The Sword Immortal's Soliloquy

Crunch!

Frost began to spread unexpectedly, and the frozen leaves shattered and fell. Seong-jin, his breath now visible in the chilling air, watched as the Hogwi (Tiger Spirits) approached him—spirits that did not exhale.

These were monsters devoid of any trace of life. They were not mere beasts grown large by the energy of the sacred mountain, but true, authentic Yokai (demons).

'At least the beasts that raided the herb garden were alive.'

What use was medicine to those who were already dead? And besides...

The atmosphere of the entire area had shifted drastically since darkness fell. It seemed he was now facing the midnight demons Lee Cheol-goi had warned him about. The Gwiggokseong (Ghostly Wailing) had passed Seong-jin by, leaving only the Hogwi in his path. Given who those spirits had been targeting, the situation was clear.

"The children are in danger."

With that realization, Seong-jin surged his Jin-gi (True Qi). A living creature naturally absorbs energy through eating and breathing, even without practicing internal martial arts. If this energy isn't anchored within the body through cultivation, it escapes with every exhale—the natural cycle of life. However, not all the natural energy inhaled is lost; some accumulates over time. Since even beasts without cultivation methods can form an Naedan (Internal Core) and become spiritual entities, humans are no different.

As he forced this circulating energy to rise, his body, cursed with the Nine-Yin Severed Pulse, began to scream in agony.

'Hold on...!'

Amidst the excruciating pain that felt as if his lifespan were being shaved away in real-time, Seong-jin stood facing the veil of darkness. As the Hogwi behind him lunged, he unleashed his technique.

"...It closes in an instant. Is that the same principle used to repair the Hogwi's bodies?"

As soon as he exited, the gap in the veil sealed itself. It seemed the black demonic energy possessed a property that maintained the original form, much like how it stitched together the broken bodies of the Hogwi. It was like a viscous, highly adhesive liquid. If children were swallowed by such a thing, no matter how much they struggled, their mouths and noses would be blocked, and that would be the end of them.

Seong-jin hurried to pursue the siblings.

Crunch!

The deeper he went in the direction they had fled, the thicker the frost became. Proportionally, the pain from his Nine-Yin Severed Pulse intensified, and his meridians were already showing signs of Juhwa-ipma (Qi Deviation).

'It's because I forced my Jin-gi to rise in such a hurry.'

His underdeveloped body couldn't produce enough power without True Qi, so he had no choice. What mattered now was saving the children before his own body completely collapsed.

Running through the mountain path with optimal movement, Seong-jin caught up to the siblings in an instant. Their feet were frozen to the ground by the frost, and they were screaming. The Chang-gwi (Ghost of a victim of a tiger) stood before them, looking like a drowned corpse.

-I saw small hands, but they weren't yours. Please, take Mother's eyes. Then I can see you. Won't you crawl over here? You need to go back into Mother's womb. It's cold, so cold, your heart keeps crawling around.

The Chang-gwi mumbled incoherently, groping the children. Seong-jin ignored the bizarre behavior and charged at them.

Swoosh!

"...!"

Before he could take more than a few steps, Seong-jin realized his own legs were stuck to the ground, frozen.

"R-run away! You shouldn't come here!"

Even while her brother lay unconscious from a blow, the younger sister spotted Seong-jin and shouted. In a situation where even a full-grown adult would be crying for help in terror, the child was worried about someone else. It was an attitude only possible because she had accepted her own death. Because of that, Seong-jin could not turn away and retreat. He was the one who understood that heart better than anyone.

Crack!

He forced his frozen legs to lift. Even as his skin tore and his muscles twisted, Seong-jin did not stop. One step. Another step. After a massive effort, he grabbed the Chang-gwi's arm. Seeing his own hand begin to freeze from the point of contact, Seong-jin threw the ghost far away.

As the Chang-gwi was pushed back, the cold receded slightly. However, the children's feet were still frozen to the ground. Since he couldn't tear them away like he had done with his own feet, Seong-jin quickly shattered the ice on the floor and scooped up the children, soil and all.

'Heavy.'

Seong-jin's body was light due to his frailty, allowing him to move swiftly with relatively little strength. But with two children added, it felt as if his weight had nearly doubled. At this rate, it would be difficult to move while fending off the Hogwi.

'They revive even if I fight them, and I can't run away. And there's not much time left...'

The state of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Seong-jin's body, having forced his Jin-gi, was deteriorating by the second. His only hope was to defeat the Chang-gwi, who appeared to be controlling the Hogwi.

'If it's just that one, I can somehow...'

