episode_0071

Completely unrelated to Yeonjin’s wishes, it was purely due to a fight over pride between Jongnam and Hwasan that the Jasodan and fifteen-year sealing was placed on his shoulders.

And since it was a story brought up by two elders in a public setting, the story was immediately spread by those who were elders or higher of each sect present.

Of course, to Yeonjin, the person involved.

“… … So that’s how it turned out.”

Yeo Il-gyu avoided eye contact as if he had no face.

“So what you’re saying, Elder, is that if I fight the Hwasan faction’s later index and win, Hwasan will give me the Jasodan, and if I lose, Jongnam faction will seal me up for fifteen years?”

“… … Yeah.”

Yeo Il-gyu nodded, avoiding eye contact in embarrassment.

Whether it’s Jongnam or Hwasan, the ones who committed the crime were Jin Seong-yeon and Cheon Yang-jin.

Why is it that shame and embarrassment are the lot of practitioners?

It seems like they’ve put too much at stake in the proxy war between the later indices just because of a fight over pride.

As a respectable adult, Yeo Il-gyu was embarrassed to raise his head.

“I’m sorry. The priest has hated Hwasan from the beginning. But since they are from the same clan, it would be good if they started to improve their relationship to a reasonable level. Since the incident in the past, he has not tried to get along with Hwasan at all.”

“A previous incident? Did you have any bad relations with the volcano?”

Yeonjin, who had suddenly been asked a question she had never expected, put aside her embarrassment for a moment and asked out of curiosity.

If it’s an old incident, even if you just listen to it, it seems like it’s a story that’s likely to be related to some interesting incident.

“Strictly speaking, it’s not a sect-to-sect relationship, and I don’t know the details. It’s a story from when Sajeo was young, when the Demonic Cult last invaded the Central Plains. I heard that he had a bad relationship with Hwasan at that time.”

“Ugh.”

Yeo Il-gyu stroked his chin and shrugged.

When he set out to stop the Demonic Cult’s conquest of the Central Plains without regard for the state, there was a problem with Hwasan when Jin Seong-yeon was still young, and since then, Jin Seong-yeon has hated Hwasan extremely, that’s all Yeo Il-gyu knows.

Yeonjin, who was a bit offended by the sudden mention of the name of the Demonic Cult, was taken aback.

Yeonjin asked, trying to change the subject, “The thief originally said that his feet were numb.”

“But isn’t Jasodan and the fifteen-year seal too big for Hwasan? It doesn’t seem worth it to compare it to a treasure that is comparable to Shaolin’s Daehwandan.”

“That’s because you don’t know much about the workings of the martial arts world.”

Yeo Il-gyu shook his head.

“Fifteen years is a time of many changes. What would happen if the main sect were to close its doors and not engage in external activities during that long period? It is embarrassing to say this out loud, but if you think about what would happen to the numerous businesses in Xi’an that the main sect is protecting right now, you will get a sense of it.”

“Ah. It doesn’t end with just a loss of external influence. After all, the martial arts school needs money to run, so I think the blow will be bigger than you think?”

“If we do well, the main faction may be kicked out to the bottom of the old faction, or they may even be pushed out. At this point, even if we put it on a scale, it wouldn’t tip toward Jasodan, right?”

Yeonjin’s expression immediately became serious after hearing Yeo Il-gyu’s explanation.

Even Yeonjin herself, after hearing the explanation, suddenly thought that Jasodan had fallen into her hands.

If he were to lose, which is a one in a thousand or one in ten thousand chance, wouldn’t the very foundation of the Jongnam faction be shaken?

Then Yeo Il-gyu hurriedly waved his hand.

“No, I didn’t explain it to burden you, so don’t misunderstand. It was a decision made solely by the chief secretary, no, by the chief secretary, so don’t feel burdened.”

“Things are really turning out so interestingly.”

Yeonjin, who had a serious expression on her face, muttered after thinking it over.

Although he had suddenly become the subject of a bet in a place he didn’t know about, it didn’t really matter.

Jin Seong-yeon has recently been teaching martial arts and has been indebted to him for his kindness, and it is not Hwasan or Jongnampaji who will suffer losses, right?

Rather, it was a good thing that I had the opportunity to get a job while staying still, but I thought that things really worked out strangely.

Now that I think about it, I’ve entered Haenampa, so Yu Ye-hyang won’t be able to come visit me at night.

Wouldn’t it be fun if I sneaked out and told you this story when I had the chance?

Those were the words he blurted out with that kind of sentiment, but Yeo Il-gyu let out a deep sigh.

“That’s what I’m saying.”

* * *

The Yongbongjihoe got off to a splendid start with a war of nerves between two proud sects.

The period of waiting for the other sects to arrive was also the time to finalize the process of learning martial arts from Jin Seong-yeon in the training room specially prepared for the Yongbong branch.

Although there was a minor problem that the martial arts that Jin Seong-yeon taught him were optimized for Yeon Jin, who was only a swordsman on the outside but was actually a disciple of the leader of the Demonic Cult.

Anyway, since this was also a type of fate, Yeonjin was trying her best to learn in her own way.

In the case of the Muchamnangagum, another branch of the sword that Yeonjin has already mastered, it can be called a sufficiently excellent martial art just by looking at the level of completion.

However, the martial arts he learned from Jin Seong-yeon were different from those of the Salgeom, even though they were both swordsmanship. It was the difference between a quick sword and a swordsmanship.

It’s probably the difference between a sword that has become thicker in its pursuit of practical pleasure and a sword that was created from the beginning to cut people.

In either case, it was not a sword that a swordsman of the righteous faction would use, but the nameless sword that had not yet been named had the indulgence of Jinseongyeon.

