Chapter 34 : The Last Words of the Dead (4)

Ah Geol had a somewhat unfamiliar name, Seori Heun. His surname was Seori, and his given name was Heun.

It was a name so forgotten that even Ah Geol wondered if it was his own.

His master had given the Seori surname to three of his four disciples.

Seori Gaheon, Seori Hyeonggae, Seori Heun.

-Your name is Heun. Seori Heun.

-I’ve only just started learning martial arts. You said I could have the surname after I completed the Single-Instant Blade.

-I did.

-Then I’ll have it later. After I’ve completed it.

-I’m giving it to you because I don’t think I’ll be able to give it to you if not today. Don’t forget. Seori Heun. Later… you can have it after you’ve completed the Single-Instant Blade. Do as you please.

-Where are you going?

-I’m going. Far away. Hahaha!

His last meeting with his master was very special. It was the day he had gotten his surname and given name… He didn’t know how many times he had repeated the name ‘Seori Heun’ after his master had gone.

His master had died the next day.

It was not an unjust death. A martial artist and a martial artist had clashed, and he had died at the end of a duel.

Of course, it was a pity that he had been struck by the schemes of his senior brothers.

But he could not blame his senior brothers for that either. It was his master’s fault. His master had not been able to take care of himself. A person who held a blade had to be wary of the world even while sleeping.

In the final duel, his master had used the Single-Instant Blade.

Heo Dogi had executed the Illuminating Thousand Swords.

They had each used their best sword arts. Lightning and lightning had clashed.

In a fight like this, you couldn’t fight while showing mercy to your opponent. If you slowed your hand even a little, you would be counterattacked immediately. You had no choice but to do your best.

The two had fought with their lives on the line. And one person had lost. Although he had suffered a fatal blow because the Three Cause Poison had taken effect, he could not blame Heo Dogi for his master being careless and getting poisoned.

It was fine that his master had died. He had lost because his martial arts were weak, so he just had to hone his martial arts further. But the fact that his senior brothers had knelt before Heo Dogi… was a disgrace.

This was the Bamboo Peak fight from the perspective of a disciple of the Single-Instant Sect.

From the perspective of a disciple of the Single-Instant Sect, it was a fight where his master had been defeated and died, but there was nothing to hold in his heart.

Revenge? He just had to make his blade stronger. If he completed the Single-Instant Blade, Heo Dogi would come to him before he even stepped forward. Seori Gaheon, Seori Hyeonggae, and Dongbak would come and ask for a duel.

That was how the Single-Instant Sect took revenge.

But Grandpa was not like that. Grandpa did not know the strength that the Single-Instant Sect pursued.

He had betrayed his master, so he had to be killed. He had assassinated his master, so he had to be killed. He was enjoying prosperity by clinging to Heo Dogi, so his bones had to be ground and scattered in the river.

Blood vengeance must be compensated with a life!

It was something Grandpa had said repeatedly.

The one who killed your family must compensate with their life. If a disciple killed their master, they must naturally take revenge. Even if it meant summoning lightning and frying them to death, they must be killed.

Grandpa’s revenge was like this.

In any case, obtaining the Single-Instant Blade came first. Taking up the blade was not urgent.

Grandpa, what was so urgent?

Ah Geol had called Ah Sam Grandpa.

The word Grandpa included many relationships. He was a grandfather. A father. An uncle, and a brother. A master, a senior brother, and a junior brother. And a friend.

The word Grandpa contained all the relationships that could be formed while living in the human world.

If Ah Sam had only been a grandfather and grandson relationship, he would have stopped this death no matter what. He would have blocked his path so that he could not die.

Ah Geol and Ah Sam also had a relationship of friends.

They understood each other the best. They understood better than anyone what their friend wanted, what resentment they held in their hearts, and what they wanted to achieve.

So he had not stopped Grandpa even while watching him walk into a place of death.

Grandpa wanted to die.

