A Heavy Journey
Who did he say...?
Who did that old man just say he was? Hearing his words, my brain short-circuited for a moment.
The Sword Emperor? Did he say the Sword Emperor?
The Sword Emperor. Yoo Chun-gil had definitely said those words.
If so, who on earth was he referring to?
No way.
That carriage driver?
Was he calling the driver standing in front of us the Sword Emperor?
Come on... There's no way.
How could something so ridiculous be true? I forced down my trembling and stared at the driver.
The old man, who introduced himself as Chu Dong, not only had a bent back but also possessed a remarkably frail, diminutive build.
He was covered in wrinkles from head to toe, with a body that looked as if it had never held a sword in its entire life.
That man is the Sword Emperor...?
How could I possibly believe that?
Who was the Sword Emperor? He was a figure so legendary that even I, who had absolutely no interest in the Murim, knew of him.
...He was a hero of the Great War between Justice and Evil.
It was the bloodbath instigated by the Heavenly Demon.
Back then, the Heavenly Demon, aiming to overthrow the Martial Alliance and become the supreme ruler of a new world, had led the Demonic Cult in an invasion of the Central Plains.
As history recorded, that war ultimately ended in failure, thwarted by Yoo Chun-gil.
Yoo Chun-gil had slain the Heavenly Demon.
And for that feat, he was hailed as the World's Greatest, the strongest martial artist of all time.
However.
He hadn't done it alone.
Naturally, Yoo Chun-gil hadn't held back the entire Demonic Cult by himself. There were several others who had distinguished themselves in the fight against the cult.
Among them were the monsters now known as the Five Kings of the Realm.
But even aside from them, there were other martial artists who had made monumental contributions to the war effort, just like Yoo Chun-gil.
The Sword Emperor was one of those select few.
The Sword Emperor, Ui Yang-yeon.
Starting as a mere rogue cultivator, he was said to have split the heavens with his sword. At one point, he was considered Yoo Chun-gil's equal—the only martial artist worthy of comparison.
But as soon as the war ended with Yoo Chun-gil slaying the Heavenly Demon, he vanished.
Once the war was over, he abruptly disappeared without a trace.
Many wondered where he had gone so suddenly, and why he had vanished without a single word, but nothing was ever discovered.
So, rumors abounded—some said he died of a chronic illness, others that he was assassinated.
Whatever the case, it was widely accepted that the Sword Emperor was dead.
That was the common consensus.
And now he suddenly pops up here?
If that driver really is the Sword Emperor, why on earth is he here?
Hoping it was just a mistake, I glanced back at Yoo Chun-gil.
"...What is with that guy?"
Yoo Chun-gil looked just as shocked.
...Is it really him?
Suppressing my panic, I looked back at the driver.
As I thought, he was not only emaciated but also looked rather pitiful.
And to top it off...
He only has one arm.
The old man was missing his right arm. A man like that is really the Sword Emperor?
What is going on here...?
How could this be? As I stared at him with deep suspicion, the old man named Chu Dong spoke to me with an embarrassed scratch of his head.
“I may be in this state, but I am confident in my driving skills. Please, have faith in me...”
He seemed to think I was displeased by the fact that a carriage driver was missing an arm.
Well, he wasn't wrong. How does it make sense for a carriage driver to have only one arm?
It was only natural to find it strange.
...The Sword Emperor as a carriage driver...?
If that old man really was the Sword Emperor, as Yoo Chun-gil's reaction suggested...
Wait.
A sudden realization struck me like a bolt of lightning, and I looked back toward the building where Wolseongeom resided.
...Is that why?
I had wondered why he so readily agreed to let the three of us go.
...What if Wolseongeom knew that old man was the Sword Emperor?
If he assigned him to us to act as both a watchdog and a bodyguard, then everything made sense.
Except for one thing.
How on earth did he get the Sword Emperor to agree to this?
But that could easily be explained if the two of them had reached some sort of agreement. Of course, this assumed Wolseongeom knew the whereabouts of the vanished Sword Emperor all along.
Which is entirely possible.
Given the sheer scope of Wolseongeom's influence in the Central Plains, nothing was out of the question.
...So, in the end.
This driver really is the Sword Emperor.
And he's going to act as our driver while hiding his identity.
...This is insane.
Just thinking about it made it hard to breathe. If only I hadn't found out.
Now that I know, I have to walk on eggshells around him too.
Of all people, the Sword Emperor.
Cold sweat trickled down my back. Just as my mind was freezing up from the tension—
“Young hero?”
“—!”
The voice of the Sword Emperor—no, Chu Dong—snapped me back to reality.
“Are you alright? If this old man is truly not to your liking...”
“Oh, no! Not at all, elder,”
I blurted out, waving my hands in a panic.
“It's not about your arm. It's just... the journey to Sichuan is going to be long and grueling. I was worried that driving the carriage might take a toll on your health, elder. I apologize for causing any misunderstanding.”
I focused every ounce of my concentration on my delivery.
Fortunately, my words came out smooth and my voice didn't shake.
“Ah... As expected of you, Young Master. To think you were considering even that.”
Beside me, Cheon Ui-jin nodded with a deeply moved expression, clearly impressed by my response.
What is wrong with this guy? What does he mean, "as expected"? When have I ever done anything like this before?
Cheon Ui-jin's habit of jumping to his own conclusions was annoying enough, but—
“Mmh.”
Do-hyeong patted my shoulder as if he, too, approved of my answer.
I was practically dying of anxiety, and these two were putting on a comedy routine.
