Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Mount Wudang
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The next day, Hyeon-gong appeared in the reception hall. Unlike his usual self from the day before, his face was blank and dazed, as if his soul had wandered off.
Namgung Myeong seemed to sense something just from looking at Hyeon-gong's expression.
Namgung Myeong bounced lightly to his feet and approached Hyeon-gong with feather-light steps.
"I can tell just by looking at you."
As Namgung Myeong spoke, Hyeon-gong's expression returned to normal. Though it was already too late.
"Tell what?"
"I figured something was up since you didn't come out right away yesterday and stayed back at Hyuncheon Hall."
Namgung Myeong stroked his chin with his right hand and flashed a sly smile.
"You're wandering around, so it doesn't look like house arrest. Which leaves just one option. You got kicked out of the Wudang Sect?"
Hyeon-gong's face stiffened. He hadn't given away any clues, yet Namgung Myeong had hit the nail on the head.
In Hyeon-gong's mind, the conversation he'd had with Elder Yeongbo the previous day replayed naturally.
*
"Hyeon-gong. Helping Young Master Dang fight the assassins isn't the issue. But lying to the Grand Physician Sword Sect Leader and getting caught? There's nothing I can say about that immaturity."
Hyeon-gong prostrated himself flat and held his tongue. One had to pick the right moment for excuses.
Elder Yeongbo continued.
"The fact that it was the Grand Physician Sword Sect Leader, that you had a righteous cause, and that Young Master Dang had already shown us his goodwill allowed us to let it slide like this. Think about it. If I committed a similar blunder between the Zhongnan Sect Leader and the Huashan Sect Leader, do you think I could smooth it over?"
Elder Yeongbo's words pierced Hyeon-gong's chest like a blade. Hyeon-gong bowed his head and replied.
"...It wouldn't be easy."
"In my view, your mistakes always stem from the same place."
"What is it?"
"People tend to bind themselves. How tightly they do it and with what varies from person to person. And now I see what binds you. You try too hard to appear perfect in front of others."
Hyeon-gong stammered in response.
"I don't think that's the case, but..."
"No. I say with certainty that it is. You care too much about others' gazes and judgments, leading you to spin lies at every turn just to get by."
A fairly long silence followed.
Hyeon-gong's heart pounded fiercely enough to hurt. There wasn't a single flaw in Elder Yeongbo's words.
Elder Yeongbo might not survey the vast world, but his innate insight allowed him to peer deeper into people's hearts than anyone.
Finally, Elder Yeongbo broke the silence.
"Hyeon-gong."
"Yes."
"Leave the Wudang Sect."
"Yes?"
"A fine connection has come to our sect just in time. Go with them and depart from Wudang."
Hyeon-gong felt as if the world was crumbling. Was his dream of becoming the Wudang Sect Leader already shattered?
Seeing Hyeon-gong's expression, Elder Yeongbo smiled.
"I'm not telling you never to return. Go out, see the world, gain experience, become a greater man, and come back. Just because this narrow-minded old man is holed up on Mount Wudang doesn't mean you have to confine yourself to Mount Wudang and Hubei too."
Still prostrated, Hyeon-gong lifted his head slightly to gauge Elder Yeongbo's eyes.
It sounded good on the surface, but he couldn't be sure the elder's true intentions matched his words.
In the worst case, today might be his last day in the Wudang Sect.
If he slunk back after a few months and Elder Yeongbo chased him out again, what then?
Kicking someone out once was hard, but blocking their return was easy.
All sorts of thoughts filled Hyeon-gong's mind.
'If I get chased out now, it's over. It'll be hard to build standing on Mount Wudang.'
'No. Building ties with Namgung Myeong or Hong Geolgae is important too. Long-term, this might even be better. A crisis is an opportunity.'
'What if other guys make moves while I'm gone and impress the elders? What if someone gets pegged as the next sect leader or the one after?'
'But the Wudang Sect will grow more, so external activities matter. Plus, I might meet even more important people beyond Hong Geolgae or Namgung Myeong and build connections. Even if I don't become sect leader, so what? If people see me as more important than the sect leader, that's fine.'
Optimistic and pessimistic outlooks clashed endlessly.
Yet he couldn't shake the stifling anxiety deep in his chest. It was hard to dispel unease on a path forced upon him.
"Understand that, and withdraw."
"Understood."
Hyeon-gong had no choice.
Elder Yeongbo waved him off lightly, and Hyeon-gong quietly left Hyuncheon Hall.
