episode_0067

Yeonjin hesitated at the sudden suggestion.

But Jin Seong-yeon’s expression was very serious.

It was a suggestion that he brought up quite seriously after not forgetting the conversation he had had with Yeo Il-gyu in passing.

Considering Jin Seong-yeon’s characteristically expressionless attitude, distribution, and status, it may have been closer to forceful behavior than intended, but it was not a proposal that would be detrimental to Yeon-jin.

If you are the head of the Taoist school of Hwagyeong, you are worthy of the nickname Geomseon.

Furthermore, if it is an anonymous form that does not have enemies in the sect and inherits Jin Seong-yeon’s personal wisdom rather than the martial arts of Jongnampa, then it is a proposal that is truly without any disadvantages.

There are many people who would pay a fortune to hear even a single piece of enlightenment gained by a master of the Hwagyeong realm.

But Yeonjin, who had been hesitating, said.

“… … I already have a teacher.”

“I see. That’s too bad.”

Jin Seong-yeon whetted her appetite.

If there is no teacher, then it may be understandable, but even if there is a teacher, it is not the right thing to do as a leader of a political party to forcefully enforce something.

Immortal, just as a loyal subject cannot serve two kings, it is impossible for him to have two teachers.

However, Jin Seong-yeon, who still could not give up his foolishness, asked.

“Then there is no need to take him as a teacher. It is not strange that someone has already taken notice of him since he is a rough diamond rolling on the street, but what if you don’t need to take him as a teacher?”

Jin Seong-yeon stared at Yeon-jin.

It went a little differently than planned. It would be even stranger if someone of that age had the talent to reach that level, but had no one to lead them up until now.

If there was a master who had already passed away, the plan to take him as a disciple was neatly folded, and the plan was to switch to teaching a young sprout with great talent.

Even though he belongs to a different sect and has enemies, he already knows what chivalry is while traveling the martial arts world as a man at such a young age, so it would be a good idea to teach him.

“Is it okay if I don’t take you as my teacher? … ?”

“It is a literal meaning. If I were to share my insights with you as a disciple of Hwagyeong, not as an anonymous disciple, and as a chief of the Jongnam faction, wouldn’t the story be different?”

“… … .”

Yeonjin tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

You don’t have to become my disciple, but I will share the enlightenment I have gained.

It’s a good story.

It was too much for Yeonjin to receive without any reward to be called a one-sided favor.

Sharing the wisdom gained by a swordsman who has reached the realm of Hwagyeong.

It may sound nice, but aside from the secret vision of Jongnam, isn’t it actually a story of learning martial arts from Jin Seong-yeon?

Just as it becomes an earring when hung on the ear and a nose ring when hung on the nose, it is not much different from the first proposal except that it does not have the title of disciple.

“Hmm.”

Yeonjin took a short nap.

It would be foolish to refuse this. It was such an attractive condition. If you are currently learning martial arts and such, and you don’t need to become a disciple, then it would be natural to accept it.

Yeonjin nodded.

“If you would do that, I would consider it an honor for the rest of my life.”

“That’s a wise decision.”

Only then did a satisfied smile appear on Jin Seong-yeon’s lips.

If he participates in this Yongbong branch, it will not be difficult to win a prize, and he has enough skill to aim for the championship.

If Yeonjin confidently wins, I can just add a word or two.

I recognized that child’s talent early on and taught him a few lessons.

He is a rare talent these days, and he is also a naturally gentle and kind child, so other old farts in the family will surely envy him.

Here, the corners of Jin Seong-yeon’s mouth rose slightly.

* * *

They say that if you’re unlucky, even if you fall backwards, your nose will break.

And in my case, if I was lucky and fell forward, would it be okay if my face was fine?

Actually, I was still a bit dazed.

Why on earth do you think you can learn a few things from me without becoming my disciple?

“Am I just being popular with adults? Why is everyone so upset because they treat me so badly?”

No matter how much I think about it, this is the only thing that makes sense.

I’ve never really felt anything like that in my past life, but actually, I’ve felt that way with the Great Guardian Dharma and the Vice-Cult Leader.

There’s a huge difference in our age and rank within the Demonic Cult, but I’m slowly climbing up to a level where I feel like it’s okay, and he says yes and no.

Could we consider Jongnampa Jang Moon-in to be in a similar vein?

If you think about it that way, it makes sense.

Anyway, since I decided to learn a few things from the head of the Jongnam faction, some changes to the schedule were unavoidable.

Jang Moon-in was originally scheduled to attend the closing ceremony of the Yongbong branch, but he changed his schedule to attend the opening ceremony while he was teaching me on the way to Haenam Island.

As a result, the number of participants, guides, and even a few elders to accompany the leader and the leader will be included in the Yongbong branch of the Jongnam faction.

And there were about thirty people there, including me who was there for a bit of a reason.

In this way, the journey from Jongnam Mountain to Haenam Island began.

As I said before we left, my sister and the Great Guardian will follow me, but since they are long, they will follow me from a distance, so it will be difficult for me to detect their presence at my level.

Maybe we’ll meet again when we go to Haenam Island? Well, let’s think about that then.

As I had recommended in advance, as soon as I checked into my accommodations and unpacked on the first day, it was time to give Jang Moon-in one-on-one martial arts lessons.

“What do you think a sword is?”

“Sword, sword… … .”

In the first training session, where I was very nervous about getting the first button right, Jang Moon-in immediately threw out this topic.

What is a sword?

In response to a question that was almost like a riddle, I just expressed my thoughts that I had been keeping in my mind.

