Chapter 106
Chapter 106
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The Ladybug Climbing the Cliff
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The three of them had been meeting with the nearby county magistrates and their deputies. Dang Mujin had figured that magistrates were fairly high-ranking officials, so even getting an audience—let alone convincing them—would be no easy task.
But contrary to expectations, the magistrates met with them as soon as they heard the purpose of their visit. They even agreed to verify the merits of the Nogun Village folk without probing too deeply.
Up to that point, Dang Mujin thought it could just be good luck. Confirming the cliff paths and cloud bridges of Nogun Mountain wasn't particularly difficult or risky for them.
What surprised him was how proactive the magistrates turned out to be.
They had only met three magistrates so far, but two of them promised not only to verify the merits but also to report them upward. The exact opposite of what he'd vaguely imagined.
In the end, after some careful probing, the group received a straightforward explanation from one of the magistrates.
"There have been rumors that the deputy in that county is corrupt. We just hadn't caught him in anything solid enough to act on."
"It seems Your Excellency is stepping in out of a sense of justice."
The young magistrate grinned.
"It's a matter of justice, but also one of profit and loss."
"Profit and loss?"
"If we leave that deputy position vacant, there's a good chance I can recommend someone in my circle to fill it. That lets me expand my influence."
"...Is it really all right to tell us that?"
"It's not some forbidden secret, and anyone who needs to know already does. Besides, you three don't strike me as the type to go blabbing about it."
Only then did Dang Mujin understand the magistrate's attitude.
The man wasn't a martial artist, but his relentless ambition to climb higher was no different from any martial artist's. He just pursued it with influence and money instead of personal strength.
Having wrapped up all their business, Dang Mujin asked Pyo Choong as they stepped out.
"Are you heading back now?"
"I suppose I should. But not straight to Nogun Mountain."
Dang Mujin had no intention of urging Pyo Choong to return to Nogun Mountain. Nor did he think the man necessarily had to.
Pyo Choong was someone who had spent thirty years holed up in the mountains when it wasn't even in his stars. Surely he had a life of his own to live.
"Where will you go?"
"I need to wrap up my first foray into the martial world. I'm old now, but I'm still a fledgling out here."
Pyo Choong laughed heartily. He pictured the faces of the Wudang Sect Daoists—and his master, now so aged it was hard to imagine.
The Wudang Daoists must all think Pyo Choong was dead. Showing up would give them a real shock. Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong chuckled at the same thought.
"Well then, this is where we part ways. You've helped us a great deal."
"I'll never forget it either. I hope we cross paths again someday."
Dang Mujin was about to bid Pyo Choong farewell right there when his eyes fell on the three swords in the man's hands.
They had been handled with care, but years of use had worn them down. The edges and tips were heavily notched, rattling faintly whenever they were touched, and the scabbards were cracked so deeply they looked ready to shatter. Surviving the fight with the Supreme Sword Sect leader felt like sheer luck.
On top of that, the blades had been polished so diligently that each one was shorter and thinner than a typical sword.
"What will you do with those swords?"
"Hmm. No plans to sell them, so I suppose I'll return them to the Wudang Sect. Not sure if anyone can still use them, though."
They were in too poor a condition even for training swords. Most likely, they'd be melted down for something else.
Dang Mujin stared at the three swords for a long moment before making a proposal to Pyo Choong.
"Would you entrust those swords to me?"
"Hm? What for?"
"It's a joyous day marking the end of your long journey through the martial world. Surely a senior like yourself should bring a gift back to your sect to save face, don't you think?"
Even as Dang Mujin picked up a hammer at the nearest smithy, Pyo Choong still didn't grasp what he meant.
*
A few days later, a man who looked utterly out of place at the Wudang Sect arrived at Wudang Mountain.
He was fairly old, with a bushy beard and the grubby attire of a bandit. Yet his eyes were remarkably clear.
The aged bandit headed straight for the Wudang Sect's mountain gate.
There was no rule barring bandits from entering Wudang.
It was a sign of the sect's inclusiveness—and its confidence. As if mere bandits or dark path riffraff could cause any real trouble within Wudang grounds.
But all that applied only after surrendering one's sword at the Sword-Shedding Pool.
All outsiders had to deposit their swords there. The only exception was Wudang Daoists.
It was an arrogant rule, but in its short history, the Wudang Sect had built enough renown to enforce it.
Yet the old bandit tried to pass the Sword-Shedding Pool without depositing his sword and enter the gate. Young Wudang Daoists called out to stop him.
"Hey!"
At the sharp shout, the old bandit turned to look at the young Daoists.
"...What is it?"
"You dare pass the Sword-Shedding Pool without surrendering your sword!"
The young Daoists drew their blades without another word.
They were in the prime of their youthful vigor, intoxicated by their own achievements. They were always on the lookout for a chance to show off their skills.
And here was a perfect excuse: the opponent had ignored the Sword-Shedding Pool without disarming.
One young Daoist charged forward. Of course, he had no intention of killing or seriously injuring the bandit. Just enough to demonstrate the gap in skill and flex his strength.
His only worry was that the man might get scared and run without fighting.
But instead of backing away, the old bandit drew the sword from his waist.
The swordsmanship he unleashed was the Five Elements Sword. Not an advanced technique, but the Wudang essence within it ran far deeper than that of the young Daoist.
...!
This time, the bandit struck first. It was a gentle form, clearly with no intent to harm.
The young Daoist countered with the Four Phenomena Swordsmanship, but the bandit's blade slipped softly past his guard and snapped it in two. The young Daoists' eyes widened. That white sword was no ordinary weapon.
