Chapter 72
Chapter 72
Translator: Penny
Chapter 72
When the First Snow Falls Again (4)
Baek Pyo was deeply flustered when the sword he had hidden revealed itself. If I was this surprised, his shock must have been beyond words.
Gwangdu expressed his astonishment most dramatically.
"Uwaaaaaaaah!"
It was the first time Gwangdu had ever seen a sword cry on its own.
I quickly told Baek Pyo, "We should be going now."
I grabbed Gwangdu and turned to leave. Considering Baek Pyo's situation, it was best to withdraw immediately.
As I turned, the sword cried out again.
Jing—
The sound, like a plea to stay, stopped me in my tracks. The depth of the cry shifted, reacting to my movement.
When I turned back, Baek Pyo was staring at me with a stunned expression. He too had sensed the sword's reaction to me.
I slowly approached the sword.
Jing—
The sword's cry deepened.
I took a step back, and the cry grew harsher.
It was clear: the sword was calling to me.
Baek Pyo stared at me in shock. "How is this even possible?"
I glanced at Baek Pyo, silently asking if I should approach the sword.
Baek Pyo looked back and forth between me and the Asura Radiant King Sword before nodding. With the sword so clearly calling to me, he couldn't possibly refuse.
I slowly moved closer to the sword.
The crying gradually subsided, like a snarling beast calming down.
The moment my hand touched it, the Asura Radiant King Sword fell completely silent.
I lifted the Asura Radiant King Sword from the wall.
My heart stirred as I grasped the Asura Radiant King Sword for the first time in a year.
Shing!
The sword's unique draw—crisp, clean, and more exhilarating than any other blade.
The Asura Radiant King Sword cried out once more.
Ziiiiing!
Its cry was deeper and clearer than ever before, expressing its joy at our reunion. The sound seemed to say:
It's been a long time, Alliance Leader.
Yes, it has been a long time.
For the first time, I felt a true emotional connection with the Asura Radiant King Sword—something I had never experienced in my seventy years of life.
I sheathed the sword, and it fell silent as if nothing had happened.
A moment of silence descended upon the hall.
Neither I, Baek Pyo, nor Gwangdu spoke.
Finally, Baek Pyo asked me in a trembling voice, "Who are you?"
At that moment, Baek Pyo must have sensed the weight of destiny.
On the day Pung Tavern first opened, I visited. I sat in the same spot where my past self had always sat, ordering the same wine and dishes. I recalled how I had saved his family, how we had watched the first snowfall together, and how I had spoken the same words I had spoken long ago. The Asura Radiant King Sword recognized me and wept.
Gazing steadily at him, I said, "I am Byeok Ridan, heir to the Byeok Clan Sword School."
Baek Pyo stared back with an expression of utter incomprehension.
The fact that the sword, which had never wept alone in my past life, wept today must be a message from the heavens, urging me to accept my destiny with Baek Pyo.
I willingly embrace that destiny.
"Someone who should never have become Alliance Leader has taken the position. Because of this, the Martial Arts World will soon plunge into great chaos."
Baek Pyo's eyes flickered. He knew better than anyone that the current Alliance Leader had been wrongly chosen.
"I intend to prevent this."
After a moment of hesitation, I finally spoke the words I had been agonizing over.
"Will you join me in this endeavor?"
The next morning, Gwangdu was meticulously wiping the table in his guest room, polishing it until it gleamed.
A voice came from behind him.
"Do guests usually clean the inn?"
He turned to see Gong Suchan standing in the doorway, a smile on his face.
"Ah, our talkative little traitor has arrived."
"I'm sorry, Young Master. I ran into you and happened to find Martial Artist Gwang. I didn't mean to say anything, but I felt I had to tell you."
Gwangdu chuckled. "Ha ha, you did well."
Just then, Byeok Ridan arrived, and things had unfolded exactly as he'd hoped. Of course, he'd been quite surprised by the unexpected turn of events.
"But why are you cleaning?"
"When I'm anxious, I clean. Making something dirty clean helps calm my mind."
"I understand how you feel. In my case, I just start calculating things randomly."
"Calculating? What kind of calculations?"
"Just whatever comes to mind. How much money do the Shandong merchant guilds earn in a year? What's the daily revenue of this inn?"
"Why bother with such tedious calculations? Are you suggesting my cleaning is a similar solution to your calculations?"
"I think my method is more normal, actually."
"Good heavens!"
