Chapter 3 - part 1 and 2
part 1 and 2
Chapter 3: Loss of Person, Loss of Object
That night.
Jin San-wol entered a small, quaint building located deep within the rear garden.
Just a month ago, the owner of that building was the Pacifying Swordsman, Im Jang-hong. But now, Im Jang-hong had returned to a handful of dirt, and Jin San-wol had entered as the new owner.
Jin San-wol had been inside this building several times before. But this was the first time he had come here as the owner. It was clearly the same place, the same room, but it looked somehow different.
When Im Jang-hong was alive, everyone called this building the Pavilion of Great Peace.
No word suited Im Jang-hong better than "Great Peace." Im Jang-hong was truly a man of great peace and innocence. His personality was like that, and his martial arts were like that. More than anything, the atmosphere that emanated from the man himself was even more so.
He was by no means a capable person, but no one disliked him. In a word, he was a man impossible to hate.
A gentle demeanor, a slow tone, and a relaxed personality that never got angry no matter what happened...
His swordsmanship was as slow and gentle as his personality. That's why everyone called him the Pacifying Swordsman. No one called him an unparalleled swordsman, but everyone knew that no one had mastered the Thirty-Six Swords of the Celestial River of the Jongnam Sect as perfectly as he had.
The problem was that his Inner Energy could not support it.
Because of this, he often lost even when fighting masters with far less skill than himself. One of the major reasons why the Jongnam Sect further hastened its path to ruin was that its Sect Leader had been brutally defeated several times by second-rate masters from other sects.
The reason why Im Jang-hong roamed through deep mountains and valleys in search of elixirs to feed his disciples was precisely because of this. He had spent many years searching the remote valleys of famous mountains so that his disciples would not be defeated because of insufficient Inner Energy.
The reason why the Jongnam Sect's disciples' Inner Energy had become weak was because most of the Inner Energy Cultivation Methods passed down in the Jongnam Sect had been lost.
Two hundred years ago, the Jongnam Sect possessed an unparalleled Inner Energy Cultivation Method called the Six Harmonies Returning to Truth Divine Art.
But after Tae-eul Geomseon, the greatest master in the history of the Jongnam Sect, mysteriously disappeared two hundred years ago, the Six Harmonies Returning to Truth Divine Art was no longer passed down in the Jongnam Sect.
Tae-eul Geomseon was the first and last unparalleled master produced by the Jongnam Sect. When he was alive, the Jongnam Sect was not only the best among the Nine Great Sects, but also the undisputed number one sect in the world.
But Tae-eul Geomseon disappeared without leaving behind his supreme art, and after that, the Jongnam Sect gradually declined. Among other things, the loss of the secret of the peerless Divine Art, the Six Harmonies Returning to Truth Divine Art, was a decisive factor.
Im Jang-hong tried to get help from elixirs to improve his disciples' weak Inner Energy, but such elixirs were not easily obtained.
Jin San-wol met Im Jang-hong when he was thirteen years old. At that time, he was a penniless wanderer, on the verge of starvation.
On a particularly cold winter day, Jin San-wol was begging, blowing on his chapped hands, when he collapsed on the cold snow. He no longer had the hope or energy to live.
Then, a dumpling was held out in front of him. As Jin San-wol chewed on the ice-cold dumpling, hot tears flowed from his eyes without him realizing it. He still clearly remembered the voice that came with the dumpling.
"You're just like me thirty years ago. Won't you come with me?"
Jin San-wol looked up at him, chewing on the salty dumpling soaked in tears.
He was a gaunt, unremarkable middle-aged man. He had a long sword strapped to his back, and he was holding a pretty girl with braided hair by one hand.
Jin San-wol stared blankly at the middle-aged man. The disheveled middle-aged man looked down at him with a gentle face and smiled.
Jin San-wol looked up at him for a long time before slowly nodding.
And with that, his life was decided.
Soon, he learned that he was standing in the last row of a declining sect, but he was not disappointed at all. Above all, he was glad that he was no longer hungry, that he had a place to shelter from the cold, and that he could be with his pretty junior sister.
Jin San-wol thought that if he wanted more than that, it would be a luxury.
