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Chapter 316

His name is Yeom, styled Dong-bin. Commonly referred to as Sword Saint Yeodong-bin, he is a member of the Taoist Eight Immortals.

Other than appearing before those in the martial arts world on the brink of destruction and opening a path to Earth, he has never once cast a shadow even amidst the emergence of all manner of mythological beings.

Even though many wished for a contract with the Sword Saint due to his overwhelming contributions—even if only once—such events were conspicuously absent.

It seems the Sword Saint expends immense power to slice through dimensions, or perhaps there’s something else at play.

However, what’s important isn’t the details but that he is rightfully called the ‘Sword Saint.’ You might wonder how I know, considering he has never appeared, but Yeon-woo knows.

Sword energy flows along the sword marks. Thanks to being able to perceive that flow through the teachings of Taoist arts, he became aware.

It’s a pure sword stance, yet it resides within the realm similar to Taoist techniques.

It’s a truly absurd story. This means he swung his sword without wrapping it in mana, yet mana oozed out. The act of wielding the sword itself embodies a level of Taoist mastery.

To Yeon-woo, it felt as if he had stumbled upon a preserved essence left by a pioneer. Never did he expect to one day stand in admiration of another’s sword path— to find it ‘beautiful.’

The yin-yang diverged from unity into the three calamities, transforming into the four thoughts. From there emerged the five elements, and the eight trigrams appear.

The cyclical flow of returning to unity filled Yeon-woo’s vision.

What if I do this? What if I do that? Countless fantasies bloomed in his mind. It felt as if a man wielding a sword was playing in his head.

Unbeknownst to him, the horn of Moon Gi gleamed with divine light while Yeon-woo immersed himself in the progression left by the Sword Saint, his eyes sparkling as he gazed longingly at the Gate.

In response to such a sight, Ras let out a snicker.

“What a peculiar fellow.”

Having spent quite some time at the Hobak Guesthouse, Ras had guided people coming to admire the Sword Saint’s outlook, but he could count on one hand how many reacted so instantly.

“Well then, shall we prepare?”

For some unknown reason, whenever someone appeared to gaze at the Gate from this lookout, the situation at the frontline began to grow strange.

It was as though they intended to deal with whoever would inherit the Sword Saint’s progression, as Demon Cultists started to cluster.

In anticipation, Ras began setting traps. He figured that someone who looked enlightened like this should be kept under watch for a full day.

Despite arriving with a light heart, it was shaping up to be a more difficult task than he imagined.

“Such things are my specialty.”

As Ras cracked his neck, he started warming up. Fighting off Demon Cultists and popping heads was nothing short of life’s fulfillment.

*

“…What is this?”

It felt like a foggy space. I was definitely on a hill, but I had no idea how I ended up in a place like this.

Is it a feeling of being sucked into a mental space due to excessive immersion?

As Yeon-woo, still disoriented, scanned his surroundings, he began to hear footsteps approaching him.

“…Yeon-ja.”

A chill ran down Yeon-woo’s spine upon hearing the voice. Not for any other reason than the deep, cavernous tone that carried a sense of elegance and warmth.

Simultaneously, the expression “Yeon-ja” felt strikingly familiar.

‘This phrase is often found in novels…!’

And whenever such an expression appears, it usually means…

‘When encountering the fortuitous chance left by a past master…!!’

This master refers to the Sword Saint Yeodong-bin. If I can inherit the fortune of a master who can even slice dimensions, then perhaps I could truly bring Nea back with my own power.

“Who are you, neither human nor alien.”

“…Ahem.”

Yeon-woo coughed awkwardly to gather himself, raising his gaze. The man before him was truly the embodiment of a legendary figure.

With white hair like an old man and simple robes, he still bore an exquisite demeanor that had not faded in the slightest.

Holding a simple duster in both hands and a sword on his back, Yeon-woo didn’t dare to move a single step.

He knew very well that swinging his sword would be less effective than just being hit by that duster.

“What do you seek, and what do you desire?”

This was also a common development if it were a fortuitous encounter. A master’s spirit remains to test the one who would inherit.

What kind of test does the Sword Saint conduct? Yeon-woo gulped nervously.

“For what purpose did you forsake your humanity, becoming neither human nor alien, greedily engulfing so much power?”

Engulf? That expression sounds a bit harsh. Are you saying my kids are gluttons right now??

The desire to dispute was immense, yet Yeon-woo felt that joking with this man would be fruitless. If I’m not careful, I might be cut down and tossed aside, so I had to pay careful attention to my words.

“I lacked the power. I didn’t have enough strength to fulfill my desires.”

It’s always been like this. There’s so much I want, yet the power needed to realize it is far too inadequate. Looking back, Yeon-woo could think of countless times he achieved nothing without someone’s help.

Of course, that’s not a bad thing. However, if he had power, perhaps he wouldn’t have put others in danger while achieving it.

The Sword Saint fell silent at those words. It was as if he were gazing deep into Yeon-woo’s soul, looking into his eyes for quite a while.

