Chapter 121
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: We Are the Wind and the Clouds
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“What you said wasn't entirely wrong, Senior Brother.”
Jin Jo-un turned his head to look at Yang Il-so.
“The Nine Great Sects, or whatever... We should have focused on strengthening ourselves from within before chasing hollow honors.”
Jin Jo-un quietly looked down at the Treasured Sword of Won-gong in his hand.
The other elders could only watch their sect leader with complicated expressions.
“My, you're taking this too seriously.”
Just then, I Rip clapped his hands with a sharp sound.
“With this, the Hengshan Sect has recovered both its sacred artifact and its lost ultimate technique at the same time. Isn't this a joyous day?”
Though I Rip didn't say it aloud, his words also alluded to the credit for finding the traitor.
Jin Jo-un looked at Yang Il-so and nodded.
“Let us go, Senior Brother. We will escort you.”
*Shing.*
At his words, the elders drew their swords and aimed them at Yang Il-so.
Seeing his junior brothers aiming their swords at him, Yang Il-so gave a hollow smile.
Then, he suddenly rushed toward the elders.
Cries of alarm erupted from the elders. But their swords had already pierced Yang Il-so's chest.
*Drip. Drip.*
Blood trickled down the blades, soaking the floor.
But it was not Yang Il-so's blood.
Just as the swords were about to pierce Yang Il-so, Jin Jo-un had shot out his hand like a bolt of lightning and grabbed the blades.
Instantly immobilized by having his vital points sealed, Yang Il-so glared at Jin Jo-un.
“Senior Brother... don't disappoint us to the very end.”
Jin Jo-un added in a despairing voice.
“If you have even a shred of loyalty to Hengshan, shouldn't you take full responsibility for what you've done?”
Jin Jo-un turned his head toward the other elders.
The elders were quite shocked by Yang Il-so throwing himself onto their swords. After all, he was a man they had lived and struggled alongside their entire lives.
“Escort our Senior Brother.”
At Jin Jo-un's command, the elders quickly came to their senses.
Jin Jo-un silently watched as Yang Il-so was dragged away to the prison by the elders.
*Riiip.*
Once Yang Il-so was completely out of sight, Jin Jo-un tore off a piece of his sleeve and roughly wrapped his deeply cut hand.
Then, he bowed deeply to the assembled crowd.
“We have shown an unsightly display in front of our esteemed guests. On behalf of the Hengshan Sect, I sincerely apologize.”
I Rip waved his hand.
“Haha, not at all. Isn't this something everyone goes through once in a while? This old beggar doesn't mind, so please don't trouble yourself over it, Sect Leader.”
Jin Jo-un bowed his head once more to Dan Ak-seon.
“I have finally managed to cast off the inner demon that has plagued me for so long. This is all thanks to you, Young Master Dan.”
Startled, Dan Ak-seon bowed his head in return.
A moment later, when Dan Ak-seon raised his head, Jin Jo-un was looking at him with an exceptionally gentle gaze.
“The day has grown dim. Unlike other places, the mists of Hengshan are quite treacherous, and it's easy to lose one's way. Please stay the night at our sect.”
At Jin Jo-un's earnest request, Dan Ak-seon's party ended up staying at the Hengshan Sect for another day.
The next morning.
All the disciples of Hengshan gathered in the vast training ground paved with blue flagstones.
Dan Ak-seon's party, having been invited, also took their places on one side of the training ground.
A short while later, the sect leader, Jin Jo-un, stepped into the center of the training ground.
His face was haggard as if he hadn't slept all night, but in his hand, he held the Hengshan Sect's sacred artifact, the Treasured Sword of Won-gong.
Standing in the center of the training ground, Jin Jo-un silently raised the sword.
It was the opening stance of the Clear Wind Sword Art, a form known to every disciple of Hengshan.
Soon, a dance-like performance began.
Each movement was filled with discipline and grace, yet it was an exceedingly simple and plain sword dance.
At a certain point, the sword in his hand began to change.
The tip of the sword seemed to tremble minutely, then a cold sword energy suddenly surged from its point. Shuddering, the sword's vibrations grew wider until it exploded, unleashing countless sword shadows.
The atmosphere roiled violently as a ferocious sword energy engulfed the area.
Then, the layers of overlapping sword energy formed a great mist that filled the training ground.
Staring at the shimmering blue afterimages before him, Hong Jeok-mun let out a gasp of admiration.
“The divine art that was sealed away has been released!”
The divine ultimate art of the Hengshan Sect, which had once shaken the martial world, had reappeared after a hundred years.
“Is that the Eight Swords of Connected Souls?”
I Rip had a somewhat complicated expression.
“I never thought I'd see the ultimate art of the Divine Sword of Wind and Clouds in person.”
Dan Ak-seon's eyes shone with a peculiar light.
“You mean the one you called the greatest swordsman under heaven from a hundred years ago? Was he really that incredible?”
I Rip nodded.
“I never saw him myself, but according to the records of the Beggar's Sect, it was written that there was no one in the world who wielded a sword better than him.”
“He must have been an amazing person!”
I Rip let out a wry laugh at Dan Ak-seon's exclamation.
“Still, he wasn't the greatest master under heaven.”
“What? Why not?”
“He wasn't the only master who dominated that era, you know.”
Belatedly, Dan Ak-seon realized something.
“Is it because of Aunt Han, by any chance?”
I Rip gave a faint nod.
Hong Jeok-mun, who had been staring intently at Jin Jo-un's sword dance, also nodded.
“His level of achievement is about the third stage.”
I Rip nodded in agreement with Hong Jeok-mun's words.
To think this is the power of only the third stage.
It was hard to imagine how incredible it would be if he fully mastered the Eight Swords of Connected Souls.
