Hunan Yueyang Songgye Gate, Heavenly Slaughter Sorrow Poison (3)

I stood quietly, lost in thought, when the Songgye Gate Master—who had remained mostly silent until now—spoke up softly.

"Speak."

"That's right. I only just heard those names, but my interest has always leaned more toward them."

"At first it was one of my goals. I never thought they were the final mastermind behind everything, of course. Don't worry. The destruction of the Hong-jeok Sect will proceed as planned."

It was something that would never happen. No one expected it.

Yet the Songgye Gate Master's expression remained perfectly calm.

This was a test. A confirmation of me, and of their own goals.

It was something that needed to be clearly settled before working together.

At my answer, the expressions of both the Songgye Gate Master and the Cheongho Gate Master finally relaxed.

They were relieved because ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his death was now confirmed, no doubt.

If I had said something like needing to extract information from him and therefore keeping him alive, they might have been inwardly disappointed.

"Thank me? You haven't even done it yet."

"Correct. Though we may need to stir up even more trouble than before."

"Unless I can read people's minds, there's no way to extract information from the Hong-jeok Gate Master or anyone else. They won't willingly reveal what they know. So you two will have to work hard. If the Hong-jeok Sect is one of Eun-yeong's arrangements, he won't simply let it be destroyed. He might even see your efforts as nothing more than a laughable rebellion."

If I were Eun-yeong, that's probably how I'd see it.

From his perspective, the Cheongho Gate Master didn't even exist. The Songgye Gate Master might be a bit of a nuisance, but he'd still be a minor obstacle that could be removed at any time.

"Good. So focus on your own tasks. Punish the Hong-jeok Sect, restore peace to Yueyang, and properly establish order across Gangnam. And beyond that, uphold the principles of this gangho itself."

The Songgye Gate Master let out a hearty laugh, and I shook my head.

"Not at all. It's not excessive in the slightest. You two have a great deal to accomplish. It would be a tremendous loss to the murim if people of your caliber only managed to deal with the Hong-jeok Sect and stopped there."

The two men looked somewhat embarrassed. And Jeong Gwang sat there blankly, listening to our conversation.

"Jeong Gwang."

"You'll help as well."

"However, you must not reveal yourself. Not yet."

"And later, you may become the bait we use to draw out Mu-je."

"Of course. You still need to watch Mu-so grow up and hold your grandchildren, don't you?"

"Don't worry. No one here will blame you for those things."

At my words, both the Songgye Gate Master and Cheongho Gate Master smiled gently as they looked at Jeong Gwang.

Our side was slowly taking shape, but it was still far from enough.

They say a gentleman's revenge is never too late even after ten years, but I had no desire to wait that long.

So whenever an opportunity arose and victory seemed possible, we would strike against the Hong-jeok Sect.

"Ah. And there's one more thing I should tell you all."

The Songgye Gate Master answered on behalf of the group. I thought for a moment before speaking.

"There's a place in Yueyang called the Daeho Medicine Hall. An old man named Cheon works there."

"Yes. If you need to contact me in the future, reach out to him. If you give him my name, he'll provide you with the necessary information."

It was time to start building our own foundation here as well.

I felt a bit sorry for the people of the Tang Family, who were about to get even busier, but their intelligence network was simply too useful.

So I would make use of it. Besides, more information would benefit them as well in the end.

That seemed to cover everything worth discussing for now.

I had gained a lot. The Dark War, the hidden players, the secret stories that had unfolded behind the scenes, and what was to come. All of it.

That was why my heart felt light.

Unexpected profits always brought joy to people.

As the heavy atmosphere began to lift, the Songgye Gate Master asked cautiously. The Cheongho Gate Master was also watching me with eyes full of subtle anticipation.

"What is it?"

"Conversation? Aren't we already talking?"

I finally understood what he meant.

These guys. They never just say things plainly. Why do they always beat around the bush like this?

Jeong Gwang, who had been listening from the side, also brightened at those words.

Though he had disguised himself as a first-rate expert and worked as an outer hall master in the Black Merchant Sect, he was still a super peak level martial artist.

There was no way he wouldn't be interested in martial studies.

"Sounds good. Let's head there right away."

At my words, everyone's faces lit up as they rose from their seats.

Good grief. Murim people really are simple creatures.

It seemed none of them had enjoyed sitting around whispering and putting their heads together. Look at how happy they were. It was practically transparent. So easy to read.