“...I see... Thank you for your concern.”
Chu Dong looked at me with a warm, gentle smile.
“I am truly grateful for your worry, young hero. But this old man has been driving carriages for decades. I have yet to meet anyone in Anhui who can handle a horse better than me. Even the esteemed Moonmaster knows this, which is why he entrusted this task to me.”
“...”
Hearing that, I was absolutely certain.
He really is the Sword Emperor.
This old man is the Sword Emperor.
Even if he wasn't, he was undoubtedly a master.
Driving carriages for decades?
It wasn't a matter of whether I believed him or not.
The crucial point was that Chu Dong had mentioned the Moonmaster.
That the Moonmaster knew his skills and entrusted him with this.
Which meant...
...the old man was indeed brought in by Wolseongeom.
It was all the confirmation I needed.
I was stunned.
If Yoo Chun-gil hadn't pointed it out, I would have...
...truly seen him as nothing more than a frail old man.
That was how completely devoid of presence he was.
I couldn't sense a single trace of the distinct aura that masters usually possessed.
A perfectly ordinary old man. In fact, because he was missing an arm, one might even look down on him as less than ordinary.
He looked like nothing more than that, yet he was the Sword Emperor.
...A journey with the Sword Emperor.
And a trip to Sichuan with the Sword Emperor himself driving the carriage, no less.
The sheer pressure of it was already suffocating, but...
“Please... take good care of us, Elder Chu.”
Now that I knew who he was,
there was no way I could refuse.
And so, I climbed into the carriage that would be driven by the Sword Emperor.
The preparations for the carriage were in their final stages, just moments away from departure.
It wouldn't be strange if it started moving at any second.
From inside the Cheongwol Pavilion, Wolseongeom watched the scene through a window.
He didn't need to lean out or strain his eyes to watch.
If he willed it, he could perceive everything perfectly well.
—Please take good care of us, Elder Chu.
Hearing Bang Seong-yeon's reply, Wolseongeom paused his hand.
He had been sorting through a stack of letters. In that brief pause, his eyes gleamed.
He accepted it.
Fortunately, it had gone smoothly.
Then again.
No matter how clever or outstanding the boy was, there was no way he could recognize the old man's true identity.
If there was one thing he had worried about, it was the boy rejecting the driver out of disdain for his missing arm.
It seems that wasn't the case.
Instead, Bang Seong-yeon had shown the old man humility.
With this, his greatest concern was resolved.
After all, the old man had left Wolseongeom with a warning.
'If I don't like him, I will kill him on the spot.'
A whim, and he would end the boy's life.
It was a chilling declaration, delivered with cold certainty.
And it wasn't an empty threat. Wolseongeom knew how tight-lipped the old man was, and that he never spoke in jest. He was certain the warning was entirely genuine.
In that regard, it was a promising start. Just as he was thinking this—
“Are you sure about this?”
At the sound of a melodious voice, Wolseongeom shifted his gaze.
Cheon Hye-in was standing there, looking at him.
Wolseongeom met her gaze with a cold expression.
“About what?”
“Sending only those three. It seems like an important matter... I highly doubt they can get the job done with such a meager force.”
Hearing Cheon Hye-in speak with such feigned concern, Wolseongeom sneered inwardly.
His daughter's little act was almost amusing.
It seems like an important matter?
How absurd.
She undoubtedly knows exactly what is going on.
A girl of her brilliance would have long since uncovered the reason for their journey to Sichuan.
He knew exactly how many eyes and ears she had planted around the sect.
It was laughable that she was playing dumb.
And it was entertaining that she, in turn, likely expected him to know that she already knew.
“Are you saying you disagree with my decision?”
“Not at all. I am simply worried.”
“About what?”
“That my incompetent brother might get in the way and make a mess of things. Or that he'll return even more foolish than before. That kind of worry.”
“...”
At Cheon Hye-in's words, Wolseongeom thought of his son.
A pathetic boy who couldn't even meet his gaze until the very end.
A slight furrow creased Wolseongeom's brow at the memory.
Seeing this, Cheon Hye-in let out a soft sigh.
“But as always, you must have a plan, Father. We wouldn't understand it anyway, and we can only trust that you know best. Isn't that right?”
Wolseongeom did not answer. He merely stared at her with a hardened expression.
The meaning behind his gaze was clear:
Do not cross the line any further.
It was a chilling warning.
Though she understood it perfectly, Cheon Hye-in did not stop.
“I know you are pleased to have a new toy, but I hope you don't get too distracted by it.”
Despite her father's icy glare, she smiled. As she always did.
“After all, no matter how hard he tries, he will never catch up to me. In the end, he will inevitably fall out of your favor, just like my brother did.”
Her voice carried absolute certainty.
Creak.
Cheon Hye-in reached for the doorknob behind her. Wolseongeom had not yet dismissed her.
But to her, such formalities did not matter.
“So, do not place your expectations on him. Keep them on me, just as you always have.”
She stepped out of the room, but Wolseongeom remained silent, watching her leave.
“Because I will always live up to your expectations.”
No matter what they may be.
Cheon Hye-in swallowed her final words as she exited.
“...”
Wolseongeom stared at the closed door for a long moment.
Then, he slowly closed his cold eyes.
He quietly turned her words over in his mind.
A short while later.
—Departing!
—Neigh!
The sound of the carriage starting its journey drifted through the window.
“Hmm...”
With a soft sigh, Wolseongeom realized something.
Of all the things Cheon Hye-in had said before leaving the room,
only a single statement had been the absolute truth.