Bonds of Karmic Connection
Namgung Woo wasted no time. The very next day after accepting Myo-rin's enlistment, he prepared to leave Hongho County. He had briefly considered resting a little longer, but there was no real reason to delay. Peak Realm experts were, as the name suggested, those who had reached the absolute limits of the human body. Upon attaining the realm symbolized by the Five Dragons Serving the Saint, even without practicing a heart method that specifically targeted the middle dantian, one would naturally open it. Simply opening the middle dantian—which governed the body's homeostasis—dramatically enhanced recovery, endurance, and overall vitality. This was precisely why Peak Realm masters were called the true heavyweights of the Murim world. From that stage onward, fighting for days and nights without rest became entirely possible.
Yang Jeong, who had only recently entered the Peak Realm, still experienced slight fluctuations in stamina, but he accepted it as part of his training. Besides, he didn't want to hold everyone back just because of himself. After a hearty breakfast and gathering their belongings, the group was about to leave the inn when an unexpected face caused a brief postponement of their departure.
"Please take me with you, Captain."
In just one day, Geumsin's appearance had changed dramatically. Instead of the monastic robes worn by monks, he now wore martial attire. Rather than the short staff he'd used after his long one was severed by the Black Sword Ghost, he carried his original long wooden staff strapped across his back. If not for his still-smooth bald head, he would have looked every bit the seasoned warrior.
"Hmm… you've changed quite a bit, haven't you?"
Namgung Woo's ambiguous remark didn't outright reject him, but by deliberately using formal speech as he had when drawing the line the previous day, he reminded Geumsin of yesterday's events. However, Geumsin was different now. He awkwardly rubbed his still-bald head and spoke.
"I've returned to secular life. I'm no longer a monk—just Geumsin. I never had a proper name to begin with anyway."
Since he had no name given by his parents, his Dharma name had been his only identity.
"Hwaseongsa won't be dragged into any trouble because of this."
Even if Geumsin were to suffer harm, Hwaseongsa would not step forward for revenge.
"You said it would be dangerous. That's fine. That's exactly why I'm following you."
As expected, this guy was never truly a monk—he was a born fighter.
"That staff… it belonged to Grandmaster Hangwi, didn't it?"
Namgung Woo's words came back around. Hearing them, Geumsin grinned and nodded firmly.
"You're really giving me a proper push from behind. Very well. Since you've even returned to secular life, there's no reason not to accept you. Come along."
"I've been waiting to hear exactly those words."
Instead of the monks' joined palms, Geumsin offered a martial artist's fist salute. Namgung Woo lightly clenched his fist and met it palm-to-palm.
"Welcome back."
Now that his return was official, Geumsin finally voiced the question he'd been holding.
"By the way, is that woman from the inn also a new member?"
"That's right. You two haven't met properly yet, have you? Myo-rin, this is Geumsin. He's from Hwaseongsa. He stepped away for a while but he's your senior, so treat him as such."
After Namgung Woo handled the introductions, Myo-rin gave a indifferent nod.
"I'm Myo-rin."
"Geumsin here."
With the Yang twins, Paeng Ha-ryeong, Geumsin, and now Myo-rin, the group finally had the proper look of a respectable rogue martial artist company.
Just as the two finished their brief self-introductions, Paeng Ha-ryeong, who had gone upstairs, came trotting down.
"Oh, Monk Geumsin came to say goodbye?"
"No. Geumsin's decided to come with us. He's returned to secular life."
"Returned to secular life… That must have been a difficult decision… Still, since it's come to this, please take good care of us from now on!"
"Haha, I will be counting on all of you as well."
Myo-rin's expression subtly twitched at the sight of Paeng Ha-ryeong's warm welcome—so different from her own treatment. Meanwhile, Namgung Woo asked her,
"What about Lady Jegal?"
"It seems Seon-a gained some kind of enlightenment from the last battle."
Even as she repeated the excuse Jegal Seon-a had given, Paeng Ha-ryeong had noticed that the other woman was deliberately avoiding them for some reason. She had one guess as to why. But she chose not to mention it. It might not be true, and even if it was, she didn't want to dig into it.
