Chapter 7: Qingcheng Swordsman (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: Qingcheng Swordsman (2)
Plop.
After Seok Myeong departed, Song Hak plucked the remaining petals from the flower and tossed them into the pond.
Fish swarmed the area, mistaking the petals for food, only to turn away once they realized they were tasteless.
Song Hak’s expression remained grim. He had just delivered a satisfying scolding, so he should have felt refreshed, yet he felt anything but.
‘Song Hye…’
True Person Song Hye had been Song Hak’s martial brother who passed away six months ago; he was also Seok Myeong’s master.
Song Hye had always been fair and consistent in his conduct, earning the respect of juniors and seniors alike. He never stepped forward needlessly, and when he did, he remained humble and avoided causing friction.
Perhaps that was why Song Hak had always harbored a sense of rivalry toward him. While Song Hak’s own evaluations were objectively superior, he had always been strangely conscious of the other man.
‘Has my inferiority complex grown so deep that I would lose my temper with a mere greenhorn?’
Seok Myeong was a young man nearing thirty, but in terms of martial arts, he was far below Song Hak’s level. For a senior of his standing to let his killing intent leak toward such a junior was, in truth, a shameful act.
‘Why on earth did I do that?’
As a man of great pride, the lapse bothered him deeply. Just as he was staring into the pond with hollow eyes, a familiar voice reached him.
“Father.”
“You’re here already?” Song Hak greeted him warmly.
The person who had just arrived was Seok Jun.
“You said you would come in the evening. What brings you here at this hour?”
“Yes, well, I finished my work early today. There wasn't much else to do…”
“You rascal, you must have been quite impatient.”
“N-no, Father. I was just curious…”
Seok Jun, now seated, trailed off. His failure to offer a strong denial was proof enough that his father was right.
Song Hak spoke with a faint smile. “Place your sword in the wooden case.”
“Yes, sir.”
Seok Jun placed his sword into the wooden case Song Hak provided. He carefully set the case down beside him and took a seat.
Song Hak sat across from him and spoke. “There is no need to worry. I have handled it as planned. That boy will have all his belongings moved out of the Azure Moon Secret Pavilion by tomorrow.”
“Is that true? Thank you, Father!” Seok Jun beamed.
He had come here feeling anxious, but his father had settled the matter cleanly. As Song Hak watched Seok Jun laugh, his eyes narrowed. Seeing his son so overjoyed by such a trivial matter made him overlap with the image of Seok Myeong from earlier, and it displeased him.
“I don’t understand. Why are you so obsessed? Especially with a fellow who doesn't even compare to you in any regard.”
“…”
“Does he have some leverage over you? Or did he see something you weren't supposed to show?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Then what is it?”
Seok Jun couldn't answer. He simply remained silent, his face flushing red.
“Tsk, you pathetic fool.” Song Hak clicked his tongue. He wanted to roar at his son, but he barely managed to suppress his emotions. “There is no need to be impatient. If you wait, the problem will resolve itself naturally.”
Seok Jun blinked at those words, curious about the meaning behind his father’s statement. “Father, what do you mean by that…?”
“In two years, Seok Myeong will take the exam to become a Qingcheng Swordsman. He has agreed to leave Mount Qingcheng of his own accord if he fails.”
“The Eldest Disciple is taking the exam? Is that true?”
“Indeed. He made a promise to me. He said so himself.”
“Ah!” Seok Jun’s face brightened instantly, his expression a mix of surprise and delight.
“So, stop worrying about someone like Seok Myeong and devote yourself to your cultivation. Do not become arrogant just because you became a Qingcheng Swordsman. If Instructor Hwang hadn't assisted you, you would have needed three more years of training.”
“Yes, Father. I won't disappoint you. I will devote myself even more to my martial arts starting today.”
Seok Jun answered with a booming voice and stood up. He couldn't hide his joy; it was evident in his every movement. He bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the ground, then picked up the wooden case and left.
“Pathetic fool,” Song Hak muttered as he watched Seok Jun depart. He shook his head, clicking his tongue once more. “The one who is supposed to lead Qingcheng is so restless because he can't win the heart of a single girl. How can he be so soft?”
*
As the crimson glow of twilight stained the fractured clouds and the sky, a man stood at a vantage point where the mountain ranges of Qingcheng could be seen at a glance.
A cool breeze blew by—a sensation that should have been pleasant—but the man’s expression was as hard as stone. His tightly pressed lips reflected his current state of mind.
“What are you so worried about?”
Seok Myeong heard a familiar voice approaching. It was Song Gwan. The man visited him at least once every three or four days.
“You’ve come, Elder.”
The tension in Seok Myeong’s face relaxed slightly. For some reason, seeing Song Gwan always made him feel better.
“It’s just… my chest feels a bit tight.”
“If your chest were tight, you would have been reading a book. You wouldn't be standing here.”
“…”
“What really happened?”
Song Gwan was a disciple recruited by Taoist Il-hu in his later years—an unregistered disciple rather than a formal one. Strictly speaking, based on his generation, he was closer to being a First Generation Disciple rather than belonging to the current rank of elders. However, Seok Myeong’s master, Song Hye, had treated him like a younger brother because of his age.