Im Jang-hong was as unselfish as Jin San-wol, but he had one earnest wish.
It was the revival of the Jongnam Sect.
Im Jang-hong always said as a habit.
"It's not that our sect's martial arts are weak. If we can find the lost secret of the Divine Art, we can fully regain the glory of two hundred years ago. We can Reign Over the World."
No one else believed this, but Jin San-wol was different.
He had never doubted his master's words.
"I will definitely make you Reign Over the World."
Im Jang-hong always repeated the same words to his disciples and searched the deep mountains and valleys for elixirs.
When Im Jang-hong finally learned, after a long search, that the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence, known as a peerless spiritual object, was located deep in Yongmun Mountain, his joy was beyond the imagination of the world.
Im Jang-hong rushed there at once. There, he managed to obtain the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence after many hardships, but he lost his footing and fell off a cliff, suffering fatal injuries.
He entrusted the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence and the position of Sect Leader to Jin San-wol and breathed his last.
"San-wol-ah. You must Reign Over the World...!Jin San-wol could not forget the last appearance of Im Jang-hong, who died with the four letters 'Reign Over the World' on his lips, clutching his hand tightly.
-Reign Over the World!
The meaning condensed in these simple four letters was truly enormous.
Any martial artist who has mastered martial arts dreams of Reigning Over the World, but no one has ever truly achieved it. It was not simply about becoming the number one master in the world by oneself. It meant that both oneself and the group to which one belonged would dominate the world.
And the symbol of that was the 'Banner of Reigning Over the World'.
The Banner of Reigning Over the World was only known by name, and had never actually existed.
The person who advocated it was the Divine Sword, Jo Il-hwa, the number one master in the world a hundred years ago. Jo Il-hwa was the greatest swordsman ever produced by the Hwasan Sect, and as his nickname suggested, he was like a god when it came to swords.
He wanted to elevate the Hwasan Sect to the undisputed top of the Nine Great Sects.
So he created a banner and went around to each of the Nine Great Sects, trying to get them to pledge allegiance to the Hwasan Sect. That was the beginning of the 'Banner of Reigning Over the World'.
But his ambition ultimately provoked a backlash from the entire Nine Great Sects except for the Hwasan Sect, and he was defeated by the combined attack of the top masters of the Shaolin, Wudang, and Emei sects. The banner he had made was also torn to shreds.
Since then, a legend has been born in the martial arts world.
-Anyone who can receive the pledge of the Nine Great Sects on one banner can be said to have truly achieved Reigning Over the World!
The legend of the 'Banner of Reigning Over the World' began like this.
Nearly a hundred years have passed since then, but no one has yet created the 'Banner of Reigning Over the World'. No, there has not even been an attempt to create it.
The Nine Great Sects kept a close watch on each other, fearing that the other might create the 'Banner of Reigning Over the World', and even if they harbored ambitions of Reigning Over the World, they could not dare to unfold them. They knew that creating the 'Banner of Reigning Over the World' without being confident of completely suppressing the other eight sects was a way to hasten their own destruction.
The reason why Im Jang-hong repeated 'Reign Over the World' like a habit may have been due to a rebellious psychology against being expelled from the Nine Great Sects. Im Jang-hong himself probably thought that Reigning Over the World was impossible.
But he eventually placed the heavy task of Reigning Over the World on Jin San-wol's shoulders and died, and Jin San-wol had to uphold his master's dying wish.
For the current Jin San-wol, Reigning Over the World was like a distant star that could never be reached. But Jin San-wol had to chase that star.
And the first step would be to take the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence left by his master.
However...
Jin San-wol was destined not to be connected with the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence.
That night, when Jin San-wol opened the jade box containing the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence in order to take it, he discovered that the jade box was empty.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence, a treasure that would enable a martial artist to open their Governing and Conception Vessels, had disappeared without a trace!
☆ ☆ ☆
"This is Du Gi-chun's doing!"
Eung Gye-seong shouted loudly.
Everyone nodded silently. From the moment they heard that the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence had disappeared, the same thought had been rising in everyone's mind. There was no one else who would do such a thing other than Du Gi-chun.