Gong Suchan smiled, and Gwangdu chuckled in response. Since arriving in Wuhan, the two had grown closer. It seems people really do bond when they spend time together.
"So, what was the outcome of your 'incident'?" Gong Suchan asked.
Gwangdu gazed out the window. The world was pristine under a blanket of fresh snow.
"The outcome... we'll have to wait and see."
Baek Pyo stood in the courtyard, watching Myeong frolic in the snow.
Jeong Yeong approached from behind, her gaze falling on the two swords leaning against the veranda. One was her husband's, while the other was a blade she had never seen before—the Asura Radiant King Sword.
Her eyes deepened. Since they had started their business, her husband had never once drawn his sword.
"Did you see the moment the first snow began to fall?" Baek Pyo nodded, and Jeong Yeong smiled. "That's a relief."
Though she knew it was superstition, she shared her husband's belief. Perhaps this was the sentiment of every woman married to a martial artist.
"Someone asked me to return to the Martial Arts World."
"Who was it?"
"He's the heir of a family in distant Shandong. I don't know much about him."
"He must be a good person."
Baek Pyo turned to Jeong Yeong, his expression questioning why she thought so.
"If he weren't, you wouldn't be agonizing over this so much."
She was right. Byeok Ridan had possessed an undeniable charm from their first meeting.
But that alone wouldn't have caused such turmoil. No matter how admirable the person making the offer, Baek Pyo had never considered serving anyone but Cheon Hajin.
The decisive factor was the Asura Radiant King Sword's reaction.
Baek Pyo knew that famous swords like the Asura Radiant King Sword chose their own masters. It was clear the sword had chosen Byeok Ridan as its master.
The fact that Cheon Hajin's sword had chosen a new master threw Baek Pyo into turmoil. Moreover, his connection with Byeok Ridan ran even deeper.
Every time Baek Pyo saw Byeok Ridan, Cheon Hajin came to mind. This had been the case since their first meeting. What's more, Byeok Ridan had saved his wife and son from danger, a debt of gratitude that could never be repaid.
"He believes the Martial Arts World is about to descend into chaos," Baek Pyo said. "He says he wants to protect it. To be honest... I don't know what to do."
Jeong Yeong, who had been quietly watching her husband, suddenly spoke, her words unexpected.
"Go."
"Honey?"
"Did you realize? You didn't have a nightmare last night."
Now that she mentioned it, it was true. He hadn't had the nightly nightmare that had plagued him for so long.
Jeong Yeong knew her husband belonged not in a tavern, but in the Martial Arts World. It was time to let him go. He needed to fight real enemies, not nightmares.
"If you're hesitating because of me and Myeong, don't worry. I can protect Myeong. Go for the sake of the Former Alliance Leader. The man you told me about wouldn't want you to abandon your new dreams to cling to old loyalties."
"Honey..."
"If what he said is true, and the world is truly descending into chaos, then you must go and stop it. You were always the one who upheld justice and fought against evil."
Her gaze shifted to Myeong, who was playing nearby.
"Stop it for Myeong's sake. Protect the world this child will grow up in."
Crunch, crunch.
Baek Pyo approached me through the pristine white snow.
We stood facing each other in a clearing in the forest behind the inn.
Baek Pyo wore his sword at his waist and the Asura Radiant King Sword on his back.
His appearance told me he had made a grave decision.
"At first, I thought Young Master Byeok was a good person. But honestly, I don't know what kind of person he is anymore."
"I understand."
"You said you wanted me as your subordinate?"
"That's right."
Baek Pyo drew his sword.
"What does this mean?"
"I don't serve just anyone."
Baek Pyo's eyes blazed with intensity—the same fierce gaze I had seen when we fought together on the battlefield.
"You could die in this duel. Do you still want to take me with you?"
Baek Pyo was sincere.
Stepping forward, I replied, "I don't accept just anyone either."
No further words were needed.
Baek Pyo slowly moved his feet. I circled in the opposite direction, drawing a wide arc.
I knew Baek Pyo's martial arts better than anyone.
His strength and weakness were one and the same: his sword was a Protecting Sword, not a Killing Sword. It was weak because it protected, and strong because it protected.
This was the moment I faced the strongest master I had encountered since my reincarnation.
"I'm coming. Be careful," Baek Pyo warned before unleashing his sword.
Swish!
Baek Pyo's sword darted toward my arm.
