Chapter 163
Bu Eun-seol's heart began to race as he met the young Daoist's gaze.
Song-ak, a Great Righteous Expert from the Wudang Sect.
The qi he exuded was on an entirely different level from any Great Righteous Expert Eun-seol had encountered before.
'Gentle... and utterly empty.'
Song-ak's qi was void-like.
Yet it was vast enough to embrace all things in this world.
If he were to draw his sword, his techniques would undoubtedly flow as freely and naturally as the wind along the riverbank or the moonlight drifting across the sky.
"But..."
A peculiar light flickered in Song-ak's eyes when he noticed A-yeon.
Upon spotting the sword from the Sword Pavilion at her waist, he clasped his hands together.
"I am Song-ak of Wudang. Might you be..."
"A-yeon, a disciple of the Sword Pavilion."
"Have you come to cross blades with him?"
A-yeon nodded.
"That was my original intention. But... not anymore."
Song-ak wore a puzzled expression.
"I've heard Sword Pavilion disciples maintain solemn conduct no different from Buddhist disciples."
He chuckled in bewilderment.
"Though it seems you're quite skilled at jesting as well."
"It's no jest."
A-yeon took a deep breath before speaking.
"Because this man is no villain."
Song-ak nodded as he studied the glimmer in her eyes.
"Ah, I see what you mean."
He glanced briefly at Bu Eun-seol and nodded again.
"To be honest, this humble Daoist had doubts about that as well. I've been observing for some time, you see."
Eun-seol wasn't particularly surprised by this revelation.
Song-ak's qi had harmonized with nature itself. Though standing right before them, he felt as transient as a cloud that might vanish any moment.
Moreover, amidst their intense battle, they wouldn't have noticed his presence.
"Prepare yourself."
As Eun-seol stepped forward to draw his sword, Song-ak shook his head.
"I don't mean to fight immediately."
When Eun-seol furrowed his brow, Song-ak smiled faintly.
"Haven't you just endured a grueling battle? I'm not cruel enough to strike when my opponent needs rest."
"Unlikely."
Detecting the sneer in Eun-seol's voice, Song-ak let his shoulders slump.
"I heard how Lady Cheong and Young Estate Master Han joined forces against you. But they don't represent all conduct within the Righteous Faction."
He sighed deeply and shook his head again.
"Moreover, that incident has dragged the honor of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Great Righteous Experts into the mud. Longsword Mountain Manor was sealed, while Diancang and Emei have recalled all their disciples from the Martial World."
"So you've come to restore the face of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang after it hit rock bottom?"
"Precisely. I wish to face you in a fair duel to reclaim some honor for the Nine Great Sects and One Gang and the Great Righteous Experts who've fallen so low."
Then his eyes flashed as he scrutinized Eun-seol from head to toe.
"Your bodily wounds seem minor. A couple hours' rest should suffice for recovery. Correct?"
When Eun-seol nodded, Song-ak grinned and set down his bundle.
"Excellent. Since we're here, let's share a meal together."
Unwrapping the bundle revealed an astonishing variety of ingredients—dried fish, beef jerky, rice flour, an iron pot to cook it in, even a glass bottle filled with water...
There was nothing lacking.
A-yeon couldn't hide her astonishment. "Do all Wudang disciples carry food supplies like this?"
"Hahaha. What do you take us for?"
Song-ak laughed heartily as he poured rice flour into the pot.
"Our sect maintains an ascetic life, but we provide traveling disciples with enough silver to stay comfortably at guest inns."
"Then why are you lugging around food like a peddler?"
Though her expression and tone remained solemn, A-yeon's beauty rivaled that of a celestial maiden descended from the moon.
Song-ak momentarily lost himself staring before clearing his throat awkwardly.
Ahem. "Years of wandering to train in martial arts does that to a man. One must eat well to cultivate properly."
While Song-ak and A-yeon conversed, Eun-seol had retreated to a corner to rest.
'What an unusual man.'
The righteous faction figures Bu Eun-seol had encountered were generally prideful and held themselves in high regard.
But Song-ak showed none of that. Instead, he carried an aura as pure as a boy raised deep in the mountains.
Yet his skill is in no way inferior to mine.