As if to confirm their guess, Bang Chwi-a, who had rushed to Du Gi-chun's room, hurriedly returned.
"Senior Brother Du has disappeared."
Eung Gye-seong shouted again.
"That bad guy finally did it!"
Jeong Hae hurriedly asked Bang Chwi-a.
"Did you look anywhere else?"
Bang Chwi-a frowned as much as she could.
"There's no need to look. Senior Brother Du's clothes and miscellaneous belongings have all disappeared. He must have run away somewhere."
When Jin San-wol first contacted them and summoned everyone, only Du Gi-chun had not appeared. Jeong Hae, who immediately became suspicious, hurriedly sent Bang Chwi-a to Du Gi-chun's room, but all traces of Du Gi-chun had already disappeared.
If Du Gi-chun had disappeared with the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence, it would be almost impossible to find his tracks. Du Gi-chun was a meticulous person and would never do anything that would get him caught.
Everyone's faces darkened.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence was not only a rare elixir, but it was also something that their master, Im Jang-hong, had exchanged for his life. When Im Jang-hong gave it to Jin San-wol, it contained his desperate wish for the revival of the Jongnam Sect and Reigning Over the World. That wish was about to disappear before it could even bloom.
Jeong Hae looked back at Jin San-wol and asked.
"What should we do? Should we send a pursuit team?"
Jin San-wol scratched his head and shook his head.
"Just leave it."
Everyone's eyes, including Jeong Hae's, widened.
"Just leave it?"
"I guess he really wanted to eat it. Anyone would have done the same."
Jeong Hae sighed, and everyone else was so dumbfounded that they gaped.
Finally, Eung Gye-seong could not bear it any longer and let out an angry cry.
"Sect Leader, I know you have a heart as good as a Bodhisattva, but this is not something we can just leave alone. This is a matter of life and death for our sect!"
Jin San-wol said in a calm voice.
"If we're going to stake our lives on something like that, we shouldn't even think about the dream of Reigning Over the World."
Eung Gye-seong was about to shout something again, but he closed his mouth. Jeong Hae had lightly pinched his side.
On second thought, it was not something that Eung Gye-seong himself should be getting excited about.
The biggest victim of this incident was Jin San-wol, no matter what anyone said. The Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence was originally intended for Jin San-wol to take, so Jin San-wol should be the one getting angry. But if the person involved was staying still while a third party was getting excited, wouldn't that be ridiculous?
Eung Gye-seong was struggling to suppress his anger, but he couldn't stand it and said one more thing.
"We can't just let him get away with doing something like that. This is an insult to our master in the underworld."
When he even brought up Im Jang-hong, a bitter smile appeared on Jin San-wol's face.
Eung Gye-seong had a strong obsession with martial arts and was talented, but he also had a narrow-mindedness that did not allow him to overlook even the smallest mistakes of others.
Eung Gye-seong's real name was Eung Cheon-ri. But since some time ago, people had started calling him Eung Gye-seong. It was a name given because he 'admonishes even the stars'. At first, it was called like a nickname, but after some time, everyone called him by the name Eung Gye-seong rather than his real name.
Since he was such a person, it was only natural that he was furious about this incident as if he had been the one who had suffered. No, he was probably holding back to this extent because it was Jin San-wol's matter.
At that time, Mae Sang, who had been standing silently on one side, suddenly opened his mouth.
"That bastard is as good as dead. If I ever get my hands on him, I'll definitely cut off his breath."
Everyone closed their mouths with a chilling expression at the too cold words.
Mae Sang was a person who always put into practice what he said.
He had entered the Jongnam Sect the year after Jin San-wol had entered, and he was a sharp and fierce person, just like his name. That's why everyone feared him.
His martial arts skills were by far the best among the Jongnam Sect's disciples, and his fighting skills were even more outstanding. He did not show any mercy in his hands even when sparring, so no one wanted to fight him later.
When Im Jang-hong was alive, he had sighed after seeing Mae Sang's hand movements and said this.
"That guy fights like a Fighting Swordsman. That's not the Jongnam way."
After that, he was given the nickname Fighting Swordsman.
