Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Sword Immortal's Cave (1)
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How long had they walked?
Just as Ouyang Jue was beginning to feel a sense of familiarity, the Omniscient One suddenly came to a halt.
“From this point on, you two go alone.”
“……?”
Liu Zhangming, who was just starting to enjoy their conversation, tilted his head in confusion.
At this, the Omniscient One offered a regretful smile, as if to say they’d have to continue later.
“There might be some rats trailing us. We need someone to stand guard, don't we?”
“But…”
Ouyang Jue’s lips trembled, about to mention the severe injuries the old man had sustained just a few days ago, but the Omniscient One straightened his shoulders.
“I, the great Omniscient One, am the man who severed one of the Eight Evils’ arms. Have you ever heard of the Invincible Mount Mao?”
“How childish.”
To Ouyang Jue’s blunt reply, the Omniscient One simply gestured for them to go on.
“Xiong and I will be here, so go on without worry.”
“Thank you for your consideration for my brother and me.”
As Liu Zhangming gave a slight bow, the Omniscient One seemed a little moved.
Of the countless people he had met, especially among martial artists, every Daoist had recoiled at the sight of him.
One, in particular, had attacked him, decrying his title as the pinnacle of sorcerers as if he were the axis of evil.
But this young man was different.
‘Even though we’ve traveled together to get here, it can’t be easy to cast aside such prejudice. Heh, to think the day would come when a Daoist would bow to me.’
The Omniscient One forcefully suppressed the congested blood rising from his lungs and managed a faint smile.
“No matter how old I am, I’m not so great as to deserve thanks for every little thing. Hurry along now.”
At his gesture, Liu Zhangming cupped his fist and bowed his head.
“…I will surely repay this debt.”
With those final words, Liu Zhangming disappeared into the Sword Immortal's Cave with Ouyang Jue.
Only when the last of their elongated shadows vanished did the Omniscient One collapse to the ground.
“Cough!”
*Drip, drip.*
A mouthful of blood, mixed with saliva, trickled down his chin.
The price of facing the Heaven-Bearing Asura by sacrificing his own life force had returned as an inescapable wound.
The Omniscient One unthinkingly raised his sleeve to wipe away the blood but paused, then went to a nearby stream to wash his face.
“I hope they didn't notice.”
But those two had long since transcended into the realm of peak masters. There was no way they hadn't known.
They must have remained silent to respect his will.
As the Omniscient One gazed at the entrance of the Sword Immortal's Cave, Da Xiong let out a mournful cry.
“Kuuu…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll at least live longer than you.”
The Omniscient One patted Da Xiong’s head, then began to cast a protective barrier around the Sword Immortal's Cave.
* * *
“Did you sense it too, Senior Brother?”
“……”
Liu Zhangming answered Ouyang Jue’s question with silent affirmation.
He seemed to be avoiding interfering with the Omniscient One out of unfamiliarity, but his eyes were already filled with apology.
Besides, wasn't the Omniscient One a man who had lived for ages, much like the Eight Evils?
Ouyang Jue glanced at Liu Zhangming for a moment before continuing.
“If we gain a great deal from this and show him the results, wouldn’t that be enough?”
“Indeed.”
Liu Zhangming replied curtly, as if trying to conceal his emotions.
Soon, the topic shifted.
“I don’t know who is in that cave, but I hope we can gain much from this visit.”
“You need not worry about that.”
Ouyang Jue once again thought of the Forgetting Sword, who resided within the darkness of the Sword Immortal's Cave.
Mentally, he had reached a state akin to a plant; no technique could rush him.
His swordsmanship, which showed no tells, carried true intent from the very moment it was unleashed.
Whether it was illusion, variation, or sheer power.
His swordsmanship, which had reached the pinnacle of mastery, was enough to mesmerize even Ouyang Jue, who had once stood at the summit himself.
As Ouyang Jue smiled silently, Liu Zhangming also stepped forward, his expression filled with anticipation.
*Thud.*
It was just a single step into the Sword Immortal's Cave.
