Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: The Black Water Ghost's Proposal
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Subduing Demons Squad Leader Na So-wan's voice was heavy. It might have felt even weightier due to the exhaustion soaking through it.
There was nothing more to say. Even if it was temporary, I was currently a member of the Subduing Demons Squad. Screwing up as his subordinate was no different, so I bowed my head deeply.
"I'm sor-"
"You did well."
"...Pardon?"
"I said you did well."
Na So-wan crooked a finger.
"Come help me wrap these bandages."
I followed his lead for now.
"Who did you fight?"
"Rats that had snuck into our cult's interior."
"You mean..."
"They were from the Murim Alliance. Clearly targeting the Myriad Sages Divine Healer. But they failed to achieve their goal and only stole a few books before fleeing. We chased them too late and couldn't catch them."
Na So-wan shrugged his shoulders.
"I heard pursuit teams from each sect have been dispatched. Their escape routes are probably all blocked by now... so those guys have only two options left. Hide in some uninhabited place, or end their own lives."
"......."
"I heard there was chaos among the later-generation disciples. Some even drew blades. Apparently, Jin Wi-ryang pulled his sword on Yeon-gwang first, leaving him nearly half-dead. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"Fights between later-generation disciples are strictly forbidden. As a Subduing Demons Squad member, you had no choice but to intervene. Moreover... I heard Eun Seol-ran was also internally injured at the time."
"......"
Na So-wan put his outer robe back on.
"Jin Wi-ryang's level of skill is so famous that no one in the cult is unaware of it. He even bragged about it himself. Subduing a rampage like that with just one arm? That's commendable in itself."
Was he... taking my side?
The Black Water Ghost, Na So-wan, glanced back at me.
"Maybe that's why... it makes me want you even more. Word is you shattered his sword aura with sword force..."
"I got lucky."
"That's a feat you won't see from some flashy hack. They say you subdued the Invincible Iron Horse using only external arts inside the Sealing Demon Cave-is that true?"
"That was luck too..."
"Do you have a master you're serving?"
"No... I don't."
"What if you learned my arts, the ones they call the Black Water Ghost's?"
"Pardon?"
"Think about it seriously."
Na So-wan grinned.
"I'm not joking."
"I have no master, but there is someone similar."
"Just think it over. I'm not forcing you. It's just that after a string of disappointing prospects, I finally found one I like."
Na So-wan left the room.
"I'll give you plenty of time. On the day you return to duty, give me your answer. Separately from that, I'll handle the matter with Jin Wi-ryang. He never sat well with me anyway."
"......."
It was a grateful sentiment, but it also left a nagging unease.
This was... pretty much pressuring me to become his disciple, wasn't it?
......
Yeon-gwang rose from his sickbed.
His internal and external injuries were both severe, but the body that shot up moved smoothly without issue.
"As long as I don't use internal energy, there's no major problem with moving around. Brother."
Yeon-gwang's fervent gaze toward me had grown even more intense.
"You're not just my lifesaver-you're the savior of my sword and the one who guided my shattered resolve."
"That's too much."
"I could list more."
"Boil it down to one. It's burdensome."
Since Yeon-gwang had risen, I couldn't delay any longer and headed to find Gui-gok Night Smith.
He was leisurely smoking, staring at us intently.
"Swords."
"Pardon?"
"Show me both your swords first. You, just the one. Leave the extra one at your waist alone. It wasn't yours to begin with, was it?"
I flinched, having intended to draw Bing Baek-seol's sword as well.
He saw through it in an instant. True experts are different.
Gui-gok Night Smith glanced over the swords. He peered into Yeon-gwang's ruined master's sword, then beckoned to Yeon-gwang.
"Grip the sword."
"Like this?"
"Tighter. Firmer."
Yeon-gwang gripped it hard. Gui-gok Night Smith chuckled.
"You two match exceptionally well. You can feel how much the original owner cherished you. And... it's a finely made sword. From that look in your eyes, you want something from me. What is it?"