*
When Hyeon-gong snapped out of his reminiscence, the first thing he saw was Namgung Myeong's face blooming with laughter.
Namgung Myeong cackled.
"See? I knew this day would come for you too."
"'Like you'?"
"I knew you'd get kicked out."
"I wasn't kicked out. I'm just going to tour the world for a bit and..."
Hyeon-gong trailed off, then asked again, catching himself. The key was in the phrasing.
"Wait. 'Like you'? Namgung Myeong, you got kicked out of the Nangong Family?"
"Yep."
Hong Geolgae chimed in from the side.
"You know who cut off that left arm of his? His own father! Sword Ghost Nangong Jincheon!"
Hyeon-gong thought it was some awful joke, but Namgung Myeong didn't deny it.
In Hyeon-gong's mind, Namgung Myeong's score plummeted vertically.
'Background points revoked.'
Hyeon-gong's expression turned icy.
"Wait, Namgung Myeong. Don't get all buddy-buddy with false kinship. I'm just wandering the world to seek knowledge. Elder Yeongbo told me to become a greater man and return."
"My father said the exact same thing. 'Come back when you're grown.' But when we met again, he chopped off my left arm."
Hyeon-gong raised his voice.
"You're different from me!"
But Namgung Myeong's teasing showed no sign of stopping.
"Mark my words. Next time you return to Wudang, Elder Yeongbo will personally cut off your left arm. That's a given. It always follows."
As if. But Namgung Myeong's tone carried an oddly certain conviction.
His expression was like a senior looking at a junior.
Hyeon-gong glared at Namgung Myeong for a moment, then shuffled over to Hong Geolgae. His expression softened again.
"Hong Geolgae. You knew Namgung Myeong's situation and still took him in? Truly magnanimous. As expected of a prospective Eight-Knot Elder."
Hong Geolgae asked back.
"Prospective Eight-Knot Elder?"
"Isn't it? You've got five knots already."
"You must be confused. Eight-Knot Elders have eight knots."
"I know. You were tapped as the next one, so you got five at your age. When you're officially made one, you'll get three more."
"No. I have five because I'm the Central Region Deputy Branch Leader."
Hyeon-gong burst out laughing.
"You're so oblivious. If you got recognized by an elder and made deputy branch leader at your age, that's basically being marked as the next Eight-Knot Elder. I'm not a Beggars' Sect disciple, but even I know you usually have to be at least fifty for deputy branch leader."
Hong Geolgae shrugged.
"I wasn't appointed by an elder."
"Then?"
"It hasn't been long. On the way here, we stopped in Chongqing, and Elder Red-Faced Old Beggar suddenly showed up and shoved his position on me. You can imagine how flustered I was, waking up to that."
Hyeon-gong took two steps back from Hong Geolgae. His score had plummeted too.
Still, a Beggars' Sect deputy branch leader was decent networking. Considering Hong Geolgae's skills lagged behind Namgung Myeong's, their total scores evened out.
Two who had been evenly good were now evenly bad.
Hyeon-gong's breathing quickened. The lifelines he'd counted on were both trash-tier.
Hyeon-gong eyed the two coldly, then approached Dang Mujin with refreshed steps.
This time, no worries at all. Dang Mujin hadn't relied on any background—he'd earned his score through pure skill.
'In the end, backgrounds don't matter. It's always about one's own value.'
Hyeon-gong scratched his head sheepishly and said.
"Dang Mujin. Sorry about this. I wanted to show you the world's finest treasured sword by bringing you to Mount Wudang, but I never dreamed it'd be a sword you forged. I thought I had an eye for the world's best famed blades, but apparently not for spotting the world's best blacksmith."
Hyeon-gong cleverly humbled himself while praising both the Songmun Superior Sword Dang Mujin had made and Dang Mujin himself.
An ordinary person would be at a loss for such praise, but Dang Mujin remained utterly composed. Hyeon-gong was impressed.
'As expected of someone whose talent makes praise routine. Hitching to this line was the right call.'
Dang Mujin asked.
"It's fine. So, why'd you come?"
"Elder Yeongbo said to bring you. Looks like he's ready to give you that gift he mentioned yesterday."
"The gift... Got it. Should I head to Hyuncheon Hall right away?"
"Yeah. Want me to show you?"
"Nah. I'm good."
"I was gonna pack your things while you're there. Heading to Chengdu tomorrow, right?"
Dang Mujin shook his head at Hyeon-gong's question.
"No. Before Chengdu, I'm going to Yangyang first."
"Why Yangyang?"