Though his gaze and energy were untainted and clear, his qi was astonishingly powerful—so much so that even Bu Eun-seol was taken aback—yet also strangely gentle.
If I had joined the righteous faction... would I have grown stronger than I am now?
Bu Eun-seol had left Peaceful Burial House behind.
Without hesitation, he had chosen the path leading to the Demon Hall.
The Ten Demonic Heirs Plan underway at the Demon Hall would have shaped him into the fastest and strongest version of himself.
Yet Song-ak, who appeared only five or six years older, also wielded an overwhelming qi.
He could have taken a completely different path.
Suddenly, A-yeon's words surfaced in his mind.
Had there truly been another path? Had he simply not chosen it?
Pointless conjecture.
He had stepped into the martial world for revenge alone. Whether he walked the Demonic Path or the Righteous Path mattered little in the end.
Besides, isn't life itself just a terminal illness carrying death on its back?
Bu Jan-yang had once told him that life in the Underworld was no different from life in the mortal realm.
The Creator had bestowed death upon all humans equally, and after it came only eternal silence...
Even the Underworld, where humans went after death, was no different from the mortal world, he had said.
"What thoughts weigh so heavily on you?"
Just then, Song-ak approached and held out a bowl of rice porridge.
"Drink. You'll need strength if you're to fight, won't you?"
Even though they would soon cross blades in a battle that could very well end in death, Song-ak treated Bu Eun-seol as naturally as an old friend.
Without refusing, Bu Eun-seol downed the porridge in quick gulps.
The rare warmth of hot food sharpened his mind, and strength seemed to surge through his body.
"I've had my fill."
"Good. Then have some of this as well."
Song-ak offered beef jerky and a glass bottle of water.
Bu Eun-seol accepted them without hesitation and ate and drank without reservation, still seated by the bonfire.
Before long, the night deepened toward dawn.
Bu Eun-seol was practicing qi circulation inside the Great Hero Hall, while Song-ak and A-yeon remained outside, basking in the bonfire's warmth.
"I've eaten well and rested enough."
As A-yeon rose to her feet, fully recovered, Song-ak blinked in surprise.
"You'd pass up such a golden opportunity?"
Bu Eun-seol and Song-ak were, without a doubt, the next generation's grandmasters.
Witnessing their duel would grant A-yeon an immense advantage.
Yet she shook her head.
"I'd rather not watch the two of you fight."
This was no casual spar between two martial artists—one a Great Righteous Expert, the other a Ten Demonic Heir.
One would win, and one would lose. Perhaps one might even lose their life. And she did not wish to see that.
Because, against her expectations, she had developed a faint goodwill toward both Bu Eun-seol and Song-ak.
"I see."
Understanding her feelings, Song-ak smiled gently.
Then he said something unexpected.
"To be honest, even I find my desire to fight waning."
"What do you mean?"
Song-ak grinned like a child.
"Rumors painted him as a villain who took endless pleasure in slaughtering righteous masters. But in person, his temperament doesn't seem so terrible..."
Pausing briefly, he scratched his cheek sheepishly.
"His features are peerlessly refined, yet his aura overflows with the wild, untamed energy of a wolf."
"I don't follow."
"I've wandered the martial world for years without meeting anyone who truly caught my interest. Yet for some reason, my heart leans toward him."
A-yeon's eyes widened slightly at Song-ak's frank and guileless words.
I like him too.
He was a Great Righteous Expert from the Wudang Sect—one of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Shaolin.
Yet here he was, openly admitting he had taken a liking to a figure from the Demonic Path—no less than a Ten Demonic Heir from the Demonic Path Ten Gates.
"You truly should have become a secular disciple of Wudang."
At A-yeon's sigh, Song-ak smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons.
"You as well."
"That's absurd."
A-yeon turned away coldly, her voice calm.
"The Sword Pavilion has only ever executed those tainted by evil. I simply don't wish for him to die solely because he belongs to the Demonic Path."
"Hohoho. I see."
"Then, I wish you the best of luck."
"May the Buddha's boundless mercy be with you. I, too, hope you achieve what you desire."
After briefly gazing at the distant sky, A-yeon immediately activated her Movement Technique and vanished.
"Hmm."
Song-ak watched the direction she had disappeared in for a long while before letting out a deep sigh.
