Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Translator: Penny
Chapter 13
Where My Sword Points (2)
Three days passed, and Gwangdu still hadn't returned.
By now, he might have been captured and tortured, or perhaps his corpse lay buried beneath the earth.
Yet I felt no concern. I made sure to eat my meals and spent my spare time practicing the White Moon Sword Technique in the forest behind the inn, ignoring all the rumors swirling around.
After three days of diligent training, anyone could see I had been practicing the White Moon Sword Technique for quite some time.
It had been ages since I had learned a martial art other than my own unique style, and this brought fresh insights.
The most striking revelation was the inertia I felt toward martial arts. To my astonishment, I had grown complacent. While it might seem inevitable after occupying the pinnacle of martial power for so long, the shadow of this complacency was too heavy to ignore.
Undoubtedly, my skills were unmatched in my era. None of my opponents could withstand my blade.
But during this recent training, a sudden thought struck me: wasn't my prowess merely a product of my time? Perhaps a true master capable of countering my martial arts had yet to be born, or remained hidden in obscurity, unwilling to emerge.
After ascending to the position of Foremost Person Under Heaven, I had become fixated on my immediate opponents, deluding myself into thinking they were all there was.
I should have strived to transcend the limitations of my era. I should have sought deeper meaning in the unseen, rather than fixating solely on the visible.
Perhaps this complacency was precisely what had prevented me from reaching the Heart Sword Realm.
After all, the Heart Sword Realm was an absolute state of mastery that transcended time itself.
Why hadn't I thought of this before?
Gwangdu hadn't betrayed my trust.
On the morning of the fourth day, he appeared between the bamboo curtains at the entrance of the inn.
The moment I saw him, I couldn't help but chuckle. He had shown up in a completely unexpected guise.
He was dressed in the martial attire common among members of the Martial Arts World, with a sword at his waist, a conical hat, and a hooded cloak. Outwardly, he looked every bit the part of a wandering martial artist.
As if we had arranged it, he sat down across from me.
"The Four Seas, One Path," he said. "Given our fated encounter, how about we share a drink? Oh, right, you called that 'Four Seas, One Path' nonsense."
"Having fun?" I asked with a grin.
Gwangdu sighed. "Fun? I nearly died of fright!"
"What's going on?" Gwangdu lowered his voice. "Have you ever heard of the Blood Hound?"
"Blood Hound?" I shook my head. "Who is he?"
"I don't know much myself. I've only managed to uncover his name. The Yang Association is secretly recruiting ronin through this Blood Hound."
"Ronin?"
"Yes. It seems they've already gathered dozens. Their intent to attack us is clear."
"What makes you so sure?"
"While secretly gathering the ronin, they've been spreading rumors. They claim the Young Master tried to assault a woman, and Yang Gikang was ambushed while trying to stop him."
"Everyone will believe it. After all the rotten things I've done in the past, who wouldn't?"
"Even so, what's with all this blind faith? The Young Master might beat people up, but he's not the kind of scum who'd rape a woman."
"Rumors always get exaggerated."
"Why are you so calm? Aren't you angry?"
"Of course I'm angry. But getting worked up won't solve anything, will it? And if it turns out to be a false rumor later, the people who believed it will feel guilty and think even better of me."
"That's in the future."
"Time... it flies by."
"You sound like an old man when you talk like that."
I chuckled softly.
"So, how did you find out about this? Did you infiltrate their ranks disguised as a ronin? That must have been dangerous."
"...No."
"No?"
"The recruitment of ronin is being conducted in complete secrecy. I only found out about it later."
"Then how did you uncover it?"
"Through the Yang Association's maidservants. One of their maidservants ended up working for me. As you know, I'm quite good at understanding those girls' hearts, aren't I?"
I burst out laughing, the dazed look on my face vanishing.
"Hahaha!"
Gwangdu's approach was brilliant. He'd leveraged his greatest strength to infiltrate the group.
"I got lucky. There's been a strange rumor circulating among the maidservants lately—that Yang Gikang brutally murdered one of the women who served him. As a result, everyone's feelings toward the Yang father and son have soured."
He spoke as if he'd figured it out easily, but luck is a skill in itself. If he hadn't found the right approach, such luck wouldn't have favored him.
"Through her, I learned about the Blood Hound group and their efforts to gather ronin. I bought all this gear to infiltrate their ranks and gather more information, but when it came time to act, I got scared and couldn't go through with it."
I looked at Gwangdu with renewed appreciation.
He'd made the right choice. Gwangdu knew how to handle tasks and instinctively avoided danger.
He passed the test.
Gwangdu was too valuable to be relegated to sweeping the courtyard.
"At first, I was terrified and shaky, but as I went on, I felt a sense of accomplishment from actually doing something. It was the most exhilarating feeling I'd ever experienced. But... did I do well?"
"You did far better than I expected," I said.
Gwangdu wore a proud expression. "And I confirmed something new this time."
"What's that?"
"Surprisingly, this face works on women."
"Surprisingly" was, in truth, a modest understatement. Gwangdu possessed decent looks, excellent communication skills, and, most importantly, a kind heart.
"There are always women with peculiar tastes," I replied.
"Heh, you're just jealous."
"Considering who I recently gave up on, you shouldn't be saying that."
"I'm telling you again, you mustn't abandon Miss Song! You'll never meet another woman as beautiful as her! Even if she has a terrible temper, just put up with it!"
I'm sorry to say, but I have no interest in Song Hwarin right now. I simply don't have the time for romance.
"By the way, shouldn't we be heading back immediately? We need to inform the Patriarch."
"No. We're not going back."
"If we don't go back, then what?"
"We need to finish this matter."
Gwangdu blinked at me, his face a familiar mix of bewilderment and exasperation—the expression he wore whenever my words or actions left him utterly dumbfounded.
This is precisely when I find things most amusing.
"That 'we' you just mentioned doesn't happen to refer to the Byeok Clan Sword School's good-for-nothing Young Master Byeok and this crazy head who was sweeping the courtyard until he first strapped on a sword three days ago, does it?"
"If the 'we' you're referring to is the Byeok Clan Sword School's enlightened Young Master Byeok and this brilliant head who returned triumphantly after successfully completing their mission, then yes, you're right."
After a long sigh, Gwangdu finally spoke. "Order the most expensive liquor. It might be our last."
He clearly understood the gravity of our situation, yet he didn't try to persuade me to retreat. Part of it was his trust in me, but it also revealed a fundamental aspect of his character.
When faced with the choice of advancing or retreating from a perilous situation, Gwangdu invariably chose to press forward.
It was impossible to say which approach was right. Such a temperament often disguised reckless bravado as courage.
Regardless, I didn't dislike this quality in Gwangdu. Perhaps it was because I, too, had spent my entire life refusing to back down.
"So, what's your plan?"
"If you've gathered these ronin to attack us... I'll kill everyone involved."
There's only one reason a Martial Arts Sect would secretly gather ronin: to utterly destroy their rival sect, and to do so with extreme brutality. Ronin make battles incredibly dirty. They're the kind of scum who would rape a wife in front of her husband.
Gwangdu stared at me intently, then spoke in a trembling voice. "You're serious."
I nodded silently. "When it comes to matters of life and death, I'm always serious."
Gwangdu's face flushed with excitement. "What should I do now?"
I smiled and rose from my seat. "Wait here. Just like I waited for you."
"What do you think you can do on your own?"
I couldn't answer him.
It was time for me to become the person I was in my past life.