yeon So-wol struggled not to flinch. No one had approached him, yet the voice he had just heard was as clear as if someone had pressed their lips to his ear and whispered.
A ghost…?
Yeon So-wol recalled the day he first arrived here.
⌜It is a minor trick called Secret Sound Transmission. No need to be so surprised. It’s me, next to you.⌟
Secret… Sound Transmission…?
Puzzled by the term he had never heard before, he shifted his gaze and saw a young man giving him a slight nod. He looked to be about the same age. He seemed to be a scholar, but a very poor one, as his clothes were patched in several places and the official’s cap on his head was slightly dented.
Without moving his lips, without even looking at Yeon So-wol, he sent only his voice.
⌜In any case, stay on your guard. The atmosphere may seem good now, but there’s no telling where it will flow. You and your adoptive father are standing on a knife’s edge. Everyone here is a scholar-official who has practiced Sage Learning, and in their eyes, a man of the Jianghu is ultimately nothing more than a petty person.⌟
Yeon So-wol bristled without thinking.
Petty person? We’re petty people?
⌜Ah, not that you are truly a petty person. It’s just how they see you.⌟
The young man clarified, but Yeon So-wol still found it hard to accept.
That can’t be. Our Pungryu Sect is an orthodox school that inherited the teachings of the Orthodox Faction…
⌜You don’t seem convinced, do you? Hmm. I suppose men of the Jianghu might not know. But in the eyes of those Sage Learning practitioners, almost everyone is a petty person. Do you know what they call the teachings of the Buddhist and Daoist schools when they’re among themselves?⌟
No way. They disparage the teachings of Buddhism and Daoism too?
Yeon So-wol found it hard to believe. He knew that scholars of the Joseon Dynasty on Earth had sometimes suppressed other religions, but this wasn’t Earth. This was an alternate world where even the emperor paid respects to living Buddhas and Immortals. A world where if you grabbed any ten commoners off the street, most would follow Buddhism or Daoism.
And yet the rulers themselves disparaged them? Did that make any sense?
⌜They don’t show it on the surface for the sake of the people’s sentiment, but that’s what they think privately. Among themselves, the Sage Learning practitioners call the teachings of Daoism and Buddhism sasiibi (似是而非). Sa for ‘similar,’ bi for ‘not.’ It means something that seems like the Dao but is in fact not the Dao—it is false. They also shorten it to saibi.⌟
Saibi!
To Yeon So-wol, who came from the 21st century, the word felt utterly strange yet familiar.
Buddhism is… heresy?
And Daoism too?
⌜So in their eyes, how could you not be petty people? The only two heretics present here today. That would be you and your adoptive father.⌟
The young man turned his head slightly to meet Yeon So-wol’s eyes, then grinned.
⌜Ah. Make that three of us.⌟