Chapter 22
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 9.1
Chapter Title: Black Sword, White Blade
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The most important thing right now wasn't his death.
"To think the Jang Family had a monster like that."
Who would believe it if he told them?
Even he, who had been right there, could hardly believe it.
It would be more convincing to say that boy was a peerless master who had returned to youth through some legendary reversal technique.
"..."
He stared for a long time at the spot where An Hoe had vanished, then finally turned his gaze to the battlefield.
Only then did he realize the battle wasn't over yet.
-Thud... Slash-
He drew his sword and swung. Mi Bang's head fell.
"Eek!"
"...H-he's dead."
Black Sword and White Blade, who had been questioning if he was really dead until that moment, recoiled in shock as the head suddenly tumbled free.
White Blade shook his head at their reaction.
"Didn't I say he was dead? Grab the corpse. I'm heading to the battlefield first."
Black Sword, his face blank, hurriedly scooped up the head and nodded.
"Huh? The battlefield? Oh! Right. The battle's still going."
"Y-you only just realized? Idiot."
"You're the one who spaced out too. Who're you calling an idiot?"
"No? I knew all along."
"Haa~."
White Blade sighed at the childish bickering between these men old enough to know better and quickened his pace.
Even after that, Black Sword and White Blade kept sniping at each other for a while before suddenly falling silent.
"..."
A heavy silence settled between them.
White Blade spoke first.
"What're we gonna do? I've already made up my mind."
"Tch. What's the point of deciding? You think he'll accept us?"
"Maybe if we beg him properly?"
"Ugh. To have to do that kinda thing again at our age."
"Ahahaha."
"Idiot... Hilarious."
Black Sword grumbled, but he was smiling too, so it seemed he felt the same.
Chapter 9. Black Sword, White Blade.
-Waaaaah!-
-Boom boom boom!-
The deafening roar of drums and cheers shook the entire area.
It was jubilation over their victory against an enemy force nearly twice their size.
"Hahaha!"
The one celebrating the victory most heartily was, of course, the general.
He guffawed loudly for a good while.
Now, no one in Juyang City could reprimand him.
It meant he no longer had to rush—he could take his time crafting a strategy.
The feats he'd achieved in this battle were monumental.
They'd captured over a thousand prisoners, and slain twice that many.
That left fewer than a thousand enemies who had escaped alive.
In contrast, the subjugation force's losses were negligible.
Casualties totaled around three hundred, with fewer than half of those being fatalities.
It was a stark contrast, but an obvious one.
The bandits' armament and training were no match to begin with, and they'd been hemmed in by makeshift barricades.
Sure, the fences barely reached an adult's height—what was so impressive about that? But their defensive value was surprisingly high.
Crude as they looked, they proved extremely useful, and the subjugation force had exploited that fully.
Above all, there were far too few armed leaders to rally the bandits.
And even when there were, their grasp of tactics was abysmal, forcing massive sacrifices just to retreat.
Amid the joy over this grand achievement, news arrived that cleared the general's lingering doubts.
"That old monster is dead!"
"Yes. Here's the proof."
An Hoe was the bearer of the news.
For some reason, Black Sword and White Blade stood behind him.
They looked almost like bodyguards, but the general paid it no mind.
His attention was fixed on Mi Bang's head, which hadn't even been salted yet.
"I never thought we'd catch this guy! What happened?"
An Hoe spun a suitable tale.
He'd spotted the man hiding in the rear by chance and called over White Blade and Black Sword to finish him off.
Fortunately, the general wasn't too curious about the details.
What mattered was that their biggest headache—the old freak—was dead, tilting the battlefield in their favor.
"Excellent! Perfect! You've all earned tremendous merit."
The general couldn't have been happier.
Morale was already sky-high from the decisive victory.
Now, the lone old monster who had single-handedly blocked their advance was gone.
The subjugation force could press forward unhindered.
It was no exaggeration to say they were fighting a battle already won.
As An Hoe watched the general rejoice, he spoke up.
"There aren't as many threats left in the stronghold as that old monster, but there are still some dangerous experts."
"Haha. I get what you're saying. I have no intention of pushing too hard."
He'd already racked up enough achievements.
No need to risk them on reckless moves.
Satisfied with that response, An Hoe nodded.
At least the general wasn't a fool who would ruin everything.
The sun had set, but as An Hoe glanced at Black Sword and White Blade still following him, he smirked.
Now he knew exactly what they were after.
Before entering his quarters, he called over a guard and handed him some money.
"Bring some liquor and food."
"Pardon? Oh! Right away, sir."
It was an unexpected request, but the generous tip had the guard scurrying off happily.
An Hoe turned to Black Sword and White Blade.
"What are you waiting for? Come in."
"Huh? Ahaha."
"Ahem."