"Is that so?"
When Namgung Woo gave a short reply and met her eyes, Paeng Ha-ryeong felt as though every thought she was hiding had been completely read. Should she speak her mind now? She bit her lip. But before she could reach a decision, Namgung Woo moved on.
"Then let's go. We've received official confirmation from the family head that our contract with the Jegal family has ended. The most dangerous enemy is dead, and Banunbang's forces have been cut in half. The Jegal family can handle the rest on their own."
By killing the Five Yin Demon Emperor, Namgung Woo had already fulfilled his role. Without any lingering attachment, he set off. If he had tried to take care of every single thing himself, he wouldn't have parted ways with the people from Cheongsumun in the middle of the Cloud Dream Grand Conference to begin with. There would always be people who had to be left behind. The current Namgung Woo already had his hands full just looking after those who had chosen to remain by his side.
As he stepped out of the inn, Yang Kvae hurriedly rushed ahead and opened the door for him. Namgung Woo passed through, and the others followed close behind. Paeng Ha-ryeong was first, and once the two had passed, Yang Kvae released the door and fell in step beside Yang Jeong. Geumsin slipped between the brothers, while Myo-rin walked a step behind them all.
When a group of six emerged onto the main road at once, the eyes of passersby naturally gathered on them. And upon seeing the faces of Namgung Woo and his companions, they began whispering among themselves. The name and appearance of Namgung Woo and the Changcheon Squad were gradually becoming known throughout the world, turning into a rising reputation.
The Yang brothers' shoulders twitched slightly, excited that there were already people who recognized them. Paeng Ha-ryeong took it in stride as if used to it, while Geumsin and Myo-rin—true to their religious backgrounds—maintained their composure despite the awkwardness. And so, the Changcheon Squad left Hongho County. Their destination was Luoyang.
"By the way, Captain, I've got one question."
"What is it? Speak."
"Captain, aren't you going to give that sword of yours a name? You know, famous swords always have names, right? Like the Divine Sword that Lord Paeng uses, or the White Book that Lady Jegal used. Shouldn't you come up with one too?"
At Yang Kvae's words, Namgung Woo recalled the weapon he had used back in Chukrok Murim. It had been called the Extreme Cloud Divine Sword. At the time, it had been the highest-grade endgame weapon. Perhaps the sword he now wielded, crafted from Mangcheonhu's horn, held similar prestige in this world.
"Hmm. I haven't thought of anything yet."
"Then would it be presumptuous of me to suggest a name?"
Yang Kvae asked in an unusually polite and courteous tone he rarely used. Then a new participant joined in. If his brother was doing it, so would he. Like action and reaction, Yang Jeong naturally followed.
"May I offer a suggestion as well? Since it's made from Mangcheonhu's horn, how about Heavenly Horn?"
"Ugh~ This kid has zero sense. Nope. You're out."
"It's straightforward and nice. Names like this should give you an immediate feeling the moment you hear them. Look at the Divine Sword of the Sword Sovereign—'new' and 'sovereign's palace.' Doesn't it instantly convey the image of a newly forged sovereign's blade? That's what makes a good name. Any objection will be considered an insult to the Sword Sovereign."
"What kind of bull—"
Yang Kvae was about to scold Yang Jeong for his twisted logic when he noticed Paeng Ha-ryeong staring at him intently from the side. He quickly cleared his throat and swallowed his words. Once Yang Kvae fell silent, Yang Jeong continued with renewed confidence.
"Doesn't 'Heavenly Horn' originally refer to a corner of the heavens? A weapon is essentially an extension of the body, and since the Captain is like the heavens themselves, wouldn't Heavenly Horn be semantically perfect?"