The Daoist whose sword had just broken leaped back in alarm. His eyes were filled with shock.
"Who are you? Where did you learn the Wudang swordsmanship?"
The bandit slowly sheathed his sword with leisure and replied.
"I'm called Pyo Choong. And where else would I have learned the Wudang sword arts but on Wudang Mountain?"
"...Pyo Choong? You learned swordsmanship on Wudang Mountain?"
It was a name none of them had ever heard. Not just the name— they'd never even heard of a Pyo-generation disciple in the sect.
Pyo Choong grinned through his thick beard.
"What's your Daoist title?"
"Hyeonhak... sir."
Overwhelmed by the natural air of authority, the young Daoist gave his title.
In that cocky yet clumsy demeanor, Pyo Choong saw his younger self. The excited fledgling Daoist on his first martial outing, who fell for a simple ploy and committed an irreversible mistake.
"I have a favor to ask."
"...What is it?"
"Fetch my master, Elder Yeongheo, for me."
With that, Pyo Choong leaned against a nearby tree.
The young Daoists couldn't even begin to guess what was happening.
Elder Yeongheo was an old Daoist who hadn't taken a disciple in decades, and there was certainly no record of any Wudang Daoist accepting a bandit as one.
Yet this bandit had clearly wielded Wudang swordsmanship. The Daoists hesitated and withdrew, soon returning with Elder Yeongheo in tow.
Elder Yeongheo stared at Pyo Choong for a long while before speaking with utter certainty.
"You... Jungseon. It's Jungseon, isn't it?"
"Call me Pyo Choong now, Master."
"No matter what you say, to me you're Jungseon. Do you know how long I've waited for you? There were so many things I wanted to teach you."
"I'm sorry, Master."
"No, you're back now—that's what matters. Where on earth have you been? I thought you were dead for sure."
"I was on a cliff."
"A cliff."
Elder Yeongheo had no idea which cliff his disciple meant.
But just looking at his face, it was clear he'd lived no easy life.
Elder Yeongheo pulled Pyo Choong into a light embrace.
"You've suffered so much. Stay here on Wudang Mountain and rest now. I have much to tell you, and much I want to hear."
Pyo Choong shook his head.
"No. I have to go back."
"Go back? Where to this time?"
Pyo Choong just grinned without giving a straight answer.
"Master."
"Yes, Jungseon."
"Do you know that a ladybug will keep crawling upward endlessly if something touches its feet?"
"Yes, I do."
Elder Yeongheo nodded.
He'd been young once too, and played with ladybugs.
Placing one on a stick and spinning it round and round to watch it endlessly climb—that was a game every child played.
"For me, it seems Wudang Mountain isn't the place. No matter how I think about it, I can't shake the urge to return to those people on the cliff."
"Who's up on that cliff to make you say that?"
"There are people who rely on me. I've decided to stay by their side until the end, to spend my remaining years with them. So after today, I won't see you again, Master."
"...You've made up your mind, then."
It was heartbreaking news for a master who had waited decades for his disciple.
But a master must always let his disciple go. Even one who had left unintentionally once before was no exception.
The conversation fell silent. Elder Yeongheo didn't hide his regret.
Pyo Choong smiled as he gazed at his long-lost master. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes ran deeper than those on his master's aged face.
Pyo Choong thought to himself that if he'd returned to Wudang on time, he might have raised a few disciples of his own by now.
He gripped the center of the scabbard and held the sword out horizontally to his master.
"Master, take this instead."
"What's this sword for?"
"It's a gift from your disciple, marking the end of my first journey through the martial world. For you, Master—and for our Wudang Sect."
"How thoughtful."
Elder Yeongheo accepted the sword carefully.
But he held no great expectations. He was simply pleased by his disciple's gesture.
Elder Yeongheo slowly drew the blade.
Before it had even half-emerged from the scabbard, he was captivated by its beauty.
He had lived his whole life alongside swords. None he'd ever seen carried such an aura.
The blade was as unyielding as if it could sever iron, yet supple like a swimming fish. Its octagonal forging made it sharp enough to slice the air itself.
It was a sword both tender and poignant, stubborn and resolute.
Near the base of the blade were engraved the Daoist titles of three men: Jungseon, Junggok, Junghyeon.
And below them, the names of three animals: ladybug, mantis, wild boar.
Elder Yeongheo steadied his trembling heart with effort.
This was no sword he could simply possess.
No—even the entire Wudang Sect had nothing quite like it. Their history was too short.
Stammering, Elder Yeongheo asked.
"Jungseon. What's this sword's name?"
Dang Mujin hadn't named it.
Since it was forged from the swords of the Nogun Three Swords, they should name it themselves—or so he'd reasoned. Though only Pyo Choong remained of them.
Pyo Choong gazed at the blade. Strange patterns swirled across its surface. Some might call them waves, others clouds.
But Pyo Choong saw a single pine tree in them.
The pine growing on the Nogun Mountain cliff.
The pine that silently gripped the iron pegs overlooking the cloud bridge. The pine under which the bones of Dang Rang and the mountain hare were buried.
Pyo Choong murmured.
"Pine Pattern Sword..."
No. He shook his head. Something was missing.
This sword was born from three that should have returned to Wudang long ago.
Freshly forged, yet as aged as the deep grudges of those three Daoists.
It was the sword of those who had missed their time to return, weaving together countless lives battered by the world's storms.
And now, at last returned, it would protect the Wudang Sect for ages to come.
Thus, Pyo Choong added a single character evoking long years.
"No—Pine Pattern Ancient Sword."