Chapter 370
Chapter 370
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 97
>Chapter Title: The Seventh Heaven (2)
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-Sizzle!
Every time Mok Kyung-un's finger technique touched him, Clan Head Gu Cheon-mu was seized by searing pain as if his flesh were burning away, yet he didn't let out so much as a grunt or show any sign of agony.
"Hoo."
He merely regulated his breathing.
Of course, his strong endurance played a part, but so did his pride.
As one of the Six Heavens, the pinnacle of the current martial world, with his children watching, he couldn't afford to show weakness.
Watching him, Second Brother Gu Ung-seong inwardly clicked his tongue in admiration.
When his own arm had been reattached first, he hadn't been able to endure the pain and had screamed.
Seeing his father's expression remain unchanged filled him with awe—and even deeper shame.
'...If I hadn't coveted that orb, would this have happened?'
Yes.
It might not have.
That made him feel all the more guilty.
What hurt his heart even more was that neither his father nor his brothers blamed him—not even the youngest half-brother, Gu Yeon-u, who had tormented him so bitterly.
After his mother passed, the boy—born of his stepmother—had been an object of resentment and bullying.
Yet that same boy had bowed his head for his sake.
Even his eldest brother, whom he'd effectively stabbed in the back, held no grudge.
-Drip!
A single tear traced down Gu Ung-seong's reddened eyes and cheek.
He wasn't aware of it, but Mok Kyung-un was watching closely.
He had ended things there because of Gu Cheon-mu's loyalty to him and Spirit Sword Manor, but since the man had caused ongoing trouble, Mok Kyung-un had been prepared to kill him if needed.
The man's noticeably changed gaze and demeanor puzzled him.
-That's what it means to be human.
Cheong-ryeong's voice rang in Mok Kyung-un's ear.
He replied via transmission.
-What do you mean by that?
-What do you think sets humans apart from beasts?
-Using tools and rational thought, isn't that the difference?
He gave a very definitive answer.
Cheong-ryeong inwardly tsked.
-...Sure, that's part of it. But humans change.
-Change... you say?
-Yes.
-This lowly one doesn't trust anyone, so I see humans as inherently unchanging by nature, but humans do change through experiences. Regret, for instance, is one such emotion.
-Regret? Isn't that just a form of learning?
-Don't reduce all emotions to mere rationality. Emotions belong to the realm of sensibility.
-If you say so, Cheong-ryeong.
Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly in response.
At his demeanor, Cheong-ryeong muttered softly.
-And you're changing too.
-Pardon?
-Never mind.
-You definitely said something.
-I said never mind!
Mok Kyung-un shrugged at her firm shout.
No matter how softly muttered, he couldn't miss words ringing in his ear.
'Changing, huh...'
He had no idea what she meant by that.
He felt exactly the same as always.
-Sizzle!
Having successfully completed the Three Wonders Method, Mok Kyung-un lifted his hand from the stump of Clan Head Gu Cheon-mu's severed right arm.
"Try moving it."
At Mok Kyung-un's words, Gu Cheon-mu cautiously flexed his arm.
-Swish!
'Ah!'
Gu Cheon-mu's eyes trembled.
Just the slightest movement, and sensation had returned to an arm that had felt utterly empty moments before.
It was truly miraculous.
He had already seen Second Brother's arm reattached, so it wasn't surprising anymore, but the overwhelming emotion was inevitable as his own arm moved.
Gu Cheon-mu dropped to one knee before Mok Kyung-un, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.
"I, your humble servant, offer my deepest gratitude for the Lord's boundless mercy."
-Thud!
"Our brothers thank you as well!"
Following his lead, Eldest Brother and Young Manor Lord Gu Ung-hwang, Second Brother Gu Ung-seong, and Third Brother—the youngest—Gu Yeon-u all knelt on one knee and bowed.
No matter how it had come to this, reattaching their father and brothers' severed arms was reason enough for profound gratitude.
Mok Kyung-un waved them off dismissively, as if it were a bother.
"This much is only natural. I get it, so please stand..."
-Rip!
-Clang!
At that moment, the leather scabbard tore open, and one of Mok Kyung-un's demonic swords, Yak-juk, clattered to the floor.
It had been fashioned as a scabbard, but it couldn't withstand Yak-juk's sharpness and had finally split.
