Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Seclusion (1)
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At first, Liu Zhangming couldn't understand Ouyang Jue.
He even felt a surge of anger, wondering if Ouyang Jue had already forgotten Seo Mun-hwi's sacrifice.
But Ouyang Jue's expression was filled with a venom he had never seen before.
Above all, it held a fierce determination to never let something like this happen again.
"Let's go back, Senior Brother."
With those words, Ouyang Jue took a step forward.
He seemed to be deliberately hiding his face, but he couldn't conceal the trembling of his shoulders.
Seeing this, Liu Zhangming felt his heart tighten.
'What kind of connection did the Forgetting Sword have with my junior brother...?'
He had so many questions. If he could, he wanted to grab Ouyang Jue's shoulder and ask what had happened.
Just as Liu Zhangming raised his right hand, Ouyang Jue's lips parted slightly.
"When we return... let's train hard so that something like this never happens again. That will be our floral offering to the Forgetting Sword, Seo Mun-hwi."
"..."
Before answering, Liu Zhangming looked at Ouyang Jue's back.
In the past, even just a year or two ago, Ouyang Jue wasn't the type of person to say such things.
He was a junior brother who valued reason over emotion, and above all, calculated self-interest.
But what about now?
Ouyang Jue had fought multiple enemies without a care for his own body for the sake of a nameless fool.
And he was weeping for Seo Mun-hwi, whom he had only met twice.
He was only trying his best not to show it on the outside for the sake of his senior brother and friend watching him.
His trembling shoulders, the blood dripping from his palm where his nails dug into his flesh.
His face must have been a contorted mess.
Even knowing that formidable foes like the Eight Evils were not easy opponents, Ouyang Jue was blaming himself harshly.
Liu Zhangming withdrew the hand he was about to extend and cleared his throat to steady his cracking voice.
"Will a floral offering be enough?"
"...?"
"We must offer all of the Eight Evils at his memorial rite. Only then can he watch peacefully from the heavens, don't you think?"
At those words, Ouyang Jue tried to let out a small laugh. But he couldn't suppress his bitter feelings, and it came out as an indistinct noise.
"Kh, khuhu... Why are you saying what I was going to say, Senior Brother?"
"You're not your usual self, so as your senior brother, I must be the one to speak boldly, mustn't I?"
Liu Zhangming looked down at his Dragon's Tear Sword, which had sustained many nicks from the battle, and spoke.
"I, too, was thinking of organizing my thoughts based on the experience I've gained. The natural order of things doesn't always flow as I wish, but if I can just unfold the enlightenment I've reached, I won't lose to them so easily."
"You've had another realization?"
When Ouyang Jue couldn't hide his surprise, Liu Zhangming answered in a calm tone.
"As time passes... the martial theories tickling my mind have gradually become simpler, pointing toward a single foundation. I don't know if this is the state of the Heavenly Precipice you spoke of, where the peak whispers its secrets."
"..."
Just what did his senior brother think of reaching a new realm?
For a moment, envy stirred in Ouyang Jue's heart, threatening to curdle into jealousy.
But he was able to shake it off quickly.
Not only could he not repeat the mistakes he'd learned from his past life, but the Eight Evils were still recovering their strength and building their forces.
There was no time to be swept up in personal feelings. If he did, he wouldn't be able to face Seo Mun-hwi, nor Nameless, with whom he had promised to meet again.
As Ouyang Jue's shoulders seemed to straighten, the Omniscient One let out a faint laugh.
"Have you calmed down a bit?"
"A little. No, a lot."
"That's a relief, then."
The Omniscient One, who had been stroking Daexiong's wounds, straightened his back.
"At first, I thought it was impossible. I considered it fortunate if we weren't swept away by their underlings before we even faced the Eight Evils."
"..."
"But every thorny path you've walked has become a means to check the Eight Evils, and you even managed to kill one of them."
The Omniscient One continued, looking in the direction of the Sword Saint's Cave.
"At the very least, Seo Mun-hwi won't blame you. He must have been deeply moved by your promise to continue fighting the Eight Evils..."