The thing he wanted to do the most in the world, the thing he absolutely wanted, was to die.

He had wanted to die for ten years, and even long before that, because he wanted to go to the side of the Single-Instant Sect Master. He had not a single lingering attachment to this world. So his body was a completely empty shell.

Grandpa had stayed alive and preserved his life only because of Ah Geol.

He had waited until Ah Geol was ready.

The single-minded determination to clothe, feed, and train Ah Geol… to raise him into a complete disciple of the Single-Instant Sect had kept him alive.

-What about the Single-Instant Blade?

-Not yet.

-Are you a fool? Everyone else has found it, so why haven’t you found it yet? You’re really a fool, aren’t you?

Ah Geol had really not found the Single-Instant Blade. So he had said that he was not ready yet.

He could execute a powerful blade art.

He swung his blade with a mighty force that no one could face. He split his target in an instant.

But it was not the Single-Instant Blade.

What Ah Geol had shown was his master’s Single-Instant Blade. And it was just a slight imitation.

He was still far from obtaining the real Single-Instant Blade.

But Ah Sam could not distinguish whether Ah Geol had really found the Single-Instant Blade, or if it was still incomplete. He did not have the sense or the eye to distinguish the Single-Instant Blade.

In Ah Sam’s eyes, the Single-Instant Blade was already complete. It seemed that there was no one who could withstand the blade that Ah Geol had unleashed. He thought that this much would be enough to face the other Single-Instant Blades.

-What Ah Geol needs is real combat and confidence. He’s avoiding it because he hasn’t fought.

Ah Sam had completely misjudged.

But he had let it be. He didn’t dislike seeing Grandpa excited with hope.

So Grandpa had focused on finding Oh Bia. Thinking that Ah Geol was already ready.

And he had finally found the Sect Master’s daughter.

The fact that she was Ah Geol’s fiancée was not important.

The Sect Master’s daughter! She was alive! She was safe!

Was there any reason to hesitate here? There was none. It was only right to rush towards death willingly.

Grandpa had firmly nailed it so that Ah Geol could not back out of this matter. He had thrown him into a deep well and closed the lid. By dying himself.

He had made Ah Geol take up his blade by dying himself.

Now, even if he didn’t want to take up his blade, he had to. Whether the Single-Instant Blade was complete or not, he had to fight. Even if he didn’t want to fight, Seori Gaheon, Seori Hyeonggae, and Dongbak would come.

A person who had originally wanted to die had even found a reason to die, so how could he endure without dying? It was a fight with no chance of winning anyway, but if the situation became like this, he had no choice.

-This is as far as I go. Clean up your surroundings. Don’t keep anyone by your side, and fight with a light heart.

Why had he said that…

Grandpa was afraid that Mongseol would get hurt.

It was inevitable that Ah Geol would raise his blade against his senior brothers, but he hoped that the Sect Master’s daughter would be safe.

Whether he took her with him to fight, or pushed her to the edge of the fight, the decision was entirely Ah Geol’s. Since she was Ah Geol’s fiancée, only Ah Geol could make the decision.

So he had dragged her into the middle of the fight.

The risk of attacking the Sacred Sword Sect to draw out the evil Single-Instant Blade was too great, so he had attacked the Living Sword Sect, which was one step removed.

A foxy grandpa.

Grandpa had passed the choice to Ah Geol.

Ah Geol had given the Blood Sword Sutra to Mongseol. And he had pushed her out of the battlefield.

Grandpa, was that your answer?

-Yes, you rascal! That was my answer.

* * *

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Ah Geol walked towards Grandpa.

There were many people around. The Living Sword Sect disciples were guarding Grandpa’s body. They were hiding in unseen places, holding their breath, their eyes shining sharply. They did not take their eyes off Grandpa’s body for a moment.

The Living Sword Sect disciples had asked the Sect Master how to handle the body.

The small man had killed Ah Sam, so should they transport him to the Living Sword Sect, or should they handle him here?

