Chapter 216
Chapter 216
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 216
Chapter Title: Chapter 6. Different Paths Lead to Different Destinations (1)
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Jong Liyeon was watching Immortal Hyeon So with cautious eyes.
Immortal Hyeon So's entire body was densely studded with silver needles, like a porcupine.
The tips of the silver needles had turned black in reaction to the poison lurking in Immortal Hyeon So's body. This was already the third set of needles she had replaced. That was how vicious the poison afflicting Immortal Hyeon So was.
The silver lining was that Jong Liyeon had experienced an even more potent poison before. The poison arts unleashed by the Heavenly Poison Lord Sa U-yeon had been on another level entirely. Had it been him, there wouldn't have even been time to save Immortal Hyeon So.
In any case, that prior experience had tempered Jong Liyeon and allowed her to devise the treatment she was now applying to Immortal Hyeon So.
Slowly but steadily, and perfectly—detoxify him completely.
That was Jong Liyeon's goal.
It was a race against time, a task demanding utmost patience.
‘Still, getting even a little sleep has helped.’
Suddenly, Jong Liyeon's face flushed red.
In her half-asleep state, she had felt Dam Ho lifting her into his arms. She had no idea how fiercely her heart had pounded then. Desperate not to let him notice, she had pretended to sleep with all her might.
Those thick arms wrapping around her body, the warm heat permeating her entire form. The sensation lingered vividly even now.
“Hehe! Ahem!”
Jong Liyeon let out a strange giggle without realizing it, then hurriedly covered her mouth.
It was then.
“Jong, this is Un Gyeong of the Mount Hua Sect. May I come in?”
Un Gyeong's voice came from outside.
Jong Liyeon quickly composed her expression and replied.
“Come in.”
She knew that Un Gyeong harbored feelings for Dam Ho.
Un Gyeong opened the door and entered. But he wasn't alone. One person followed behind him.
It was Immortal Hyeongeom.
Jong Liyeon held her breath at Immortal Hyeongeom's appearance.
It hadn't been long since he had clashed with Dam Ho. Though he had been defeated and humiliated, he was still one of the pinnacle masters of the martial world. He was no one to take lightly.
‘Why is Immortal Hyeongeom here?’
Jong Liyeon glanced back cautiously. Immortal Hyeon So still hadn't regained consciousness.
She worried that Immortal Hyeongeom might harbor resentment from his defeat to Dam Ho and cause trouble.
“No need to be so tense. Circumstances aside, Hyeon So is my junior brother. Do you think I'd harm him? I simply wanted to see him.”
“That’s……”
Caught off guard, Jong Liyeon blushed. Immortal Hyeongeom smiled.
It was the first warm smile to grace his otherwise stern face. It looked somewhat awkward, but it revealed a human side to him.
“I’d like to be alone with Hyeon So for a moment. Could you step out briefly?”
“Yes!”
Jong Liyeon nodded vigorously and rose from her seat.
Leaving him alone with Immortal Hyeon So felt a bit uneasy, but she trusted he wouldn't cause harm, so she vacated the room.
Once they were alone, Immortal Hyeongeom sat before Immortal Hyeon So.
Immortal Hyeon So remained in a deep, semi-comatose state. Immortal Hyeongeom gazed long at his junior brother, eyes closed and lying there.
The once smooth face of Immortal Hyeon So, ever pure and youthful, was now deeply etched with wrinkles from his hardships.
Roughened skin, thickened knuckles. Countless scars that would never have marred him had he stayed on Mount Hua. The traces of raising those children were etched plainly upon him.
Immortal Hyeongeom suddenly looked at his own hand.
A hand that had swung the sword its entire life in pursuit of sword enlightenment. A hand optimized for gripping the blade. Every joint of its long, thick fingers bore the scars of grueling training. Yet it held no warmth.
Immortal Hyeongeom suddenly felt ashamed of his hand.
“What have I devoted my life to, all this time?”
He felt the emptiness of a life consumed by the sword.
Though comatose from poison, Immortal Hyeon So's face bore a smile.
The warm smile of one who had lived without regret.
“Hyeon So!”
Immortal Hyeongeom reached out and grasped Immortal Hyeon So's emaciated hand. It was colder than usual, its temperature dropped. But to Immortal Hyeongeom, it felt warm.
“I'm sorry.”
Immortal Hyeongeom bowed his head.
Everything filled him with regret. The years spent obsessed with the sword under the guise of reviving the Mount Hua Sect were regrettable; his jealousy toward his master's disciple, Immortal Hyeon So under Heavenly Vault Child, shamed him.
Only after letting it all go could he see who he truly had been.
A stubborn, arrogant boy who had plugged his ears with incomprehension. Perhaps his time had stopped decades ago, when Heavenly Vault Child had not chosen him.
“I'm sorry, Hyeon So!”
He apologized to Immortal Hyeon So once more.
He hoped his sincerity would reach him.
“Whew!”
After the apology, the knot in his chest unraveled.
Only after a long while did he rise from his seat, his face refreshed.
When Immortal Hyeongeom emerged, an unexpected figure awaited him.
“Cheon……Gyeong.”
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Jong Liyeon was none other than Dam Ho.
Tension flickered across Un Gyeong's face nearby. He knew that if the two clashed again, it would spell real disaster.
Immortal Hyeongeom stared steadily at Dam Ho.
“Shall we walk for a bit?”
His tone was calm, devoid of hostility.
Un Gyeong's anxious gaze turned to Dam Ho. He expected a refusal. But for some reason, Dam Ho nodded.
Immortal Hyeongeom and Dam Ho left the annex side by side.
Watching them go, Un Gyeong muttered.
“What in the world……”
Jong Liyeon felt the same.