At those words, Ouyang Jue closed his eyes for a moment and felt grateful to many people.
Starting with the fool he met in Chang'an, to Yeong Heo-ja, whom he had met by chance and injured.
He especially still felt very sorry toward Jeok Sang.
He had been caught up in one incident after another without any time to look for the successor of the Mount Tai Sword Gate, and he hadn't even thought of searching.
During that series of events, Ouyang Jue had connected with many people, and sometimes, he had hurt them.
It was a process filled with more mistakes than successes.
And yet.
The Omniscient One gripped Ouyang Jue's shoulder and said.
"Thanks to you, haven't many people found meaning?"
There was the woman who had been about to abandon her child, and Jeok Sang, who had left with a clear heart after entrusting everything of the Mount Tai Sword Gate.
Nameless, who had hated life, shed tears and rediscovered its meaning at the end of their duel.
The Omniscient One, who was fated to die a meaningless death at the hands of the Black Dragon, was alive before him.
And Seo Mun-hwi, although left to fight the Eight Evils alone, had a smile on his face at the end.
*Wipe, wipe.*
Ouyang Jue wiped the clotted blood from his palm and lifted his bowed head.
"Is that so."
Was that how it was?
As Ouyang Jue let out a long sigh, the Omniscient One brought up the Eight Evils again.
"Just trying to confront the Eight Evils is enough to be called a hero in all of human history. How could you think of overcoming them all by yourself?"
At that, Liu Zhangming nodded.
"You have me, our junior uncles, and our reliable Sect Leader. Won't junior brothers like Ik Hyeon also support you as your wings?"
"You're right."
Ouyang Jue gave a genuine smile.
"I was foolish."
Ouyang Jue's steps turned straight toward the Mount Hua Sect.
* * *
The day he arrived at the Mount Hua Sect, Ouyang Jue announced that he would go into seclusion with the Omniscient One in a hermitage known only to a select few.
Of course, there was some opposition.
Especially from Bai Duanxian and Gwak Un-pae, who had been eagerly awaiting Ouyang Jue's return.
"What do you mean by bringing a sorcerer into Mount Hua?"
"Can't you show us that you're resting, even for a little while?"
To that, Ouyang Jue replied with a bitter smile.
"Because now is the only time."
"...What?"
"Who would dare touch the Mount Hua Sect, which has formed close ties with the Zhongnan Sect, the Wudang Sect, and the Shaolin Temple?"
Ouyang Jue shook his head slightly.
"Even the Eight Evils won't be able to touch Mount Hua as long as they don't reveal their identities. But no one can guarantee how long that will last."
"Still...!"
"I'm not being arrogant, thinking I can stop them all by myself. And I shouldn't."
Ouyang Jue looked at Bai Duanxian, whose face was a mix of complex emotions, and offered a small smile.
"I'm going into seclusion because I trust the Sect Leader and my junior uncles. If I didn't, I'd still be lost and would head back out into the martial world."
"..."
As Bai Duanxian seemed to be contemplating, Gwak Un-pae grew curious about Ouyang Jue's true intentions.
"What do you mean, you're going in because you trust us?"
"This situation, where the Mount Hua Sect's prestige soars to the heavens, won't last long. It might only last a few months. That's why I originally planned to wander the martial world again, eliminating enemies and building my reputation."
"But you've had a change of heart?"
Ouyang Jue nodded at his words.
"Unlike in the past, the Sect Leader now knows the martial world is in turmoil, and the Master of the Reception Hall is also wary of demonic creatures, isn't he?"
When Gwak Un-pae silently acknowledged this, Ouyang Jue took a sip of tea and continued.
"Elder Song, and all the other elders, are moving about so busy they don't have a moment to spare. As a disciple, how could I not trust you all?"
I will not waste a single moment of the time that Bai Duanxian and the other elders have created for me, and I will devote myself to training.
As Ouyang Jue spoke, putting weight behind each word, Gwak Un-pae nodded as if he understood.
