Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: An Nameless Mountain Near Chang'an
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A clearing in some nameless mountain. A perfect spot for a duel, free from any interruptions.
Chae Ji-gyu quietly draws his sword there and fixes me with a glare.
Faint moonlight. A sharp, piercing aura.
The spirit emanating from him, laced with demonic energy, sends a chill down the spine.
Age and experience lend him an air of shrewdness and unyielding resolve.
What a shame.
I let that final pang of regret linger in my mind one last time, then swiftly erased it.
I have to erase it.
In the Black Wall Cavern, erasing things was what I did most.
So I'm well accustomed to it by now. Nothing difficult about it.
Clinging to regrets and trying to persuade him again would be rude.
A man already resolved.
A man who steps forward with composure, knowing full well he has no chance of victory.
Ignoring the will of such a man is no way to act.
So I erase it. Swallow it down. Draw my sword.
All I can do for him now is grant him a fitting end.
"Ink Sword Grove Lord, Kang Jeong-un."
"...Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Outer Hall Third Leader, Mad Wolf Blood Demon Chae Ji-gyu."
That settles it. Our conversation ends here.
From now on, we'll let our swords do the talking.
As I twitch my hand, Chae Ji-gyu assumes a peculiar stance.
Sword extended forward, wrist twisted to angle the tip slightly downward.
Inner forearm facing the sky, his other hand tucked behind his waist.
Reminds me of fencing? A thrust incoming?
He doesn't say a word. No warning of his attack.
Chae Ji-gyu simply kicks off the ground. In an instant, he's upon me, thrusting his blade.
A thrust, as expected. But that was far from all.
As I slip aside, his twisted wrist snaps back, and the sword pursues me.
As if he'd anticipated my dodge. As if it were all part of the plan from the start.
I dodge again, and the sword chases me once more.
In that moment, watching his form, his nickname springs to mind.
Mad Wolf Blood Demon. Mad Wolf—a raving wolf.
I've never faced a real wolf, but his swordplay must resemble a pack closing in.
Relentlessly hounding, strangling the breath away.
What a fitting moniker. Even the Demonic Cult has a flair for this.
And indeed it was. Chae Ji-gyu's sword pressed on without cease.
What's more, it assailed from bizarre angles no ordinary man could achieve.
An intriguing sword path. Flashing chains of strikes.
Most opponents would struggle against it.
That's how he's survived this long to face me.
Regrettable.
Not regret over failing to recruit Chae Ji-gyu.
My regret is not witnessing him shatter his shell and emerge anew.
Chae Ji-gyu was unleashing everything he had to show, assailing me with it all.
No thought of rationing his qi or planning for the future. He poured his full power into me.
I know nothing of the life he's led.
How many good deeds or vile sins he's committed.
But none of that mattered.
Before my eyes stood only a man intent on pouring out everything he'd gained in a lifetime, all at once.
Attacks growing ever more refined. His blade grazing perilously close.
But that was the end of it. His edge never touched my body.
Nor did his realm.
Yet in that instant, he didn't falter.
He didn't despair at strikes that fell short despite stepping forward to the last.
From there, he mustered his strength for one more step.
A straightforward thrust. It looked ordinary, but impossible to evade.
So I swung the Dark Radiance Sword and batted his blade aside.
In that moment, Chae Ji-gyu's eyes deepened.
The thick demonic qi radiating from him vanished in a flash.
Another wondrous sight.
The man who took that final step had gained something from our duel.
An aura devoid of even a trace of demonic qi.
Far more honed than before, with explosively surging momentum.
Chae Ji-gyu raised his sword once more.
And poured everything he possessed into a single downward slash.
A strike brimming with colossal power. Fierce enough to make the mountains and trees rumble.
The blade slashing straight down at me was beautiful.
This is why I love the sword.
In that maddening Black Wall Cavern, what kept me going was the beauty of the sword.
The Dark Radiance Sword blazed bright. It struck Chae Ji-gyu's blade aside.
The immense force dissipated in an instant.
Emptiness settled once more on Chae Ji-gyu's face, enlightened though it had been.
"Just... how far away are you?"
His final mutter.
Words laced with lament and awe, even yearning for the unattainable.
That's why I knew I had to give Chae Ji-gyu an end worthy of him.
A strike setting aside all else, infused solely with respect for the martial way.
Yes. That moon will do.
Something you believe you can reach, yet lies infinitely distant.
Not as blazing as the sun, but scattering its gentle light in all directions.
A sword path surfaced in my mind. Its name came to me as well.
Bright Moon. Let's call it Bright Moon.
Sounds perfect.
The Dark Radiance Sword gleamed. Laden thick with sword aura, it shone blindingly bright before whipping out in a flash.
A swish. A vast arc.
My sword sliced precisely through Chae Ji-gyu's heart.
"The moon..."
Chae Ji-gyu's eyes rolled upward.
In the moment of death, he must have seen the moon cleft in two.