Spotting it, Clan Head Gu Cheon-mu opened his eyes wide in surprise.
"Lord, is that not the Yak-juk Sword?"
"You swordsmiths recognize it at a glance. Many sense a blade's essence, but you're the first to identify it outright."
Without profound knowledge of swords, few could name a blade on sight.
It was intriguing that he had pinpointed the sword's name in an instant.
However,
"How could I not know? That sword was forged by our clan ancestor, Ou Yezi. As his descendant, I could never mistake it."
'!?'
Ou Yezi.
A man of Yue during the Spring and Autumn period, hailed as the greatest craftsman.
His swords were legendary, transcending eras as peerless blades.
Interest flickered in Mok Kyung-un's eyes.
He had heard Gu Cheon-mu was called a swordsmith on par with Ou Yezi's descendants—not mere rumor, but fact.
* * *
In a forest about thirty li from Spirit Sword Manor, a group of weary warriors caught their breath, panting heavily.
Their uniforms bore the emblem of the Justice Alliance.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Among these exhausted men, one regulated his breathing more steadily, though still fatigued: Mo Yong-hak, eldest son of the Mo Yong Clan.
What had fatigued even him, leader of these Justice Alliance warriors?
Mo Yong-hak looked up at the trees.
'Why on earth is she doing this?'
Truth be told, he didn't know either.
They had unleashed lightness skill nonstop upon leaving Spirit Sword Manor, driven by her single urging: "We must hurry."
Even with his solid internal energy, exhaustion was inevitable.
Someone landed before him.
-Thud!
It was Sattae Jeong-myeong of Hengshan Sect.
Descending with graceful lightness skill, she exhaled in relief.
"Amitabha. It seems no pursuit, fortunately."
Mo Yong-hak responded incredulously.
"Pursuit? What do you mean, Sattae? Are you saying that monster attached trackers to us?"
"Precisely."
"Pardon?"
It couldn't be... yet they had fled with reckless lightness skill the moment they left Spirit Sword Manor because of that?
"Sattae, but he said it himself, didn't he?"
[Justice Alliance? Ah, I've heard of them. One of the three powers dividing the current martial world, alongside Heavenly Earth Society and Four Links Alliance.]
[Amitabha. Yes.]
[You seem quite worried looking at me, Nun.]
[...No, benefactor. How could this monk be so? Rather, we are grateful for resolving the truth behind Namgung Clan's great crisis, our alliance's affliction.]
[I didn't do it for Justice Alliance, but if it helped you, then no need for bad blood between us.]
[...]
Sattae Jeong-myeong recalled his final words.
He hadn't minced them.
It was as good as saying they needn't make enemies.
From their side, they had no desire to antagonize him, so his overture was welcome.
Mo Yong-hak had taken it at face value.
The man surely wouldn't want enmity with a behemoth like Justice Alliance.
But Sattae Jeong-myeong hadn't.
"Benefactor, does 'no need for bad blood' sound like pure amity to you?"
"...There's another meaning?"
"To these ears, it sounded like he's confident he could handle any bad blood that arises."
"Pardon?"
"There were many ears and eyes present, so I didn't say it, but this isn't something our alliance—or the current martial world—can take lightly."
"Because a new peerless master has appeared?"
"Not just any new master. Benefactor, you saw it too—that man will soon be called the Seventh Heaven among martial artists."
Mo Yong-hak couldn't hide his excitement.
"Th-the Seventh Heaven? You mean he'll become one of the Seven Heavens?"
"...He won't 'become' one. Once word spreads, he will claim that position as a new heaven."
He had shattered Shaolin's One Hundred Eight Arhats Formation—a pinnacle of orthodox martial arts—with a single step.
And Gu Cheon-mu, one of the Six Heavens' peaks and Spirit Sword Manor's lord, admitted defeat to a sword scar on a cliff without even fighting, pledging loyalty.
These feats alone were forging a legend surpassing the other Six Heavens.
Her concern wasn't this new powerhouse's rise.
"A grandmaster who reached the Grandmaster Realm has entered the service of one even stronger. That alone has upset the balance of power."
"Ah!"
Mo Yong-hak finally grasped the gravity from her pointed words.
The issue wasn't just victory over an existing powerhouse—it was subjugation.
A Six Heavens-level master was a one-man major sect.
