155. Thunder Shadow Saber
[You said you'd snag some fateful encounter, but you ended up with something even bigger.]
Pa Cheon muttered. I nodded in agreement.
Paeng Yu-gun's declaration was utterly outrageous.
A sword for me, with no conditions or limits?
That's dangerous talk.
For a martial artist, swearing to become someone's sword meant swinging the blade at anyone, no matter who they were.
Even if it was aimed at family or clan—hell, even if ordered to strike them down, that's what the oath demanded.
Yes, risky, but not impossible.
If it weren't coming from the Dao King.
"B-Brother?"
Even Dang Mugi was stunned by the sheer weight of those words.
A chicken knife only butchers chickens; a cow knife only butchers cows.
So what could the blade wielded by the Dao King—the pinnacle of all saber users—butcher?
'Excluding the Heavenly Demon, the Dao King is the strongest expert I've met so far.'
Just moments ago, clashing with him, I'd unleashed every ounce of power I could muster.
And him? He'd just stood there, arms crossed, casually swatting at Jeok-ho with a paw-like swing.
Even with my body tougher than most thanks to the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the shockwave alone left me with internal injuries.
I wasn't kidding when I called him a nuke.
'If it's the Dao King...'
Even against Maeng Wi-hak, he might not win, but he could buy me time to escape.
'...This means I could actually head to Shaolin.'
If, by some freak chance, my identity got exposed and they learned I was from the Divine Cult, the sword oath would still hold.
Of course, once that chance was spent, his blade would turn on me—but by then, I'd be long gone.
Anyway.
I was shocked, and clearly, so was everyone else.
'You don't have to tell me.'
But the bombshell didn't end there.
Paeng Yu-gun spoke again.
"Ah, Eastern Sword Dragon. Don't misunderstand—this has nothing to do with our bet. I'll teach you Noe Yeong-do as promised. It suits your internal energy well, so it'll be fun to pass on."
"...You're going to teach it?"
Paeng Yu-gun scowled at Namgung Jin's shocked question.
"What, asking the obvious, you slippery eel? If I'm teaching, I'll do it properly."
"Are you taking him as a disciple?"
"Worried that if the Eastern Sword Dragon makes our Paeng Family and Tang Clan too close, it'll threaten the Namgung Family?"
"N-No, that's not it!"
"Kehahaha!"
Paeng Yu-gun burst into laughter, but I knew better.
He'd laughed just like that while pouring me liquor and suppressing me with his internal energy.
I slipped between Paeng Yu-gun and Namgung Jin.
Not because I liked the guy—far from it. But if Paeng Yu-gun laughed and then barked "Git!" at him in a scolding fit...
'With that punk's personality, he'd take it out on me for sure.'
Paeng Yu-gun was too big a deal to fuck with, even at the clan level.
So who'd get the blame? The easiest target: me.
That'd be a hassle. The Namgung Family was the closest thing to the world's top clan, with influence across the entire martial world.
"I'm simply grateful for your guidance."
"...Heh, you rascal."
Seeing me block the space between him and Namgung Jin, Paeng Yu-gun chuckled in surprise.
"Fine, then. Learn it well. A Five Greatnesses talent who reached that realm at your age should pick it up quick enough."
Then Paeng Yu-gun added,
"I've said my piece. Dismissed!"
Everyone scattered in startled groups at his words.
Left behind were just me, Paeng Yu-gun, and Dang Mugi.
"So, satisfied now?"
"Eh, that'll do."
"You're obsessively protective of your own—it's downright creepy. Can't be helped; it's a sickness."
Paeng Yu-gun and Dang Mugi looked ready to banter like old times.
I had no energy for that. I bowed politely.
"I'll take my leave."
"Huh? No drink first?"
"Brother, who do you think hurt Yoon?"
"Wounds heal best with liquor to draw out the poison. Cleans 'em right up."
"That's because you Paeng bastards are boneheaded tough."
"What? Mocking us as dumb now? Listen, a strong body means no need for a tired brain!"
"'Listen'? I'm almost eighty-two!"
"I'm almost ninety!"
[Demons.]
'Huh?'
[If war breaks out, is the Divine Cult really in danger? With guys like that as the martial world's old monsters.]
'...'
Yeah.
The Divine Cult might not be in danger at all.
While Paeng Yu-gun and Dang Mugi bickered, I slipped away quietly.
Even with the Mysterious Medicine Brigade's elixir from Wudang, my internal injuries healed completely in just a day or two.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Art's power, I suppose?
