The Eye of the Moon
In the lingering silence, everyone stared at Bang Seong-yeon.
"…Uh…"
"…What in the…"
Only after some time had passed did a reaction finally ripple through the crowd.
As if finally snapping out of their daze, they began to react one by one, their eyes trembling.
"Senior Brother Seong… lost?"
"This makes no sense… Junior Brother lost? To that young…"
The speaker, choked with shock, quickly shut his mouth. It was not a place where one could speak carelessly.
Doubt clouded everyone's eyes.
It was only natural. The scene was hard to believe even after witnessing it firsthand. The clash had lasted only a few exchanges. Even then, while Seom Seong-gyeong had fought desperately to keep up, Bang Seong-yeon had only swung his sword twice—once at the beginning, and once at the very end.
This meant he had neutralized Seom Seong-gyeong in just two moves.
How was that even possible?
They could not comprehend it despite seeing it with their own eyes. And this was true for another observer as well.
'…How?'
The Sowol Daeju, who had been watching closely, felt the same bewilderment.
'To shatter the Moon Wave like that.'
Seom Seong-gyeong had used a feint to disrupt the flow of movement, seizing the opening to unleash the Moon Wave.
Since the Moon Wave required a swift, powerful horizontal slash, it demanded a significant twist of the hips. The feint must have been a tactic to buy the necessary time for that motion.
'It was a good choice.'
In the Sowol Daeju's estimation, it had been a solid strategy.
Thanks to that, he had been able to execute a more refined sword path. It was undoubtedly a flawless execution.
'Then what on earth did he do?'
The Sowol Daeju could not understand how Bang Seong-yeon had countered it.
More precisely, he could not comprehend the method Bang Seong-yeon had employed.
'He shattered the Moon Wave.'
The moment Seom Seong-gyeong unleashed his technique, Bang Seong-yeon had swung his sword.
'And then?'
The Moon Wave was shattered.
It wasn't a matter of deflecting or parrying the technique.
'He literally broke it.'
He had destroyed the technique itself.
The instant the sword path gained momentum, he struck upward, completely breaking Seom Seong-gyeong's posture.
'…How is that even possible?'
It wasn't before the momentum had built; it was after the flow had already been established.
The hips were already halfway through the rotation, and the sword qi had bloomed. To shatter that with an upward strike? That was a feat barely possible even with an overwhelming gap in cultivation realms.
Perhaps he himself could have done it without much trouble, but...
'For that young man to achieve it…'
Was it because Bang Seong-yeon possessed overwhelming power compared to Seom Seong-gyeong?
The Sowol Daeju did not think so.
No matter how closely he observed, Bang Seong-yeon's cultivation realm was lower than Seom Seong-gyeong's.
Then, what exactly had happened?
Figuring it out wasn't difficult. It was simply hard to believe.
'…Without wasting a single shred of unnecessary strength, he anticipated every movement.'
No matter what Seom Seong-gyeong intended.
And no matter what technique he executed, Bang Seong-yeon predicted it all, moving half a step—sometimes a full step—ahead.
Whether it was speed or power, it was meaningless if it failed to connect.
If it was a force he couldn't block, he deflected it.
He ensured that a sword meant to strike home never reached its target.
While this perception of flow was a fundamental skill every martial artist should possess...
'At his age?'
A youth who hadn't even reached twenty.
For a martial artist without proper combat experience or a high cultivation realm to achieve this was logically impossible.
Yet, Bang Seong-yeon had done it.
What could one possibly call this?
He already knew the answer.
'Overwhelming talent.'
A brilliant, towering light that rendered both experience and cultivation realm meaningless.
'…Could it be?'
Did that young man truly possess such a gift?
It was unbelievable, and he did not want to believe it. However...
"……."
The Sowol Daeju could not bring himself to deny it. Had he not witnessed it with his own two eyes?
And he was not the only one.
The squad members who had watched the duel were all utterly speechless.
They, too, must have realized.
Just how immense the value of the potential Bang Seong-yeon had displayed was.
Just then.
"Do I need to keep doing this?"
Bang Seong-yeon spoke, breaking the silence as he addressed the Moonmaster.
At those words, the Sowol Daeju quickly looked at the Moonmaster.
Wolseongeom was staring at Bang Seong-yeon with an inscrutable gaze.
'…Oh, no.'
Seeing this, the Sowol Daeju lamented inwardly.