“Excellent.”

Because Yeonjin’s talent itself was outstanding, she was able to draw such praise from Jinseongyeon in just a short period of three months.

It was a remarkable achievement considering that Jin Seong-yeon is stingy with praise.

“Not yet. I guess I’ve gotten a feel for it now, or maybe I’ve figured out the direction… … .”

“Proportion is proportion. Modesty becomes poison when excessive. Since your skills are already sufficient to aim for the top, have some confidence.”

Jin Seong-yeon gave advice with a very serious face.

“It won’t be easy for you to survive in the world of martial arts since you’re already a man. At the very least, you should make sure that no one takes you lightly. Even those who think you’re a man will change their attitude right away if you tell them you’re the best.”

There was a bone in the horse.

An old adage in the martial arts world to beware of men, children, and the elderly.

But the true meaning of the proverb is that you should not be fooled by appearances. In this world, whether you are a man, a child, or an old person, everyone is usually perceived as a relative weaker person.

If such a person is freely roaming the martial arts world, there must be something, whether it be martial arts skills or background, that cannot be easily touched, so the true meaning is to be careful.

Anyway, in general, the word ‘man’ is perceived as an abbreviation.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

When Yeonjin nodded, Jinseongyeon’s expression finally relaxed.

Although it wasn’t obvious because he had a blank expression on his face, Jin Seong-yeon looked at Yeon Jin blankly and said.

“Then it’s time to decide on a name.”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t even decided on a name yet… … .”

“I have a name in mind.”

“Do you have a name in mind?”

“The ultimate path-breaking Zen sword.”

Jin Seong-yeon said with confidence.

To cut off is the Way, to break it is Zen.

By breaking away from the illusion that the path to enlightenment is only refined and noble, and by breaking through Zen meditation, one reaches true enlightenment.

That was the conclusion that Jin Seong-yeon had reached after studying the sword for over a century and looking forward to the long-cherished dream of the Taoist swordsmanship of attaining enlightenment through the sword.

There was confidence in his voice as he spoke, and his words to Yeonjin were clear.

“The black volcano is practical. The main school’s Cheonha 36 swords are not inferior to the 24-hand plum blossom sword technique, but the plum blossom sword technique itself contains the secrets of illusion and transformation, and its essence lies in deceiving the eyes. ”

“… … .”

“With your skills, you should be able to tell the difference between the unripe plum sword and the fake one. I didn’t say anything, but if you learn the thief-and-paseon sword, you won’t lose to the plum sword with the same skills. I can say this for sure.”

“Do you have some kind of sabotage in mind?”

“It’s not a destruction method. It’s a compatibility problem.”

Swordsmanship that focuses on extreme pleasure is powerless against speeds that go beyond that.

Or, if the greatest weapon is sealed, it becomes completely powerless against a mysterious blunt sword that can capture and control space itself.

That’s compatibility.

“The essence of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique is the transformation of a single sword into scattering countless plum blossom petals. The Jeoldopaseon Sword can block the transformation at a faster speed before it even happens, so if you go up on the stage and mix swords, you will understand what I mean.”

“Block it first before the change occurs… … .”

Yeonjin repeated Jinseongyeon’s words, rolling them on her tongue and thinking carefully about what they meant.

But, there was a subtle heat in Jin Seong-yeon’s expressionless face and eyes.

It was difficult to describe in words the reason for the passion. However, there was something like a desire in his eyes, and naturally, his voice became stronger.

“Black giraffe.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry for dragging you into a war of nerves with the volcano. Strictly speaking, you’re not a disciple of the main sect, but an outsider, so I dragged you into something useless.”

“No, as I said last time, I don’t really care… … ”

“But I ask you this shamelessly.”

Before he could finish speaking, Jin Seong-yeon cut him off and made an unusually serious face.

“You must break the plum blossom sword technique of the volcano with the sword of the thief. This is not because of a bet with the Western Sword King and his Mangjong.”

The momentum radiating from the masters of Hwagyeong.

The typified energy flowed down like fragments.

Even though the momentum wasn’t entirely directed at Yeonjin, Yeonjin’s expression turned slightly pale just from the aftermath.

The identity of the momentum that exploded just by bringing up the subject was the enemy.

An endless hostility towards the volcano was burning throughout Jin Seong-yeon’s body and eyes.

“… … long text.”

“This is proof. That damned, brilliant plum blossom sword technique is in no way superior to Jongnam’s sword. And at the same time, proof that it is not more important than the lives of the disciples of the great Jongnam faction.”

Jin Seong-yeon did not raise her voice.

She was speaking in her usual feminine tone, although her voice was a little more forceful.

But there was a desperate anger and unbridled hatred seething within it.

“After I ascended to the position of Jangmunin, I couldn’t possibly fight the King of Seoak Sword one-on-one. Because of that, I couldn’t prove myself for a long time. However, when I completed the Jeoldopaseon Sword, didn’t this heaven-sent opportunity come?”

“… … Long story short, if it’s not too much trouble, may I ask if you have any ill-fated relationship with the volcano?”

“Since you got involved in this because of my greed, there’s nothing I can’t tell you. But let’s put that off until after the matter is over.”

With those words, Jin Seong-yeon turned around.

At the same time, the momentum that had been spreading in all directions and the endless hostility toward the volcano completely disappeared as if it had been washed away.

Jin Seong-yeon declared to Yeon-jin, who was blankly staring at her back as if possessed by a goblin.

“This is the end of the story of the Thief and the Sword. There are less than five days left until the Yongbongjihoe begins, so from now on, you should sharpen your sword skills.”