The training ground behind the Songgye Gate Master's residence.

It was called a training ground, but it was really just an empty lot where the earth had been packed hard from constant use.

The three men standing there glanced at one another before their eyes naturally turned to the Songgye Gate Master.

A look that said he should go first. And the Songgye Gate Master didn't refuse.

My bold declaration made the Songgye Gate Master's face brighten even more.

After all, ever since reaching the Transformation Realm he hadn't had a proper chance to swing his sword.

His body must have been itching for it. And there were probably things he had organized within himself after his breakthrough.

"As much as you like."

The Songgye Gate Master raised his sword in greeting, and I responded in kind with the Ammyeong Sword.

After taking his stance, he charged without hesitation.

A straightforward sword. But its speed and sharpness could not be ignored.

Even though it was our first exchange and he hadn't put in full power, I could already feel its keen edge.

Thanks to that, my mood improved as well.

The fact that simply witnessing such swordplay brought me joy proved that I really was a murim person after all.

The momentum of his sword gradually rose. The path of his blade grew faster and sharper.

Martial arts refined by the weight of years were enjoyable just to clash against.

Moreover, the Songgye Gate Master's sword carried a feeling similar to that of Mount Hua.

It was completely different from the Mount Hua sword that emphasized illusion and change.

Yet both carried the scent of pine needles.

In reality, swords didn't actually emit fragrance. It was the same for Mount Hua and the Songgye Gate.

The fact that one could sense a scent from a sword simply meant the imagery it projected was that clear and distinct.

That was why watching the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Art made one recall the image of plum blossoms and smell their fragrance.

And watching the Songgye Gate Master's sword made one think of pine trees and catch the scent of their needles.

Perhaps recognizing this as a rare opportunity, the Songgye Gate Master clashed swords with everything he had.

What I felt from his sword was trust.

Faith and conviction. The belief that I could receive his sword, which allowed him to swing it with complete abandon.

So I accepted his blade.

His sword, wrapped in strong qi and striking down with power.

I covered the Ammyeong Sword with strong qi as well and deflected it.

Every clash sent shockwaves rippling outward.

When I glanced over, both the Cheongho Gate Master and Jeong Gwang were watching our spar with their mouths slightly open.

Well, a spar like this wasn't something one saw every day.

Just watching it would teach them a great deal.

We had already exchanged hundreds of moves. Then, at some point, the Songgye Gate Master's aura shifted slightly.

It was a sword different from before. Yet it carried a familiar feeling.

He swung his sword.

A rising blade. A path that sliced upward from below, repeated again and again.

It was the Red Pine I had shown him, yet slightly different.

It was still a straight sword.

The sword I had shown him had been straight.

It wasn't merely straight. It contained change, feints, and illusions, but it remained straight.

Even if one had lived a life full of twists and turns, if they had walked it with integrity, couldn't that be called a straight path?

That was why I had shown him such a sword.

And the Songgye Gate Master had made it completely his own.

The straight sword that swung toward me. It held countless variations and paths, yet it remained straight.

It was such a simple cut, yet nearly impossible to block.

Anyone seeing this sword for the first time would surely be thrown into confusion.

A straight sword. Yet one that could fly in any direction.

Blocking or dodging it would be difficult. Because the possibilities of this sword were infinite. Because it could reach anywhere.

A laugh escaped me. It was fun.

This was exactly why one should never underestimate human potential.

My confidence that I was the best remained unshaken. But that didn't mean it was smart to look down on others.

Look at this. To think he could show me something so surprising.

So I had to show the Songgye Gate Master as well.

That it could be blocked like this. And then ask him what he would do about the solution.

He would enjoy it too.

When someone broke through his sword, a true martial artist would feel joy rather than disappointment or regret.

Because it meant there was still further to go. Because a path had been given to him.

How could he not be happy?

I swung my sword.

There were two ways to block the Songgye Gate Master's sword.

One was to strike it down before the path split. The other was to force him to choose a path and block it afterward.

I would teach him both. Then he would be twice as happy.

I blocked it before the path could split. Surprise flashed across the Songgye Gate Master's face, quickly replaced by a smile.

The Songgye Gate Master swung once more. This time I chose the second method and sealed his blade completely.

Even though his sword had been blocked twice, the Songgye Gate Master was as delighted as a child.

Thanks to him, I grew just as happy.

As I thought, conversations with swords were truly enjoyable. If you're a murim person, you should naturally enjoy them.