Chapter 43
Chapter 43
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: A Short Rest (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, 'Plum Blossom Sword Hero'. Sleep well?"
"Haa, Uncle Song..."
Has it been a week already?
Ever since he started teasing Ouyang Jue under the pretext that he needed to get used to his new title, Song Muk showed no signs of stopping.
As time went on, Ouyang Jue naturally found it hard to contain his irritation.
"That's enough."
"Ooh, scary."
"Do you want to see what's really scary?"
When Ouyang Jue asked with a straight face, Song Muk flinched and stepped back.
"No, this uncle was wrong."
Despite that, he didn't wipe the silly grin off his face.
"The master who defeated the one-armed Red Tiger Demon, the Plum Blossom Sword Hero!"
"Master of the Disciplinary Hall!"
When Ouyang Jue's eyes genuinely blazed with anger, a wide grin spread across Song Muk's face.
"Everyone's just jealous and impressed by you. You took down a branch of a major unorthodox sect like the Black Dragon Gang before even coming of age. And most importantly..."
Song Muk spoke in a hushed tone.
"Sword Aura at such a young age, not even of age yet. If word gets out in the martial world, many warriors would clutch their stomachs in sheer disbelief."
"..."
At those words, Ouyang Jue was left speechless.
Sword Ki refers to concentrating internal energy into a weapon to emit a formless aura.
It was a given that only a select few among first-rate masters could use it freely.
There was a reason the Black Shadow Assassins were the elite of the Black Dragon Gang.
So then, what about Sword Aura?
Sword Aura didn't just end with concentrating energy into a weapon.
Above all, it required an enlightenment to compress the formless aura so densely that it became tangible.
Purity, density, and an understanding of internal energy.
Only when these three elements aligned perfectly could one reach the state of Sword Aura.
Therefore, it was common to achieve it not at the age of maturity, but at the age of thirty.
Song Muk's eyes flickered to Ouyang Jue's hands.
"Seems you've acquired something unheard of as well. You must have been quite busy on your travels, haven't you?"
"Isn't that what makes the martial world so interesting?"
Ouyang Jue said with a playful shrug, and Song Muk didn't press the matter further.
However, the look of concern on his face deepened.
"Nephew, you may be fine for now, but..."
"I know."
A confident smile blossomed on Ouyang Jue's face.
"At the very least, I won't be swayed by the will of others."
Song Muk looked at him with profound eyes, then clicked his tongue with a 'tsk'.
"If you say so."
"Are you worried?"
"Of course, how could I not be?"
Song Muk's gaze turned cold in an instant.
If he had seemed like a playful older brother just a moment ago, now he looked every bit the Master of the Disciplinary Hall.
"The artifact you possess, Severing Manifestation, is something any swordsman would covet. Not to mention, the fist-seal armor you acquired this time also has an extraordinary aura about it."
Ouyang Jue nodded lightly.
The demon-quelling energy dormant within the Diamond Fist-Seal Armor was of a nature that could neither be hidden nor erased.
He had already noticed the unusual gazes from a few of his senior brothers.
And what of the demonic beings who would react to the Diamond Fist-Seal Armor?
Song Muk's worries might have seemed excessive at first glance, but they were not unfounded.
"Anyone who has reached the level of handling Sword Ki would be able to recognize it."
"It's a good thing we're on Mount Hua. What will you do if some old veterans of the martial world covet your possessions in the future?"
"...That's."
Ouyang Jue let out a small laugh.
No matter how experienced they were, it was as clear as day that they would be no match for him once he fully recovered his own martial arts.
Besides, having reached the pinnacle, he was already on the right track; all he needed to do now was increase the strength of his internal energy and his body.
"Won't I manage somehow with my talent?"
"Talent, you say."
Song Muk briefly recalled the recent events and gave a dark, sardonic smile.
"Do you really think others will believe these are things that can be accomplished with talent alone?"
"..."
"I trust you understand why I'm saying this."
At those words, Ouyang Jue's gaze shifted elsewhere.