At one point, Yeon-woo realized that his mouth was opening to speak, prompting him to stop himself involuntarily.

“It’s alright.”

The Sword Saint’s eyes glowed with warm light. Just before he could say something, Yeon-woo understood. Such words were unnecessary.

“You do not need simple pity.”

“Is that so?”

The Sword Saint briefly responded to Yeon-woo. In the end, it’s all a choice of his own. If you’re an adult, you must bear the responsibility for your choices.

Receiving cheap sympathy brings neither joy nor anger. It’s just unnecessary.

“Please answer me, Sword Saint. Can I inherit your progression? If not, could you impart at least a sliver of your teaching? I don’t want to waste time. If I don’t hurry, everything will slip through my fingers.”

“I shall answer Yeon-ja.”

With that, the Sword Saint began to slowly wave the duster. Like a dance, graceful lines unfolded.

Slow yet swift, strong yet gentle. The sword seemed capable of cleaving even a massive dragon with one strike, yet it felt as though it couldn’t catch a mere fly.

“Just learn on your own.”

Yeon-woo gazed blankly at the sight. What kind of ideology is this, and what message is he trying to convey?

Such a master, who could resolve everything with a simple word, likely sublimated his teachings into a form of sword dance due to Yeon-woo’s ignorance in that field.

In that case, he would follow his words. Unfettered by qualifications, as a mere human, he would do his best to steal all of the Sword Saint’s knowledge.

Observing Yeon-woo as he quietly began to concentrate on each of his movements, the Sword Saint bore a pained expression.

‘How unfortunate yet beautiful. A life forsaken for the sake of loved ones.’

Moreover, he would continue to forsake it moving forward.

Happiness should not flourish atop the sacrifice of others. Such a righteous principle would surely hold no meaning for that child.

All a legendary master can do is hope that what he showed proves helpful someday, somewhere, in the future.

*

“───Hah.”

Like awakening from a long slumber, Yeon-woo took a deep breath. The air that filled his lungs was anything but refreshing, and as he breathed out, the scent of blood lingered at the tip of his nose.

What is that smell? Turning around, Yeon-woo couldn’t believe his eyes. There was Ras, completely covered in blood, chain-smoking a cigarette, with numerous corpses piled up behind him.

“Have you finally awakened, you employer.”

“…How many days have I been like this?”

“About three days without eating or drinking. At this point, the stacked corpses make excellent barricades. So, did you gather satisfactory results?”

“Thanks to you….”

Was all he could say. The protective charm was intact, perhaps thanks to the World Tree’s purification, but the purification talisman was now entirely stained purple, rendered useless.

In reality, Ras’s right arm, now completely purple, appeared to be pulsating with demonic energy, seemingly flowing along his veins.

It had surely reached a point of no return.

“Why go that far…?”

“Well, it’s only natural for a talented young man to outlive a nearly thirty-year-old man.”

His already grim face bore several additional scars, making it even more frightening.

There wasn’t a single part of Ras’s body that was free of wounds, covered in blood. No matter how skilled one might be, fighting off incessant waves of Demon Cultists to protect Yeon-woo must have been grueling work.

“I initially intended to wait just one day before leaving. But I observed the traces of the Sword Saint and realized that no one survived more than half a day without moving. And yet, here you are sitting for three days. I figured, ah, I can’t just leave him to die.”

Laughing while spitting blood, Yeon-woo stepped closer to Ras. He was a strange person.

Even though they were strangers, given their contractual relationship, preserving his own life should have been the priority. Yet he chose not to.

Seeing someone find hope on one’s back is an immensely heavy burden. The heavy burden of life can vanish so easily.

“Let’s see, roughly 14,400 dollars. You should save some for the funeral, kid. Make sure you give me a lavish send-off.”

As Ras joked, Yeon-woo slowly approached.

If he left Ras as he was, his body consumed by demonic energy would become indistinguishable from a Demon. According to the code of the Hunter, it would be right to kill him before it came to that.

It seemed Ras thought the same, as he slowly closed his eyes while watching Yeon-woo approach. Yeon-woo pondered whether this was truly the right thing to do.

‘Can I really do it?’

No, I will make it happen. This can’t continue. Even if I were to return and save Nea, a lingering discomfort would remain in my heart.

Yeon-woo wished against it. Regardless of others, he desired at least a clean happy ending surrounding Nea, Shar, and Tae-oh without a scrap of discomfort.

“Bite down on this, uncle.”

“…Could you not make it hurt and just slice?”

“Even if it hurts like hell, I’ll save you, so just bite down.”

“Ha, damn it. How could that… GRAAH!?”

Before Ras could finish his sentence, Yeon-woo plunged his fingers into the wound on his side.

That alone was more than enough pain to induce shock, but what followed subjected Ras to a pain so unbearable he wished to faint.

Enormous mana, mana of exceptional purity, spiraled out from the wound. It felt as if he were being burned directly by fire.

The pain was so intense, he couldn’t even faint; Ras instinctively realized that this was the expression used for such a moment.

(To be continued)

 

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