Chapter 292: Shadowless Sword
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 292: Shadowless Sword
“Brother!”
As I entered the inn, Mujin, who happened to catch my eye, waved at me.
I gave a simple nod and headed for his table. This time, Myungjin, who was sitting next to him, offered a greeting.
“Greetings, Dou.”
He had an air befitting a Daoist as he sipped his tea.
“How is your condition?”
“...Thanks to you, I’ve fully recovered.”
It wasn’t an empty pleasantry.
The Taecheongyosangdan he had given me was so effective for internal injuries that it was in no way inferior to high-grade Holy Water.
Thanks to it, aside from a slight stiffness, I was almost completely healed.
“That is a relief.”
Myungjin nodded with a kind smile.
“By the way, the young lady who was with you…?”
“...Her condition isn’t great yet, so I came alone.”
I took a sip of the leaf tea the waiter brought and subtly avoided his gaze.
It wasn’t exactly a lie.
Though not as bad as me, Cheon Yeo-hwa had also suffered internal injuries from the turmoil in her qi and blood while fighting that thing called the Black Blood Shackled Ghost.
Fortunately, thanks to the Taecheongyosangdan Mujin had given her, she was now almost recovered. I could have used Holy Water, but the demonic arts she practiced caused a rejection, so it couldn't be helped.
At first, I considered teaching her the Formless Vajra Art, but unfortunately, it was impossible to pass it on to others.
Well, it was possible under certain conditions.
Reaching 10-star and achieving Great Accomplishment.
If I reached a state where I had completely mastered a martial art, I could then teach the Formless Vajra Art to someone else.
But at a mere 4-star, that was still a distant prospect.
‘It’ll probably take a few more years of effort.’
It felt daunting, but at the same time, I was looking forward to it.
At just 4-star, I had managed to break through the ultimate technique of Wang Chwiong, who had reached the Flower Realm. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like once I achieved Great Accomplishment.
“I see… I hope she has a swift recovery.”
“...Thank you.”
Avoiding Myungjin’s strangely burdensome gaze, I called for the waiter.
“One beef noodle soup.”
“Yes, sir!”
Ting-
I tossed a few extra coins along with the payment for the soup, and the waiter’s expression changed.
“I’ll bring it right away!”
It was one of the tips I’d picked up in this world: if you wanted a bowl of beef noodle soup piled high with meat, you just had to toss in a tip.
It was easiest to think of it as adding extra toppings.
‘The food in this world is actually pretty good.’
The only problem was that the quality floor was incredibly low. Walking into a random place was a great way to ruin your appetite.
In that respect, this inn was trustworthy.
At the very least, the smell didn't lie.
For the record, Cheon Yeo-hwa claims that Earth's food is overwhelmingly better and barely touches the food from inns here. The only exception is when she occasionally enjoys some expensive liquor.
‘Well, if I had eaten this local food my whole life and then tried food from Earth, I’d probably lose my mind too.’
Sipping the new tea the waiter brought, I turned my head to look at Mujin.
I’d thought he was being strangely quiet, but now I saw he had his face half-buried in his bowl.
It was a stark contrast to his earlier high energy, as if he were gauging my reaction.
Seeing him act like this as soon as Cheon Yeo-hwa was mentioned, I had a pretty good idea of the reason.
‘Is it because of what happened yesterday?’
Not only had he been forced to flee, leaving me—someone he considered a younger brother—behind, but I also heard he hadn't been able to help at all while Cheon Yeo-hwa fought the Black Blood Shackled Ghost.
It wouldn't be strange at all if the confidence he had built up as a promising rising star had shattered in an instant.
Besides, the dark circles under his eyes suggested he’d been tormented by feelings of powerlessness and guilt all night.
‘Tsk, what a pain.’
I’m not the type to worry about a man’s feelings, but I owed him. Two debts, in fact.
“Brother Mujin.”
“Wh-What?”
Mujin’s eyes, which had reacted reflexively to my voice, held a strange light.
I bowed my head slightly toward him.
“Thank you.”
“Huh…?”