The past month.
Since returning to the past, he had tried to act selectively, pursuing only practical gains, yet so many incidents had occurred.
The Golden Ring Merchant Guild, the Nine Dragons Tournament, and the various matters involving the Black Dragon Gang.
Of course, some things had been smoothed over with the help of others, but he couldn't assume that was the end of it.
'This is the martial world, after all.'
Whether to protect their own safety or due to power struggles, there were many who were on high alert for various reasons.
It meant that even if they didn't know the full story, they would have at least heard the name Ouyang Jue.
Ouyang Jue looked at Song Muk.
'Is he telling me to keep my head down and wait for things to quiet down?'
So that he wasn't seen as a key figure of Mount Hua, rather than just a promising junior.
Those who were fond of suspicion would assume that Bai Duanxian or the elders were backing Ouyang Jue.
If that happened, not only would Ouyang Jue's freedom of movement be restricted, but he would also draw the attention of the unorthodox sects.
It made sense.
Attracting unnecessary attention and engaging in slaughter was not good from a Taoist perspective.
But...
Ouyang Jue shook his head resolutely.
"Uncle... no, I cannot follow the words of the Master of the Disciplinary Hall."
"Why not?"
A flash of anger crossed Song Muk's eyes.
"Have you fallen into the arrogance of thinking you can solve every problem and deal with every enemy by yourself?"
Ouyang Jue looked up at Song Muk with desolate eyes.
"Are you worried I'll end up like the Senior-most Brother?"
At those words, Song Muk clenched his fists tightly.
His next words were somehow laced with a deep sense of hardship.
"Yes! Your Senior-most Brother also upheld justice with the sole intention of righting all wrongs by himself, only to be completely exposed and suffer a calamity by gunpowder!"
"That's true."
Ouyang Jue readily admitted it.
Song Muk was right.
Ha Jin-ak had acted alone for the sake of justice and the safety of the Mount Hua Sect's disciples.
So, naturally, he had no choice but to reveal all his sword techniques to his enemies.
The reason the Black Dragon Gang prepared gunpowder was likely because of the unique fire energy of the Heavenly Flow Fire Cloud Sword.
If Ouyang Jue hadn't been there, he would have undoubtedly died a spectacular but silent death, just like in his past life.
He had no particular objection to that.
But Ouyang Jue's lips repeated his earlier words.
"...That's true."
Chewing on the past, Ouyang Jue took a large step forward.
"But it wasn't wrong. At least as the Senior-most Brother of Mount Hua, it wasn't something to be ashamed of, was it?"
Song Muk fell silent for a moment at the uncharacteristically emotional words from Ouyang Jue.
Then, after some thought, he asked.
"Do you also wish to walk the same path as him?"
"If it's not the wrong path, then I must walk it."
"Even knowing how difficult it is?"
At those words, Ouyang Jue closed his eyes for a moment.
An empty laugh escaped his lips unconsciously.
The easy path.
He had already walked that path once before.
Hadn't he come this far to resolve the regrets left from that process?
To turn back now would be meaningless.
Ouyang Jue briefly recalled Ha Jin-ak.
The image of him taking the full impact of the gunpowder, forcing a smile for his sake.
Ouyang Jue's lips parted slightly.
"The right path is always the hardest."
Song Muk let out a deep sigh.
"I heard from the Sect Leader. He said the situation was urgent, and you had no choice."
At the same time, a telepathic message was sent.
-He said there were other circumstances behind your actions.
Despite the sudden telepathic message, Ouyang Jue answered naturally without any surprise.
"Yes, I deeply regret leaving the mountain without informing you first."
"However, circumstances or not, the rules are the rules."
-The Sect Leader and I are investigating thoroughly, so just wait.
At those words, Ouyang Jue's brow furrowed slightly.
"But Uncle, if I hadn't stepped in, wouldn't we have missed the Senior-most Brother's assailant?"
Song Muk warned with a stern face.
