The Edge of the Sword
Jang Il-so’s boat drifted farther and farther from the riverbank.
As he sat astride the prow, watching the water slide past beneath him, Ho Ga-myeong’s voice reached Jang Il-so’s ears.
“Alliance Leader.”
“Hmm?”
Jang Il-so turned his head, and Ho Ga-myeong, who had been rowing, spoke in his usual composed tone.
“May I ask you something?”
Jang Il-so gave a lazy nod.
“I keep telling you, just ask. No need to be so formal.”
Ho Ga-myeong seemed to think for a moment before speaking.
“I understand that, in order to deal with the Demonic Sect, you need someone who has learned martial arts of the Daoist school.”
“That’s right. And?”
“But I don’t understand why it has to be that Mount Hua Divine Dragon.”
“Oh?”
Instead of answering, Jang Il-so smiled, as if he found the question amusing.
But that smile was nowhere near enough to satisfy Ho Ga-myeong.
“If you truly wished it, Alliance Leader, you could drag in Wudang, of course—and even Shaolin.”
“That’s true… maybe I could.”
This wasn’t a matter of personal ties. The Demonic Sect was a threat more serious than anything else to the people living in the martial world.
But that also meant Jang Il-so had a weapon in his hands unlike any other. If he truly wanted to, he might even have been able to move Shaolin itself.
“If what you needed was a sharp blade, wouldn’t it have been better to ally with those sects instead? The Mount Hua Divine Dragon did cut off the Black Dragon King’s arm, but to call him the sharpest blade among the righteous sects….”
“Tsk.”
Jang Il-so clicked his tongue in displeasure. Ho Ga-myeong hurriedly lowered his head, apologetic.
“Ga-myeong.”
“Yes, Alliance Leader.”
“You always miss the point in the strangest places.”
Ho Ga-myeong looked at him with questioning eyes, but still voiced what he believed.
“In my view, there are sharper blades within the righteous camp. And there are blades that are easier to control. No matter how sharp the Mount Hua Divine Dragon may be, a blade that can wound the hand holding its hilt can never be called a good sword, can it?”
Jang Il-so snorted with a faint laugh and slowly nodded.
“Right. You’re right about that.”
“Then why…?”
“As you say, there are surely blades in the righteous camp that are easier to handle. And there are probably some that are sturdier, safer, too.”
“Yes.”
“But Ga-myeong. Why don’t you understand? If something isn’t dangerous to me, that means it isn’t dangerous to others either.”
“…….”
“If he were the sort of enemy that could be dealt with so easily, would I need to cross this river at all? What I want is not a safe, sturdy blade. It’s a demon sword that will sever the enemy’s neck cleanly, even if it takes my own arm with it.”
Jang Il-so’s eyes, curved in a gentle smile, flashed with light.
“That’s why it has to be the Mount Hua Divine Dragon. Do you understand?”
Ho Ga-myeong nodded slowly without a word.
But despite that apparent acceptance, his expression showed he was not convinced in the slightest. His thoughts had not changed.
…The Mount Hua Divine Dragon is far too dangerous.
At Jang Il-so’s side, Ho Ga-myeong had fought countless fierce battles and survived countless crises. There were probably few in all of the unorthodox sects who had sunk themselves as deeply into the mud of the battlefield as he had—aside from Jang Il-so himself.
And that hard-earned instinct was telling him so.
That brat called the Mount Hua Divine Dragon was more dangerous than any enemy they had faced so far. Far more dangerous.
No, I don’t even need instinct to know that.
People said there was no sect that had risen in status as quickly as the Manin Sect. That might have been true. But only if one excluded Mount Hua.
The Manin Sect, too, was a legendary sect that had risen from a minor band of black-path fighters in Guangxi to the position of hegemon within the Evil Tyrant Alliance. But Mount Hua had been equally absurd—once dismissed as a third-rate sect on the verge of collapse, and yet somehow crawling its way up to lead the Heavenly Friends Alliance.
If the question was who enjoyed the loftier standing, then of course it was the Manin Sect. But if the question was which path had been harder….
Ho Ga-myeong bit his lip lightly.
How many years was it?
In less than ten years, Mount Hua had gone from being a small sect in Shaanxi to this.
At the center of it all was none other than the Mount Hua Divine Dragon.
That was why he was dangerous. More dangerous than anyone else in the world.
Of course.
Jang Il-so had surely considered all of this. Even after weighing every factor, he still intended to use that Mount Hua Divine Dragon as the arrow that would strike down the Cult Leader’s neck.
But Ho Ga-myeong did not agree.
Because what we seek is different.
For Jang Il-so, everything was merely a means to place the world beneath his feet. The Manin Sect, the Evil Tyrant Alliance, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, Ho Ga-myeong himself—even Jang Il-so would be willing to sacrifice them all.
To him, the goal was something that could not be exchanged for anything else.
But Ho Ga-myeong was not the same.
To Ho Ga-myeong, the most important thing was not ruling the martial world, but Jang Il-so’s safety.
He could do anything if it meant protecting Jang Il-so. Had he not once ignored orders and tried to kill the Mount Hua Divine Dragon after he entered Jiangnan, because he believed that one day the Mount Hua Divine Dragon might become a threat to Jang Il-so?
