#139. Meeting the Manseogo Demon, the Black Flame Dragon (3)
“Jin gongja-nim, what happened to your face?”
“Who are you? Who did this to my face?”
Seong Moran and Namgung Seonhwa drew up their heavy killing intent as they spoke. I reined them in.
“It's nothing like that. Just an injury from training.”
Seong Moran shook her head, as if she couldn't believe me.
“Be honest. Was it the Nine Great Sects? Or one of the Five Great Families? Who the hell beat you up like this?”
“......Is it that bad?”
These days, my routine was to head straight to the Sword Demon first thing in the morning, pick a fight, get my ass handed to me, and pass out for the rest of the day. I hadn't had a chance to check myself in the mirror.
“They turned you into a total ragdoll.”
Even so, calling a person a ragdoll felt a bit harsh, didn't it? Since I couldn't tell them the truth, I changed the subject.
“This is the academy's first break, but you're not heading back home?”
“......”
“......”
A strange silence fell, and the two exchanged awkward glances.
“W-well, I think we should focus on academy classes right now.”
“Yeah, if we went back now, we'd get too excited and lose our edge.”
I tilted my head.
The Murim Academy's first break was the first vacation after surviving the brutal entrance exam, spent back at one's home sect. This wasn't just any rest period—it carried the triumphant air of a hero's return. For someone like Eun Seollan, whose sect was in the North Sea, it was impossible to travel back and forth during the break anyway. But for those from places like Hebei or Guangxi, even with the long distance, they still made the trip without fail.
Who would skip a grand celebration thrown just for them, with notices posted not only in their sect but across the neighborhood and nearby cities, drawing crowds of people?
“Is it because your exam scores weren't high enough?”
“......”
“......”
Remembering their low written exam scores, I added,
“I told you just to memorize what I gave you.”
“......Do you know how much there was? How are we supposed to memorize all that?”
“Jin gongja, you think we're monsters like you?”
“Anyway, that's a shame. You only get one homecoming celebration like that in your life.”
“Then why aren't you going back, Jin gongja-nim?”
To Namgung Seonhwa's question, I answered firmly.
“My dad's a cheapskate. He wouldn't throw a party for me anyway.”
“Eek...... Then why don't you come to the Namgung family with me? They'd probably throw a huge one for you.”
“Huh?”
“Ah, my father keeps asking when Jin Sowoon gongja will visit. My grandfather too.”
Come to think of it, Namgung Jinmyeong had once invited me as his guest.
“I'll take the sentiment, but I need to focus on training right now.”
Seong Moran pouted.
“Are you really going to train the whole break?”
“Didn't you two stay for the same reason?”
“......Well, yeah, but we still need to rest a bit. Go sightseeing nearby. Dongting Lake isn't far.”
“You two can go without me.”
“What?!”
Seong Moran's eyes narrowed sharply. Did I really need to tag along for them to relax? Or were they thinking of my junior brothers and showing consideration?
“I was planning to go to Akyang anyway.”
“Really? When? How many days?”
“I have some business to handle. It could be a good experience for my juniors to sightsee a little while we're there.”
“......”
Seong Moran looked disappointed. Namgung Seonhwa leaned in and whispered something to her. Seong Moran whispered back.
Why were these two, who could use transmission arts, bothering with whispers?
“Great! Then let's at least go play in Akyang.”
“I told you, I'm going for business.”
“Sure. Handle it quick and then we play.”
“......”
“So when?”
“Once my training's done.”
“......You're not gonna make us wait forever, right?”
“Why don't you two train like my juniors in the meantime?”
“......”
“......”
Seong Moran and Namgung Seonhwa glared at me with what looked like angry faces. What the hell had I done wrong?
Not just Namgung Seonhwa or Seong Moran, but if I had to name the person at the Murim Academy most pissed at me right now, it'd be the Sword Demon. She was so furious that every time we met, she'd beat me within an inch of passing out. A true black path overlord.
