Chapter v17c23

“What’s the matter, Hwi? You’re acting unlike yourself, so hesitant.”

Sword Saint Mo Yong Jeong-Cheon asked in a kind voice, pouring tea for his beloved grandson.

“Well… I…”

Mo Yong-Hwi accepted the teacup, his head bowed, fidgeting nervously.

‘Why am I sitting here, calmly accepting tea from my grandfather?’

Was there some hypnotic power in Bi Ryu-Yeon’s words? Otherwise, why was he acting on them the very next day?

“…”

No matter how many times he asked himself, he couldn’t find the answer. Seeing his grandson’s unease, the Sword Saint spoke.

“If you have something on your mind, tell me. You must have something to say, right?”

Experience was indeed a valuable teacher. The Sword Saint accurately pinpointed Mo Yong-Hwi’s inner turmoil.

“Those who act righteously have nothing to fear when they speak. It’s strange to see you, who always meticulously adheres to rules, hesitate to speak to me. I’m curious what’s troubling you.”

His kind words almost brought tears to Mo Yong-Hwi’s eyes. The burden he was carrying was too heavy to bear alone. He was exhausted and wanted to unload it as soon as possible. But it was a secret he couldn’t share easily. Was there a spell more powerful than kind words? The lock on his heart finally opened. And tears flowed freely. He began to tell his grandfather everything that had happened. Once he started speaking, he couldn’t stop.

* * *

“Bwahahahahahahahaha!”

The Sword Saint’s reaction after hearing his grandson’s story was unexpected. He burst into laughter. A loud, hearty laughter, filled with joy and amusement.

Mo Yong-Hwi, startled by his grandfather’s sudden outburst, tried to calm him down, but it was no use. The Sword Saint finally regained his composure after a long bout of laughter.

“Kuk kuk kuk! To think a single sentence could shake your usually stoic mind and drive you to such agonizing contemplation… It’s a very fitting assignment, indeed.”

“Can you call that an assignment?”

“Of course it is. A very difficult one, at that. Hahaha!”

The Sword Saint burst into laughter again. Mo Yong-Hwi, bewildered by the series of incomprehensible events unfolding before him, felt a surge of anger.

“Why aren’t you angry?”

“Hmm? Why should I be angry? There’s no reason for it, is there?”

The Sword Saint said, his expression amused.

“Am I not a worthless grandson who failed to resolutely refuse the order to kill his own grandfather? I deserve to be disowned! Please punish this unworthy grandson according to family law!”

Mo Yong-Hwi cried out, falling to his knees.

“Haha, I can’t understand why I should punish you. Aren’t you my beloved and proud grandson? Why would I punish you?”

“But I’ve disgraced the family name!”

“No, you’ve brought honor to our family. I feel like dancing with joy.”

Mo Yong-Hwi, who had been kneeling like a condemned criminal awaiting his sentence, raised his head abruptly.

“What do you…?”

He stopped mid-sentence, stunned by his grandfather’s words.

“Kill the Sword Saint!”

Mo Yong-Hwi flinched.

“…Did he really say that?”

Mo Yong-Hwi nodded. Denying it wouldn’t change what had happened.

“Yes, I’m ashamed to admit it, but he did.”

He couldn’t even raise his head as he spoke.

“That’s both joyful and sorrowful news!”

His grandfather looked at him with a loving gaze.

“Excuse me?”

Mo Yong-Hwi asked, his eyes wide with confusion. He understood the sorrow. But joyful?

He had been talking about attempted murder.

The Sword Saint continued,

“If he asked you to kill me… sigh…”

He suddenly sighed deeply.

“Haha, I’m overjoyed to know that the person you admire most isn’t the Martial God, nor the Martial God Demon, but this insignificant old swordsman. But it also saddens me to know that I’m a major obstacle to your growth.”

The old man was genuinely happy about the first part, but the second part weighed heavily on his heart. However, he knew that this was a trial everyone had to go through at some point.

“I don’t understand.”

The only thing he was certain of was that they had completely different perspectives on the same words. He couldn’t understand his grandfather’s words and actions because of the gap between their perspectives.

“It means that I’m your limit. You see me as an insurmountable wall.”

“Is that wrong? What’s wrong with respecting my grandfather? I’m still nothing compared to you!”

“Sigh… How could that be wrong? I’m happy about it. But it saddens me that you subconsciously see me as the end, even though I’m not.”

Mo Yong-Hwi had no intention of denying it. It was his pride and joy.

“You’re my lifelong goal!”

He exclaimed, his voice louder than he intended. It was a truth he had never doubted, ever since he first understood the concept of “martial arts” as a child.

But Mo Yong Jeong-Cheon shook his head.

“It was fine until now. But it can’t be that way anymore.”