“I heard you gave the Yosangdan to Yeo-hwa.”
Although she was fine now, Cheon Yeo-hwa’s internal injuries had been quite severe.
If it hadn't been for the Taecheongyosangdan from Mujin, it probably would have taken her at least half a year to fully recover.
First aid is that important.
“...You don’t have to thank me. It was the natural thing to do. Since I did nothing from the sidelines, I had to at least do that—”
“I wonder.”
I cut Mujin off.
“Isn’t it because people fail to do even the most natural things that the Murim of today is said to have lost its righteousness and chivalry?”
“...”
“Did you know? If you go to the marketplace, six out of ten commoners will tell you that both the Orthodox and Evil Factions are just robbers with swords.”
Clack.
I set down my teacup and looked into Mujin’s eyes, which were swirling with a mix of emotions.
“Of course, it’s true that you’re pathetically weak.”
“Keuk!”
“But can we call someone a great martial artist just because they’re strong? If so, shouldn’t the demonic humans who practice demonic arts also be praised as great martial artists?”
Just then, the waiter who brought the beef noodle soup glanced at us nervously before silently placing the bowl in front of me.
Seeing the heap of meat, I satisfyingly picked up my chopsticks.
“You are already a great martial artist, Brother. What you lack now is strength, not righteousness and chivalry.”
Mujin had noticed Cheon Yeo-hwa’s true identity, yet he hadn't spoken a word of it, keeping it secret.
For me, that was enough.
“Well… I might have dressed it up nicely, but I have no intention of calling someone weaker than me ‘brother.’ So if you want me to treat you as such, you’d better work hard until we meet again.”
Mujin, who had been staring blankly, nodded without a word.
His firmly set lips and the newfound clarity in his eyes indicated that a positive change had occurred within him.
—Thank you.
I let Myungjin’s telepathic message go in one ear and out the other as I began my slightly late breakfast.
‘This is good.’
*
After finishing my meal, I asked Myungjin.
“Why did you want to see me?”
“...Actually, I was hoping to ask you to travel the martial world with Mujin—”
“I refuse.”
Thud. Mujin shot up from his seat.
“Isn’t that a bit too blunt?”
“I don’t have a hobby of taking men around with me.”
“...”
Looking visibly dejected, Mujin sat back down and listlessly picked at his food with his chopsticks.
“Haha, that’s no longer the case, so please rest assured.”
Myungjin smiled warmly as he looked at Mujin.
He was like an older brother looking at his troublesome younger sibling.
“The Mujin of today doesn’t seem to need to travel with you, Daoist Kang. In fact, it might be more helpful for him to return to our sect. The sun is warm, but if you stay by its side for too long, it becomes hot.”
Watching Myungjin with his kind smile, I quietly revised my assessment of him.
At first, I thought he was a proper Daoist, unlike Mujin. But now I saw he was a thick-skinned man who wouldn't hesitate to dump his baggage on someone else.
No, in the first place, asking me, someone who had just turned twenty, to look after Mujin, who was nearly thirty, was absurd from the start.
‘...Didn’t he basically admit with his own mouth that his brother is baggage?’
Whether he knew it or not, Mujin was just sulking over the fact that I had rejected him so bluntly.
But then, seeing him happily eating his beef noodle soup, I wasn't sure whether to call him pure or just simple.
‘Such a bright young man…’
Swoosh.
I drained my teacup and stood up.
“I would love to talk more, but I’m in a hurry and can’t spare the time. I hope you understand.”
“Of course.”
Just as I was about to leave for good.
“Brother… no, Hyun-woo!”
Mujin shouted after me.
The brightest smile I had ever seen on him was on his lips.
“The next time we meet, you’ll have no choice but to sincerely call me your brother, so you’d better be on your toes.”
Seeing Mujin overflowing with intense fighting spirit and competitiveness, I let out a smirk.
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
I meant it.
Though our encounter was brief, Mujin was a decent person.
“Daoist Kang.”
Myungjin called out to me as I was about to leave the inn.