Though Wolseongeom appeared calm on the surface, the Sowol Daeju knew better.
This was the calm before the storm.
The precipice of a tempest that could erupt at any moment.
That was exactly the state Wolseongeom was in right now.
Just one more step, a mere inch further, and it would all blow up.
The Sowol Daeju was on edge. Knowing the Moonmaster, if he lost his temper here, there would be no turning back.
"Bang Seong-yeon."
He called out. Bang Seong-yeon tilted his head and looked back at the Moonmaster.
"I have one question for you."
"Make it quick. I don't have all day."
"Gasp—!"
"How dare he—!"
Gasps echoed around at Bang Seong-yeon's reply.
How could he speak so insolently to the Moonmaster?
Everyone looked at Wolseongeom with trembling eyes, but the Moonmaster himself remained expressionless.
Seeing this, the Sowol Daeju felt a sinking feeling.
'Am I too late…?'
Judging by the reaction, it seemed it was already too late, but the Sowol Daeju desperately prayed otherwise.
"The form you just used. Was it indeed the Night Moon?"
Hearing the question, Bang Seong-yeon smirked.
"Did it not look like it to you…?"
The way he trailed off at the end was slightly odd, but before anyone could dwell on it, Wolseongeom continued.
"It differed greatly from the known Night Moon. Is that the martial art left behind by the Elder?"
"…!"
The crowd reacted instantly to the question. The martial arts left behind by the Sword Saint.
Every gaze locked onto Bang Seong-yeon.
However...
"Ha."
Bang Seong-yeon suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing the question.
At this, the Moon-Line Sword’s brows furrowed.
"What is so amusing?"
"How could I not laugh…? Ah, my apologies if you didn't mean it as a joke."
Bang Seong-yeon waved his hand dismissively with a sly grin. What is this? Was he always this kind of person?
"It's just a bit ridiculous."
"Ridiculous?"
Just as Wolseongeom's voice began to carry a hint of real anger at the increasingly insolent remarks...
"Strive endlessly to become the moon."
At Bang Seong-yeon's words, Wolseongeom closed his mouth once more.
"I believe that is the creed of Cheongwol Gate… or rather, the words spoken by the great and illustrious Sword Saint, Elder Yoo Chun-gil. Am I wrong?"
"You are correct."
"Then why ask when you already know that?"
This time, it was the Sowol Daeju who furrowed his brow at Bang Seong-yeon's words.
He couldn't make heads or tails of it.
"It doesn't matter what the movements look like, or what path the sword takes. What truly matters is..."
Slick! Bang Seong-yeon spun the sword half a turn and slid it back into its scabbard.
Click.
"What kind of moon you will rise with your own sword. Isn't that the real point?"
"……."
Silence fell over the courtyard. The looks directed at him were a mix of various emotions.
Most were wide-eyed with shock, though hints of displeasure and bewilderment flickered among them.
Sensing this, Bang Seong-yeon—no, Yoo Chun-gil—smiled.
There were some things that never changed, no matter how much time passed.
"Does that answer your question?"
"…Yes."
Among the crowd, Wolseongeom stared at Bang Seong-yeon with particularly startled eyes.
His blue eyes, initially calm, began to churn like a rising storm.
Noticing this, the Sowol Daeju let out a low groan.
'Oh, no…'
It was too late. He was sure of it.
"So, do you need anything else?"
"No."
Wolseongeom replied.
"It is enough. I admit my mistake. My judgment was flawed."
Wolseongeom smiled. The surrounding disciples flinched at the sight.
Cheon Hye-in's expression was particularly dramatic. She stared at her father with utter disbelief.
"You pass."
"Hmm."
Bang Seong-yeon nodded at Wolseongeom's declaration.
His expression suggested he had expected nothing less from the start.
"You should be satisfied with this, right?"
Following a quiet murmur, Bang Seong-yeon's head suddenly drooped.
And a split second later.
"Ah."
Bang Seong-yeon raised his head again. He looked down at the collapsed Seom Seong-gyeong.
In that moment.
"…Holy crap."
Bang Seong-yeon muttered something incomprehensible.
Normally, people would have wondered what he meant.
But right now, no one paid any attention to his odd phrasing.
They simply couldn't afford to.
They were still reeling from the aftermath of the shockwave, and amidst this whirlwind...
Bang Seong-yeon had defeated a member of the Sowol Squadron and earned his place in their ranks.
He was eighteen years old.
The youngest in the history of Cheongwol Gate.