"I heard the swordsmith who forged this sword for my master has already passed away. You said there's no one left to fix it. I thought an elder like you would surely know a way."
"A posthumous work, forged by shaving off his soul. Excellent. It must have had a deep bond with your master. They supported each other. What exactly do you want? For me to make something similar, or repair this one?"
"Y-Yes? Ah, no. I'm satisfied just fixing this sword..."
"I'll fix it."
"R-Really?!"
"Don't shout. It's noisy. Go inside there and stand straight. Naked."
"...Pardon?"
"You lunatic. I'm not into that. I need to see what's wrong with your body to fix it properly for you. Or should I just patch it up roughly?"
"N-No!"
Yeon-gwang dashed into the side room. Gui-gok Night Smith beckoned me.
"Come closer."
I quietly sat cross-legged before him. Gui-gok Night Smith placed a hand on my sword.
"This isn't your sword."
"...Pardon?"
"I said it's not yours. It had a different owner. But... it's been attuned to you. You've used it longer than the original owner. Plus, materials were added twice midway. First was blood light stone? Second... cold iron."
"Cold iron... you say?"
"What? Didn't you know?"
"I didn't."
The First Demon had once offered to repair my chipped sword herself and taken it away.
It sparkled unusually when it came back, and I'd been quietly thrilled...
So it had been infused with a material several times more expensive than gold of equal weight?
"The maintenance itself is well done. They must have used a renowned craftsman. That's why... it's almost laughable. They repaired it with such fine materials that hardly any of the original remains. It's basically like forging a new sword through layered maintenance."
"......."
"But there's something particularly noteworthy. Know what it is?"
"No idea."
"Heart."
Gui-gok Night Smith pointed my sword at me.
"It holds your soul at its edge. Were you close with the previous owner?"
"...We were dear friends."
"I see. Dear friends. That's why you've treated it so preciously? When this sword was born, it held nothing. Just one of many mass-produced by some competent smith."
"......"
"It wasn't special even in your friend's hands. Same when you first picked it up. Far from special-you were probably more worried about it breaking."
Gui-gok Night Smith grinned.
"But not anymore. Both you and the sword have changed. Become special. Compared to countless others."
"......."
"Talent? It's important. Who wouldn't notice a blade that shines from birth? A life in the spotlight. Nice. You could call it brilliant. But..."
Gui-gok Night Smith flicked the sword.
"There's a certain charm to this too. I've seen plenty of shining swords. So many I'm sick of them. They lost their appeal. But this? Different story."
"Then..."
"If you can turn an ordinary sword into something like this, you have the qualifications. I can forge you one sword. Your eyes are pleading for it-no need to lie. Do you want a ghost sword?"
I hadn't expected such words to come from Gui-gok Night Smith's mouth first.
Seong Ja-myeong.
You've helped me right to the end.
I confided my desire to him, recalling my dear friend's name in my mind.
Gui-gok Night Smith's brow furrowed.
"Not one ghost sword... but three? And you want me to look at the one you have now too?"
"Yes."
"There's a limit to shamelessness before I get mad... This is straight-up coercion. Tell me why. Why do you need that many swords?"
I explained about the transformable swords.
Gui-gok Night Smith pondered.
"Forcing out energy through ghost energy... Odd. With the energy you possess, you should be able to use it without ghost energy in the first place. If you have it but can't use it... that means your body differs from a normal martial artist's."
"Correct."
"What?"
Gui-gok Night Smith examined my body.
His previously relaxed eyes grew grave.
"...You. What's your relation to the Cult Leader? This is definitely Heavenly Tribulation... the original, not a modified version. And you-a mere nobody-harbor it? You, who were just one of countless swords?"
"I can't go into details."
"Whatever. Cult internals don't interest me. Just one question. How did a normie like you nurture Heavenly Tribulation this far? Didn't it hurt? Weren't you dying to die?"