“Just by adding a new internal art to the Clear Wind Sword Art, it becomes such a different technique.”
I Rip and Hong Jeok-mun turned their heads toward Dan Ak-seon.
“What do you mean by that?”
Dan Ak-seon answered I Rip's question.
“Yesterday, I told the Sect Leader how to break through Elder Yang Il-so's training chamber.”
Through this, Jin Jo-un was able to restore the True Energy of Wind and Clouds United as One, which had been lost since the time of the Divine Sword of Wind and Clouds.
“Does that mean you can also learn the Eight Swords of Connected Souls?”
Hong Jeok-mun's question was, in a way, natural.
Since Dan Ak-seon had broken through all the formations in the Cloud Formation Grotto, it didn't seem impossible for him to also master the True Energy of Wind and Clouds United as One.
But Dan Ak-seon shook his head.
“It's impossible for me. I don't know the sequence and method for combining the five formations.”
“Is that so...”
As Hong Jeok-mun nodded, his face was filled with an inexplicable sense of disappointment.
“Anyway, to restore an ultimate art that was lost for over a hundred years in a single night... how is that even possible?”
“It's because he has been researching it for so long. You saw the effort the Sect Leader poured into restoring the Treasured Sword of Won-gong, didn't you?”
Dan Ak-seon continued to explain.
“Restoring it from nothing would be like finding a needle in a haystack, but the proper internal art was like a guide showing him where that needle was.”
“How do you know that so well?”
“Because it was the same for me.”
It was the same with his medical skills.
It was because of the medical texts his parents left behind that Dan Ak-seon was able to possess his current medical skills.
“He must have poured in that much intense effort.”
That only the prepared can seize an opportunity is a truth of all ages.
It was true even now.
The Eight Swords of Connected Souls that Jin Jo-un demonstrated had only recently been restored, so its power was somewhat lacking compared to the world's other ultimate arts. However, the spirit and profoundness it contained seemed more than worthy of being called a divine ultimate art.
“By the way, he was quite a relentless person.”
Hong Jeok-mun looked puzzled at I Rip's sudden remark.
“Who are you talking about?”
“The Divine Sword of Wind and Clouds, Hyeok Ryeok-seong.”
“...?”
“He basically gambled with the future of his sect, didn't he?”
Hong Jeok-mun nodded.
One would have to be an incredibly bold individual to even think of such a thing. Though it caused the Hengshan Sect to suffer for nearly a hundred years.
“So they've finally passed a test that spanned a hundred years.”
Ordinarily, it wouldn't have been enough for every disciple of Hengshan to prostrate themselves before Dan Ak-seon.
This was because recovering the Treasured Sword of Won-gong and restoring the lost ultimate art would have been impossible without him.
This gathering was likely arranged to steady the wavering hearts of Hengshan and refresh the atmosphere.
Normally, outsiders would not be allowed at such an event.
Therefore, inviting Dan Ak-seon's party to this place held a special meaning. It signified that they were being acknowledged not as outsiders, but as close associates of the Hengshan Sect.
While I Rip was lost in these thoughts, the mist of sword energy that had filled the training ground vanished as if washed away.
And Jin Jo-un raised the Treasured Sword of Won-gong.
“Grasping the sword, I attain sudden enlightenment; with the wind and clouds at my side.”
Jin Jo-un looked exhausted, but his voice was thunderous.
“With every step forward, I have no enemies under heaven.”
*Grasping the sword, a sudden enlightenment; following the wind, following the clouds.*
*Advancing step by step; invincible under heaven.*
The words engraved on the blade of the Treasured Sword of Won-gong.
Jin Jo-un gripped the Treasured Sword of Won-gong in a reverse hold and plunged it straight into the ground.
As expected of a sword forged from cloud iron, the Treasured Sword of Won-gong sank smoothly into the hard flagstones.
Above the half-buried blade, only the phrases 'With Wind and Clouds' and 'Invincible Under Heaven' were visible.
Only these four characters remained.
With the wind and clouds at my side, I have no enemies under heaven.
It was a teaching that would become the new creed of the Hengshan Sect.
“What has sustained Hengshan until now is neither the sacred artifact nor the divine ultimate art.”
Jin Jo-un continued, his voice infused with profound inner energy.
“The strength of our united disciples is the true power that allows the Hengshan of today to exist.”
Jin Jo-un's gaze swept over each and every disciple of Hengshan, taking them all in.
“From this day forward, Hengshan will be reborn!”
A flash like lightning shot from Jin Jo-un's eyes.
“We are the wind and the clouds!”
Before his words had even finished, a unanimous roar erupted from the Hengshan disciples.
“Southern Peak Hengshan!”
“Gaze Down Upon the World!”
The united voices of the Hengshan disciples seemed powerful enough to shake the entire mountain. Leaving the fervent heat behind him, Jin Jo-un walked toward Dan Ak-seon.
“I hope we haven't tired you out so early in the morning.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled and shook his head.
“Not at all. It was a good opportunity to broaden my horizons.”
Jin Jo-un gave a gentle smile.
“Looking at you now, Young Master Dan, I feel that the future of the martial world is very bright.”
With those words, Jin Jo-un took something from his robes and held it out to Dan Ak-seon.
It was a joint signature petition, stamped with a personal seal.
“Thank you.”
Watching Dan Ak-seon bow with a bright smile, Jin Jo-un looked pleased and gestured behind him.
A moment later, a few Hengshan disciples came forward carrying a large box and placed it in front of Dan Ak-seon.
“It is a small token, but I wish to show our sincerity in this way.”
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
Tilting his head in curiosity, Dan Ak-seon opened the box and checked its contents.
“This is...?”