The two exchanged bewildered glances.
Only after they had walked some distance from the annex did Immortal Hyeongeom stop and look at Dam Ho.
“Cheon Gyeong.”
“My name is Dam Ho.”
“I'm sorry.”
“……”
At the unexpected words, Dam Ho looked at Immortal Hyeongeom for a moment.
The Immortal Hyeongeom he knew was not one to apologize to anyone, nor to regret his actions.
That such a man was apologizing came as quite a shock to Dam Ho.
“It was all my fault. I sincerely apologize to both Hyeon So and you.”
The blade-like aura and icy demeanor defining Immortal Hyeongeom had vanished entirely, replaced by clear, mirror-like eyes gazing at Dam Ho.
If he had achieved great enlightenment in an instant, his eyes would look like this.
A newfound clarity shone in them.
Dam Ho sensed that something had fundamentally changed within Immortal Hyeongeom.
Deeper, more solid than before.
Enlightenment came without warning, and a warrior's enlightenment invariably propelled their power to new heights in a single moment.
The current Immortal Hyeongeom was not the one Dam Ho had overwhelmingly crushed before.
And this Immortal Hyeongeom was apologizing with utter sincerity.
“I lost my master and countless senior brothers to the Demonic Cult, fueling my rage. I witnessed Mount Hua's fall with my own eyes and experienced firsthand how fleeting the world's affections are. So I staked my life on reviving Mount Hua. I severed needless ties, pursuing only perfection. I believed only the flawless could inherit my sword. My prejudices narrowed my vision. Even knowing your talent, I rejected you for dragging your feet.”
“……”
“I'm sorry. Sorry again, and again. I was wrong, and you were right. I offer my respect to you, who forged that arduous path alone. You alone are the warrior who carries Mount Hua's will.”
Words unimaginable from Immortal Hyeongeom's mouth flowed out.
Even Dam Ho, who rarely showed emotion, was stunned.
“I will return to Mount Hua now.”
“……”
“If you're agreeable, I'd like to take Hyeon So back with me. And the children he raised.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to atone. To you and Hyeon So.”
“Now, of all times?”
“Only now have I awakened from my delusion. Only now do I see the world with true eyes.”
Immortal Hyeongeom's words left a deep resonance in Dam Ho's heart. Dam Ho stared at him for a long while.
The old Immortal Hyeongeom would have averted his gaze. But now, he met Dam Ho's eyes steadily.
The highest good is like water.
Likewise, the eyes of one enlightened to goodness were clear as water, accepting all.
That was Immortal Hyeongeom now. Instinctively, Dam Ho knew he spoke the truth.
Dam Ho closed his eyes.
‘Master.’
Immortal Hyeon So had lived his life for Dam Ho. But Dam Ho knew Mount Hua always dwelled in his heart.
Mount Hua was Immortal Hyeon So's entire life. A life without it was unimaginable.
He stayed away now out of love for Dam Ho, but Mount Hua forever filled his chest.
Dam Ho pondered what decision would truly benefit Immortal Hyeon So. And he decided.
Still, he had to ask.
“If the sect leader tries to use Master?”
“I will stop him.”
“Are you serious?”
“The sect leader will surely try to use Hyeon So to draw you in. But I know you are free. No one can bind you. Don't worry. Even if the sect leader intends it, I will block him.”
“When Master awakens…… tell him yourself.”
“To Hyeon So?”
“If Master accepts your offer, he can go with you. But if he refuses, let it go.”
“Very well.”
Immortal Hyeongeom nodded readily.
His expression was far more refreshed, as if a massive boulder had been lifted from his chest.
“Thank you. And one final request.”
“Speak.”
“I want to cross swords with you once more.”
“You're serious?”
“Yes. Through you, I saw my limits. Fighting you forced me to reflect on myself. In that battle, I grasped the key to surpassing myself. Now, I want to complete myself through battle with you.”
“……”
“I know it's a presumptuous request. But you're the only one I can ask. I want to rise from where I fell.”
Dam Ho was the first to crush Immortal Hyeongeom. He could not move forward without overcoming him.
Acknowledging Dam Ho and accepting his own faults was separate from this.
A warrior's thirst, a burning desire to advance another step, boiled within him.
His enlightenment pointed toward Dam Ho.
Fighting him again would surely lead to a breakthrough. The battle he craved was worth it.
Dam Ho looked at Immortal Hyeongeom.
These were not the words of a Mount Hua elder. They came from one warrior to another. He had to accept.
Dam Ho nodded. A bright smile bloomed on Immortal Hyeongeom's lips.
Shing!
Immortal Hyeongeom drew his sword and aimed it at Dam Ho.
His aura was serene as water, blazing as fire. A transformation unimaginable from the old Immortal Hyeongeom.
Immortal Hyeongeom stepped toward Dam Ho.
Dark Fragrance Floating Motion.
The fragrance blooming in darkness spreads far without moving—just like Immortal Hyeongeom's advance now. He seemed to walk lightly, yet he was instantly at Dam Ho's side.
Swish!
With Dark Fragrance Floating Motion came a light thrust.
No special technique, yet it was chillingly sharp.
Faster than the sound of air parting, the sword flew toward Dam Ho's throat.
Dam Ho unleashed Charging Wave to rush Immortal Hyeongeom. This time, instead of Wavebreaker Surge, it was Single Sunshine Strike.
Clang!
A metallic ring echoed, and both bodies vibrated sharply.
In that instant, Immortal Hyeongeom felt ecstasy.
‘Yes! This is it. This sensation!’
The one martial art he had longed for so long.
Mount Hua Sect's forgotten legend.
One-Character Insight Sword.
Its clue lay beyond Dam Ho.