Then, he strode toward the Great Hero Hall, where Bu Eun-seol was resting.
At last, the battle between the Great Righteous Expert and the Ten Demonic Heir—a clash of pride—was about to begin.
Moonlight poured down from the distant sky, and a bonfire flickered before the Mountain Gate.
Having stepped outside the gate, Bu Eun-seol and Song-ak stood facing each other.
The full moon cast a pure white glow over the dark sky, and the low chirping of crickets sounded drowsy.
Amid this peaceful scenery, Bu Eun-seol drew his Ink Sword.
Srrring.
As a low sword resonance hummed, the tranquil atmosphere was instantly replaced by a murderous aura.
The Taiji Wisdom Sword, the pinnacle of Wudang's Sword Studies, was a flawless sword art that harmonized softness and ferocity.
Moreover, since it consumed almost no internal energy, prolonged battles were disadvantageous.
Bu Eun-seol intended to unleash an extreme killing sword to force a swift conclusion.
"A fine spirit."
Song-ak smiled gently as he drew his sword.
Simultaneously, a circular radiance began spreading from the tip of his blade before gradually enveloping his body.
It was the Starting Stance of Wudang's sword techniques—Taiji Diagram Explanation, the supreme defensive form.
Bu Eun-seol, watching the softly moving Taiji sword, finally initiated his own technique.
Flash!
A streak of light, like a meteor cutting through the night sky, shot toward Song-ak's throat.
It was the opening move of Meteor Chasing Moon.
"A splendid sword stroke!"
Song-ak exclaimed in admiration as he countered.
Yet, what he deployed was not the Taiji Wisdom Sword—but the ultimate techniques of the Two Modes Sword: Yin Earth Turns Yang and Yin Does Not Resist Yang, executed in rapid succession.
Clang!
The circular sword qi that bloomed effortlessly deflected the opening strike of Meteor Chasing Moon.
"...!"
Bu Eun-seol's expression flickered with surprise.
No one had ever perfectly blocked the opening move of Meteor Chasing Moon—yet Song-ak had repelled it with just two techniques.
Vrrrm.
Bu Eun-seol's Ink Sword, thwarted by the Two Modes Sword, began shifting midair once more.
Flash! Flash!
Simultaneously, streaks of violet sword light slashed in zigzag patterns, carving from Song-ak's shoulder down to his leg.
He had unleashed the Peerless Thunderbolt, an extreme-speed killing sword, in rapid succession.
Shhk!
In response, Song-ak deployed another opening move of the Two Modes Sword—Yin and Yang in Harmony.
Swishhh!
Concentric rings of sword qi formed one after another, forcefully repelling the razor-sharp strikes of the Peerless Thunderbolt in all directions.
'This sword art...'
Bu Eun-seol's brow twitched.
Song-ak had blocked both Meteor Chasing Moon and the Peerless Thunderbolt—not with the Taiji Wisdom Sword, but with the Two Modes Sword.
'He's generating circular sword qi identical to the Taiji Wisdom Sword while using the Two Modes Sword...'
"Be careful!"
In that moment, Song-ak swung his sword slowly, thrusting toward Bu Eun-seol's chest.
Sssk—
The sword stroke, which had been flowing languidly, abruptly accelerated—and before Bu Eun-seol realized it, the blade was already aimed at his shoulder.
'Hah!'
Bu Eun-seol inwardly cursed in shock.
This time, Song-ak had not used the Two Modes Sword—but the opening move of the Taiji Wisdom Sword'sAccumulated Goodness Brings Blessings.
'He isn't alternating between sword arts!'
At a glance, it seemed like he was switching between the Taiji Wisdom Sword and the Two Modes Sword, but in truth, his sword strokes were transforming mid-execution.
Thump. Thump.
Bu Eun-seol's heart pounded fiercely.
Not only was Song-ak's swordsmanship exceptional—he was employing an astonishing technique Bu Eun-seol had never witnessed before.
And he realized: with the martial forms of the Formless Heavenly Flow he had displayed so far, victory was impossible.
'Then...'
Reverse Extreme Fire Light flickered in Bu Eun-seol's eyes.
What he had never unleashed before—no, what he couldn't unleash before—
He would now deploy the latter four martial forms of the Formless Heavenly Flow.