Setting the children down and gathering his remaining energy, Seong-jin glared at the flying Chang-gwi, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠prepared for a mutual destruction. But to a ghost that was already dead and left not even bones behind, a physical body meant nothing.

-Warm blood.

Corpses, numbering in the dozens, no, hundreds, covered the mountain and appeared.

"What is this..."

Even Seong-jin, a disciple of an immortal, felt his spirit wither. At this rate, it was meaningless to defeat the visible forms of the Chang-gwi one by one. "Can human martial arts truly not stand against demons?"

Even Seong-jin, who had refrained from pessimistic remarks in front of the children, could not hold it in. A person facing a wild beast instinctively freezes. Even if the mind knows it must run, the legs do not move. The Chang-gwi was the same. The monster eroded the spirit of the witness just by existing. Every time he inhaled, air not of this world dug into his mind. Every time he blinked, things that should not be seen filled his retinas.

The ghost's wailing led the living to the underworld. Like the demon army said to have descended to block the Buddha's enlightenment, the inner demons descended. Ipma (Falling into Demonic Possession). The flow of all things reversed, and his Qi and blood became tangled. His entire body screamed at the recoil of defying the natural order.

"Cough!"

Seong-jin vomited blood. 'This is the precursor to Qi Deviation.' But knowing that fact gave him no way to resist.

-Mother keeps picking up only your footprints that have turned to sand. Why are you still hiding in the wall with your crying voice turned inside out? Your wrists are cold. Come here, come here, Mother will sew them for you.

Countless corpses approached Seong-jin and surrounded him. With fingernails sharp as needles, they pierced his skin and stitched wood and gravel into his flesh. The agony of having his entire body sewn together without being able to move a single finger. If he tried to let go of his mind due to the pain, the True Qi surging from within triggered Qi Deviation; if he tried to calm his mind and settle the Qi, the physical pain hindered him.

Even in pain that made him wish for death, Seong-jin collapsed over the children to prevent the Chang-gwi's hands from reaching them, shielding them with his own body. If he died, the next would be these children. 'Even if I die, I cannot die.'

If someone were to stir his brain with a red-hot poker, would it feel like this? Amidst the agony that blurred his consciousness, Seong-jin endured and endured, and finally, he found the light.

-I clearly told you not to come out of the hut after the sun sets.

A pure white line was drawn over the veil that had covered the sky like a black night. The light, shining brilliantly like starlight, was bright enough to be seen clearly even beyond the veil of darkness, and it fell toward the ground as fast as a meteor.

The voice, which had sounded like a telepathic message from afar, turned into a physical voice as the meteor tore through the veil and fell.

"A person from the outside has drifted in."

The meteor that fell to the ground was in the shape of a sword. Riding on that sword was Sunyangja, whom Seong-jin had met when he first arrived here. It was only natural, considering he was an immortal famous for his Eogeom-sul (Sword-Controlling Art).

Sword Immortal Yeo Dong-bin. That was the name the people of the outside world called Sunyangja.

"Have you forgotten that you are the only human permitted to enter this place?"

"The children have done nothing wrong. I am the one who drove these innocent children here, so it is all my fault."

Seong-jin hurriedly defended the children, looking at Yeo Dong-bin, who was approaching with his sword.

"Those children must be the ones Cheol-goi has been taking in. Since he is the one who broke the laws of the Immortal Realm, there is no need for you to defend them."

However, Yeo Dong-bin spoke as if he knew exactly what the situation was. Only then did Seong-jin realize why Lee Cheol-goi had told him not to catch the beasts raiding the garden.

'Was he turning a blind eye to the children digging up spiritual herbs to make a living?'

Yeo Dong-bin turned back to the Chang-gwi and spoke to Seong-jin.

"The affairs of immortals belong to immortals, and the affairs of humans belong to humans. Breaking the law was Cheol-goi's doing, so it is a matter unrelated to you."

The immortal, who had been like a rock, extended a finger, and black light pierced through the Chang-gwi. That was the end of it. With just a single gesture, Yeo Dong-bin had defeated the fearsome evil spirits.

"I will clean this up. You look to be in poor condition, so go and tend to your body."

As the immortal waved his hand, the sword that had pierced the Chang-gwi flew to Seong-jin, carrying him aloft. Eogeom-bihaeng (Sword-Flying). Seong-jin, having tasted the arts of the Immortal Realm, which were different from Lee Cheol-goi's Chukji-beop (Earth-Shrinking Method), hurriedly spoke to Yeo Dong-bin.

"W-wait. The children's condition is more critical than mine!"

Seong-jin shouted, looking at the siblings he had left behind, but Yeo Dong-bin did not look back.

"That is a matter unrelated to you."