White Blade beamed at the invitation, while Black Sword barely suppressed a grin.
Soon, the liquor and food arrived. An Hoe sat across from them and asked,
"If I'm not mistaken, you're thinking of placing yourselves under me?"
Black Sword and White Blade straightened up and bowed deeply.
"Please accept us."
"Use us like oxen or horses—we don't mind."
White Blade's straightforward plea was one thing, but even the cool-headed Black Sword was earnest. An Hoe asked, puzzled,
"I don't understand. Experts like you should have plenty of places to go."
"Just because there are many options doesn't mean we'd settle for any of them."
"Fair enough... So why me?"
"Didn't you save our lives? That's reason enough for us to repay the favor."
Black Sword led with the debt of life saved. An Hoe nodded, though not entirely convinced.
Noticing this, White Blade hesitated before continuing.
"You might think it silly, but we got into the martial world because we fell for tales of heroes."
"??"
"..."
An Hoe blinked in surprise. Black Sword flushed and looked away.
White Blade pressed on calmly.
"We entered a martial school dreaming of becoming such heroes. Fate led us to a master who wielded both sword and blade."
An Hoe nodded at the mention of a shared master.
Their styles did share similarities.
They hadn't served under their master for long.
Just five years, because he was already advanced in age.
He'd been over eighty when they met—a fine run, all told.
Another five years of training built their confidence, and they ventured into the world.
"It was only after stepping out that we learned over seventy percent of those hero tales were fabrications. But we weren't disappointed. We believed true heroes existed somewhere."
White Blade gazed at An Hoe as if he were that hero—then faltered.
An Hoe's face had twisted into a scowl.
It was nothing like the reactions White Blade had hoped for.
But from An Hoe's perspective, it was natural.
He'd been dragged into another world against his will, forced into the role of a hero.
It had shattered his sense of self.
To him, the word "hero" weighed heavier than any curse.
Fortunately, the grim expression faded quickly.
Thanks to the Two Forms Divine Art, though White Blade chalked it up to his imagination.
'In short, they see in me the figure they've dreamed of since childhood, and they want to stand by my side.'
He didn't like that they framed it as "hero," but their pure intent appealed to him.
After rolling in the jianghu for nearly a decade, they hadn't lost their innocence.
'Their age is a bit of a drawback... but their aptitude is excellent.'
Good enough that their master had taken them in late.
Teaching them new arts wouldn't be hard.
'Or I could refine their existing foundations.'
With the plans ahead, their allegiance was welcome.
-Pour-
An Hoe refilled their cups.
"Looking forward to working with you."
They beamed at the implied acceptance and took the cups.
'Not bad wits, either.'
White Blade was straightforward, which wasn't a flaw.
Such temperaments stuck to one path relentlessly.
And consistent training was key to martial arts—White Blade was born for it.
Black Sword's sharper mind went without saying.
White Blade practiced the Hundred Refinements Blade Art, Black Sword the Cloud Mist Sword Art.
"Impressive arts."
Not on the level of supreme techniques, but peak transcendent-class for sure.
They had both reached minor completion.
Rather than new arts, An Hoe opted to elevate their current ones.
"The essence of the Hundred Refinements Blade Art isn't mere refinement."
He stressed understanding its purpose.
White Blade asked,
"What is that purpose, then?"
"Blade-Body Unity."
"Pardon??"
White Blade looked stunned at the term.
It described wielding the blade like a limb—a realm typically for first-rate experts.
Reading his thoughts, An Hoe shook his head.
"Lend me your blade for a moment?"
"Ah, sure."
An Hoe took White Blade's blade and nodded approvingly.
A fine weapon.
He swung it lightly a few times before continuing.
"Blade-Body Unity varies by approach, but generally divides into three stages."
He swung broadly, demonstrating the common conception first.
-Swoosh!-
"When the blade feels as natural as your hands and feet, that's the Limb Extension stage. No need to elaborate."
After explaining Limb Extension, he swung again.
-...-
"!!!"
White Blade—and even Black Sword—gaped in shock.
The swing was fiercer than before, yet the air remained eerily still.
"Mind-Blade Unity. Where mind and blade connect as one. At this stage, you control the blade's momentum at will."
-Gulp...-
Stunned by the absurd realm, they swallowed hard.
What shook them more was that one stage remained.
An Hoe smirked at their mix of anticipation and dread, then focused and swung once more.
-Tzzzt!-
Black Sword and White Blade's eyes went wide.
The blade's path seemed to warp space itself.
They couldn't grasp what it was, but one thing was clear:
Not even Mi Bang could have blocked it.
"Phew. The Realm of No Blade. Where the boundaries between blade, body, and mind vanish in perfect unity."
An Hoe sighed, a hint of regret on his face.
As expected, wielding No Blade still took a toll.