They were waiting for an answer.

If the Sect Master told them to bring the body, they would bring it. If he told them to burn it on the spot, they would burn it, and if he told them to throw it away in a place where no one could see, they would do so.

The Living Sword Sect disciples would wait until the carrier pigeon arrived.

Ah Geol, even though he knew they were there, calmly walked to the fallen Grandpa.

‘He must be at peace now.’

Far away… he could see Grandpa’s fallen figure.

Strangely, the first thought that came to him when he saw Grandpa’s body was that he looked really at peace.

‘Are you happy that you died as you wished? Did you make such a fuss because you couldn’t fall to the ground like this? Grandpa… are you really at peace?’

He had foreseen Grandpa’s death.

Grandpa had wanted to bring the Single-Instant Blade out into the world. So he had no choice but to die.

But now that he was in front of the corpse, tears flowed down his face.

Grandpa was dead.

He didn’t have to die… why did he have to die?

There was a reason. Grandpa wanted to show him the Single-Instant Blades of his senior brothers. He wanted to speak by dying.

Grandpa had no grudges against anyone in the world. So there was no reason for him to die at the hands of someone else. If someone were to kill him, the only one who would take his life would be the evil Single-Instant Blade.

If it wasn’t for this, the evil Single-Instant Blade would not have appeared. There was no reason for him to use his blade on Grandpa either.

You could only see the Single-Instant Blade when you faced it with your life on the line.

Ah Geol approached Grandpa’s side and knelt down.

He wanted to hug the fallen Grandpa. He wanted to lift him up right away. But he shouldn’t. Grandpa would not want that.

He calmly examined the blade mark as Grandpa would have wanted.

A blade that cut down the middle of his body!

Ah Geol had to face three people.

He had to cut them all down.

Grandpa could not show him all their blades. He could only show him one of the three. He would see the other two blades after he faced them directly.

But even showing him one person’s blade was something.

Look! Look carefully! The opponent is this much! If you want to cut them down, if you want to win, if you want to preserve your life, you must at least be better than this blade. If you are lacking, find a countermeasure.

Grandpa was laughing.

‘Ugh…!’

Ah Geol’s eyelids trembled.

It was a very strong blade. It was a blade with only the thought of killing. The Single-Instant Blade, the Single-Instant Blade… he had heard a lot about the Single-Instant Blade, but this was the first time he had seen it. It was a truly fearsome blade.

This was the Single-Instant Blade.

Should he say something funny? Did the Single-Instant Sect look like an orthodox sect? Did it seem like the disciples of the Single-Instant Sect only pursued strength?

If you thought about just one thing, the answer would come out clearly.

The Single-Instant Sect took in about three to four disciples. But there was only one Single-Instant Sect Master. Then where were the other disciples and what were they doing? Had he ever heard of another person coming out into the martial world?

His senior brothers had obtained the Single-Instant Blade.

The previous, the one before that, and the one before that, the disciples would have obtained the Single-Instant Blade. Because they had only brought in naturally born fighters.

The Single-Instant Blade they had obtained was a killing blade that should not be brought out into the world. It was a blade of death that would only return to its scabbard after it had surely killed a person when it was drawn.

It wasn’t that they were called murderers because they killed people. They were called murderers because they possessed such a blade.

They should not go out into the world.

So they first cleaned up themselves. The ones who had obtained the Single-Instant Blade would have a showdown among themselves and only one would remain. He would become the Single-Instant Sect Master, and only then could he go out into the world.

The Single-Instant Blade would become a truly strong blade by defeating the Single-Instant Blade.

His master had delayed this final work.

Dongbak had not obtained the Single-Instant Blade, so he was out of the question… but he should have given the choice to Seori Gaheon and Seori Hyeonggae. Who would survive, who would become the Single-Instant Sect Master.

It was the way of the world to send the young who had learned to hunt out into nature.

All fierce beasts did so.