A faint upturn of the lips. His body crumpling.
Did he see it? Was he satisfied?
Thud.
In the nameless mountain, one man falls.
Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Outer Hall Third Leader, Mad Wolf Blood Demon Chae Ji-gyu, breathed his last here.
"Hoo."
I let out a sigh and sheathe the Dark Radiance Sword, now returned to its black hue.
A sheath I don't care for at all. Can't be helped. It's not custom-made for this blade.
After that momentary stray thought, I turn back to Chae Ji-gyu.
Why did the sheath cross my mind just then?
Perhaps I subconsciously rejected his death as unfit and tried to dodge the reality?
No. He died as a true martial artist.
I can't dismiss his death.
I mustn't pity or sympathize with it.
That would insult a man who perished as a martial artist.
I am a martial artist. That means I'll keep taking lives like this from here on.
Different from last time, when necessity forced my hand.
But death is death. No matter what reason I attach, their lives ended all the same.
And so, gazing upon Chae Ji-gyu's corpse, I made a vow.
No more meaningless killing.
In truth, meaning is whatever I make it. I could justify anything with some excuse.
So I resolved not to. No more deceiving myself.
Act when necessary, and harbor no regrets after.
No rationalizing remorse with absurd pretenses.
Be forthright.
I will be forthright.
With my resolve firm, I looked upon Chae Ji-gyu's corpse once more.
The man still staring skyward at the moon, eyes wide.
I reach out and gently close them.
I take his sword, lay it upon his chest, and fold his hands over it.
I leave that place. And return to Nakwol Manor.
I seal the acupoint of one Demonic Cult sentry on guard, hoist him over my shoulder, trek back to the nameless mountain, and set him down beside Chae Ji-gyu.
That should suffice. The rest is for them to handle.
So I head back to Ink Sword Grove.
And without delay, I take Seolha straight to the bedroom.
"Gr-Grand Hero?"
A faintly flustered Seolha. But as I swiftly undress and slide into bed, she clings to me tightly.
For the next few days, I kept watch over Nakwol Manor.
Chae Ji-gyu must have wielded considerable influence after all.
Whether honoring his dying words, the manor began a quiet withdrawal without any fuss.
The Demonic Cult likely couldn't overlook the matter either.
Someone capable of felling Chae Ji-gyu with a single stroke—they wouldn't dare act rashly.
That's why they slunk away so meekly.
There was no need to hint at my identity.
I could have left Chae Ji-gyu as a missing person. That would have made my movements far easier.
But it would be meaningless.
I realized as much the night he died.
I will serve as a deterrent.
Unnecessary clashes and pointless killing must end.
That's why I abandoned the notion of pitting the Demonic Cult against the Shadowless Gate.
It wasn't a good plan. Forcing such a thing wasn't righteous.
Righteousness and chivalry.
What every martial artist must possess.
Until now, I hadn't been a true martial artist.
I had a dantian, cultivated inner power, knew how to wield a sword—but I wasn't one.
But I can't go on like that forever.
I must set my standards and find what I truly seek.
That is righteousness. That is chivalry.
Without them, I'm no different from an armed brigand.
So what must I pursue?
The reason I came to this wuxia world.
An answer that eluded me after decades of pondering, leaving me without conclusion.
Had I even a clear purpose, I'd have followed it, grumbling all the way.
But there's nothing. I was utterly abandoned.
Not knowing the reason or purpose is cruel. Brutal.
A flimsy boat adrift on a vast sea.
Waves and storms terrify, but they're not the worst.
Not knowing where to go.
That's the true terror. The deepest fear.
Coming to Chang'an, founding Ink Sword Grove, taking in Seolha and Yeonhwa, meddling in Namgung Family affairs.
I went with the flow. Did what felt right in the moment.
So should I just keep drifting along?
Live by whim forever?
I glance down at the naked Seolha cradled in my arms.
A beautiful woman. These moments feel so blissful, like a dream.
As I gaze at her, Seolha meets my eyes and flashes a lovely smile.
Sight of it brings a natural smile to my face. My worries feel utterly futile, if only for a moment.
"Seolha."
"Yes, Grand Hero."
"What is living?"
To my abrupt question, Seolha answers without a moment's hesitation.
"Isn't it finding a reason to keep living?"
"Huh?"
"No one enters the world knowing precisely what they must do, right? Some are told to rebuild their clan or seek revenge, but those aren't truly their reasons. They're imposed by others."
Her words ring so true that I listen closely, hanging on every one.
"So they must find their own reason to live. It might not even be just one. And one of this girl's greatest reasons... is you, Grand Hero."
With that, Seolha hugs me even tighter.
"I see."
A satisfying answer. A fulfilling explanation.
Find reasons to live. And there may be more than one.
Life is a work in progress.
Living is the journey to discover those reasons.
Not bad. Great, even. Better than I expected.
So I decided to reward Seolha. Quite lewdly.