“And….”
As though reading his thoughts, Jang Il-so spoke again, a subtle smile on his lips.
“It’s not only that.”
“Pardon?”
“…Yes, that isn’t all of it.”
Jang Il-so slowly raised a hand and brushed the corner of his mouth. His lips, red as blood, warped beneath the rough touch. In his eyes lay a light so deep it could not be guessed at.
Ho Ga-myeong sighed before he realized it. Was there anyone in the world who could truly fathom what rested in Jang Il-so’s heart?
The lord he had chosen was extraordinary—so extraordinary that following him could become exhausting at times.
Ho Ga-myeong’s expression gradually hardened.
Dangerous.
It was true that, if they were to face the Demonic Sect, they might need a demon sword like Jang Il-so said. But once that Demonic Sect had been defeated?
With no enemy left to face, a demon sword would be useless. It would become nothing more than a monstrosity that had to be discarded.
The more certain a person was of himself, the more likely he was to be wounded by a demon sword. That was because he believed that he alone could handle it.
So….
As Ho Ga-myeong rowed in silence, a cold shadow settled into his eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After staring in silence for a long while at Jang Il-so’s retreating boat, Hyun Jong let out a heavy sigh.
How immense he is.
Every time he faced Jang Il-so, it felt as though a towering mountain were pressing down on the world from all sides.
And yet the reason he could stand before Jang Il-so without wavering was simple. There was another mountain at his back.
Hyun Jong turned and looked at Cheong Myeong.
For an instant, many words came to mind, but in the end he only shook his head. There was so much he wanted to say, and nothing he could actually say.
Only one thing remained.
“Are you truly going?”
At that, Cheong Myeong smiled faintly.
The torment that had weighed on him just moments ago was gone as if washed clean away. Clear eyes, a face full of mischief—this was the usual Cheong Myeong.
“Well, if he’s begging that much, wouldn’t it be rude not to go?”
Hyun Jong stared at the grinning face for a long while before letting out a long, weary sigh.
He knew he shouldn’t be this way, yet whenever he looked at that self-assured face of Cheong Myeong’s, the anxiety simply faded. Even though he knew full well how much was hidden behind that smiling expression.
“Then Mount Hua also….”
“No, Sect Leader.”
Cheong Myeong cut him off without hesitation, and Hyun Jong’s brow furrowed.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s dangerous.”
“So….”
“Not Mount Hua. Us.”
“Hmm?”
Cheong Myeong shrugged.
“That bastard Jang Il-so is a snake. If there’s even the slightest opening, he’ll strike without hesitation.”
“……That he will.”
“So if all of Mount Hua enters that bastard’s territory, it’ll be dangerous. If something happens, there has to be someone who can come to our rescue at any time.”
Hyun Jong fell silent.
Rather than having everyone enter Jiangnan together, it would be better for Mount Hua to remain alert on the far side of the river, watching carefully and ready to act. There was certainly logic in that.
But there was one thing Cheong Myeong had not said aloud.
“Answer me just one thing.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“The reason you don’t want to take the other Mount Hua disciples with you—is it because you’re worried about them, or because it would be easier for you to withdraw if something happened?”
“The latter.”
A strange heat flickered in Cheong Myeong’s eyes.
“This time….”
The corner of his mouth twisted.
“I feel like really going wild.”
Seeing Hyun Jong seem to struggle over what to say, Cheong Myeong shrugged.
“You don’t need to worry, Sect Leader.”
Cheong Myeong glanced over his shoulder at the people standing behind him.
“Honestly, they’re not all that reassuring, but I’m not going alone.”
Hyun Jong gave a reluctant, slow nod.
“I….”
Then, looking quietly at Cheong Myeong and the disciples behind him, he said with a sigh,
“I still do not know. What is right, and what is wrong.”
“…….”
“But there is one thing I do know.”
For the first time, a smile formed at Hyun Jong’s lips.
“When I cannot choose for myself… all I can do is trust.”
“Sect Leader.”
“Remember one thing, Cheong Myeong.”
Cheong Myeong stared at Hyun Jong without speaking. The hesitation had now left Hyun Jong’s face. He met Cheong Myeong’s eyes with a deep, steady gaze.
“If you and the others should ever suffer misfortune in Jiangnan….”
“…….”
“Mount Hua will surely hold the Evil Tyrant Alliance, the Manin Sect, and Jang Il-so accountable. Even if that is not what you want, even if that decision is foolish enough to drag Mount Hua into a deeper ruin than before.”
Hyun Jong’s voice no longer trembled with gentleness or uncertainty.
“I will not hesitate.”
He looked at each and every person standing before him. The uncommon sharpness in his gaze proved these were not empty words.
“So….”
Trust and concern, worry and faith.
Hyun Jong’s voice carried them all, heavy and clear.
“Come back alive.”
Cheong Myeong straightened his body. At the same time, the other Mount Hua disciples also stood erect in unison.
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
All of the Mount Hua disciples present here cupped their fists toward Sect Leader Hyun Jong.
Unfinished bonds, lingering attachments, and new resolve—all of it gathered in Cheong Myeong’s gaze as it turned toward the land beyond the Yangtze River.