His voice was firm, brooking no argument.

“I don’t know what path you’re destined to walk. I don’t know what he’s entrusted to you. But I can be certain of one thing.”

Gulp.

Mo Yong-Hwi swallowed nervously.

“The path you must walk… it lies beyond me. You must walk a path I haven’t walked, a path where you must see me as a mere stepping stone.”

His grandfather’s words were a mixture of sorrow and joy. He continued,

“So try it. Try to surpass me, the obstacle in your path. I’ll be waiting for that moment with joy. There would be no greater happiness than to close my eyes under your sword. But as your elder, as someone entrusting the future to you, I will stand in your way with all my might. So try to surpass me if you can. But when you do, you must be prepared to kill me.”

An overwhelming pressure emanated from him, like a towering mountain. It was an aura befitting the title of Sword Saint.

Mo Yong-Hwi shuddered, as if struck by lightning. The model student finally understood. He understood what Elder Hyeok meant by giving him that order.

If he cowered here, it would be the end. Everything he had built would crumble.

He jumped to his feet. With eyes shining like stars, he extended his right hand, holding his sword, and bowed, declaring in a confident voice,

“I, Hwi, will definitely surpass you, Grandfather! I won’t disappoint you!”

“Hahahahahaha, good spirit! That’s what I expect from a descendant of the Mo Yong family. Indeed.”

The Sword Saint was genuinely pleased.

* * *

“Then let’s have a test.”

The Sword Saint said in a casual tone, as if they were going for a stroll.

“A test, sir?”

The Sword Saint nodded lightly.

“Yes, to see where you stand. To confirm your current level of achievement. Well then.”

The next moment, the Sword Saint’s finger pointed at Mo Yong-Hwi’s forehead. Mo Yong-Hwi felt his entire being trapped within that finger, a helpless insect struggling on a giant fingertip. Then a vast blue sky unfolded before him.

“What did you see?”

“I saw the sky.”

Flinch.

Mo Yong-Hwi’s body twitched. He caught a fleeting glimpse of disappointment and regret on his grandfather’s face. It was brief, but he couldn’t have been mistaken.

Why? Why? Why? Questions filled his mind.

“Haha, it seems you’re not ready yet.”

An enigmatic sigh escaped the Sword Saint’s lips.

“I didn’t want to be a shackle holding you back. But it seems I’m a heavier burden than I thought. It’s a shame, a shame!”

‘Ah!’

Mo Yong-Hwi suddenly realized something at his grandfather’s lament.

What was he going to do, trapped in a net like a bird? It was no wonder his grandfather was disappointed. He must have judged him to be lacking in resolve.

He didn’t want to be a grandson who only talked big.

“Wait!”

The Sword Saint’s eyes, still tinged with sadness, turned to Mo Yong-Hwi.

“Please, one more time… one more time, I beg you!”

The Sword Saint gazed into his grandson’s deep, black eyes. Waves of determination surged within those dark depths.

“Alright. But this is the last time. And the second test will be even more difficult.”

As he spoke, the Sword Saint was already holding Mo Yong-Hwi’s sword.

‘H-how did he…?’

Mo Yong-Hwi was startled, having sensed no movement.

The “twig sword” that his grandfather favored was still sheathed at his waist.

This was a warning that it wouldn’t be a simple finger this time. Even though he had reached a level where he was no longer bound by weapons, the aura he exuded with a sword in hand was vastly different.

“Are you ready?”

This would be a trial unlike anything he had faced before. But there was no turning back, and he had no intention of doing so. If he retreated now, he would disappoint his grandfather. And he would become a liar, unable to keep his own word. He didn’t want to be such a pathetic person. He wanted to live with pride.

“I’m ready.”

“Good! Then come!”

Mo Yong Jeong-Cheon thrust his sword forward without a sound. In his hand, it was no longer an ordinary sword.

Mo Yong-Hwi felt a jolt of electricity, so powerful that he thought he was being split in two.

His feet involuntarily tried to step back, but his muscles were frozen, making it difficult to move. He tried to resist, but it was useless.

A terrifying killing intent, sharp enough to pierce his soul, pressed down on him.

‘He’s really going to cut me down!’

The thick killing intent emanating from the tip of the sword was a clear intent to kill.

‘I’m going to die…’

Fear and terror clouded his mind.

* * *

“Additional consultations require additional fees. Still want to continue?”

Bi Ryu-Yeon asked in an annoyed voice, having been rudely awakened from his sleep. Of course, he had already extorted the sleep disturbance fee.

“I don’t care.”

He nodded absentmindedly.

“Good, then follow me.”

He led him to the top of the wall surrounding Cheonmu Academy.

As he opened his eyes against the strong wind, a vast expanse of land unfolded before him.

He pointed a finger towards the horizon.