I couldn't afford to waste time.
Technically, I was out here on a dispatch mission.
It looked free, but it came with the chains of duty.
'Gotta rack up results to push to the next phase, or I'll get recalled.'
My original task: prevent unrest between the Tang Clan and Paeng Family, and deal with Great Young Master Dang Si Yul without excessive Divine Cult casualties.
It was basically done. Tensions between Tang and Paeng had vanished long ago.
'Dang Si Yul's the only loose end.'
I had no clue where he was. Officially, he was in seclusion recovering from severe wounds.
Knowing the Tang Clan, they'd probably severed his limbs, crippled his dantian, and stuffed him in some snake pit.
If Dang Mugi weren't firmly on my side, the Tang Clan could get downright inhumanly cruel to enemies—beyond brutal, into the unspeakable.
'Problem is, that means no leads on his secret lab.'
Dang Si Yul experimented poisons on vagrants and Divine Cult members.
Only he and his direct subordinates knew its location.
Honestly.
If I dropped a hint about the lab, I was sure we'd find it in three days.
But confirming it might trigger a recall from the Cult, so I held back.
[What about the Cult members suffering there?]
Pa Cheon had changed a lot.
Back then, he'd have sneered, 'Weak vermin, pathetic enough to get caught by riverside trash and experimented on.'
Probably no Cult members there now, or if any, they were safe.
Test subjects hardy enough for new poisons and drugs but without connections were rare, so they got pampered health-wise outside experiments.
Luckily, no Cult branch in Sichuan meant no urgent messages for me.
But I had to report, so I sent Sa Wol off on Mugyeok-i to the nearest branch in Gansu Province. She'd be back in three days, barring issues.
Perfect timing—Yongbong Assembly started around then.
'Yongbong Assembly's drawing not just dragons and phoenixes, but tons of other late-generation talents.'
Normally just for the top youths, but this time open to others too.
Probably Namgung Jin's idea.
Political move to recruit or build ties with late-gen talents for his clan.
'Whatever, I'll just show my face.'
Coldly honest: Unless they were like Dang Si Hyeok (Odaegasega young master) or Un Yeop Ja/Jang Yeong-o (next top dogs of the Nine Great Sects), late-gen talents were useless to me.
I wasn't building a power base here for decades; ties would snap on recall to the Cult.
So.
"Looking forward to it, Eastern Sword Dragon."
I went to Paeng Yu-gun to learn Noe Yeong-do.
Naturally, a secret training hall rented—no outsiders allowed.
Paeng Yu-gun stood arms crossed, beaming. Sleeveless as always, his massive biceps, triceps, and forearms bulged intimidatingly.
'...Come to think, I vibe more with old monsters than my peers.'
Even in the Cult, my crowd skewed grandpa: Cheol Mu Geuk, Do Il Gwang, Ma Ui...
Suddenly felt wronged.
Some Namgung prick hangs with hot senior ladies, laughing it up, while I'm getting smacked by grandpas.
"Normally, one bows in transmission of martial arts. But you've inherited Yakseon's legacy, Eastern Sword Dragon, so no need. Still, I'll treat you like a disciple. Understood?"
"An honor."
"Good."
Lucky for me. Or Pa Cheon, rather.
[Nearly bowed to someone besides Heavenly Demon Sovereign—disaster averted, naturally.]
Anyway, Paeng Yu-gun hefted his saber.
"Noe Yeong-do is entry to Cheonhwasamnakdo, but wielding lightning qi makes it tricky."
Lightning qi flickered along his blade. Sparks crackled—pa-jijik—not much different from Jeok-ryong's.
"Key is igniting the lightning qi, which you can already do."
"Yes."
"Show me."
I drew Pa Cheon Sword. Sword-drawing I'd practiced to perfection—no awkwardness even for the Dao King.
Pa Cheon summoned Jeok-ryong's energy.
"Impressive."
Eyeing the red lightning coiling on Pa Cheon, Paeng Yu-gun nodded.
"That energy you use, Eastern Sword Dragon... mirrors Samnakdosung's exactly. Thought it was just similar form from lightning qi, but no. Even the color matches—odd, no?"
"Indeed."
Energy colors vary wildly by art. Yet Samnakdosung's bolt and Jeok-ryong's matched hues.
"Yin and yang. His is yang lightning; yours, yin. In other words..."
To me, knowing Yakseon's truth, Paeng Yu-gun's next words hit deep.
"The energies you and I cultivate were originally one."