"I endured."
"What do you mean 'endured'? That's not something you endure verbally... What the-"
Gui-gok Night Smith stared at me like some freakish beast.
"You're human, right?"
"I've always had a knack for enduring."
"What a freak. A freak among freaks. Now show me the remaining sword. Let's take a look."
When I drew Bing Baek-seol's sword, a vicious yin energy flowed out.
Gui-gok Night Smith pondered.
"Just when I was bored, something absurd lands in my lap. Thought it was mere diversion, but no... Where'd you get this?"
"I know it as the sword left by Bing Baek-seol."
"North Sea Ice Lord of the Five Outer Palaces! What the hell are you?"
"I got lucky."
"Enough with your luck. You earned every bit of it."
Gui-gok Night Smith clicked his tongue and brushed my swords.
"Do you know what a ghost sword is?"
"No."
"A sword that sustains its edge with a soul. But not many grasp that. Didn't you see my workshop?"
"You mean the forge?"
"Forge? That's just the core. Next to it stretches the resting place of the dead. The whole area is my workshop."
Gui-gok Night Smith raised his hand.
He tapped my forehead.
"The human body houses a soul. Sometimes called the heart... but it's the soul itself. Martial arts can be seen as honing and refining one's own soul."
"......"
"When the human soul strengthens, the physical and energy aspects naturally follow. There may be some disparity, but not to the point one lags far behind. Whether body leads or energy leads, the rest catches up if one dominates. Heart, energy, body. You know this as a martial artist."
Gui-gok Night Smith trailed his finger from my forehead to the tip of my nose.
"Swords are the same. Famous swords. Know what they are? Just sharp blades hammered with energy. Long explanation, but roughly-they aid natural energy flow and smooth out the user's arts."
"Then a ghost sword is..."
"A famous sword hammered with a soul on top. The sword gains its own heart, energy, body. Stronger, more demonic, sometimes unleashing absurd strikes on its own whim. Holding internal energy is a bonus. Per the heart-energy-body theory, a strong soul makes the sword tougher and more powerful."
"Does that mean ghost swords are the strongest?"
"Then we'd all carry them. Fool. Ghost swords are called that for a reason. Having a soul means the sword gains a human-like ego. And anything with ego wants a body that can move, not rigid iron."
"......"
"Ghost energy doesn't benefit the body to begin with. Swing it beyond limits, and your mind breaks. Though I saw one monster it didn't faze."
"No way..."
"If you've borne Heavenly Tribulation, you've met her. The Heavenly Demon of our era. I didn't want to make it at first, but did it as a favor to the previous leader I knew... Best choice of my life. Witnessing that 'bizarre' sight with my own eyes."
Gui-gok Night Smith stood.
"Your ties to the Cult Leader, ending up in the Sealing Demon Cave, and catching my eye... none of it coincidence."
"You mean...?"
"I'll make all three as you wish. And sharpen that everyday sword of yours into something usable. Not turning it into a ghost sword, of course. Carrying four would shred your soul first."
Gui-gok Night Smith beckoned me.
"Get up. Let's go."
"Where to...?"
"Where else? My workshop you two messed up."
"You mean through those moving corpses?"
"Moving corpses, huh. Funny way to put it. You only saw the moment a soul temporarily entered broken bodies. Souls need places rich in death energy. I buried apostates underground for that... but the mechanisms failed, blurring the line between body and soul. That's why you saw temporary movement. Rare even for me."
"Even so, it's still dangerous..."
"What was I holding when I pulled you out?"
I recalled the past events.
"...A lantern?"
"Right. Lantern. They hate light from the start. Death energy scatters under flame. Mine's special-won't go out, and nothing for you to worry about."
Gui-gok Night Smith pulled me to my feet.
"You gonna pick a lifelong partner blind? Follow before you regret it. A high-level guy scared of mere corpses... Grow a pair, you idiot."