Seong-jin was the only human permitted to enter Mount Bongnae. Yeo Dong-bin had clearly drawn the line. "These children are not permitted to enter Mount Bongnae, so I will send them back immediately."

"But if those children don't receive treatment...!"

"Their limbs will likely necrotize and fall off from frostbite. However, even if they have to live as beggars for the rest of their lives, they will not die."

The immortal, who had lived for a long time, had a heart like a rock; the rock did not pity the falling leaves, but simply held its position in silence.

"So, are you saying you will drive them out without treating them, even though you can?"

The moment he realized that fact, Seong-jin did not attempt to negotiate, but instead grabbed the sword he was riding. He absorbed the True Qi imbued in the sword into his body. He calculated the formula through the pain. Since the sword was already filled with True Qi, all he needed was his will.

'I will overwrite the immortal's sword-controlling art with my own will!'

Just pouring in a single thread of will was enough to shift the direction of the sword. Seong-jin, who had turned the sword back toward the children, could not reduce his speed and crashed into the ground.

"Ugh!"

Seong-jin, who had rolled ungracefully on the floor, stood up staggering, scooped up the children, and began to walk.

"Where are you going?"

"I am going to the village."

"And what will you do there?"

"I will find a physician. You said the affairs of humans belong to humans, so do not stop me, Immortal."

Seong-jin, on the verge of Qi Deviation, held the children with trembling arms. He didn't even have the strength to clench his teeth, and blood mixed with saliva flowed from his parted lips. Yeo Dong-bin watched Seong-jin without stopping him. What was reflected in his eyes was not Seong-jin, but the ghosts of the past. Himself, who had become an immortal and lived an eternal life, and his family, who had not. The old memory of carrying his children, who had left before him, to bury them, overlapped with Seong-jin carrying the siblings.

After watching that sight for a long time, Yeo Dong-bin eventually closed his eyes, unable to bear it.

"...Get on."

"I will not."

"What kind of physician would be in a mountain village? Stop talking nonsense and get on quickly. Are the children not suffering?"

"...?!'

Seong-jin looked back at Yeo Dong-bin, surprised by those words, and Yeo Dong-bin looked away, staring at the distant mountains. As Seong-jin, bewildered, entrusted his body to the sword with the children, Yeo Dong-bin climbed on behind him and took them away himself using Eogeom-bihaeng.

"Your father gave up everything to save you, so why do you treat your own life so lightly?"

"Although I have not lived as long as you, Immortal, I do not believe a human life is that light."

Seong-jin answered the immortal while taking off his outer garment to wrap the hands and feet of the sleeping children. "I believe that what you do while alive is more important than how long you live. You might think I'm finding comfort in nonsense because I'm a kid who won't live ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠long anyway, but that is what I think."

Yeo Dong-bin looked at the child, born with the Nine-Yin Severed Pulse and having little time left to live. If there was anyone who could define human life, it would not be the immortal who had ceased to be human, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but this child who had to face life and death clearly from birth.

"You have Hyeop (Chivalry) in you."

After a long silence, Yeo Dong-bin opened his mouth. "However, your Mu (Martial Arts) is still lacking to carry out your will."

"Pardon?"

"Then I shall become your Mu."

Yeo Dong-bin began to recite the formula on the spot. "The Cheondun Sword Technique is a martial art that hides oneself from the heavens. Its essence lies in connecting heaven and earth."

"W-wait, is teaching the Taoist path to a human of the lower realm not a violation of the Bongsin Covenant?"

"I am merely talking to myself. Even if a bird or a tree nearby happened to hear that voice, one cannot be held accountable for a crime."

In short, he meant he was talking to himself, not giving a lesson. "The Bongsin Covenant forbade immortals from passing on the Taoist path to humans, but it did not forbid humans from awakening to the Taoist path themselves and becoming immortals."

If Seong-jin could awaken to the Taoist path through the martial arts practiced by immortals... "If one born with a short-lived constitution can awaken to enlightenment and undergo Hwangol-taltae (rebirth of the bones) into an Seongol (Immortal Bone), they will be able to become an immortal and change their heavenly fate."

If it is more important how you lived rather than how long you lived, then a life that struggled to the end to survive would not be all bad.

"Gwonseon-jingak (Encouraging good and punishing evil) is not a simple moral rule. If one who has accumulated enough good deeds offers a sacrifice to heaven in the correct way, they can obtain enlightenment in the Taoist path, and the Seongsan Peak at the In-month and In-hour would be good for that in the near future."

Even if the child who heard this soliloquy visited Seongsan Peak and peeked at the ritual, it would only be a coincidence, not a teaching.

"...I will keep that in mind."

Thus, Seong-jin welcomed his second master.