Chapter 35
**
What is the meaning of enduring the present?
Chu Yi-gyeong stared at the back of the Head of the Sma Family. The previous Head, Sma Gon, had vanished without a trace. Smaak, who had to shoulder the burden that followed.
It was clear that he was struggling. Yet, despite that, the status of the Sma Clan was declining day by day.
Everything has its limits.
No matter how often Smaak was praised for his brilliance, he remained but an unripe sprout.
Still, he chose to observe. Rather than taking dangerous actions, he opted for the same course of action he had been following until now.
Silently guarding his back.
However…
His inner turmoil reflected the reality outside.
The clan’s power was crumbling little by little. Even though he could see the hardworking figure in front of him, nothing truly changed.
His master was stuck in place. He tried to protect what he had but ultimately managed to hold onto nothing.
“…Are you okay, Head?”
“I’m fine. Chu Yi-gyeong.”
…No.
Nothing is fine.
The words I wanted to say echoed silently in my heart, causing Chu Yi-gyeong to flinch. Come to think of it, hadn’t he been feeling that way often lately?
What if he had been in that position?
It all started small. Waiting for Smaak to fall asleep and then secretly peeking at the Sma Clan’s secret manuals.
He couldn’t understand even after looking, and eventually ended up stealing them outright. He began creating his own time to learn one by one.
However, the swordsmanship of the Sma Clan was not easy. Even for someone who had dedicated his life to the sword, it was difficult to comprehend.
Rumors flew around that the upper management had failed again. Without realizing it, Chu Yi-gyeong found himself clicking his tongue in front of Smaak more often.
He compared secretly. If only the previous Head, Sma Gon, had been here, would the Sma Clan have fallen into this state?
The prestige of the Head, which seemed utterly lacking.
He couldn’t shake off the thought that if he had been in that position, things would have been different.
When he came to his senses, Chu Yi-gyeong found himself venting his frustrations to a few warriors following him. He frowned, worrying that the Sma Clan he cherished might collapse.
Then, his subordinates spoke up.
“…Indeed. How can we consider a young master who can’t even wield a sword as the true Head?”
“From the moment the previous Head left his position, it’s effectively been vacant, hasn’t it?”
“We’re not even a recognized faction like the Jegeal Family… this is the main school’s domain, and if we don’t have power, we’ll be swept away, right?”
Sharing drinks.
Spending time together.
The discontented crowd voiced their opinions in unison.
“Perhaps the reason the Sma Clan has ended up like this is that the Head is not strong enough.”
“It must change, even if late. Brother.”
“I think someone stronger, someone who can withstand external pressures, should take the Head’s place in the Sma Clan.”
They were merely venting while having a drink.
But Chu Yi-gyeong steeled his heart with those words.
Sma Gon was gone. Without that strong master…
—What can’t I do?
The Sma Clan must change. Someone must take the Head’s place.
Don’t I also cherish the Sma Clan?
He was someone who wholeheartedly served the previous Head, who had poured his life into building the Sma Clan.
I can’t let it crumble like this.
Only someone like me, who has the capability…
Can truly revive the Sma Clan!
“Warrior.”
That whisper came at that moment.
“Do you not need help?”
Methods and means.
In that moment, Chu Yi-gyeong smiled.
Finally, I can take the position I have long yearned for.
. . .
It collides. It crumbles.
The warriors of the Hidden Pavilion swing their swords, but they fall before sustaining for even ten seconds.
“Gah!”
“What kind of strength is this…!”
“Hahaha! Smaak! Look! Can’t you recognize this?!”
The sword glimmered menacingly. It was an intimidating yet fluid trajectory.
Smaak, who was tracking the sword energy with his eyes, was horrified.
“Sma Il Sword?! You crazy bastard!”
“Yes! This is the Sma Il Sword! This sword signifies that I rightfully inherit the position of the Head!”
“Your grandfather wouldn’t teach you this! Don’t tell me you… you stole the secret manual…?!”
“It’s too late to argue about right or wrong now! I have learned, and you have not! Everything in our main school is divided solely by power!”
Chu Yi-gyeong smirked.
“What significance does a Head of the Sma Clan, who can’t even handle a sword, have?!”
Words failed to reach him. He was already in a frenzy.
“Restructure our personnel! Form a sword inspection team! Now!”
The personnel of the Hidden Pavilion moved. The twelve remaining swordsmen faltered and attempted to form ranks.
But their blades were dull. They trembled as well.
The Hidden Pavilion is essentially an information-gathering organization for the Sma Clan.
So it’s natural that their martial prowess isn’t particularly high. Most here barely hover around first-rate.
“Is that how you plan to receive my sword energy?”
The sword wielded by Chu Yi-gyeong brimmed with strength. The sword of someone who learned fell infinitely short compared to his own Sma Il Sword.
