Is It Really Haomun?
The experts of the Jeommun branch couldn't help but sigh as even more profundity was added to the True Hundred Flow Saber Style, which was already famous for its numerous variations.
Their greed had been stirred, but mastering even a single form per day the way they had with the True Heaven and Earth Saber Style seemed impossible.
A short while later, Dan Yeop sheathed his horizontal blade and approached Branch Leader Baek Cho-gong.
“What do you think?”
“I’ll need a few days of rest. Let’s resume training in five days, to be on the safe side.”
“Understood.”
After finishing his conversation with Dan Yeop, Branch Leader Baek Cho-gong turned to face the Jeommun experts.
“You all heard that, correct? Training for the True Hundred Flow Saber Style will begin in five days. Until then, the Hyangju should return and instruct the members under your command. Five days should be enough time to pass on the True Heaven and Earth Saber Style, yes?”
“Yes.”
“More than enough.”
The Hyangju answered with voices full of confidence.
Originally, the Heaven and Earth Style and the Hundred Flow Style pursued completely different principles.
If the True Heaven and Earth Saber Style was a tranquil lake, the True Hundred Flow Saber Style was a rushing river.
Yet Dan Bul-wi had transformed that lake into an ocean and turned the stream into the Yellow River itself.
The True Heaven and Earth Saber Style had relatively few variations, so grasping the basics wasn’t particularly difficult.
Of course, how far one could progress remained entirely up to the individual.
While the branch leader, vice-leader, hall masters, and Hyangju discussed future plans, Dan Yeop quietly withdrew.
Im Song and Baek Yu-hwa, who had been excluded from the seniors’ meeting, approached him hesitantly.
After a moment, Im Song spoke with careful politeness.
“Instructor Dan, if you have time, I’d like to treat you to a drink…”
Just as Dan Yeop was about to decline, Baek Yu-hwa stepped in.
“Senior Dan, let’s go together.”
Dan Yeop nodded as though he had no choice in the matter.
“All right.”
While their superiors continued their meeting, the three of them left Ansikheon.
Early evening.
The man and two women entered Hwayunru, a well-known tavern in Seonpyeongbang.
Im Song, Baek Yu-hwa, and Dan Yeop.
When the three claimed a table by the second-floor window, a waiter hurried over.
Im Song placed their order with familiar ease.
“Two bottles of Manrichun yellow wine, one bottle of grape wine from the Western Regions, and for the side dishes, roasted lamb, ho-bing, and dates.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll bring them right away.”
The waiter darted away as if his feet had wings.
Once he was gone, silence settled over the table.
Deciding he should take the lead to lighten the mood, Im Song spoke up.
“In the blink of an eye, we’re already halfway through December. At this rate, it feels like I’ve only grown older without accomplishing a single thing.”
Baek Yu-hwa, who had been nodding along, suddenly recalled the conversation her uncle Baek Cho-gong had with her the previous night.
“Yu-hwa, what do you think of Instructor Dan?”
“Pardon? What do you mean, Uncle?”
“Why are you so surprised? I’m saying it because, no matter how I look at it, there isn’t a better man than Instructor Dan.”
“Huh?”
“These past few days, it seems like Instructor Dan has been treating you rather well. Men, as a species, completely ignore women when they have no interest, treating them like cows or chickens. But Instructor Dan doesn’t look at you that way, does he? Am I wrong?”
“What has he done to treat me well? All I’ve received from him is martial instruction.”
“Do you truly believe it makes sense that someone at your level has comprehended the True Heaven and Earth Saber Style at the same pace as me or the hall masters?”
“Is that so strange?”
“If Instructor Dan hadn’t stayed right beside you and guided you with meticulous care, it would have taken at least another day or two.”
“Uncle, I was the top student among the third-generation disciples, so…”
“Even so, you’re still a frog in a well. No matter how much the True Heaven and Earth Saber Style is built upon the foundation of the original Heaven and Earth Style, it is not a technique you could have mastered in three days.”
“……”
“You should feel grateful toward Instructor Dan. I don’t know what his intentions are in treating you so well, but the fact remains that you have received special treatment.”
Having recalled the conversation, Baek Yu-hwa sneaked a glance at Instructor Dan Yeop.
Is it true?
But his indifferent expression gave nothing away.
When no one responded to his attempt at conversation and Im Song began to look awkward, the waiter returned with their drinks and food.
Im Song lifted a bottle and filled Dan Yeop’s cup.