If the Fighting Swordsman, Mae Sang, said that someone was as good as dead, then they were really as good as dead.
Even in normal times, Mae Sang did not like Du Gi-chun very much.
Du Gi-chun was cunning and vain, so his personality was completely incompatible with Mae Sang. The fact that he was good at talking and had a pretty face was also one of the reasons why Mae Sang disliked him.
Among the nine senior and junior brothers, Du Gi-chun was the most handsome, except for Bang Chwi-a. His face was particularly white, and his lips were as red as a woman's, so he was such a handsome man that he could really be mistaken for a woman if he wore makeup.
In contrast, Mae Sang had a long face and large and small sword scars all over his face, giving him a very cold and fierce impression. Moreover, he was not very good at talking.
The only person among the senior and junior brothers who spoke less than Mae Sang was So Ji-san.
So Ji-san was such a quiet person that he would only say one or two words a day, so being compared to him was an insulting thing for Mae Sang.
It was Jin San-wol who broke the awkwardly frozen atmosphere caused by Mae Sang's cold words.
"I will depart for Shaolin Temple tomorrow."
Everyone's eyes turned to Jin San-wol.
"I thought you were going in three or four days?"
Bang Chwi-a asked.
"That's what I was going to do, but now there's no need to. So there's no need to wait until then, I'll have to leave tomorrow."
Going to Shaolin Temple!
It was a simple statement, but the meaning contained in it was not simple, at least for the Jongnam disciples.
It meant not only participating in the Martial Arts Tournament, but also that the Jongnam Sect, which had been expelled from the Nine Great Sects and had not appeared in the martial arts world for more than ten years, would once again be actively involved in the martial arts world.
Everyone forgot their earlier gloom and had excited expressions.
Whether they were leaving for Shaolin Temple with Jin San-wol or staying in the Jongnam Sect, they knew very well how important this trip to the martial arts world was. If this went wrong, the Jongnam Sect would lose the strength to rise again forever.
“As I said before, Sa Mae, Jeong Hae, Il-bang, and Gye-seong will accompany me. Mae Ije should discuss and decide on matters of the sect with So Samje.”
Mae Sang glanced at So Ji-san, who was standing silently in one corner.
“Consulting with that stone Buddha… Your jokes are too much.”
Bang Chwi-a chirped from the side.
“Why am I being excluded? If you don’t like So Sa-hyung, you can consult with me.”
Mae Sang’s thin lips twisted slightly, and a cold voice flowed out.
“You just drink.”
Bang Chwi-a’s beautiful eyebrows shot up, and her cheeks puffed out.
“Why is everyone trying to leave me out? What did I do? Is drinking a sin? Everyone drinks. Why are you all picking on me?”
Il-bang chuckled.
“Heh heh… You talk a good game. But what man would like a woman who can drink better than him?”
Bang Chwi-a glared at him with sharp eyes.
“So, being a strong drinker is a sin?”
“Being a strong drinker isn’t a sin. It’s just that you’re a woman, that’s the sin.”
“Sajae is also a woman!”
“Sajae doesn’t drink like you do.”
Bang Chwi-a was furious and huffed and puffed.
“So, it’s okay for a man to drink, but it’s a sin for a woman to drink?”
Seeing her expression was unusual, Il-bang slowly backed away.
“That… why are you asking me that? Mae Sa-hyung is the one who scolded you, so you should ask Mae Sa-hyung.”
Il-bang had a fiery and simple personality and knew no fear, but he was strangely weak when it came to women. Especially angry women, he was very afraid of.
As Bang Chwi-a continued to glare at him with a fierce look, Il-bang retreated little by little and hid behind Jeong Hae.
Bang Chwi-a became as docile as a young lady when she was drunk, but when she wasn’t drinking, she was as lively and feisty as a freshly caught fish. Everyone found it very amusing that she was the opposite of others, but they had to be careful when she wasn’t drunk.
The problem was that her alcohol tolerance was so high that she didn’t get drunk unless she drank a lot.
That was why people changed the ‘Chwi (翠)’ in her name to ‘Chwi (醉)’. Perhaps her name 'Chwi-a' contained the wishes of people who secretly hoped she would be drunk.
