Chapter 249
Chapter 249
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 249
Chapter Title: Sect Leader
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Hyun-gong instinctively pulled his body back, but he couldn't fully escape the sword's trajectory.
The Songmun High Sword grazed the firmest part of his throat, just barely scraping past his Adam's apple.
His neck burned, and he felt blood trickling down.
"You dodged it."
"Why are you doing this!"
"The calamity you invite with your words won't stop at you—it will engulf all of Wudang Mountain. It's right to act preemptively."
Hyun-gong tried to protest Yeong-bo the Perfected's words, but Yeong-bo was already unleashing the next strike. This time, it was aimed at his chest.
'Damn it!'
Hyun-gong twisted his body immediately.
It looked like he could dodge cleanly at a glance, but Yeong-bo's sword subtly shifted direction mid-motion, ultimately grazing his chest.
The blade had bent midway, so it only just brushed his chest. Still, Hyun-gong felt as if it had dug slightly into his ribs.
If it had gone just two or three inches deeper, it might have pierced his heart.
There was no time to talk now, and even if there were, it wouldn't matter.
From Hyun-gong's experience, once the sword started swinging, things never ended peacefully with words.
*Ching—*
After two evasions, Hyun-gong finally drew his own sword to block the third strike.
But Yeong-bo's sword flexibly twisted direction, slicing across Hyun-gong's forearm. Blood spurted from the fairly deep gash.
As expected, the Songmun High Sword was no ordinary blade.
It was so sharp that he barely felt the blade touch his skin, yet blood welled up from the wound. If there was an upside, it hurt less than a cut from an average sword.
The silver lining was that Hyun-gong wielded a sword forged by Dang Mujin, which allowed him to parry Yeong-bo's blade.
Had he used a normal sword, it would have snapped in two by now.
*Ching, ching—*
This time, he blocked two strikes in succession.
Yet Hyun-gong still couldn't retreat to safety. This was the Hyuncheon Hall, the sect leader's chamber.
Yeong-bo's only weakness was his legs. Unable to stand or move, his sword's reach was inevitably limited.
But Yeong-bo had lured Hyun-gong to the farthest spot from the exit in the Hyuncheon Hall. He must have planned this from the start.
Even in this dire moment, Hyun-gong's mind never stopped analyzing.
'Is this a test?'
It had to be. Yeong-bo wasn't the type to harm someone recklessly. He couldn't have only now realized Hyun-gong's temperament. Yeong-bo had always been above him.
As Hyun-gong's thoughts reached that point, the Songmun High Sword flew toward his eyes.
Startled, Hyun-gong jerked his head back as far as it would go. Even so, the sword nearly grazed his eyes. A chill ran down his spine.
His certainty that this was a test crumbled a chunk.
'First, I have to survive.'
Yeong-bo's sword swept horizontally.
Hyun-gong leaped into the air, laying his body sideways. He barely dodged the horizontal slash.
It was an extremely risky maneuver, but by sheer luck, it worked. For the first time, Hyun-gong seized a chance to counterattack.
*Whoosh!*
Hyun-gong's sword cut through the air toward Yeong-bo the Perfected.
Just as Yeong-bo had done, Hyun-gong fully intended to kill him.
Knowing his sword couldn't pierce Yeong-bo's defenses, he could swing with true sincerity.
*Grind—*
Predictably, Hyun-gong's sword was blocked, scraping briefly before bouncing off.
Hyun-gong immediately extended his left arm, grabbing one of the swords leaning against the wall.
It was the Hyuncheon Sword—the blade that had served as Wudang Sect's sect leader weapon before the Songmun High Sword.
Hyun-gong swung his left arm forcefully through the air, shaking free the scabbard.
'Can the Hyuncheon Sword block the Songmun High Sword?'
No. Impossible. It might work against some hack swinging it, but not in Yeong-bo's hands.
Thus, Hyun-gong used the sword in his right hand—the one Dang Mujin forged—to unleash Taiji Sword, deflecting Yeong-bo's strike.
For a technique performed with one arm, it was remarkably solid defense.
At the same time, his mind pondered what swordsmanship to use with his left arm. The answer was obvious: the foundation of Wudang swordsmanship, the Five Elements Swordsmanship. The style every Wudang disciple trained in the longest and most meticulously.
The sword in his left hand unleashed the Five Elements Swordsmanship, targeting Yeong-bo's openings.