One soldier bled from the outstretched blade. A broken sword clattered to the ground.
As the momentum faltered, the ranks couldn’t hold.
Choosing to evade rather than confront caused whatever formation they had to collapse entirely.
The Head of the Hidden Pavilion shouted.
“You must flee! Head!”
“Do you think I wouldn’t prepare for such a situation? Those who follow me are blocking the backdoor of the Hidden Pavilion.”
“You madman! Chu Yi-gyeong! What the hell are you thinking?!”
“I’m doing this to uphold the name of the Sma Clan! Head of the Hidden Pavilion! Shouldn’t you think? What changed while Smaak has been Head?! What changed?!”
Chu Yi-gyeong adjusted his grip on the sword and aimed it at Smaak.
“It’s different now that the previous Head is gone! We… we are continuously falling! I had held onto hope! Do you think I lack sight?! I continued to watch while nothing changed, so I rose up like this!”
“…….”
“Someone must do it! Damn it! I don’t want to, either! But the Sma Clan is precious to me. It’s the only link that the previous Head left me!”
The energy resonated from the tip of the sword he held aloft.
“Head of the Hidden Pavilion. I shall give you a final chance. Join me. Then I will assure your position. Everything will remain as it is. Only one thing will change.”
“…For the sake of the Sma Clan?”
“Yes. For the sake of the Sma Clan.”
The eyes of the Head of the Hidden Pavilion hardened.
“Speaking so casually, Chu Yi-gyeong. If that’s the case, you should have hidden the greed gleaming in your eyes. You merely covet the position of Head of the Sma Clan.”
“Are you blind to what’s in front of you? You truly do not deserve the position of Head of the Hidden Pavilion.”
“If so?”
“A grave. Everyone here deserves a grave! I will personally carve their tombstone! I will build a strong Sma Clan, which even the previous Head would commend, with my own hands! Not yours, the incapable!”
Smaak ground his teeth amid the bewildered stares.
The Head of the Hidden Pavilion whispered.
“Head. There is a secret passage. Use it to hide.”
“…….”
“If you escape, you can plan for the future. The legitimacy of the Sma Clan rests with you, Head. So protect your life. Uncover all of this…”
“—Shut up.”
Flee?
Flee?!
I had already gone through that. I went through it not long ago.
Fleeing from the Soul Stealing Sword. Now I have to run from Chu Yi-gyeong?
I surveyed my surroundings. I remembered the names of everyone lying down and standing.
There was no one here I didn’t know. Everyone was someone I had exchanged words with at least once.
The personnel of the Hidden Pavilion.
They were serious and insightful, but they also responded playfully to jokes in the atmosphere.
As for the Head of the Hidden Pavilion, he had the deepest bond with me among everyone here. Hadn’t I learned how to handle information from him?
“I… will not leave this place.”
“The name Sma Clan is heavy, isn’t it? Ah, my dear.”
I tapped into my distant memories.
The Bloodless Sword.
I gripped it tightly.
Chu Yi-gyeong laughed.
“A pearl necklace on a pig’s neck! What use is it to you if you pick it up?! Hand everything over to me, including the Bloodless Sword!”
A pearl necklace on a pig’s neck.
That phrase wasn’t wrong. I knew well that I had no talent since I learned the sword from my grandfather.
The Sma Clan is a family of martial artists. How can a family head have no talent for the sword?
Who would follow it? I often thought that way while working.
“…You crazy bastard.”
…But.
Yet, more people than I expected were watching my back.
“The responsibility doesn’t lie in the sword hilt. It is at the tip.”
“I… don’t understand.”
“It’s simple. The hilt of the sword represents status. It’s what you hold to maintain your position. If you want to hold it, who cannot? If you want to grasp it, who cannot?”
Eyes gathered.
People assembled, adding their will for a slightly better tomorrow.
“What matters is the spirit of the sword. A sword without a spirit is not a sword.”
“If so, then how is the spirit at the tip made?”
“—When you truly want to grasp the sword.”
The Head of the Sma Clan.
That name was indeed heavy. Sometimes, it felt suffocating.
From managing the family to the numerous tasks at hand. Sometimes, I spent sleepless nights because of the burden.
I didn’t have the strength to handle all of that. There were many shortcomings to becoming an ideal Head.
…But.
But even so, it remains.
The heart of my childhood still lingers. The child who conversed with his grandfather is still standing here.
The back I always saw.
The desire to be like that.
“Your sword will be created depending on what you have witnessed.”
“What… sword?”
I gripped the sword.
The Bloodless Sword.
No one can avoid wielding a sword. Someone must bear the responsibility.
Aspiration leads to desire.
Desire will eventually lead to the blade without an edge.
Creating the blade begins now.
“Jeong Han-su. Song Ha-cheon. Gal Jung-ri.”