Just then, Bai Duanxian spoke.
"I will give you the manual for my Profound and Limitless Sword. And I will not take issue with bringing the sorcerer called the Omniscient One into Mount Hua."
"S-Sect Leader!"
Despite Gwak Un-pae's surprise, Bai Duanxian maintained a stoic expression.
"However, my duties are demanding, so I will not be able to teach you directly. I simply hope it will help you in completing your own sword."
At those words, Ouyang Jue clasped his hands together and replied.
"Thank you, Sect Leader!"
"Ah."
Bai Duanxian smiled gently.
"Shouldn't you be calling me Master?"
Ouyang Jue's eyes began to well up.
* * *
A few days later.
After arriving at the hermitage, Ouyang Jue began to write his goals on a corner of the wall.
To read the Mount Tai Sword Gate manual left by Jeok Sang a hundred times and grasp its true meaning.
To reflect on the duel with the Forgetting Sword and completely master the Heavenly Escape Sword Arts.
'And...'
Ouyang Jue stared blankly at the manual in his hands.
The Profound and Limitless Sword, which Bai Duanxian had mastered after continuous training even after becoming the Sect Leader.
From its forms and oral secrets to even the mindset required when executing it, everything was written in detail.
How many years must it have taken to create this?
Ouyang Jue once again recalled a time when Bai Duanxian was drunk.
'He said he dedicated his entire life to realizing a sword art he had vaguely conceived in his youth.'
To achieve that, he said he had endured countless rebukes and hardships from Jin Mu-wol, who was at the height of his martial fame.
To Bai Duanxian, the Profound and Limitless Sword was not just a martial art; it was his life.
Ouyang Jue sat in the hermitage and read the manuals for the Profound and Limitless Sword and the Mount Tai Sword Gate over and over.
He didn't hope to embody them perfectly.
It would be enough if he could understand just half of what was written here.
Only then did he feel he could face both Jeok Sang and Bai Duanxian with his head held high.
'If I can't find a successor for the Mount Tai Sword Gate... I'll have to learn it myself and sow the seeds anew.'
Taking responsibility for the Mount Tai Sword Gate would go against his duty as a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, but carrying on its will was possible.
Above all, he felt that the martial arts of the Mount Tai Sword Gate, which had played a major role in the war against the old Demonic Cult, could help him break through his own stagnation.
Just as Ouyang Jue was engrossed in the manuals until sunset, the hermitage door opened.
"The formation is complete."
Hearing the uncharacteristic weariness in the Omniscient One's voice, Ouyang Jue couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"Looks like it was difficult?"
"Is that even a question?!"
The Omniscient One's eyes widened as he pointed a finger.
"Who was it that asked me to devote all my energy to creating a formation so he could focus on his training?!"
"That was me."
"And now what? 'Looks like it was difficult?'"
As the Omniscient One's face turned beet red as if he was about to explode, Ouyang Jue changed the subject.
"Of course, I knew you would do it perfectly. So, what effects does it have?"
"...This guy, can't even say sorry."
With an irritated voice, the Omniscient One explained the formation set up in the hermitage's front yard.
"The inside and outside of that formation are completely separated, so the perception of time will flow slowly. Subjectively, a quarter-hour will feel like two hours."
"That much?"
The Omniscient One frowned as if telling him not to interrupt.
"...On top of that, I've used the earth's veins to intentionally fill it with abundant energy, so you won't get exhausted."
"As expected of the Omniscient One."
A satisfied smile on his face, Ouyang Jue asked the Omniscient One as if something had just occurred to him.
"By any chance, can others use it too?"
"If there's a Taoist willing to step into a formation cast by a sorcerer."
"That's good enough. It's sufficient for me and my martial brothers."
At those words, the Omniscient One recalled the martial arts Ouyang Jue and Liu Zhangming had displayed and hurriedly shouted.
"It should go without saying, but don't use too much internal energy and break the markers!"
"Well then, I'm off."
The moment Ouyang Jue stepped into the formation, his figure vanished as if melting into snow.