“You came back after getting beat like that?”
Crack, crack. The protruding bones on my back slotted neatly back into place, straightening the Sword Demon's hunchbacked form. No matter how many times I saw it, it was amazing. This went far beyond the typical distortions of Reverse Bone Technique—turning into a full hunchback. It never got less shocking.
“I'll keep coming until you teach me.”
“Then I'll keep beating you until you stop.”
“I'm curious who'll win.”
“I will.”
“I have reporting you as a last resort.”
“If you were gonna report me, you'd have done it the first day I hit you.”
“......”
She didn't miss a beat. Damn.
“So my iron-hard fists will beat your soft flesh.”
“Hmm...... That makes sense. Well then, shall we get a fun beating today too?”
The Sword Demon let out an exasperated sigh.
“Why come to me, of all people—not even the same orthodox path—to learn martial arts?”
“You're originally from the white path, aren't you, Sword Demon-nim? Makes you worth learning from.”
“That's not a good reason. Besides, your martial arts are the type you develop yourself. You're not charging in blindly, are you?”
After a few exchanges, she'd already grasped the essence of my arts? She really had the makings of the ultimate martial arts master.
“I know. But developing them that way takes too long.”
“Is someone chasing you right now?”
No point telling the Sword Demon; she'd just say something nasty. I tossed out a vague line.
“Do you know my situation? I've made enemies of the Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Families, and all Twelve Bongseong.”
The Sword Demon scowled at me.
“......They call the Black Flame Dragon a black path saint, but you're a damn good liar. Almost had me.”
“......”
She glared, then sighed deeply and shook her head.
“Fine. What you're running from isn't my business. Consider this payment for all the beatings. You want to learn sword aura?”
“Yes.”
“But you know you can't just learn sword aura in isolation, right?”
“I know. That's why I want the know-how from you, Sword Demon-nim—the one who stands alone in the jianghu and created your own arts.”
“Flattery won't work. Anyway, you want sword aura to counter sword aura?”
I could handle it somewhat with Ten Thousand Swords, but there were limits. I couldn't unfold Life-and-Death Sword against enemies wielding blades that might snap anytime. To fight sword aura experts, I needed to enter the world of sword aura.
“Yes.”
“Ha!”
“Why laugh?”
“It's funny—coveting the silver in someone else's hand while not knowing the gold in your own.”
“What?”
“You don't need to learn sword aura. It'd be good, but you don't need to.”
“Why?”
“That Ten Thousand Swords you first showed me.”
Ten Thousand Swords of Heaven and Earth was practically the essence of the Tae-eul Divine Canon, but it fell short against sword aura. I'd mentioned this before.
“That Ten Thousand Swords—isn't it unreal yet real?”
“Y-yes......”
“Then just coat those swords with sword qi.”
“......”
Coat illusions with sword qi? What nonsense was this?
“Never thought of it?”
“Isn't that impossible?”
Illusions had limits precisely because you couldn't infuse sword qi as your level rose.
“That's what idiots think.”
The Sword Demon picked up a twig from the ground—the same one she'd used to unleash waves of sword aura before.
“Watch closely.”
In an instant, the twig swung, filling the air with dozens of illusory twigs. Then, tangible qi formed on her real twig. But the lingering illusions remained unchanged.
“If you can't coat illusions with sword qi, just make the sword qi itself illusory.”
One by one, sword qi began forming on the twigs filling the air. A true festival of light. Like a brilliant gala, sword qi materialized in all directions.
“And when needed, bring in the real one, like your sword art.”
Shh-shh-shh-shh— The twigs passing through trees and rocks began leaving scars everywhere. A tree to the right suddenly severed and toppled; a rock to the left split with impossible sharpness.
“Master it, and merge the two into one.”
The qi projections from her twig accelerated. Soon, sword qi and twig became one—illusion yet not, true sword yet not.
“Whoa......”