"I may be your uncle, but I am also an elder of the Mount Hua Sect and the Master of the Disciplinary Hall. Can you not clearly distinguish between public and private matters?"
"But..."
Just as Ouyang Jue was about to voice his adamant refusal, Song Muk spoke.
"Rest."
As he said that, Song Muk's expression momentarily crumbled.
In that brief moment, Ouyang Jue could glimpse many emotions.
Regret for placing such a heavy burden on a martial nephew like him.
The inevitable anger at seeing Ha Jin-ak, whom he had watched over for more than twenty years, end up in such a state.
And the remorse that came with knowing an enemy had infiltrated Mount Hua.
Therefore, he couldn't argue with the words that followed.
"No matter how strong your nerves are, you still need time to recover, don't you?"
At those words, Ouyang Jue nodded.
No matter how many battles he had experienced or how many terrible things he had seen in his past life, mental fatigue was not something that could be easily resolved.
Moreover, he had died at the age of thirty-two.
'Can't really say I lived a long life.'
A bitter smile spread across Ouyang Jue's face.
"Then I will return to my quarters."
As he watched his retreating back, Song Muk mentioned some recent news.
"They say a clinic was built today on the site that was burned down. It seems it'll be crowded in a few days, so even the government officials are scrambling to get a piece of it."
At that news, Ouyang Jue momentarily pictured the smiling face of the fool whose name he didn't even know.
"That's a relief."
"There should be good news within a month, so rest until then."
At least this time, he wouldn't let Ouyang Jue carry the heavy burden alone.
Song Muk watched Ouyang Jue walk away, making a firm resolve.
* * *
Time flows like a river.
Day and night were merely tools to mark the rising and setting of the sun.
The occasional hunger was but a spice that made him feel alive.
Of course, he never filled his stomach with dried foods or vegetables.
Everything begins with a single step, even a journey of a thousand miles.
Ouyang Jue constantly reminded himself of this, training every day in the training grounds.
However, the onlookers found it strange.
"What... what in the world is that?"
"It's not swordplay or footwork, just punishing his body?"
Ouyang Jue only trained the muscles of his entire body, rarely swinging a sword.
Even when someone asked him directly, Ouyang Jue never gave a clear answer.
He simply focused silently on training his body, which only intensified the questions, and gradually, more Taoists began to imitate him.
Ik Hyeon, a second-generation disciple who followed Ha Jin-ak, was one of them.
However, they couldn't keep up for long and dropped out.
"Hah, hahh..."
"What kind of brutish training method is this!"
The strength to lift fifty catties with one hand without the help of internal energy.
The flexibility to change direction smoothly in any situation.
These two were the most basic and essential elements of wielding a sword.
But seeing the state of the Taoists now, Ouyang Jue frowned in disapproval.
'Even if the Mount Hua Sect follows the Northern School's principle of prioritizing nature over life, their physical stamina is too weak.'
No matter how powerful the forms were, or how profound and unpredictable they might be.
If the power behind them was weak and only linear, who would fall for them?
But the Taoists failed to realize this importance and were troubled.
"Hasn't Junior Brother Ouyang finished his mental training yet?"
"And yet, seeing the elders remain silent..."
Some even seriously asked if he was refusing to hold a sword after Ha Jin-ak's calamity.
Each time, Ouyang Jue had to explain, albeit bluntly.
"Doesn't the Black Dragon Gang's headquarters still remain?"
"...!"
The questions only stopped when everyone in the Mount Hua Sect had heard his reply.
Instead, more people started clearing their throats near Ouyang Jue before joining in his training.
But the figures on either side of him were always the same.
"Senior Brother, how long do we have to do this?"
"Have a little more patience."
Liu Zhangming and Jo Hun.
As the two of them were also dedicated to Ouyang Jue's peculiar training method, the young Taoists naturally gathered in the center of the training ground.
Just then, Song Muk, who was passing by, wore a look of disbelief.
"...What is that?"
Hyaaah!
It was a scene of over thirty Taoists, sweat pouring down their faces, letting out powerful shouts.