Claiming such a figure as subordinate shattered the martial world's equilibrium, reshaping the landscape.
"Even when a mere contest would suffice, he forced Manor Lord Gu to submit and serve him. His ambitions may extend beyond mere fame."
"So that's why you feared pursuit."
"Yes, he might wish to delay word of his deeds spreading."
"...Sattae."
"Yes?"
"Isn't this even more serious?"
"What do you mean?"
"That he let Justice Alliance members like us go freely means he doesn't care if his deeds become known, right?"
'!!!!!!'
Sattae Jeong-myeong's expression darkened at Mo Yong-hak's words.
There was logic there.
The man was either brimming with such confidence that Justice Alliance whispers meant nothing—or prepared to forge a new order.
Sattae Jeong-myeong declared,
"This won't do. Benefactor, we must hurry to the branch hall, send a messenger bird, then head straight to headquarters."
* * *
This place, thick with the scent of iron and lingering heat, was Clan Head Gu Cheon-mu's forge.
Here, countless famed swords renowned in the martial world had been born.
Among them, the one most swordmasters hailed as supreme: Il-hwi, the unique weapon of Justice Alliance Lord Jeong Hyeon-mun.
Jeong Hyeon-mun, one of the Six Heavens, was said never to have lost since wielding Il-hwi—Gu Cheon-mu's prestige as a smith had soared to the heavens.
Countless sought entry here, begging him to craft their signature weapon—a lifelong dream.
-Thud!
Examining the torn leather scabbard, Gu Cheon-mu set it down and spoke.
"Leather scabbards can't withstand such sharpness."
Mok Kyung-un shrugged.
"Yeah, it was getting dicey."
He had anticipated it somewhat, always carrying the sword.
Gu Cheon-mu extended his hands politely.
"To craft a fitting scabbard, may this servant examine the blade briefly?"
"...You sure that's wise?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Yak-juk reveals its desires if touched by anyone but me."
"I see... Just as rumored."
Gu Cheon-mu nodded, staring intently at the demonic sword Yak-juk.
Yet his gaze held a strange bitterness.
Why that look at a sword forged by his ancestor?
"Something wrong? Flaw in the blade?"
Mok Kyung-un lifted and inspected it.
Remarkably, despite its age and blood-soaked history, Yak-juk's edge remained razor-sharp, unmarred.
Even the finest steel dulls with prolonged use and clash—truly bizarre.
Gu Cheon-mu fetched thick work gloves and explained,
"It's forged from Ghost Night Black Iron, a highly unique metal. The blade won't dull until its lifespan fully ends."
Donning the gloves, he extended his hands again.
Mok Kyung-un handed over the sword.
He could always subdue and reclaim it if needed—and he was curious how a grandmaster like this would handle Yak-juk.
-Thud!
Gu Cheon-mu gripped it with gloved hands.
The blade quivered faintly.
Not direct contact through gloves, yet perhaps resisting another's touch.
Soon, as he infused qi,
-Hummm!
The sword sang, its trembling ceasing.
'Subdued it?'
Interest gleamed in Mok Kyung-un's eyes.
With Sword Heart realm attainment, he could even control Yak-juk's demonic nature.
Well-earned as one of the Six Heavens.
Having subdued the sword heart with qi, Gu Cheon-mu spoke bitterly.
"A sword can shine on its own, but a true masterwork elevates its wielder to greatness. This blade is the utter opposite."
"..."
"Unless you conquer its demonic nature, it drags its master to ruin."
Gu Cheon-mu shook his head.
His eyes swept the blade as he continued.
"Our ancestor Ou Yezi said these—including this one—were the five demonic swords he forged in his life, his greatest regret."
"Five demonic swords... and he regretted making them?"
Beyond Yak-juk and Gyeop-sal, others existed?
A swordsmith calling his creations shameful was unexpected.
Mok Kyung-un rather liked Yak-juk and Gyeop-sal.
"Because they're demonic swords?"
"That's part of it, but the ancestor's true regret lies elsewhere."
"What is it?"
Gu Cheon-mu replied with profound gravity.
"These demonic swords are imbued with human flesh, blood, and their grudges."
"Is that so?"
'!?'
Gu Cheon-mu furrowed his brow at the nonchalant response.
That was it?
< 97화 일곱 번째 하늘 (2) > End