His Taoist name had originally been Seok Gwan, and it would have remained so if Song Hye hadn't petitioned to change it to 'Song,' the character for the generation above him. So, in a sense, he was in a precarious position, much like Seok Myeong, the disciple of Azure Cloud Taoist.
“I met with Martial Uncle Song Hak.”
“The True Martial Hall Master?” Song Gwan’s face hardened. He seemed aware that Song Hak disliked Seok Myeong.
“Yes.”
“Why did you go there?”
“He summoned me…”
“And? What did he say?”
“He told me to vacate the Azure Moon Secret Pavilion.”
“That miserable man…”
Seok Myeong looked at Song Gwan as the elder muttered in pity.
“That part is fine. As a disciple of Qingcheng, I must follow the words of my elders. However… he did not keep the promise he made to us.”
“A promise?”
“Yes. He was teaching the children the old heart method instead of the one my master left behind.”
“Why?”
“He called it a weak heart method whose fundamentals haven't been verified.”
Song Gwan furrowed his brows. He knew the man was arrogant, but this was even worse than he had imagined.
“So, I told him,” Seok Myeong continued, his eyes turning serious. “I asked if he would admit his mistake if I achieved the level of skill he desires.”
“Seok Myeong, surely you don’t mean…”
“Yes. I told him I would become a Qingcheng Swordsman.”
Song Gwan stared at Seok Myeong with a look of pure shock. “Ha!”
From what he knew, Seok Myeong was always a positive and pure-hearted boy, but he never liked standing out. Furthermore, he didn't have a rebellious streak, nor was he the type to do something so drastic on a whim.
Yet, what he just said was completely unlike the usual Seok Myeong. He had stepped forward on his own and even raised a hand in defiance. His actions were impulsive. A boy who was more thoughtful and considerate than anyone else had acted in such a way.
“I didn't want to back down anymore. I didn't want to blame my master for my own incompetence. I didn't want to hear words that insulted him.”
Hearing that, Song Gwan understood. He understood why Seok Myeong had no choice but to act this way.
“It is a complicated matter.”
That was Song Gwan’s honest feeling. A fight against Song Hak, who held great power within Qingcheng, was a dangerous prospect. The outcome Song Gwan envisioned was by no means a positive one.
Moreover, he had declared he would become a Qingcheng Swordsman. Becoming a Qingcheng Swordsman was not as easy as it sounded. It was generally accepted that one could only reach that rank after passing the age of forty. There were disciples who spent their entire lives training and were never selected. While two First Generation Disciples had been chosen recently, those were truly exceptional cases. That was how difficult the Qingcheng Swordsman exam was, even for the most brilliant disciples.
“Are you confident?”
At Song Gwan’s question, Seok Myeong shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
“Why? Your juniors, Seok Jun and Yeon-hui, achieved it, did they not?” Song Gwan mentioned the two Qingcheng Swordsmen from the First Generation.
“That is because they were exceptionally talented… and Yeon-hui was taught by the Sect Leader, while Seok Jun was taught very devotedly by Taoist Song Hak since they were young…”
In an instant, Song Gwan’s gentle eyes turned sharp. “Then are you saying your master was lacking compared to them?”
“Ah, no. That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what is it? Are you saying your master did not teach you devotedly!”
“That’s… I-I’m sorry.”
Seok Myeong realized his mistake. They had received the help of spirit medicines since childhood and had run toward the goal of the Qingcheng Swordsman exam alone. That was what he wanted to say, but in saying it, it sounded like he was resenting his master and denying his teachings.
“Seok Myeong.” Song Gwan called Seok Myeong’s name again. Unlike before, his voice was warm. “Yes, Elder.”
“Do you know what your greatest weakness is?”
“I do not know.”
“It is that you do not know yourself well enough.” Song Gwan placed a hand on Seok Myeong’s shoulder. “Your master once said this to me.”
“…”
“He said that because Seok Myeong is a child whose heights we cannot hope to reach, we only need to watch over him. We only need to watch him do as he pleases.”
“Elder.”
“If you have set your mind to it, then try. What does it matter if you fail? Won't you gain something from the experience? Leave the results to the heavens and forge ahead.”
“But Elder, I still have the improvements for the Heaven and Earth Sword and the Azure Cloud Red Mist Sword to complete…”
“That is all the more reason to devote yourself. If you climb to a high place yourself, won't you be able to find what you couldn't see before? Only when you reach the summit can you see a wider world.”
“…”
Song Gwan continued in a solemn tone. “In the past, when it came to the martial arts of Azure Cloud Taoist, the people of Qingcheng learned and followed them of their own accord, praising them as superior arts. But how is it now? Everyone doubts whether the martial arts are decent or even usable. That is why you must show them. Show them that the martial arts of Azure Cloud Taoist are by no means lacking. And show them that they, too, are a part of Qingcheng’s martial arts, not something separate.”
When Seok Myeong looked at Song Gwan, the elder nodded. He was smiling. He was genuinely happy. He was finally seeing the Seok Myeong he had always hoped for. The boy had finally resolved to master his martial arts on his own.
“I will give it a try,” Seok Myeong spoke. His voice was louder than usual. “I will become a Qingcheng Swordsman, Elder.”