To a baby crocodile, the river was a battlefield on thin ice. It could even be eaten by a lowly water snake. A lion was also the prey of wild dogs when it was a cub. It was the same for birds that flew in the sky.

But they were still mercilessly sent away.

Even if Seori Gaheon and Hyeonggae had seemed lacking, as long as they had obtained the Single-Instant Blade, they should have determined the best. And just as a mother sent her young into the jungle, he should have sent them into the martial world.

Who would like it if they had to be stuck in the mountains even after obtaining an absolute blade? Who would not betray?

The reason why his senior brothers had betrayed was not just because they had been defeated by Heo Dogi. The desire to rush out into the martial world would have been greater. Especially since they had already obtained an absolute blade.

The Single-Instant Sect was by no means righteous. It was very evil. No matter how well you wrapped up the results, it was evil. It was cruel and merciless. It would probably be the best among the emotion severing swords that existed in the world.

The blade that had cut Grandpa’s body was like that. It was evil.

‘Grandpa. Are you telling me to fight this? You know I’m not at this level. Compared to this blade, I’m only half a fool. What on earth are you telling me to do?’

-You rascal, you already knew that you were no match for them, didn’t you? Just do what you have to do. You still have to clean up your master’s gate. I’m telling you to do what you have to do, so why are you blaming me?

He could hear Grandpa’s laughter.

His senior brothers were so strong that he couldn’t even dream of cleaning up his master’s gate, but now he had to.

Ah Geol pulled out the leather pouch he had been carrying on his back.

Inside was oil. The pouch was full of oil to cremate Grandpa.

He looked at Grandpa’s face once more.

The last meeting in this life!

-You rascal, hurry up and send me off. The shorter the farewell, the better. It’s a connection that’s already over, so why are you hesitating? I can cast off this body any number of times. This grandpa… has done all he has to do, so he’s very lighthearted. From now on, it’s your fight, so fight well.

Grandpa was laughing.

‘I told you to stay alive. I told you to stay alive and receive a drink from me.’

Ah Geol poured the oil on Grandpa’s body. And he lit a match. At that moment!

Thud!

A small, very faint vibration occurred in Ah Sam’s body. It was a sound that could not be heard with the ears, and could only be felt with the five senses.

‘He’s alive!’

Ah Geol’s eyes widened.

How could he be alive? To be alive even after being struck by the Single-Instant Blade was no different from being alive even after the sky had collapsed.

Suddenly! A thought flashed through his mind.

The one who had used the blade was Dongbak. If Seori Gaheon or Seori Hyeonggae had used the blade, he would never have been able to live. Because Dongbak had executed it, there was a slight imperfection. He had not been able to focus his mind completely while using the blade. There must have been something that felt unsettling, and that had dulled the blade.

That’s right. The blade was dull.

If the blade had been sharp, the blade mark would not have started from under his neck. It would have started from the top of his head. It would have cut his head, his neck, his chest, his stomach. It would have completely split him in half.

The fact that the blade mark had started from under his neck meant that something had made the hand that used the blade hesitate.

Second, Grandpa was from the Red Wolf Squad.

The assassins of the Red Wolf Squad were trained to leave a single breath of true energy in their dantian at the last moment.

Such an act could not prevent death. But it could delay the decay of the body as much as possible. He could tell his comrades how he had died with his body. He was telling them with his body what kind of martial art he had been struck by and in what way. So that they would not be struck by the same method again.

Perhaps Grandpa had stood before Dongbak without hesitation because he had known such a method.

Besides this, there might be other reasons…

Ah Geol quickly took out the jar containing the green line leeches from his brush pouch. And he poured the leeches inside onto Grandpa’s body.

Grandpa had brought the green line leeches to use in a critical moment… but he probably had no idea that they would be used on himself.

Ah Geol immediately lifted Grandpa up.

He ran!

He began to run out of the forest with all his might, squeezing out every last bit of his strength.

Shwiiik!

The wind he created shook the forest.

(End of Chapter)