“Once again, on behalf of the Wudang Sect, I express my gratitude. If you ever have the chance, please visit Mount Wudang.”
He gave me a respectful cupped fist salute.
I returned the gesture and left the inn.
*
After leaving the inn, I headed for the pleasure district.
It went without saying, but gisaeng houses generally only opened for business after the sun went down.
As a result, the streets that bustled with people at night were now, with the sun high in the sky, mostly empty save for a few begging beggars and some passersby still drunk and passed out on the ground.
‘Those aren’t ordinary beggars.’
Occasionally, I spotted beggars who possessed third-rate or second-rate martial arts. They were likely members of the Beggar's Sect, an information network that formed one of the pillars of the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance.
Well, Seoyu County was Orthodox territory, so it was only natural for the Beggar's Sect to be here.
I crossed the street without giving them a second glance.
If I acknowledged them in any way, a note like ‘His perception of qi is sharp’ might end up in their records.
Soon, I arrived at Monghyeonru and went straight inside. The door was open, probably for cleaning even if they weren't open for business.
“Oh? Great Hero?”
I happened to make eye contact with the same waiter from yesterday.
“What can I do for you? It’s still a long time before the gisaeng house opens…?”
“I’m here to see the Lord.”
“...The Lord?”
The waiter’s expression turned strange at my words.
“...I-I’m sorry, but even for a Great Hero such as yourself, you cannot see the Lord without a prior appointment…”
“I have an appointment.”
“Pardon?”
“She’ll know as soon as you give her my name.”
“Ah…”
After a moment of hesitation, the waiter nodded and ran inside.
But did I ever tell that guy my name?
‘He’ll figure it out.’
A short while later, the waiter returned.
“The Lord has agreed to see you. I will guide you.”
I followed him up the stairs.
I occasionally met the eyes of the gisaengs, and among them were many who had learned martial arts.
They seemed to be members of the Hao Clan.
What was interesting, unlike the Beggar's Sect, was that the prettier the woman, the higher her martial arts attainment.
‘Did they learn the Immortal Maiden Art or something?’
Anyway, lost in thought, I soon reached the fifth floor.
The waiter stopped in front of a door and stepped back.
“You may go in.”
Screech-
As he said, I opened the door and my eyes met with Danri Sohwa, who was in the middle of wrestling with a pile of documents. She shot me a sullen glare and muttered.
“...I’m warning you, if you don’t pay the information fee, you’re getting nothing.”
I chuckled at Danri Sohwa’s sharp reaction and stepped inside.
Her title as the Hubei branch manager of the Hao Clan was clearly not just for show; the room was stacked high with an enormous amount of paperwork.
“I’m not here for anything strange, so you don’t have to be so on guard, you know?”
“...Hmph. As if.”
Danri Sohwa put down the document she was reading, stood up, and approached me.
“So, what brings the great Shadowless Sword (無影劍) to see me?”
“Shadowless Sword?”
“Hm? You didn’t know?”
A playful smile spread across Danri Sohwa’s lips.
“It’s the epithet you got after some guy from who-knows-where killed the Ghost Hand Twin Swords in a single strike.”
“...I’d like to change my epithet. Can I make a request to the Hao Clan for that?”
A little pretentiousness is fine, but Shadowless Sword? Seriously?
“You don’t know how good you have it. You should be glad it’s not something like Invincible Twin Swords or Heavenly Dragon Divine Sword.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed inwardly.
Pleased by my reaction, Danri Sohwa’s lips curled into a small smile.
“Anyway, are you going to tell me why you’re here? As you can see, I’m a bit busy.”
She pointed to her desk.
It was so covered in documents that it was hard to tell its original shape.
“It’s nothing much. I just came to give you this.”
I took an item out of my pocket and handed it to her.
It was none other than a ring embedded with a jewel.
I figured a small gift would be better than a verbal apology, so I just grabbed something that was rolling around in my inventory.
Of course, that didn't mean it was cheap. It was worth at least several hundred million.
“...A ring?”
The moment Danri Sohwa took the ring, her eyes widened. Then, ripples began to form in them.