As I stared, entranced by the Ten Thousand Swords-like display, the brilliant twigs vanished in a flash.
“That enough?”
I nodded.
“Only you could be the one, Sword Demon-nim.”
“The one for what?”
“My martial arts master.”
I drew my Black Dragon Sword, and the Sword Demon's face twisted like she'd bitten into shit.
“Hah... hah...... Thanks for the lesson today.”
With those words, Jin Sowoon collapsed to the floor.
Baek Hae-gwang, the Sword Demon disguised as the hunchbacked old man of Manseogo, watched him before glancing at the twig in his hand.
'It broke?'
A frail twig clashing with a sturdy iron sword should snap the twig—that was natural. But not for Baek Hae-gwang. It meant Jin Sowoon had grown a step in that brief lesson.
“His talent doesn't seem that exceptional.”
Baek Hae-gwang approached and examined Jin Sowoon's body closely.
“Hah, look at this guy. What massive opportunity turned his bones into a divine martial body?”
His innate physique had transformed into a divine martial body. Considering he came from the unremarkable Tae-eul Gate, it pointed to an enormous stroke of fortune. As he checked the palms, his movements halted.
“Good grief.”
Calluses thick as if gripping stone. Despite thirty years of inner arts, he'd never slacked on external training—his whole body was densely tempered.
“This isn't effort; it's sheer venom. No ordinary madman.”
Now it made sense why his twig had broken. And seeing his younger self in the boy stirred irritation.
“Kid, obsession with martial arts gets you nowhere. You'll lose even what you have.”
Yet there was regret too. If he weren't a Tae-eul Gate disciple, if Baek Hae-gwang weren't hiding like this...... He might pass on his lifelong pursuit.
This obsession and venom proved a similar life. He'd probably master even Baek Hae-gwang's final sword form.
Baek Hae-gwang shook his head.
“Spare me, Baekga. Pile up karma just to pass it on? Remember the price paid for the name 'Demon'.”
Muttering that, he turned to his hut, then looked back at Jin Sowoon.
“Tch—such a pain in the ass.”
Humm— Jin Sowoon's body floated a foot off the ground and drifted after Baek Hae-gwang.
To the young miss.
Have you been well? I hear news of you even from distant Hebi.
Your academy acceptance led to a grand celebration at the Iron Sword Sect.
Many disciples are disappointed you're not returning this time. Please visit someday to inspire the young ones, no matter how busy you are.
I'm also curious about your relationship with your intended. You've never cared for such things, so this handmaid worries constantly.
Perhaps skipping this break is to spend time with him? Don't waste your chances.
If there's a chance to travel together, seize his heart and make him yours......
Seong Moran crumpled and tore up the letter from Chomo Bin.
“Wh-what the hell is that head handmaid saying?!”
Namgung Seonhwa, reading over her shoulder, stared with wide eyes.
“Wh-why? Unnie, what's wrong?”
“Huh? N-nothing.”
“Your face is bright red.”
“M-maybe it's hot. Is summer coming already?”
“......”
Seong Moran fanned herself awkwardly, then asked as if struck by a thought.
“Seonhwa-ya, got clothes to wear in Akyang?”
“No. Haven't contacted home since entering the academy.”
“Then let's go shopping? Can't go to Akyang looking like this.”
“Already? When will training end?”
“Better buy early.”
“......”
Namgung Seonhwa eyed her.
“Unnie...... Sorry to ask suddenly, but......”
“Yeah?”
“You still like Jin gongja-nim, right?”
“......”
Seong Moran's already flushed face turned beet red, ready to burst.
Namgung Seonhwa nodded knowingly without an answer.
“I knew it......”
“Wh-why ask that out of nowhere?”
“......”
Gazing at Seong Moran, Namgung Seonhwa bowed her head like she'd committed a grave sin. Then, in a tiny voice,
“Actually......”
Seong Moran froze, focusing on the faint words.
“......I like Jin gongja-nim too......”
“......”