“This is the grape wine from the Western Regions that’s popular lately. It’s made by fermenting grapes, and the flavor is superb.”
“Ah, I see.”
Dan Yeop gave a dry reply and took a sip.
Im Song filled the cups for himself and Baek Yu-hwa as well.
While Im Song continued making light, meaningless conversation over the grape wine, a group of martial artists climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Upon seeing one of them, Im Song spoke in a low voice.
“They’re from Sahaebang.”
When Dan Yeop seemed unfamiliar with the name, Im Song added an explanation.
“One of the five strongest evil sects in the Guannei Circuit.”
Only then did Dan Yeop nod in understanding.
“We should finish quickly and leave.”
There was nothing to gain by sharing the same space with Sahaebang. The suggestion was to avoid trouble.
The three of them picked up their drinking pace.
True to their reputation as an evil sect, the Sahaebang members paid no attention to the eyes around them.
The middle-aged man with a wart on his cheek spoke.
“You all heard how the Heukseonbang rampaged through the Guannei Circuit last summer, right? Do you know why the Hyunmu Hall pretended not to notice?”
“I don’t know.”
“I heard the lower ranks of Haomun bribed an elder from the Hengshan Sect. They asked him to put in a good word with the Zhongnan Sect because the Heukseonbang was coming to deal with the Haomun in the Guannei Circuit.”
“Really?”
“It’s a story I heard directly from a close friend inside the Heukseonbang.”
“And then?”
“The Hengshan elder moved the Zhongnan Sect. The Zhongnan Sect moved the Hyunmu Hall. Just like water flowing downhill.”
“Aha! So the Hyunmu Hall is a lackey of the Zhongnan Sect, and the Zhongnan Sect has to listen to the Hengshan Sect?”
Considering the relationship between the Hengshan Sect and Zhongnan Sect—both part of the Five Great Sword Sects—it wasn’t surprising.
“Exactly. Because of that, only the Haomun in the Guannei Circuit ended up bleeding.”
“So in the end, the one who makes connections with the Five Great Sword Sects wins?”
“Has it ever been any different?”
“Seeing that, it seems the Hyunmu Hall’s situation isn’t much better than the Heukseonbang’s.”
“That’s right. They talk about being a prestigious sect this and that, but the Hyunmu Hall is nothing but a puppet of the Zhongnan Sect. Shameless bastards. They act all high and mighty while serving as the Zhongnan Sect’s dogs. KHAHAHAT!”
His laughter had barely faded when an angry shout erupted from inside the tavern.
“How dare you insult the Hyunmu Hall in Chang’an Castle! Who the hell are you?”
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
One of the Sahaebang experts shot to his feet and fired back.
“Which rat dares to interrupt the conversation of the Sahaebang elders! If you’re so confident in your skills, show your face!”
“What? Sahaebang trash dares to insult the Hyunmu Hall? You worthless bastards who deserve to die!”
Cursing loudly, an elderly man in his later years strode out with a commanding presence.
It was the Hyunmu Hall elder, the Clear Void Sword Yu Mu-sang.
However, the middle-aged man with the wart—Ghost Killing Sword Byeok Hae-myeong—did not even twitch.
The old men of the Hyunmu Hall never lived up to their reputations in terms of actual skill.
“Clear Void Sword? Do you really think you can handle this alone?”
Yu Mu-sang recognized Byeok Hae-myeong a moment later and ground his teeth.
“Hmph! Byeok Hae-myeong! You seem to be relying on numbers, but even if the entire Sahaebang showed up, I alone would be enough.”
Despite his confident words, Yu Mu-sang did not draw his sword.
He had stepped forward in a fit of rage, but he knew a real fight would put him at a disadvantage.
A cold sneer rose to Byeok Hae-myeong’s lips.
When the opponent showed weakness, it was only natural to tear into them.
Byeok Hae-myeong rose from his seat and walked straight toward Yu Mu-sang.
Pressed by the man’s momentum, Yu Mu-sang’s eyes wavered.
In the next instant, Byeok Hae-myeong drew his straight sword like a thunderbolt and slashed at him.
“Die!”
Yu Mu-sang twisted his body desperately to avoid the blade.
Byeok Hae-myeong didn’t let the opportunity slip and swung three more times in rapid succession.
Swish! Swish! Sweesh—!
On the final strike, blood sprayed from Yu Mu-sang’s waist.
Fortunately, he had managed to create distance. He hurriedly drew his own sword.