"Left something behind."
Dang Mujin smiled faintly.
*
Dang Mujin headed to Hyuncheon Hall without a guide.
"I'm entering."
He cautiously scanned the interior, but no one was there.
Dang Mujin stepped outside, looked around, and spotted Elder Yeongbo in the back garden of Hyuncheon Hall. The elder sat on a flat stone like a go board, eyes closed.
Dang Mujin approached and clasped his hands in greeting.
"I heard you summoned me."
Elder Yeongbo opened his eyes and spoke.
"Yes. You know why I called you?"
"Because you said yesterday you'd give me a gift."
The first gift Dang Mujin thought of was the spiritual medicine Hyeon-gong had mentioned before coming to Mount Wudang. But spiritual medicines held no appeal for him. After consuming the Great Returning Pill, he was certain no other elixir would help much.
Namgung Myeong, raised on plenty of elixirs, was probably in the same boat.
Dang Mujin had been thinking of giving any elixir to Hong Geolgae if offered. He could well imagine how pathetic and miserable a first-rate expert's life was.
But Elder Yeongbo offered not an elixir, but the Songmun Superior Sword.
"I have no intention of taking this sword back."
When Dang Mujin responded awkwardly, Elder Yeongbo chuckled.
"I'm not giving you the Songmun Superior Sword. It's too precious to return—even this old man can't shake his greed for it. Instead, I'm giving you experience."
"Experience?"
"Yes. No matter how I pondered, I couldn't think of a fitting gift. I'm no rich man, nor do I have wide connections, and this old body can't roam freely."
Elder Yeongbo picked up a wooden sword that lay behind him. Unlike Hong Geolgae's staff, it was a plain wooden sword carved from timber.
"This old man's only abundance is experience. He has enough to share a bit with a young warrior who hasn't properly crossed the wall."
Elder Yeongbo raised the wooden sword and said.
"Come. Strike me with all your might."
"Understood."
Dang Mujin didn't utter pleasantries like "Are you sure?" He'd met several absolute peak experts by now, and not one had been easy. Far from easy—they were untouchable.
Among those absolute peak experts, Elder Yeongbo was famed for his overwhelming defense.
There was no need for Dang Mujin to worry about the space within three steps that no other absolute peak expert could invade.
"Here I go."
He began with his most confident stance: Apex.
Dang Mujin thrust his sword cleanly.
Or tried to. Elder Yeongbo's wooden sword pressed gently on the tip of Dang Mujin's hand, stopping his arm from fully extending.
Dang Mujin followed with the forms of the Heart-Piercing Sword. The swordsmanship taught by the masked one, the only sword art he knew.
But no form unfolded cleanly. Before any could take shape, Elder Yeongbo extended his sword to preempt and block them all.
He struck the side of the Songmun Superior Sword to deflect its path, tapped pressure points a beat ahead with a charging blade. He rapped the elbow to make the arm flail, aimed at the fingertips to block the sword's advance.
Dang Mujin withdrew his wooden sword and slumped his shoulders.
"Truly remarkable skill. But it leaves me strangely deflated."
Elder Yeongbo replied sheepishly, as if just realizing his mistake.
"Whoops. My apologies. Try again."
This time, Elder Yeongbo didn't smother Dang Mujin's attacks before they formed. Every Heart-Piercing Sword form unfolded crisply. They simply showed no chance of reaching him.
'It defies understanding.'
Not long ago, Hyeon-gong's swordsmanship against the assassins had been impressive.
Clashing with it, every sword seemed blocked.
But Elder Yeongbo's defense was beyond that level.
Dang Mujin knew before even thrusting. Even giving his all, his sword would never touch Elder Yeongbo.
Even perfectly executed forms held no meaning.
It felt like endlessly swinging at a vast lake's waters.
An overwhelming defense that extinguished even fighting spirit, preventing any will to attack from arising.
Elder Yeongbo had no legs, yet neither Flowery Divine Nun nor Nangong Jincheon pitied him. No one called the world unfair.
After swinging at Elder Yeongbo, Dang Mujin finally understood why.
If Elder Yeongbo had legs, that would be proof the world was unfair.
Dang Mujin's swung sword wrapped softly around Elder Yeongbo's blade and slipped from his hand.
Elder Yeongbo neatly set down both swords.
"You see what's off now."
"What's off?"
"The swordsmanship you've learned is filled with resentment and rage. It doesn't suit someone of your gentle nature. Yet now, you're learning resentment and rage. Why are you starting to resemble the swordsmanship?"