Jeong Hae looked at Jin San-wol with a slightly worried expression.
“Aren’t we just going to embarrass ourselves?”
According to the original plan, Jin San-wol was supposed to take the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence today and become a Peerless Master by opening his Governing and Conception Vessels through two or three days of circulating energy. Then, he was going to show a new side of himself at this Martial Arts Tournament and announce the revival of the Jongnam Sect to the world of martial arts.
But the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence had already fallen into the hands of another, and Jin San-wol had missed the opportunity to become a Peerless Master. If he went to the Martial Arts Tournament with his current skills, there was a good chance that he would be looked down upon by others, as Jeong Hae worried.
But Jin San-wol’s expression did not change at all, and he opened his mouth in a calm voice.
“Just think of it as gaining experience.”
Jeong Hae hesitated whether to laugh or cry at Jin San-wol’s nonchalant words.
‘Is he really brave, or is he just dull… Great Senior Brother is someone I can’t figure out.’
Jin San-wol turned to look at Il-bang.
“You pack your luggage.”
Il-bang nodded diligently.
“Yes, Great Senior Brother.”
“Make sure to pack the horses and equipment without fail.”
“I understand.”
When Il-bang left the room, Jeong Hae followed him.
“I’ll help you.”
Jin San-wol’s gaze turned to Bang Chwi-a next to him.
Bang Chwi-a’s face was still full of displeasure, as if she hadn’t fully resolved her anger.
Jin San-wol smiled and said.
“Chwi-a, let’s make food together. Tonight, we should eat and drink to our heart’s content for once.”
Bang Chwi-a’s face brightened as if she had never frowned, and a bright voice flowed out without her knowing.
“That’s great. You’re finally thinking like Great Senior Brother for once.”
Eung Gye-seong retorted in a blunt voice.
“Eating and drinking is thinking like Great Senior Brother? That’s just thinking like you.”
Bang Chwi-a’s eyes flashed again.
“Why are you picking on me again?”
“Is now the time to eat and drink? The Ancestral Hermitage Ridge’s Wine houses, which is our biggest source of funds, has been taken away by some unheard-of Sa Suk, and the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence that we trusted has been snatched away by some random guy, so we’re completely broke…”
“Did I say that first? Great Senior Brother is the one who suggested it.”
“Then you should have stopped him.”
Bang Chwi-a’s voice became sharp.
“If you’re so dissatisfied, why don’t Eung Sa-hyung say it directly? Why are you picking on me and making a fuss?”
As she said, Eung Gye-seong wanted to grumble to Jin San-wol. But he couldn’t openly do so to Jin San-wol, who was nominally the Sect Leader, so he was just complaining to the innocent Bang Chwi-a.
Eung Gye-seong glanced at Jin San-wol and said in a mumbling voice.
“I thought you were someone who would understand if I told you.”
At that time, Jin San-wol’s quiet voice was heard.
“Once we leave tomorrow, we won’t be able to see each other for at least a month. So, I just want to have a meal together tonight.”
“While we’re doing that, Du Gi-chun, that guy, will be holed up somewhere, eating the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng Essence and cultivating Peerless inner energy.”
Jin San-wol scratched his head again.
“That can’t be helped.”
Eung Gye-seong’s temples turned red, as if he was furious again.
“Sect Leader Sa-hyung is really… Ah! Never mind. It’s just a waste of my breath to say it…”
Eung Gye-seong waved his hand and turned around and left.
Bang Chwi-a looked at his receding back and stuck out her tongue.
“Tch! If you don’t like it, you don’t have to come later, right? You’re the one who eats the most when Great Senior Brother makes food…”
Bang Chwi-a muttered and disappeared to the back to prepare the food.
Mae Sang approached Jin San-wol.
“Are you really confident? Or are you planning something else?”
Mae Sang entered Jongnam a year after Jin San-wol came to Jongnam, but they were the same age. Although Mae Sang was late to enter and became a Sajae, Mae Sang never called Jin San-wol Sa-hyung, and Jin San-wol did not treat him as a Sajae.
It was a strange relationship that couldn’t be called friends.