But the sound of his foot hitting the ground reverberated throughout the entire cave, persistently tormenting their ears. It was a noise so intense that anyone entering for the first time would have fled in terror.
“…?!”
Yet Liu Zhangming merely scowled, refusing to retreat so easily.
Just then, a whitish figure flickered in the darkness.
“Hoh.”
The figure, letting out a soft exclamation, approached, dragging his sword along the ground.
Watching him, Ouyang Jue tilted his head, wondering if the man had gotten smaller, but the strength he emanated was as potent as ever.
“To think you’d come to keep a promise you made on your own.”
A short, echoing laugh rang out.
The Forgetting Sword.
The guardian of the Sword Immortal's Cave and a master who was thought to have faced the Eight Evils himself.
As Ouyang Jue raised his Severing Manifestation, the Forgetting Sword pointed to a flat rock, as if suggesting they talk first.
Amidst the tension that enveloped the three of them, it was Liu Zhangming who spoke first.
“This humble Daoist is Liu Zhangming, who goes by the unworthy name of Plum Blossom Cloud Dragon.”
“Are you a disciple of Master Hak?”
At the Forgetting Sword’s abrupt mention of the sect’s founder, Liu Zhangming privately guessed that this man, like the Omniscient One, must have lived for hundreds of years.
“I have unworthily inherited the martial arts of Guangningzi.”
So, he corrected Master Hak to the proper Daoist name.
From that response, the Forgetting Sword felt he had a good grasp of Liu Zhangming’s temperament.
“Kekeke, it seems you were a bit offended that I called him Master Hak. My apologies.”
“……”
“But in my eyes, you and your brother are more talented than Guangningzi. Even he in his prime could not have kept up with you.”
“…You flatter me.”
Since the man clearly knew the founding ancestor personally, Liu Zhangming couldn't bring himself to be angry. As his fists trembled, the Forgetting Sword’s mood grew even more cheerful.
“By the way, do you know how Master Hak came to have the Daoist name Guangningzi?”
“How would we know that?”
Despite Ouyang Jue’s gruff reply, the Forgetting Sword did not lose his vigor.
“It was a name given by Grandmaster Wang Chongyang, with the meaning of laying a foundation so that future generations may live broadly and peacefully.”
“Are you saying that foundation is Mount Hua?”
“You could say that.”
Neither Ouyang Jue nor Liu Zhangming could quite understand.
Compared to other famous mountains, Mount Hua’s paths were so steep they were difficult to traverse, and its many plank roads often broke the wheels of even the sturdy Golden Ring Merchant Guild.
And this was the foundation with such a profound meaning?
As Ouyang Jue’s eyes gleamed with curiosity, the Forgetting Sword seemed to be enjoying the conversation.
“Unfortunately, my entry into the Sword Immortal's Cave coincided with that time, so I don’t know exactly why he chose Mount Hua as his base. But I do know one thing for certain.”
“What is that?”
Liu Zhangming leaned forward, urging him to continue.
But the Forgetting Sword deliberately paused, teasing them.
“The foundation.”
“……?”
“He said the foundation for future generations is on Mount Hua.”
“Is that all?”
“Well…”
The Forgetting Sword said with a grin.
“Wouldn’t your sect have designated it a holy land? A place where no one is allowed to approach, a forbidden zone, something of that sort.”
At those words, Ouyang Jue immediately thought of the Plum Blossom Cave.
It was almost a certainty.
Without such a reason, there would be no cause for a master of Jin Mu-wol’s caliber to reside there and guard it.
Besides, weren't Bai Duanxian and Dan U-ryeong the only ones allowed to enter the Plum Blossom Cave?
‘Next time, I’ll have to press them for sure.’
Ouyang Jue committed the Forgetting Sword’s words to memory and then explained why they had come.
“After I left here last time…”
He emphasized two key points in his story.
That the Eight Evils were currently building forces throughout the martial world, and that if they decided to flee, there was no way to stop them.
When he mentioned that the Shaolin Temple had nearly fallen into the hands of the Eight Evils, the Forgetting Sword erupted in a rage.