I called out the names.
To know what I possess.
“Go Myung. Chu Yang-geon. Song Hwang-yeong.”
I strive to create the blade’s edge.
Wishing for the metal to flow, I opened my mouth.
“Pungjeongmun. Chang Maeng. Jang Gong-un.”
If the Sma Clan enters beneath Cheonakmun, it would surely conflict with my grandfather’s intention. The name Sma Clan would undoubtedly change to Cheonakmun.
“Head of the Hidden Pavilion, Jin San-wol.”
There’s little chance that fleeing would allow for planning for the future. It may rather crumble the name of the Sma Clan completely as a traitor.
Above all…
I left behind someone who risked their life for me.
I must help them. If not, I’ll die to the Soul Stealing Sword. He was a master with a renowned name within the academy.
It will collapse. It will surely collapse.
So I must reclaim it before it does. By any means.
Affirming my intentions is the Sma Clan’s principle.
This is the decisive moment.
With the sword I hold.
By any means.
—The option to flee never existed in the first place!
“From now on…”
My voice trembled. I closed my eyes, afraid to confirm the outcome.
Yet I spoke.
Having sworn to take responsibility, I have no intention of breaking that vow.
A path.
Open a path. Smaak. Open a path. With my own hands.
Even if the outcome differs from what I expected, overseeing that end is indeed the role of a leader.
“I shall clear a path.”
I looked around.
I renewed my memory of those whose names I had called.
—“Bet your lives on me. Sma Clan.”
I whispered.
I believed that an answer would return.
“…Phew.”
Chu Yi-gyeong laughed. He chuckled, almost doubling over as he clutched his stomach.
Within that frivolous laughter lay certainty. Everyone here, without a doubt, would not sacrifice their lives for a lacking Head.
“You madman! Speaking such words won’t change anything! You could never have the influence of the previous Head…!”
But I did.
“…Jeong Han-su. I will follow your command.”
A shard of the sword attached itself.
“What do you mean…?!”
“Song Ha-cheon. I will follow your command.”
“Gal Jung-ri. I will follow your command.”
“What the hell are these crazy bastards…!”
Voices mixed together, not ending with one but bubbling up one after another.
“Pungjeongmun! I will follow your command!”
“I, Chang Maeng! Until my dying moments, I shall be the Head’s sword!”
“I, Jang Gong-un! If this life holds any value, I will throw it away, come what may!”
The actions over the years.
The figures displayed over the years.
The efforts made over the years meld together, unstable yet forging a sword.
The faded spirit relived.
The previously withdrawn gazes returned to life.
“The Sma Clan you built will become your sword.”
Voices united.
They cried out with the soul of the sword.
“This Go Myung! I will surely protect the Head from that vile one!”
“I, Chu Yang-geon! I will eliminate the traitor.”
“I, Gal Jung-ri. I will follow your command. Head.”
The sword that Chu Yi-gyeong lacked.
He tucked it away and inserted it into the hilt. Polishing it into a true sword.
The first time he held a sword properly, it felt heavy.
He steadied his breathing, holding back Smaak’s hidden rage.
The atmosphere from the Head of the Hidden Pavilion weighed heavily.
“Is there a way?”
“There is a way to pierce through anything. I have never acted thoughtlessly. Head of the Hidden Pavilion. Did you not teach me that?”
“…Even if the body is that of a deer, the soul is that of a tiger.”
The Head of the Hidden Pavilion smiled faintly.
“Who would doubt the position of the Head? ”
A faint sword energy trickled from the tip of the Head of the Hidden Pavilion’s sword.
“Head of the Hidden Pavilion, Jin San-wol. I will follow your command. The Hidden Pavilion should have collapsed long ago, but thanks to the Head, it’s still standing strong, isn’t it?”
“Th-this…!”
“—Shut your trap, former bodyguard.”
Smaak aimed the tip of the Bloodless Sword at Chu Yi-gyeong.
Chu Yi-gyeong cried out as if struggling.
“You worthless bastard who can’t even grasp martial arts!!! No matter how much you struggle, nothing will change! Even if you sacrifice your life, nothing will change! You… you’ll gain nothing even after this! The Sma Clan is mine! It belongs to someone with talent!!”
“Yes. I may not have grasped martial arts. It is fair to say I lack talent as the head of a martial arts family.”
From the tip of the Bloodless Sword, a sensation was felt.
“However, how about you? What about you?”
“You bastard…!”
“The Sma Clan is not only referred to as a family of martial artists. It’s also called a clan of the wise. Therefore… the lack of qualification applies to you as well. You have a head, yet you cannot think with it…”
Only capable of using the sword once.
“You’ve lived without a head all your life, Chu Yi-gyeong. Now, I will take it from you. This will be my final act of mercy.”
“You bastard!!!!”