“What do you see?”

He asked.

“I see the horizon.”

He replied.

“Can you see beyond it?”

“No, I can’t.”

“Then that’s the limit of the earth, isn’t it?”

He shook his head.

“No, it’s not. There’s more land beyond that.”

It was a simple truth. Even a three-year-old would know that.

“Is that so? Then why can you only see that far?”

“Because human vision can only see that far.”

“Human vision, or your own vision?”

He hesitated for a moment.

“My own vision.”

Then his friend pointed in another direction.

“Then what if you climb to the top of that mountain?”

“Then I’ll be able to see what’s beyond the horizon. Beyond the current limits of my vision.”

“That’s strange. Is there something special about that mountain? Why would your vision improve just by climbing to the top?”

Aha! He realized something. He turned his head abruptly to look at his friend, who was looking at him with a calm expression, as if wondering what was wrong.

‘Was it unintentional?’

Impossible. His friend spoke again.

“That’s interesting. So you’re saying your vision didn’t suddenly improve just because you can see beyond the horizon?”

“Of course not.”

“Then it wasn’t your eyes that changed, was it?”

It was obvious.

“…It was your perspective that changed.”

He nodded. And then he said casually,

“That’s how human limitations work. They change when your perspective changes. If you want to see further, you have to climb higher. The key is knowing where the high ground is and how to get there.”

He paused for a moment. He waited patiently.

“It’s the same with human perception.”

He started speaking again. He was now listening intently, something churning within him.

“But those who believe the horizon is the end of the earth won’t bother climbing the mountain. Only those who know there’s more beyond it will climb the mountain, to see what lies beyond.”

He asked again,

“Where is your horizon? Where does the horizon within you lie?”

“Th-that…”

He knew where his horizon was. The ultimate limit he thought he could never surpass, the taboo, the sacred ground, it was…

“Sword Saint Mo Yong Jeong-Cheon, he’s the end I’m striving for.”

He answered without a shred of doubt.

“Well, I could have guessed. And you’re completely vulnerable in front of that old man. You, who’s usually so obsessed with perfection, become a walking disaster. It’s quite entertaining to watch.”

“Th-that’s not true.”

“That’s what you say.”

He dismissed his denial with a single sentence.

“But have you ever imagined going beyond that horizon? Have you ever dared to dream of surpassing it?”

“That…”

He was a god.

Born into the Mo Yong family, raised according to their traditions, he couldn’t even imagine a world beyond the realm of Sword Saint Mo Yong Jeong-Cheon. It would be blasphemy, a grave disrespect. It was just the way things were, regardless of his grandfather’s intentions.

“I’ve never dared to imagine such blasphemy.”

His friend clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“You sound like a blind follower. Did your god personally tell you not to surpass him?”

“N-no, he didn’t! He would never say such a thing!”

His voice rose involuntarily.

“That would be disrespectful…”

He suddenly stopped speaking. Yes, his grandfather had never said such a thing. They had simply assumed it. They were too busy praising and worshipping him to even bother trying to understand his true intentions.

Was that truly what he wanted? How did he feel about them, who only looked up to him? Did he pity them? Was he disappointed?

To arbitrarily define, judge, and decide his feelings? Wasn’t that the real blasphemy? As his unwavering faith wavered, his friend’s words seeped in.

“Just because you scream ‘I believe!’ a hundred times with fanatic eyes doesn’t mean your god will be pleased. But humans love that kind of empty, blind worship, so they assume their god must feel the same way. Isn’t that the ultimate blasphemy, reducing a god to the level of a human?”

“…”

Mo Yong-Hwi couldn’t answer, his conscience pricked.

His friend pointed at the horizon again.

“How can humans know what lies beyond the horizon they haven’t even reached? Without experiencing it firsthand?”

“I don’t know.”

He said,

“It’s because of the human mind’s magnificent power of imagination. Abstraction. The source of abilities like reasoning, analogy, and so on. Thanks to imagination, humans can perceive worlds they haven’t seen, experiences they haven’t had, even if it’s just indirectly. Don’t you think you need to know there’s something beyond the horizon before you can figure out what it takes to see it? So, are you ready to imagine beyond your horizon? Are you ready to shift your perspective? Are you ready to destroy the world your horizon has been containing?”

Words flowed from his mouth, each one striking his mind like a hammer, urging him to wake up.

“Where is the mountain you must climb to see beyond your horizon? You must know its name.”

He was right. He knew the name of the mountain. The name of that colossal mountain was…

“Do you truly desire to climb that mountain?”

Without courage, faith, wisdom, and patience, it would be impossible to climb that mountain.

“Are you ready to climb that mountain? That colossal mountain called Sword Saint!”

Flash!

A spark ignited in his clouded mind.