When the duel with Seom Seong-gyeong ended and I regained control of my body, my very first thought was simple.
'That was insane…'
Absolutely insane.
I couldn't help but marvel throughout the entire fight. It was amazing enough that he had dodged all those chaotic strikes with my sluggish body.
But what happened during the clash was even more unbelievable.
Returning to my quarters as if my soul had been sucked out, I immediately questioned Yoo Chun-gil.
"What on earth was that…?"
Not the victory, nor the new sword form he had demonstrated.
Not even the fact that I had defeated a martial artist of the Sowol Squadron crossed my mind right now.
Only one thing occupied my thoughts.
"How was that possible? No, how did you even see it?"
[Hmph.]
Yoo Chun-gil snorted at my reaction. He looked incredibly smug, which usually would have annoyed me, but I had to let it slide for now.
[My boy. Did I not tell you?]
Yoo Chun-gil smiled.
[If you could just endure it back then, a whole new world would surely unfold before you.]
"……."
I couldn't say a word.
Because I couldn't deny it. Yoo Chun-gil was right.
During the duel, a new world had indeed unfolded before my eyes.
That was why it was so hard to believe.
"…That's why I'm asking."
Just how?
"Why could I see all the sword paths?"
The countless threads of sword paths that had spread out during the duel.
I couldn't forget that sight.
To me—or rather, to the eyes of Yoo Chun-gil who was controlling my body—every single movement of Seom Seong-gyeong's sword was completely visible before it even happened.
[Did you find it fascinating?]
"…Yes."
How could I not?
With that vision, Yoo Chun-gil had dodged Seom Seong-gyeong's sword.
Every single strike, with the most minimal movements.
Not a single one of those numerous, sharp slashes had even grazed my clothes.
What was going on? It was the question I had wanted to ask throughout the entire duel.
Seeing the opponent's sword path in its entirety.
There was nothing more absurd than that.
Yoo Chun-gil answered my silent query.
[It is the blooming of the Moon Eye.]
"…Blooming?"
[Yes. It means the Blue Moon Pill you consumed has finally settled properly into your body.]
The Blue Moon Pill I had eaten back in what I called the snack pantry.
Did eating just one of those cause all this?
"…Was the Blue Moon Pill really that amazing?"
[Of course. It is the Blue Moon Pill, after all.]
"No, but..."
It wasn't like the Great Pill or the Jasodan, which granted immense internal energy upon consumption.
But to make the opponent's attack path visible to the eye?
"Where else does such a cheat-like elixir exist? Does that mean everyone who eats the Blue Moon Pill gets this ability?"
[Uh...]
Yoo Chun-gil hesitated for a moment at the question. What? Is that not the case? Then why did it happen to me?
Just as my mounting questions were about to turn into suspicion...
[Y-Yes, of course.]
Yoo Chun-gil gave a rather half-hearted response.
What was with that reaction?
"Old man?"
[Of course it's amazing! That is why it is a divine pill reserved only for the Moonmaster.]
"……."
It felt like he was hastily covering his tracks, so I glared at him, but his last words caught my attention, so I let it go for now.
Right. Now that I thought about it.
"…A divine pill reserved only for the Moonmaster."
The Blue Moon Pill was said to be something only the reigning Moonmaster of each generation could consume.
'Wait a minute…'
As that thought crossed my mind, another question arose.
It was strange when I really thought about it.
"Hey, old man."
[Oh, what is it?]
Sensing that I had realized something, Yoo Chun-gil's voice wavered slightly.
"If the Blue Moon Pill is only for the Moonmaster… what about Wolseongeom?"
[Hmm?]
"Did he eat one too?"
[Ah, that?]
Yoo Chun-gil let out a sigh of relief. It seemed my question was different from what he had anticipated. What exactly had he been so nervous about?
"Since the next Moonmaster has to eat it too, does that mean there were more of these divine pills…?"
[The one you ate was the last one.]
"…What?"
[The current Moonmaster was supposed to eat it, but I stole it beforehand. So the one you ate was the very last one.]
"…So, Wolseongeom never got to eat it?"
[Most likely, yes. Hahaha! He is probably still searching high and low for where the Blue Moon Pill went. Hahahaha! My bad, my bad!]
I covered my face and let out a deep sigh.
"Don't laugh like it's a good thing, you crazy old man…"
It was the moment another secret was added to the list of things I could never, ever let anyone find out.