“Those foolish monks! How could they forget the teachings of Bodhidharma and become so deluded by their thirst for fame!”
“They have calmed down somewhat for now.”
“If Shaolin is in such a state, the other sects can’t be safe either.”
Was he overcome with worry?
Letting out a heavy sigh, the Forgetting Sword rose from his seat and inspected Liu Zhangming and Ouyang Jue.
Then, his hand reached toward Liu Zhangming.
“Wh-what is this…”
“Hush, stay still.”
The Forgetting Sword ran his hands over Liu Zhangming’s entire body several times, continuously voicing his observations.
“Your frame isn’t sturdy, but it is flexible. You should be quick to adapt.”
“To properly use a body like this, training is paramount. Why have you been so lazy? Tsk, tsk.”
“Your internal energy is pitifully weak compared to your junior brother’s. No matter how incredible your techniques are, there is a limit if the internal energy that provides power is lacking.”
Under the constant critique, Liu Zhangming’s face flushed with bewilderment.
“I will work on improving slowly.”
“Slowly? The Eight Evils will be running rampant in two or three years at most!”
The Forgetting Sword’s eyes widened as he spoke.
“My karma and the Omniscient One’s are already at an end. From now on, disciples like you have no choice but to deal with the Eight Evils yourselves.”
“How are we supposed to do that?”
Ouyang Jue asked in a disbelieving tone, but the Forgetting Sword nodded with a look of conviction.
“It is entirely possible for you two, who have received the arrangements passed down from Grandmaster Lü Dongbin through the Quanzhen School and its Seven Masters.”
Hearing this, Liu Zhangming, who had been listening quietly, slowly shook his head.
“…It is too heavy a burden.”
“What is?”
“It is true that I exist because of our ancestors. But I am no knight-errant. And I am certainly no hero.”
Liu Zhangming raised his voice, looking at the Forgetting Sword’s expressionless face.
“I am just an ordinary person who learns and follows the Dao. My vessel is only large enough for that.”
The surrounding darkness was so complete that Ouyang Jue couldn’t discern the Forgetting Sword’s expression.
But the voice that followed was laden with a profound sense of helplessness.
“…Do you lack confidence?”
“I am saying it is too heavy.”
Liu Zhangming lowered his head.
“For people like us, who are content to live ordinary lives in harmony with those around us, it is far too heavy a yoke to bear.”
“Is that so.”
With those words, the Forgetting Sword fell silent.
During the long, sudden silence, Ouyang Jue could say nothing.
He himself could burn with the will to surpass the Eight Evils because of the guilt he carried for destroying the Mount Hua Sect.
But Liu Zhangming had just declared that he was not the same.
Perhaps the other Daoists felt similarly.
The Eight Evils were such overwhelming beings that they could easily crush the competitive spirit of any martial artist.
Liu Zhangming had said it gently due to his mild nature; he imagined other Daoists might have been more vehement.
Punishing heretics was a matter of course, but the Eight Evils were in a league of their own.
‘It truly is like throwing an egg at a rock.’
Just as Ouyang Jue was trying to read the situation, the Forgetting Sword spoke.
“Thank you for speaking honestly. I suppose our predecessors were rather inconsiderate. They left everything to the future generations and departed.”
“……”
Liu Zhangming bit his lower lip gently.
He knew from the Buddha-Slaying Divine Demon alone that the Eight Evils would slowly poison the Central Plains as a future calamity.
But it was true that he couldn’t understand the judgment of the past generations who had hidden this fact, nor their so-called arrangements.
If the Eight Evils had been powerless for a long time, shouldn’t they have been exposed and eliminated long ago?
Just as various thoughts tangled in his mind.
*BOOOOOOM!*
A tremendous explosion echoed from outside the cave.
The impact was so great that stalactites rained down from the cave ceiling.
Ouyang Jue’s expression hardened.
“Senior Brother, let’s go outside first!”
At his words, Liu Zhangming glanced at the Forgetting Sword before following Ouyang Jue out.
Left alone in the cave, the Forgetting Sword’s will began to solidify.