While his right arm blocked Yeong-bo's sword, the left progressed from the first form, Wood Generates Fire (木生火), through the ninth, Fire Overcomes Metal (火剋金), and back to the fourth, Metal Generates Water (金生水).
It was as if one man blocked Yeong-bo's sword while another exploited his vulnerabilities. Yet the two blades never interfered with each other's paths.
A perfect pincer attack unfolded from Hyun-gong's two hands.
Yeong-bo's sword hesitated slightly, then grew fiercer. Hyun-gong quickly fell into disadvantage. The blade skimmed his waist, digging into the flesh of his forearm.
In the end, Hyun-gong's left arm abandoned the Five Elements Swordsmanship for Taiji Sword, focusing purely on defense. Yeong-bo's sword could no longer easily invade his space.
He had come to show off some petty transmission trick, only to end up dual-wielding swords out of nowhere.
Hyun-gong felt as if his mind was burning—or splitting in two. It wasn't mere metaphor.
He sensed his consciousness blossoming brilliantly.
The sticky feel of blood dripping from his nose faded, as did the pain from his bloodied, lacerated body.
As he swung his sword, Hyun-gong simultaneously gauged directions in some incomprehensible, metaphysical realm.
'There is a path forward somewhere.'
He just didn't know which way.
'That way?'
His consciousness wandered, searching for the path ahead.
Still, nothing was visible. No clues.
Yet Hyun-gong was undoubtedly racing toward the next realm. At the very least, he wasn't stagnating in place like before.
A subtle emptiness even crept in. Why had he been stuck in one spot for years?
He hadn't found the path, but infinite possibilities lay before him.
The heaviest shackle had fallen away somewhere. He could advance in any direction he desired.
His whole body tingled.
Mental ecstasy and physical pleasure flooded him at once. It felt like a galaxy of cool waterfalls pounding into his mind.
His heart felt ready to burst with the anticipation that enlightenment would come any moment, like a lie.
Surely, he would reach it someday. If he could just step onto the path, he could go anywhere.
At that moment, Yeong-bo's covertly extended Songmun High Sword slipped between Hyun-gong's fingers and the sword guard—the notch below the blade's spine.
Yeong-bo applied force, flicking the spine. The sword Dang Mujin had made flew from Hyun-gong's hand into Yeong-bo's. Only then did Hyun-gong snap back to reality.
Hyun-gong spoke a bit sluggishly.
"What—"
Yeong-bo drew a deep breath and shouted loudly.
"Return!"
Clarity returned to Hyun-gong's eyes, as usual. But he felt he shouldn't. He deliberately tried to let go of his consciousness again. His gaze blurred once more.
Yeong-bo shouted again.
"Hyun-gong!"
Light returned to Hyun-gong's pupils. He was yanked from his trance.
It was a strange thing, but Hyun-gong resented the situation now. He resented Yeong-bo's sword for stopping without truly threatening his life.
For the first time in his life, Hyun-gong yelled loudly in front of Yeong-bo.
"Don't stop the sword! Just a little more!"
"Assume the full lotus position."
Hyun-gong glared at Yeong-bo, then sat and crossed his legs into full lotus.
The wounds on his thighs and legs split open, making his entire lower body burn with pain.
Hyun-gong closed his eyes, breathed in slow, deep Inhalation, then opened them.
Yeong-bo's usual face came into view.
Yeong-bo spoke calmly.
"Hyun-gong. The ancients said, 'Haste makes waste' (欲速則不達)."
"But it was right there! One step would have been enough. Really!"
"I know. But you must not doubt your efforts or talent. You've refined yourself nearly a decade past the peak of mastery. Don't be impatient. That is the quickest path to heart demons."
Yeong-bo paused. Hyun-gong repeatedly drew deep breaths in and out.
Only now could he smell his surroundings. The familiar scent of the Daoist incense mixed with the metallic tang of blood, creating an unfamiliar aroma.
Hyun-gong's expression turned sulky, like a five-year-old wanting to throw a tantrum.
But he had no memory of even whining to his parents.
Yeong-bo smiled warmly.
"Come here."
Yeong-bo lightly spread his arms, embracing Hyun-gong.
Yeong-bo shared the slightly musty scent unique to an aged man, while Hyun-gong shared the blood droplets from his skin onto Yeong-bo's robes.