Eung Gye-seong sometimes mocked their relationship as being like cats and dogs, but even Eung Gye-seong himself didn’t think so.
Jin San-wol chuckled.
“What plan… Maybe a good idea will come to me after I eat a lot, but I don’t have any plans right now.”
“The Hengshan Sect people will definitely pick a fight with us there…”
The Hengshan Sect was the sect that had pushed out the Jongnam Sect and became one of the Nine Great Sects. Perhaps that was why they had such a great animosity towards the Jongnam Sect, and they would pick a fight with the Jongnam Sect disciples on the martial arts world no matter what.
“It can’t be helped. If they pick a fight, we’ll accept it, and if they challenge us to a fight, we’ll have to accept it.”
Mae Sang’s eyes twitched.
“That’s why I asked if you were confident. If you’re confident in defeating those guys’ Ape Lord Swordplay.”
“I don’t know either.”
“You’re really hopeless. How can anyone trust and follow a Sect Leader who is so lacking in confidence?”
Mae Sang spat out the words.
“Take me instead of Gye-seong.”
Jin San-wol shook his head.
“You have to stay here.”
Mae Sang glared at him with sharp eyes.
“Why?”
Jin San-wol said briefly.
“Because we don’t know when the Cho Family Fortress will come.”
At those words, Mae Sang closed his mouth.
Cho Family Fortress!
They were currently the biggest headache for the Jongnam Sect.
They were expanding their power fiercely in the Ancestral Hermitage Ridge area and were constantly aiming for the Jongnam Sect. If they invaded the Jongnam Sect and were not stopped, the Jongnam Sect would not only fail to revive but would also cease to exist.
Mae Sang’s temples throbbed.
“This is a damn mess.”
“Yes. It’s a damn mess.”
Mae Sang looked at Jin San-wol again with sharp eyes.
“If you go out and smear the face of the Jongnam Sect and come back, I won’t let you off.”
That was definitely not something a disciple should say to a Sect Leader. But Jin San-wol just smiled.
Mae Sang stared at his face once more before turning around and walking out.
Jin San-wol waited until Mae Sang’s body was out of sight before turning his head to one corner.
There, a man with disheveled hair was leaning against the wall.
So Ji-san was always dirty and didn’t wash properly. Whether he was naturally lazy or just far from being clean, he was always shabby and smelled bad.
That was why Bang Chwi-a tried not to go near So Ji-san. She sat as far away from So Ji-san as possible when eating, and she hadn’t exchanged a single word with him for months.
Not only Bang Chwi-a, but not many people had conversations with So Ji-san.
So Ji-san was not only lazy but also incredibly quiet, and sometimes it was doubtful whether he was mute. Even when he did open his mouth, it was only a short word like, “Yes,” or “No,” so it was even questionable why he had a mouth at all.
Even now, knowing that Jin San-wol was staring at him, So Ji-san remained motionless, leaning against the wall.
Jin San-wol stared at him for a while before slowly opening his mouth.
“Mae Sang is skilled, but he sometimes suffers setbacks because he looks down on others too much. You know that, right?”
So Ji-san’s head nodded faintly, almost imperceptibly.
Others would have been angry at such an impolite attitude, but Jin San-wol was already used to it and continued in a voice that did not change at all.
“The Cho Family Fortress’s Chief Manager, Smiling Fox Ak Jonggi, is a cunning person, so he will definitely try to cause trouble by taking advantage of Mae Sang’s weaknesses.”
So Ji-san did not react at all, whether he was listening to his voice or not.
But Jin San-wol didn’t care and said again.
“While I’m gone, please help Mae Sang and protect this place well.”
So Ji-san didn’t answer for a long time. Then, finally, his lips opened, and a short voice flowed out.
“I will.”
His voice was so slow that it was frustrating. But when he heard that voice, a faint smile appeared on Jin San-wol’s face.
He knew So Ji-san’s personality well.
So Ji-san was silent because he cherished his words. As much as he cherished his words, he would definitely take full responsibility for the words that came out of his mouth. Once he said he would, he would do so with all his might.
Jin San-wol nodded and lightly patted his shoulder.
“I’m counting on you.”