But his face was pale from beginning the fight at a disadvantage.
“You ambushed me! What a despicable coward!”
“What nonsense. You charged in here and now you call me cowardly? Why don’t you just beg honestly for your life!”
Meanwhile, Byeok Hae-myeong’s subordinates had begun slowly encircling Yu Mu-sang.
Deciding the losses outweighed any gain, Yu Mu-sang darted sideways and threw himself out the window.
Crash!
The moment Yu Mu-sang fled, Byeok Hae-myeong and his men chased after him like starving wolves.
The sudden brawl ended without any real resolution, vanishing as quickly as it had begun.
As Dan Yeop stared blankly at the shattered window, Im Song’s voice reached his ear.
“Do you think what Byeok Hae-myeong said was true?”
Dan Yeop, still relatively unfamiliar with the affairs of the jianghu, offered no opinion.
Baek Yu-hwa answered in his place.
“It probably wasn’t completely groundless. Still, the Hyunmu Hall and Sahaebang used to seem so enormous. After today, they don’t look quite so impressive.”
She spoke the kind of statement that would have made both the Hyunmu Hall and Sahaebang flip with rage, yet she said it without the slightest concern. Her perspective had already grown that sharp.
At Baek Yu-hwa’s remark that the Hyunmu Hall and Sahaebang no longer seemed so big, Im Song nodded in agreement.
“I had the same thought—‘It’s not an insurmountable wall after all.’”
“You felt that way too, Senior Brother?”
“Yes. And it’s all thanks to Instructor Dan’s guidance.”
While speaking, Im Song carefully watched Dan Yeop’s expression.
“Instructor, is something bothering you?”
“No. I simply remembered something that happened while traveling with my adoptive father.”
“Ah, I see.”
Im Song was curious but refrained from pressing since the other man seemed reluctant to speak.
Baek Yu-hwa, however, had no such reservations.
“What happened?”
“There was a sword fight in a tavern back then too. Fortunately, it ended well.”
“Was that your first real battle?”
“Mm… yes.”
“Then it makes sense that it would come to mind. I’ve fought so many times that I’ve grown somewhat numb to it. I can barely remember the details anymore.”
Seeing Baek Yu-hwa’s lonely expression, Dan Yeop felt a sympathetic ache in his own chest.
At that moment, Im Song subtly rose from his seat.
“I’ll step out to the restroom for a moment.”
As soon as Im Song headed downstairs, Baek Yu-hwa asked as if the question had just occurred to her.
“Oh, that’s right! Senior, what happened with your qi deviation? Has it improved at all?”
“Not yet. My adoptive father found me a mental cultivation manual, so I’ve been treating it diligently.”
“A mental cultivation manual?”
“Yes. It’s called the Prajna Mental Technique…”
“Ah, that one. You always end up training the strangest things, Senior.”
“Is it strange?”
“The Prajna Mental Technique is far more famous for mind cultivation, you know.”
“Is it well-known?”
“It’s famous, but even the Shaolin monks refuse to learn it.”
“Why?”
“It’s closer to a Buddhist scripture than a martial arts text. That’s why people call it a condensed version of the Prajna Paramita Sutra. Didn’t you notice?”
“I practice it to refine my mind, that’s all.”
“I seem to remember hearing something about Gap and Eul back then. Am I right?”
“Mm…”
Suddenly reminded of the past, Baek Yu-hwa smiled and asked.
“So right now, is Senior Dan the Gap? Or the Eul?”
“I am always the Gap.”
“The Gap that defeated Deungpyeong and Senior Brother Yu?”
“No. That was the heart demon’s doing.”
“The heart demon?”
“It was the Eul’s work.”
“Ah! Then the Senior Dan who was learning the Heaven and Earth Saber Technique from me back then was perhaps…”
“Yes. That was me.”
“Wow! I thought it might be something like that.”
Baek Yu-hwa was only half convinced, but she played along anyway.
Whether it was Gap, Eul, or heart demon, they all sounded like stories he had invented. But what did it matter?
The Dan Yeop who had once been treated like a fool had returned as an instructor of the Jeommun branch.
That was enough.
Perhaps because of the wine, Baek Yu-hwa felt a faint warmth spreading through her.
Is it because I’m drinking with Senior Dan? My mood feels strange.
Even though they weren’t saying much, the silence between them wasn’t awkward at all.
Every glance from Dan Yeop, every small shift in his expression or gesture, made her smile without reason.
It seemed to be the same for Dan Yeop.