Only then did Hyun-gong calm to his usual composure.
Hyun-gong quietly moved behind and sat.
"I knew it was a test."
"Of course."
"A test where I could have died."
"You might have lost an eye or a limb. But for the price of enlightenment, that's not bad."
The near-miss to his eye earlier hadn't been an illusion.
Yeong-bo must have swung half-resigned to whatever happened. The thought oddly made him want to laugh.
Yeong-bo said.
"Your achievement was beyond my expectations. Impressive."
Yeong-bo gauged the bizarre feat Hyun-gong had displayed.
The uncanny ability for one man to wield two swords as if two.
He had never seen or heard of such a marvelous talent.
Yeong-bo was glad such genius belonged to a Wudang Daoist. The sect wouldn't decline anytime soon.
With a faint smile and full conviction, Hyun-gong asked.
"Then, can I stay on Wudang Mountain now?"
But Yeong-bo's answer differed from what he hoped.
"No. Depart."
Hyun-gong panicked.
"Why on earth? Didn't you say I've grown?"
"A splendid growth. But you're the type who stagnates if you settle on Wudang Mountain. Thus, you must not stay."
"I've been away from Wudang Mountain for three and a half years now. Isn't it time to take me back?"
Yeong-bo laughed.
"Who said not to return? I'm saying come back when the time is right."
"You said that last time too. I think now is that time."
"Hyun-gong."
Yeong-bo extended his wrinkled hands, grasping Hyun-gong's blood-soaked ones. Hyun-gong's hand throbbed painfully, making him want to pull away, but the mood didn't allow it.
Yeong-bo said.
"Return when you desperately need my help, or when you feel ready to succeed me."
Hyun-gong's eyes widened.
Succeed him? That meant naming him next sect leader.
The age gap between Yeong-bo and Hyun-gong exceeded forty years. Normally, at least one or two sect leaders would come between them.
Yet Yeong-bo had said it clearly to Hyun-gong. No misunderstanding.
Hyun-gong stammered.
"You know how many seniors rank above me."
Yeong-bo laughed.
"Is that so? I thought you'd strut around as Wudang Sect Leader at a young age. Fine. I'll tell them to pass the position to someone else, then hand it to you when you're old and decrepit."
As Hyun-gong hemmed and hawed, Yeong-bo laughed.
Hyun-gong grinned broadly along with him. Yeong-bo was the only one always above him.
How long had Yeong-bo known his heart's desire, his dream of becoming sect leader?
Yeong-bo handed Hyun-gong a golden sore remedy and said.
"You're too young to hole up on Wudang Mountain. You've even met a good connection by chance— no reason to hesitate. Go out now, see more of the world, and return."
"Understood."
Hyun-gong rose, offered a deep clasped-hands salute to Yeong-bo, and withdrew.
*
When Hyun-gong returned to the guest hall, Dang Mujin and Hong Gyeon gasped at his bloodied appearance.
The man who had left perfectly fine just moments ago had come back drenched in blood.
"Answer this first. Do we need to run right now?"
To Hong Gyeon's question, Hyun-gong replied.
"No. But we have to leave soon."
"Figured you got kicked out."
Hyun-gong pondered how to respond, then chuckled. It wasn't entirely wrong.
"Yeah, something like that."
Dang Mujin sat beside Hyun-gong, applying the golden sore remedy.
It stung each time the salve touched his wounds, but it felt good.
Dang Mujin asked.
"What on earth did you say to make Yeong-bo the Perfected draw his sword?"
Hyun-gong closed his eyes instead of answering.
He recalled being hurled toward enlightenment. He reflected on his exchange with Yeong-bo. A smile naturally spread across his lips.
Instead, Hyun-gong posed a question.
"What if I became Wudang Sect Leader?"
Dang Mujin and Hong Gyeon let out deep sighs.
"Yeong-bo the Perfected drew his sword for the sect's future."
"No use crying injustice since it's your own fault. At least that's fortunate."
Dang Mujin and Hong Gyeon spent a good while afterward praising Yeong-bo's mercy and wisdom.
It was far from the truth. But no matter what his friends chattered, the smile didn't leave Hyun-gong's face.
'Now I'm number one in the hierarchy.'
*
The next day, Dang Mujin and Hong Gyeon realized Hyun-gong had become noticeably arrogant.