It was a swift, clean strike, devoid of any unnecessary movements.
With a light shift of my body, I evaded the blade.
Swords flew at me in rapid succession, targeting my arms, legs, and thighs—attacks carefully aimed to avoid fatal areas.
I dodged, blocked, and deflected his strikes.
At first, Baek Pyo likely held back, never imagining I could be stronger than him. But as we clashed, he realized I was no pushover and gradually intensified his attacks.
I countered Baek Pyo with the Immortal Crane Secret Art. Though the Asura Radiant King Sword had chosen me, I couldn't yet reveal the Soul-Chasing Asura Sword Technique.
Of course, the day would come when I'd have to demonstrate my true martial arts. No one would believe I'd learned directly from the Alliance Leader. Considering my age of twenty, Baek Pyo had been constantly by my side during the period when I supposedly received this accidental martial arts inheritance from the Alliance Leader.
I had no choice but to attribute my martial arts to training under Cheon Hajin's master or senior disciples. Since I had never revealed anything about my personal history to anyone, they would have to believe it.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Baek Pyo's sword danced through the air, but my footwork found the blind spots in his relentless attacks.
I parried his blade with my bare hands, deflecting the edge with the back of my hand or forearm in a series of rapid forms.
To an observer, it would have seemed like a perilous moment, yet I felt strangely at ease. The opponent's skill only made my forms shine brighter, paradoxically making me more comfortable.
Still, there was no reason to continue this dangerous spar with Baek Pyo.
Dodging the incoming sword, I dove into Baek Pyo's arms.
Whirr!
Baek Pyo's form spun once in the air.
Thud.
Lying flat on the ground, Baek Pyo blinked. He couldn't quite grasp how he'd been defeated in that final moment. But one thing he surely felt: had I truly put my full force into that strike, he would have lost his life with that single move.
I extended my hand toward him.
Baek Pyo took my hand and pulled himself up.
Standing, Baek Pyo stared at me with a bewildered expression. He likely never imagined I could defeat him.
Of course, I could have let him win.
In the Martial Arts World, especially in the relationship between a leader and their subordinates, trust is paramount. While personal trust is necessary, the foundation lies in skill. There's a sense of trust and pride in serving a powerful master.
I deliberately demonstrated my abilities to make Baek Pyo completely loyal to me.
In this respect, I had to fight against my past self.
As we approached the final decision, Baek Pyo asked, "If the time comes to fight them, will you fight?"
The enemies he meant were Ma Bonggi and his faction.
"Yes, I will fight."
"We might have to fight the entire Martial Arts World."
"I know."
"We might all die."
"That's possible."
"Then why do you want to fight?"
"Because they're evil. Evil people shouldn't rule the Martial Arts World, don't you think?"
For a moment, Baek Pyo stared at me, his eyes flickering with resolve at that simple truth.
Baek Pyo knelt on the spot, bowing his head.
"I, Baek Pyo, Head of the Alliance Guard Corps and twelfth successor of the Wind Raven Sword Art, swear to the heavens and earth to serve Young Master Byeok as my Master and dedicate my life to him."
He then presented the Asura Radiant King Sword, which had been strapped to his back.
"This sword is the unique weapon of the Former Alliance Leader, the most precious and important blade in the world. Since the sword has chosen Young Master Byeok, I offer it to you."
"Is that permissible?"
"This sword was entrusted to me, so I cannot dispose of it as I please. However, the sword has chosen Young Master Byeok. When the Asura Radiant King Sword chooses someone, there must be a valid reason. Therefore, I believe the person who entrusted it to me will understand."
I accepted the Asura Radiant King Sword and fastened it to my waist.
The Asura Radiant King Sword, finally reunited with its true master, cried out once more.
Jing—
At that sound, Baek Pyo nodded, his final confirmation that he had found the sword's rightful owner.
I took Baek Pyo's hand first.
He looked up at me with burning eyes. As I met his gaze and clasped his hand, my heart surged with emotion. A fiery warmth erupted from the depths of my chest.
How devoted he had been to me!
How loyal a man he was!
Now, our bond was renewed.
"Let us share life and death together," I declared.
Baek Pyo's pupils trembled, sensing the turmoil in my heart.
"I will share both life and death with you, Liege Lord."
In that moment, I thanked the heavens. I thanked fate for reuniting us.
The day after the first snow fell, I had gained Baek Pyo, a man more reliable than a million soldiers.