Yang Kvae stared at his brother in disbelief as Yang Jeong launched into sudden worship. But Yang Jeong remained completely unashamed. It wasn't just that Namgung Woo practiced martial arts that took the heavens as its image—more importantly, who was it that had picked them up from the streets and raised them into proper Peak Realm experts? If they had never met Namgung Woo, the Yang brothers would still be wandering as common vagabonds, never even having crossed the threshold of the Peak Realm. All while shouting that their combined twin attack could take on Peak experts.
"Still, isn't Heavenly Horn a bit too half-hearted?"
The one who countered Yang Jeong's argument was none other than Myo-rin. Receiving Yang Kvae's silent but fervent supportive gaze, she continued.
"I took a quick look, and that is clearly a demonic sword. The scabbard contains spiritual energy that suppresses its malevolent aura, so it isn't immediately noticeable, but..."
A sword made from Mangcheonhu's horn, held in check by a Dragon-Eye Wood scabbard. Myo-rin had focused on the violent, demonic energy hidden beneath its divine appearance.
"A divine being, yet also regarded as the king of running demonic beasts. How about Black Dragon? Or rather… what do you think?"
For a moment, Myo-rin had forgotten even her formal speech setting and slipped back into her original casual tone. That alone showed how serious she was about the naming. The way her usually expressionless face was faintly flushed confirmed it. But opposition came here as well.
"But Gaga's sword is blue-white, isn't it?"
"......"
"Blue Dragon or White Dragon would suit it much better."
"......As I said, that sword is originally a demonic blade..."
"Honestly, isn't Heavenly Horn better than Black Dragon?"
Even Yang Kvae shook his head, as if he couldn't support her on this one. Three against one. Overwhelmed by numerical violence, Myo-rin fell silent.
"Gaga, it would be faster if you just named it yourself."
Truth be told, ever since the word "Black Dragon" had left Myo-rin's mouth, Namgung Woo had already given up on their suggestions and was quietly pondering by himself. Without thinking, he voiced the thought that had been weighing on his mind the most.
"I'd like to focus on the idea of karmic connection..."
"Ah, right. That was given by the Jinyiwei Commander, wasn't it?"
"That too. In many ways."
When he received the horn from Gwak Dan, Namgung Woo had also been asked to look after Song Woo-jeol, Gwak Dan's direct disciple. It wasn't an obligation, but if fate allowed, he intended to fulfill the commander's request. How much help he could actually provide, he wasn't sure. And by accepting that horn, Namgung Woo had headed to Guya Manor and become entangled with even more connections. Cheongsumun, Guya Manor, Hwaseongsa, the Huangshan Sect, the Hyeongsan Sect, and the Jegal family. It had all begun with this horn—this sword.
At Namgung Woo's words, Geumsin, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Then how about Banyeon?"
"Banyeon?"
"It can refer to the mind responding to an object and changing accordingly, or it can mean the cause that relies on a great condition to produce some effect—in simple terms, forming a connection. In Buddhism, we're often told not to form such bonds, but originally, karmic connections are neither good nor evil. However, because they entangle us with many great conditions and create ties, we become bound to the secular world. This increases our afflictions and makes it difficult to reach Nirvana, which is why we are advised to avoid them. But for those living in the secular world, aren't these very karmic connections what life itself is all about?"
The horn of Mangcheonhu had met a new owner and changed its nature—that was a karmic connection. And through this horn, he had formed ties with many people—another karmic connection. The others' eyes widened at the sight of Geumsin expounding Buddhist teachings. The expressions on their faces clearly read: The defrocked monk who reads martial arts manuals instead of Buddhist scriptures and trains in martial arts instead of ascetic practice is suddenly saying things like this?
"Whoa… This time he actually sounded like a real monk."
"He didn't sound like one—he was one."
"Wow, and now he sounds like a proper rogue martial artist again."
Geumsin simply shrugged off Yang Kvae's comment. After carefully considering Geumsin's words, Namgung Woo gently grasped the sword's hilt. As if it possessed its own spiritual awareness, the moment his hand closed around it, the blade let out a clear ring.
"It seems the sword likes it too. Not bad. Banyeon. From now on, it shall be called the Banyeongeom."
It happened during a rest on a quiet path along the road to Luoyang.