“I think it’s a black sword.”

“Why?”

“Because in the end, the sword is nothing more than a tool to be wielded.”

It’s a black tool.

It is a sharp blade made to harm people, and its utility changes depending on how it is held and wielded.

If you unfold the Bokma Yorae Sword with the same sword, it becomes the sword of the Doctrine of the Mean, symbolizing the mercy of Buddhism, and if you unfold the Mucham Nanga Sword, it becomes the murderous sword of a murderer who kills anyone he touches.

If the uses of a sword vary depending on how you hold it and swing it, then in the end, the sword is nothing more than a tool.

Jang Moon-in nodded at the answer given with that in mind.

“You are right. The sword is just a tool, depending on who is wielding it. A sword wielded by a thief seeking wealth is just a sword, and a sword wielded by a shaman or a Taoist priest seeking enlightenment is also just a sword.”

“A tool that changes depending on how you use it. I think so too.”

“Have you ever thought about this? The reason why the Taoist priests of the main sect swing their swords is to use the sword as a means to attain enlightenment and awaken to the way of Zen. Why, why do they use a tool for cutting people as a means to attain enlightenment? That kind of thought.”

“That’s… ….”

“It was a thought that I had kept in my heart for a long time. Why is it that in order to attain the path of Zen, it is necessary to swing a sword instead of constantly practicing? And it was only after this much time had passed that I was able to come to a certain conclusion.”

“What do you mean by conclusion… … ?”

I realized it intuitively.

A conclusion that Jang Moon-in reached after pondering and continuously researching for many years.

That must be the martial art he wants to pass on to me.

The martial arts of the Jongnam faction, such as the Cheonha 36 Swords, are a secret that cannot be passed on to outsiders, no matter how senior the disciple, so it was clear that the sword he was trying to pass on to me was a sword that had been completed solely through the personal enlightenment of Jin Seong-yeon.

I looked at Jang Moon-in with a slight excitement in my heart about learning new martial arts.

“Black tool. If the process of swinging a sword is ultimately one of the means to attain enlightenment, then there was no need to be obsessed with the grand ideal of attaining enlightenment.”

“What do you mean when you say there was no need to be buried?”

“Let’s say you’re climbing a mountain. If you have excellent stamina and can climb the hill with great strides, but on the other hand, if I have poor stamina and it takes me four times as long to climb, taking a break halfway up the mountain, isn’t that the same as climbing the mountain?”

“If the process only focuses on the results, then it can be seen as the same result.”

“The conclusion I reached was the same. In the end, if the result is the same, what does it matter what the process is? Didn’t Master Imje say that once? When a practitioner meets the Buddha, he must kill the Buddha.”

Jang Moon-in continued speaking in his characteristically dry tone.

“In the end, the only thing that matters is the result. Just as you have to kill the phantom disguised as Buddha to reach the essence of liberation, there is no need to loftily package the process of following the grand ideal of attaining enlightenment. That is why I was able to weave the sword that will be used against you.”

And with those words, Jang Moon-in drew his sword.

‘It’s a little difficult to breathe… … .’

He simply pulled out his sword, and even though he wasn’t pointing it at me, my hands and feet started to tingle and I felt a sense of pressure.

This is the presence of the giants of this era, which comes from the enormous difference in realm called Hwagyeong.

This is something that has already happened once during Ambassador Hyun-Heo’s time, but fortunately, this time he didn’t show the shameful sight of his hands and feet trembling.

Whether I was trembling or not, my body was frozen under pressure, and Jang Moon-in assumed an invisible imaginary enemy and stepped forward.

A herbivore who slows down and demonstrates with consideration for even me, whose level is far below his own, so that I can see.

He thrust his sword in a jockey style, aiming for the opponent’s vital point, and then immediately took the direction the opponent was avoiding, and continued with a torrential series of strikes.

Dozens of sword shadows writhing and erupting from a single sword.

It wasn’t about cleverly mixing up the facts and misleading the opponent, as I used to do.

‘… … It’s an incredibly fast sword.’

It wasn’t just a simple illusion, but an extremely fast sword strike that overlapped the attacks so fast that it looked like an illusion sword, even at a speed that was considerate enough for me to see clearly.

The first strike followed the second, flowing like water, and the essence of the quick sword continued one after another.

After demonstrating exactly fourteen such techniques, Jang Moon-in slowly drew his sword.

“What did you feel when you saw it?”

“This is… … .”

The tail of the horse was blurred.

Taking the direction that the opponent will avoid was one of the characteristics of the Jongnampa Cheonhasamshipyukgeom that had become ingrained as a habit and had not been erased.

At first glance, it looks like a mirrored sword, but in reality, it is not a mirrored sword, and one of its characteristics is that it is an incredibly fast sword.

But just now, I felt it completely.

Isn’t this the kind of swordsmanship that a senior member of the old school would use?

“… … It’s definitely an amazing swordsmanship, but can I tell you my honest impressions?”

“Tell me exactly what you feel.”

“It may be because my taste is lacking, but to me it looks like a sword… … .”

Salgeom.

It is a sword that is used to thoroughly attack the enemy in real combat and ultimately take away their lifeblood.

I was cautious about bringing up the subject, wondering if I might have gone against Jang Moon-in’s wishes.

The corners of Jang Moon-in’s mouth went up slightly.

“You saw it. This is the nameless sword that I recently completed, yet to be named. It is a sword that pursues the path of defeat instead of the path of the king, and focuses on thoroughly defeating the opponent. If you can master it, it will be enough to save your life. ”